Day 146: Luke 7:23–30

Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me (v. 23 niv).

It is a real challenge to work through our doubts and not let them imprison us like John’s were threatening to imprison him! Christ stated the biggest risk of doubt in verse 23: “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

The original word for “blessed” is makarios. Revel in this definition of the term: “Biblically, one is pronounced blessed when God is present and involved in his life. The Hand of God is at work directing all his affairs for a divine purpose, and thus, in a sense, such a person lives coram Deo, before the face of God.”37 Luke 7:23 tells us these words apply to the person who doesn’t fall away on account of Christ.

What does “falling away” mean? The Greek word, skandalon, means “a cause of stumbling.” Add the meanings of these two definitions and we arrive at the following sum total in Luke 7:23: “The Hand of God is at work directing divine purpose, or blessing, in all the affairs of the one who doesn’t let the perceived activity or inactivity of Christ trap him or make him stumble.” It’s a mouthful, but chew on it awhile!

I don’t think Luke 7:23 is talking about falling away from Christ. It’s talking about falling over a stumbling block into a trap. One of Satan’s most effective devices for causing a devout believer to stumble is to trap him over a matter of faith. Satan even tries to use Christ Himself against us. The most effective faith-trap Satan could set for a Christian is to tempt him or her to doubt the goodness, rightness, or mightiness of Christ.

Note that Christ held John in highest esteem even after being questioned. John was under a terrible strain, and his martyrdom was imminent. Christ knew that! He could handle John’s questions because He knew the heart and mind from which they came. After proclaiming that no one born of women was greater than John, Jesus said the “least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (v. 28).

Please understand that this statement in no way diminished John. Christ simply meant that a new era was unfolding in the kingdom calendar, and to be a part of it would be greater than being a prophet under the old Covenant. Thank God every day that you live this side of Calvary!