His authority in our life?

Mark 8:11-13

As we look at Jesus encounter with the Pharisees, we need to explore what a Pharisee is.  He is a man, and “a member of a Jewish sect that flourished during the 1st century B.C. and 1st century A.D. and that is different from the Sadducees chiefly in its strict observance of religious ceremonies and practices, adherence to oral laws and traditions, and belief in an afterlife and the coming of a Messiah.”

Now there are some significant pluses in being a Pharisee over a Sadducee, and they sound like folks you want in your local church.  And guess what you have some, I at times find myself acting like one of the Pharisees.  It is not hard to be a Pharisee, it only requires letting your flesh be in charge.  See Pharisees have a dark side; they can often be a sanctimonious, self-righteous, or hypocritical person.  That is what we call full blown flesh, wanting others to believe they are better than what both they and God know to be true.  It is quite easy to be a member of that group.

With that information and confession on my part shall we explore verses 11-13, “The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.  And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”  And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.”

It sounds foolish to argue with Jesus but is that not what we are doing each time we question His authority in our life?  As a follower of Christ do you use the word “lucky”?  Do you mean blessed, if so say blessed, for if God is in charge, it has not one thing to do with luck?  As followers of Christ, our words require thought luck is a worldly concept, not a God concept.

So these dudes show-up and they are going to put Jesus to the test, but he left them, they did not change, no not one of them got into the boat.  Are you in the boat or has your doubts and unbelief left you on the land, a sanctimonious, self-righteous, or hypocritical person?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice