Jesus was a popular dude. Have you ever considered that? An average Joe wouldn't have been able to attract crowds of thousands into the wilderness. But, it wasn't just His teaching or miracles that made him popular, although I'm sure those helped.
The Bible in a round-about way, lets us in on a little known fact about Jesus. He was a likable guy. Jesus had just started His public ministry when he was invited to a wedding.
Keep in mind that Jesus had never performed a miracle in public (or private as far as we know), so "miracle worker" hadn't become a part of his resume. Jesus didn't get into this wedding celebration based on His religious beliefs or any endorsement from the local rabbi.
None of that applied. Jesus was at this wedding, because he was well-liked. So well-liked, in fact, that the wedding party extended their invitation to a half-dozen or so strangers Jesus had picked up along the way.
What I like about this wedding story is that Jesus didn't strive to be a popular guy. We see evidence of that through the events that unfold over the next three years. Someone who strives to be popular never would've ended up nailed to a Roman cross.
Jesus' early popularity was because He was a genuinely nice guy. I'm sure the elders in His hometown had noticed that Jesus had a good head about Him. He probably had the same wisdom he displayed in his pre-teen years. In fact, the end of Luke 2 makes special note that Jesus was liked by those around him.
But, Jesus lived the Galatians 1:10 principle:
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please
man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
As we see throughout the remainder of the Gospels, even though he was popular, Jesus wasn't driven by that popularity. It didn't consume Him. Even when tempted, Jesus didn't compromise His mission or message to remain popular. Instead, Jesus was driven by the approval of God.
What are you driven by, the approval of man, or of God?
What are you driven by, the approval of man, or of God?
ReplyDeletegreat question.. Honestly I have been driven by the approval of man, and still am in many ways. I wonder how long it takes to shift that behavior? I am a people pleaser and I know that's a problem.
When my image is tied to what others think, I have to wait for them or their opinion to change before I feel good about myself. Problem is.. I cant change them, I can only change myself. Whatta mess, I wish I would have appreciated some of these concepts earlier in life.
We carry around so much baggage needlessly.