Insulting Jesus

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

INSULTING JESUS

Mark 15:25-32

25 It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27 They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.   29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!"   31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! 32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

NIV

How cruel people were to Jesus as he hung from that cross, insulting him in such a manner, but then even today, after Jesus did in fact save, not only all of us, but himself by raising from the dead and then in physical form ascend straight up into the clouds and out of sight, returning to the right hand of the Father, people insult him. Some people insult him by using his name in a vain, of course they actually do not believe in him anyway, but they still use his name. That makes no sense at all, why a person who does not believe he is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the one who was born of a virgin, performed so many healings and miracles, then allowed himself to be hung on a cross and die for their sins, raise from the dead and ascend into heaven, use his name to make a point about something. Some people hurl insults at Jesus by insulting those who follow him. One no so smart ex-wrestler who became a governor insulted Jesus and all of us by indicating anyone who believed were weakened people that needed a religion as a crutch. The amazing thing is that those people insulted him by saving he could not save himself, but also in the same breathe spoke prophetically about him saving others. It is also interesting they said they would believe if he came down from the cross, which of course we know better. Yet today people still use that same excuse not to believe. Many can only believe in what they see, but reality they can only see what they want to. We have to make sure we do not insult Jesus. Maybe we do insult him by putting his name on bumper stickers, of billboards. Maybe we do insult Jesus by having a fish on the back of our car then speed down the road. Maybe we insult Jesus by acting all righteous and pious, but not actually loving people, putting them first, before our own needs. Maybe we are insulting Jesus by claiming to follow him, but chase after the things of the world instead. Are we insulting Jesus by telling him he is the most valued in our life, a great treasure that we are willing to give all we have for, yet store up so much of the world’s wealth to spend on our own self-centered needs. Maybe we insult Jesus by making our sanctuary a theater and our worship into a performance on a stage. Maybe we insult Jesus by our being too casual in our relationship with him. We have to examine ourselves closely on this. What are we doing? How are we living? What kind of relationship do we really have? Let us hope and pray we are not the ones insulting Jesus.