A network television talent show was recently in town filming for an upcoming show. My daughter and I went to it and watched the variety of acts. The ultimate winner for the season gets $1 Million, so a lot was at stake. Some of the acts we saw were quite good, and some were just awful. There was a panel of judges that determined if the act would go on to the next stage of the competition. After one group had performed, one of the judges said "Listen, we are not here to tell you what you want to hear, we are here to tell you what you need to hear." He then went on to share his opinion of their weaknesses, even though they were a crowd favorite.
Sometimes we are in situations where we must say what someone needs to hear, even though it may not be the most popular. That is very much the situation in Matthew 19 as Jesus dealt with issues such as divorce, children, and salvation. At one point, even Christ's own disciples could not believe what He had said. "When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished" (v25). But Jesus told the truth. He gave people what they needed to hear in order to make the right decisions. With the rich young ruler, He cut through to the heart of the issue--he loved and trusted in material things and had no place for faith in Christ. Some people are never confronted with truth; rather they hear only what they want to hear, and suffer as a result. Elsewhere in Scripture, we are told to "speak the truth in love." God may place us in certain situations where we are the only bearers of truth. We must speak up for truth, but just as importantly, we must do it with love.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.
