We
all have people in our lives who we like and who like us, but don’t understand
us. They just don’t get us, our viewpoint or our values or our priorities. They
don’t understand how we live our lives.
How
did Jesus deal with people who didn’t understand Him?
In
John chapter 3 a man named Nicodemus came at night to see Jesus. He is
described in this chapter as a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. He was
knowledgeable of the word of God and someone who was respected for his
godliness.
When
Jesus begins to share with Nicodemus about being born again. Nicodemus does not
understand what Jesus is talking about.
Jesus
first challenges Nicodemus as a teacher of Israel. Jesus says to him in verse 10,
“Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand?”, He is talking to
Nicodemus not about religion or rituals or traditions, but a person, Jesus.
Jesus
challenges us with spiritual truth because He wants us to grow in our
relationship with God. Jesus challenges us not out of wanting to embarrass but
so we will continue to seek Him and grow.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is challenging
others with spiritual truths so they will grow.
Then
Jesus shares with Nicodemus what must happen to Him, the Son of Man, and why.
In
verses 14 and 15 Jesus says, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him
may have eternal life.”
Jesus
must be lifted up and those who believe in Him will have eternal life. Jesus is
the source of all we need. He is the only source for the most important thing we
need, salvation.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is pointing to Jesus as the source of all that
we need and especially the most important things such as salvation.
Then
Jesus shares with Nicodemus the source of our salvation and why Jesus
challenges us to grow in our relationship with God.
Jesus
says in verse 16, “That God so loved the world that He gave His one and only
Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
The
source of all that God does is His love for us. It is why He wants us to grow
in our relationship with Him and why Jesus being lifted up can bring us
salvation. It is the foundation of our relationship with God.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the love of God through Jesus
and letting that love be our foundation for living.
In
Luke 10 Jesus goes to the Home of Martha and Mary and Lazarus. Martha busies
herself with making sure everything is taken care of and everyone has what they
need. Mary simply sat at Jesus’ feet listening to what Jesus was teaching.
In
verse 40 Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. In verse 42 Jesus tells
Martha, “But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which
will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus
points out to Martha that what Mary has chosen to do is good and He will not
tell her to do something else like helping Martha. Jesus is not telling Martha
that what she is doing is wrong, it is distracting her, but that what Mary is
doing is good and needed also. Jesus is saying that we all have our gifts and
that we are to use them, but we are not to allow them to distract us from Jesus
and that we are all different and have our individual calling from Jesus.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is following Jesus’ calling on our lives and
helping others to find theirs.
Jesus
did not give up on people who didn’t initially understand what He was teaching
or who He was. He continued to share truth with them as long as they would
listen. We need to follow His model and not give up on others.
Being
Patient and Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
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