December 26, 2023
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Reading along with us in our Advent readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 26 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.9 through 4.12 (pages 77-80)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Advent 2023 – Day 26
We are quick to judge peter. But thank God for Peter Who I can relate to. He steps out of the boat. Not the others. Jesus is walking on top of the waves. Think about that. Peter later. As Jesus asks the apostles. Do you want to leave also? Peter. Where would we go. You have the words to eternal life !!! Great words spoken
Advent Day 26
Day 26
Jesus knew what is in man and in this passage is teaching about the Pharisees and teachers. For as He quotes from Isaiah. [ Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.] He also rebukes them for they put man made laws before the ten commandments. Totally disregarding the honor that should be given to parents. The Canaanite woman desired for Jesus to heal her daughter and kept calling out to Jesus. When He finally answered her He said that He was sent to Israel. And that it is not right to take the children`s bread and give it to the dogs. In the culture anyone who wasn`t Jewish was considered a dog. We know that Christ wanted all mankind to be saved but He first was giving the Jewish people a chance to repent and turn to the Messiah. But there was plenty of exceptions where He worked in a Gentile to bring them to Himself. Her faith in Him to heal her daughter was one of them. Then after Jesus left there He continued to heal many sick that were blind, crippled, deaf, etc. Jesus continues to heal in many ways using different means like here when He heals a deaf man who couldn`t talk clear. By using His own spit. God is a God of variety for He often does things different than He did before. Just look at how He created all of us. And also His whole creation. How different all the animals are from each other, etc. Even the way that we came to Christ. We can only be saved through Christ but He draws us all differently. Then He feeds the 4,000 with seven loafs of bread and a few small fish. Although similar to the feeding of the 5,000 it is not the same event.. Jesus talks about both of these events latter and says that they are both separate events. Yet in this event which comes after the 5,000 the disciples still don`t get it. For they ask the same question which is; Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people. And like the earlier event the disciples gather more than what was provided and everyone has had plenty to eat. How slow were they to learn that Jesus was who He said He was and could provide their needs. Just have a little faith in the One who could do it. Yet aren`t we just like that. So slow to learn and trust in the One who will meet our needs and answer our prayers. When will we ever get it. May the Lord continue to teach us as we follow Him.
How deceitful legalism is to think that there is anything of ourselves that is acceptable to God, looking at behavior rather than the heart and adding man made rules that distance people from God’s grace and power. How true it is that our righteousness is scene in what comes out of us in words and behavior rather than what goes inside of us. The legalists were Jesus’ greatest opponents and He was wise to call them out and warn all his followers against them. It is interesting that the account that follows this interaction and teaching is with a Canaanite woman. Jesus makes a statement intended to test her faith and perseverance, and she passes with flying colors. Jesus than heals many in a Gentile region and once again shows that there is nothing He cannot do. He then feeds 4,000 and more to replicate a miracle done in another place. Amazing!
“‘These people honor me with their words, but I am not really important to them. Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are only human rules.’
You have stopped following God’s commands, preferring instead the man-made rules you got from others.”
This is interesting to consider and I see how this crept into the church too. In the Old Testament, God made laws, the Israelites “interpreted” them, and set up their own rules. I see it it helpful to understand what God means and how that affects us practically, but then legalism creeps in. Even in some cases, it has no relation to God’s law, but rules are set up for the benefit of rulers and governments.
I think of rules and policies recently set up that supposedly tell us what we must do to “love our neighbor” and “obey our government”, but they result in the exact opposite.
It is hard to even step back and evaluate beliefs and practices that I have assumed as true, because of how much I have heard them, or who I heard them from, but they are merely man-made philosophy.