I’ve just started reading the gospels for the umpteenth time. I am looking at the Lord’s actions from a particular angle. When I'm done, God willing, I will share my findings with you. Meanwhile, just consider the following with me and let the Spirit of God speak to your heart.
Mat 6:1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them…” Are you always trying to justify yourself? Do you tend to do everything for people to have a good opinion of you? Does what people think (or may think) matter to you? Why? Be careful not to fall into the trap where the opinion of men eventually counts more than God’s.
Don’t do unto others what you don’t want them to do to you. We all know the saying, and many even think that it is from the gospels, whereas it is from Confucius. Jesus went further. He said (Mat 7:12): “Whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them.” And He added: “For this is the Law and the Prophets.” Indeed, He later explained that: "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments." (Mat 22:37-40) Where do you place yourself in relation to this? Do you act towards others as you would like them to act with you?
Mat 8:1-3, “When Jesus came down from the hillside, large crowds followed him. Suddenly a leper came up to him, fell down before him, and said, "Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean." So Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do want to. Be made clean!" And instantly his leprosy was made clean.” What I found fascinating here is that Jesus had just spent a very long time teaching the crowds. He had talked about the Beatitudes, prayer, worries, money, and many other things; but as He was getting out of there and coming down the mountain, it seems as though this leper is the only one who went beyond His words and saw the power residing in the Master. No one else asked to be healed, except for this leper; where there no other sick? Do we usually recognize the time of our visitation?
Mat 8:23-26, “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Jesus obviously expected them to ignore the storm and let it pass or rebuke it themselves. He clearly did not expect them to disturb Him for such 'a little thing'. Are we also people of little faith who cry for help for any little thing? “Behold Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Lk 10:19) What are we doing with this power and authority? Why do we struggle to realise and believe that NOTHING can hurt or harm us?
I end with a verse which is not in the gospels, but which got me thinking a lot this weekend. According to Judges 1:19, “And the LORD was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.” Yes, you’ve read well. Despite the fact that the Lord of Hosts was with them, Judas could not overcome some people because they had chariots of iron… Strange, isn’t it? It is all the more curious because a few years earlier the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Hivites had equally come out against Israel with a great number of horses and chariots, and God had said to Joshua: "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." And so it happened (Jos 11:1-9). Why was it then different this time around? What went wrong? I leave you to ponder over it… ;-)
Have a ‘wonderblessesd’ week!
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