Do You Understand?

Posted on by korgrocker

“After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”
John 13:12-15 NLT

As we have read, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. In our society, people sit at tables and feet are not on display.  But in Jesus’ days, a meal was eaten at low tables, where the diners reclined. So feet would have been everywhere. The famous picture of da Vinci’s the Last Supper was not in fact how the meal was shared, and even in that picture, feet are discretely tucked away almost out of sight. Regarding the Passover meal, and according to Luke 22:8, “Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together””. But there was no servant organised and present who would wash their feet. It must have crossed the disciples’ minds, but none of them volunteered for the task. So they ate the meal accompanied by a display of unwashed feet.

Jesus pointed out to His disciples that He was their Teacher and Lord, and He turned this common practice of foot washing into a learning opportunity, saying “I have given you an example to follow”. If Jesus had taught His disciples about the importance of serving one another, using words alone, then it is unlikely that they would have remembered for long, and in any case, how would they have applied His instructions in practice? But the practical demonstration of foot washing from the Man they revered and followed would have stuck in their minds for the rest of their lives. Jesus didn’t have to resort to a long teaching session backed by Scriptures, as we might expect from today’s pulpits. Instead He just acted it out and then asked the question, “Do you understand what I was doing?” And as the penny dropped in the disciples’ minds, He finished the occasion by saying, “Do as I have done to you.”

We pilgrims are servants to our fellow believers, and even beyond into our communities. We can talk forever about what should be done, but Jesus’ example was a practical demonstration that cut across many words. On another occasion, Jesus taught about servanthood. “But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world Lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many”” (Matthew 20:25-28). In our societies, we recognise the world Jesus described, with the rulers lording their authority over their citizens. But Jesus came to promote His counter-cultural Kingdom, a Kingdom that to the world appeared upside down. We pilgrims are part of that upside-down world, a world that our secular fellow citizens don’t recognise. They scratch their heads in puzzlement and consign us to the looney fringe, along with the flat earthies and Covid deniers. But we know differently, and have experienced life in the Kingdom of God. It’s a wonderful place.

Dear Father God. Thank You that You have made Your Kingdom available to all who believe in Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

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Entirely Clean

Posted on by korgrocker

“Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.””
John 13:9-11 NLT

Sandals were common footwear in those days, and inevitably a person’s feet became dirty and grimy after walking anywhere. In that dry and hot climate, roads and paths would have been very dusty, and of course the proliferation of livestock would have introduced more unpleasant factors. So Jesus spoke the obvious when He said that a person who had just bathed would have been clean, except for his feet. But Jesus introduced a spiritual hint into the conversation when He said that not all the disciples were “clean”. 

Spiritual cleanliness was very much sought after in Jewish life. This had roots in the idea that touching certain animals, for example, would make a person ceremonially “unclean”. Leviticus 5:2, “Or suppose you unknowingly touch something that is ceremonially unclean, such as the carcass of an unclean animal. When you realize what you have done, you must admit your defilement and your guilt. This is true whether it is a wild animal, a domestic animal, or an animal that scurries along the ground”. A skin disease such as leprosy could also be considered to make a person “unclean”. Leviticus 13:3, “The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.” Jesus was scathing about the cleansing rituals undertaken by the Pharisees – Luke 11:38-39, “His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness!” Of course God’s original intention was to relate holiness to a person’s spiritual condition through everyday objects and customs. Leviticus 10:10, “You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean.”

Thankfully, we pilgrims are not subject to all the Jewish rules and regulations that refer to ceremonial cleansing. We know that our state of physical cleanliness is not related to our spiritual state. Through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins by the shedding of His blood at Calvary we are made “clean” spiritually, and attain the holiness that God demands. Ephesians 4:24, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” David wrote in his 24th Psalm, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3-4). At the moment of salvation, we are made completely clean and righteous before God and only then can we share in His godliness.

Dear Holy God. We too need to be holy to come into Your presence, our hands clean and hearts pure. Thank You for Jesus, who made it all happen. Amen.

Not Just My Feet

Posted on by korgrocker

“When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!””
John 13:6-9 NLT

The thought of Jesus washing his feet was too much for Peter. He wanted to opt out of the experience, probably feeling embarrassed that his Lord and Master could even consider doing such a thing. We remember what Peter said in reply to Jesus’ question about who He was. Matthew 16:13-16, “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”” So it was no wonder that Peter was experiencing a plethora of internal feelings; after all, how could His Messiah be allowed to wash his feet? John the Baptist had a similar experience when Jesus came to him for baptism. We read in Matthew 3:13-14, “Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”” Both men were very much in awe that God was present with them, God Incarnate, God in human flesh. And I am sure that we pilgrims would be feeling much the same, were we standing in their sandals at that time. 

In Peter’s case, Jesus soon made him change his mind. I can imagine the gentle reproach from Jesus’ lips sinking into Peter’s mind, as he grappled with the dilemma before him. However, he blurted out, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” Peter was sold out for his friend and Lord. His response came from a heart that was not interested in anything else, other than to serve and follow his dear Lord Jesus. His love for Jesus was far greater than his embarrassment. 

An interesting story, faithfully recorded by John. He wrote this Gospel some time after this event but it was still vividly stored away in his mind. And we are very grateful to John, because the humility of Jesus has served as an example to generations of Christians ever since. 

But regarding a practical application, what do we pilgrims make of it? Are we like Peter, embarrassed by the very thought that someone, one of our peers or even someone we look up to, would get on their knees before us with a towel and basin of water to wash our feet? More, would we ourselves be prepared to be the foot washers? We pilgrims are called to serve our fellow human beings, believers or not. It will not necessarily mean literally washing our neighbours’ feet, but it will mean devoting our time and energy for the good of those around us, serving them to the exclusion of our own feelings. 

Dear Foot-washing God, we worship and praise You today. Amen.

Understanding the Master

Posted on by korgrocker

“So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.””
John 13:4-7 NLT

A group of perplexed disciples. One by one Jesus had gently lifted their feet and immersed them in water, washing away the dirt and detritus, and then He dried them with the towel around His waist. And a sobering and life changing thought emerges in our minds – if we had been there as well, Jesus would have washed our feet. Was that just a one off teaching opportunity used by Jesus for His Twelve, or are there eternal lessons for everyone, past, present and future? If only we could get across to our generation the reality that the God and Creator of this Universe was prepared to be a lowly servant, doing the most menial of tasks, and who is still prepared to serve us in the same way two thousand years later. The same God and Creator who just a few hours after this event, died in agony taking on Himself the punishment for all the sins ever committed by mankind. 

Paul wrote the following, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8). Everything Jesus did in His ministry years was focussed on the coming Cross. His teaching, His miracles, His love; it all established a legacy that has been life changing for all who have ever believed in Him. Paul went on to write, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). There will come a day when everyone, believers or not, will have to bow before Jesus and declare that the humble servant who washed His disciples feet is in fact the Lord of all. 

It was too much for Peter to experience his Lord and Master humbling Himself to wash his feet. A natural human reaction perhaps, because here was Someone, who Peter had on a pedestal, kneeling before him reaching out to lift his first foot. Surely He couldn’t do this, Peter was thinking, and the impulsive Peter blurted out, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Peter had already watched as Jesus worked His way around the group. There would have been a silence, embarrassment and puzzlement hanging in the air. Thoughts including “Why is Jesus doing this?” troubling their minds. You see, to the Jewish people, the rabbis and Jewish leaders were looked up to and, if necessary, the ordinary people would have bowed before them with a servile attitude. It was unthinkable that one of them would stoop so low as to wash their feet. So why was Someone, so much greater than the Jewish leaders, doing this? Was it then, soon afterwards, or much later, that the penny dropped in the group-think of these young men? Jesus only said to Peter, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 

Jesus taught a lesson that day that has impacted not only our faith but our behaviour. We pilgrims are foot washers, serving our friends, families and communities, in every way possible, no matter how menial the task.

Dear Father God. You, the Creator of this Universe, loved mankind so much that You found a way to connect with them, and assure them of eternal life. Truly a plan from the Master! Amen.

The God Who Washes Feet

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.”
John 13:3-5 NLT

How can we ever get our mind around the fact that the God we worship, the Creator of all, was so interested in human beings that he took on the lowest of all jobs and washed their feet? Can we imagine it? Feet showing the signs of having walked long distances, complete with corns and callouses. Perhaps a bunion or two, and not smelling very good either. And yet Jesus, the Son of God, was prepared to wash them. He didn’t just wet those feet, though. Because Jesus did it, no item of dust or dirt would have remained and He would have cleaned between the toes as well. 

Can we imagine the scene? Jesus was reclining at the table with His disciples, and then, without any explanation, He got up and “took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin”. I can just imagine the disciples looking at each other, wondering what Jesus was going to do next. One thing they must have realised by now was that Jesus was full of surprises. Feeding all those people, walking on the Sea of Galilee, healing the sick, raising the dead. Being around Jesus must have been a roller coaster of a ride through life for His disciples. We must also remember that Jesus washed Judas’ feet as well, in the knowledge that, very soon, Judas was going to betray Him to the Jewish authorities. 

We must also remember that God doesn’t have favourites, and so what he was prepared to do for the disciples He would be prepared to do for us as well. The twelve disciples were reclining around a low table, but if I was there with them, making number thirteen, Jesus would have washed my feet as well. He has no favourites.

We read about Jesus’ servanthood and His humble attitude in Philippians 2:7-8, “Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross”. Occasionally we read about someone who willingly gave up a good career and became a lower paid helper, working perhaps with a charity helping homeless people. But with regard to Jesus, He gave up His divine life, and became a human being. More than that, as we see from the occasion when He washed His disciples’ feet, He became a slave in His service to His friends. There will never be anyone who will match up to what Jesus did at His father’s bidding. Isaiah could see Him coming, as we read in His prophecy. “My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care” (Isaiah 53:2-3). Jesus fulfilled that prophecy just for us. What a Saviour!

Dear Lord Jesus. We will never fully appreciate all that You did for us all those years ago, but we are so glad and grateful that You came. Amen.

“The Devil Made Me Do It”

Posted on by korgrocker

“It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.”
John 13:2 NLT

Is “the devil made me do it” a valid excuse? It certainly wasn’t for Eve after the incident with the serpent. “Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” … Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you””(Genesis 3:13, 16)‭‭. Eve had to face into the consequences of her sin. But in her case, the desire to do something she wasn’t supposed to do was there, and the serpent acted as a catalyst to resolve the conflict in her mind. Eve wasn’t unique by any means, because how many times have we found ourselves in sin, having rationalised in our minds that the act of doing what we shouldn’t doesn’t really matter. The excuses and mental gyrations we go through to justify our sinful actions. “Just this once won’t really matter, after all everyone does it”. “I’m doing some research to find out more about this web site”. And so on. 

Regarding Judas, the reality was that he was already inclined to betray Jesus. We can only guess at a reason. Perhaps he was disappointed that Jesus wasn’t going to bring about the revolution in Israel that he thought He should. Perhaps he suspected that Jesus knew about his proclivity to steal from the common fund. The foot washing event that happened after supper might have been the vehicle that finally tipped Judas Iscariot over the edge, because soon after, he left the meeting to go and make arrangements to betray Jesus. But he wasn’t walking along one day and suddenly found that there was the devil or one of his representatives walking with him. The devil cannot make us do anything, but he is a master in finding our weak spots and leveraging them so that we fall into sin. In C S Lewis’ book “The Great Divorce”, there’s a fascinating account of a ghost complete with a little red demon, with tail and horns, sat on its shoulder, constantly whispering in its ear. So it is with the devil sometimes, it seems.

The action of Judas in his betrayal of Jesus started a chain of events that probably went far beyond what Judas was expecting. Perhaps he thought that he could force Jesus to become King and deal with the hated occupiers. But to look on and see what was happening over the next few hours wasn’t, or so some think, what Judas had in mind in his act of betrayal. We read what happened with Judas in Matthew 27:3-5, “When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.” 

One day everyone will stand before God to give an account of their lives, and the excuse, “The devil made me do it” won’t wash with God. James wrote, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). John wrote, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (1 John 4:4). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, we have all the resources we need so that we are never tempted to say, “The devil made me do it”.

Dear Father God. Thank You for giving us Your Spirit, so that through Him we have the power to be overcomers. Amen.

Jesus’ Love

Posted on by korgrocker

“Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.”
John 13:1 NLT

It must have been really difficult for Jesus. On the one hand He was facing a horrendous experience leading to His death just a few hours away. But on the other, He knew that he would be leaving His disciples behind, in a hostile environment where any followers of Jesus would be persecuted. And Jesus’ pain was made worse by the fact that He loved His disciples. Ever since the day when He chose them, even Judas who later betrayed Him, Jesus had shared His life with them. He had prayed for them, taught them, encouraged them, corrected them, all the while with a gentle but firm loving hand. 

The Apostle John later wrote in his first letter, “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:8-10). This is a breath-taking Scripture, in that God not only said He loved human beings, but He demonstrated how much by sending His Son to die in our place, as a sacrifice for our sins. Romans 5:8, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners“. And all through His ministry here on earth, Jesus demonstrated God’s love without limit. 

God has always loved His creation. After all, He created human beings in His image, as we read in Genesis 1:27, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Isaiah declared how much God loves us, “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you” (Isaiah 54:10).

We pilgrims are the sole dispensers of God’s love to those around us. There is no-one else. Our secular politicians know nothing about God’s love. Neither do our medics or lawyers. God had a different plan, as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:16-29, “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him.” That’s us, folks. We don’t need a PhD, or any theological credentials, no matter how impressive, to tell others about Jesus. A quote from David Pawson: “Every single person in your church could do something great for God and say something great for God, by the power of the Holy Spirit; even if you have no natural gifts, even if your heredity is all awry, even if your environment hasn’t given you a chance, everybody could do this, for the Holy Spirit is no respecter of persons and can use anybody who is willing”. Are we willing? Of course we are, with a resounding “Yes Lord!”.

Father God. We echo Isaiah’s words – “Here I am, send me”. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Father’s Authority

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.” 
“I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”
John 12:44-45, 49-50 NLT

John, at the start of his Gospel, portrayed Jesus as the “Word”, a Person who “existed in the beginning with God” (John 1:2). And then a few verses later John wrote, “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:10-12). And then we read, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14). Jesus’ inclusion in the Trinitarian Godhead is indisputable and a solid foundation of the Christian faith. When Jesus came to Planet Earth, He cast off much of His divine identity and attributes, and became a human being. Still divine but also human. He was the very essence of God’s escape plan for humanity, a plan that enabled them to escape the clutches of the devil and be freed of sin and wickedness, and, more, be adopted into God’s family. 

Jesus always claimed that He was God’s Son and had been sent on mission to our world – John 3:17, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him”. John the Baptist also testified about Jesus and His mission when he said, “For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. … And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:34, 36). 

So when Jesus declared to the crowds that those who trusted in Him were also trusting in His Father in Heaven, He was speaking out truth and a warning to those who didn’t trust Him and believe in Him, a warning that they would have to face “God’s angry judgement” one day. Father God gave Jesus the authority to act on His behalf here on Planet Earth, offering salvation and eternal life to all who believe in Him.

We pilgrims also have God’s authority to go about His business. Jesus said to His disciples, “ … I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” So, exercising our God-given authority, when was the last time we made a disciple? Salvation is a process, and we plant seeds in people’s lives, with ideas and Biblical truths, and move them, step by step, closer to making a decision for God. Thinking back to my own salvation process, there was no “light bulb” or Damascus Road experience, but instead faithful men helped me transition from a life of darkness to a life living in the light of God’s redemptive power. And the process took a year or so. In my pride and stubbornness I tried to find the way on my own, but there was that day when I had to admit defeat and place my life in God’s hands. But I know others who did indeed experience a blinding revelation of God’s grace. For those who God has given us, we pray and witness, sharing the journey with them. We plant seeds of spiritual truth, praying that the Holy Spirit will bring about the growth into eternal life.

Dear Father God. It is You who brings about the birth of a new Christian through the power of Your Spirit. Please find us opportunities to plant Your seeds of eternal life in all we meet, by our words and deeds. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Problem Deferred

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.”
John 12:44-48 NLT

‭‭If there was ever a spiritual stick and carrot, this was it. Jesus couldn’t have been clearer. He was effectively saying to the people listening to Him, that if they believed that He was the Son of God and believed in what He said, and trusted in Him in the process, then they would be lifted out of their dark life of sin and instead would be able to enjoy His light-filled presence for all eternity. Jesus said that the world was a dark place because of the sin and evil that prevailed, in spite of all the religiosity, sacrifices and so on. Paul summed up the problem in his second letter to Timothy – 2 Timothy 3:5, “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” The problem was that the Jewish people believed they were safe because of their ancestry, that they traced all the way back to Abraham. So they stumbled around in the dark thinking that they were in fact in the light.

But Jesus went on to say that He had not come to judge the world at this time, because His mission was to save the world. He repeated what He had earlier said to Nicodemus, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17). But then He warned the crowd about the judgement to come, “But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken”. At this point, anyone hearing Jesus’ message became accountable to God, and that accountability has extended throughout history right up to the present day. One day all the disobedient hearers of the words of Jesus will have to stand before Him and explain why they didn’t believe and trust in Him. It would make no difference if the person standing before Jesus was a descendant of Abraham. The people of that day, and people ever since, may think that they can defer the problem until some time in the future, but inevitably there will come a day when they will stand before Jesus. 

We pilgrims are a people living in the light. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father”. We are light shiners, true LED’s (Light Emitting Disciples), in a dark and hopeless world.

Dear Father God. You are the Power that makes our lights shine before men. Please help us to stay connected each and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Human Praise

Posted on by korgrocker

“But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him.”
“Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.”
John 12:37, 42-43 NLT

So John records that many people believed in Jesus although most didn’t.  There would have been a third category as well – those sitting on the fence, not sure whether to believe in Jesus or not. But essentially, these would have been people included in the “most didn’t believe” category. Today we call the fence-sitters agnostics, people who aren’t sure whether or not God exists, and so they make no effort to find out the truth. I was once an agnostic, a “fence-sitter”, until I found myself working next to an evangelical atheist, a member of the British Humanist Society, and I was so appalled by his fatalistic world view of life, totally devoid of hope, that I hurriedly got off the fence and searched for Jesus. Thankfully, He found me and He has been my Friend and Redeemer ever since.

John recorded that the Jewish leaders who believed in Jesus kept quiet about it, for fear of being thrown out of their synagogues. Synagogues were more than religious buildings. They were the centre of their society, impacting social, family, religious, and business relationships; so to be excommunicated would have been a disaster for them in many ways. But John was a bit scathing about these people, recording that “they loved human praise more than the praise of God.” Then and now, to “come out” as a believer in God will impact our lives. Christians today are reviled and abused for their faith, and many will prefer to down play and even deny their faith, to avoid problems. They too followed in the ways of the Jewish leaders who believed in Jesus. 

Jesus taught much about the importance of being His witnesses. We have the account in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father”. There is a well-used question often asked at rallies and similar gatherings – “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus said, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven”. Something believers do is to be salt and light in their communities, publicly acknowledging Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Some years ago, a next door neighbour who had recently moved into the house, asked where we went as a family every Sunday morning. We told her of course, and she joined us soon after, attending the same church as we did.  People around us notice what we do and how we do it, probably more than we either think or expect.

Those who love human praise rather than God’s praise put themselves in a dangerous place before God. Jesus was scathing about such people in the Laodicean church and he said, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:15-16).

We pilgrims are not lukewarm people, though, are we? At every opportunity we lift up the name of Jesus, declaring His Lordship and love. Yes, the response might not be ideal, and lead to someone’s conversion, but we chip away at the forces of darkness holding people back and blinding their senses, in prayer and word. The Holy Spirit will step in and bring about a miracle whenever He can.

Father God. We thank You for saving grace and love. Amen.