Psalm 131, 132, 133
Jeremiah 26: 1-16
Romans 11: 1-12
John 10: 19-42
In the 10th chapter of John, we again find people questioning who Jesus is and refusing to listen to what he tells them. They say, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly”, but they are looking for the answer they want. They want THEIR kind of messiah – not the Messiah that Jesus was. He responds: I have told you ... I have shown you ... but you do not believe.
It is tempting (and easy) to put God and Jesus into our own box. God punishes sinners (at least the sins WE don’t like). God hates ______ (fill in the blank with whoever WE hate). Or on the other hand (and just as simple-mindedly), God just wants you to be happy (or wealthy, or whatever). There are examples all around us – Westboro Baptist “Church” and the noted institution on the Southwest Freeway in our own city are two obvious examples – but we all do it. It is human nature to hear what we want to hear, and what could be better than having a God who agrees with us completely?
We do not get to decide who God is – that is not what we are called to do. It is our task to listen to the Word and to show that in our lives.
Stephen Morris