Something interesting....

Hey All!

Well. I was doing my devotions this morning and was struck with yet another thing that "kinda" ties into what I previously posted. 

In Luke 13 Jesus is generally speaking about Israel's rejection of their Messiah. Well 14 opens with this passage: "And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took [him], and healed him, and let him go; And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have a donkey or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things." Wow..... The people couldn't answer to those statements. I was later reading in, " The Believer's Bible Commentary, by William Macdonald, and Mr. Macdonald pulled out something interesting. I quote, " Jesus therefore healed the man and let him go. To Him it was a work of mercy, and divine love never ceases its activities, even on the Sabbath. ( John 5:17. ) Then turning to the Jews, He reminded them that if one of their animals fell into a pit, they would certainly pull him out on the Sabbath day. It was in their interests to do so. The animal was worth money to them. In the case of a suffering fellow man, they didn't have care, and they would have condemned the Lord Jesus for helping him." Wow..... again, Jesus didn't go into a long winded debate but on the contrary, spoke directly to the heart and left the other things behind and they couldn't answer him again. Another thing is that Jesus knew what was right, and in a gentle way, went against the opposition in his day. I don't always have to do what everyone else is doing, especially when what they are doing is wrong. ( Then I shouldn't be doing it. :) God calls me to be different than the world and sometimes, if they are sinning, even our own brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not easy though. That's why his grace is sufficient for me. ;) 

Towards the end of the Chapter Jesus is teaching on the disciple and what cost there is. "Count the Cost" is His theme and right at the end he says, " Salt is good: but if salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned. It is neither fit for land, ( Fertilizer [ commentary ] ) nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, LET HIM HEAR." ( Emphasis mine. ) Hm...... Just something to think on. 

God bless, \

 

~J :)