There are a ton of stories and instructive principles in this text. What I am sharing is not all that there is, or all fo the important ones, but simply those thing that God speaks into my life with this morning. I’d love to hear how the text grabs you as well….
- 4:20-27. Jesus is teaching (preaching) in the synagogue and they are very complimentary of Him…but it changes suddenly. Why? In the hearer’s mind, they are the centerpiece of God’s redemptive story…not God. When God was rescuing (them in their own understanding) they were happy. God is rescuing us! When God passed by them and showed grace to other (25-27), they were indignant and wanted to kill the preacher. The story of grace was true in both accounts. The response to it was based not on the speaker (Jesus) or on God, but on where the audience saw themselves in the story. THIS is still common today I think. When people look at group pictures of event they attended…they look for themselves first. When they come to worship services, they look for agreeable environments, things for their kids, and principles of the message that apply to them. Could it be that this is the definition of “self-centeredness” and that we fit the definition more often than not? When we want to react to the message that we hear…would we not be wise to simply pause and ask of ourselves and of God, “Why does this create such an emotional response in my life? Is this indicative of a sin in me, or is it really an insensitive preacher?” (Most in that day just considered it a problem with Jesus. They tried to kill him for it that very day. In truth…they were not at synagogue to hear from God, but to be encouraged in their own role and “god” in their own little universe.)
- 5:19-20. How awesome it is that Jesus would show grace toward someone in response to someone else’s faith. It was the faith of the friends that He responded to. It was because of their faith that He healed this man. So…does God ever see our faith and show grace toward others? IOW: Are you actively BEGGING God and going the “extra mile” (whatever that is) to get your friends to Jesus…and does He show grace to them because your faith is compelling? WOW- That’s a convicting thought in my mind.
- 6:46-48. There is a huge difference between someone who calls Jesus Lord and one who acts on the Lordship of Christ. You can tell, by what He does with the message…and that is usually revealed in the midst of the storms that are non-negotiable.
Proverbs 25:11 is the takeaway today. “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.” [Speak the same word in wrong circumstances, and it has no value.]
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