Pastor John,
I was thinking today about the Jews who watched as Jesus was being led away by soldiers. Some of them would have witnessed Jesus rebuking Peter, when Peter made an attempt at saving Jesus from those soldiers. Some of those same Jews standing near may have been just moments away from doing the exact same thing that Peter did, right before Peter lunged with his sword, and met the Lord’s stern displeasure. No doubt those Jews who might have acted would have taken the Lord’s correction of Peter into their own hearts, and obeying their Master’s wishes, would have stood fast and watched in quiet anguish as the soldiers carried Jesus away.
I then considered the others that would have been watching that day, the other Jews that were also quietly standing by. Also seemingly obeying the words of Jesus, as they offered no resistance to the soldiers who carried him away. These people were doing exactly what the other Jews were doing, but for entirely different reasons. These Jews would have been happy that Jesus had been taken captive, happy that this trouble maker, whom so many seemed to adore, was finally being dealt with. These people were doing the same thing as those who loved the Lord, but one group was refraining from doing anything and enduring the heartache – for the sake of obeying and loving Jesus above their own desire to save him – and the other group was doing nothing simply because they wanted Jesus killed.
They all were doing the same thing, to all of those who were looking on. But one group was hating God’s righteousness, while the other group was loving it.
Evil imitating righteousness. Tares imitating wheat. Death imitating life. It all looks the same without the eyes of Jesus to see it through.
Thank God for the holy Ghost in us!
Jerry
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And I might add, Jerry, that both groups were ignorant of what God was really doing in His Son Jesus. The difference was a matter of the heart. Some ignorantly loved God, and some ignorantly hated Him.
Yes, thank God for the help of the Holy Ghost in our hearts!
Pastor John