He left the house and strolled at the lake. Finding a nice place to relax, he sat down. As simple as that. It's all he had in mind. He didn't intend a big meeting that day (although it was his Father's plan), but the crowds still came anyway. Jesus never planned or announced a "Lake Meeting" or anything like that. He didn't promote himself so people would know where to find him. He simply left the house and relaxed at the lake. Just that. Photo above by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash.
And then people came to him in droves. The Father promoted him.
This despite that fact that Jesus had been earning the ire of the religious leaders--those bragging about their traditions and bible knowledge and human theology. They followed Jesus around looking for ways to discredit him, correcting him and teaching him about the "sound" interpretation of Scriptures (probably thinking that with their degrees in human theology, they alone could interpret Scriptures correctly), although Jesus never bothered with them or their theology or what they thought.
Jesus simply received instructions from the Father. Supernaturally.
Yup, the authorities so hated him. And why not? He'd been pissing them off with his "off" responses to their queries and challenges ("off" to them, that is)--like what they thought or had to say didn't mean anything to him. Like it was all garbage to him. Worse, he often demolished them, not with arguments, but with his undeniable miracles, especially when a badly deformed hand was restored on the spot at his Word right in front of everybody--both his detractors and audience. How could anyone refute that? What chance does human theology have against it?
In Matthew 12, at the fields, they questioned him about picking and eating grains on a Sabbath. Later, in the synagogue, they tested him about healing a man with shriveled hand on a Sabbath. Getting out of their synagogue, Jesus was later followed by a "large crowd" and healed all the sick. But the Pharisees again found something theologically wrong about this and said his gift of healing was only due to "the prince of demons" vouching for him.
Religious people simply wouldn't let him alone, so he took off and went to the lake to relax. But crowds just kept tailing him, not really because they understood what he said, but they heard something different. Actually, all they got from Jesus were parables, and they took them home with them--nothing but parables--or gardening tips at best. How to plant seeds, what places they best grew up in and how to manage their growth.
Just try to imagine--the people got nothing but parables but they still followed Jesus. Some say that parables are "illustrations" that help people understand a message better. But Jesus thought otherwise. He used parables so people who are not really interested in the Kingdom would NOT understand anything he said. Yes, they followed Jesus around, but they were just after the blessings they'd get from him--as many church goers do today.
“You'll hear but never understand; you will see but never perceive. 15 This people’s heart has become so hardened that they hardly hear with their ears. And they have closed their eyes." [Matthew 13]
Like so many who get as many seminary degrees as they can, not to know Jesus more, but to get titles that will make them get more respect and higher salaries. But despite their "systematic knowledge" about the bible, all they get are parables.
Because, Jesus said, genuine understanding of Scriptures is "revealed" by God to those he chooses to, not learned from schools by every religious Tom, Dick and Harry who enroll and pass the exams and graduate. No matter your theological studies, you won't get the correct meaning unless God chooses you, and you're deep within the Jesus circle. It's all by God's sovereign will and it's relational. You have to have the right relationship. More aptly, you have to be chosen by God to be in a genuine relationship with Jesus.
"...knowing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but not to them."
And he was talking to his disciples (non-degreed, simple men), not theologians, when he said this. Jesus chose guys who the world thought were dumb and uninitiated. Then Jesus added that:
Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
It's all supernatural, through the Holy Spirit alone. ALONE.
But those who don't see and hear will always follow Jesus around, even claim a close relationship with him, even if they get nothing spiritually beneficial, but only material blessings. Even if all they get are parables and get titles and degrees out of them. They will build a "Christian" religion about Jesus using his words then hang on to the religion, and later be found crucifying Jesus without realizing it--as those who followed Jesus initially (but got nothing but parables) later wanted him crucified.
No comments:
Post a Comment