Jesus & Enforceable Statements
You’d think that every statement Jesus made would automatically be an enforceable statement. After all, He has the Holy Spirit on His side. Couldn’t He simply compel us to follow His will?
Ah, yes, I suppose He could; He is God. However, God in His infinite wisdom doesn’t work like that. While we can’t possibly choose God—choose to believe Him, follow Him, live for Him—without the power of the Holy Spirit, God still allows us to reject Him through our own sinful nature. So despite the fact that Jesus is God, His statements are not instantaneously and automatically enforceable. Through sin, we can reject Jesus. Therefore, when we find examples of Jesus making enforceable statements, it’s not an accident. Jesus remains the best at Love & Logic.
The most commonly repeated enforceable statement from Jesus is “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” It’s a rather frustrating statement, because it kind of sounds like Jesus isn’t going to do anything about making people listen to Him. And while it is certainly true that Jesus wants all people to be saved, goes out searching for us like lost coins-sheep-sons, and continues to send His Holy Spirit into our hearts to convert us, Jesus still allows for people to ignore Him.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:8, English Standard Version) is kind of like saying, “If you listen, I will tell you the Good News of salvation.” It is the most basic form of an enforceable statement. As parents, we can tell our children what we will do/say if they act/listen.
When our oldest son, Samuel, was almost 3, I found that it isn’t so much the action that keeps him from behaving, but rather his ears. I say, “Samuel, I will let you keep holding your cars if you are a helper about changing your diaper.” He continues to run away, kick, roll out of my hands, etc. He did not listen, so he missed the part about the cars being taken away. He did not listen, so he didn’t even realize that his misbehavior was going to have consequences. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” After I take away the cars, Samuel suddenly remembers he has ears; he listens more the next time (sometimes) as I say an enforceable statement.
There are other examples of Jesus using enforceable statements—explaining how He will follow through on a promise if people listen or act in response:
** When Jesus calls the first disciples saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Really Jesus is saying, “If you follow me, I will make you fishers of men.” He promises to use those men as His evangelists if they follow Him. The statement was prepared to handle someone deciding to stay with his boats. The unenforceable statement would have been: “Be my fishers of men!” (Matthew 4:18-22)
** When Jesus calls Matthew and goes to eat at his house, the Pharisees grumble that Jesus shouldn’t eat with tax collectors and sinners. Knowing that the Pharisees didn’t really have their listening ears on, Jesus does not go into a long defense of His methods. Instead, He uses an enforceable statement: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus would teach them about His methods once they came prepared to learn. (Matthew 9:9-13)
** Although the earliest manuscripts do not include John 7:53-8:11, it is probably once the best examples of enforceable statements—or actually an unenforceable statement. The woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus, and the scribes and Pharisees want Jesus to either condemn her to death or to expose Himself to their accusations that He does not uphold the Law correctly. Rather than falling into their trap, Jesus makes the Pharisees and scribes consider an unenforceable statement: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” The Pharisees and scribes know they are sinful; to stone the woman would be agreeing with this unenforceable statement. In this case, the enforceable statement behind the words of Jesus might be something like: “If you are without sin, I will allow you to stone this woman.”
Of course, as I hinted at the beginning, using Jesus an example for enforceable statements does not always translate into what works with us. Jesus can make statements that are unenforceable (for us) but are enforceable for Him. He can predict the future (Peter’s denial, Judas’ betrayal, His own death), and we cannot (whether our children will fail a class, get arrested). However, while we must accept our limitations (we can’t really follow WWJD at all times), enforceable statements certainly help us acknowledge our limitations. We can control our behavior—not the behavior of our children.
Ah, yes, I suppose He could; He is God. However, God in His infinite wisdom doesn’t work like that. While we can’t possibly choose God—choose to believe Him, follow Him, live for Him—without the power of the Holy Spirit, God still allows us to reject Him through our own sinful nature. So despite the fact that Jesus is God, His statements are not instantaneously and automatically enforceable. Through sin, we can reject Jesus. Therefore, when we find examples of Jesus making enforceable statements, it’s not an accident. Jesus remains the best at Love & Logic.
The most commonly repeated enforceable statement from Jesus is “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” It’s a rather frustrating statement, because it kind of sounds like Jesus isn’t going to do anything about making people listen to Him. And while it is certainly true that Jesus wants all people to be saved, goes out searching for us like lost coins-sheep-sons, and continues to send His Holy Spirit into our hearts to convert us, Jesus still allows for people to ignore Him.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:8, English Standard Version) is kind of like saying, “If you listen, I will tell you the Good News of salvation.” It is the most basic form of an enforceable statement. As parents, we can tell our children what we will do/say if they act/listen.
When our oldest son, Samuel, was almost 3, I found that it isn’t so much the action that keeps him from behaving, but rather his ears. I say, “Samuel, I will let you keep holding your cars if you are a helper about changing your diaper.” He continues to run away, kick, roll out of my hands, etc. He did not listen, so he missed the part about the cars being taken away. He did not listen, so he didn’t even realize that his misbehavior was going to have consequences. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” After I take away the cars, Samuel suddenly remembers he has ears; he listens more the next time (sometimes) as I say an enforceable statement.There are other examples of Jesus using enforceable statements—explaining how He will follow through on a promise if people listen or act in response:
** When Jesus calls the first disciples saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Really Jesus is saying, “If you follow me, I will make you fishers of men.” He promises to use those men as His evangelists if they follow Him. The statement was prepared to handle someone deciding to stay with his boats. The unenforceable statement would have been: “Be my fishers of men!” (Matthew 4:18-22)
** When Jesus calls Matthew and goes to eat at his house, the Pharisees grumble that Jesus shouldn’t eat with tax collectors and sinners. Knowing that the Pharisees didn’t really have their listening ears on, Jesus does not go into a long defense of His methods. Instead, He uses an enforceable statement: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus would teach them about His methods once they came prepared to learn. (Matthew 9:9-13)
** Although the earliest manuscripts do not include John 7:53-8:11, it is probably once the best examples of enforceable statements—or actually an unenforceable statement. The woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus, and the scribes and Pharisees want Jesus to either condemn her to death or to expose Himself to their accusations that He does not uphold the Law correctly. Rather than falling into their trap, Jesus makes the Pharisees and scribes consider an unenforceable statement: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” The Pharisees and scribes know they are sinful; to stone the woman would be agreeing with this unenforceable statement. In this case, the enforceable statement behind the words of Jesus might be something like: “If you are without sin, I will allow you to stone this woman.”
Of course, as I hinted at the beginning, using Jesus an example for enforceable statements does not always translate into what works with us. Jesus can make statements that are unenforceable (for us) but are enforceable for Him. He can predict the future (Peter’s denial, Judas’ betrayal, His own death), and we cannot (whether our children will fail a class, get arrested). However, while we must accept our limitations (we can’t really follow WWJD at all times), enforceable statements certainly help us acknowledge our limitations. We can control our behavior—not the behavior of our children.
