6 Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. 8 You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." 9 Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.
Ever about His Father’s will and always in agreement with the Father’s opportune time, Jesus responds mildly to His brother’s insulting remarks by merely stating the Truth – those following God will be on God’s timing pursuing God’s agenda yet for those who wallow in the world, delving in depravity or simply seeking to please self, any time is right. Jesus was always pristinely clear of His mission - His time filled with purpose and meaning. Contrast to those who chose to indulge in revelry - living useless lives – their time being inconsequential. We find in Scripture the following:
28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." John 8:28-29 (NIV)
“The confinement of business is a thousand times better than the liberty of idleness.” Matthew Henry
Jesus tells His hearers that He is hated by the world and they, on the other hand, are embraced by it. Certainly there is honor and acceptance among thieves - like enjoys and is entwined with like. No one wants their toes stepped on so they avoid stepping on anyone else’s toes. Truth becomes relative – what is right for you is right for you, what is right for me is right for me. Yet the Bible loudly proclaims, “Wrong!” Truth is not relative. Truth is a person and His Name is Jesus – He is the very embodiment of Truth. He tells us in His Word:
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." John 14:6-7 (NIV)
It is a great provocation and uneasiness to the world to be convicted of its evil works. People do not want to change. They could readily accept Jesus’ teaching if it did not begin to mess in their business. Not much is different 2000 years later is it? We still do not like our toes stepped on – we still do not like to be confronted with our sin. It is uncomfortable. It makes us uneasy. It makes us feel bad about ourselves and we are a feel good about ourselves kind of people. Besides that, we enjoy our Delilah’s. We can accept a religion that is non-confrontational but when it causes conviction, it simply must go – we cannot be bothered. When abstract doctrines are presented, few find fault. We belong to the feel good, what’s in it for me denomination. Jesus does not attend there. Jesus says that is not the way it works.
“It was not so much the high doctrines which He preached, as the high standard of practice which He proclaimed, which gave offence. It was not even His claim to be received the Messiah which men disliked so much, as His witness against the wickedness of their lives. In short, they could have tolerated His opinions if He would only have spared their sins.” J.C. Ryle
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Luke 9:23-25 (NIV)
“Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nonetheless.” Francis Schaeffer
God confronts and convicts us with Truth for us to change – for our good. We have a vicious and sadistic enemy who delights in our destruction and derives exceeding pleasure in getting us to self destruct with our own poor choices. Yet recovery for spiritual slavery and bondage to sin and self is ours through Jesus – lasting recovery is based on our freedom in Christ. Paul tells us in Romans:
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- Romans 6:6 (NIV)
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:11-14 (NIV)