Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 29th Jairus’ Daughter

A Picture of Jesus’ Compassion for All People

Today’s Passage – Luke 8 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 29

Read the “1029 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “No Turning Back“

“40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him. 41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: 42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.” (Luke 8:40-42)

In today’s passage, we read about a man who was a “ruler of the synagogue,” which means that he was a prominent member of the Jewish community, and likely was well respected by religious authorities of Judaism. These people were typically not fans of the Lord Jesus, though there were some who followed Jesus, somewhat secretly, such as Nicodemus (John 3). However, this man, Jairus, had a great need. His twelve-year-old daughter was very sick and close to dying. He had probably gone to the best physicians to get her help and had no doubt enlisted the prayers of his religious friends; all to no avail. He heard about a man named Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah; a man that he heard was a threat to Judaism from his superiors and peers within Judaism. Yet, this man Jesus was helping people, even healing people, and represented a hope for his daughter that no other source provided. He humbly came to Jesus, humbly, and begged for his help.

While Jesus was on the way to help Jairus’ daughter, another person who also needed Jesus’ help stopped him and prevented Him from getting to Jairus’ daughter before she died (vs. 43 – 48).

“43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. (Luke 8: 43 – 48)

During the delay, Jairus gets word that his daughter had died (v. 49).

49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. (Luke 8:49)

Imagine how he must have felt? I bet that he was very upset with the woman who caused the delay. After all, he had gotten to Jesus first. He probably was a little upset with Jesus for stopping to help this woman. Yet, Jesus assures him that everything would be OK, if he just had faith (v. 50).

50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. (Luke 8:50)

Jesus then goes to Jairus’ house and to the great relief and joy of her family, Jesus raises her from the dead (vs. 51 – 55) 

51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.” (Luke 8:51-55)

This man, Jairus, who probably would have had nothing to do with Jesus, became a believer because he had a great need that only Jesus could meet. It is interesting that Jesus will draw people from all walks of life for many different reasons. Certainly, many of the people who became followers of Jesus, especially in those early years were followers of God through Judaism and were already believers in a coming Messiah, and when Jesus came on the scene, they recognized Him very quickly. However, there were others who were drawn to Jesus from surprising places. In today’s reading, we heard about Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2), a woman who was devil-possessed; and Joanna, a woman whose husband worked for Herod Antipas, who was an enemy of the followers of Jesus (Luke 8:3). In yesterday’s reading, we learned about a Roman centurion who sent to Jesus to get help for his servant who was also ready to die (Luke 7:1 – 10). In Luke nineteen, we will learn about Zacchaeus, the chief of the publicans, who sought out Jesus and then Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house.

By the way, though many of these folks sought out Jesus, we know also that Jesus specifically went after some people, like the woman at the well from John 4. He stated that he “must needs go through Samaria.” He was a mission to meet up with a woman with a very sordid and sinful background to give the living water of salvation.  

All kinds of people come to Jesus, and they all come for their own unique reasons; individual needs that only Jesus can meet. We should not be surprised when we see people coming into our churches who are not stereotypical churchgoers, and that is awesome. Let’s welcome the people who God is drawing to Jesus, and let us be ready to introduce them to the only One who can fix their problems and fill that empty place in their heart that only Jesus can fill. And let’s also be sure to take the Gospel of Christ to all people in every place. All the world (κόσμον from κόσμος – kosmos – governments and geography – Mark 16:15) and all nations (ἔθνη from ἔθνος – ethnos – ethnic groups – Matthew 28:19) need to hear the good news that Jesus Christ came to earth to die on the Cross for their sins. 

Oct 28th The Lord of the Sabbath

Today’s Passage – Luke 6 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 28)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – *Deuteronomy Thirty-Two – Verse Four*

Read the “1028 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage – “Cast Out First The Beam,” and “The Prison of Pleasing People”

 “And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.” (Luke 6:1-11)

Jesus was often under the scrutiny of the Pharisees and others who were among the religious leadership of Israel, especially on the Sabbath days. They were always watching Him. They were always trying to catch him doing something that they perceived to be wrong. This is exactly what was happening in our text. Jesus wasn’t doing anything wrong, but the Pharisees had some misconceptions about what God said could or couldn’t be done on the Sabbath.

Verse 1 tells us that this was the second Sabbath after the first. The first Sabbath mentioned in Luke was back in Luke 4:16, when Jesus preached in the synagogue of Nazareth. Another Sabbath is mentioned in Luke 4:31.

The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week. It began on Friday evening at sundown and ended on Saturday evening at sundown. It was the day of rest for the people of God. It was first alluded to way back in the Creation story:

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (Genesis 2:1-3)

God sanctified, or set apart, the seventh day, blessed the seventh day, and rested on the seventh day.

The next Old Testament reference to the Sabbath was regarding manna. God would give them manna every day, except on the seventh day. On the day before the Sabbath, the Israelites would collect twice as much as on other days, so that they would have enough to last them through the Sabbath (Exodus 16:22 – 30). The underlying principle behind this passage is that God can give you enough during the week so that you won’t have to gather or work on your sabbath of rest.

God also included the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8 – 11; Exodus 31:12 – 17).

The principle of taking one day out of seven to rest and reflect is a great principle for us to observe today.

Jesus taught us that the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27). This means that it was made for man’s benefit.

1. Helping a Worker’s Hunger (vs. 1 – 5)

First, we should point out that the disciples were taking grain from somebody’s field, which was permitted according to the Law (Deuteronomy 23:24 – 25).

The story that Jesus was referring to here is from 1 Samuel 21:1 – 6 (See also Leviticus 24:5 – 9). The account of David taking the shewbread took place on the Sabbath day, and Jesus uses it to support the point that when people are hungry, it is OK to do what you must do to feed them. The spirit of the Law would certainly allow for feeding the disciples, but the Pharisees were more concerned about observing their letter of the Law. The prohibition against working on the Sabbath was to keep people from working toward a profit, like a farmer would be doing if he was planting or harvesting a crop. However, there was nothing wrong with gleaning some grain to satisfy hunger.

Jesus had already declared His deity by forgiving the sins of the man “sick of the palsy,” in Luke 5:23. Now, He was stating that He was the Lord of the Sabbath, meaning that He would determine what was or was not right on the Sabbath.

Keep in mind that Jesus was not actually violating any principle or Law given by God, but He was violating some of the man-made traditions set forth by the Pharisees.

John Phillips states:

The rabbis had tinkered with the simple Sabbath requirement (Exod. 20:8–11) to the extent that Sabbath keeping had become, for many people, a burden. For instance, “a Sabbath day’s journey” was said to be about a thousand yards, but a man could circumvent this rabbinical rule. He could deposit at the thousand-yard boundary food for two meals before the Sabbath. He could then make this spot his dwelling, which would enable him to go another thousand yards.

And what constituted work? The rabbis defined a “burden” as “the weight of a dried fig.” To pick up anything heavier than that was work. If a person were in one place and his hand, filled with fruit, was stretched in another, he must drop the fruit if overtaken in that position by the Sabbath! The rabbis forbade a woman to look in a mirror on the Sabbath because she might notice a gray hair and pluck it out, and that would be work! And so on, page after page—endless, mindboggling pettiness, burden heaped upon burden.^[1]

   2.  Healing a Withered Hand (vs. 6 – 11)

The Pharisees claimed that healing was in violation of the Sabbath laws. However, Jesus stated that healing was doing good and saving life, rather than doing evil and destroying life (See also Matthew 12:11 – 12).

The second point from this passage is that Jesus did not actually work. He merely spoke, and the man’s hand was healed.

Notice the third point from this passage, in v. 7, that the Pharisees knew what Christ would do. They were watching the man with the withered hand, and they were using him to set up the Lord. The Lord would certainly heal him, because the Lord always healed everyone who needed help: (See v. 19)

“Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.” (Luke 4:40)

“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” (Matthew 8:16-17)

Jesus was consistent. He always did right. The Pharisees knew that Jesus would do this. What does the enemy know that you are going to do?

The fourth thought from this passage is that Jesus was not afraid of the Pharisees, and He was not afraid to do right in front of everyone. He put this man in the middle of everyone, and then he healed him.

By healing this man, Jesus infuriated the Pharisees who were now publicly humiliated. They apparently were content to let the man suffer. The enemy hates it when the good guys do something good. The Pharisees begin conspiring as to how they will catch Jesus.

See Matthew 23 for information regarding the Pharisees.

Conclusion

1. We are not under any law to keep a sabbath of rest.
2. It is still good for man to take one day out of seven to rest, refresh, relax, and reflect on the Lord.
3. Sunday is the day that Christians have chosen for worship. It’s the day that we celebrate the resurrection. (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1 – 2)
4. It is logical then for us to make Sunday our sabbath.
5. We should strive to maintain Sunday as a day for rest and worship as much as we can.
6. However, when that is impossible at times – see rule 1.

^[1] Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring the Gospel of Luke: An Expository Commentary (Lk 5:27–6:5). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

Oct 27th For a Season

Today’s Passage – Luke 4 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8

Read the “1027 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Let’s Go Fishing,“ and “A Hospital for Sinners.”

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” (Luke 4:1-13)

One of the things that I enjoy about living up here in the northeast is the changing of the seasons. Right now, we are enjoying the mild temperatures and beautiful colors of fall, but I know that soon those leaves will drop along with the temperatures and winter will be upon us. I must confess, that my least favorite season is winter, although I do enjoy the beauty of that first snowfall. Winter seems to be longer around here but that is only because our spring seasons tend to stay chilly in New Jersey almost up to the time of summer. None of these seasons last long, however. Things are always changing, and the change is what makes things interesting.

In our passage today from Luke 4, Jesus was driven into the wilderness (Mark 1:12) by the Spirit of God to be tempted of the Devil. By the way, it is good to allow the Spirit to be in the driver’s seat:) Anyway, there is a lot that we could talk about regarding these three attempts by Satan to get Jesus to sin. It was certainly not a pleasant experience for Him, but He came through it with flying colors, proving that He was Who He claimed to be – God incarnate.

My thought for this post, however, is the fact that the temptation only lasted for a season and then Satan departed, again for a season. He would be back again. You may be going through a difficult time in your life right now, but it is likely not going to last forever. There may be some exceptions to this principle, but for the most part, the difficult trials that we experience in life are typically only temporary. Jesus endured the fasting in the wilderness for forty days and then the temptation, but then Satan left Him alone for a while. Life includes extreme low points, or valleys as we often call them, but it also is full of wonderful experiences and great days. The good times, however, are also only for a season. If you think about it, we can only fully enjoy the good days when they are given in contrast to the bad. If you went to Disneyland every day, it would soon lose its magic. The seasons that we experience is what makes life full. Jesus experienced it all (Hebrews 4:15), and so will we. Solomon expressed these mountaintops and valleys in life:

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

If you are on top of the world right now, then praise the Lord. Enjoy it! But know, that it will not last forever. The Devil will be back. If you are going through a very difficult season at this moment, then learn what you can from it, maintain your testimony and your joy through it, knowing that God is in control, and He is going through this ordeal with you. He will never leave you or forsake you, and He will get you to the other side of it. Trust that all these seasons are working together for your good and His glory. It will not last forever; there will be a respite, an escape. Even if does continue through this life, you can be sure it will not follow you in Heaven. Of course, that only applies to those of us who are saved – those that “love God, and who are the called according to His purpose.”

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Oct 26th Shepherd, Carpenters, and Fishermen

Today’s Passage – Luke 2 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 26

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – *Psalm 55:17*

Read a previous post from this passage – “The Family Business;” and “Fruits Worthy of Repentance.”

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” (Luke 2:8-20)

For me, one of the most encouraging aspects of the Christmas story is the people that God used surrounding the incarnation of the Lord Jesus. Jesus’ parents were poor people from an insignificant little village near the Sea of Galilee. Joseph was a carpenter, a blue-collar laborer who sweated and worked hard to provide a living for his family. Even the town where Jesus was to be born was not at all prominent, especially when compared to its famous neighbor, Jerusalem, just a few miles to the north. You might think that God would choose Jerusalem as the place of Jesus’ birth, or maybe even Rome, which was the capital of the world in those days. And who does God choose to reveal the birth of the King to? Humble shepherds – guys who are out at night, working third shift, doing the work that the rich and powerful would not be willing to do. The angels did not wake up the high priest or one of the members of the Sanhedrin; he did interrupt the mayor of Bethlehem while he was enjoying a late-night snack. God chose some humble men who were, no doubt, faithfully doing their work while serving their God and their families. 

These shepherds remind me of King David who was also a humble shepherd, serving his family, feeding and protecting the flock, when all of a sudden, someone came and called him out of the field and said: “Samuel the prophet is at your house, and he wants to talk with you.” Well, he may not have used those exact words, but the point is that David was just faithfully fulfilling his duties when God told Samuel to call him. You just never know when God may come by and call you to do something awesome for Him.

Fast forward to thirty years later, when Jesus is choosing His apostles. Who does he choose? Millionaires? Religious leaders? No, He chooses humble fishermen. Guys who were struggling to feed their families, working hard, but also patiently waiting and looking for God to do something awesome. The Bible tells us “And the common people heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37).

Paul told the church at Corinth that God was not impressed with the proud and haughty, the rich and powerful. God can only be glorified when He does His work through humble men and women: 

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Serving God is awesome, but our service will not always be out in some prominent place where hundreds are cheering for us; it may just be in a field with a few sheep; or in a boat with nets and poles. God uses the everyday, ordinary, humble man or woman to do extraordinary work for Him. Our desire ought to just be faithful to Him, doing the seemingly “little things” that He calls us to do. Who knows, He may just show up someday and use us to do something big.

Oct 24th Have You Ever Been There?

Today’s Passage – Mark 15 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here  to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 116 – 118; Proverbs 24)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10

Read the “1024 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage – “Ready, Set, Go“, and “The Just for the Unjust“

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

The above verse references the time when Jesus was on the cross with the sins of the whole world placed upon his shoulders. In His humanity, He cries to the Father, and for the first time Jesus calls His Father, “God” instead of “Father”. Here at this moment it seemed that everything was against Him, including God.

Does it ever seem to you like God has forsaken you? I have been through some dark valleys in my time, and there have been many times where I have wondered, “Where is God?” At those times, it seemed like God was nowhere to be found. However, in hindsight, I can see that God was there all along; and though I could not see Him or feel Him, He was there. He is always there. If you are going through some kind of a trial today, don’t trust your feelings: they will often betray you. Trust the Word of God. The Bible tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. Keep trusting; keep praying, even though it seems like you are just talking to yourself. Remember faith is the evidence of things not seen. Though His presence may seem to be elsewhere, He is right there with you. He hasn’t stopped loving you, and He hasn’t stopped working for your good and His glory.

Oct 23rd Is It I?

Today’s Passage – Mark 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17

Read the “1023 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? … And they all forsook him, and fled.” (Mark 14:18-19, 50)

Judas betrayed the Lord (Mark 14:43 – 44); Peter denied the Lord (Mark 14:71 – 72); three of the disciples could not stay awake with Jesus in his time of need in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:37); and all the disciples forsook Him and fled (Mark 14:50). No wonder the disciples each asked Jesus: “Is it I?” They all knew that they were capable of forsaking the Lord. The possible exception is the Apostle John who according to his own account asked: “who is it?”

When the disciples asked, “Is it I?”, I believe they were being completely transparent and open about the limitations of their own humanity as well as the weakness of their faith. None of the events that were taking place that night were going as they had thought. They all envisioned a King who be enthroned in Jerusalem, putting down the corrupt religious leaders and crushing the Roman oppressors in the process. But that’s not what was happening. Jesus seemed to be losing. He was talking about being delivered to crucifixion. This was not what they had signed up for. So, when Jesus announces that He was about to be betrayed, it was easy for each of them to admit the possibility that it might be him.

How about you? When life doesn’t go exactly as you had hoped that it should go, do you have some doubts about your faith? Have you ever thought (or even said), “if God were real, why is this happening to me?” I know I have. Even though I have experienced cataclysmic changes in my life since being born-again; even though I have seen God’s blessing on myself and others time and time again; and even though He has miraculously protected me and provided for me so many times in the past; every once in a while, I still have my moments where my faith is weak.

One thing I suppose that we can all learn from the experience of Judas is that even though we may have our moments of weakness, we should not make any major decisions during them. Judas acted upon his lack of faith, and turned the Lord over to the religious leaders and Roman authorities. He was complicit with a plan that he knew was conceived in envy and deceit. He know that the Lord Jesus was innocent; yet, he conspired with evil men for money.

When you have your moments of doubt the best thing that you can do is to wait before speaking or acting. Get alone with the Lord in your prayer closet with an open Bible and allow the Lord to help you with your questions and give you the assurance that you need. Maybe you should find somebody that you know has strong faith and ask for their help. It is normal to have doubts. We are all in good company. The men closest to the Lord struggled at times also, but don’t throw in the towel on God (if that’s even possible for a true believer). Just wait and pray; strengthen your faith through the Word of God; get around a brother or sister that has walked with God a little longer and further than you have and soon your doubts will be gone.

Oct 20th Do We Really See As Clearly As We Think We Do?

Today’s Passage – Mark 8 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here  to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – *Matthew 6:33*

Read the “1020 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Hear Ye Him”

“And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? … And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.” (Mark 8:17-18, 23-25)

In today’s reading from Mark 8, we first read about the “Feeding of the Four Thousand,” which takes place on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is a similar, but different, event from the more famous story of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand.” After feeding the four thousand, Jesus and his disciples leave for Dalmanutha, which is also on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, where he has an encounter with the Pharisees who demand for Jesus to give them some sort of sign to prove that He was the Messiah, which Jesus refuses to do. After leaving the Pharisees and when He and His disciples are back in the boat, Jesus warns the disciples about “the Leven of the Pharisees.” The word, “leaven,” in the Scriptures is often used symbolically as representation of sin. Jesus was really warning them about the sin of the Pharisees, but because He used the word, “leaven,” which is the ingredient used to make bread rise, his disciples thought somehow that Jesus was rebuking them for not bringing any bread with them. They misunderstood what Jesus was saying. They did not “see” or perceive what He was trying to tell them.

Fast forward now to the next story in Mark 8 regarding a man that really could not see; he was blind (vs. 22 – 26). When Jesus healed him, he at first could not see clearly; he stated that he saw “men as trees, walking.” However, when Jesus touched his eyes the second time, he could see clearly. I often wondered why it was that his sight was not wholly restored at the first touch. Did Jesus not use enough power the first time? No, I think through this healing story, Jesus is giving us an illustration regarding spiritual sight or understanding.

Here are some thoughts:

1. When a person trusts Christ, he is given the ability to understand spiritual truth. Lost people cannot comprehend the teaching of the Spirit of God. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
2. However, even saved people do not understand everything that God wants to show them, at least not at first. This blind man did not see clearly at first, and the disciples did not at first understand what Jesus was trying to show them. They needed the help of Jesus to see clearly as well.
3. To some degree, our spiritual understanding is progressive and increases with growth, experience, and obedience to God’s will. As the song says, “we will understand it better by and by.”
4. We will never completely understand all spiritual truth, even when we get to Heaven. Omniscience is an attribute of God. However, in Heaven we will understand a great deal more.
5. We must remember that we are all still blind to some things, especially some of our own problems. There are many things that we do not understand. Yet, our lack of comprehension is even something we have a tough time seeing. We think we see clearly. I am sure the man that was healed of his blindness at first thought he was seeing pretty good, but it was until after Jesus really cleared up his lack of focus on the second touch that he understood that previously his sight, though better, was still somehow limited.
6. There are others who can see things that we cannot see yet because they have been granted clearer sight by God than us. Thus, we need to rely on other people who are a little further down the road spiritually to help us understand things.
7. We need to pray and ask God to open up our understanding.

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Psalm 119:18)

You and I must realize that we may not be seeing things as clearly as we think we are. We think sometimes that we know it all, but there may be something in our lives that is a little out of focus. We need to be humble enough to admit that we do not have all the answers, and we need God’s help to understand better.