PEACE IS HIDDEN FROM YOUR EYES
“PEACE IS HID FROM YOUR EYES”
Sunday, March 12, 2016, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
As we continue with the story of Jesus’ path to the Cross and Resurrection Glory, storm-clouds are breaking through the evening sky of the closing days of the Great “Light of the World.” We now come to the story of the Sabbath evening (the day before the Savior’s arrival in Jerusalem).
There was a feast given in the Bethany Home in honor of the Divine Guest. Many Jews had crossed the hill in order to meet Jesus as well as to see Lazarus. The supper was given by Martha, Mary and their Brother; it was “in the house of Simon the leper.”
As I have mentioned in a previous sermon, I like the story-line of the probability that Simon was the father of the household. Being a leper, he had been obliged, hitherto, like all such sufferers to live by himself. Jesus had healed him.
Simon’s heart was full of gratitude to the Great Physician, not only had he been healed, but his only son had been raised from the dead.
It would be a time of rejoicing and salvation in that tabernacle of the righteous. The miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus had led many to believe on Jesus. It also provoked the Temple leaders to want to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus.
Jesus was reclining on a couch by the table when Mary came, kneeling down and breaks a box filled with a pound of ointment of spikenard.
Song 1:12: “While the king sits at his table, my spikenard sends forth the smell thereof.”
The whole house was filled with the odor. What a beautiful token this was of her devotion and love! The alabaster box was probably her most valued possession.
As Mary was busy bestowing her costly gift, the disciples were being tested in their hearts.
They were poor men and judged her for pouring on their Master something so valuable. Jesus had taught them to be kind and give alms to the needy. He had blessed a poor widow for putting her mite into the Temple treasury. He had spoken severely about a rich man, who had neglected the poor at his gate, and spent all upon himself---on his dress and his table.
Only three days before, Jesus had been pleased at hearing Zaccheus say that he would give half of his goods to feed the poor.
They murmured against her. Murmuring is the same as making a false judgment. “If only I had possessed this alabaster box,” said Judas, “I might have sold it for a large sum and given it to the poor.” Jesus knew well the greedy purpose of that wicked man. Jesus defended Mary. “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has blessed me with a good work. For you have the poor with you always, and when ever you will, you may do them good; but Me you have not always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body to the burying…” (Mk. 14:6-9).
At that rebuke, “Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray Him to them.”
Judas had appeared like his brother Apostles, to love Jesus. The vile purpose in his heart gets the better of him. The trigger Satan used appears to be his “greed” and “indignation” of the value of the gift bestowed on Jesus.
We can assume without stretching the written word, that until this time, he had clung to the thought as did the others of Jesus founding a temporal kingdom. In the prospect of such a kingdom, He certainly had hopes of becoming the royal treasurer. By having charge of the King’s money, he would have ample opportunity to satisfy his own avarice. But now all these delusions of grandeur are at an end.
He left the feast in the house of Simon, and plunged out into the dark night. Going straight to Jerusalem, he had his first secret interview with the priestly leaders of the nation---entering into a shameful conspiracy with them to betray Jesus for far less than the worth of Mary’s alabaster box. For thirty Jewish shekels the ungrateful, mean-souled man, has agreed to deliver up the King of Glory.
Such an act as that of Judas stands alone in the world’s history.
Though our nation’s leaders are not directly persecuting our Lord and Savior, still their motives, conspiracies and dark waters are of the spirit of Judas.
The Jews were looking for a King and Messiah in their image. Today Christians have been pryaing for a deliverer to deliver our nation from the spirit of anti-Christ. It appears that Donald J. Trump is a deliverer. However, to many Christians, he is not made in their image. He is certainly not in the image of the Politically correct elite.
Mark 14:21: “The Son of man indeed goes, as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
Jerusalem is at last in sight, and because the general expectation is that the prophecies concerning the kingdom will be fulfilled once they arrive within the city, Jesus tells them another parable.
A nobleman, going to a distant capital to have himself appointed king, leaves with ten servants a pound each that they may occupy and trade until he returns. He is not popular, and the citizens hate him. They sent a message after him, saying we will not have this man to reign over us.
On his return having received the kingdom, he calls the servants to give account of their stewardship; the successful ones are rewarded according to their success. One is given ten cities and the other five cities. One who confesses he has made no effort is rebuked and his pound taken from him and given to the man that has ten pounds; the rebels who have tried to throw off their master’s rule are slain.
Luke 19:26-27: “I say to you, That to every one which has shall be given; and from him that has not, even that he has shall be taken away from him. Those who are my enemies, which rebelled against me reigning over them, bring them here and slay them before me.”
It is my persuasion this is a separate parable than the talents of Matthew 25:14. The apostles had dreamed of sitting at the right hand of Jesus when he established his kingdom in Jerusalem.
They have a great work to do now. Their master leaves them, and at parting, he gives each of them a gifts and responsibility. Their honor in this world is only that of traders. To those who endeavor to increase the grace they have, God will impart more; those who neglect it can expect the grace be removed.
They also expected that when the Kingdom of God should appear, the Jewish nation would immediately believe on Jesus Christ. Christ tells them that after his departure, most of the Jews would persist in their obstinacy and rebellion.
There are also those who believe this has a dual meaning and was a prophecy concerning Herod. Josephus tells how Herod’s will divided his territories after his death among his family. Before the bequests became valid, they had to be confirmed by the Roman Emperor. Herod’s son Archelaus went to Rome for confirmation in his post, and was in fact followed by an embassy of protesting Jews. In the event, Caesar Augustus sided with Archelaus.
Luke19:28: “When Jesus had thus spoken, He went before ascending up to Jerusalem.
The first glimpse of the Holy City is obtained. A wonderful view reveals itself. The whole of Jerusalem rises up all at once like a beautiful vision within its walls, towers and domes.
“Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion, in the sides of the north, the city of the Great King.”
When Jesus came near, the tears flow down his cheeks---“When he came near, He beheld the city, and wept over it.”
He knew what none of the joyful multitudes knew, that not many years hence, all that splendid vision would melt away; that Roman armies would be encamped around the city.
“There should not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.” (Lk. 21:6)
Perhaps he weeps because He thinks of the sin that will cause the overthrow of Israel and bring about the entire ruin of the nation. One commentary says the word for wept here means a loud lament and deep sobs.
“If you had known in this day the things that belong to your peace, but now they are hid from your eyes.” (Luke 19:42)
Could it be that we have been sent another delivery to deliver our nation and Christians to peace, but like the Jews because he is not in our image, we cannot receive him.
After this affecting pause, the “King of the Jews” moves on. The procession descends the road past the Garden of Gethsemane, crossing the brook Kedron they enter the streets of the city as the prophet Zechariah had long ago foretold.
Jesus sees before Him now what earlier was but the distant goal. It is now the first day of the Passover week which is the Christian Palm Sunday.
To be continued.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church\
Scripture from K.J.V.
I entered into the labors of Rev. John Ross MacDuff, Brighter Than the Sun. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Rev. MacDuff.