Daily Devotions
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!”
“I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:39-40
Some years ago, a famous jewelry store on New York’s high-end Fifth Avenue announced they were having a promotional presentation. With great pomp and considerable advertising, they unveiled a flawless 70-carat diamond. For this trivial bauble, the company paid a record $1,050,000.
For days, the curious waited in queue to get a glimpse of the diamond. A short bald man peered condescendingly at the gigantic jewel protected in the theft-proof glass case. He leaned over and whispered to his wife, “I can see a flaw, but let’s keep it a secret. I wouldn’t want to say anything to the company.” A chic and stylish lady concluded, “You know, it really isn’t that beautiful.” “It’s too large,” said one woman in rhinestone-studded glasses. “I think it’s vulgar, but I just had to see it,” commented another. At the end of two weeks, the guard assigned to protect the jewel sadly said, “I’ve heard more ‘trash talk’ these last two weeks than in my entire life.”
Trash talk was part of Jesus’ daily fare. People trash-talked Him when He associated with serious sinners (Matthew 9:11). They trash-talked Him for not obeying their man-made laws (Matthew 9:14) or for the way He and His disciples remembered the Sabbath (Matthew 12:2). They trash-talked Him for the way He kept traditions and for the stories He told (Matthew 21:45-46).
Trash talkers are still around; you can still hear them speaking against the Savior. They can be found in our courts where prayers are hushed and commandments are concealed. In our schools, trash talkers take textbooks and rewrite them so centuries are shown to be without the Lord. Trash talkers minimize every contribution made by Christians in Jesus’ name.
It is my prayer that you will realize that trash talkers are simply trying to stop you from seeing the Savior and His sacrifice. I pray God will let you see, most clearly, Christ’s love that has taken from us that which would have crushed us. We don’t deserve it, but He has saved us. See Him and join me in rejecting the talk of those whose tongues speak only trash about the Savior. Instead, with gladness and joy, may we shout the praises of Him who has loved us.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, open my heart and mind to your will. Guard my ears and heart against “trash talkers”. May I not only see, but also act upon the opportunities you place before me today to shout your praises to those around me. Amen.
Excerpt from The Lutheran Hour sermon preached on April 13, 2003