Obedience (Matthew 12:50) is not something that we embrace easily

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 12:50 (TM)

Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys my heavenly Father's will is my brother and sister and mother.

STORY:

How we admire the obedience a dog shows to its master! Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that's exactly what he did. Then a fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn't move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master's word. With tearful eyes, the dog's owner said, "I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it."

OBSERVATION:

If the truth be known we are not very obedient people. The posted speed limit might be 55 and we go 60 or 65. Am I right or am I right? Entrance and Exit signs are ignored. The checkout sign says “10 items or less,” we might only have 15 or maybe 20 and there is a wait at the other lines so we get in the express lane. Right? Obedient is a passing fancy depending on the circumstances. We have a tendency to quantify it depending on the circumstances and our personal need.  

Jesus was being asked who is mother and brothers were when he talked about obedience. It boils down to a relationship with the heavenly Father. Doing what God wants us to do regardless if it is convenient or to our best interest. It is a Kingdom issue.

Listening to reports from our public schools confirms quickly that obedience is a lost art. Something has happened between the generations. Obedience has become a matter of personal preference. And then I read about the man’s dog who lost its life by being obedient to his masters voice. Hmmmm

Can that kind of obedience be found in us? Should it be found in us? Is God expecting to find that kind of obedience be found in us? Or is okay just to fudge a little bit in the living of our days?

PRAYER:

God we know what you want us to do, but the requirement is so demanding, so large, so total. Help us to be obedient by being who we say we are and doing what we believe.