Many people still don’t get it right today, and they didn’t in Jesus’ day either. What am I talking about? I am talking about a relationship with God. As I look through the Old Testament, I see over and over the message and wisdom of Jesus (hello…God/Jesus….both the same). It’s amazing, yet people still didn’t get it. Does this sound familiar: people that are spiritually indifferent, trusting more in themselves than in their creator, people using “religion” to gain power, prestige and to enrich themselves…..
Mark 11:18-19 (TNIV)
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
Let me share a couple of verses from the Old Testament:
Deuteronomy 6:5-6 (TNIV, see also Jesus speaking in Matthew 22:37)
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.Leviticus 19:16 (TNIV,see also Jesus speaking in Matthew 22:39)
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.Jeremiah 29:13 (TNIV)
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jesus was either a befuddled, demented, radical, crazy imposter or He was who He said he was….God’s Son…the world’s Savior. There isn’t really any in between.
It is interesting to me that, (as I looked closely at the Scriptures in Mark above, that the “chief priest” were Sadducees (the wealthy upper class) and the teachers of the law were Pharisees (Scribes). In an odd sense, they were kind of like the Democrats and Republicans of today….they simply could not agree on anything and if they did, it was surprising (a good example can be found in Acts 23:6-10).
Verse 18 says that they were, “looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.” In fact these groups of religious leaders would get upset because, try as they might, they just couldn’t trick Jesus with their words. Jesus always answered so profoundly that even they were amazed!
Here is the key…..look closely at Jesus’ words in Scriptures….you too will be amazed! How many people in the faith simply don’t look closely at what Jesus IS SAYING? Yes, we hear His words all the time. I believe that often, our indifference keeps us from truly grasping the gravity and profound nature of Jesus’ wisdom….words that are not just thoughts but that are attitudes to be applied to our life and result in the best outcome.
Here are a few:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:35)
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39)
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16)
“love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)
The list goes on of amazing and profound things that our creator, God, indeed Jesus, shares with us to guide our lives. Let me say this, if these things don’t seem to make sense or go against “your grain”, I encourage you to seek out why Jesus would say these things and why they always amazed His listeners, whether they were his enemies, His friends, or simply people in the crowds listening to Him.
The second key here is that each of these statements (or attitudes), when applied to our lives and practiced, help us to understand true life and to find true fulfillment in all things.
Many people don’t understand today and indeed, they didn’t in Jesus day either. Today is the day to start listening, to start believing and experiencing the wisdom of our creator.