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Text: Luke 7:30-35
From Luke 7:18-35 there are three types of doubting. John Baptist was the first and he just needed more information. The publicans were second and they needed their conscience to wake up. They didn’t mentally doubt God, they doubted God with their behavior. This third group is hard-hearted to the point that the LORD can’t do anything for them.
Can you imagine a scenario where the Almighty God loses? Can you imagine a scenario where Jesus has no ability to help? Maybe you can’t imagine it, but you don’t have to. You’re about to read about it. Jesus asks what am I supposed to do with you? What if Jesus had to ask that about you or me? What am I supposed to do with you? No “well done good and faithful servant” rather, what am I supposed to do with you? I’ve given you so much.
A battle God can’t win
- There are people who will always argue with what God sends them. You limited the God of Israel. Jesus could do no mighty works in certain places because few people believed.
- Men complain about the methods God uses to reduce them to a sense of their duty
- Both John and Jesus were sent by God, but men have something to say: John is too rough and austere, and Christ is too sociable and familiar with sinners. They dislike the severity of the one, and the sociability of the other.
- They accuse Jesus of being like sinners and publicans.
- The fool misunderstands the wise. They project their own impure motives onto the wise.
- Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
- Whenever the mind falls into misunderstanding it becomes prejudiced toward the truth. Any attempt to correct that bias brings about prejudice in the fool’s mind.
- To them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
Wisdom’s diversity among God’s people
- Some are more austere in life, others more social in their manners;
- Some more thundering in doctrine, others more gentle
- Some sad and mournful, others cheerful and pleasant;
- John was to come in the spirit and power of Elias, and therefore to imitate him in his course of life. He was sent forth to raise and awaken a sleepy nation resting in false security.
- But Christ, who was to come with the glad tidings of salvation, and to call sinners to grace and pardon, chose to appear in a meek, sweet, and social way of conversing.
- People are qualified according to the way God uses them
- The variety of giftings God uses shows there are different jobs to do. But it also gives God a chance to eliminate excuses. God’s wisdom sifts the hearts of people.
- The wise are known by the manner in which they are affected by the truth. Those who oppose the truth at every point are foolish. But those who acknowledge the truth are wise.
- Preach to them whatever doctrine you will and it will be the instrument of their sanctification.
- The wise feel relieved and refreshed with truth.
Wisdom’s children
- Wisdom is justified of all her children comes from the earlier statement that the publicans justified God in verse 29.
- In whatever form the wisdom of God shows up, it is justified in the children of wisdom. And it brings results.
- Christian liberty is understanding what it is to eat and drink, to dress, to walk and ride, to wake and sleep, and live, and be, and do, all for the glory of God. He alone knows how to use the things of this world as not abusing them.
- How was wisdom justified in the children of wisdom?
- First, they were able to receive wisdom without prejudice.
- Though the personalities were different, God’s wisdom was the same. To the fool, diverse personalities were a weakness, but to God, diversity is a strength.
- Whether a fool or wise, you’ll do with the personalities exactly what you are. If a fool, the personalities God uses provide excuses. If wise, the personalities provide reasons to listen.
- Second, the wise accepted God’s counsel about their own lives and who Jesus Christ is.
- This is so difficult to accept.
- Worse yet, fewer and fewer people, older or younger, even have a desire to internalize God’s counsel about their lives.
- On top of that, the obstacles to doing this are everywhere. Bad Baptist teaching, pride, laziness, indifference, the pitfalls are everywhere.
- Third, the wise submitted themselves to the divine prescription given to them.
- The prescription is a public acknowledgment of the truth.
- It requires a private trust in the LORD, but a public acknowledgment of God’s counsel.
