Unrecognized

Unrecognized
By Shirley Mitchell
"Jesus replied, 'You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.' "
Matthew 22:29

I just finished reading this fiction trilogy about a world where the spiritual things that happen in our world are more visible. In our world, the forces of good and evil cannot be seen. We can only see their effects. In the world of the book, good and evil were obvious and marked by visible traits.

One of the books paralleled the time of the Old Testament. Sin was seen on those who had not accepted the book's analogy to the Law of Moses in the form of a disease. Their skin rotted, and their flesh stunk. The people of God, Elyon, daily washed themselves, cleansing themselves from sin just like the Israelites offered sacrifices in the temple. It was obvious the book was setting up for Jesus to come on the scene in a stunning way so I waited for Him to show Himself.

While I waited, there was this one character that I just didn't like. The first mention of him was when the second in command of the army asked Elyon if any should die in battle that day, let it be that traitor. He had turned down a promotion in the army just when he was needed the most. He lived as an outcast from the others.

He abandoned their pillars of the faith. Their religion consisted of rules and celebrations and traditions meant to keep the people from straying, but he turned his back on their religion and spoke of heresy. He possessed the audacity to defy the religious leaders that I had respected in the book. He spoke of peace with the enemy, instead of killing the enemy who hunted them down and would slaughter them all including women and children. His talk was treasonous.

His voice was confident and the voice of a leader. Some thought it was no wonder he'd bewitched so many. They knew the enemy bewitched their own with slippery tongues and black magic. He talked about waging a new kind of war. He spoke with arrogance.

His popularity was great. The crowds cheered and chanted his name. Never before had there been such a display of worship for one man. He claimed the authority of the Creator. I wanted to shout to the crowd, "Don't you know that he is a deceiver? He is a manipulator!"

When he encountered children, he sickened me how his eyes sparkled and face lit up. Some people said that he deceived the innocent with a few soft words. For one little girl, his voice was like magic, and she was a princess swept off her feet. For me that was it! The blood rose up the back of my neck. My jaw clenched, and my nostrils flared as a deep breath came out of my nose. How dare he deceive a sweet innocent girl!

Then the story turned when he brokered a deal with the enemy army and the chief religious leader for peace and appointed a time to fulfill it. Then, this man that I thought was a traitor found the leader of the army's wife wounded and dying alone. Compassionately, he kissed her on the forehead, and told her to trust in the plan no matter how terrible or what the cost. Then he said, "Remember me." When he said "remember me" both the woman's and my eyes were opened. This man was the book's analogy to Jesus!

I was horrified! I was a blind Pharisee. I had not seen the signs just like the Pharisees did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah and the Son of God. Just like they held too tightly to tradition, I held too tightly to the religious way of life that the book had indoctrinated me into. I thought he was sowing doubt into truth and leading people astray. Yet, he was speaking the truth. I didn't recognize him even though I was looking for Messiah to come! I didn't identify him out of the cast of characters even though I know the story well of the true Messiah.

Just like this so called "traitor" in the book challenged the traditions of the religious leaders, so did Jesus. Jesus silenced the Sadducees (Matthew 22:34) by telling them they were in error because they did not know the Scripture or the power of God. When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus in His words, He knew their evil intent and said to them, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?" (Matthew 22:15, 18) None of these teachers of the Law recognized who He was.

I thought how easy it is then for us to not be able to recognize God's activity in our world today. Beloved, you and I must be diligent to have eyes that see God's plan for our lives and not to resist Him when He is doing a new thing. We cannot be blinded to the stage that God is setting - both for His plans for us as individuals and for the world. How hard will it be with as many prophetic preachers that there are for God's people to see the truth about the last days as they are unfolding before our eyes. Let's ask God for His vision of people, our personal world, and the events of the world today.

Pray with me: Oh, Lord, how easy it is for us to be deceived. We live in the days of deception. We see many unaware and unable to recognize what You want done on earth. We don't want to be duped, deluded, or tricked so, God, fill us with truth. Sanctify us with Your truth. Let us have spiritual eyes to not fall for the ploys of the enemy. May we not be taken captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8), but may we be liberated through the Word of God and power of the Spirit. It's in the Name above all names, in Jesus' Name, Yeshua's Name, we pray. Amen.

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