Have you ever reflected on a situation
and declared, “I should have known!”? Perhaps you left something out and the
kids (or your spouse!) got into it; “I should have known I needed to put that
away!” Perhaps you decided to trust someone that you felt was not trustworthy
and got taken advantage of; “I should have known he’d cheat me!” Perhaps you
tried to do something difficult and failed and moaned, “I should have known I’d
fail.” Truth be told, whether or not you really should have known in the cases
above – and probably most of the time - is debatable. However,
Jesus makes statements to the religious
leaders of His day two times to say to them, “You should have known!” and in
this case it is not debatable. The first when they confronted Him about the
children crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” and the second after
telling the Parable of the Tenants. Each time Jesus asked these men whose job
it was to know the Bible, “Have you never read in the Scriptures…?”
“You should have known!” is what He is
saying to them. “Look at the prophecies, hear what the Word says! You should
have known that I am the Messiah, the Son of David! You should have known that
the vineyard – God’s kingdom and its blessings – would be taken from you for
rejecting God’s messengers and His Son! You should have known!”
One of the greatest dangers to us as
Christians is when we ignore what the Scriptures tell us in favor of our own
preferences, comfort, and ideas. It is also very concerning that statistics
show that if Jesus were to ask His question, “Have you never read in the
Scriptures …?,” the answer would likely be, “No. No, I haven’t,” because
Biblical illiteracy is very high in the church today.
People are unaware of what God’s Word
says, and as people read the Bible less and hear God’s Word at church more sporadically,
there will be more and more issues regarding truth and right doctrine. More and
more people will find ways to “excuse” sin and “normalize” wicked behavior. In
the meantime, though, God’s Word still speaks; creating and sustaining faith,
as well as preserving God’s people. It is in Him that we put our trust and our
hope for the future, even as we go again and again to the Scriptures to be
strengthened and comforted.
O God, sustain me in the true faith and help
me love Your Word. Amen.
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