Gifts for the Giver to Distribute
From John 7 – 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
Tad Friend noticed a paradoxical tension when he wrote in the March 5, 2018 issue of the New Yorker, "Network executives want a dab of originality, but mostly for marketing purposes."
This paradox of the freedom to be what makes one unique, but only so far as it enhances social acceptability or popularity is as old as the Bible. The fissure ran through Jesus' household and was vocalized by his brothers.
They can concede Jesus is different. Because His gifts COULD attract popular acclaim, they cannot fathom why He would not use every opportunity to enlist them for this purpose. In John 7:2-4, there is more than a hint of derision that He hasn't done so already. If we miss it, or mischaracterize it, the Holy Spirit helps by plainly calling in unbelief.
Jesus pushes back, for Himself and His own. As with His mother at the wedding at Cana, he is comfortable with the succinct, "My time has not yet come." His gifts are not His own. Their display, whether solely for the glory of His Heavenly Father or to draw wider attention to the glory of God, it's submitted to a greater plan.
Continuing into verse seven, Jesus won't even settle for a truce with worldly thinking. He rips the veil from it, diagnosing rightly that the words of his brothers flow from a different agenda, from a different master.
John 7:10 provides us with an interesting closure to this little scene. Jesus goes up anyway, but in such a way as to deliberately avoid drawing the attention to Himself that his brothers find so sensible. As Christ's own, then, we ought be just as averse to shunning where people and their needs are gathered as we are to pandering to popularity.
By putting ourselves where people and needs are, but recognizing that any gift we have to offer is God's alone, we wait with submitted equipoise. Use us, Father, or enjoy the unique aspects of Your image You put in us for Yourself alone. This is our coiled, contented prayer. He will do as He will.
6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
Tad Friend noticed a paradoxical tension when he wrote in the March 5, 2018 issue of the New Yorker, "Network executives want a dab of originality, but mostly for marketing purposes."
This paradox of the freedom to be what makes one unique, but only so far as it enhances social acceptability or popularity is as old as the Bible. The fissure ran through Jesus' household and was vocalized by his brothers.
They can concede Jesus is different. Because His gifts COULD attract popular acclaim, they cannot fathom why He would not use every opportunity to enlist them for this purpose. In John 7:2-4, there is more than a hint of derision that He hasn't done so already. If we miss it, or mischaracterize it, the Holy Spirit helps by plainly calling in unbelief.
Jesus pushes back, for Himself and His own. As with His mother at the wedding at Cana, he is comfortable with the succinct, "My time has not yet come." His gifts are not His own. Their display, whether solely for the glory of His Heavenly Father or to draw wider attention to the glory of God, it's submitted to a greater plan.
Continuing into verse seven, Jesus won't even settle for a truce with worldly thinking. He rips the veil from it, diagnosing rightly that the words of his brothers flow from a different agenda, from a different master.
John 7:10 provides us with an interesting closure to this little scene. Jesus goes up anyway, but in such a way as to deliberately avoid drawing the attention to Himself that his brothers find so sensible. As Christ's own, then, we ought be just as averse to shunning where people and their needs are gathered as we are to pandering to popularity.
By putting ourselves where people and needs are, but recognizing that any gift we have to offer is God's alone, we wait with submitted equipoise. Use us, Father, or enjoy the unique aspects of Your image You put in us for Yourself alone. This is our coiled, contented prayer. He will do as He will.
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