Bible 365: Week 39

Before I get into my Bible 365 Week 39 recap, I just want to say Happy Wedding Anniversary to my loving and wonderful husband!!  Today we celebrate 3 years of wedded bliss.  I know that I am truly blessed to have you as my life partner, the father of my children and the person who often talks me off the ledge.  You are simply amazing and I thank you for taking this leap despite all that we had to go through before committing our lives together and making a vow before God to remain as one until death does us part.  I love you more than any words can ever express!

Now, I hope everyone had a blessed and delightful weekend.  This weekend the kiddies and I got out of house and picked up an anniversary present for the Mr.  Then we enjoyed some playtime at the park before it got too windy out.  We even got to have some bonding time with the Mr before he headed off to work.  I'm always grateful for those moments.

Anyways, week 39's readings did retell just about everything we read in Matthews and Mark.  It talked about the gathering of the disciples, told of Jesus' many miracles and of course the crucifixion.  I don't know about you guys but reading about how the people and the supposed 'leaders' of the church turned on Jesus makes me a little mad.   After all the miracles he performed for them, how could they act like such savages finding enjoyment in killing him?  Here are a few lessons I've been mediating on:

1-"Let the little children come to Me and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Mark 10:14-15).  We can learn a thing or two from children.  Children can teach us as Christians how to humble ourselves to God and trust Him to do what His word says He will do for those who believe wholeheartedly in Him.

2-"And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slaves of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:44-45).  I hear a lot of people talking about how they want to be leaders or bosses and often times I've seen them get frustrated when they feel like they aren't moving up the leadership pole fast enough or at all.  You see being a leader or a boss isn't just about being the position to give orders.  Its true essence and meaning is to be servant or helper to others.  

Think about it.  Even as powerful and magnificent as Jesus was and still is, He was sent here to earth to die for us!  So, while He was a great leader not only to the disciples but to all those around Him, Jesus ultimately was a servant of God sent here to serve man through healing them, preaching the word to give them wisdom and understanding and dying on the cross to save their souls.

3-"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angel in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is" (Mark 13:32-33).  The signs of the coming of Christ (Mark 13:7-8) couldn't be more evident in our society today.  However, we don't know the specific time or day.  Therefore, you don't want to be caught slipping or caught up in things that are not of God.  So, heed the warnings that God has laid out for us on how we should conduct ourselves, watch for the signs of the coming and pray that God guides your actions so that you may be found holy and righteous.

4-"He took Peter, James and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch" (Mark 14:33-34).  I think that Jesus handled the knowledge of His upcoming death very well.  But here we see that on the night Judas turned Him over to His enemies that He began to get anxious.  The heaviness of what was going to happen to Him started to weigh on His spirit.  A lot of times, we feel out of touch with Jesus (and God) because the Bible talks about Him as being perfect and without sin.

So, we often question how can He relate to us and how are we suppose to be able to relate to someone who was so great and who set such a high standard?  Well, here we see just how human Jesus was as He awaits His crucifixion.  I don't know anyone who would be at ease knowing first that they were going to be killed, knowing that it would be painful and not knowing how long it would last.  I can imagine that He probably worried about His loved ones and the pain they would feel watching Him die, the people who still rejected God and whether or not His disciples had strong enough faith to continue His work and teachings.

My heart hurts a lot for Jesus knowing the burden He bore because humans couldn't get right.  As a mom, my heart hurts for His parents, especially Mary.  I'm thankful for God's sacrifice, but knowing how much God loves us, I can only imagine how much He loved Jesus and how painful it must have been sacrifice His own son for a bunch of ungrateful people.

5-"He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise" (Luke 3:11).  We know that God loves a cheerful giver.  And we need to strive to be givers not just on Christmas or Thanksgiving but whenever we see another in need.  At the end of day, you can't take your riches, your furs, your diamonds or your fancy cars to Heaven (or Hell).  Therefore, if you can bless a person, do it without hesitation or expecting anything in return.

I'm definitely striving to instill this trait into my children.  I don't want them to see all the problems of the world and keep on walking.  I want them to be moved to do their parts. To be part of the solution.  To be a blessing and a light to those during their troubled or hard times.

When was the last time you helped someone in need? And could you have handled knowing you were going to be crucified?

Week 40 Readings

9/30: Luke 10

10/1: Luke 11

10/2: Luke 12

10/3: Luke 13-14

10/4: Luke 15-16

10/5: Luke 17-19

10/6: Luke 20-21