Skip to main content

177. That Fox!


Luke 13:31-33
Key Verse: "In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem."
Luke 13:33

Jesus was a man on a mission. Nothing would discourage Him from what He needed, what we needed, Him to do. He knew why He had come. He knew His purpose. He knew what would happen to Him, but He accepted it gladly for the Joy set before Him. (Heb. 12:2, Phil. 2:8)

Were the leaders really concerned about Jesus’ safety? After all, Herod had beheaded John the Baptist. In truth, probably not. The leaders knew that, as of yet, they had not been able to stop Jesus’ advance, or His ministry, themselves. They may have thought that they could discourage Him with a threat from the king. We can tell from Jesus' response, however, that He was not impressed.

"Go tell that fox, "I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal." (Luke 13:32) This is now the second time that Luke records Jesus' reference to Herod as a "fox." It may be impressive that Herod is noticing Jesus at all. Herod's notice may be proof that Jesus was leaving a mark on Jewish society. The people were showing signs of following and, "the Fox," was concerned about losing control over "the hen house," or in other words, the current state of affairs.

The political and religious leadership would have loved it if Jesus simply went away so that life could get back to, "normal." Herod certainly didn't want a challenge to his authority over the people either. Jesus, however, knowing who He was and knowing what He came to do, did not shrink away or compromise with sin for the sake of supposed peace. He continued to move forward to do what He had come to do.

So it is with us. In Christ, we are not called to compromise with sin, but speak out against it. We are not called to blend in, but to be different, holy, set apart for His purpose for us. May we be bold for Him, despite the danger, as He was bold for us by continuing on, knowing that He was marching toward His eventual suffering and death.

Hymn: "Ye Servants of God, Your MasterProclaim"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

258. "Remember, Always Remember!"

Exodus 12:1-30 Key Verse: "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord a lasting ordinance." Exodus 12:14 "Celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:17) "And when your children ask you, "What does this ceremony mean to you?" then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians." (Exodus 12:27) The original act was an act of worship as the first true act of freedom for the people of Israel. They had been brought to Egypt by Joseph during a time of famine so that through Joseph God could preserve their lives. ( Genesis 37 , & 39-50 ) After Joseph died, however, instead of heading back to C...
Post a Comment
Read more

This Little Light of Mine

Scripture: Psalm 130 Listen Link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab. It’s the first Sunday of Advent. Today we lit one candle and heard the passage, in Isaiah 9, about the great light! We have heard that the great light is the child born to us on Christmas day. It is Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Christmas is a day we will truly celebrate as we have for years and years, and our ancestors before us for centuries. Christmas is coming! Advent means coming! It is good to spend the next few weeks reflecting on all that it means for us. We begin from the depths of darkness. The world is still suffering the effects of sin. We are still suffering the effects of a world broken by sin. And not just the consequences of our own sins. According to Romans 8:22, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” The fires in California, the floods and storms on the East coast, and all the other natural disasters we hear ab...
Post a Comment
Read more

August 13 What Is Fitting

It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—how much less for a slave to rule over princes! ~Proverbs 19:10   On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man!” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. ~Acts 12:21-23  Wow! Well, what in the world can there be to benefit us here? First of all, perhaps we should review the first Biblical definition of a fool, penned by no other than Solomon’s Father, David himself. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1) It is not fitting for the fool to live the blessed life. Why should they when they deny from whom all blessings flow?  King Herod was a fool. Now, just to be clear, this is not the Herod who ruled at Jesus’ birth and ordered the slaughter of the male children in Bethlehem. He ...
Post a Comment
Read more