Fulfillment

 

To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’"    Luke 7:31-34 (ESV) Whoever is in a place of authority will be tormented by many who are not. It matters not whether you are president or king, pastor, priest, or CEO/business owner. For some reason, those who do not hold the title and position often think it is their responsibility to gossip, slander, and malign. The criticism is anything but constructive, and it is often communicated in an acceptable manner to make the criticizer look noble, brave, and compassionate. Jesus said there was no one like John the Baptist (in a good way), and obviously there was no one like Jesus (in a perfect way), yet the masses found ways to find fault in them. Leaders need to find their fulfillment in Christ, His Word, His plan, and the fact that they have been entrusted with this position in this life. It may look like they will answer to the crowd, but in reality, they will be answering to God, who will judge each man’s works. The crowd should keep this in mind.

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God must increase...

 

"I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”   Luke 7:28 (ESV) Greatness is not measured by resources; it is measured by faith. Every human that has ever lived will be judged by the same criterion. We were told by our parents, often, that the world is not fair, yet in this aspect of life, it is fair. The rich, poor, healthy, well, loner, and the popular will be judged by the same criterion. We will be judged by our faith. Our faith will be demonstrated in various ways due to the various circumstances in our lives, however, faith is faith. Those who have money and other resources are not necessarily blessed, for the temptation is greater to trust in their wealth. Yet, those who are poor could long for what the wealthy have and be just as miserable in the end. John knew that God must increase and himself decrease. Dave needs to know the same.

What kind of person...

 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”    Luke 7:22-23 (ESV)

Jesus simplifies his response by encouraging the disciples of John to just report what they have seen. No need to be complicated.

What is complicated is how someone could watch Jesus and be offended by Him. After all, how offensive is the blind receiving their sight, the lame walking, lepers who are cleansed, the deaf hearing, and the dead coming to life?

What kind of person would get offended by that? Perhaps one who is creating truth rather than discovering it. Perhaps it is the very definition of fool.

The Truth is Right

 

"For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.  Luke 7:8-10 (ESV) The main thing I am aiming at, because, after all, the most practical, lies in my third point. However deep our humility, however conscious we may be of our own undeservingness, WE SHOULD NEVER DIMINISH OUR FAITH IN GOD. God is God, I am not. I need to remind myself of that and live in the context of that reality every day. When I do that, I have faith. (Biblical Illustrator) People who have faith are not necessarily gifted; they are honest. Honest people live in the context of what they know, and they will not go against what they are convicted is right. The hope is that we are convinced that truth is right, or we will be set up for disaster, for those who live as if lies are right are deceived and will experience destruction.

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Faith is...

 

"For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.    Luke 7:8-10 (ESV) Those who have faith, act like they have faith. Words do not give one faith. Heritage does not give one faith. Religion does not give one faith. Faith is simple. You either have it or do not have it. If you have a “little” of it, you have it all. If you think you have a little, but still have some doubt, you do not have it. You either believe God is God, or you do not. It is impossible to kind of, sort of, almost believe that God is God. Our knowledge may grow, but our faith is a different idea. It is important that we know what faith is since God has told us that it is the only way we can please Him.

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More Faith?

 

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you."    Luke 17:5-6 (ESV) Perhaps this is the common cry of all those who follow Christ. We often want to do right, but we seem to lack the courage or the faith to do what we should. We want our faith to be the driving force in our actions. Yet, it seems, as if the actions are trying to prove our faith more than flow from faith. What is it we actually believe, and if we believe it, do we act like it? If we do not act like I,t do we believe it? Do we believe God loves us? Do we believe God is trustworthy? Do we believe God is sovereign? Do we believe God has a plan and will win in the end? Do we believe that God owns all things and that we are just stewards? If so, do we act in accordance to what we say we believe? Are the apostles asking Jesus to give them the easy way to act out what is right? Are they asking Him to make it so they “feel” like doing what they should? Is their faith a feeling? Jesus’ answer is concise. Even if you got it right, really right, in a minuscule way, you would act on what you know to be true. Faith is not a feeling that you need more of, but it is knowledge of truth that drives your action. We do not need more faith; we need more truth.

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The next generation desperately needs an example.

 

"Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent’ you must forgive him.”"    Luke 17:3-4 (ESV) “A father tells us how he once started alone to climb a steep and perilous hill, purposely choosing a time when his children were at play, and when he thought that they would not notice his absence. He was climbing a precipitous path when he was startled by hearing a little voice shout, “Father, take the safest path, for I am following you.” On looking down, he saw that his little boy had followed him, and was already in danger; and he trembled lest the child’s feet should slip before he could get to him and grasp his warm little hand. ‘Years have passed since then,’ he writes, 'but though the danger has passed, the little fellow’s cry has never left me. It taught me a lesson, the full force of which I had never known before. It showed me the power of our unconscious influence, and I saw the terrible possibility of our leading those around us to ruin, without intending or knowing it; and the lesson I learned that morning I am anxious to impress upon all to whom my words may come.’” (Archdeacon Farrar.) We lead by example. We lead when we think we are not leading. We lead when we follow. We lead when we love. Be careful how you lead. Start by showing those around you how to forgive, for it is best to forgive as we have been forgiven, and the next generation desperately needs an example.

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