Luke 15:2. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, the day when the world sings the blues – all except true believers. (smile) That’s because we have the Spirit of Christ living in us, which enables us to rise above such mediocrity and get a good start on the workweek. And our Monday Morning Battle Hymn is here to help us accomplish that onerous task. So let’s sing it in full voice nuh: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Ah Friends, I sure hope that got the adrenaline going and drove the blues away, so that we can focus properly, with joy and efficiency on whatever our God will have us do. That brings us to our Bit: ‘And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth (welcomes) sinners, and eateth with them.’ And for those good deeds, they badmouthed Jesus. Hn! But don’t be too hard on the scribes and Pharisees because the regular Jewish Christians afterwards were just as hypocritical, especially in the eating department. Remember in Acts 10, when Peter saw the vision at Joppa, about Cornelius the centurion sending men from Caesarea to invite him to their homes? Well the men showed up soon thereafter, and Peter went with them. He ate and drank with them, possibly some non-Jewish food, since the Lord had rebuked him in the vision: ‘What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (Acts 10:15) He also preached to them and brought them to repentance and salvation, all through God’s spiritual intercession. However, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians had heard about it and acrimoniously accused him: ‘they that were of the circumcision contended (disputed) with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. But Peter rehearsed (explained) the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by (in) order unto them.’ (Acts 11:2-4) He fully explained the situation to his circumcised brethren who, despite their Christian status, still maintained that it was wrong for Jews to eat with Gentiles. But Peter refuted their contention thus: ‘And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?’ (Acts 11:15-17) Of a truth my Friends, who was Peter to withstand the awesome power of Almighty God eh? So must we also be led with grace, mercy, forgiveness, humility, wisdom and understanding before the Lord, to do the works He ordains us to do. And it’s only after Peter explained the whole thing that the ole hypocrites, ‘held their peace (became silent), and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.’ (Acts 11:18) Ah mih people, this just shows that we must not be too hasty to judge situations that don’t seem copasetic to our way of thinking, even if it does seem very unlikely in the natural, for in God’s hands and time, anything at all is possible. Unfortunately, time and space don’t allow us to get into another similar situation where Bruh Paul had to upbraid Peter in Antioch for being scared of the circumcised Jewish Christians and separating himself from eating with the Gentiles, which he had done before. (Gal.2:11-14) So Friends, whatever stand we take on a particular matter, please try and let it be that of God, as we faithfully believe, and don’t try to sit on the fence or jump from one side to the other, because we’re scared of what people will say. Remember a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. So let’s go out there in the big, bad, cruel, evil world and stand strong and steadfast in the truth of God’s Word, for it’s the only thing that will truly set us free. Much LOVE!…follow the Spirit’s leading…and you’ll never go astray…