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by Sandy Shaw
In Luke Chapter 6 and at verse 20, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is preparing His disciples for service in the Kingdom of God. The following sentences are almost a series of contradictions but disciples soon realise that they are true and real.
Jesus Christ is speaking about the Kingdom of God, and what Jesus teaches can shake our way of thinking.
Follow Me and you will be blessed, but you will be confronted with conflict. You will face hunger - hatred - and rejection. You may feel like just wanting to sit down and cry. Don’t do that. Rather, rejoice - get up and leap. This is how the prophets were treated.
People say, If only we could live according to the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. If we could only live by the teachings of Jesus, the world’s problems would disappear. And, that is true, but only the disciple of Jesus can live like that, and even then it is hard and difficult and challenging.
Jesus then has a word for those who are having it easy in the world - rich - full – those who are laughing - those who are praised. According to Jesus, to be well liked by everybody – to be popular and praised and approved by all - equals being a false prophet.
You are going to have enemies! Love - do good - bless - and pray for those who ill treat you.
Discipleship is a full-time job! Jesus speaks about being mistreated - abused - rejected. Jesus is basically describing His own situation.
Jesus is teaching us what to expect, and who will appear - enemies. Jesus is teaching us how we are to respond, spelling out love in very practical terms.
Jesus goes on to explain that if we do not live and behave in these ways, we are just behaving like those who have never been ‘born again’.
It is all so radical and revolutionary.
Jesus repeats previous words. Did Jesus think that even His chosen men would find it all very hard going?
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
There is a cross, and we are told by our gracious loving Saviour to carry our cross.
We may want to say – “You go there to Calvary, Jesus, and we will meet You on the other side!” No! That is not a possibility. Just follow! That is what Jesus tells us and teaches us to do, and it is not easy. It has never been easy and His life indicates just how hard it is and we will never plumb the depths on his suffering on the cross to wash away our sin and restore us with our Creator God.
Verse 37 - Don’t judge. Jesus has a way of going right to the very heart of things immediately. He could see these disciples - planning in their minds what they were going to say to those who were opposing them - criticising them - insulting them - mistreating them - working out their defence.
Learn not to judge. Learn not to condemn. Don’t point the finger. Don’t accuse. This does not mean we overlook sin, or sit silent when we should be speaking out, or challenge something which is wrong.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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