Gates of the City

Which is more important, to feel you are honoring the Lord, or for Him to feel He is being honored? Likewise, which is more important, for us to feel that we love the Lord, or for Him to know He is truly loved? Let’s take this one step further, by adding to our considerations what Jesus also said about faithfulness.

Luke 16:10, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

Now based upon Jesus’ words, if when we are being faithful in the least, that discipline will remain constant into our being faithful in greater things; it then seems obvious that the opposite would be true. No, I am not simply repeating what Jesus said, I am working this principle backwards, from the greater down to the least.  For if men are unfaithful in the greater things, then they are without a doubt being unfaithful in the least of things.

Therefore, if men are failing to honor God, they will surely be failing to respectfully honor men. Once again likewise, if they are failing to love God they will be miserably failing at loving other men. Now that doesn’t mean they are going to be aware of it, at least not be facing it head on in the mirror so to say. For we have a way of lying to ourselves, especially about love.

Almost all of us have had someone tell us “I love you,” and there wasn’t enough evidence to get them convicted if love was a crime. Worse, we have all been that “someone.” Yet some people are overwhelmed with their own feeling of love they believe they have for another, but there is absolutely no benefit of that love being transferred to the one they say they love. It is as if they are in love more with the idea or feeling their love gives them, but they cannot be bothered with walking in that love to the benefit, service and honor of the one they “feel” they love.

Such is why we are told many are going to be dumbfounded when Jesus openly rejects them because they have failed to love Him, which He will prove in that court on the Day of Judgment. The evidence He will present? The overwhelming proof of their having failed to truly love His brethren.

How can men, especially Christians, be so careless in their love and honor towards each other?  Yet we often pass it off as just playing around, kidding with each other. Such behavior actually becomes viewed by us as a benign way to express, or get back at someone because we are annoyed or bothered, so we act out our feelings in a playful way so no one can judge us for doing anything wrong. And when someone gets offended at us, we quickly apologize with the carnal judgmental mindset of “Gee, I am sorry you are so sensitive that you got offended.” Would we expect that attitude sufficient to move the Lord of glory to forgive us for our offences?

Such jesting is actually the method of choice many employ in an attempt to excuse their sin. Not the lying, or stealing, or murdering sins, for those are committal sins. Rather, I am talking about the sins of omission, failing to respect, love, and honor those around us for whom Christ died. After all, we can just say, “I was kidding, don’t be so sensitive.” However, one thing I have come to noticed lately is just how sensitive I have become in my old age to the very things I too used to do and carelessly excused; things which (thankfully) the Holy Spirit has nevertheless been faithful to continue to convict me of.

May we never think it was needlessly stated that “If anyone thinks to be religious among you, yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is vain.” For we are all forewarned that in the court on the Day of Judgment it will be proven for, or against us, that “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings out good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings out evil things.  But I say to you that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.”

Even Jesus had this problem within His own family. At one point they joked with Him that maybe He should take His ministry to another town, maybe there they’ll listen to Him when they see what He can do, but they themselves didn’t truly believe, at least they couldn’t have been convicted of it if such belief was a crime.

John 7:3-6,  His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. “For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.”

At one point it became so obvious they were not recognizing the ministry the Father had given Him, that they literally sought to physically lay hold of Jesus and take Him home for His own good. For even though they too had witnessed Jesus healing people and giving the same authority to His disciples which believed in Him to do likewise, there remained something in their hearts that even in light of all this, it left them making the most absurd judgment against Jesus, their own flesh and blood.

Mark 3:20-21, Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

Can you imagine this? The demons fear Him, sickness flees away as bodies are healed at His word and touch, the wind and sea obey Him, yet His own family calls Him mad? How sad to be so known in the flesh that people, even family, remain conveniently blinded to what God is trying to do. After all, Jesus clearly said He could do nothing of His own self, except what the Father gives Him.

Mark 6:3-5, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his native-place, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” And He could do no work of power there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick ones, He healed them.

Surely this is why Jesus said those who were truly His family would be those who love and honor His Father; for He knew that if they were faithful in the greater things, He could count on them to be faithful in the little things as well.

Matthew 12:46-50, While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”   But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!  “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Remember, failing to love is a convictable crime in the eyes of the Lord, and so is unbelief.

Remember also, Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.”

So I leave you with this one question, how much more could Jesus had done for His own people if they didn’t only view Him simply as “the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?”