Luke 19:20-27
It’s amazing how hatred against Jesus can explode at the strangest times. I’m watching a movie and suddenly something goes wrong. Whose name suddenly explodes from the actor’s mouth?
What’s incredible is that Jesus accepts all the scorn and abuse. But we must be careful not to take Jesus’ present patience with those who pour out anti-God venom and hatred against Him as weakness –a sign that He will give everyone a pass in the end.
Jesus ended His story about the nobleman who went away to receive a kingdom like this:
“Also the other servant came and said, ‘Lord, look, I’m holding your mina. I kept it hidden in a handkerchief. I did this because I feared you. You’re a hard, harsh man. You take what you don’t put in. You harvest what you don’t sow.’ The king responded, ‘I judge you, wicked servant, based on the words out of your own mouth. If you knew that I was this hard, harsh man, one who takes what he doesn’t put in or harvests what he doesn’t sow, then why didn’t you give my silver to the bankers? Then when I returned I would’ve at least collected interest on it.‘ Then the king said to those standing by, ‘Take away from him the mina and give it to the one who has ten.’ ‘Sir,’ they replied, ‘he already has ten.‘
‘I tell you, those who have, will be given more, but those who don’t have, even what they have will be taken away. Now for my enemies-- those who didn’t want me to rule over them—bring them here and execute them before me.’” Luke 19:20-27
Luke is teaching us that our heart attitude toward Jesus—hatred or love—diagnoses the truth about us, and that it will be our own words that judge us in the end. So if all this stuff about Jesus is only an “elf story” then why does the human race, including movie directors, have to take such strong jabs against Him.
LORD, thanks that You are patient and that You’re not willing that any should perish. Thanks for the man who came to our Wednesday service at Agape Fellowship and prayed to receive Jesus. I pray that his trust in Jesus was genuine, and that all those scorning and abusing Jesus will change their minds about Him before it’s too late.
