Luke 10-11: You Don't Have to SEE Jesus

It would be so great to walk with Christ. I mean to REALLY walk beside Him while He was on earth. I wish I could see His face, see His expressions, see how He dealt with men and women, see His miracles - THEN I would believe! If I could just observe my Savior in the flesh, that would do so much for my faith.

I don't think I'm alone with this thought. Individuals down through history have had this same thought, and many today are looking for a sign from Jesus. If they could only have something TANGIBLE, something they could see with our own eyes or touch with their hands, THEN they would believe.

Ironically, there were Pharisees during the time of Christ who DID see Him and His miracles...and who didn't believe. "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons," (Luke 11:15) some said, thus attributing the work and power of the Holy Spirit to Satan and the forces of evil (this is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit). They looked for a sign. They had already seen miracles, but they wanted more. They were not satisfied with JUST JESUS. Jesus said to them, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah" (Luke 11:29).

And then there were the women who said, "Blessed is the woman that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed" (Luke 11:27). They had the same idea. How blessed would be the MOTHER of Christ or the BROTHER of Christ. Surely blood relations were super-special. Surely those closest to Christ had the most spiritual advantage. But Jesus, as was His custom, completely overturned man's thinking. He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it" (Luke 11:28).

And so it's not those who SAW Jesus and observed His miracles first-hand who have a fast-pass into heaven. It's not those who were His best friends on this earth, not even His parents, who were truly blessed. If you want to be blessed of God, you will simply observe the word of God when you hear it. It's that simple!

"Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed" (John 20:29).

Which MEANS: You and I can be truly blessed of God today!

God bless,
Nathan

Tomorrow's Reading: Luke 12-13