Matthew_19
13Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Observation-What does it say?
When the little children were brought to Jesus, His disciples rebuked them (the people who brought the kids to Jesus). The Oxford American dictionary defines rebuke as, “express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions.” The disciples were critical of the fact that little children were brought to Jesus, but Jesus told His disciples to let them come. Jesus welcomed the children, blessed them and prayed for them.
Understanding-What does it mean?
It doesn’t matter what age, race, gender, or past we have. We can all come to Jesus and He will accept us with open arms.
Children were just like women back in those times in Jewish culture. They were not highly regarded. However, Jesus continued to break those social barriers. When doing research on gotquestions.com, it said that, “It is likely that their (the disciples’) move to hinder the parents from bringing their children to Jesus was motivated not by unkindness but by a desire to respect Jesus’ position as a teacher.”
To the disciples, Jesus’ position as a teacher gave Him no time to pray over children because He had more important matters to attend to. However, Jesus continued to show His disciples that He was there to serve people no matter what gender or age they were. He came to serve everyone, to die for ALL and to resurrect from the grave so that we could have life in Him. The Kingdom of Heaven did not only belong to the religious leaders or to men, but to the sinners, the poor, the women, and the children and everyone else who weren’t socially accepted in those days.
Life Application
Galatians 3:26-28 NIV
Think of people today who are not socially accepted or people we write off because they are unlike us. Poor/homeless, mentally ill, broken, needy, hurt, dependent….you fill in the blank.
Those are the people that Jesus went out of His way to minister to and who we should as well. There are no cultural, social, age, gender, or political gaps with Jesus. Everyone has an opportunity to be part of the Kingdom of Christ because in the Kingdom, those barriers do not exist.
Dear Jesus, thank You that You loved and love the “least of these” and as we were adopted into your family, we inherited more than the world has to offer, life with You. I pray against any cultural or social filter/barrier that prevents us from reaching out to those You desire in Your Kingdom. As Your Word says, “the last shall be first and the first shall be last (Matt. 19:30).” May we have a humble servant’s view towards people just like You had towards us. We love You Jesus and thank You for choosing us despite who we were. May we extend that same love and grace towards others when reaching out. Amen.
Source:
Why did Jesus say, “Let the little children come to me”?
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Genesis_18
Matthew_17
Scripture
Matthew 17:17-18
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
Observation – What does it say?
Jesus just came down the mountain with Peter, James and John to find the other disciples surrounded by a crowd. Come to find out, the crowd gathered because of a man who had come to his disciples for help. His son was possessed by a demon and came to the disciples in hope that they would be able to cast out the demon. But they could not. Jesus responded by calling out their lack of faith and commanding, “Bring the boy here to me.” What the disciples couldn’t do, Jesus did with a word. No battle, no struggle, just a simple rebuke from Jesus and the boy was immediately freed and healed.
Understanding – What does it mean?
There are a few big lessons that I notice here. First, through the eyes of the disciples and second, through the eyes of the discouraged father.
First, the disciples had the reputation of having power but they were found powerless because their lack of faith. As the church of Jesus Christ, we have the reputation of being able to help people; the reputation of being able to facilitate encounters with God for people that will result in the sick being healed, the demon possessed being freed, the unbelievers being filled with faith and the lost being saved. People walk in the doors of our church with a hope that they will find help. Others approach us in our schools or places of work because they know we are Christians and hope that we will have something to offer them. My prayer is that we would never hear those words from someone who comes to us, “I came to your disciples at Desert Streams Church for help, but they could not.” I long for God to fill us with greater faith! I long personally to be used by God to demonstrate his love and power to those around me!
Second, the father was distraught. He longed for his son to be free. He most likely had great hope that Jesus’ disciples could help him, but they had let him down. Jesus said to him, “Bring the boy here to me.” I love this! What is it that you’re struggling with? What is it that you have been failing to overcome? What is your need that others haven’t been able to meet? Where have you seen no positive change and have been ready to give up? Jesus would say, “Bring it to me!” When we can’t, Jesus can. When others fail, Jesus succeeds. Every time.
Life Application
God, we owe the world around us an encounter with you! Fill us with greater faith that we may help the hurting, sick, lost and broken. Your kingdom isn’t a matter of talk but of power. May we not just talk about what you can do, but actually walk in the power and authority you desire us to.
God, we bring to you today the things that are weighing us down. We come with faith and expectation, believing that where other people and solutions have failed, you are able to succeed. Please speak the word and bring victory to the areas we need it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
– Levi Thompson
Matthew_16
Genesis_15
Matthew_14
Observation-What does it say?
Understanding-What does it mean?
Don’t take our eyes off of Jesus.
When Peter started focusing on the problem around him, which was the huge wind, he took His eyes off of Jesus, focused on the wind, became afraid and started to sink. How many of us take our focus off of Jesus when problems arise, become afraid and start seeking help for the problem or issue, instead of putting our faith in Christ knowing that He is more than able to take care of it? I admit I am guilty of this. At that moment, Peter still had a little faith, but it was misplaced faith due to fear and that wasn’t able to keep Him above water. It’s just like Pastor said the last couple of Sundays. “Fear is not the absence of faith. Fear is misplaced faith.”
Life Application
Keep our focus on Jesus and not on the problem.
Living in this world, we face many problems and challenges in marriage, with finances, relationships, health, work, family and the list can go on. However, we must stand firm in Christ and keep our eyes on Him in order to not be overtaken by them. Pastor Levi even said it in his soul journal post a couple of days ago—we must be quicker to pray than to plan.
Dear Lord, I admit that I would have reacted the same way as Peter did in fear because I have done so so many times. When life’s challenges hit, I seek Your help instead of seeking You first. Instead of meditating on the problem or issue at hand, please help me keep my eyes on You and who You are. I am reminded of the story of Mary and Martha. Martha was worried about many things (which I tend to be like) instead of sitting at Your feet first like Mary did. I pray we would all seek Your face more and not be fearful due to misplaced faith. Amen.
Related
Psalm 13
Genesis 12
Scripture
Genesis 12:12
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.
Observation – What does it say?
Abraham just heard God make him promises to make him into a great nation and bless all the people’s of the earth through him. Then, on another occasion, the LORD appeared to Abraham and spoke to him. Pause and think about that! What did Abraham’s eyes see in that moment? What did God look like? How did his voice sound as he spoke? Few people can say they experienced God like Abraham did. Yet, right after these amazing God-encounters and promises, Abraham seems to be without faith!
Rather than trusting in God to bring them to pass, Abraham felt the need to take things into his own hands.
Understanding – What does it mean?
Luke 1:37 “For no word from God will ever fail.”
I believe that until God fulfilled his promises to him, Abraham was invincible. God knew the people Abraham would encounter and he still made those promises to him. There was no reason to fear. (Of course that’s often easier said than done!) Furthermore, there was no reason to lie or be deceitful.
Yet, Abraham felt the need to take matters into his own hands and not only live a lie himself but ask his wife to join in. Later he took matters into his own hands again, sleeping with Sarai’s maidservant Hagar, in effort to have a son when Sarai was unable to conceive.
However, in both instances, God showed he didn’t need Abraham’s help to bring about his promises. Even when the Egyptians discovered the truth, God gave Abraham favor with them so that he and Sarai were sent away unharmed. And later, God enabled Sarai to conceive Isaac, through whom the promise would be fulfilled.
God will never put us in a position where we will have to lie or be deceitful in order to experience the life and blessings he intends for us.
Life Application
Trust God’s plan regardless of present circumstances.
Trust that God’s plan succeeding will never require me to lie or deceive.
Matthew_11
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
I love The Message version….
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Observation
Chapter 11 brings about the recognition of Christ as the one that John and his disciples had been waiting for, Jesus’s frustration with the generation, His condemnation of the cities where the most “work” had been done with the least response…but He ends the Chapter in love and grace.
Understanding
“You will find rest for your souls.”
“Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
“Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
These are bold statements…especially in a world of high blood pressure and anxiety and more stress related illnesses than we can count. But I believe these statements are just as true today as they were in Jesus’s time.
Philippians 4:6-7
…6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearst and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Though our walk with Christ is not promised to be easy, we can take comfort in knowing that He will provide peace (and we can choose joy) despite circumstances. As with many promises, though, there is a premise. We are to “come to Him,” “present our requests to God,” pray, “keep company with Him.”
As children of God, we are invited to peace; but it’s not automatic, we first need to seek Him. Alongside that, though, is the accountability that comes with living in community. We need to have relationships that keep us connected to Him and to each other. In this case, I personally reached out to PG to thank him for the assessment because I needed and valued the course correction.
Life Application
God, I’m thankful for your many emotions. Your anger when you’ve got my best in mind and I choose to go my own way. Jealousy over my heart. Grace and tenderness.
Knowing that you experience these makes me feel seen, known and understood…which should come as no surprise since you are my Creator.
Thank you for the peace you provide…the unforced rhythms of grace. May I be conscious of You as the source of that peace. Help me to quickly recognize when I’m “off” and how to best get back on course; and surround me with a community honest enough to speak up when I fail to recognize it myself. Help me to be that community to those I know and love as well. And, finally, may I be so filled with peace that people experience your refreshing presence through the interactions you place me in today.
In your name, I pray…Amen.
– Rei
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Psalm_10
It is so easy to forget that we live a life that is separated from God. In these times, I find comfort in the fact that God’s timing is perfect. 2 Peter 3:9 states “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” In Isaiah 58 and 59, we learn about how the nation of Israel acted sinfully towards the Lord. And this is how he responds in verse 21, “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.
So though it feels as though God is far off, He is always close by and quick to remember his covenant with us. At the end of Psalm 10, David comes back to the Lord and places him on the pedestal on which He belongs. Starting in verse 16 “The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.”