About (specific portions of) the Bible and what it says to us today.
The other day I read this quote and it really touched and moved me. The quote read, “Jesus seemed to enjoy the company of the broken more than the debates of the religious”. Well, this is what I’m wanting to discuss today.
God’s love letter
Scripture, the Word, is God’s love letter to all of creation. From Genesis to Revelation the Word of God is revealing Himself to us. It is apparent that all of Scripture is referring to Jesus in His entirety. There was and is no one who knew and understood the Word of God as well as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus understood the Word with such astounding insight. The Word was God and Jesus was God in the flesh. (John 1:1-2)
Gathering knowledge
So, we may be asking ourselves, “What did Jesus do with all this knowledge”? Did He gather all this knowledge to obtain more and more “information” and just fill His mind with facts and history? Or was He trying to impress others and have discussions and debates that showed everyone just how much knowledge He did have? Absolutely not! Jesus allowed the knowledge that God bestowed to Him to deeply penetrate His heart. He cherished the Word. He meditated and prayed. He loved the Word of God and to do the will of God was His only desire. In fact, Jesus used the Word to defeat Satan’s temptations in the desert. Jesus properly used the Word as a defense; a defense that only speaks Truth. It is written that the Word was His sword. Jesus also used the Word when the Pharisees tried to lure
Transformation of heart
Throughout Scripture, we repeatedly see there were many men with tremendous knowledge of the Word of God. However, many of these men did not allow the Word to penetrate deep into their heart and soul and it was obvious that there was no sincere heart transformation. Oh sure, things looked good on the outside and they knew exactly how to tell others to live and what they should and should not do. But, for themselves, the Word just did not apply. This is what Jesus had to say when referring to these men in Matthew 23:2-5 (NLT).
2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.[a] 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
No matter the cost
Jesus did not have to broadcast how much knowledge He had or do things just to draw attention Himself. No, He willingly,
He welcomed all
During Jesus’ ministry, He was always acceptant of the people that others did not want anything to do with. He welcomed all to follow Him…. no matter their background. For example prostitutes, tax collectors, Samaritans, and the broken-hearted. Some may wonder why did He do this? Why did He not sit down with all those great theologians and well-known leaders? Jesus came for the broken, “ordinary” people and what some would call the outcasts. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to rescue and reconcile us all back with God, so we could live with Him.
The Pharisee and the tax collector
I think the parable about the prayer of the Pharisee and the tax collector gives us the answer.
Luke 18: 9-13 9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[b]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
We can see here that the Pharisee thought he was a good man; good enough. He apparently saw himself as much better than all the other people around him. He exalted himself and “self” was on the throne of his heart. He believed and trusted his own righteousness. However, the tax collector saw his wretched condition before a Holy God and was undone. He was pleading for Gods mercy on his life and realized that he was in great need of God’s grace and forgiveness. The tax collector showed true Godly sorrow for his sinful life and repented whole-heartedly. Have you confessed your sins and repented to the Lord? He’s waiting for you to come to Him and lay it all down at the cross. Turn from sin and turn to God.
Romans 3: 23-24 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Let your light shine
Let us, therefore, honor the Lord with our lives as a living sacrifice. Let’s devote time each day to spend with Him, engaging with Him in His Word and in prayer. Allow His love and mercy to sink deep in our hearts and pass on that love and mercy to others. Let us not only read His Word but really live it out. Allow the light and love of Jesus to shine through you in such a dark and fallen world. Reach out to the “outcast” and lost souls. They are all around us, seeking and grasping for worldly things that can’t satisfy. Let your light shine! Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb of God.
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