A Word About Genuineness

 

Today I want to share a word about genuineness, as I comment on Mark 11:1-4 and 20-26. This passage reads:

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it  . . .  And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

In recent days I have shared some of my family memories as I have commented on our Scripture passages, and today is no exception. This memory, however, is less embarrassing than the others and certainly sweeter. This is because it involves figs.

That’s right . . .  figs!

When I was a child, my father had access to a very productive fig tree on property which was owned by his sister, my aunt. When the figs came into season, we could fill several five-gallon buckets to the brim, and still there would be unripe figs left on the tree for the next trip. That was one fertile fig tree!

I learned to enjoy eating fresh figs off the tree; well, at least I did after I learned to ignore the furry outer skin! That skin felt a little creepy at first, but the luscious meat on the inside was worth the strange-to-a-young-child sensation. Yes, the fresh figs were wonderful, but that was not the end of the treat. Not by any measure!

You see, my mom and dad had learned how to make fig preserves, and that was where most of the bountiful harvest of figs ended-up. Although it was hot and steamy work to boil the figs with copious amounts of sugar, the end result was wonderful! Our family didn’t have to buy jam or jelly for months after we had finished harvesting the figs from that one tree. I can’t think of a breakfast meal more appetizing than hot biscuits fresh from the oven topped with home-preserved figs! I am gaining weight just savoring the memory of such home-made deliciousness!

In our passage today we see that Jesus also had an appreciation for figs, but the fig tree that features in these verses in Mark Chapter 11 was not nearly as productive as my aunt’s tree. Jesus, being the Master Teacher, often used object lessons, and in this case, He made this barren fig tree a teaching point about genuineness.

HYPOCRISY:

Jesus made an example of the fig tree as a means of teaching the disciples about the difference between hypocrisy and genuineness. This particular fig tree is a great example of hypocrisy because it demonstrates its characteristics quite well.

First, hypocrisy is attractive. This fig tree was full of green foliage, and it was attractive to the eye. It would be easy to assume that such a vibrant tree would have to be full of fruit, but it wasn’t. Likewise, hypocrites look great, but have no substance to back-up their beautiful appearance. As the old saying goes "you can't tell a book by its cover," which is what my cousin discovered one day when he was a young man. He saw someone sitting alone at a party who had a long, flowing ponytail. When he got up the nerve to go over and introduce himself, he discovered that what he thought was a young lady was actually a guy! Hypocrisy presents itself as beautiful, but the reality is something different.

Another characteristic of hypocrisy is that it is barren. Hypocrites look great but they bear no good fruit, and they only bring disappointment to the lives of others. Hypocrisy is like a restaurant that displays beautiful photos of their dishes in their menus, but the actual dishes are tasteless. I remember in particular one place where I ate when I was taking the senior adults of my church on a daytrip. The food looked great but was very bland. One of our senior ladies, who was a dynamite cook, later commented, “I don’t think they own a saltshaker or know what bacon is made for.” Like Samuel Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner who saw “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink,” hypocrisy leaves us thirsting for more.

One final characteristic of hypocrisy demonstrated by this fig tree is that hypocrisy is cheating. One thing is promised, but another is given. Like in many modern-day "bait and switch” scams, Jesus was promised fruit, but was cheated. Hypocrisy, in its essence, is a lie. It says something that it does not mean, and it promises what it never intends to deliver. This brings to mind an uncomfortable question: what have we promised to Christ, our community, our families, our church, but of which we've cheated them?

GENUINENESS:

Jesus, as the Master Teacher, didn’t just rely on an object lesson or a negative example to drive home a point. He invariably would follow-up those techniques with a more didactic explanation, at least with His disciples. At times, when dealing with the broader public, he would let a parable or an object lesson stand on its own, but His practice was to give more in-depth instruction to His closest followers. 

In our passage for today Jesus taught that we should say what we believe, and that we should believe what we say. It makes no sense to profess our belief in God but then to act like the Devil. It makes no sense to pray to God, and then decide we know better than He does or that our wisdom is greater than that found in the Scriptures. It makes no sense to have access to the Almighty God of the universe, and then deny His power. Paul was echoing Jesus when he wrote in 2 Timothy 3:5 that some people had “a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” In contrast to this, he instructed that Timothy should live out the faith taught to him by his mother and grandmother, saying to him:

“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

It is also clear from this passage that Jesus extended the value of genuineness to our relationships with others. We must not pretend to be righteous and holy when we are embroiled in a conflict with a member of our family, with one of our friends, or with just someone in the general public. This is one of many places in Scripture that teach that our relationships with others can affect our relationship with God. After all, it was Jesus who taught us that the second Great Commandment was, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”  Our relationships should be characterized by openness and honesty, the willingness to share our lives with others, agape love as discuss in 1 Corinthians 13, and true forgiveness. All these things, by the way, are modeled in how God relates to us.

It is true that genuineness can be, at times, overwhelming. When God revealed Himself to Moses on the mountain, Moses’s face glowed so brightly that he had to wear a veil so as not to frighten the Children of Israel. This fact, as much as God’s absolute righteousness, may be why it was said that no one could ever see God and live. That is, until Jesus was born, who said about Himself: 

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

Genuineness does not mean harshness, but it does mean being approachable, open, and “speaking the truth in love.”

CONSEQUENCES:

Some might view the actions of Jesus here as harsh. The fig tree was killed, and it was lost to its owner as well as others who might pass by it in the future. To take this position is to ignore certain facts.

We must remember that, in fact, Jesus was the owner of the tree. Jesus, as Creator, owns His creation, and it is His possession to do with it what He will. Not only does the Lord own “the cattle on a thousand hills,” but He also owns the fig trees on those hills as well. We don’t know who the human owner of that tree was, but we do know who the ultimate owner was: Almighty God, the Three-In-One.

Not only was God the owner, He also was the Gardener. In John 15:1-6, Jesus explained what God was doing as He taught them during the Last Supper:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

This really was nothing new, because we can read in Ecclesiastes that there is “a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted,” as well as “a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.”

Finally, we also need to understand how vile hypocrisy is in the sight of God and how important genuineness is. Solomon, in Proverbs 6:16-19 makes this clear to us:

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

For this reason, Jesus called the Pharisees white-washed tombs, “which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.” Plus, both He and John the Baptist called the religious hypocrites in Judea a “generation of vipers.”  

Proverbs 11 is probably the best and most condensed description of God’s thoughts on this matter. Here are some selected verses:

A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight. Proverbs 11:1

The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. Proverbs 11:3

 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. Proverbs 11:9

He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.  A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. Proverbs 11:11-13

The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. Proverbs 11:18

He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. Proverbs 11:27

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. Proverbs 11:29

CONCLUSION:

Some years ago, I was asked to consult with a church about their situation with their facilities. After we toured the building, I sat down with the pastor and some of their lay leadership and discussed with them their plans for improving their facilities. During our tour I had noticed several parts of the building which needed to be repaired or otherwise stabilized before they launched into a building program. 

I reviewed with them the substantial challenges that they faced, but I also affirmed their desire to expand their facilities to enable them to do more and better ministry. We had a long and frank conversation, and when I took my leave, the pastor shook my hand, thanked me for my time with them, and then he said, “And I want to thank you particularly for being real with us tonight.”

I was somewhat nonplussed and confused by what the pastor meant by that, but I took the advice of my preaching professor who told us, “When you are greeting people at the door of the church after a sermon, take whatever they say to you, however awkward it may be, as a compliment.” Still, I mulled over what the pastor meant all the way home that night.

The next day, I related my experience to some colleagues and then I asked them what they thought the pastor meant. One friend said with a smile, “Oh, that’s easy. It just means that he appreciated your honesty and transparency and that you weren’t trying to manipulate them. He saw you were being genuine with them, so, take it as a compliment, because it was one.” 

I never conceived that someone called into help a church would try to deceive or manipulate them, so I share this story more as an admission of my naiveté than anything else, but I think it does illustrate the point. If genuineness is important to a frail, limited human being, just imagine how important must it be to our perfect, righteous, and loving God?

A Word about Integrity

 

Today I want to share a word about integrity, as I comment on Luke 16:1-12. This passage reads:

And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.  I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

As I said in our last devotional, we all have done and said cringe-worthy things in the past. I remember another occasion in my childhood in which I embarrassed myself, but this time it was in front of my father.

My father was a heavy truck mechanic who was the vehicle maintenance shop foreman at a local business. At that time my mom was training to be a nurse, and money was tight. We always had food on our table, but I often heard my mom and dad debating about making purchases which, in today’s world, few would even give a second thought. I specifically remember them sitting up late one night deciding whether they could afford to buy an electronic calculator so that they could do their tax returns more quickly. 

One day my dad had splurged a little, and he brought home a device that tested car batteries. We always had used cars, and as a mechanic, my dad would keep them going longer than he probably should have. In any case, after he checked the battery on our car (note the singular “car” not “cars), I asked to see the device, which was largely made of glass.

When my dad handed me the battery tester, I, of course, dropped it on the concrete of our carport. And, of course, part of it broke. My dad was dismayed, and I was chagrined, but then I made matters worse:

I burst out, “Put it back in the box, and take it back to the auto parts store. You can tell them it was broken when you opened it at home.”

My dad looked at me with a heart-rending expression of disappointment and rebuke. “I can’t do that. First, I opened it in front of the store clerk to make sure it wasn’t broken. Besides that, it wouldn’t be right.” My dad wasn’t perfect, but he was certainly a man of integrity, and he taught me the same lesson that day that Jesus taught in our passage for today.

DECEIT:

Jesus knew the ways of people. His father, Joseph, was a carpenter, and as such, he must have done business with people. No doubt, Joseph came across people, like my younger self above, who found ways to cheat him. Maybe it was someone who supplied him wood or rope, or maybe it was a customer, but as we can see elsewhere in the Bible, people have known how to deceive and cheat each other for centuries.

Of course, being God, Jesus did not need human experience to know that the unregenerate human heart is deceitful. God sees into our lives and although we can hide our motives from others, we cannot hide them from God. For example, Proverbs 21:2 says,

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.

Jeremiah 17:10 also says,

I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

What people did in First Century Judea they also continue to do today, just with better technology. Identity theft, fishing attacks, and internet scams abound today. The “Nigerian attorney” email, which was once the height of sophistication, now appears childish and trite. Fraudsters today are much cleverer than such a primitive flim-flam and they have even learned how to spoof security alert messages from vendors to their customers to steal money or personal information from them. This level of avarice isn’t new, but it is wrong.

BETRAYAL:

In our focal passage for today, we see a story of deceit and theft, but it is also a story of betrayal and treachery. Not only did the steward waste his employer’s money, but he also conspired with his boss’s customers to steal from him. 

In Biblical times, a steward often had total control of his employer’s business affairs. This could happen even on a national level, like with Joseph in Egypt or with Daniel in Babylon. It certainly took place at the family level, and a good steward was a blessing to his master. On the other hand, a poor steward, not to mention an evil one, could be a stumbling block, or even a curse.

Jesus, in telling this story, did express a level of admiration for the steward’s intelligence and guile. You must admit, it was a neat solution to the problem of the steward’s imminent unemployment. But that being said, even the most ingenious fraud is wrong and sinful. We must not confuse the recognition of the steward’s low cunning and chicanery with approval of his motives and action.

INTEGRITY:

Jesus made three important points as He explained this parable. The first was that when we place our trust in earthly wealth, position, power, or fame, then the only blessings that we can receive are temporal ones. This is consistent with what He taught in Matthew 6:19-21 during the Sermon on the Mount:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The steward in this story sold his soul for a chance at future employment, the same way that Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Having integrity, therefore, includes not becoming a sell-out.

Jesus went on to teach that a good steward, one who has integrity, is faithful in the smaller issues of life as well as in the bigger ones. From His perspective, financial issues are not nearly as important as spiritual ones and are not nearly as difficult to solve. 

Historically, a high level of illiteracy has been common in the world; universal, free, public education is a relatively recent development. In fact, it is probably not a stretch to say that most people who have lived during the long history of the world could not read, but almost all of them could count money! If we can’t exercise integrity in such a basic life issue as money, how can we be trusted with something so powerful as the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Finally, when Jesus walked the earth, he would have never heard the saying, “Drive it like you stole it,” but He clearly would have understood what it means. In this passage, however, He turned that saying on its head. Here He teaches us that if we can’t take care of the property owned by another, then we can never be entrusted with our own property. 

Integrity means doing the right thing, all of the time, whether in a big issue of life or a small one, and whether it involves something we own or something that belongs to someone else. In fact, Jesus would say that it is more important to care properly for another’s property than for your own.

CONCLUSION:

Consider today how we should exercise our integrity for the glory of God:

• Should we cut corners and take the easy way out, or should we do our best work possible under the circumstances?
• Should we figure out ways to look busy at work while surfing the internet, or should we return to our employers diligent work for an agreed upon wage?
• Should we lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead, or should we trust in God and in His plan for our lives?
• Should we treat others as we would have them treat ourselves? 

I hope the answers to these questions are apparent in our text for today. 

I have never forgotten the lesson my dad taught me in our carport that day so long ago. It is always better to do the right thing and face those temporal consequences than to cheat, lie, and steal and face the eternal consequences of those with no integrity. Let’s remember what Jesus said in John 10:10 when He contrasted Himself with the thief:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

To whom would you like to be compared? Again, I think the answer is obvious!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Humility

Today I want to share a word about humility, as I comment on 1 Timothy 1:12-17. This passage reads:

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

We all have done and said cringe-worthy things in the past. I remember two specific occasions when I was in school that cause me to feel embarrassed even today.

The first time I remember sticking my foot in my mouth was in elementary school. A school mate had brought a gift to another girl in my class for her birthday. The gift was a humble one: a small multi-pack of LifeSavers candy. When I made fun of that gift, the birthday girl turned to me and said, “Hey, wait a minute! At least she thought enough of me to bring me a present. That’s a lot more than you did!” At that retort, I sputtered and stuttered and slunk away, firmly put in my place.

Another embarrassing moment in my school career occurred several years later, when I was a senior in high school. I was asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance during our school’s spring awards program. During the rehearsal for the event, I stepped to the microphone and said nonchalantly, “We all know the Pledge of Allegiance, so we don’t need to say it now.” I then turned on my heel and sat down on my chair on the platform. 

That evening, when hundreds of students and their parents had gathered in the gym, I confidently stepped to the mic and began, “Our Father, who art in Heav . . .” Amazingly, everyone in the gym started to repeat the Lord’s Prayer along with me, until I burst out in nervous laughter! After I regained my poise, I was able to properly finish my assigned task, and then, thoroughly embarrassed, I slunk away to my chair on the platform. I felt sure that everyone was staring at me for the rest of the event!

These types of incidents will keep one humble, although it would be less embarrassing if I had followed the counsel given to us in James 4:10:

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Paul, a fellow leader of the early church with James, also learned this lesson. And, like me, he learned it the hard way.

PAUL’S ARROGANCE:

Paul did not begin his walk with Jesus with a natural humility. In fact, before he was confronted by Christ on the Damascus Road, he would have said that he had a lot to brag about as he wrote to the church at Philippi:

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:4-6)

From other passages in the New Testament, we know that Paul had not only been a Pharisee, but he was also the son of a Pharisee. He had also been taught at the feet of the noted Jewish scholar and lawyer Gamaliel, and humanly, Paul had reason to consider himself special. He had been brought up to think himself to be smarter and more righteous than other people, and he embraced that sentiment. But then he met Jesus, face-to-face.

PAUL’S COMEUPPANCE:

As many qualifications and character qualities as Paul had, he found that he was nothing when compared to the Lord Jesus. Acts Chapter 9 tells us how Paul, after he had not deigned to get his hands dirty at the stoning of Stephen, acquired a license from the rulers of the Jews to go hunt Christians. As he was heading to Damascus, “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,” Jesus met him on the way. Paul was thrown to the ground and blinded, and verbally rebuked by Christ. Luke, the author of Acts, tells what happened next:

And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

Paul (who was then called Saul) had met Jesus and in an instant, he went from the role of avenging angel to the role of helpless invalid. This reproof made my embarrassing moments in school pale in comparison. 

PAUL’S HUMILITY:

After the Damascus Road experience, and after being discipled by Barnabas, Paul came to realize that all the things about himself that he thought were important, all those things that he had been told made him special, all those things in which he had invested his pride and personal worth, all those things were actually worthless. He realized that instead of being righteous that he had been conceived in sin. He realized that instead of being visionary and smart that he was actually blind and ignorant. He realized that instead of being zealous for God that he was actually a blasphemer. His entire life was turned upside down. 

Once Paul came face-to-face with the reality of his spiritual condition without Christ, he was never the same again. His human arrogance was gone, replaced by the humility that comes from meeting Jesus in a personal way. This is apparent in his epistles such as in the Book of Romans, where in Chapter 3 he stated flatly:

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:10-12)

And again, in Romans 3:23 he stated:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God . . .

In saying these truths in Romans and other books of the New Testament, Paul was not merely shaking an accusing finger at others. No, he knew that he was also a sinner saved by the grace of God. In fact, far from being a proud Pharisee, Paul now called himself the chief of all sinners.

PAUL’S COUNSEL TO US:

If Paul was with us today, I believe he would be quite assertive in telling us two important facts for our lives:

First, because none of us are righteous, we all must turn to Christ for our salvation and for forgiveness of our sins. This is the most important decision we can ever make and choosing Christ above all else is the only way to have a right relationship with God and to secure our eternal destiny. That process, of course, begins with realizing we are spiritually, morally, and intellectually bankrupt, but that Jesus is glad to enrich us in all those areas if we would only bow our will to His.

Second, once we have trusted Christ with our salvation and our future, Paul would remind us: 

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. (Philippians 2:1-4)

Like diligence, service, and self-control, humility is not an exciting value, that is, until you fail to exercise it. Then things can get out of control fast! That’s why Paul would tell us to humble ourselves, before God does that task for us!

A Word about Diligence

Today I want to share a word about diligence, as I comment on John 6:5-13. This passage reads:

After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.  And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?  And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

Diligence . . .

Of all the values and words in the world we might discuss, diligence is . . . one of them. 

It is not the most exciting value or word. It is not the most interesting value or word. It is not the most fascinating or flashy or endearing value or word.  It may be the value or word that is most likely to produce a response of . . .“Meh.”

Diligence may be one of the most underrated values, but that doesn’t mean it is not important, nay, vital. Our focal passage for today is evidence of this fact.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXCEL:

Jesus had no problems gathering a crowd, particularly in His early ministry in Galilee. People were drawn to Him by His miracles, but also by His teaching, both of which were done with authority. Jesus wanted people to listen to Him more than to come to Him looking for miracles, but the miraculous had an important place in His ministry.

As we know from John and other references in the Gospels, a great crowd had gathered one day to hear Jesus teach. They were out in the countryside and the hour grew late, and the people grew hungry. When the disciples pointed this out to Jesus, He turned to the disciples and asked them what their plan was for feeding the multitude. This was, as we used to call it in the army, “An opportunity to excel.”

His followers, however, were at a loss; they said it would take over a half a year’s wages to feed such a crowd! They scouted about and all they could find was a young boy’s lunch of five small loaves, and two fish. What good was that? It was like trying to put out the fires of Hell with a water pistol!

AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH:

I can almost see Jesus shaking His head, and saying, “Oh really? Watch this!” Jesus would not have said such a thing because He was humble, and as the Creator of the universe, He really didn’t need to brag on Himself. Still, in my human frailty I wish that He had! He then proceeded to feed that great multitude with a small boy’s lunch. He did all of this in this way so He could teach some vital lessons.

First, Jesus knew what He was doing. We can have confidence in Jesus because He has everything under control.

Next, Jesus cared for people. He cared about their temporal situation as well as their eternal situation. We need to care for people like Jesus did.

Third, Jesus had the power to act. Jesus was the Creator of the universe, and He is the Sustainer of the universe, and His arm is not shortened. He can and He will act!

Also, Jesus did it up right! Not only was everyone satisfied, but the leftovers were plentiful as well! As Malachi wrote, 

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Finally, Jesus allowed others to participate in His work, and that’s where the little boy’s lunch came in. That’s also where diligence came in.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ALONGSIDE JESUS:

God graciously offers His people the opportunity to work alongside Him. Sometimes these opportunities are big, and flashy, and complicated. Sometimes, they involve making lunch.

We don’t know who made this little boy’s lunch. Chances are it was a mother or older sister. In any case, some unknown, but diligent parent or sibling thought, “There is no way I am going let Junior go out without some food!” Then they proceeded to put feet to their thoughts and made a common, everyday, but perfectly adequate lunch . . .  for one!

They had no way of knowing what Jesus was going to do with their act of diligence. They could never have imagined that Jesus would feed a multitude with such meager rations. They only knew that the right, the diligent, thing to do was to send out their son or brother with lunch. Because they were diligent in a small, everyday matter, they got to be a silent partner with Jesus in one of His most famous miracles!

So, what if that unsung mom or sis didn’t do the right thing that morning. What if they had slept late, or what if they didn’t care if Junior was hungry? Would that have kept Jesus from feeding everyone (including Junior)? Of course not, Jesus as Creator could make bread and fish appear from nowhere. Everyone would have still been fed, and there still would have been baskets and baskets of leftovers. The only one to miss out would have been the silent partner, the slothful sluggard who let a little boy leave home without lunch.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US:

When we are diligent, when we take care of our business, we have no more way of knowing what God will do with our diligence than the one who packed that lunch. What we do know, however is a couple of facts.

First, as one of my former bosses liked to say, we should “always do the right thing, even when no one is looking.” That may mean doing something significant or it might mean packing a lunch, but it is always right to do the right thing.

Second, when we are diligent, when we do the right thing, we make it possible for God to use us in ways we can never imagine. Take for example this instruction from the writer of Hebrews: 

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Diligence isn’t flashy or popular with people; but apparently it is high on God’s list of values! Those who have ears to hear, let them hear!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt