Matthew 11:19 “The
Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a
drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right
by her actions.”
Traffic on the interstate to church
this morning was very busy, so I had be doubly alert about the vehicles around
me. I hoped that the other drivers were doing the same until I noticed that the
car behind me was getting very close to my own. From my rear view mirror, I
could see the cause – the young woman behind me was busy texting as well as
driving. No doubt she thought that she was multi-tasking and that her message
was very important. Unfortunately, she was causing me to speed up and the
drivers around her to do the same. She didn't know it, but she was also weaving
in her lane. Thankfully, no accident occurred, but if she keeps doing it then
one day she will probably cause a terrible crash.
In today’s highlighted verse, Jesus
said that ‘wisdom is proved right by her actions.’ Throughout my life I
have found that to be the case, especially in Church world. The wisest people
that I have known have usually been focused faithfully on ministry or mission, or
have regularly participated in worship, study groups or classes.
Much of what I do is in the
preaching and teaching realm of Church world. I can’t make people do the right
faithful things, but I can offer them Christ’s words and God’s guidance.
However, much like the young woman who thought that she can text and drive at
the same time, some people are going to do what they want to do and believe
what they want to do believe. The trouble is this: they are potentially going
to lose their salvation by doing their own thing, going their own way, and believing
what they want to accept.
‘Wisdom is proved right by her actions.’
If God offers salvation to those who truly believe in Jesus, would it not be wise
to do something about it now, on this side of eternity? Almost saved, as the
old preachers used to say, is the same as not being saved. Almost getting it
right has the same consequences of getting it totally wrong. As our young
people would say: YOLO – You Only Live Once – which is absolutely right, but it
also comes with this caveat: you only have this opportunity to be saved by
Jesus before death; after we die, even Christ cannot change things.
Questions for personal reflection?
Am I saved? If not,
what am I going to do about it?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your teachings in the
Gospels are mostly about making the right decisions in different circumstances
and ultimately about making the One Great Choice to be saved by You. Enable us
to diminish our pride, so that we may humbly accept You as our only Savior and
Lord. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you
would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send
him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of my latest paper sculpted drawings called ‘Caledonian Soul.’ If
you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Cross.
No comments:
Post a Comment