Even back when Jesus walked the earth it wasn’t easy to know exactly who he was. Even for his Twelve Disciples!
Jesus to his disciples: “Who do the crowds say I am? But who do you say that I am?
Simon Peter answered: “The Christ of God.”
Jesus: The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and Scribes, and be put to death, and on the third day rise again.”
There is a mystery to life, isn’t there? When to strive for perfection and when to accept less than perfect in oneself and others? When to control others and the situation versus when to trust and let other go and the situation wander aimlessly to its destined outcome? When to see things in contrasting opposites with no middle ground—good and evil, Christ and the Devil—versus not making a judgment or putting a label on ourselves, others and a situation. But the results of our perspectives and decisions can be gloriously joyful or painfully dreadful or may even bring death, whether spiritual or physical.
The Doctrine of the Cross: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but ruin or lose himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and of the holy angels. But I say to you truly, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death, till they have seen the kingdom of God.”
There is ambition and envy even within the spiritual confines of ourselves or our religious organizations.
Jesus against ambition: “Whoever receives this little child for my sake, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me. For he who is the least among you, he is the greatest.”
John: Master, we saw a man casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow us.
Jesus replied against envy: “Do not forbid him; for who is not against you is for you.”
But it all comes down to service and to be of service to God and others we need to get outside of our Self, our Pride, and our selfish ego.
It’s not an all-or-nothing world!
Others, who are not followers of Christ can cast out devils in Christ’s name and Jesus did not have a problem with them, basically declaring we are all on the good side and let’s focus together on the bad side not differences amongst us.
Jesus was transfigured… and as he prayed, the appearance of his countenance was changed, and his raiment became a radiant white… And behold two men were talking with him. And these were Moses and Elias, who, appearing in glory, spoke of his death, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem.
I never knew what Jesus, Moses, and Elias spoke about when Jesus was transfigured.
God speaks again in the New Testament… and there came a voice out of the cloud saying. “This is my beloved Son, hear him.”
Jesus to his disciples: “Store up these words in your minds: the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of Men.”
Maybe we weren’t there to hear Jesus when he was alive walking the Earth…
Hopefully we hear his voice ring out from our hearts…
And we don’t have to be perfect. There were even Samaritans that did not take care of Jesus when needed.
A Samaritan town did not receive Jesus because his face was set for Jerusalem. James and John asked Jesus if they should bid fire come down from heaven and consume them. Jesus rebuked them saying: “You do not know of what manner of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy man’s lives, but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Who are we to judge the spirit within another human being?
Let’s just get to know Jesus though the Scriptures and through our life experiences, and then let’s conquer life, as we know it, with Jesus in our hearts…
Day 64: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Know Jesus, then Conquer Life with Jesus in your Heart…
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint Luke Chapter 9.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
Saint Luke, a pagan by birth and a physician by profession, had never seen our Lord. An early convert, he became a companion and co-worker of Saint Paul.
In the first four verses of his Gospel he explains why he wrote it. Paul’s doctrine that salvation is for all, not for Jesus alone, is the theme of Saint Luke’s Gospel.
Luke Chapter 9: The mission of the Apostles; Herod wonders; The Apostles return; Jesus feed five thousand; Peter’s confession; Christ’s prophecy; The doctrine of the cross; Jesus transfigured; A possessed boy; Jesus cures him; The second prediction of the Passion; Against ambition; against envy; The unfriendly Samaritans; Sacrifice to follow Christ.
Jesus gave the Apostles power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them forth to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Jesus to the Apostles: “Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and do not leave the place. And whoever does not receive you—go forth from that town, and shake off even the dust from your feet for a witness against them.”
Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was being done by Jesus and was much perplexed… and he endeavored to see him. “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?”
And the Apostles on their return reported to him all that they had done… And Jesus welcomed them (crowds), and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and those in need of cure he healed.
Jesus feeds five thousand… “You yourselves give them some food… Make them recline in groups of fifties…
Jesus to his disciples: “Who do the crowds say I am? But who do you say that I am? The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and Scribes, and be put to death, and on the third day rise again.”
Simon Peter” “The Christ of God.”
The doctrine of the cross: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but ruin or lose himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and of the holy angels. But I say to you truly, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death, till they have seen the kingdom of God.”
Jesus transfigured… And as he prayed, the appearance of his countenance was changed, and his raiment became a radiant white… And behold two men were talking with him. And these were Moses and Elias, who, appearing in glory, spoke of his death, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem.
God, and there came a voice out of the cloud saying. “This is my beloved Son, hear him.”
Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and restored him to his father.
Jesus: “Store up these words in your minds: the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of Men.”
Jesus against ambition: “Whoever receives this little child for my sake, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me. For he who is the least among you, he is the greatest.”
John: Master, we saw a man casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow us.
Jesus replied against envy: “Do not forbid him; for who is not against you is for you.”
A Samaritan town did not receive Jesus because his face was set for Jerusalem. James and John asked Jesus if they should bid fire come down from heaven and consume them. Jesus rebuked them saying: “You do not know of what manner of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy man’s lives, but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Sacrifice to follow Jesus: “The foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head… Follow me… Let the dead bury their dead, but do thou go and proclaim the kingdom of God… No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Speak Your Mind