A Devotions for January 13, 2016

Wednesday: When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied (Matthew 2:4-5a; NIV).

            The chief priests also had a sort of wisdom, but again it wasn’t a godly wisdom. They knew the value of accommodation.

            Think about it. When Herod asked them about the Messiah, they had a ready answer: “In Bethlehem.” There was nothing wrong with their knowledge of the Scriptures. On the other hand, what indication does the story ever give that they chief priests were themselves willing to go and investigate the child? There’s no indication! Those who knew about the Messiah and desired the Messiah were unwilling—probably for fear of Herod—to go look for the Messiah. They knew it was safer to accommodate the powers of the age than to pursue the things of God.

            I wonder if our age is any different. Are we accommodated to the age? Choose your topic: abortion, any number of sexual practices, the way we manage and spend our time (I’m thinking of the fact that the average American spends more time watching TV in a day than he does in religious practices each week...) Do we find it simply easier to go along with the age?

            Thanks be to God that this Messiah pursued the things of God relentlessly—all the way to the cross—for our salvation! There was no spirit of accommodation in our Redeemer, Jesus.