Luke 6:9

Jesus begins by asking the Pharisees and the teachers of the law a set of rhetorical questions to get them to think through their beliefs. They were accusing Him of breaking the Sabbath by healing on it. In presenting these questions to them, He actually desired for them to see the folly in their own way of thinking. Jesus was showing them truth through this process. He often did this in His teachings. Perhaps there is insight for us to glean by this too. I am afraid I often act like a fire hydrant in espousing truth to others. Rather than let them come to the knowledge of truth by leading them to think through it for themselves, I just blast it out! In my overly zealous way, I am confident that I scare many off! When I know something so sweet and so good I want others to know it too. Yet Jesus did not do that. He went about in His gentle, loving way leading others to the knowledge of the fullness of God. I am reminded of the encounter He had with His disciples when He asks them: 18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" 19 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life." 20 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God." Luke 9:18-20 (NIV)
Jesus was always getting those around Him to think through why they believed what they believed and in Whom they believed. Very effective. Very Jesus. What upstanding Pharisee wouldn’t choose to do good rather than evil on a Sabbath day? Would any teacher of the law not choose to save life rather than destroy it on God’s day of rest? Certainly the questions must have given them pause. Luke does not record their response. Verse eleven does tell us that they were furious which actually means completely mindless and without understanding! The word also describes one that is so filled with emotion that he is blinded to reason and sound judgment. Unfortunately, the religious leaders of that day had a made up mindset and that mindset was wrong. Never mind that Jesus performed a miracle that only God could do. They continued to hold fast to their stubborn unbelief. No wonder Jesus cried out over Jerusalem: 37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. Matt 23:37-38 (NIV)
Always the Gentleman, Jesus never forces truth on anyone even though I am confident through Scripture that our unbelief strikes at the very heart of God. He longs to draw us near, to gather us, if you will, as a “hen gathers her chicks”, yet we remain unwilling – caught up in the blinded reason of our own unbelief - to our own harm. Remember: 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:16-21 (NIV) Jesus did not force or beg or coerce anyone to believe in Him. He still doesn’t. He spoke truth. He lived truth. He was truth. Jude tells us: 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Jude 1:22-23 (NIV)