NOSES UP
I'm up early and pondering things...again. I am vacationing in Mexico and observing the behavior of Americans toward the very accommodating staff at the resort where I am staying. It always gets under my skin when I observe someone mistreating another--or being snobbish; and, I mean it really irks me. I have to control my urge to be mean to them in retaliation. I'm being transparent here. I want to inflict the same kind of hurt on them to give them a "taste of their own medicine". Of course, that is not the way that God would have us respond to the situation.
It seems like, snobbery abounds and is so very pervasive. We turn our noses up at any and everyone who is different from us. Why does everyone have to be the same to enjoy common courtesy? I mean who made my (or your) standard, the golden one? It isn't new though. This morning, as I still struggle with the time zone changes, I awakened and decided to do some reading. As I read the geneaology of Jesus (at first, only Matthew's account), some things occurred to me. There was some snobbery then, too. There were those who dared to be pretentious, haughty, arrogant, narcissistic and with superiority complexes (just like, today). A lot of decisions are made based on these tendencies, in us; and how we interact with others is always going to be affected by these things in us. Who we interact with will be determined, too. It will keep us from being moved with compassion, if we don't allow the Holy Spirit to tame that unholy and unrighteous beast, in us. It's an ugly, and tough one, too. Most times, we don't recognize that it exists in us, without asking God to reveal it to us. In fact, some of the nicest (notice I said nice, and not kind--there is a difference) people I know succumb to the beast regularly without realizing it. It is easy to do--when we begin to esteem only those who are "on our level" as worthy of our company and attention, that's it. Sometimes, we make the excuse that our friends (those we socialize with) just happen to be like us, but if all of your associations (beyond family) are just like you or all make the same amount or more money than you, have the same lifestyle, etc., you might want to check yourself.
If we are going to be like Christ, we are going to choose our friends and associates based on love, and spiritual kinship. He didn't choose the disciples because they all had the same occupation He did (none of them were carpenters), or looked like Him (He didn't care whether they were blond-haired and blue-eyed or light-skinned, or even handsome), or came from the same neighborhood (He didn't ask if they were born in Bethlehem or Nazareth), or the same socioeconomic background (He didn't ask about their stock portfolio, net worth, country club membership, or where they played golf--none of it mattered--or matters). He saw something different--and deeper. Real and true, lasting relationship requires that we touch hearts. It isn't based on anything that you can see with the natural eye, so for those who choose their "friends" based on beauty (isn't that ludicrous!), you have no friends, actually. You will never know what it means to have a "friend who sticks closer than a brother" [Proverbs 18:24].
In reading Jesus' roots, I noticed some things. There were some people that many of us might have snubbed. The Gospel accounts differ some in the recordings of the geneaology--and how it was presented, however, there is no contradiction (people love to say the Bible is full of contradictions--it isn't, when you know how to really read and study it--in context). Matthew and Luke seem to be completely opposite, but Luke's account is spiritual because he records Mary's family record, since Jesus' Birth Father is none other than the Holy Ghost, Himself. Matthew, however, records Joseph's (natural) family record, and that is reasonable, too, considering the climate. Matthew probably felt He was providing legitimacy to the Savior, Who needed none--but, even while recording Joseph's history, Matthew makes it perfectly clear that the true Father of the Messiah is the Holy Ghost Who overshadowed Mary. Either way, what is abundantly clear is the imperfection of the genes that rendered a Perfect Deliverer! In other words, that geneaology, family, Mary, and every descendant were all apart of a marvelous perfect plan that was set in eternity before time began. Luke traces Jesus' lineage all the way back to the first Adam who set the plan in motion (in the earth). It had been set in Heaven when the son of the morning decided to exalt himself [Isaiah 14:12] and was cast out. From that moment, he had a personal vendetta against God. When God created the man and woman--being the apple of His eye, lucifer went after them to seek vengeance on God. That buffeting that we experience, the trials and pain--don't take it personally, it's not even about us; it's meant to hurt God; we're just in the way.
In Jesus' lineage, there was at least one prostitute/madam (Rahab), at least two adulterer's (David and Bathsheba), liars (Abraham and Jacob), wicked kings, and idol worshippers. I suppose satan thought his plan to dangle sin's temptation before Jesus' ancestors would destroy any chance of redemption for mankind. He probably thought he had it made, seeing that all men sinned, and none were perfect--there wasn't a chance for man--God's prize. He didn't anticipate God overshadowing a virgin who had come through 42 generations of imperfection--for the purpose of redeeming mankind. he didn't think that God would use imperfect man--he thought there was no hope; he didn't understand God's math--imperfect to carry Perfect (Himself, wrapped in a Body of flesh) to do what all the preceding generations could never do--even those who weren't wicked couldn't redeem mankind. he just couldn't anticipate Jesus. How about that??!!!
Amazing, even the King of Kings was touched by sin--yet without sin. It had to happen that way. He couldn't understand us, without be touched by our sin, our pain, and our sorrow. Perfect. Only God could perform that, right under satan's dastardly nose--and he not even realize what is being set up. Remember, satan doesn't know everything. But, God does.
In light of all of this, would you turn up your nose at Jesus or those in His lineage??? It seems as if many of us would (of course, unknowingly!). That's why the Bible encourages us to be hospitable "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." [Hebrews 13:2]. We can't afford to dismiss or mistreat anyone--so, I can't be mean even to snobs--they could be angels!(Not likely). The Word of God makes it very clear that we must give honor to those who have no honor [Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 12:23; James 2:2-5]. And, this is the example Jesus provided us, as He ministered to the poor, the leprous, the unclean (untouchable), the sinner, the tax collector, the faithless, the Samaritan, the children and all who came to Him seeking. We should, too.
Someone said, "The only time we should look down on a person is when we are helping them up". That is the truth.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER. LCC
It seems like, snobbery abounds and is so very pervasive. We turn our noses up at any and everyone who is different from us. Why does everyone have to be the same to enjoy common courtesy? I mean who made my (or your) standard, the golden one? It isn't new though. This morning, as I still struggle with the time zone changes, I awakened and decided to do some reading. As I read the geneaology of Jesus (at first, only Matthew's account), some things occurred to me. There was some snobbery then, too. There were those who dared to be pretentious, haughty, arrogant, narcissistic and with superiority complexes (just like, today). A lot of decisions are made based on these tendencies, in us; and how we interact with others is always going to be affected by these things in us. Who we interact with will be determined, too. It will keep us from being moved with compassion, if we don't allow the Holy Spirit to tame that unholy and unrighteous beast, in us. It's an ugly, and tough one, too. Most times, we don't recognize that it exists in us, without asking God to reveal it to us. In fact, some of the nicest (notice I said nice, and not kind--there is a difference) people I know succumb to the beast regularly without realizing it. It is easy to do--when we begin to esteem only those who are "on our level" as worthy of our company and attention, that's it. Sometimes, we make the excuse that our friends (those we socialize with) just happen to be like us, but if all of your associations (beyond family) are just like you or all make the same amount or more money than you, have the same lifestyle, etc., you might want to check yourself.
If we are going to be like Christ, we are going to choose our friends and associates based on love, and spiritual kinship. He didn't choose the disciples because they all had the same occupation He did (none of them were carpenters), or looked like Him (He didn't care whether they were blond-haired and blue-eyed or light-skinned, or even handsome), or came from the same neighborhood (He didn't ask if they were born in Bethlehem or Nazareth), or the same socioeconomic background (He didn't ask about their stock portfolio, net worth, country club membership, or where they played golf--none of it mattered--or matters). He saw something different--and deeper. Real and true, lasting relationship requires that we touch hearts. It isn't based on anything that you can see with the natural eye, so for those who choose their "friends" based on beauty (isn't that ludicrous!), you have no friends, actually. You will never know what it means to have a "friend who sticks closer than a brother" [Proverbs 18:24].
In reading Jesus' roots, I noticed some things. There were some people that many of us might have snubbed. The Gospel accounts differ some in the recordings of the geneaology--and how it was presented, however, there is no contradiction (people love to say the Bible is full of contradictions--it isn't, when you know how to really read and study it--in context). Matthew and Luke seem to be completely opposite, but Luke's account is spiritual because he records Mary's family record, since Jesus' Birth Father is none other than the Holy Ghost, Himself. Matthew, however, records Joseph's (natural) family record, and that is reasonable, too, considering the climate. Matthew probably felt He was providing legitimacy to the Savior, Who needed none--but, even while recording Joseph's history, Matthew makes it perfectly clear that the true Father of the Messiah is the Holy Ghost Who overshadowed Mary. Either way, what is abundantly clear is the imperfection of the genes that rendered a Perfect Deliverer! In other words, that geneaology, family, Mary, and every descendant were all apart of a marvelous perfect plan that was set in eternity before time began. Luke traces Jesus' lineage all the way back to the first Adam who set the plan in motion (in the earth). It had been set in Heaven when the son of the morning decided to exalt himself [Isaiah 14:12] and was cast out. From that moment, he had a personal vendetta against God. When God created the man and woman--being the apple of His eye, lucifer went after them to seek vengeance on God. That buffeting that we experience, the trials and pain--don't take it personally, it's not even about us; it's meant to hurt God; we're just in the way.
In Jesus' lineage, there was at least one prostitute/madam (Rahab), at least two adulterer's (David and Bathsheba), liars (Abraham and Jacob), wicked kings, and idol worshippers. I suppose satan thought his plan to dangle sin's temptation before Jesus' ancestors would destroy any chance of redemption for mankind. He probably thought he had it made, seeing that all men sinned, and none were perfect--there wasn't a chance for man--God's prize. He didn't anticipate God overshadowing a virgin who had come through 42 generations of imperfection--for the purpose of redeeming mankind. he didn't think that God would use imperfect man--he thought there was no hope; he didn't understand God's math--imperfect to carry Perfect (Himself, wrapped in a Body of flesh) to do what all the preceding generations could never do--even those who weren't wicked couldn't redeem mankind. he just couldn't anticipate Jesus. How about that??!!!
Amazing, even the King of Kings was touched by sin--yet without sin. It had to happen that way. He couldn't understand us, without be touched by our sin, our pain, and our sorrow. Perfect. Only God could perform that, right under satan's dastardly nose--and he not even realize what is being set up. Remember, satan doesn't know everything. But, God does.
In light of all of this, would you turn up your nose at Jesus or those in His lineage??? It seems as if many of us would (of course, unknowingly!). That's why the Bible encourages us to be hospitable "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." [Hebrews 13:2]. We can't afford to dismiss or mistreat anyone--so, I can't be mean even to snobs--they could be angels!(Not likely). The Word of God makes it very clear that we must give honor to those who have no honor [Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 12:23; James 2:2-5]. And, this is the example Jesus provided us, as He ministered to the poor, the leprous, the unclean (untouchable), the sinner, the tax collector, the faithless, the Samaritan, the children and all who came to Him seeking. We should, too.
Someone said, "The only time we should look down on a person is when we are helping them up". That is the truth.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER. LCC
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