Here are my questions/comments:
1) v 3-9: Crowds of sick people lay on the porches and yet Jesus only healed one (as far as I know). What about all the others?
2) v14: Jesus caught up with the same guy a little later in the Temple and said, "Stop sinning or something even worse may happen to you." Seems a little harsh. Did the declaration of these words also contain in them the power to enable the man to obey, even if the sin was a lifelong addiction?
3) v19, 30: "The Son can do NOTHING by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing." Wow! What does this mean for us?
4) v41,44: This cuts back to Rosaleen's comment from yesterday. The approval of people meant nothing to Jesus and yet often means so much to us. Jesus says, "No wonder you can't believe! For you gladly honour each other but you don't care about the honour that comes from God." Why do we care about what other people may think of us so much?
I look forward to hearing your comments. Short or long, it doesn't matter, just click on the comment button below and add your voice to the discussion. I love hearing the variety of perspectives.
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An eight week journey of seeking God as we read.think.pray.live our way through the gospel of John
An Invitation
Please join us during this lead up to Christmas 2009 by doing the four things listed below. Anyone can join at any time throughout this 8 week period although obviously it would be best if you can begin with us on the first of November 2009.
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
3 comments:
I was looking at my Spurgeon Morning and Evening for today. Regarding your last comment He notes -
"It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master."
-- Matthew 10:25
No one will dispute this statement, for it would be unseemly for the servant to be exalted above his Master. When our Lord was on earth, what was the treatment he received? Were his claims acknowledged, his instructions followed, his perfections worshipped, by those whom he came to bless? No; "He was despised and rejected of men." Outside the camp was his place: cross-bearing was his occupation. Did the world yield him solace and rest? "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." This inhospitable country afforded him no shelter: it cast him out and crucified him. Such-if you are a follower of Jesus, and maintain a consistent, Christ-like walk and conversation-you must expect to be the lot of that part of your spiritual life which, in its outward development, comes under the observation of men. They will treat it as they treated the Saviour-they will despise it. Dream not that worldlings will admire you, or that the more holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act towards you.
They prized not the polished gem, how should they value the jewel in the rough? "If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" If we were more like Christ, we should be more hated by his enemies. It were a sad dishonour to a child of God to be the world's favourite. It is a very ill omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout "Well done" to the Christian man. He may begin to look to his character, and wonder whether he has not been doing wrong, when the unrighteous give him their approbation. Let us be true to our Master, and have no friendship with a blind and base world which scorns and rejects him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honour where our Lord found a coronet of thorn.
1) and the ONE he healed did not ASK for it - Jesus approached HIM, healed him and then disappeared into the crowd.
2) I thought that was harsh and even threatening when I first read it ... but I believe by "even worse" he was alluding to alienation from GOD.
The thing that often strikes me when reading the words of Jesus is that his choice of words (and I believe them to be carefully selected of course!) are ambiguous to the point of putting people off.
I cringe sometimes!
3) Highlights the importance of what all Christians SHOULD be striving for - to emulate Jesus - who emulated The Father.
4) Fear of being ostracized. I spent all my life (until I became a Christian 4 years ago) trying to be what others expected from me to fit in (I went to 28 schools!!! so it was necessity) Since becoming a Christian I now have the FREEDOM to not have to do that anymore and only strive to be please GOD. This can be tricky when others' interpretation of what pleases GOD conflicts with MY faith as guided by THE spirit. However, as I continue to bask in the knowledge that THE Lord loves and accepts me for where I am at I know that I will not allow myself to be trapped again.
This is what I am hearing through this 8 week journey of listening and obeying. Amen!
I really appreciated insight number 1! I am on a journey asking the Lord to show me His ways, particularly about healing. I keep reading the parts (not intentionally...they just seemed to be what I saw) where it says Jesus heals everyone. So I question, am I doing something wrong???
I like reading this example and Gemma's insight, too--that in this case, this person didn't even ask for it.
His ways are certainly higher than our own. I don't pretend to understand this fully now, nor do I expect to ever have God neatly packaged in a box! But I love that He continues to reveal Himself to us.
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