Luke 6:17 “And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,”
Notice here several groups of people. First, there were the twelve just listed, whom Jesus came down with. Then there was the crowd of disciples. Third we see two groups who came to see Jesus from Judea and from the seacoast. These two groups that came to see Him were then not yet His disciples. And though they did come to be healed, we are also told they came to hear Him.
Though surely today people still come to Christ for healing, do they still come to church or a preaching service or whatever to ‘hear’ something? I know people will come to hear what they want to hear, to have their ego stroked or their sins minimized, or things of that nature. But do they come to hear something like what they heard from Christ? In our day it seems as if we must do anything and everything to draw a crowd, but our teaching is not one of the things we use. Should it not be the primary and purest way? Should it not be the chief attempt? Should it not be our focus?
The day needs to come in which people visit church or are come to activities with Christians because of what they will hear. They will come to hear something that cannot be heard anywhere else. Ah, but so often the message of the gospel minister and the message of the world sounds so similar. Have we modified our message thinking that making it sound like the rest of the world will make it more attractive? Or has the enemy just counterfeited it so successfully that it is hard to pick out from the chorus of voices? These are questions we must grapple with. But, rest assured, the truth still attracts a crowd, though they who then stay and become disciples will be fewer in number.
Heavenly Father, in this confusing day we need Your wisdom. Good is being called evil and evil is being touted as good. I praise You for the clarity we find in Scripture. If we will but look under the direction of the Spirit, we will find things new and old to pull out and wonder at. You have given us what we need because Your wisdom is perfect. You haven’t forgotten anything, and you have revealed all that you needed to. Thank You for how You work in our lives. Your mercy and grace are truly amazing. You draw people to Yourself and Your timing is perfect. We need Your teaching because we need Your thinking. Ours is so twisted and confused. Thank You for the truth! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.