Vision 7
WELCOME to Leading Right. My name is Abiodun Fijabi. Still on Divine Dissatisfaction – our divinely inspired discontent with the status quo or the existing state of affairs in our lives, homes, organizations or nations. Why do I choose the word, ‘Divine’ to describe our discontent with the status quo?
The Bible at no time gave us the impression God is on the side of a disoriented life or society. His capacity for change is legendary and so is His desire to unleash the forces of change in His dealing with human beings. It is the reason why he had judges, prophets and kings in the Old Testament. It is the reason why his Son came. Jesus represented a new order that was diametrically opposed to the order of His days. And yet, he offered no apologies. It was a discontent against the evil of his days that made him go about doing good and healing all manner of diseases. When he raised the dead, he was distraught with death. When he healed the sick, he was at war with pain. And when he whipped the money changers out of the temple, he hated the idea of turning the house of God into a den of thieves.
I have never stopped to be amazed about Jesus’ hatred for traditions and customs that were not progressive. He wondered at the hypocrisies of the Pharisees in prayer and worship. He challenged old habits and practices that excused divorce on filmy reasons, and which denied parents of the support of their children for reasons of godless piety. He made friends with sinners and outcast to the annoyance of the religious people. He disobeyed their version of the Sabbath, insisting good works were permitted. He stunned his listeners when he said. “Man is not made for the Sabbath.” When He was accused of using evil power to cast our evil; he only wondered about their twisted thinking.
It would seem to me that His goal was to bring every man to a state of dissatisfaction with their lives and then move them to act differently. He did that for the Woman at the well, for Zacheaus - the small-stature tax collector, for the arrogant rich young ruler, and for the learned but ignorant Nichodemus, among others.
Once he was traveling with his disciples as recorded in Matthew 9. He had been touring many towns and villages teaching, preaching and healing as it was his custom. In verse 36 it was recorded that “when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. “ Finis Jennings Dake had defined the word translated Compassion here to mean, “That drawing and inner agitation of the innermost part at the sight of any distressed or miserable object. It causes a revolting action in the innermost being to bring deliverance from such unlawful and inhuman misery and suffering.”
Divine dissatisfaction characterized the life and work of Jesus. It should characterize ours if we are to make the needed impact in our society.
Dear listener, are you divinely dissatisfied enough to evolve a vision that is capable of lifting you and your community?
The Bible at no time gave us the impression God is on the side of a disoriented life or society. His capacity for change is legendary and so is His desire to unleash the forces of change in His dealing with human beings. It is the reason why he had judges, prophets and kings in the Old Testament. It is the reason why his Son came. Jesus represented a new order that was diametrically opposed to the order of His days. And yet, he offered no apologies. It was a discontent against the evil of his days that made him go about doing good and healing all manner of diseases. When he raised the dead, he was distraught with death. When he healed the sick, he was at war with pain. And when he whipped the money changers out of the temple, he hated the idea of turning the house of God into a den of thieves.
I have never stopped to be amazed about Jesus’ hatred for traditions and customs that were not progressive. He wondered at the hypocrisies of the Pharisees in prayer and worship. He challenged old habits and practices that excused divorce on filmy reasons, and which denied parents of the support of their children for reasons of godless piety. He made friends with sinners and outcast to the annoyance of the religious people. He disobeyed their version of the Sabbath, insisting good works were permitted. He stunned his listeners when he said. “Man is not made for the Sabbath.” When He was accused of using evil power to cast our evil; he only wondered about their twisted thinking.
It would seem to me that His goal was to bring every man to a state of dissatisfaction with their lives and then move them to act differently. He did that for the Woman at the well, for Zacheaus - the small-stature tax collector, for the arrogant rich young ruler, and for the learned but ignorant Nichodemus, among others.
Once he was traveling with his disciples as recorded in Matthew 9. He had been touring many towns and villages teaching, preaching and healing as it was his custom. In verse 36 it was recorded that “when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. “ Finis Jennings Dake had defined the word translated Compassion here to mean, “That drawing and inner agitation of the innermost part at the sight of any distressed or miserable object. It causes a revolting action in the innermost being to bring deliverance from such unlawful and inhuman misery and suffering.”
Divine dissatisfaction characterized the life and work of Jesus. It should characterize ours if we are to make the needed impact in our society.
Dear listener, are you divinely dissatisfied enough to evolve a vision that is capable of lifting you and your community?
posted by Abiodun Fijabi at 6:19 PM
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