Friday, January 25, 2013

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Friday, January 25, 2013   I Sent Out Seventy-Two Disciples

Page 181-182         Matthew 11:20-30; Luke 10:1-24

When Jesus went into the wilderness following his baptism, he was tempted by Satan. Jesus called Satan a liar. He said he was the father of lies; that the truth was not in him. Satan comes only to kill, steal and destroy said Jesus. (John 10:10) Jesus’ victory over temptation in the wilderness was an individual victory. In today’s reading, Jesus has a vision of Satan falling because he saw his mission as the Messiah gaining momentum as the seventy-two go out to defeat the works of the evil one. The ultimate victory will again be a one-on-one contest, fought on the Cross of Calvary. Jesus’ resurrection will make God’s victory over sin and death complete.

Many years ago I discovered In Clearwater, Florida a place of prayer on the shores of Tampa Bay. Near one of the buildings there was a rose garden and in the center of the rose garden there was a ten foot high statue of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, with a lamb across his shoulders. That statue captivated me because of the way it expressed the gentleness and kindness of Jesus. Maybe that is the reason I focused on the words; weary, rest, gentle, humble, easy and light in today’s closing verses. However, when I do that, I miss the point Jesus was making. That point is within a word used twice in the passage: yoke. (Matthew 11:29-30)

For Jesus, the yoke represents obedience to God. To take Jesus’ yoke is to be obedient to His commandments about the Kingdom of God. It means a willingness to serve others with humility and mercy. His yoke is easy and his burden is light, not because there is little to do for His followers; this is a yoke he is offering, not a hammock. Being yoked with Jesus means, in a world that can be very hostile to God’s Kingdom, we will affirm each day our desire to fulfill God’s will in our lives,

Even though Jesus’ yoke calls me to a self-sacrificial life, it is appealing to me because his yoke is the only place my soul has found true comfort, rest and satisfaction. That’s because yoked to Jesus is where I was created to be.

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  In addition to this BLOG they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Monday, January 28, 2013 The Religious Experts Tested Me         

Page 182-183         Luke 10:25-37