Give In To The Obvious: We All Need A Savior

"Then the Pharisees and the Saduccees came, and testing Him asked that he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, 'When it is evening you say 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; And in the morning 'It will be foul weather today for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." (Matthew 16,1-3)

There's often times in our lives when we act just like Jesus' enemies. We avoid and ignore, or deny, or rationalize away the obvious.

Yet then we profess to understand the far off and high things of heaven, but we don't know what's going on right in front of us. And then, presuming and presenting ourselves as already wise, we make a pious show of asking God for more far off signs and wonders, all to maintain a safe distance from the obvious.

Jesus was and is the Master of the Obvious. That's one of the things I like about Him the most. He was, and is, not afraid to say the most obvious things, which are often just the very things we really need to hear.

In that vein, He was telling his enemies to repent and admit the obvious- that they, despite all their learned legalism, needed Him as messiah and savior. 

Have you ever worked or worshipped in a place where no one is allowed to say or preach the obvious?

It's weird, as in the Brasilain saying, "I don't know. I don't want to know. And I hate who knows." 

Now I'm not saying we always speak the fullness of our minds and become rude as Christians. But then again I don't really trust any place where no one ever is allowed to state the obvious. Better to ruffle a few feathers, and herald the new day of faith, than leave obvious and important salvation things unsaid.

Or put it this way. Just because something is obvious doesn't mean we don't need to say it.

Or, hear it.

The Christian artist Jeremy Camp has a lyric that makes this same point by stating something very obvious and then asking a very obvious question. "This is you life. Are you who you want to be?"

This bit about every person's life being his or her one and only life is so obvious that we might think "Who needs to hear that? It's like so obvious?" Well, in this distracted age, I totally need to hear it. 

Likewise, Jesus' enemies (whom he loved) needed to hear that they were going to soon be left with nothing more than the obvious repentance message of the reluctant (but successful) prophet Jonah (Matthew 16,4) who finally got the courage to preach and stop running away from God.

Dear friends, we have a  Divine Master and Lord and His NAME is Jesus. He didn't run away from the obvious message he was sent to deliver.

What obvious truth of our precious faith are you running from or leaving unsaid in your part of the world?

What obvious log in your own eye are you totally yet "plausibly" denying? 

To those who don't know Jesus yet- He's saying:

"It's time. It is obvious that you need Me. I will stick closer to you than a brother. I'm calling you to accept that you need me as your savior. Stop running. Stop hiding. Stop asking for the far off things of this world when your salvation is right at hand, in front of your face right now. 

My name is Jesus- how many times have I picked you up already? And yet still you tarry in accepting me?"

To those of us who already know Jesus:

"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, the complications and deceits and secondary issues that many allow to cloud your simple and obvious faith and prevent you from accepting Me into all areas of your faith walk."

For Israel:

"My people (My Israel, My Beloved Little Flock) miss how much I love them; that I died on a wicked pagan cross for them, that nothing and nobody and none of the nations of this world can save them, that no one but I can save them, or will save them."

To all of us: "My people need to stop looking for an easier way and come to me before it's too late: 'I am the way and the Truth and the Life.' "

That's Jesus talking, even today. Don't you just love Jesus, Our Lord and Master of the Obvious. 

Peace Out,

Br. Tobin

Faith Finder-Not Fault Finder

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