Day 313
Mark 12:5-6
"And again he sent another, and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
Having yet therefore one son, his beloved, he sent him also last unto them saying, They will reverence my son."
In Mark 12, Jesus told a parable to the chief priests, the scribes and the elders of the Jews to show how God felt about them. The story was about a man who owned a vineyard and leased it out to farm workers. Later, the owner sent an employee of his to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard for him. The tenants beat the employee and sent him back empty-handed. The owner continued to send representatives to collect, but they were all abused, and some were even killed. Finally, he sent his only son, thinking they would surely treat him much better and give him what he asked for. However, they did not even respect the son. They killed him too.
This story shows how the religious leaders treated the messengers of God. Through the years, being a spiritual leader became a political thing to many who were assigned to serve. It was a position of power, and those who saw it that way considered retaining control more important than representing God. When they decided to do things their own way and God-appointed prophets came to correct them, they mistreated them and even killed some of them. When God sent His only son, the current religious leaders were, generally speaking, not any more respectful. They hated Him and wanted Him killed also. They ignored all the signs that He was the Son of God and cared only about the fact that he did not agree with them. More and more people were being attracted to Jesus instead of them.
We can easily just shake our heads and say, "Shame, shame, shame!" But let us see how we can learn something from this story. Let us examine ourselves and see how we treat messengers of God. When we go to church or other meetings or hear ministers through some other form of media, do we respond positively when they say something that is true but uncomfortable to our flesh? Do we show respect, or do we want to beat up the messenger and send him away empty? What do we do when we discover a need to change through reading the Word of God for ourselves? Are we motivated to serve God because of the story of Abraham, Job, Joseph, Elijah, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Ruth, Esther or some other Bible hero? If they do not encourage us to tum from living for our own pleasures and serve the living God, then what about Jesus? Does the fact that God sent His only Son to give His life for us make a difference? Is our fame and reputation hindering us from giving God what is due Him? Do we allow pressure from Satan or a human being to take priority over God's instructions?
Let us take a good look at our relationship with God. Do our lifestyles show that we appreciate Him for sending His Son for us? Do we respect Jesus Christ highly? Jesus said if someone loves Him, they will do what He says. I am sure we can all see room for improvement, even if we feel we are already showing respect for God and His Son.
I will examine myself to see how I can improve and show more respect for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. With His help, I will excel in giving God what is due to Him, which is everything He asks for.