When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us,” but he replied to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond. But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth.”
Luke 22: 66-71
Why is it that those in power have very little ear for the meek and lowly? Why are the powerful more likely to put down threats to their way of life than the meek? Why are we so often like this? Jesus was bringing a way of life that could turn upside down the world of the religious leaders of the day, whose system was based on power and arrogance.
Perhaps the statement of Richard Francis Burton, a 19th century English explorer was to a large degree true. He said, “The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself”. I do not believe this has to be true, but it will take a people who are truly eager to hear the answer to the question “are you the Messiah?” We must not be the kind of people to condemn first and ask questions later if we even get to the questions. We should pray that we have ears to hear and accept the truth no matter how disruptive it is to our current way of life and who and what we really worship.
“Lord, your ways are not our ways. Your wisdom and your way of justice are higher and greater than any established here on earth. Lord teach us to live our lives adhering to your economy and thus standout from the ways of this world.”
Scott for Wellspring © Copyright 2008
