FROM THE DAWGHOUSE…
JESUS’ SURPISING INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE
Jesus was often difficult to be around.
That stuck out to me when I read Luke 13 in my DAWG today. Here’s proof:
- He confronted false teaching. Jesus told people that even though some people die tragically they didn’t die horribly because they were worse sinners than other people, as many Jews commonly thought. Clearing up that false idea that all tragedy is God’s response to gross sin, Jesus then told His hearers that unless they repented, they would perish. Luke 13:1-5. I’m sure that sapped their self-righteousness and made them just love Jesus’ straightforward jab at their morality.
- He told stories that brought conviction. Like the story about a landowner/grower who’s had one fig tree that consistently, for three years in a row, did not bear fruit. (Luke 13:6-9) He was over that tree. It was a waste of time and attention and watering. Logically he wanted to cut it down. The owner’s vineyard-keeper negotiated for one more year to see if the tree would bear fruit and if it didn’t then he would cut it down. Moral of the story? Israel should have born spiritual fruit as God’s chosen people, but they did not. They have a little period of grace before judgment falls on them, but not much. And they probably wouldn’t respond and repent. They didn’t. Judgment came. By 70 AD Roman troops destroyed Jerusalem. Jesus said that the entire country was evil and would be judged.
- He deliberately and provocatively broke with convention in order to draw out the hypocrisy of others, and then He would tell them to their faces they were hypocrites. Luke 13:10-17. Jesus had opponents, knew it, and humiliated them by telling them the truth about their holding on to their legalism and lies. People who are like this are always welcome at parties!
- He said His Kingdom would eventually, surprisingly win. Luke 13:18-21. Basically Jesus said in these two parables, “I will win. You will lose.” If you’re on the opposite side, you don’t want to hear that.
- He talked about the coming judgment of God to unrepentant sinners. Luke 13:22-30. Always a pleasing topic for people to consider.
- He criticized the leaders of Israel as spiritual light weights and predicts that though large numbers of Jews don’t support Him now, they eventually will. Luke 13:23-35. Leaders always like to be criticized by outsiders like Jesus.
The world wants us to be “nice”, which roughly translated means, “tolerant of their views and kind to those who are blatantly against God’s truth and morals.”
Jesus wasn’t nice.
Jesus was often difficult to be around.
How do I relate to people? Do I play games for approval? Do I avoid standing up for God’s truth? Am I more like Jesus or a politician?
I’m just saying. Questions for me to think over for the rest of the day now that my DAWG is done. You too?
You take it to heart!
Pete Alwinson
