11.04.12
Mark 16.14 14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven
themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for
their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who
had seen Him after He had risen. NASB
One of Jesus’ main life battles was to get His own men to
believe who He was. They had glimpses of His glory, but because of who they
were, they couldn’t wrap their minds around His saying He would be persecuted
by the Jews and crucified by the Romans. Jesus repeatedly told them He would
die a horrible death but would rise again from the dead. It wasn’t like they’d
never heard any of this.
Their problem was they weren’t really sure of who Jesus
was, and they held preconceived notions of what the Messiah was going to do.
Their pride and nationalism goaded them into believing in a warrior Messiah who
would free them from the oppression of Roman rule and restore to them the
glories of the Davidic Kingdom. But Jesus didn’t talk that way. He kept talking
about being persecuted by the Jewish religious leaders and then being handed
over to the Romans to be put to death. It didn’t match who they thought He
ought to be. It didn’t add up.
When I think about the verse above, I realize I’ve been
taught about a Jesus who would never reproach His own people for their unbelief
and hardness of heart – Jesus and sternness are incompatible terms. I have
certain preconceived notions about Jesus and who He is and what He’ll do. But I’ve
been taught He isn’t stern to His own…baloney.
Most of us need a good dose of Jesus’ sternness. Most of
us need His reproach for the way we live our lives and the silly things we
believe about Him. We want to preach a good Jesus who is meek (self-controlled)
and mild (well-behaved). We want to believe in a Savior who is content for us
to live consequence free from our sins and mediocre lives. Most of us haven’t a
clue what Jesus is really up to and what He expects from us – and what He wants
to do through us. Most of us cannot make the leap from who we are on a daily
basis and Who Jesus really is, and what He is really doing, and the price He
paid; and that He will be stern with lackadaisical slackers…
Today, I am face to face with my lackadaisical slack, and
my failure to fully commit to the One who willingly gave His life for mine and
died a horrible death so that I could live a wonderful life. I admit my
preconceived notions of Jesus meek and mild doing everything nice and nothing
wild. Who babies and enables His wayward child who dabbles and plays around in
a cesspool defiled. O wretched man that I am, who will save me from this body
of death!?
The rest of the story is they (Jesus’ disciples whom He
rebuked for their dullness) got it. The came to the place where they realized
who they were and why they were on earth. They finally accepted the reason for
Jesus and willingly gave their lives to share His message wherever they went.
Lord Jesus, may the same be said of me: He finally got
it; he understood what Jesus wanted him to do – in Your Name, amen.
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