crowd – Praying Pint

34.s. “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

Matthew 21:23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Jesus did not confine himself to beneficent acts; he used the opportunity of the gathering of crowds around him to preach unto them the gospel (Luke 20:1), to teach truths which came with double force from One who bad done such marvellous things. By what authority doest thou these things? They refer to the triumphal entry, the reception of the homage offered, the healing of the blind and lame, the teaching as with the authority of a rabbi, and especially to the cleansing of the temple. No one could presume to teach without a proper commission: where was his authorization? They were the guardians and rulers of the temple: what right had he to interfere with their management, and to use the sacred precincts for his own purposes? These and such like questions were in their mind when they addressed him thus. Wilfully ignoring the many proofs they had of Christ’s Divine mission.

Who gave thee this authority? They resolve the general inquiry into the personal one – Who was it that conferred upon you this authority which you presume to exercise? Was it some earthly ruler, or was it God himself? Perhaps they mean to insinuate that Satan was the master whose power he wielded – an accusation already often made. They thought thus to place Christ in an embarrassing position, from which he could not emerge without affording the opportunity which they desired. The trap was cleverly set, and, as they deemed, unavoidable. If he was forced to confess that he spoke and acted without any proper authorization, he would be humiliated in the eyes of the people, and might be officially silenced by the strong hand. If he asserted himself to be the Messiah and the bearer of a Divine commission, they would at once bring against him a charge of blasphemy.

Without the infilling Holy Spirit, it is impossible to comprehend the honor and glory Jesus Christ deserves. His power, might, authority, and message will be ever falling on the deaf ears of those who deny and reject His Good News of salvation, redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life. The Word of God is a sharp sword that swings at the thoughts and intents of the heart of a person. It is a smart person who, after being cut to the heart, cries out for the wielder of the sword to heal and make their heart new.

34.o. “Lord, let our eyes be opened so that we may follow you”

Matthew 20:29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

These blind men had no hope of seeing. They were blind and no human effort would ever give them their sight back. They knew this. There was no doubt about it. They were, as it was, lost in their blindness and only a helping stick or another person could guide them. How would they know if a person giving them help was true in this help? They had no other hope and would have to rely upon this as a means to get through life. Any dangers one would normally see with their eyes and avoid would require others to keep them on a path free from danger or harm. Now they hear of Jesus walking by, and no doubt they had heard of His miracles, and they cry out; “have mercy on us”. They are rebuked by the crowd for they must have been loud and desperate in their pleas. Jesus asks, “what is it you want me to do?” “Open our eyes” is the reply. People in the crowd told them to be quiet – they rebuked the blind men. Is it possible that these people saw no hope for these men’s condition and that their cries for mercy were nothing more than an unwelcome cry in the wilderness? Such it is with man. They will see the sinful condition of a person and say there is no hope for them, but with God all things are possible.

How many times did Jesus speak of people being blind to things of God and about those who, being blind, would lead others – the blind leading the blind? When God opens the eyes and softens, as it were, a blind person’s heart and they become aware of the things of God, namely the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they will intentionally choose to either cry out, “have mercy on me” or continue in their blindness. I know it happens but for the life of me I can’t figure out how a person makes this choice. I do know that when God opened my eyes and heart to the gospel, I knew that I was lost and without hope, “blind”, and that if I called out and trusted and believed in Him, He would save me from this blindness and give me eternal life sight. As I say this it occurs to me that I don’t know how many times in my life I may have rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ and chose to live blind and not even know it. I do know that when my ears and eyes to my heart and mind were opened to the Gospel, I fully understood my hopeless, blind, and lost condition. Though I did not cry out, I did humbly cry out from the depths of my heart and mind and sought and desired redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life. At that moment I trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ. The eyes to my heart and mind, as it were, were made new. I could see. I was given new life, born again. No longer blind to things of God. I was no longer a blind orphan but rather an unblinded child of God.

How is a person, blind to things of God, to find their sight when so many in this world try to guide them away from it, even telling them that they are not blind? By us proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and living a life that honors and glorifies Jesus Christ in all we say think and do. We are to be guides that points and directs others to healing for their spiritually blinded hearts, minds, and souls.

Oh, that we did know of our spiritual blindness! Many are spiritually blind, yet say they see. Jesus cured these blind men; and when they had received sight, they followed him. None follow Christ blindly. He first by his grace opens men’s eyes, and so draws their hearts after him. (Henry)

Now is the day of salvation and if the eyes to your heart and mind have been opened to see the Gospel, humbly surrender, repent, trust, follow, and rely upon Jesus Christ and you will be given sight – new eyes, new ears, new mind, and new heart with which you will find grace, mercy, joy, peace, refuge, courage, hope, faith, love, and rest in the promise of redemption, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.

32.w. “Other seeds fell on good soil”

Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

We would normally look at this scripture and say it is speaking to those who proclaim the Word of God and the results they will see in the unsaved people to whom they have proclaimed. I think there is another important application for the believer. In order for God’s Word to have meaning, application, and purpose in our lives our ground of hearts and minds must be prepared for seeding. If we neglect God’s Word there is no seeding. If we neglect God’s Word there is no watering of previously planted seed. How is there to be any growth or harvest when there is neglect? This would be like a farmer who plants no seed and wonder why there is no harvest. Sounds foolish, doesn’t it. But, this is exactly what happens when God’s Word is neglected. There is no growth, no meaning, no application, no purpose in our lives. Neglecting God’s Word is an intentional choice. Oh, we can come up with thousands of reasons and excuses but the fact remains – we choose to neglect it. This should not be. How are we to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do if our hearts and minds neglect the very seed of God’s Word. We do well to think hard about the soil of our hearts and minds. Are they prepared and ready for the Seeds of God’s Word? If seeds of God’s Word are not planted there will be no holiness harvested in our life for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. If there is no watering of the seeds of God’s Word in our life there will be no holiness harvest for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. “He who has ears, let him hear”

Let God’s Word find “good soil” for which to plant and grow in your life.

15.u. “And many followed him, and he healed them all”

John 6:1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

Matthew 4:24-25    So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.  And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 12:15    Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all

Matthew 15:30-31    And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them,  so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Fame spread and large crowds, great crowds, and many followed Jesus. The fame of His healing the sick, healing those possessed by demons, healing the blind, mute, and lame all pointed to Jesus being who the prophets spoke of hundreds of years before. Can’t you hear what people were saying? He healed my blind son, He cast the demon out of my brother, He healed my paralyzed friend, My dad can hear again, my daughter is no longer sick……. and the word spread about Jesus. Signs and wonders were all given out of grace and mercy but they were also given to show that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Many glorified God because of the miracles that Jesus did. Don’t you wonder how many came to the knowledge and understanding of the Gospel after Jesus was crucified? Do you wonder how many hearts were broken when He was hung up on the cross? How hard would that have been to see the very man who healed you or a friend or a family member being beaten, whipped, and hung on a cross? Wouldn’t your heartache? Wouldn’t you have questions? Wouldn’t you say this is all wrong? You have to know there were those in the crowds who doubted Jesus Christ even though they saw what He did. People today are healed still today but I would have to say that there is more doubt than ever before in the history of mankind. Jesus Christ is still the same though we have changed and thoughts about Him have dwindled. Our culture shouts out that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are nothing more than fairytales or man-made stories of weak men. In their hardened hearts they have set their path straight to eternity in hell. In their wisdom, they deny signs, wonders, and miracles that have been recorded for us so that our faith in Jesus Christ would continue to grow and we would forever continue to give glory to God.

We are witnesses

“ how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,”

John 12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Psalms 145:6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Acts 5:32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

John 7:39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Proverbs 1:23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem and people were lining the road and waving palm branches saying Hosanna King of Israel the disciples were with Him. It says they did not understand until after He was glorified (raised from the dead), then they remembered that these things were written of Him. It is like this in our lives when the Holy Spirit calls to mind scripture and reveals something new to us. We do well to keep habit of reading scripture and studying it to continue to grow and understand. We hear these whispers of God when our eyes, ears, heart and mind are open with desire to hear and know. The Holy Spirit is a promise to all who believe and trust in Jesus Christ. Yet complacency and neglect are always standing at our door. To busy, to tire, to much other stuff to do clouds our purpose this side of eternity. Keep focus on humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him. Be a witness to His saving grace, mercy, and power.