Too Busy for the Son of God

In preparation for tomorrow morning’s sermon, I happened upon a very affecting quote by Martyn Lloyd-Jones–from his sermon on Acts 23:5-6. The apostle Paul, having stood in the midst of an angry mob of Pharisees and Saducees, divides them over their belief, or lack thereof, in the doctrine of a bodily resurrection. Lloyd-Jones made the following masterful observation and application about the way in which these two religio-political groups turn their attention from Paul to argue with one another:

It’s the tragedy of the world…Here is the world arguing and debating and disputing, “What can be done, how can we put things right. They’re honest, they’re sincere, they’re zealous. Of course they are. All these people are, as they were in this picture. And there the world is tonight occupied about these things, talking and debating and becoming heated and excited…And the Son of God, forgotten and ignored. The fact that He ever left heaven and came to earth—not thought of. The fact that He died on the cross for sin—not remembered. The fact that He rose triumphant from the grave, and is the first to rise from the dead, doesn’t enter into calculations at all …It’s the tragedy of the world, and alas, far too often, it’s the tragedy of the church herself. That instead of talking about Him, they are talking about how to stop the use of hydrogen bombs. While we’re discussing the bombs He’s being ignored. And there He is with His message, His answer. But we’re so busy. We forget all about Him. That was what was happening in this counsel chamber. While they were so busy discussing, He was just being forgotten.