Today’s passage is Matthew 11:15-24.
Yesterday Jesus asked us three times what we expected to see when we went to look at John the Baptist in the desert.
Today he compares us to fickle children wanting him to join in their changing emotions of the moment, criticizing John because he didn’t eat or drink and then criticizing Jesus because he does.
Jesus chastises the towns he performs miracles in because they do not repent. He says pagan towns and even Sodom would have repented. He warns them that their attitude and behavior means trouble for them on the day of judgment.
Jesus came to free me from my sins and guarantee me a place in heaven.
All I have to do is accept that free gift and let him change my attitude.
But I keep holding onto my attitude, my expectations of how things should be.
I don’t want to focus on God the way he acts in my life. I would prefer God to be a little bit more the way I want him to be.
In other words, God is not meeting my expectations. This, of course, is my fault, not God’s, as Jesus points out in today’s passage.
Last night in our mokjang a couple were fighting, full of accusations and loud anger.
Because neither of them could focus on God but only on themselves, they could only sit and complain like the children in today’s passage.
The hatred in their eyes surprised me.
When I saw it, I realized I have that same feeling towards my brother in law, especially when I am doing something I expect him to do, like his laundry.
When I touch his clothes, I want to tear them up, not hang them up to dry or fold them and put them in his room.
I am like Korazin and Capernaum.
I witnessed the miracle of my brother’s in law surviving a car accident and return to life after much prayer in the intensive care ward.
I watched his physical rehabilitation.
I watched him come to our church, attend worship and mokjang.
I watched him go to the government school for the handicapped.
I saw him get a job at HomePlus. But I didn’t rejoice in the Lord.
Intead of focusing on God’s loving action in the life of my brother in law, I focus on the issues of daily stress he has caused me over the years he has lived in my house.
I let my expectations of how God should be acting in my life distract me from the miracles taking place.
I have let my irritation at his vanity, selfishness, pride, self-righteousness, carelessness, lack of self-control, messiness and inconsiderate behavior get in the way of seeing God’s miracles.
God sent my brother in law into my life to serve not hate.
I’ve repeatedly seen I can’t do that on my own.
I need a change of heart that only God can do.
I pray I can use my brother in law as a reminder to focus on the Lord.
I pray I can actually see the miracles going on.
Application: to say, “Thank you, Lord,” every time I touch the clothes of my brother in law.
