Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Yes, Jesus is pure in His wrath; His anger never leads to sin (Ephesians 4:26) but guides us into the truth that we need to hear and see about ourselves (James 1:22-25). Certainly hypocrisy angers Jesus. Another subject that brings forth His righteous wrath is the poor treatment of the vulnerable, especially children. Matthew 18:1-7 records the blistering words of Jesus regarding their mistreatment. He uses the word “woe” (verse 7) to indicate that a divine curse is placed upon those who harm “these little ones” (verse 6), especially by leading them astray spiritually (verse 6 – “offend” means “cause to stumble”). The principle extends to all who are vulnerable. Proverbs 17:5a reminds us, “Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker,” and James 1:27 says that we must help “the fatherless and widows.” Because people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), any attack upon even one little one is an assault upon Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:45). We must reject the vile philosophy of utilitarianism, which equates humanity with level of function rather than with the innate image of God. May we cherish the unborn, the disabled, the elderly, for the anger of Jesus is kindled against those who would harm His vulnerable ones.