Day 68: Choices-They are Ours to Make
Please read the Bible verses for today:
Matthew 16: 1-4
The Demand for a Sign
16 "The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven." (Matthew 16:1)
Whenever I see, 'The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus...' I know the following verses aren't going to be good, but when I read, '...and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven,' well, let's just say, I get a pit in my stomach and have a hard time reading what follows. It makes me think of a scary scene in a movie. All of a sudden, everything is silent. Then, you begin to see a dark, silhouette looming around. You close your eyes in fear. And then it happens! It's the gripping scene that makes you wish the murderer had been caught or the police arrived on the scene before he had a chance to commit his crime. In other words, I wish the Pharisees and Sadducees had not approached Jesus. I wish someone would have talked sense to them. I wish the ending of this story was that they got saved, but the truth is-it never happens.
Whenever I see, 'The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus...' I know the following verses aren't going to be good, but when I read, '...and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven,' well, let's just say, I get a pit in my stomach and have a hard time reading what follows. It makes me think of a scary scene in a movie. All of a sudden, everything is silent. Then, you begin to see a dark, silhouette looming around. You close your eyes in fear. And then it happens! It's the gripping scene that makes you wish the murderer had been caught or the police arrived on the scene before he had a chance to commit his crime. In other words, I wish the Pharisees and Sadducees had not approached Jesus. I wish someone would have talked sense to them. I wish the ending of this story was that they got saved, but the truth is-it never happens.
2 "He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away." (Matthew 16:2-4)
Whew! Jesus saves the day! He is wise and not tricked by the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Not that I thought He would be, but it is hard to watch them try to trap Jesus). Jesus points out their failure to understand who He really is. These men, His accusers, of all people should know the Scriptures and know that it was time for the Son of God to come and save His people, but they chose not to. I say, 'chose' not to because, like everything we do in our lives, we have choices. The choice to believe that Jesus is who He says He is or deny His deity. The choice to follow Jesus or go our own way. The choice to obey what we know Holy Spirit is telling us to do or ignore it and do what we want. The choice to spend money we don't have, and live a life we are not able to sustain or to live simply and have peace. The choice to stay in a church that is not challenging us to grow in the Lord, or leave and find one that does. The Pharisees and Sadducees had a choice and their decision denied Christ.
Pray with me:
Jesus, I pray that I will never be like the Pharisees and Sadducees. I pray that I will read the Scriptures, understand them as you intended, and obey you completely. Help me to respond to you and Holy Spirit. Lord, I pray to be close to you all my days. I want to know you more and more each day. May I never be far from your heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Whew! Jesus saves the day! He is wise and not tricked by the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Not that I thought He would be, but it is hard to watch them try to trap Jesus). Jesus points out their failure to understand who He really is. These men, His accusers, of all people should know the Scriptures and know that it was time for the Son of God to come and save His people, but they chose not to. I say, 'chose' not to because, like everything we do in our lives, we have choices. The choice to believe that Jesus is who He says He is or deny His deity. The choice to follow Jesus or go our own way. The choice to obey what we know Holy Spirit is telling us to do or ignore it and do what we want. The choice to spend money we don't have, and live a life we are not able to sustain or to live simply and have peace. The choice to stay in a church that is not challenging us to grow in the Lord, or leave and find one that does. The Pharisees and Sadducees had a choice and their decision denied Christ.
Pray with me:
Jesus, I pray that I will never be like the Pharisees and Sadducees. I pray that I will read the Scriptures, understand them as you intended, and obey you completely. Help me to respond to you and Holy Spirit. Lord, I pray to be close to you all my days. I want to know you more and more each day. May I never be far from your heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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