Wednesday, January 02, 2013 I Predicted My Death

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

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

Wednesday, January 02, 2013     I Predicted My Death        

Page 145      Matthew 17:22-27; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:43b-45

Becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus takes work. The hardest part of the work is in erasing what we think we know and learn how to receive Jesus as he is, not the way we think he ought to be.

In today’s reading, Jesus speaks the literal truth to his disciples. Jesus says he, the Messiah, will be betrayed, he will die, and he will rise again.  When the disciples thought of Jesus as the Messiah, they had a vision of a great army waiting for their King to lead them into battle. However, instead of a mighty King dressed in battle armor and riding a big horse, a humble shepherd walks to the head of the army. No armor. No weapon. And, he expects his army to dismount, remove their armor, drop their weapons and follow him. With such a contrast between Jesus the Messiah and the disciples’ expectation of the Messiah, it is no wonder “they were greatly distressed” (Matthew 17:23b).

Jesus’ story about the Temple tax is a reminder that as Christians, it is not a matter of what we have to do; rather it is what we get to do. The Temple tax is rooted in the Old Testament and was used to maintain the Temple. All Jewish males were expected to pay the tax, but as is the case with taxes in general, people don’t like being told what to do, even if it is for a good purpose. Many people refused to pay the tax in protest of the Temple rulers.  Jesus told Peter that as children of God they don’t have to pay the tax; they get to.

The things Jesus tells as we get to do are quite a strain on our life, such as turning the cheek, going the extra mile or loving our neighbors and enemies. How can we do these things? Sending Peter to get the Temple tax out of the mouth of the fish was Jesus’ way of illustrating the unmerited favor, the grace of God that gives us both the desire to do His will and the ability to fulfill His purpose for our lives: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13).

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.)

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The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

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

Thursday, January 03, 2013        I Taught About the Kingdom       

Page 145-147         Matthew 18:1-35; Mark 9:33-50; Luke 9:46-50