Father, thank You for helping me to persevere. On any given day the world can bang around on all sides. Quite often I can ignore it and sometimes it catches my eye. I am grateful the one far outweighs the other. Help me to more diligently persevere to stay close to Your side – to let You occupy my thoughts and actions. Amen.
Mark 3:1-2 (<<click to read the passage)
It is hard to understand sometimes but there are those with the best possible eyesight and they can blind themselves to the truth.
In this interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees, it is quite obvious that they are already at odds with the One they should have been elated to see. If anyone would have known what to look for in the coming Messiah it should have been the masters of the Law, but…
There is a well-known idiom that says, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” And that is what ailed Jesus’ opposition. They had been in power for so long that the threat to their status and authority overrode their ability to see the truth of who Jesus really was. Eventually, they became so driven to eliminate Jesus that they literally, in what was an obvious violation of God’s Law, succeeded in killing Him!
This is audacious but they are not alone when it comes to men and women of the church blinding themselves to the truth. It has happened throughout history and continues to happen today – all the way from denominational leadership down to the local church. Far too many times I hear where pastors place themselves above the law. It comes to the point where their word overrides any other word.
Lord Jesus, may we be diligent in seeking the truth. May that be our goal – may we not be caught up in the power and status and authority of man but only in Your power, Your status, and Your authority. Amen.
Feb 12th, 2019, Tues, 8:18 pm
