LETTING GOD BE GOD IN OUR OWN LIVES IN SPITE OF OUR OWN PLANS

Our views concerning God would dictate how we would
1) view the ways of God in our own particular lives and,
2) react to Him by revising our own lives to conform to His will.

Let us read today’s verses — Luke 7:17-23
This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are You the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So He replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me."

It seems that the news about the miracles of Jesus had spread far and wide, and that He was being regarded by the people as either the MESSIAH ( as foretold in many parts of the Old Testament ) or as the PROPHET who would prepare the people for the Messiah’s arrival ( foretold in Isaiah 40:3-5 ). Now John the Baptist knew that he himself was not the Messiah. He knew that his role was that of the prophet — "a voice crying out in the wilderness" — the one who was sent merely to prepare the way for the coming Lord who was to bring salvation. Therefore, John the Baptist knew that the awaited Messiah was the only one who had not yet been revealed.

The prevailing notion about the Messiah was that he would redeem the Jews from the yoke of the Roman colonizers. If Jesus was to fit that image, He had to have the characteristics of one who would militarily unite the Jews and lead them against the mighty Romans. At that time of Jesus’ miracles, He was indeed popular enough to ignite such a revolution. But Jesus never spoke of starting an armed struggle against the Romans. All He ever talked about was the kingdom of God. And instead of arousing the people to a revolution, He talked about loving others - even loving their enemies. This led John to question if Jesus was truly the promised Messiah.

When John sent his disciples to confront Jesus with that precise question, Jesus had a remarkably direct answer. He replied by pointing to the many miracles that He had been doing which only God could perform —— " tell John ..... the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor". This reply was meant by Jesus to remind John of the time when he baptized Jesus. For as he baptized Jesus, John heard the words of God the Father : "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased "(Matt. 3:17 ).

Jesus’s answer to the disciples of John ended with a remark which carried both a rebuke and an encouragement. " Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me " was how Jesus finished His reply.

It was a REBUKE to John who had personally heard God’s voice identifying Jesus as His Son. But later, John started to doubt this truth that God had spoken, mainly because Jesus did not seem to fit the role the Messiah was expected to be. This rebuke was meant to correct the prejudice of those who would cling to their preconceived ideas about how God must act.

People view their lives as the arena in which God will act, thinking that their personal plans and notions are the boundaries within which God must act. They believe that anything which deviates from their personal plans and notions would probably not have come from God. This is a common mistake in the way people think. We oftentimes have this mindset that God’s will for our lives must function only within the limits of our own ideas about the future. So when God acts in ways contrary to our ideas, we feel "offended" as Jesus warned.

Subjugating ( or regarding as less important ) the will of God to our own will is WRONG !

" Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him And He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes ; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. " ( Proverbs 3:5-7 )

John was being rebuked for leaning on his own understanding. He was somehow trying to limit God to the boundaries of his own understanding of the future. He was being wise in his own eyes. This is an important lesson for us to learn because we often expect God to act within the confines of our own understanding, our own plans, our own will. What God requires of us is actually the reverse. In trusting God with all our heart, our will must conform to God’s will, our ways must conform to God’s ways, and our well-being and our future must be totally surrendered to His abounding love and mercy for us.

The reply of Jesus was also an ENCOURAGEMENT. He who is not offended at God’s chosen ways ( which may differ from our expectations ) will be rewarded. Only the person who truly fears and trusts God can wholeheartedly embrace God’s ways. Just the way Jesus prayed before he was killed, " Yet not as I will, but as You will " ( Matt.26:39 ). Let’s read the rest of today’s verses Luke 7:24-28 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.This is the one about whom itis written: ‘I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’ I tell you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John, yet the One who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (NIV)

After the disciples of John left, Jesus spoke to the people concerning John the Baptist. Jesus confirmed that John was the prophet that God had sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. And Jesus said that there was no greater prophet among all men than John. He ended by saying, " ... but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater " than John. By this Jesus was NOT saying that John will not enter heaven. What Jesus was saying was that at that point in time, John did not have as much trust in Jesus as "anyone who is" the least in the kingdom. At that point in time, John had not completely surrendered his own understanding unto the will of Jesus.

How about us ? Are we completely trusting our own understanding ? Are we trying to be wise by our own human standards ? Or have we surrendered our ways to God’s ways ? Our will to God’s will ? In all our ways, we are to render ourselves as subjects to His will, and He shall oversee our paths with His love and His grace. God bless you.