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Be Practical

One of the most charming things about the Lord Jesus was how practical He was. He could argue religion and philosophy with the best of them - better than the best of them, but even when He did that, it was often in a disarmingly simple way. Jesus had his feet firmly planted in the dust of Judea, Samaria and Galilee and spoke of things common to the people of that part of the world.

In His teaching, He told stories and use everyday examples, that were readily accessible to His hearers. He talked about agriculture, sowing, growing and reaping. He talked about nature, birds, trees, grass and flowers. He talked about aspects of family life, from patching clothes to marital fidelity. He talked about a woman searching for lost money and an insistent friend. These were things with which people could identify.

In His ministry, He did what needed to be done. As a rabbi, He did a lot of preaching and teaching, but there was a practical side to His ministry which was dazzling. In Matthew 4:23 and 24 we read that”... Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.”

He also fed the hungry when it was necessary. On one occasion the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away before they had eaten at the end of the day. But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” The disciples protested that all they had were five loaves and two fish. Undisturbed, Jesus said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He told the crowd to sit down and after giving thanks for the food, fed the hungry people.

Jesus was also practical as He related to His disciples. While He was the Son of God, He was also the Son of Man and subject to the physical needs that all humans experience. He made sure that He and His followers rested and refreshed themselves when necessary. As an example I’ll point you to one situation where they had been very busy - too busy to eat - as a matter of fact, so Jesus took them on a quiet little outing to a deserted place. (See Mark 6:30-32)

Jesus’ emphasis was on living out the truth not just knowing the truth. He condemned those who missed the point. He often challenged the religious leaders for their heartless religiosity, often using strong language like this: “... woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13)

As we seek to follow Jesus, let us not forget how practical He was. He will give us opportunities to get our hands dirty - to really connect with people by serving them in very practical ways. Let’s not content ourselves with discussions of the truth, let's live it.

Ron Hughes
© June 2009