When it was narrowed down to those who were following Jesus for who He was and not for what He could do, there were not many left. Those who withdrew were not just stragglers picked up by the excitement of the crowd - there were disciples. If the Lord were to make this same challenge today, how many would be left? Would we be left? Interestingly enough, at this point the ministry of Jesus radically changed. Until that time, Hed devoted most of His attention to the multitudes; after this, His efforts were directed almost entirely to His disciples. Before this incident, He performed miracles so that people would believe; from this point, He only performed miracles for those who did believe in Him.
Of course, the Lord wants to bless his people. However, when we desire the blessing and gifts more that we desire Him, serious problems result. Self-centeredness is a poison that is killing us. The entire history of ancient Isreal is a continuous cycle of deliverance, blessing, complacency, idolatry, bondage, oppression, humility and seeking the Lord - then the cycle begins anew. They never get the message...will we?
The Lord called the church to be His bride. How would any husband feel if he found out that his wife only married him for his wealth and the expensive gifts he would give her? Where would the joy be if his wife communicated with him only when she wanted somthing? It would be a lifeless marriage. Is there life in your relationship with the Lord?
No comments:
Post a Comment