Sometimes We Can Educate Ourselves Right Out of Heaven

# 647 - Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 12:35-37, Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? 36 "For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' 37 "Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?" And the common people heard Him gladly.

“Then Jesus answered,” is another way of saying that He added to the subject matter of the original question of the scribe which had to do with which commandment was the most important. It's like He was saying, “Look, the first commandment states that the Lord Your God is one and I want you to think a little bit more about this “oneness of God” as it relates to Me.

“How does this “oneness of God,” concept square up with David's Holy Spirit inspired statement about the Lord (the Messiah) coming from his loins! This cannot be an ordinary human descendant!” He must be God!

The Jews knew that the Messiah would come from the house of David, but they thought he would merely be an earthly king anointed by God. Jesus was in effect telling these people that they needed to confess with Peter that Jesus is more than that! He is the Christ the Son of the Living God! This confession is God-given and Jesus was giving it to them right now, but they rejected it. The common people did not. They heard Him gladly!

The word common here simply means the majority. The majority of the people were uneducated. It was one of the things that set them apart from the religious rulers.

This lack of sophistication on the part of the common people, put them in the same class as little children, and what did Jesus say about children? “for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:14) God doesn't ask us to check our brains at the door, but sometimes we can “educate” ourselves right out of heaven.

Father, this truth is so vital to our salvation. Only You can reveal it as You did with Peter. We pray for this revelation for those who do not yet know You. Grant them the faith of a child.