In a court of law, good evidence is critical. With it, a jury can feel more confident about making a difficult decision about someone’s freedom. But evidence is key in bringing justice. While that makes perfect sense in the legal arena, what about in the spiritual one?
Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, “By their fruit, you will recognize them!” Meaning that our actions serve as evidence of our faith, or our lack of faith; our love, or lack of love. How we treat people becomes one of the most opportune areas of our life to show a lack of faith. What I mean by that is that people let us down, people have secret agendas, people don’t always show us the respect we feel we deserve, and therefore people probably test us more than any other thing in existence on whether or not we will demonstrate “faith” in God’s will.
Jesus prayed in John 17 an amazing prayer of selfless love for all those who would follow His example. I’ve taken the liberty to modify verses 14-21 to reflect how “the world” is really the people, and “the people” He’s referring to are those who oppose God’s will that we “love one another” (Galatians 6:2). So, prayerfully consider this paraphrase of Christ’s last prayer before His arrest. “I have [revealed to them what Your will is] (Matthew 22:37-39); and [people] have hated them [for it], for [these followers don’t pursue selfish desires] any more than I am [selfish]. My prayer is not that You take them [away from selfish people] but that You protect them from the evil one. They [are not living by selfish standards anymore], even as I am not [living selfishly]. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent me [to reach out to selfish people], I have sent them [to reach out to selfish people. So, I set myself apart from that human weakness so they can follow My example]. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”
Being “of the world” is more than just selfishness, but that is a flaw in humanity that causes more retaliation, more prejudice, more division, and more hatred than nearly anything else. The Pharisees' selfish desires were not only hurting their neighbors but also jeopardizing their own souls! “...unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20). What must we learn from them? What must we do to increase our faith in God’s plan for mankind?
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