1 Peter 5:8-10 Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But
the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish,
strengthen, settle you.
The Jewish leaders of His time rejected Yeshua (Jesus)
when He first came. He didn't meet their expectations. They were expecting
a Messiah who would bring relief from the Romans, restore the Kingdom of
David, and usher in an era of tranquility throughout the world. It is
probable that their intense jealousy of Yeshua blinded them to the numerous
passages in the Tenach (OT) which describe Messiah as a suffering servant,
since they were certainly aware of those passages.
The Scriptures present two pictures of Messiah, leaving bible
interpreters with a dilemma to explain. Zechariah 9:9 portrays him riding a
donkey into Jerusalem, lowly and humble; Daniel 7:13 refers to the Messiah
as coming on the clouds of heaven. Some of the rabbis concluded there must
be two Messiahs – Mashiach ben Yosef – the Suffering Servant, and
Mashiach ben David – the conquering king, bringing judgment to the
wicked, restoring the Temple and the Kingdom to Israel. The truth is, one
Messiah, two advents.
When Yeshua (Jesus) failed to fulfill the Jewish expectation of
restoring the Kingdom of David, he was dismissed as Messiah. Their own lack
of humility, their jealously and self centered pride caused them to miss
what should have been obvious from the scriptures, that Messiah had to come
first to identify with us, and then through suffering and death, break the
power of sin, before he could restore the Davidic Kingdom.
Is it possible for our expectations to be likewise colored or even
contaminated by sin? We ought not to avoid the question. If our hearts are
set in a self centered expectation of victory that fails to apprehend the
suffering to which WE too are called, we can make the same mistake the
rabbis made, and end up rejecting the true Messiah. While it's true that
our ultimate victory is assured, we can never forget that the journey to
that victory is a narrow path fraught with all the dangers of real warfare,
with deadly enemies.
Check your expectations...what are they
based upon? Are there selfish or carnal motives in your expectations of
God? If Yeshua said following him would be a narrow path with a cross on
your back, then don't presume your victories until they have passed through
the purifying fires of suffering. This is simply true fellowship with Him,
and leads to the greatest glorious joys and triumphs. (George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah)
Laudetur Jesus Christus! From Jarrow's Tower: "Glorious St Bede Pray That We May Praise God For All Eternity" For God Our Lady And Saint Bede! A Voice And Springboard For Promoting Catholic Orthodoxy, Tradition, Truth And Christian Principles In South Tyneside! That The Voice Of Peter In The Person Of The Supreme Sovereign Roman Pontiff May Be Heard In These Uncertain Times: Tu Es Petrus!
22 August 2012
Afternoon Thoughts-What are your expectations?:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment