All hail King Jesus
Every day we're reading, listening to or watching part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:
What did I like about today's passage?
How exciting is a walk with Jesus!? I am blown away by trying to imagine how his followers felt – some incredible combination of confusion, challenge, inspiration and exhilaration – and it’s pretty clear from Luke’s account that no-one in their right mind could have seen Jesus simply as a nice, wise man with some good ideas. His presence brought unforgettable changes to people’s lives as they finally saw God’s Kingdom working in practice.
What a difference it makes to be in the presence of the King! Jesus’ authority is visible in so many ways. Fish move to help him make a point. Disease gives way to Jesus’ good news that healing and restoration are coming. Jesus even takes authority over sin, offering forgiveness on authority only possible from God himself.
In a way, we can’t blame the Pharisees for noticing that the detail of the law about the Sabbath had been broken, and Jesus’ push back is astonishing. Is he arguing that breaking the law is fine as long as it’s for a good purpose? I don’t think so. By claiming authority as ‘Lord of the Sabbath’, Jesus is grabbing the attention of anyone interested in the Kingdom of God and how it works. There is no point in trying to follow its rules if they don’t produce the main thing they are designed for – to help us recognise and obey the authority of the King!
And if we thought that recognising and following the King might only help us grab a few forbidden crumbs, look at what Jesus expects, empowers and commands under his authority in the second half of chapter 6. We can love enemies and live judgement-free.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God’s long-term purpose is revealed in Jesus. While God provided a law which would point people towards recognising their need for a saviour, this saviour turns out to be the King whose authority enables the life which the law alone could not. Life with King Jesus is not static – it’s not like we “get” everything when we meet him and accept salvation from him. It is more like a journey, a way of life or walk with him in which our assumptions are challenged, authority has to be given from ourselves to him, and our minds are changed.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
I’m reminded of what a practical thing it is to grow in faith on a walk with Jesus. I’m going to reflect on how God is continuing to challenge my assumptions and show how different life is when he is King.
Who am I going to share this with?
My family and others I follow Jesus with.