John 10:
"So the Jews...said to Him, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ tell us plainly.'" (v.24) "The Jews picked up stones to stone Him. The Jews answered [Jesus], 'It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.'" (v.31,33)
How blind and deaf these religious leaders were! They were awaiting the Messiah but when He arrived they didn't believe it, wouldn't accept that He was there. But what about us? How blind and deaf are we who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. When Jesus says go there, and we don't. When He says speak to that person, and we walk on by. When He says do this, and we say I need to pray about it.
"...[the shepherd] goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice...and they will listen to My voice." (v.4,16) Following the Shepherd and listening to His voice means doing what He says. There are way too many people who listen but never do what He says.
Help me, Lord, not just to be a student of Your word but a woman of action who will glorify You in all that I do by being OBEDIENT to Your voice.
Mark 10:
"And he said to Him, 'Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.'" (v.20) This is the story of the rich, young ruler who comes eagerly to Jesus asking, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus names some commandments - do not murder, steal, lie, - to which the young man answers in verse 20 - hey, I keep those commandments.
But then Jesus says there is one more things you need to do, "...sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (v.21) Jesus is not down on rich people. Nor does he tell every rich person to sell all he has and give to the poor. Jesus was after this young man's heart and his heart belonged to his wealth.
The first and greatest commandment is "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 12:29-31). Jesus wanted this young man to love God with all he had, including his wealth, and to love his neighbors - the poor - as much as he loved himself.
What about me? I'm a "good" person but am I ready to give up EVERYTHING for the sake of Jesus Christ if He should ask me to? Do I love those around me who are destined for an eternity in Hell forever separated from God? And not just the nice people in my neighborhood. Jesus hung out with the drunks and prostitutes and those cast out by a religious society. Do I believe that Jesus died for everyone? Even those I think are beyond hope?
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