Wednesday, March 22, 2017

More Praise

DEVOTION
THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
MORE PRAISE

Matt 21:14-17
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.
NIV

Although it seems there is nothing unusual about Jesus healing the blind and the lame, this time he is doing it in the temple, in the presence of the chief priests and the teachers of the law. Sure they may have seen him do these things in the various towns they came to spy on him, but this time he is openly healing in their home turf, right in the temple. We are told as the children were singing praises about Jesus, the chief priests and teachers of the law became indignant. Even though Jesus can and did heal people everywhere he went, what better place for him to heal people then in the house of God? But because he was receiving praise from the children, those who thought themselves to be the ordained keepers of the temple could not tolerate such goings on in the house of God. How could someone other than them be getting praise? How those children could be calling him the Son of David?  They certainly would be aware of the prophecy of Isaiah:

Isa 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
NIV

Why wouldn’t they become indignant? If the children are praising him as the Son of David then this would be the one who would take control of the government and he would be sitting on the throne of Israel. Their power and influence over the people would be smashed. They ask him if he hears what the children are saying and he answers them by quoting a psalm. 

Ps 8:1-2
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
NIV

Again, Jesus does not quote the whole of it, yet being a psalm, or a song the rest of the words would be in their minds. Much like the songs of today, when we hear one line or stanza we think of the whole song, and perhaps recall or even sing it in our minds. Here the chief priests and teachers of the law had to come to terms with the idea that his name was majestic in all the earth. They had to deal with the idea that God set him as glorious about the heavens. That it was God who ordained these children to sing the praises of Jesus and they were his enemies and these children were going to silence them. We too should be singing the praises of Jesus, the Son of David for he has indeed been ordained as the King of kings, his government will last forever and his kingdom will last forever and ever. Because we are considered to be children of God, because we have been given the right to be called children of God, then we should be the ones who are singing the praises, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to the Son of David. Surely we do this when we are in church with the rest of the believers, but do we praise Jesus in the public arena? Is his praise on our lips for all he does for us, in us and through us? Do we accept the praise of men for a job well done? Should we not direct that praise to Jesus? Do we accept praise from men for our accomplishments, our skills, our educational level, or knowledge of the scriptures? Should we not be directing that praise to Jesus? It is so easy to become “I” centered. We even teach our children to pray “I” centered. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Eight times either I or my in such a short little prayer. We carry that I thing into our adult lives. I did this or I did that. Most everything is about what we have or have done in our lives. But if we are believers and children of God, then should we not give Jesus all the praise, honor and glory for all we are, all we have and all we do?

John 15:5-8
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing . 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
NIV


Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Yes, within the context he is talking about bearing fruit, yet that fruit is a gift of the Spirit, or rather a result of the Spirit dwelling within us. So in that sense we cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit without the Spirit or Jesus. But can we do anything without the power of God in our lives? It seems humankind who does not believe in God does some pretty great things. Humans have accomplished much in many areas of life, yet are not they too creations of God? The difference is they want the credit. But should we live in that same manner they do? Should we live as if we are the greatest ever to come along? Should we, as believers, live as though it is our abilities, our skills, our education, our drive and determination which has brought us all we are, all we have and all we do? We cannot help but to think we need to be giving Jesus more praise more of the time. 

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