Not a normal day but a full one! Father may my mind and heart be open in the direction You would have it go. Amen.
John 5:16-17 (<<click here to read the passage)
I have spoken before of the division with which our world is wracked. It is a challenge to be in any gathering of people where an opinion is voiced and someone else has a differing opinion. Quite often, at least in current American society, they are not just different, but opinions fall into polar opposite mindsets. And when those kinds of mentalities clash, compromise is not even an option. Most times there is a my-way-or-the-highway point of view on both sides of the issue. Either you see things from my perspective, or we need to just part ways because you are wrong.
Another attribute of this common scenario is the fact that often these conversations in which we find ourselves, are not calm discussions. More often than not, it doesn’t take much for them to explode into fiery discussions of me against you.
What is especially disheartening, is that the church is in the thick of it! Astoundingly, on some fronts, people of the church are the instigators! They seem to be the loudest voices in the crowd! Their goal is to embellish their views with all kinds of churchy, self-righteous attire in an attempt to push their preeminence. “Your arguments don’t stand a chance against mine, because God is on my side!”
The “church” of Jesus’ day had their own mindsets on many things and the rules they applied to the Sabbath were a huge point of contention when it came to Jesus’ mindset. They were definitely a my-way-or-the-highway kind of people.
Pointedly, this is what Jesus had to say about the whole thing as is recorded in Mark 2:27,

“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. NLT

Jesus didn’t mince words with them, He just stated the way it was.
In today’s passage, Jesus had healed a man and where the Jewish leaders chose to place their emphasis (forget that the man was healed!) was that Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath – GASP! And that was one of their major taboo rules – No working on the Sabbath!!
Did Jesus rant and rave? Did He clunk their heads together? Did He immediately cast them into the fiery pit of Hell? …no. He simply replied,

“My Father is always working, and so am I.” v17

So, why is our go-to response the same as the world’s? Too often we are full of condemnation. We exude self-righteousness. And answer me this question, how many people do you know who have ever been won to the Lord using those kinds of retorts? I don’t know of any.
The writer of Proverbs hits the nail on the head.

A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath,
But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1 AMP

Interestingly enough the header over this passage in the Amplified Bible reads, “Contrast the Upright and the Wicked”. So, where do you fall?

May 17th, 2021, Mon, 6:28 pm