Self-Accused

TITLE: Self-accused
DATE: April 29, 2019
TEXT: Luke 22: 66-71 – ESV-And they led him away to their council, and they said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
Have you ever noticed, more often than not, it’s the things we say which get us into trouble?
I remember a good many years ago when a fellow pastor and his wife went out to dinner with Pam and myself, At the end of the meal the minister’s wife had not finished her slab of meat. Understandably, like many people, she asked for a doggy bag.
Unlike most people who ask their waiter for a doggy bag the Pastor’s wife felt compelled to describe the appearance of the dog; the appetite of the dog; the tricks the dog could do. It took a good, long while before her description about the dog ran down,

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The waiter had been mesmerized by the story of her dog. Me, I was shocked. I was shocked because I hadn’t known they had a dog  I said so in so many words. They exchanged one of those husband-wife looks, laughed and then they confessed. “We have no dog, It’s just that we don’t like to admit we’re taking the leftovers home for ourselves.”

Their explanation was interrupted by the return of our waiter who was carrying a very large, a very full doggy bag. As he set the bag on the table. He explained, “I think I’d like your dog. At any rate when I got into the kitchen I found some other plates with scraps of steak on them.

I picked up those scraps, too and added them to yours.” He didn’t understand when three out of four people at  the table burst  into laughter.

The minister’s wife had been caught in her words, The Jewish Sanhedrin thought they had done the same to Jesus  The priests said Jesus was condemned by His words when He said He was God’s Son.

Indeed, lf anyone, other than Jesus, said such a thing would be a liar and stand condemned. But there was and is a difference. Whereas the preacher’s wife had lied and we, also lie,  Jesus told the truth.

How tragic that these religious men were blinded by the devil. They couldn't see that the lie was in their minds, not in Jesus' words. Because of their blindness, Jesus continued on the way to the cross and Resurrection Sunday’s open grave,

As Christians, we give thanks that we have, by the Spirit's power, seen and heard God's Truth. Now it is our job to witness to Jesus. With our lives and our lips we need to proclaim him as Savior and Lord.

THE PRAYER -  Lord Jesus, help me avoid being a silent member of Your family. Let me be convicted by Your love to me. Let me share my faith with others, so that in all I do, people may say, "This is a Christian." In Your Name. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html