THE USEFUL JESUS!

THE USEFUL JESUS!

Luke 12:13-14 KJV

13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

          Jesus is very handy to have around! When I am hungry He is to provide food for me and when I am thirsty drink. This is the thinking of too many professing believers. Luke 12 finds a man stepping out of the crowd to interrupt Jesus’ teaching. In his own mind nothing was as urgent as his own injustice. This is one of the earliest attempts to make merchandise of Jesus; the marketing of the Master.

          One has called this question both absurd and irreverent. It is absurd because laws and courts were already in place to deal with such things. It was irreverent because it made the great work of Jesus common and utilitarian. This man does not come forth to confess his sins and to plead for mercy. He does not touch the hem of Jesus’ garment for healing. He comes to increase his goods or to minimize his loss in the probate of his father’s estate. Jesus was seen as one who had power with the people and power with God. This man would be very handy to have around!

          In fact Jesus was often accommodating to the urgent requests that emerged from the masses. His ear was open to the plaintive cries of the hopeless but on this occasion he rebuffs the petitioner for three reasons.

1. Jesus would not confirm the fleshly opinion the Jews had of the Messiah!

          It was commonly held that when Messiah came he would cast off the abusive occupation of Rome, defeat her armies and establish his throne once again in Jerusalem. None of these hopes had anything to do with spiritual matters. The Zealots of Jesus day eagerly would line the road with Palm branches and shout their hosanna’s only to shout “crucify Him” a few days later.

          The important matter of the Messiah was to seek and to save souls and to take away the sins of the world. Thrones, taxes, infrastructure and political corruption were only symptoms of a greater disease. Jesus would confuse the issues.

2. Jesus wanted to make a distinction between the civil and the ecclesiastical!

          The Pharisees and the Sadducees were in bed with Rome. While telling the people that one day Messiah would come to overthrow their tormentors they had joined hands with them in tormenting the people. It was a comfortable and profitable relationship.

          It is the same today. There are some churches that are known to be the very place to join if you want to succeed in business. All the truly important people attend and commerce becomes the reason for attending. Jesus wanted to be known for some other purpose. He wanted to be the last refuge of the spiritually destitute.

3. Jesus wanted to reveal those who make a show of the gospel for gain!

Matt 23:13 KJV

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Dear Lord, help me to see you as useful for the right reasons. AMEN