March 20, 2012 What's a Command?

What’s a Command?

Mark 7:36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

“WHAT IS wrong with you? Don’t you ever listen to anything I say?”
You probably have heard that from someone who has asked you, told you, even commanded you to do something. You didn’t do what you were commanded to do, and the person was completely frustrated with you. After all, isn’t the only appropriate response to an appropriate command to do it?
But that’s not mankind’s response to the commands of the Holy Trinity. Do you see what happened when “Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone”? What did “they” do? “The more he (commanded them to not tell), the more they kept talking about it.”
What is humanity’s problem, anyway? Why are we so disobedient? Jesus often gives this command when he heals, and every time he does, people disobey him and talk about it. Is it not a wonder that Jesus continued his work to save such a disobedient people?
But isn’t that true of history? From the very beginning, God commanded Adam and Eve to not eat the forbidden fruit. They disobeyed. God gave the Hebrews the Ten Commandments. They disobeyed. The prophets commanded God’s people to repent. The people disobeyed. Jesus came to command His people to believe His Good News. The people disobeyed. Now the Spirit of God comes to command to you the truth of God’s Word.
What do you do?


Pause and consider: there’s only one appropriate response to God’s commands.