February 2, 2021
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 Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 11 (NIV)
Jesus and John the Baptist
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”.......Continue Reading
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
This made me think about the Trinity series Pastor just did and the distinction between our relationship with God and Jesus’ relationship with His Father. They are distinctly different and distinctly one. He follows up this distinction with a reminder to us that He is the way to God but that we should take on His yoke….not simply receive something but become something new!
Matthew 11
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29 NIV
https://www.bible.com/111/mat.11.29.niv
“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
John and Jesus did not do what people expected them to do. People wanted them to “dance” or “mourn” to their tune. John and Jesus did what they were called to do.
I can’t help but think of today’s politicians, media, etc playing a “tune” and expecting everyone to act accordingly. Sadly, apart from wisdom (waiting to draw conclusions, researching truth, standing for justice, etc) it is all to easy to play along.
Matthew 10-11
Matt 8-11
What a challenge it was for John to be in prison, and this chapter shows that even the strong are subject to doubt. Jesus assures him by the things that Jesus has accomplished…all signs that Messiah has come. He then compliments John for who He is and the ministry that he performed. I don’t know you could give a better compliment than what Jesus shares here: he is the greatest man born of woman. And yet those in the kingdom of heaven will be greater than them because of their connection to Jesus. And yet John shared something with Jesus. Both were misunderstood by their contemporaries and because they did not perform the way the religious crowd wanted, they were criticized and judged.
And the miracles that Jesus did that would assure John that He was the Messiah should have led others to the same conclusion as well. And it will not go well for those cities where Jesus did miracles and they did not change their minds about who Jesus is. But as much as there are those who reject Jesus message, there are those who accept it and the Father rewards their humility and faith. And all are wise to believe because Jesus is who He claimed to be. He and the Father share all and they are connected in the most significant way and to know One is to know the Other. So Jesus shares in the glory and knowledge of the Father, but He calls people to come to HIm. He seeks out those who are burdened so He can give them rest! SO glad Jesus is willing to carry our burdens and exchange His easy yoke for ours……
Love the part where you point out he seeks out those that are burdened so he can give them rest. Very comforting.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 10-12