Good morning, Father! Thank You for the good night’s rest! Right off the bat, I give this day over to You. Use me as You will to impact Your world for Your kingdom! Amen.
Matthew 16:1-4 (<<click the green)
First of all, I have to say that I am appalled at the audacity of these religious “leaders” demanding that Jesus “show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.”
It brings to mind a portion of my post from this past April. “…they seem like children who have ruled the playground, bullying those about them to play by the rules they have come up with. And now someone who knows the rules –actual someone who wrote the rules – has shown up and their shenanigans are over. And, as the children they are, they are none too happy and begin plotting how to rule the playground once more…even if that means eliminating the competition.”
The other thing that grabs my attention is when Jesus refers to them as “an evil, adulterous generation”. In reality, from the very beginning, God’s relationship with Israel was very much a marital relationship. God was the groom, Israel was the bride. (The book of the prophet Hosea portrays this beautifully!) But as Scripture clearly displays, throughout her history, Israel had been unfaithful (adulterous) far more frequently than she had been faithful. And the Pharisees and Sadducees brazenly carry on with the same mindset.
Mark, in writing of this incident in his Gospel, includes that when You heard their demand, You “sighed deeply in [Your] spirit”. (Mark 8:11-13)
Lord Jesus, how often do we (and I am most definitely included in that), how often do we cause You to sigh deeply in Your spirit? We continue to do things we swear we will never to again. Our faith is small. Our defiance is not neglected. How many times do You just shake Your head at us? I’m sure You could give us a number but from our perspective they are incalculable! If You were us You would have given up on us eons ago. But…You are not us. You are faithful even when we are not, “…nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38
We fall at Your feet in gratitude and praise. Help us, we pray.
May 29th, 2018, Tues, 6:24 am
