Read: Luke 9:51–56
Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 19–21; John 8:1–27
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
The anti-God bumper stickers covering the car seized the attention
of a university professor. As a former atheist himself, the professor
thought perhaps the owner wanted to make believers angry. “The anger
helps the atheist to justify his atheism,” he explained. Then he warned,
“All too often, the atheist gets exactly what he is looking for.”
In recalling his own journey to faith, this professor noted the
concern of a Christian friend who invited him to consider the truth of
Christ. His friend’s “sense of urgency was conveyed without a trace of
anger.” He never forgot the genuine respect and grace he received that
day.
Believers in Jesus often take offense when others reject Him. But how does He
feel about that rejection? Jesus constantly faced threats and hatred,
yet He never took doubt about His deity personally. Once, when a village
refused Him hospitality, James and John wanted instant retaliation.
“Lord,” they asked, “do you want us to call fire down from heaven to
destroy them?” (Luke 9:54). Jesus didn’t want that, and He “turned and
rebuked them” (v. 55). After all, “God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John
3:17).
It may surprise us to consider that God doesn’t need us to defend Him. He wants us to represent Him! That takes time, work, restraint, and love.
Lord, when we are confronted with hate, help us not to be haters but to respond as Your Son did: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
The best way to defend Jesus is to live like Him.
© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries
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