Mark 12 Funny how the mind works, isn't it?

 

As I was reading this chapter, in the back of my mind, I remembered a passage and devotion from last week about children coming to Jesus. The punch line was about needing to “receive the kingdom of God like a little child” (10:15). As I watched and listened to the Pharisees, Sadducees and other adults questioning Jesus, I thought, “Ah-ha, here is a perfect example of why I (we) need to become like little children. These adults were so caught up in their own deal; some were even trying to trap Jesus because they just couldn’t believe that He was who He said He was. They had their “mold” for who and what the Messiah would be and Jesus didn’t fit.

Another adult, who seems to be moderately sincere, needed to check out Jesus’ orthodoxy with a question about summarizing the law. It is fine to question because orthodoxy is important. What I found sad, however, is that after Jesus passed the orthodoxy test, the issue ends. It seems that for this teacher of the law the question was all a head game, rather than a ‘follow-Jesus if He is right question’. As adults we have such an ability to rationalize…

These observations about adults drove me to pray.

O God, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me, help me, help me develop those child-like attributes of my faith so that I can go deep with You. Help me to trust You implicitly and help me to follow You boldly as a child would, with absolute faith and trust.

And Lord, help me to search the scriptures like that one teacher of the law who needed to test orthodoxy did, however Lord, help me to move from correct thinking to faithfully following You, who is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus, I pray this in Your name. Amen.