Higher Octane – How Much More

One of my goals at work is to make issues or instructions obvious to others.  I am learning a new program that allows me to produce better, more interactive graphs to make some of the data we have speak to us.  When the numbers are made visual, real problems or real winners stand out.  When we see a big bar on the graph against all the little bars, that is the one that should get the most attention, or that should be attributed as having the most impact.

In the first few verses of Luke chapter 18, we see Jesus point out a stark contrast between the Father’s justice and the justice of a corrupt man.

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ “

 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:1-6, NKJV

Jesus is great at helping us visualize spiritual things.  He uses parables, analogies, or illustrations many times to give the disciples a better perspective on God.  In Luke 18, the widow is seeking justice, but her local judge isn’t a very helpful guy.  Jesus calls him unjust.  If you can’t trust a judge to be just, what chance of getting justice do you have?  He doesn’t respect God, nor does he care about people – their plights, or their opinions of his callous and unjust attitude.  But, in this widow’s case, he uses some lazy man’s logic and figures he will save himself trouble by dealing with her sooner rather than later, getting her off of his docket, and hopefully out of his life.

Then Jesus points out the big bar on the graph – our supremely just Judge.  “How much more!”  My soul swells with praise as I think about our God and how MUCH MORE rich in mercy He is.  He is MUCH MORE compassionate and makes decisions that have our best interest in mind – regardless of the trouble He must go through, anytime, day or night.  He listens to us MUCH MORE patiently and carefully and empathetically, His door is always open, and He knows the best solution for all our problems.  How MUCH MORE great is our God?  Our pie charts and bar graphs cannot contain the greatness.  The line springs off the page like in a cartoon.  He wins against all earthly judges by MUCH MORE, and we should be faithful to keep coming to Him with all our issues.

Keep shiftin’, and keep the faith in the one who has the highest octane available:  Jesus.