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Face to Face:Persecution
by J. Ross Greer of The Place of Grace Ministries (about the ministry)
[Note: If you'd like to read more from J. Ross Greer, be sure to subscribe to his daily e-mail list A Word For The Church.]
8Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 10So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”
16For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”18For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
Not everyone rejoices when a believer does a good deed for someone else. Give assistance to a person in need, and you are told that they should learn to make it on their own. This, of course, is minor compared to the reaction Jesus received when He restored the use of this man's legs. The narrow-minded mentality, though, is exactly the same.
Instead of rejoicing with him, the Jews informed the man that it was the Sabbath and that he was prohibited from carrying his bed as he walked. They missed the whole point. He could walk! I suppose they would have preferred that he remain as a lame man until after the Sabbath was completed, so that his healing would fit into the framework of their theology.
Jesus, however, took the issue to the limit. He clearly informed these Jews that He was working as His Heavenly Father was working. Jesus was involved in the Father's Kingdom business, as we should be. This, of course, caused these religious leaders to go somewhat ballistic. Can you imagine that Jesus would equate Himself with Almighty God?
We should, therefore, not be surprised when some take exception to doing the works of God. Our churches are filled with legalists not unlike the Pharisees. They have established their own religion based upon their own rules, and should we violate any of their precious tenets, we can be assured of encountering their “holy wrath”. Regardless of their unbiblical opinion, we must do the works that God has called us to do. We must demonstrate the love of Christ in every way we can, everywhere we go, without consideration of the cost. The world needs to see and hear the Gospel, so that they can escape a Christless eternity and enjoy an eternal relationship with their Father.
Copyright 2002, The Place of Grace Ministries. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About The Place of Grace Ministries: In 1992, God interrupted the well-organized life of J. Ross Greer through a study called "Experiencing God". This encounter birthed a passionate vision for local churches that has become The Place of Grace Ministries. Through teaching, music, and writing, we call believers to return to the basic principles of God's Word and participate in the work of God. For questions or scheduling information, please contact us at: theplaceofgrace@att.net Or visit our web site at: http://home.att.net/~theplaceofgrace/theplaceofgrace.html |
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