Luke 5:14-16

Luke 5:14-16

And He commanded him to say nothing, “But after departing, show yourself to the priest and bring something regarding your cleansing just as Moses assigned into a testimony for them.”  But word regarding Him went throughout and many crowds were gathering around to listen and to be healed from their weaknesses.  And He was withdrawing into the wilderness and praying.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus commands the man not to speak about what happened.  Instead, the man is to go to the temple and have the priest declare that the man is healed.  The man is to bring what Moses assigned in the law: a sacrifice.  Jesus is interested in the testimony of the man.  Jesus wants the Father to get the glory.

What is Jesus’ example here?  How can we see this story in the light of humbleness before the Father?  How can you imitate this example?

Second Thought:

News spread.  Of course it does.  Human beings like to talk.  We like to gossip.  We like to have that juicy bit of news because then all the ears of the people around us are fixed onto us.  We like to be the center of attention.  But look at the impact that this has on Christ.  As the news about Him spreads, it only serves to drive Him out into the wilderness areas.  Our human need to talk and gossip often makes it harder for God to accomplish His will.

What are your favorite things to talk about?  When do you talk about things you shouldn’t?  When do your words ever hinder the work of God?

Third Thought:

I often feel badly for God.  I know that He is God and He is certainly big enough to handle humanity.  But many days I really feel sad for God.  God sent His Son to us to teach us and to model the godly life and ultimately to die for our sake.  But how does the genuine populace interact with the very Son of God?  We get an impression from the Gospel accounts that they mob Him.  They come around Jesus because He can fix what’s wrong with them.  They gathered around Jesus because their perspective is so short-sighted.  They want healed now.  I am reminded of the Babylonian exile of the Hebrew people.  They would be redeemed, but they had a lifetime of suffering to endure before they would know peace.  I am reminded of the Apostle Paul as he begged to have the thorn in his side removed.  God answered that His grace is sufficient.  In other words, the thorn was an opportunity to realize how much we need God and how great life will be like in the eternal age.  It is so easy for us to lose sight of the future and think only about now.  We want healed now.  We want to be successful now.  We want to be popular now.  We want to be in the presence of fame now.  But our focus should be on the eternal.  We should flock to the feet of Christ.  But we should flock because our eyes are on the eternal rather than our eyes being on what He can do for us now.

Do you ever want God to be a God of the now?  Why is it difficult to live a life where we are focused on the eternal?  Why is it important to live a life focused on the eternal?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 5:17-20