EDUCATED

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not My own. It comes from the One who sent Me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about Him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law.

John 7:14-19a

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Jesus arrived in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles but He did so in secret, well knowing that the Jewish religious leaders were hoping they would find and kill Him. You’ll recall that Jesus’ brothers - James, Joseph, Judas and Simon (Matthew 15:35) - were already there, having gone ahead of Jesus. They had tried to convince Jesus to go with them, believing He wanted to be a public figure and so He needed to make sure He was visible to the public. They suggested that Jesus should do works for His disciples while at the Feast observance.

But Jesus did not go with them because He said it wasn’t the right time. He worked on the timeline set by God, His Father, and not His brothers or anyone else. This is why Jesus went later and did so incognito. That is, until halfway through the festival where as we see in today’s scripture passage, He started to do something He loved doing, teaching others because there was no doubt He was educated but not by way of conventional means. Look again at these words here:

Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not My own. It comes from the One who sent Me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about Him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law.”  John 7:14-19a

As Jesus taught the Jews in the temple, note their amazement at what they were hearing. They didn’t recognize Jesus as a Levite, one who was born into the priesthood and would spend His entire life tending to the temple and the religious lives of the people. They had also never seen Him in the company of the other teachers of the law and yet the teaching they were hearing was better than anyone else who had ever been in their presence. It left the temple crowd asking Jesus:

“How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

Jesus had no problem giving them the answer:

“My teaching is not My own. It comes from the One who sent Me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own.”

Of importance here, we see Jesus immediately not wanting to take credit for His education or the teaching He delivered. It was not of Himself but rather of God the Father, the One who had sent Him. In following God’s will, Jesus had arrived at the Jerusalem and the Feast of Tabernacles at the time God wanted to be there, He went to the temple at the time God wanted, and He delivered the teaching God gave Him to present.

You see, that’s the way it’s supposed to go. God dictates what His people should do and when they should do it. In turn, God’s people are expected to be obedient to His calling, doing what God desires at the time He dictates.

In other words, God’s people are to carry out the will of God.

What happens when they do?

Well, not only do they live in a way that honors God, in a way that is pleasing in His sight, but as Jesus lets the temple worshippers know, they can also gain the gift of discernment as to whether their teacher speaks on God’s behalf or their own.

Want to validate whether or not a teacher is valid and true in their teachings?

Stay connected to God and His will and word. False teaching will always be exposed when you do so.

This is a concept I always share with the adult group I teach at my home church. I challenge them to test everything I say to them by staying connected to God through the Holy Spirit and studying God’s word themselves. I never want them to take anything I say at face value.

As for my part of the deal, I never want to take any glory for any lesson I teach, regardless of the level of accolades given. This is because my teaching does not come from me but from God Himself. The same applies to all the devotions I have written, now numbering close to 2,800. In either of these situations, God sends me what He wants to be taught through the Holy Spirit. I write it down when teaching in church or type it into a document in the case of a devotion. The end product becomes what He has given and thus He, God the Father, can receive all the honor, glory, and praise. As for the teacher, they are a person of truth and there is nothing false about them. Their teaching can be trusted.

Conversely, look at what Jesus says about someone who speaks on their accord:

“Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory.”

This teacher is only about glorifying themselves. Perhaps they want everyone to know their name and are bent on gaining fame and renown. The focus of attention is always on themselves. Maybe you know some Christian teachers (to include pastors) like this. Jesus makes it clear. Self glorification is not of God’s will.

So what’s our takeaway?

The Lord is trying to make it clear that if you encounter anyone who seems to be amazingly educated in the ways of the Lord, a person who speaks the truth with no falsehood, it’s because that person is following the will of the Lord who has blessed them with their education.

I am grateful to be counted among that number and give thanks to God for educating Me and allowing Me to use that education to His glory. I pray that you in turn are blessed by His words.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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