And He was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." (Luke 6:5 NASB)
Son of Man. This term was often used by Jesus to describe Himself. It is also used several places in Scripture other than by Jesus. In Daniel, this phrase is used concerning the Messiah. In Ezekiel, God uses it repeatedly when speaking to Ezekiel, and almost always with instructions for Ezekiel to either do or say. The passage in Ezekiel 2, though given as instructions for Ezekiel, is certainly descriptive of Jesus and His ministry on earth as well.
He said, “Son of man, I’m sending you to the family of Israel, a rebellious nation if there ever was one. They and their ancestors have fomented rebellion right up to the present. They’re a hard case, these people to whom I’m sending you—hardened in their sin. Tell them, ‘This is the Message of God, the Master.’ They are a defiant bunch. Whether or not they listen, at least they’ll know that a prophet’s been here. But don’t be afraid of them, son of man, and don’t be afraid of anything they say. Don’t be afraid when living among them is like stepping on thorns or finding scorpions in your bed. Don’t be afraid of their mean words or their hard looks. They’re a bunch of rebels. Your job is to speak to them. Whether they listen is not your concern. They’re hardened rebels. (Ezekiel 2:3-7 MSG)
What a description of the people of God, given by God Himself! It makes me wonder how God sees us, how He sees me. Read through the passage from Ezekiel again. Do you find yourself in that description? If the goal is perfect obedience (and it should be), then we can all find ourselves there in at least one area of our lives.
Pray today that God would give us and our loved ones a glimpse of our heart the way He sees it. Pray that He will reveal any hardness and rebellion and that we will have hearts that are both receptive to truth and eager to change. Pray that we and our loved ones will listen and learn.
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