Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Wed.’s Devo - Jesus Silences His Adversaries with Love

Read: Matthew 22; Mark 12
Parables were a popular way of explaining things in the days of Jesus. We call them word pictures. Three groups of people came to Jesus to trick him with their pet beliefs. The Herodians had a descendent of Herod the Great so they were nationalists who were faithful to the government. They obviously didn’t believe in tax exemption for religious purposes. Their question was a trick question to get their people to side with them. Jesus silenced them. The Sadducees were the wealthy priests who loved to argue with their teachers. They didn’t believe in the resurrection, eternal rewards, angels or demons. They believed that their own fate lay in their hands and their works rewarded them on earth. Their question was a trick question about the resurrection. Jesus’ answer silenced them also.
The Pharisees were next. They were the keepers of the law. They not only kept the law but added to it much more. Their strict attention to ethics took the spirit and love right out of the word. So it is no wonder that their question had to do with the law and which one of the 613 commandments was the most important. Jesus silenced them also then turned and asked them a question. He asked them whose son they thought the Messiah would be. They wrongly said “David’s”. Jesus showed them their error by asking them a question to get them to think. One of the scribes came to him secretly and agreed with his answer. To him Jesus said, “thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”
In the way Jesus dealt with each group you can see his compassion even on his adversaries. He was giving each one of them a nugget of truth that could be a seed to lead to their salvation if they would let the ground of their heart receive it.
Lord, let us have your heart so we can know how to answer your adversaries in a way that might entice them to come into the kingdom. Let our greatest aim be to love you and others.

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