My wife really enjoys the TV show, America’s Got Talent. Me, I am not a Simon Cowell fan. However, two seasons ago, she got me interested in a talented illusionist named Shin Lim (stage name). His card manipulation and sleight of hand with elaborate up close routines greatly wow’ed me. How did he do what he did? It seemed like a miracle. Wow!
When Jesus was on earth, he wowed people with his healing. Thousands of people watched him do some amazing things. Man, can you imagine watching him feed 5000 from five loaves and two fish?! Or, when he made blind folks see, lame people walk, the mentally ill well, walked on water, silenced a howling, dangerous storm and even brought Lazarus back from the dead after laying in a tomb for four days. Let’s give the Lord’s actions a hearty, loud shout, “Wow!!!! Amazing stuff!!”
However, there was a problem. Jesus could not commit himself to the people who followed him around watching his miracles. Why?
- John 5:42 states the reason clearly, “I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.”
- Again, Jesus speaks out about the condition of their heart in Matthew 15:8, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Jesus knew the heart of the people and fully realized they followed after him with a what’s-in-it-for-me attitude. Their hearts remained hard without honor for Jesus or a desire to truly get to know him. They wanted to “be wowed” not “be loved.”
- Yet, there was a small band of followers of Jesus who chose to give their hearts and their needs to him and believed he was the anointed one who came to save, to love and be loved by them.
Today, we have the same choice. In many of our churches, we can be wowed by ultra-talented musicians and gifted speakers. And, during the Christmas season, we can experience wonderful, dramatic enactments of the birth of Christ that have the wow factor. My prayer is that we choose to love and be loved by Him and not just wowed.
There is an impassioned statement in Revelation 3:20 from our Lord to you personally, “Here I am! I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. What intimacy and fellowship of love Jesus greatly desires to share with you! But, to experience it, the door of your heart must be opened and kept open and with sincerity welcome him. Once you do, you will never ever regret that decision! Abundant living follows.
Be loved…
Barnabas Man 