Men: You Can’t Bluff Jesus.

Men are fascinated with gambling.  Men are natural risk takers and seek to win.  Men are often overconfident and millions have pathological gambling addictions.  

Every man who gambles thinks he can beat the house.  But the house has the odds stacked in its favor 100% of the time.

Men who gamble think that they can bluff; some can, most can’t.  Its said that every gambler has a “tell”.  Poker players who can read other men can win big.

Even man has a spiritual “tell”, what’s in a man’s heart can not be hidden.  Many Catholic men play along, occasionally attending Mass to placate their wives or to enjoy the nostalgia of the Mass.  Many men think that how they live their lives is more important than being a Catholic.  They think they can play their games and get away with it, be it pornography, sloth, greed, pride or any of the deadly sins.

They don’t call them “deadly sins” for nothing:  Jesus can’t be bluffed.

In (John 5:31-47), Jesus offers a blunt assessment of the Jews who would not, or could not, realize that God was in their very midst.  He could see right through their false praise and false beliefs and practices.  Consider:

[37] And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen; [38] and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. [39] You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; [40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
[41] I do not receive glory from men. [42] But I know that you have not the love of God within you. [43] I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will  receive.[44] How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? [45] Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope. [46] If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.
[47] But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

As highlighted above, Jesus does not mince words with the Jewish leadership who are seeking to kill Him.  His words are direct and to the point, condemning the ignorance, arrogance and lack of belief of the Jews.

Jesus can’t be bluffed.

Particularly devastating is Jesus’ clear condemnation:  ”you do not have the love of God within you…” and ” it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you have set your hope.”

Many men are betting big on a politically correct Jesus, one who never says a harsh word or makes any judgment, a fantasy Jesus who only exists in their own deluded minds.  A Jesus who can be bluffed.

Jesus is the Truth, and the Truth is not always what most want to hear.

Jesus is not “P.C.”; He calls a spade a spade.

When Jesus looks at our “tell”, what will be His call?