The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 11:38,
"The Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised."
I wonder what might surprise me today about the Lord? It is not difficult to see the Lord intended to "surprise" and provoke this Pharisee.
In the following chapter Jesus pointed out that he came to "bring fire on earth", Luke 12:49. In that passage he goes on to say, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." Jesus came as a provocateur.
The accounts we have of the Lord provide many occurrences where he challenged the well-established religious practices and teachings of the day. The Son of God confronts not only sinners in the midst of their sins but also the religious and the do-gooders in the midst of their labors. The above account of a surprised Pharisee includes an expert in the law who complains, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also."
At times I wonder if I am all too comfortable in what I perceive to be those activities I assume must please the Lord. Certainly many were shocked in Jesus' day and even dismayed at the Lord's challenge of the things they assumed God desired from them. I wonder what all we do today the Lord would confront us about.
The Lord has his own agenda and what he seeks is often not what many have assumed. I am reminded of Isaiah 29:13-14, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Perhaps some well-needed examination of myself is routinely in order to insure I do not find myself in his crosshairs. Not just in my sin, but also in my "religious" assumptions and activities as well.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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