Note from Jesus
Dear Disciple,
I want you to see My example and hear My words in the verses below. They coalesce into one, simple, clear message: People count most!
You find Me at a dinner in the house of a leader of the Pharisees, My most vocal opponents. Why? Why go to a meal with people who are hounding Me and trying to trap Me? Because I love them! They matter to Us — Father, Son, and Spirit. Their hearts need the opportunity to be exposed to My truth, and seeds need to be planted in their hearts, seeds that can blossom into faith and bear fruit after these people see My passion and hear about My resurrection. The Father, the Spirit, and I want all people to have an opportunity to change their hearts and come to faith in Me. I go to the house of this leader and a dinner with his friends, people who hold Me as their enemy, for one simple reason: People count most!
I challenge this leader and his Pharisee and scholar friends to see this same truth in their own religious understanding. They help their children who are in trouble on the Sabbath. They help their animals that are in distress on the Sabbath. They do not see these gracious actions as a violation of their traditions of the Sabbath rest. When they have the ability and opportunity to help, comfort, encourage, or ease a brother or sister’s distress or trouble, the Pharisees and scholars must come to see that a person in trouble must be helped regardless of the day. People count most!
And you, dear disciple, please notice this truth as you seek to apply My teaching — this principle that I taught and lived as an example for you to follow. People count most! I came to seek and to save lost people, to ransom you and others like you from the grip of sin and death on your lives, and to bring My grace to all. That is why I went to the house of those who wanted to get rid of Me. That is why I emphasized the need to help people on the Sabbath even if it violated the tradition of the Pharisees. And most of all, that is why I AM headed to Jerusalem to die as the Lamb of God Who will take away the sins of the world. People count most!
Verses to Live
As you read these verses that follow, ask the Holy Spirit to help you visualize the scene. What are the expressions on the people’s faces? What are the smells in the room as we get ready to share this meal? Can you feel the tension between these leaders and Me? Can you feel their discomfort? Now join Me in noticing the man with the problem. What is My expression as I see him? What do you think My tone was as I discussed this man with the leaders? Was My tone harsh or pleading with these leaders as I asked about healing the man? Remember the point: People count most! And after you finish reading, I want you to ask for the Spirit to help you answer the following questions you need to ask yourself:
- “What does Jesus want me to know from this event?”
- “What does Jesus want me to feel about what happens here?”
- “What does Jesus want me to do as a result of experiencing these events from His ministry?”
Another Sabbath Day came and Jesus was invited to an official’s home for a meal. This fellow was a leader of the Pharisees, and Jesus was still under close surveillance by them. Jesus noticed a man suffering from a swelling disorder. He questioned the religious scholars and Pharisees.
Jesus:
Is it permitted by traditions and the Hebrew Scriptures to heal people on the Sabbath, or is it forbidden?
They didn’t reply. Then Jesus healed the man and sent him on his way.
Jesus:
Would any single one of you leave his son or even his ox in a well on the Sabbath if he had fallen into it, or would you pull him out immediately?
They still didn’t reply.
(Luke 14:1-6)
Response in Prayer
Almighty God, I believe Your words of Scripture are true and bring life, and I want to understand and apply those words of truth based on the teaching and example of Your greatest Word, Jesus. Help me filter my application of biblical truth through Jesus’ words and actions. Dear Father, I ask for the Spirit to open my heart so that in my words, my thoughts, and my actions I will live out the truth of Jesus as revealed in the verses I have just read. Give me Your heart for people, O God, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware.
© 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.