March 22, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Lent 2025 – Day 2 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.74 through 4.77 (pages 129-131)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told 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.
The Son of God came as a servant and not to be served. Imagine in our entitled society where we feel we are “owed” or “deserve” this or that, Christ came to serve! The creator of Heaven and earth and ruler over everything came to be a servant. Humbled to think how often I don’t put others first or put my own needs above someone else’s. We should be honored to be servants as we are following in His example.
Lent 2025 Day 2
Jesus told the mother asking for favor that God prepares Heavenly placement.
Jesus explains how he was sent to serve others and to save many people. We are to follow his example as best we can with help of the Holy Spirit knowing it pleases Jesus.
The blind man healed because he believed! Then follows Jesus. Picturing this it must have been so beautiful and exciting.
Jesus was chastised for staying at a tax collectors home. Jesus explained even tax collector is one of God’s people. All people in God’s eyes can be saved. Ministry’s are very important to reach the places we do not go. There are many prison Ministry’s that are so important. Should be Ministry’s in correctional facilities for minors also. Alcohol and drug rehabs.
Lent 2025 – Day 2
Son of man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people. Last night went out to eat with Debbie who lost her husband Mike last year and her sister Sue they were questioning why Mike was taken from this earth. All these different answers were given. Until the last response. Debbie said her and her sister have grown very close. And there relationship with Jesus is much closer!!!! So evident God is working in their lives now. So joyful to watch this transition. Pray for Debbie and Sue. And rest of family.
Praying
Son of Man
Jesus tells His disciples that He was to die and raise again on the third day. Yet they couldn`t comprehend what He was saying. Perhaps because, they couldn`t image Jesus being anything but a conquering king, and not as the Lamb of God. They were slow to get it, just like we are. It shows when the mother of James and John, including themselves ask Jesus for special privileges to sit at the right and left sides of Jesus in Heaven. It shows that they thought they deserved this more than the other disciples. Yet as Jesus says, it was not for Him to grant, and it has already been decided. Slow to get it here that Jesus wanted them to be servants and think of others first, just as Jesus gave Himself as an example. By leaving Heaven to be born as a human being and then dying on the cross. Also, His own example of servanthood. Then we have two unlikely people that come to Christ. One is a blind man who wants Jesus to heal him. The people around him tell him to be quiet for they seem to think that he is not important enough to be healed. He is before this overlooked, at least until Jesus acknowledges him. We do know his name which is Bartimaeus, but this might only be because Jesus heals him with just His word. The last person here is a tax collector. Tax collectors were Jews who were hated by their own people because they worked for Roman and took taxes from them. Often many times more than these tax collectors needed to take. Many became rich from their own people. This tax collector named Zacchaeus was so overcome with joy that He had to see Jesus, so he climbed up into a tree to see Him. He apparently had a change of heart from the way he was and wanted to give half of all he had and make right what he had taken wrongly. Jesus called him by name and wanted to eat at his house. Aren`t we glad that Jesus knows us by name even when many overlooked us and didn`t know us by name? Thank God! He loves us so much.
Lent Day 2
Jesus performed many miracles. As He said, “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”
Day 2
Lent 2025 – Day 2
Jesus explains once again what is going to happen soon to make sure the disciples are not surprised when it happens. A true understanding of it is kept from them, but Jesus wants the information available to them when it is needed. The true misunderstanding is found though in Mrs. Zebedee’s request. It just shows how we need to be careful not to presume what God’s will is and seek and wait for His direction. I found it interesting in the next section that it is the blind man that truly sees who Jesus is and refers to Him as the Son of David, the designation given for the Messiah of Israel. And Jesus heals once again in response to faith. And isn’t Zach great. He goes to great efforts to see Jesus and then fully repents in response to his faith in Him. It is a good model of what our lives should be: to be transformed by the things we believe about our God and Savior.
”But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”“
Matthew 20:25-28 NKJV
I have been thinking a lot about politics and the ideology of Marxism. Oppressed vs oppressor. I reject the premise. This foundation is false. Hierarchical structures, at least Gods hierarchy in family, church, government, etc is not to be used for one to use or gain power over another, but rather to serve. I think the world’s (Marx’s) ideaology in the church and everywhere dismantles unity. One can be in authority, and not be an oppressor.