Father, thank you for a wonderful day. After services this morning, we went straight home. it was a relaxing day – a restful day. May our time together this evening be fruitful. Amen
Luke 13:31-35 (<<click here to read the passage)

  • I’m 99% angel, but ohhhh, that 1%.
  • If you have an opinion about my life, please raise your hand. Now put it over your mouth.
  • If I agree with you, we’ll both be wrong.
  • Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.
  • Me? Sarcastic? Never.

Sarcasm. Several members of my family would say sarcasm is their second language! They relish bantering back and forth with each other and anyone else who will jump in with them. I do so occasionally, as well. Most often it is all fun and games, but we have to be cautious of not crossing lines where someone is truly hurt by what is said.
The use of sarcasm isn’t always for entertainment purposes. Consider Jesus’ words here in verse 33,

For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! NLT

It may be hard for us to wrap our minds around, but His words are blatantly sarcastic. They were most certainly barbed. I’m sure the intended recipients of His statement didn’t miss what He was trying to say. But just in case they didn’t catch it, He expounded His statement, making it unmistakably obvious. He said to the Pharisees,

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I have wanted to gather your children together [around Me], just as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were not willing! Listen carefully: your house is left to you desolate [abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed [to be celebrated with praise] is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” AMP

First of all, Jerusalem was the personification of the nation of Israel. This is by no means the first time Jesus has laid this truth out. The ill-treatment of prophets and messengers of God by the leadership of Israel went back millennia. And ill-treatment just didn’t mean that what they said was rejected – many were literally murdered because leadership didn’t like what they had to say. They didn’t care a whipstitch that God had sent them, they were the leaders and did as they pleased.
…but that never turned out very well. …and it wasn’t going to turn out well for them this time either.
As I’ve said before, we shouldn’t be too eager to click our tongues or shake our fingers at said leaders. Our hands may not be red with blood but aren’t we guilty of paying little heed to God’s directives because we know what we are doing and will do as we please.
Jesus is eager to take us under His wing, to guide us and to shelter us, too, but just like small children, we throw our tantrums and demand to carry on how we deem best…with little thought to the consequences of our actions.
Lord Jesus, may we take the time to look intently around ourselves. May we see without rose-colored glasses and blinders and take it all in. And in so doing may we eagerly run under your wings, to be loved and cherished. To be protected and directed in the ways of the wise not traveling the disastrous paths of the foolish. Amen.

Aug 30th, 2020, Thurs, 8:02 PM