THE BLESSING IN WHEN SOMEONE IS TRYING TO ‘USE YOU’…

The Pharisees, scribes, and religious leaders were constantly trying to trap and accuse Jesus. Many times that was their sole reason for going to the synagogue when they knew He was there (Mark 3:1-6).

In Luke 14 Jesus was at the home of one of the rulers of the Pharisees. You didn’t get into the home of a ruler without an invitation. This was an invitation only ‘event’ which is confirmed in verse 7 of this chapter ( So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them…). There was also a man with extreme swelling of his arms and legs (dropsy) there, but why was he invited too? Why was this man who was looked down upon invited to the ruler’s home? My thought is they were using him just so see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath, just so they could accuse Him.

Luke 14 (NKJV)

14 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

Wow!

Luke 5:17 records another occasion where Jesus was in a house, and the rulers had come from every town of Galilee for the sole purpose of accusing Him. But it goes on to let us know that the power of the LORD was present to heal them. But rather than get healing and deliverance, they chose to accuse. Their attitudes prevented them from the blessing of being in the Lord’s presence. Here a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus by His friends and healed. The same healing was available to them.

Luke 5:17  (NKJV)

¹⁷ Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.^[a]

But, the blessing here is that even though the man with dropsy (Luke 14) was being used. He was in the right place to get healed by Jesus. Being used positioned him for his blessing. (Just as in Mark 3:1-6). They meant it for evil, but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). 

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So, when it’s clear people are using you, don’t just ‘bail’. Don’t just leave. Don’t just let your pride get the best of you and say, “I’m not having this!” Don’t ‘cuss’ them out or ‘go off’.

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Romans 8:28 reminds us that God is working all things TOGETHER for our good…even when we are being used.

If you know what they are up to, use it to your advantage. Stay strong in your faith in God. Don’t let the enemy poison your attitude. God promises that He will get glory out of your story.

Remember, people don’t use what has no value.

Is someone using you? Stay cool, and let God use them using you.

BE BLESSTIFIED!