"One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, "Tell us by what authority you do these things or who is it that gave you this authority". He answered them, "I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?" And they discussed it with one another saying, "If we say, 'from heaven', he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'....but if we say, 'From man', all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet. So they answered that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things" - Luke 20:1-8
"Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?...For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" - 1 Cor. 1:20 & 25
"...Man, in stabbing at the heart of God, had in reality, bled himself" - Ravi Zacharias (A Shattered Visage)
Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived in the tiny village and was well known for his wisdom. It seemed that he could answer any question that was posed at him. There was a boy who always sought to trick him; his intent was to prove that the old man could be wrong. One day, he had an idea. He would get a little bird in his hand and hide it behind his back. He would then ask the wise man whether the bird in his hand was dead or alive. If the wise man said that the little bird was alive, the boy would squeeze hard and kill the bird to prove that he was wrong. On the other hand, if the wise man said that it was dead, the boy would let the bird fly off, proving the wise man was wrong. The boy thought it was a full-proof plan - it was his time to shine!
As he approached the wise man, he said, “Old man, there is a bird in my hand. Is it alive or dead?” The old man was silent. The boy asked again, “Old man in my hand is a bird. Is it alive or dead?” Still the old man said nothing. The boy for the third time asked again, “Old man in my hand is a bird. Is it alive or dead?”
The old man finally gave his answer in a low but firm voice: “The answer to that question lies in YOUR hands, young boy”. The young boy was silent and stunned by the answer.
MORAL OF THE STORY: It takes true wisdom to see beneath the surface to the heart of things.
The thought is absurd - attempting to trick God. In Luke 20:1-8, we see the chief priests, scribes, and elders conspiring together to trap Jesus, the Son of God. Their whole intent was to get him to say something blasphemous which they could use to condemn him and his message. In the portion, it is amazing to watch Jesus confound their thinking with a simple question - NO ONE CAN OUTSMART GOD! We may not admit it, but we are prone to attempt the same thing in our day and age. We ask questions not with the intent to understand and obey God, but to find leeway so that we may ultimately do what we want to do. The intellect that God has given us....we use to belittle God, His standards, and His will for our lives. Examples of this are all around us: in politics, in entertainment (TV shows, movies, music, etc...), in education, in the way we speak, in the way we dress - and the list goes on and on.
Now is as good a time as ever to consider that GOD SEES TO THE HEART OF YOU. He knows the truth - you can't outsmart him with platitudes, gifts, church attendance, ministry involvement, or any other means of cover-up....even reading your Bible and praying. With that said, ask yourself the question....who is the TRUE YOU and is the TRUE YOU ACCEPTABLE TO THE HOLY GOD WHO SEES? In the end, the only person I hurt with my deceit.....is ME.
Pastor Andrew Smith
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