By: Elizabeth Haarberg

Making Ourselves Palatable

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

Jesus changed his stories and words for His audience. Because He could only do what God was doing, Jesus moved as God instructed and His words and actions followed the instruction.

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” John 5:19 ESV

Jesus spoke directly about His mission to some and in parables to others. How does this impact our mission while we are here on earth?

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” Matthew 13:34-35 ESV

There are examples in the Bible of God speaking directly to people.

Then God began to speak directly to all the people. Exodus 20:1 TV

The people were afraid and wouldn’t respond to God so they used Moses as a mediator between God and themselves. God gave them the opportunity to commune with Him and they said no.

All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.” Exodus 20:18-19 AMPC

When Jesus was sent to speak about His kingdom, Jesus was a very easy figure to approach because He looked like us, but He was still rejected by those whom He was offering Himself. Jesus tried to reach everyone in a multitude of ways, but He taught us that we can’t force people to accept Him. We needed a more palatable way for people to receive.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6 ESV

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. Matthew 5:13 ESV

Pray for our words and actions to be like delicious, desirable food, something that others are drawn to and want to eat. Very rarely are hearts turned toward God through arguments or dissension. Pray for the Holy Spirit to enter into our bodies to make us more like Jesus and in turn make us more palatable to the world.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado