Lord help me to be Christlike
So often times we pray to be Christlike in our lives and in doing so we think of being Christlike in our attitudes of compassion and nurturing spirit of servanthood to others. We want to be loving and kind as Christ was and that is good. However lets look at a broader picture of being Christlike. All through the Gospels we read about Jesus and His teaching, healing, preaching and miracles. Many times Jesus in misunderstood and His good deeds are seemingly tried to be turned into evil deeds by those misunderstanding people and even misunderstanding religious leaders started making accusations, speculations and presumptions about the Messiah because of their lack of understanding. Sometimes this lack of understanding was built on the fact the people didn't know why some things weren't being done, or said by Jesus in the timing the people thought it should be. In Matthew 17 after the transfiguration Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had been raised from the dead. In another instance Jesus heals two blind men and warns them to not tell anyone of what He had done for them. (Matt. 9:27-31)
There are other similar instances and in each one Jesus is persecuted to the point He is beaten, mocked, spit on, called all kinds of names and eventually crucified. Have you ever been that Christlike? I mean have you ever known you were doing God's will, and you were doing the right thing but others, including those of the church didn't seem to understand so they started persecuting you. You knew that what you had to do, and would like to share, was all according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, yet you couldn't share it until the time was totally right. See when Jesus was telling people to keep things to themselves it was for a reason. He wasn't trying to deceive people or mislead anyone, but to hold off until just the right time so that God could be glorified and God's will be fulfilled to the utmost. (prophesies fulfilled)
Similarly in our lives when we pray to be Christlike, sometimes being Christlike includes enduring some of the chastisement that comes from people, even those in the church, when they don't understand where we are coming from or going to. We know we are following God's will and we want to tell the world but the timing isn't just right so we must wait. Sometimes we are persecuted just because of our desire to follow Christ.
So when you pray to be Christlike, know this......there are two sides to being Christlike, but just as Jesus overcame His persecution and rose from the dead, we too can take comfort in knowing that that same promise is ours as Jesus tells us in the beatitudes of Matthew 5:10 "blessed are those who are persecuted for living for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
In Christ's likeness
Wayne
posted by Wayne at 10:01 PM
2 Comments:
A few things;
1) I often wonder if the people Jesus healed really din't tell anyone. Does the Bible say they didn't say anything? If Jesus healed you from something so horrible, could you keep quiet?
2) I have been in the situation where I thought I was doing God's will and people in the church criticized me horribly and it ended up hurting me and I lost my trust in these people.
3) Didn't Jesus tell his disciples what he was all about, they just didn't understand?
1)The bible tells us they didn't really keep it quiet.(Matt 9:27-31) But could you? I mean you had just been a first hand witness and reciever of a miracle, I think that would be hard to hold in the exhuberation felt from such a blessing.
2)I understand that feeling, and it is very hurtful. In the story of the adultress brought before Jesus to be stoned found in John 8 beginning with the first verse, we can see in this that not only is it that no one is perfect, but the part that stands out to me in the comment you make is this. No one has the right, nor can make any judgment of you, nor are they worthy to make any judgment of you, except for Jesus Christ Himself. Since Jesus was able to point out to the supposed religious leaders they werent' without sin, he also pointed out to them they He, Jesus Himself was the final and ONLY judge of sin that people have to answer too. So if you are truly in the will of God, and God will make it clear to you, hold tight to that belief and believe that God will protect you from that scrutiny that comes. Remember the beatitude "Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
3)He did tell them and they did understand some things, but the more they got to know Jesus the more they understood. In Luke Chapter 8 as well as Matthew 13 the disciples ask Jesus what He meant by what He was saying, and Jesus explained it to them but first told them He allows them to know the secrets of the Kindgom of Heaven and that is why He is ok with explaining Himself to them. He also tells them that He speaks the way He does to keep the secrets from the outsiders, those who have no desire to be a part of the Kingdom, and to fulfill the prophecy of the old testament in how the sinful would hear and see but not understand.
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