Hello Sweet friends,
Today’s Reading … Matthew 8:1-13, 11, 12:22-50, 13 and Luke 7-8
“Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you. He replied, ‘My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice’” (Luke 8:19-21). Ok… so, we know Jesus is perfect. I had to remind myself this when I read the way that he responded to his mother and brothers. My initial response was something along the lines of, “Jesus, remember Mary, your mother… the one who rode on a donkey to a manger and gave birth to you??!!”
I felt compelled to dig deeper into this scenario. Matthew Henry offered insight on Jesus’ response to this situation. As always, Jesus has perfect perspective and we do not. The fact is that his mother and brothers were standing outside of the house where he was teaching. They were not willing to come in and join into the ministry at hand. Furthermore, they were asking Jesus to step away from His calling to come outside and speak to them. Oh, that changes things. Jesus, while respectful to Mary, had a perspective that she lacked. Her mind was on earthly matters while His was on eternal matters. I wonder how often I ask Jesus to come to me, to meet me in the work that I have labeled as important instead of going to Him and jumping into the work that He has chosen.
“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house, and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him, at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them” (Luke 7:36-38). What a contrast! This woman, humble and broken in spirit, came to Jesus worshiping and bowing down. She only wanted to be where he was, nothing else. This picture is so vivid, so tender and yet so powerful. It is based completely in the character of Jesus and His response when we submit totally to Him.
2 women, both loved by Jesus, relating to Him in very different ways. Our familiarity with Jesus can lead us into the sin of failing to acknowledge His authority and power in our lives and in the universe. I pray that we will be women who come to Jesus daily, humbly bowing at his feet and wanting nothing more than to be in His presence, wherever that is. I pray that we will be overcome by His character, wiping His feet with our tears and that He will grant us a glimpse of His perspective and show the ways in which we can honor Him each day. I pray that we will never ask Him to stop what He is doing to come to us but that we would earnestly seek to join Him, wherever He is and work by His side, for His glory.
Love you all,
Kinsee
“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”(Isaiah 55:11).
