We read in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.” (ISV)
This is the verse we have been meditating on that reminds us that God is able to make every blessing overflow for us so that no matter what our situation, we will always have everything we need for every good work. The Psalmist David also declared in Psalm 23 that his cup overflowed with the blessings of God in his life.
We also studied in the first part that just as the heart of God is bountiful, our hearts too must be magnanimous. However, our human nature is such that we expect God to bless us abundantly, but are sparing in the way we want to bless others.
The bountifulness of God is revealed through His copious love for us.
We read in Ephesians 3:18-19, “And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love--how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.” (ERV)
If we were to measure any object we do so only with three dimensions, width, length and height. However, when describing the love of God, this is how the Apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus. Paul prayed that along with all the saints they would be able to comprehend the width, length, height and depth of God’s love. The reason for this is that the love of God is immeasurable and beyond human comprehension.
We know as to the kind of people we are, and the way our life is, but in spite of this, God has lavished His abundant love on us because we are His children. However, when we have to extend this love to others we are so conditional and frugal. God’s forgiveness is also overflowing, but we are hesitant to extend this forgiveness to others. Our desire must be that we too become more like the Lord Jesus is the way we love, and the way we forgive others.
Think about Paul, before he met the Lord. He was a persecutor of the churches, but the very man who destroyed the churches became the one who began to build the churches.
Our inability to love, to forgive, to give to others generously must change, and our hearts become ones that love, forgive and give just as Jesus did. With each passing day, the time that God has appointed for us on earth is gradually decreasing, and therefore we must pray that our hearts will change to become like that of the Lord’s. This should be our constant desire because we are Ambassadors for Christ, and we should therefore be those who are the change agents in the lives of those around us. Our lives become meaningful and purposeful only when we understand the reason God has placed us here on earth.
There are those who give many ways how we can live as God’s holy people, but Paul says that if we understand the love that God has for us, we will certainly live the holy lives that God expects of us. A believer in Christ who has understood the width, height, length of depth of God’s love will never want to speak, or live in a way that would displease our God of love. We can never fully comprehend why God has lavished this kind of love for us, a love that accepts us in spite of our sins, adopts us as His children, and gives us the position of being the children of the most High God. We must desire that we too become bountiful in every way, in grace, in love, in forgiveness, in mercy and in giving just as the Lord has lavished all of these on us.
This is a prayer we can pray for those in our families or who associate with us, who don’t know the Lord that they would comprehend the enormous love that God has for them.
Each day we only see a few dangers that come our way through our physical eyes, but there are so many evils and dangers that the Lord protects us from, and all of this is only because of His love and grace.
Jesus welcomed those whom others despised
We read in Luke 15:1-2, Many tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus. Then the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain, "Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them!" (ERV)
The ones who dined with Jesus were the tax collectors and sinners whom society had shunned. Our society is such that we label people based on their habits or addictions, but the Lord lovingly chose to be associated with them. While all other teachers found fault, the Lord Jesus was different in that He embraced these people with His love and never condemned them. The words of Jesus gave them hope and courage. Jesus’ words turned people towards God because they were not words to find fault, but words of grace to build and encourage such people. This was why multitudes came after Jesus.
This spirit of fault finding is a dangerous thing because it never sees the good in others. Everything others say and do is blown out of proportion. Sadly, social media has become a tool in the hands of many who even target ministers of God and dissect their messages simply to find fault with them.
The accusation against Jesus
When the Pharisees and teachers of the law saw that Jesus dined with tax collectors and sinners, they accused him for entertaining them. These men who were supposed to be teachers of the law, closely watched Jesus just to find fault with him. Think about it, if these men were busy fulfilling the task and the ministry that was assigned to them, they would have no time to keep picking on Jesus, and on all that He taught and did.
There are many today who will overlook all of their faults in themselves and in their families, and focus their attention to find fault with everyone around them. If we sincerely pray that God will change us and make us more like Him, instead of praying that the Lord change others, the result will be amazing. All those people for whom we are praying hoping that they will change will certainly change when they see changes in our lives. It is not for us to sit on the judgement seat or to point our fingers at those whom we think have not changed in any way. We have the duty to take an inward look, and make the changes that God wants to see made inside of us first. Let us never entertain this habit of finding fault with others, being negative about everything or murmuring against others.
This religious leaders who were following Jesus were really upset that the people left them, and began to follow Jesus. They found this hard to digest because they wanted to have control over them. Let us always bear in mind that each of us has to give an account of himself to the Lord. We cannot give account for our children or our spouse. This means that we have to persevere, and keep running the course that God has set for us.
The habit of fault finding is like a plague, and it affects everyone. When we had the pandemic everyone was asked to wear a mask, and also to wash and sanitize their hands. I think this is a good practice for us to follow. Firstly, we must have a watch over the words that come out of our mouth. It is good to avoid gossip, complaining and the habit of finding fault because this prevents us from seeing the good in everything and everyone. Moreover, this can spread like a plague and affect many around us. Secondly, we must also keep our hands pure, and free from corruption of any kind.
These religious leaders in Jesus’ day were part of a council called the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who belonged to this sect. Nicodemus truly desired to know more about the Kingdom of God which was why he came to Jesus at night, and was really happy to meet with Jesus. Sadly, Nicodemus remained a secret believer right till the end. The reason for this was that if he associated himself with Jesus, he would have been expelled from the Sanhedrin. These religious leaders were more concerned about their position in the council rather than in their relationship with Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea was another such Pharisee who stayed this way until the death of Jesus for that very same reason.
We must make a decision to stand with those who gossip, grumble and find fault. Soon if we are not watchful, this habit will get hold of us, and become a ruin for us.
Don’t hinder others from entering God’s Kingdom
We read in Matthew 23:13 "It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You close the way for people to enter God's kingdom. You yourselves don't enter, and you stop those who are trying to enter.” (ERV)
Jesus called the teachers of the law and the Pharisees hypocrites, because what they were inside and what they projected outside was in total contradiction. The power in their hands was that they actually could shut the Kingdom of God so that those who desired could not enter it. This was a lock that no one could open. The only thing they did was grumble and find fault, and so those who followed them did the same, and hence they too could not enter the kingdom of God. They did not enter the Kingdom of God, and neither did they allow others to enter into it.
We live in times when this has become commonplace to find fault with others. If we are not cautious we could get entangled in this kind of a trap. Remember that the Sanhedrin was a council of learned men who knew the scriptures and taught the scriptures. However, Pharisees like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were trapped in this group, which schemed and plotted to have Jesus killed. These are the last days and we must be careful to walk out of such groups and not associate with such people.
Jesus spoke the parable in response to the accusation made by the religious leaders that Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, and entertained them.
The heart of God for the lost
In Luke 15:4 "Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost. What will you do? You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep. You will continue to search for it until you find it.”(ERV)
When Jesus asked this question I am sure the Pharisees and teachers of the law would have agreed that they would certainly go searching for the one lost sheep, even though ninety nine were safe in their care. This shepherd searched for the sheep did not give up, but sought after it until he found it.
Sometimes when we ask our children to find something like our keys that we misplaced, in a few seconds they will respond that they could not find it. This was not the kind of searching the shepherd undertook. He searched hard until he found it.
Love people and use things
Jesus was telling the religious leaders that the concern they had for a lost sheep, they were not willing to show to people who were lost without God. Think about it. If we left our phone at church we will rush back to find it. However, there may be someone who sits beside us all the time, and when they are not in their place we often never bother to check what happened to them. We are more concerned about things, and therefore often we end up loving things and use people. God has created people around us to love them. Everything that is given to us our money, possessions, and everything is so we can use it to bless others.
There was a man who bought a brand new car after much effort. His little son not knowing the value of the car playfully made some scratch marks on the side of the car. This really annoyed the father, and he scolded his son really bad and punished him for doing so. A little later when the father looked closely at the scratch marks, he found his son had scratched on it these words, ‘I love you Daddy.’ So often we like that father love things more than we love people. Let us keep in mind that everything we possess we will have to leave back one day, but every person is a precious soul destined for eternity. If we understand this difference we will love and value people the way we should.
Jesus had to make it clear to the religious leaders that the people who were with Him were more precious than the sheep, and all other valuables that they possesses, and would never want to lose.
How often we are so hung up on our ego, and are not willing to get reconciled with someone who has hurt us? Let’s remember that relationships are vital and God values people and so should we. These are last days and the Lord wants us to set our priorities right. Let us pray that the Lord will teach us to use things and love people, and never do it vice versa. If we use people and manipulate them for our own benefit, and the Lord reminds us that we should never do this.
Rejoice when the lost are found
We read in Luke 15:5-6 And when you find it, you will be very happy. You will carry it home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’(ERV)
I thought of the picture of the shepherd carrying the dirty little sheep on his shoulders. Suddenly this sheep became very close to the heart of the shepherd. His joy in finding the sheep was so much that he did not care what state the sheep was in, but was rejoicing and was happy to carry it on his shoulders. There was also celebration because the sheep that was lost was finally found.
Jesus was emphasizing to the religious leaders that people were more precious than anything else in this world. How often we rejoice when we get a new car or bike or build a new house? However, we should have greater joy to see someone enter the Kingdom of God. When was the last time we rejoiced that a person came into the fold or that a life was transformed by the Lord?
We read in Luke 15:7, In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change. (ERV)
Jesus was telling the Pharisees and tax collectors, that heaven did not rejoice over them or over their constant bickering and fault finding. Rather, heaven rejoices that sinners were entering into the kingdom of God. May our hearts too rejoice over the things that make the heart of God rejoice, and let us grieve over the things that grieve the heart of God.
Here are some important lessons we learned today. Never stand in the company of fault finders and grumblers. The fact is there are no perfect people, no perfect families or even perfect churches. Secondly, we must have a heart like God has, one which will love people and use things and not do it otherwise. Thirdly, we rejoice over those things that heaven rejoices about, and feel sorrow over those things that pain the heart of God.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewfriends.net
