John the Baptist portrayed Jesus as the One with a fan in His hand. "Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. "(Matt.3:12).
Floor and chaff grow together. But at the time of winnowing, the farmer separates the grain from the chaff. The farmer gathers the grains in the garner but burns up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The chaff in fact protects the grain from heat or cold and from any bacteria. The chaff does a very good job for the corn it covers. But ultimately it is thrown into unquenchable fire.
Today we find many servants of God who claiming themselves "prophets" protect the grains from the attack of bacteria. But they remain as the chaff for ever. They always do the ministry of condemnation of those who are in error or those who have been deceived by the Devil. They kill the sheep which have already been wounded by the wolves.
Prophet Isaiah prophesied on the ministry of Jesus. "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen: My Beloved, in Whom My soul is well pleased: I will My Spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry: neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory "(Matt.12:18-20).
Jesus did not strive nor did He cry to subdue His enemies or to correct those who were in error. He only spoke the truth but exposed the Pharisees and the Scribes. He could have strived with them and convinced the whole world about the correctness of His doctrines. He could have cried loudly in the audience of the whole of Israel and justified His doctrines and His mission. He knew the weaknesses of Pharisees and the High Priests or the Roman rulers who crucified Him at the instance of the Pharisees and the High Priests. He could have strived with them and shown to the whole world that He had a mission to redeem Israel and that the Pharisees and the High Priests were wrong. He could have quoted the Scriptures, argued with the Roman rulers and proved the Pharisees and the High Priests wrong. He could have gone to every street and proved that the accusing Pharisees and the High Priests were doctrinally wrong. The man in the streets did not hear His voice. He spoke in the synagogues and in the market places and taught the people. He gave His wonderful sermons on the Mount. Yet, the man in the streets did not hear His voice. Had they heard His voice, He would not have been crucified. The whole land of Israel would have revolted against His crucifixion. But, He did not justify Himself before the Roman rulers. He kept quite before them. This was the secret of His ministry.
Jesus did not break a bruised reed. Nor did He quench the smoking flax. He remained as the corn, fell on the ground and died for the whole world.
Today, we condemn the weak sheep and kill through our swords the sheep already wounded by the Devil. We quench the smoking flax. This is the difference between our "so-called" prophetic ministry and the ministry of the Great Prophet. No doubt, Jesus took the whip in His hand and drove away the traders from the premises of the Temple. It happened only once. He did not strive to take the whip all the days of His ministry.
I exhort my brethren and sisters who call themselves "prophets" to bring forth the love of Christ through their ministries. Let them neither strive nor cry. But they should shed tears before the Lord for those who are in error and should serve those who are in error with all the humility.
A humble child of God who does not dare to call himself a prophet may manifest the love of Christ in his life. And he might have been protected by a servant of God who claimed to be a prophet, from the false doctrines of "wolves in sheep's clothing". The humble child of God concerned may become a grain to be gathered in the garner of Christ Jesus whereas the proud "prophet" may become a chaff to be burnt with unquenchable fire. Let both the corn and the chaff grow together in the same environment till the time of harvest.
- Job Anbalagan