Have you noticed how many times that the Scriptures say that Jesus knew what someone was thinking, or what someone was reasoning in their hearts? That amazes me, because only God can read the hearts of men, unless God gives that gift of discernment to someone. But with Jesus, it was because of who He was… God on earth. He could know what was in the hearts of men because He was God, the One who created the hearts.
This was a mark of the Messiah that the Jews were waiting for. Isaiah 11 says this of the Shoot from the stump of Jesse:
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”
“And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:1-4 ESV).
In Luke 7, this is put to the test. Jesus is invited to the home of a Pharisee to dine with him. From what I’m told, the custom during this time was when a Rabbi or teacher was invited to someone’s home as a guest, the host would open his home to anyone who wanted to listen to the guest of honor speak. As the man of the hour would dine with the host, many would slip in and stand behind the table to hear the teachings. This seems to be the setting in Simon the Pharisee’s home.
“One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.” (Luke 7:36 ESV).
Among those who entered the Pharisee’s home this day was a sinful woman who put on an uncomfortable display for the people who were reclining at the table:
“And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.” (Luke 7:37-38 ESV).
A woman.
A sinner.
And this woman touches the Messiah and kisses His feet, washing them with her tears and drying them with her hair, and anointing them with an expensive oil. What an unexpected show this must have been for everyone; and the people in the house seemed to know exactly who this woman was. All eyes were on Jesus. Surely, this man, if He were the Messiah, would know what kind of a woman she was. Well, read for yourself:
“Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:39 ESV).
Simon, as Jesus would refer to him, knew the Scriptures. He was well aware of passages like Isaiah 11. He knew that the coming Messiah would have a discernment that was far beyond the ability of a regular man. And so, Simon reasons to himself.
And Jesus hears this man’s self-talk. And the most amazing thing happens. Jesus opened His mouth and proved to this Pharisee that He is the fulfillment of passages like Isaiah 11. Not by telling him and the others who this woman was. Not by calling her out as a sinner. He proved who He was by not only reading the heart of Simon, but also responding to his self-talk.
“And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” (Luke 7:40 ESV).
Jesus goes on by teaching him through a parable. But the most amazing thing to me is not the parable that Jesus spoke. It wasn’t even the lesson that Jesus taught on forgiveness. It was that He was able to read the heart of the Pharisee and judge him just like Isaiah and the prophets said he would be able to do.
In one quick story, Jesus showed Simon that He did, indeed, know the sort of people who were interacting with Him. But it wasn’t the sinful woman who Jesus was focusing on at this dinner party; it was the host.
I wonder if Simon ever got the irony of what Jesus did at this dinner party he threw. Did he see that Jesus was confirming that He was the Messiah by reading his heart, and answering his own question, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known…”
Jesus knew. He always knew. And when people would later approach Him, He would read their heart and love them; He would read their thoughts and get angry; He would read their minds and be amazed.
He did all these things because He indeed was the Messiah that the Scriptures foretold and He is the one in Whom we can rest our hope in today.
And do you know what? He can still read our hearts and minds. That is either the most comforting or disconcerting thing about King Jesus today. When it comes to us, the same can be said about how intimately He knows us. “If this man were a prophet, he would have known…”
Indeed, He still does know our every thought and He hears the self-talk we engage in proving still He is the fulfillment of the promised Messiah.
Why did Paul, a man who was a spiritual giant to the Jews throw it all away to become poor, beaten and despised by converting to the enemy?
Why did James and Jude, the brothers of Jesus, go from believing their brother was crazy to calling themselves His bondservants and authoring 2 of the 27 books of the New Testament?
Why did thousands of Jews turn their back on everything they knew to worship a man who died a criminal's death on a Roman cross?
Why did Gentile pagans turn from everything they knew to pray to and worship a condemned poor man from a country subjugated by Rome?
Why was the world turned upside down as a river of people flowed into a Kingdom of a dead King who never sat on an earthly throne?
Because we all believed He rose from the dead
And we believe He ascended into Heaven
And we believe His Father seated Him on a throne at His right hand
And we believe He has prepared an eternal home in Heaven for us in His Father's house
And we believe He gives His people strength, grace and hope that no one can ever take away
And we know through Him, and only Him, we are all more than conquerors.
Today, I am reading in Jude and the Gospel of John. Jude was the physical brother of Jesus. Can you imagine growing up with Jesus as your brother?
Well, Jude was not an earnest disciple of his Brother while Jesus was alive. But something happened to change the way he believed in Jesus. John said,
“For not even his brothers believed in him.” (John 7:5 ESV).
And Mark tells us:
“Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” (Mark 3:20-21 ESV).
Yep, our man Jude, Jesus’ younger brother, thought his big brother was crazy. At least until the resurrection. Think about that. Having seen your brother crucified for being crazy, what would the impact be on you to see your big brother risen from the dead?
And Acts indicates that Jude and his brothers, sisters and mother all saw the resurrected Jesus and watched Him ascend into heaven. After that, we see the change- as the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem to wait for the coming of the Spirit, who was with them?
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts 1:14 ESV).
By this time, Jude was all in. No longer did he think his Brother was crazy. In fact, He never thought of himself as the little brother of Jesus after that… at least in the way it really counted. Listen to the relationship he boasted of having with Jesus:
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:” (Jude 1:1 ESV).
Yes, Jesus’ little brother wrote one of the 27 letters of the New Testament we have. And he didn’t start it off by saying, “I am the brother of the Lord.” Rather, he called himself the servant of Jesus. A lot has to happen for a man to call himself a servant of his brother.
And a lot did happen. Jude now saw Jesus for who He truly was. Listen for yourself how he refers to the Man he grew up playing with as a child:
“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4 ESV).
Our only Master and Lord…
“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” (Jude 1:5 ESV).
Jesus was the One who saved the Jews out of Egypt. Do you get what he is saying? Jesus was the God that they feared and worshiped, the God that Moses wrote of. This is coming from the pen of a man who once thought Jesus was crazy.
Jude then goes on to explain why we should be faithful to his Brother and he writes of the judgments Jesus had passed on people in the Old Testament as their God. And then he closes the letter with these words, leaving no doubt where he stands in relation to the One he grew up calling brother:
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25 ESV).
And Jude is another reason I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, my Savior and my King.
2000 years ago, Jesus was seated on His throne.
Generation after generation, man has tried to dethrone him.
In the end, man died but the King continued to reign.
Whether life was long or short, each man died and was held for the Day of Judgment.
Jesus continued to reign.
No one, no nation, no army has yet to dethrone King Jesus, though many have tried.
All around us today, people are convinced they are the ones who will be successful in dethroning King Jesus.
But they will live and die, like the others, and be held for the Day of Judgment.
Who will you listen to? The word of the arrogant creation who lifts themselves up in pride…
Or the word of King Jesus that continues to live, continues to transform, continues to save?
Here is the reality… you, me, and everyone will kneel before King Jesus.
We will either do so now, by choice, or later as a conquered enemy.
And until that day, He will never cease reigning.
And we will never cease dying.
Choose to kneel before Him today. That is the only choice that makes any sense.
Things do not change. Cancel culture existed in the days of Jesus.
“(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)” (John 9:22 ESV).
Are we really surprised that Christians will have to face a cancel culture today?
So, what will we do? Will we comply to avoid being canceled or will we stand for the Truth knowing we face being canceled?
Let us prepare our hearts to rejoice if we are canceled rather than fret or fear. If man cancels us for our words and actions which are rooted in the Words of Jesus, then we have something to glory in.
Let us trust in Him rather than trust in self when faced with being canceled.
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” (John 9:35-38 ESV).
Interesting thought to ponder...
If I were called today to stand before Jesus in judgment, and He judged me according to the same standard I judged others today, how would that go for me?
Would my judgment be strict or gracious?
Computer scientists can do amazing things with ones and zeros.
Nuclear physicists can harness the power of the atom for tremendous destruction or limitless profitable energy.
The preeminent architects can build the most magnificent structures.
The top military minds can conquer the world with lightning speed and overpowering might.
The best rocket scientists can put man into space and on foreign heavenly bodies.
And if Jesus was in the room with them, He'd know more than them all combined about quantum computing, splitting atoms, building skyscrapers that reach into the heavens, conquering any enemy, or building interstellar faster-than-light spacecrafts.
We are quick to marvel at the amazing things that the creation can do and yet we are much quicker to ignore the Creator who knows all things.
“What is that to you?”
I just finished the Gospel of John and this is the question that Jesus asked Peter.
This happened in the last chapter, after the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus had revealed himself while the apostles were fishing. In a callback to the time three years ago, when He first called Peter, Jesus again sent a multitude of fish into their nets, after they had fished all night with no success.
Overjoyed, they meet with Jesus at daybreak for a breakfast of loaves and fishes. Jesus even had the fire going and breakfast started for them:
“When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” (John 21:9-10 ESV).
Jesus then asks Peter three times if Peter loves Him. And then Jesus lets Peter know that his profession of love and his responsibility to feed His sheep would lead to his death:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” (John 21:18-19 ESV).
Then Peter asks the question that prompts Jesus’ response, “What is that to you?”
“Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” (John 21:20-21 ESV).
Peter is a lot like you and me, isn’t he? Jesus tells him plainly what he needs to do, and immediately, Peter wants to know if the other person will be expected to sacrifice the same.
It’s only fair, we reason, if we have to bear some cross, that the other person will also have to bear the cross as well.
Why should we have to go through trials while others seem to skate by with no sacrifice, right?
But Jesus is Lord. He is sovereign. And Jesus teaches Peter in that moment the lesson of Who is the master and who is the servant.
Peter learned from Jesus’ answer that no one can question the purpose of Jesus. We simply must be willing to be led where Jesus leads us, whether He leads us alone or with others.
“Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:22 ESV).
Sometimes it is hard to lead the life of a Christian when we experience pain or trials, especially when it seems that others are allowed to serve having never to experience what we must bear.
It can be tempting to ask Jesus, “What about this person?”
But I suppose that the King’s response to us would be much the same as it was for Peter: “What does it matter to you what I decide to do with this person? You focus on you.”
And the truth is that it is in this intimate, one-on-one relationship with the Creator that we get to draw closer to Him. It is often in our sorrows, trials and troubles that we get to experience Jesus in His fullness.
That was the gift that the Savior gave to Peter and that is the gift that He will offer us, if we can only learn not to worry about the next person, but focus on ourselves and the Savior alone.