At the Table - The People Jesus Spent Time With预览

Rebuking the 'Religious'

Imagine your mom and dad leave the house, and the oldest sibling - who is in charge - feels bored, so they come up with the brilliant idea to play a round of putt, putt golf - with real balls and clubs - inside the house. So the course is established, everyone grabs a club and a ball, and you’re trying to get the ball up a flight of 15 stairs. Needless to say, there would probably be some damage to the walls of the house. When your parents get home, everyone will get in trouble, but which sibling gets the harshest punishment? If you grew up with siblings, you probably would quickly answer - the oldest sibling. Why is it that they got the harshest discipline? Because they were supposed to be in charge. They set the example and lead in the house while your parents were away.

We’ve been looking at a few meals that Jesus shared with others so that we can discover who Jesus is. In Luke chapter 11, Jesus shares a unique meal with a group of Religious Leaders. These were the people in charge of leading the nation of Israel - a nation that God had specifically chosen to be his people who would bless the whole world. While sitting with these leaders, he didn’t commend them for their great leadership capabilities. Instead, he rebuked them all in seven ways they were falling short of what they were truly called to do. Here’s the summary of Jesus’ rebuke of these leaders:

• They looked good on the outside but were wicked on the inside.
• They obeyed part of God’s commands, but they ignored the most important things.
• They cared only about themselves and how other people saw them.
• They were hurting the people they were supposed to be helping.
• They pointed out people's sins but never helped them.
• They celebrated God’s messengers, who their families had put to death.
• They kept people from knowing who God was and what his kingdom was about.
• Today you’ll see that Jesus is loving enough to call out our sins and mistakes.

Reflect: If Jesus were sitting at a table sharing a meal with you, how do you think he would challenge you in the way you are currently living and leading others?

Pray: “Jesus, help me live the way you desire and command me to. I can’t do this on my own. I need your grace, and I need your Spirit to live and work within me. Amen.