John 5:17 God is Subtle

Luke 7:11-35

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Jesus and John the Baptist

18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way before you.’

28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

31 Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,

and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge,

and you did not cry.’

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

John 5:17

God is Always At Work

17 In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."

1 John 3:19-20

God Knows All Things

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Our LORD and Savior is a subtle God...The world centers around Jesus and God, yet one would not know that by His actions...But we would know it by His deeds...

When Jesus raised the widow's son in the town of Nain people were filled with awe and praised God...They praised God, because they knew a normal man could not raise the dead...And it was not an ordinary Man who raised the widow's son, it was very much a very unique Man...A Man that could do miracles, like saving a widow's son from his early death, was one who would not make comments about His miracles...No doubt the mother, the boy, and the boy's family would be changed forever...Hope would be forever with that family...Yet, we do hear much about the fanfare of that event, other than those people that saw it, did praise God...Fanfare and attention are not what Jesus is looking for...Flattery over His miracles is not what He wants...So Jesus then quietly leaves after this most incredible miracle and went on with His teaching and then later on to the next town...He goes about these things and miracles so subtly and naturally...And after He raises the young boy from his death, He is confronted by the disciples of John the Baptist...John is in prison and wants to know from Him firsthand, if He is the Messiah...And in His answering John the Baptist's Disciples, we get another teaching about Him and John...We would get other teachings as He continued His day and later we would get other miracles...And after each of His miracles, Jesus says little, very little about them...

But let us imagine that you were at a funeral today, and you touched the casket that the paw-bearers were carrying, then said a few words, and the dead body raised up and was again alive...The people watching, the newspapers, the news shows, the internet would be abuzz with talk about what you had just done...I might bet you would be in the national news and they might even send cars and trucks to your house...And if you did a second miracle, I would bet very much they would be all around your front door...And how would you react after doing this first great feat?...Would you care for all the pomp and circumstance you would be getting?...Or would all the news and immediate fame get in the way of what you wanted to do next in your life that day and the next day and the next week?...Would you want to go about your day as a normal day?...And would you ever have a normal day again?...Would you even had known how you did what you just done?...

God could easily overwhelm us with any miracle, but He chooses not to...Jesus treats all His miracles as a normal part of His day...Jesus would go about His day and move one to the next things we was to do, but He forever changes the lives of those He touches...God chooses not to overwhelm us at all...Jesus shows us what it is to be a subtle God...As Jesus raised the widow's son and then as some time had passed that day moves on to what He is to do next in His day...His life is not about fame, nor is it in talking about His last miracle...He is at work and God is always at His work...He is a compassionate Father who lives in the present and not in His last miracle...He is a Father who wants to help the people in need, like the widow of Nain, and then to help the next person...He is in control of His time and all of time...Our Father knows what He does and how He does things...God knows all things...

Jesus knows how the world operates...Jesus completely understands that God is in control and worships and praises Him in total belief...So He has no problem in doing God's will...And by understanding, accepting, and completely believing in God, He is truly independent of the things around Him, yet completely in LOVE with those He meets and affects...