SHARING BREAD
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and
he healed them. 15 But
when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he
did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of
David,” they were indignant.
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?”
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?”
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
Matt
21:14-17 (NIV)
Exit the buyers and sellers surrounding the temple area and
enter in the blind and the lame – those desirous of healing from the Healer. It is good and profitable to enter the temple
where Christ is present – lovingly and humbly approaching Him. Our Lord had
recently rid those who had profaned His Father’s house and here He is graciously
making whole those seeking Him in humility.
“Love and humility are the highest attainments in the school
of Christ.” John
Newton
Christ not only offers wholeness but rest and peace. His miraculous works testifying to Him even
more than the praise of the children. Scripture
tells us:
3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees
that give way; 4 say
to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he
will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears
of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then
will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and
streams in the desert. Isaiah 35:3-6
(NIV)
28 “Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls.” Matt 11:28-29 (NIV)
In our verses for today, the chief priests and the teachers
of the law were stirred up in anger over our Lord’s miraculous healings and of
the high praises He was receiving from the wee ones. Such jealous guys they were - even to the
point of audaciously questioning the Master - implying they wanted Him to make
the babes stop singing of His worthiness.
Peace gives life to the body yet envy will rot the bones.
30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots
the bones. Prov 14:30 (NIV)
These religious leaders were inwardly vexed at the wonderful
miracles Jesus performed and they could not bear to hear the praises He was
receiving. In our Lord’s refusal to
silence the “Hosannas” of these young ones He was declaring that He was indeed
worthy of them. He not only allowed their
sweet songs of praise but He was pleased with them as well.
“Praise is the beauty of a Christian. What wings are to a bird, what fruit is to the tree, what the rose is to the thorn, that is praise to a child of God.” Charles H. Spurgeon
“Be
not afraid of saying too much in the praises of God; all the danger is of
saying too little.” Matthew Henry
“God
doesn’t ask me to be perfect; He asks me to praise.” Ann Voskamp
Evidently the religious leaders had not the insight of the
little children as they rejected and disdained the Lord while the latter
received and honored Him. Out of the
mouth of babes Truth comes. Jesus spoke of this earlier in Matthew:
25 At
that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and
learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good
pleasure.” Matt
11:25-26 (NIV)
I am reminded as well
of the words John penned in the Gospel bearing his name:
10 He
was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not
recognize him. 11 He
came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in
his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human
decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:10-13 (NIV)
Human ignorance and blindness caused by sin kept these religious
leaders in the dungeon of darkness and depravity. Out of envy, these chief priests and teachers
of the law were resolved to oppose the Lord Jesus. Had they had any wit about them, they surely
would have testified to His acts as being miracles fueled by love and
mercy. Proud men detest honor coming to
any but themselves and remain displeased over the just praises of deserving
men. By baulking at the praises given
Jesus we drive Him from us – “And he
left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.”
What I
glean from this:
· Jesus
makes whole those seeking Him in humility and love.
· God is
worthy of my praise.
· Envy and jealousy
rot the bones.
