Thinking about yesterday's post, there are quite a few other things Jesus did NOT do here while He taught His disciples.
He did NOT heal everyone. We're told He healed many and there were specific instances given. We are not told that he declined to heal any that came to Him, but there was no wholesale healing for a specified area around Him. We know one woman was healed simply by touching His garment, and He was aware of that touch.
And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? [Mark 5:30 KJV]
His disciples thought He had lost His mind.
And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? [Mark 5:31 KJV]
They didn't understand Him any more than we do, and they walked with Him hour by hour.
Jesus did NOT set up an earthly kingdom. Oh, the Jews were expecting that then and still are today. The salvation they sought was from Rome, not from their sins. They wanted a bigger piece of this world, not of the spiritual one He offered . We're no different. We continue to lay up treasures here on earth -- and losing them to natural or man-made disasters. Pilate asked about His kingdom.
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. [John 18:36 KJV]
Jesus did NOT force people to follow Him. When He sent the seventy, they had their instructions as to what to say and to heal, but they were also instructed how to deal with those who did not accept, too.
But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. [Luke 10:10-12 KJV]
Jesus did NOT ignore sin. Even thoughtless sin from those about Him.
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. [Matthew 16:23 KJV]
Peter took the admonition to heart. Many church members, on the other hand, become angry, even leave their church, when a sermon approaches any condemnation of their lifestyle choices. We fail to understand that the world was condemned before He was born. He explained to Nicodemus:
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [John 3:17 KJV]
However, there is another side to that coin. Without His salvation, the condemnation remains.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [John 3:18 KJV]
I recently commented on how many people can quote John 3:16 and speak of God's love for this world, yet they do not read the next two verses and come to the light of the world.
Too many of us do NOT.
Hi Grammy -
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this rich truth. Thank you for this message. It is from the Word of GOD and we need to steadfastly adhere to what it says.