Favor
The favor of man is so oftentimes looked on as a good thing. It is celebrated in churches and people write Christian books about how to grow in it. However, the favor of man is a trap into the fear of man, unless the favor of God produced it.
“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man”
Luke 2:52
Many people read this verse and see that Jesus grew with favor with man. Which is true! The favor of man then becomes a “godly” pursuit in the name of influence for Jesus. Have you ever heard someone say in an effort to explain their ministry efforts “I just want to make Jesus famous.” My friend Jesus is a lot more famous then you and he certainly doesn’t need your name to increase His. In one second, he could come back in glory and every single person would see Him. It is an absolute privilege when he anoints you and uses you in the ministry of the Gospel in power. Yet, I am the water boy to His, Michael Jordan. We have to renew our mind to the fact that the favor with man that Jesus grew in actually came from his growing in the wisdom of God. Notice this verse that actually happened in Jesus’s life before people started noticing him.
“Now the Child continued to grow and become strong. Increasing in wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.”
Luke 2:40
You see the wisdom of God on Jesus caused the favor of man to grow. The favor of God was upon Jesus. That favor produced the wisdom anointing that Jesus grew in that was put on display at the temple when He was twelve years old.
And when He was twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the feast.
Luke 2:42
Then after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
Luke 2:46-47
The favor of God on Jesus life was something He increased in when no one was watching. The wisdom on His life grew in private. And then when it was put on display in public, the favor of man grew. You see? The favor of man was a result of the hand of God on his life. But you certainly can have the favor or man without God. That is what kept some of the Jews from embracing Jesus.
Nevertheless many, even of the rulers, believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, so that they would not be excommunicated from the synagogue; for they loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.
John 12:43
That word approval is also translated honor or splendor! Think about that. The favor of man actually caused them to miss Jesus. They let Jesus pass them by. I remember one time there was a leader in a ministry who told me, “yaknow Jeremy if you chase favor, than favor will chase you.” I could not believe my ears. Dear Lord, why would I ever want to chase something that could make me calloused to Him. The favor of man outside the confines of a result of the hand of God on your life is like a heavy chain that shackles you to the ruler of this world. It is the reason Jesus told the rich young ruler he had to sell everything he had. Not just some. EVERY SINGLE THING. Why? Because the root was not the stuff. It was that the favor of man had captured his heart. And when something has captured your heart, Jesus will not share that space. My goodness what a terrible place to be, is with all the favor that man can produce and miss God.