Luke 19:27 “‘But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them–bring them here and kill them in front of me.'”

For the modern reader this is a very jarring statement, particularly since Jesus said it in a parable that explicitly points to Him. We’re back to John 3:18-21. In a sense we have been pampered by democracy, just as we have forgotten that slavery originally had nothing to do with race, but has been endemic since the dawn of history. It took many centuries after the birth of the Church for Biblical ideas of morality and human worth to take root. We don’t realize how revolutionary and counter-cultural the Bible really is! Jesus’ hearers at the time He said this probably took it as a matter of course, since that’s the way most rulers acted in those days. This all feeds into our idea of hell. Today many people say, “God would never do that to us,” but when Jesus was actually teaching on it, people said, “Of course He would.” The Biblical picture of God reluctantly letting people choose their fate was actually revolutionary at the time. Even there, those who would not choose Jesus as Lord were promised nothing good, just as in this parable. We have far too soft a concept of sin, of rebellion against God, and that leaves us with a very distorted picture of God’s grace. We shouldn’t need to have the experience of being the captain of a slaving ship to realize how amazing God’s grace really is.

I have certainly been in the place of taking my sins lightly, excusing them with all sorts of mental gymnastics. That’s dangerous indeed! I must never forget the time God showed me my heart, just for a moment, and I realized just how filthy it was, how utterly unfit for His presence. The crazy thing is, the devil has indeed managed to block it from my memory, if only briefly, as he has tempted me with various things. I can say, with deep gratitude, that I honestly and earnestly desire the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of my life. It’s just that it hasn’t been manifested completely yet. I am very aware that God uses flawed vessels. If that weren’t the case, everyone would be disqualified! However, I must strive to maintain the humble gratitude that will keep me available to Him. I am at another pivotal point in my life, with retirement coming upon me. I am to keep myself available before my Lord for whatever He wants to do – or not do – with me, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. May my every day in this body be spent doing Your will, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank you. Hallelujah!