By~ Kevilyn J
Many people love Jesus as a ‘Sugar Daddy’ figure. We love the idea of Him stepping in to fix all our troubles and solve all our problems, making our lives easier. Expecting Jesus to settle our petty grievances is as absurd as inviting a Supreme Court Justice to our 4th of July BBQ to mediate a spat between Uncle Willie and Cousin Lannie; that’s a profound misunderstanding of the office. We often treat Jesus like our personal attorney sent to solve all our earthly conflicts, not our Lord, sent to transform our hearts. What happens when Jesus refuses to be used for our minor material agendas? What happens when we realize Jesus refuses to be the genie in our bottle of interest? Sometimes, mercy looks like God refusing a prayer rooted in wrong motives.
“Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
~Luke 12:14
Jesus will not become what our flesh wants; He remains who the Father sent Him to be.
In the context of this passage, Jesus had been teaching on eternal matters and the danger of hypocrisy. He just ended a conversation with a lawyer who wanted to know how he could attain “eternal life”, but he tried to toe the line on who exactly was his neighbor. When Jesus had told the story of “The Good Samaritan” and saw the lawyer off, another man raised his hand with a question. His demand exposed the real issue: he wanted Jesus to enforce fairness on his terms. A classical case of spiritual manipulation, ‘go in and evangelize to my brother, but with a personal agenda to get him to share all he’s gotten because I’m feeling short-changed at this point.’ The man was so blinded by his perceived ‘right’ to the money that he could not see the greed suffocating his soul.
Covetousness threatens the soul far more than financial loss ever could. Abundance is not life. Life in the kingdom is measured by richness toward God. Right Heart and Right Focus are necessary. People then and now see Jesus as the waymaker, miracle worker, political liberator, and even a meal ticket, amongst other things, through the eyes of their own agenda. But these things are the overflow of His character, not the core of His mission. Jesus didn’t come to fix our finances; He came to finish the work of salvation by confronting the hearts that mismanage them.
Today’s culture isn’t much different. Our prayer list typically consists of requests for wisdom in the next business deal or for help fixing our marriages. Yet, we rarely ask Him to crucify the greed, selfishness, or pride that made the circumstance unbearable. Jesus never allows Himself to be reduced to a tool for personal gain. He is the bread of life! His agenda is reconciliation, not arbitration; He’s interested in the state of our soul, not the winner of our arguments. We’re all about keeping up with the Joneses (or the Tarby’s on my block!) We justify greed by calling it securing our future or getting what we deserve, but many times it chokes out spiritual fruit. This is both a warning against superficial faith and a call to internal transformation.
This question forces us to examine our motives whenever we seek God’s intervention. Are we asking God to take our side in a dispute or to change our hearts to look more like Him? The ultimate goal for us as kingdom citizens should be to have alignment with the work God has called us to do here in the earth. Our prayers should often reflect the petition that God would reveal the motives of our hearts rather than avenging us against those who have offended us. Jesus’s response is a chilling, formal distance, a rebuke wrapped in a single title. He called him “MAN”… Jesus has used many addresses for people in His time on earth; daughter, son, friend, or even affectionately calling others by their name, but the term “Man” signaled a lack of intimacy; He was not a “Friend” to anyone whose heart only seeks Him as a “Fixer”.
Time of Reflection:
** Only God can expose and purify blind spots in our hearts.
** We should not always seek convenience; instead, we should seek transformation to imitate Jesus in all things.
Heart Probe- Moment:
If I got exactly what I’m fighting for today, would it actually make me more like Christ?
References:
Luke 12:13-15
Matt 6:33
Thomas Nelson’s Chronological Bible 2008, Epoch 8- Question 54(a).
Closing Prayer:
Father, help me purify my motives and redirect my desires toward Your will. I know You’re at work within me, giving me both the desire and the ability to carry out Your good pleasure on earth. Teach me to seek Your kingdom above my preferences and redirect my desires that don’t align with Your will, in Jesus’ name, Amen
