Unselfish, Responsible And Considerable Use Of Power

Can you imagine the potential for abuse if Jesus' power were placed in the hands of an imperfect ruler? But Jesus was sinless. (1 Peter 2:22) He refused to be tainted by the selfishness, ambition and greed that drive imperfect men to use their power to hurt others.

Jesus was unselfish in the use of his power, never employing it for personal gain. when he was hungry, he refused to turn stones into bread for himself. (Matthew 4:1-4) His meager possessions were evidence that he did not profit materially from the use of his power. (Matthew 8:20) There is further proof that his powerful works sprang from unselfish motives. When he performed miracles, he did so at some cost to himself. When he cured the sick, power went out of him. He was sensitive to this outflow of power, even in the case of just one cure. (Mark 5:25-34) Yet, he let crowds of people touch him, and they were healed. (Luke 6:19) What a selfless spirit!

Jesus was responsible in the use of his power. Never did he perform powerful works for mere showy display or purposeless theatrics. (Matthew 4:5-7) He was unwilling to perform signs merely to satisfy Herod's wrongly motivated curiosity. (Luke 23:8, 9)Far from advertising his power, Jesus often instructed those whom he healed not to tell anyone. (Mark 5:43; 7:36) He did not want people to reach conclusions about him on the basis of sensational reports. -Matthew 12:15-19.

This powerful man, Jesus, was nothing like those rulers who have wielded power in callous disregard for the needs and suffering of others. Jesus cared about people. The mere sight of the afflicted touched him so deeply htat he was motivated to relieve their suffering. (Matthew 14:14) He was considerate of their feelings and needs, and this tender concern influenced the way he used his power. A moving example is found at Mark 7:31-37.

On this occasion, great crowds found Jesus and brought him to many who were sick, and he cured them all. (Matthew 15:29, 30) But Jesus singled out one man for special consideration. The man was deaf and hardly able to talk. Jesus may have sensed this man's particular nervousness or embarassment. Thoughtfully, Jesus took the man aside-away from the crowd-to a private place. then Jesus used some signs to convey to the man what he was about to do. He "put his fingers into the mans's ears and after spitting, He touched his tongue." (Mark 7:33) Next, Jesus looked up to heaven and uttered a prayerful sigh. These actions would say to the man, 'what I am about to do for you is due to the power of God.' Finally, Jesus said: "Be Opened." (Mark 7:34) At that, the man's hearing was restored, and he was able to speak normally.

How touching to think that even when using his God-given power to heal the afflicted, Jesus showed a sympathetic regard for their feelings! Is it not reassuring to know that Jehovah has placed the Messianic Kingdom in the hands of such a caring considerate Ruler?

Next time: A Portent Of Things To Come

Draw Close To Jehvoah, 2002