31 January 2010
Psalm 24, 29; Gen. 18:16-33; Gal. 5:13-25; Mark 8:22-30

God reveals His judgment against Sodom, but not before He sees for Himself. The same basic thing happens in Genesis 11 when the Lord comes to see the work of the people of Babel. He doesn’t judge sin from afar or take anyone’s word for it. He visited Sodom before His judgment was done. Abraham cares for his nephew and has experience of Sodom himself and yet he intercedes on behalf of this wicked city. We see the same in Moses who intercedes on behalf of the people who have worshipped the golden calf and we clearly see it in Jesus who, in spite of the crucifixion, continues to intercede on behalf of those who crucified Him in order that some might be saved.

Jesus opens the eyes of the blind man at Bethsaida and then the eyes of His disciples. The two stories are parallels. The disciples are seeing as the man first saw, not clearly, and this question at Caesarea Philippi is Jesus’ check-up on their vision. He first asks what others are saying about him and then what the disciples themselves believe. The opinion of the others matters only little, it is the disciples whose vision needs to be clear. The same is true today, the church needs to have leaders who have clear vision and understanding about Jesus. Our clergy and lay leadership needs to be clear on who He is in order for the church to fulfill the mission it has been given. The problems in “the church” relate specifically to this issue, many leaders have not been at all certain that Jesus is the Messiah.

It is interesting how often the church devolves into the things Paul describes as the flesh, and it frequently has to do with keeping the first thing the first thing. We need to be focused on Jesus and Him alone. When we lose our focus and make it something like growth or leadership or any other good thing, we tend to fall into these fleshly issues. Those are not bad things but they are not the main thing. Keeping a focus on Jesus is to do as He commanded, abiding in Him and that abiding in Him will re-order our desires and we will see the fruit of the Spirit.

May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace!