And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
The saying belongs to an episode in which people sought to turn Christ's power to worldly benefit, for although He had promised His followers wisdom when brought before rulers, magistrates and kings, some in the crowd wanted His power to advance their own interests. The request He refused was a dispute between brothers over a divided inheritance, and both brothers were quarreling out of covetousness and greed.
Though He knew what was right in the case and could have told the man, He refused to act as judge or divider, as a civil judge or magistrate, or to decide temporal legal, political and property controversies. He was repeatedly asked to decide legal and political questions but refused to interfere in temporal matters. Settling such disputes was not His work or business, and He would not be diverted from His mission to save souls, to preach the gospel, to awaken people to eternal realities so they would not lose eternity from their reckoning, and to stand in the world as Head of the great spiritual kingdom of grace and righteousness He came to establish.
Instead of deciding cases, He addressed injustice by proclaiming Bible truth and teaching the ennobling, sanctifying principles that govern God's kingdom, that justice and mercy and love are its controlling powers. He was appointed from heaven to establish right principles for human government and appoints others to carry them out. His example teaches that it is not the work of a minister to settle the temporal affairs of the people, but the work of Christ and His followers is to persuade souls to be reconciled to God, not entering into the controversies coming to the front because they are started in the councils of hell, and not turning aside to the right hand or the left but pressing on looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith.
Those who correct others should do so with kindness, discretion and Christlike wisdom, keeping private matters from those they do not concern. The verse exposes covetousness and warns against selfishly holding wealth, teaching the duty to put unneeded possessions and idle money to use in advancing God's work.
The saying belongs to an episode in which people sought to turn Christ's power to worldly benefit, for although He had promised His followers wisdom when brought before rulers, magistrates and kings, some in the crowd wanted His power to advance their own interests. The request He refused was a dispute between brothers over a divided inheritance, and both brothers were quarreling out of covetousness and greed.
Though He knew what was right in the case and could have told the man, He refused to act as judge or divider, as a civil judge or magistrate, or to decide temporal legal, political and property controversies. He was repeatedly asked to decide legal and political questions but refused to interfere in temporal matters. Settling such disputes was not His work or business, and He would not be diverted from His mission to save souls, to preach the gospel, to awaken people to eternal realities so they would not lose eternity from their reckoning, and to stand in the world as Head of the great spiritual kingdom of grace and righteousness He came to establish.
Instead of deciding cases, He addressed injustice by proclaiming Bible truth and teaching the ennobling, sanctifying principles that govern God's kingdom, that justice and mercy and love are its controlling powers. He was appointed from heaven to establish right principles for human government and appoints others to carry them out. His example teaches that it is not the work of a minister to settle the temporal affairs of the people, but the work of Christ and His followers is to persuade souls to be reconciled to God, not entering into the controversies coming to the front because they are started in the councils of hell, and not turning aside to the right hand or the left but pressing on looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith.
Those who correct others should do so with kindness, discretion and Christlike wisdom, keeping private matters from those they do not concern. The verse exposes covetousness and warns against selfishly holding wealth, teaching the duty to put unneeded possessions and idle money to use in advancing God's work.