"But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all" Matt 12:15
If anyone could have boasted, it would be Jesus. He was the Son of God. He was a miracle worker. He could produce gold out of the mouth of a fish. He could raise the dead. It seems that there was nothing that He couldn't do. And all of this is true. Still, when it came to a point when He could boast, He told everyone to keep His story a secret.
He could have aroused the crowds into a rebellious frenzy. He could have commanded a legion of angels to prepare the way. If a follower were killed, He could have brought them back to life - He could have lead an undefeatable army! Supply lines - no problem. He could have spoken quality food into existence to feed His soldiers.
The people would have followed Him anywhere. They already followed Him into the wilderness - without food, water, or provisions. They knew He would take care of them. They would have followed Him into the very throne room of the Caesars! He was that popular.
But, in all humility He preferred to remain in the background. I can't recall a single time that He boasted upon Himself. Oh, He boasted alright. He boasted on His Father. He was proud of the Word. He loved the Temple, the House of God. But He never presented Himself in a proud manner.
Now, I, on the other hand, would have done just the opposite. If I could perform a miracle, I would want someone to take note. If I had a following like Jesus, I would want to promote it. If I could turn water into wine, I would want to bottle it. If I could multiply the loaves, or heal the sick, or raise the dead, I would be disappointed if my picture was not on the cover of Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" edition. I would try to parlay it into a Nobel Peace Prize.
Don't laugh! You can't tell me that you would desire anything less. All of this leads me to think, "Pastor Edwin, you have a long way to go before you look like, walk like, talk like, and act like Jesus." How true. How about you? Praise God, Amen and Amen.
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