Apicontent

“As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way, ‘Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death.’” —Matthew 20:17–19

One would certainly be incorrect in saying that Jesus did not prepare His disciples ahead of time for His betrayal, beatings, death, and resurrection. It’s just that they didn’t seem to really get it. Perhaps they simply did not want to believe His warnings. We find earlier in Matthew Jesus’ words to them regarding what was about to take place—verifying once more that Jesus was not taken by surprise by anything that happened. He willingly gave of Himself to save us.

“For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” —Matthew 12:40

“From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: ‘God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!’” —Matthew 16:21–22

“When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.’ And they became greatly distressed.” —Matthew 17:22–23

Surely, Jesus was in control of His life. No one took it from Him—He willingly gave it. He was sacrificially obedient to the will of God. His death was wholly voluntary and on our behalf. He was not a helpless pawn unable to save himself. John records our Lord’s words proclaiming His Sovereign authority over His own destiny:

“This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.” —John 10:17–18

Freedom is costly is it not? The Lord Jesus paid the greatest price for our freedom—ransoming our souls from the pit of Hell through His death on the cross. Christ—the Great Liberator—came to set the captives free from the bondage of sin and death. He liberated us from chains of decay and brought us into the glorious freedom.

Paul warns us against our being yoked again to slavery. As believers we are to stand firm in the freedom and liberty that Christ has fully and completely provided. We are not to choose to live a life of slavery to sin:

“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” —Galatians 5:1

God’s mighty strength sustains us, supports us, and holds us steady, lifting us high above the fears and concerns that drag us down. His hand has us firmly and lovingly in its grasp. This is the hand of the One who cherishes us, the One who died for us.

Become More

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you—yes, I help you—yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!” —Isaiah 41:10

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” —1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Further Reflections

“Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son. ‘Ye were bought at a price,’ and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the incarnation of God.” —Dietrich Bonheoffer

“If there be ground for you to trust your own righteousness, then all that Christ did to purchase salvation … is vain.” —Jonathan Edwards

“Now someone came up to him and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ ‘Which ones?’ he asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.” —Matthew 19:16–22

This encounter between Jesus and a young man has far more to do with our desires than our dollars, contrary to what we might perhaps believe. In this encounter, Jesus points to what is on the throne of our lives, and our willingness or unwillingness to relinquish our rights of it to the One who has all rights to it. Money, people, things, fame, acceptance, work, perfection, family, beauty, and whatever else is important to us are not intrinsically bad. However, it is the priority placed upon them which can make them wrong. Jesus calls us to be “one thing” people. Everything in our lives is to fall under Him. He created us; He knows perfectly well what we need.

We are all capable of deluding ourselves into thinking our desires are right and good. “The heart is deceitful” (Jeremiah 17:9) Scripture tells us. The rich young ruler in the passage of scripture for today is a good example. He was humble in approaching the Master. He was apparently earnest in seeking to do what was right. Yet he misses the selfishness of his own heart, and when faced with the realization of it and Jesus’ desire of his release from it, he becomes sorrowful. He just does not seem able to let go of his desires—no matter what he had expressed earlier.

Scripture gives us several examples of “one thing” people who had their priorities right: God first and everything else under Him.

David writes:

“I have asked the LORD for one thing—this is what I desire! I want to live in the LORD’S house all the days of my life, so I can gaze at the splendor of the LORD and contemplate in his temple.” —Psalm 27:4

Luke tells us about Mary, Martha’s sister:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said. But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.’” —Luke 10:38–42

Paul writes regarding himself in Philippians:

“I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.” —Philippians 3:12–15

Become More

“I know what it’s like to say you’re trying to help someone even though you’re well aware it was really a halfway-decent excuse to satisfy something in yourself. —Angie Smith

“The gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart. It testifies that the thoughts of God toward us are ‘thoughts of peace and not of evil’ (Jeremiah 29:11). It declares that while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, no divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift.  The whole treasury of heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me.” —Ellen G. White

Further Reflections

“You shall have no other gods before me” —Exodus 20:3

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. —Matthew 6:31–33

“We sin because our longings are so strong at the operational level—not at the verbal level, where we confess ‘Jesus is Lord’—we feel that something in addition to Jesus is necessary for our happiness and well-being. We will never find the full freedom promised in the gospel if all we want from Jesus is relief.” —James Wilhoit

“Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ And he placed his hands on them and went on his way.” —Matthew 19:13–15

The compassion, kindness, and gentleness of the Lord Jesus towards the little children shine forth so brightly in this passage!

I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s charge to us in Colossians as well to demonstrate these virtues:

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” —Colossians 3:12

These virtues are also included in the listing of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” —Galatians 5:22–23

In our verses for today, not driven by any particular need other than the desire for Christ to bless them, we find parents bringing their little ones to Jesus simply in order for Him to lay His hands on them in prayer. Their actions demonstrate a great respect for Jesus as well as a high value on His favor and blessing. In other places in scripture, we find parents bringing their children to Jesus in dire need of healing. Yet it appears that the parents described here sought only His blessing.

We cannot do anything better for our children than to commit them to the Lord Jesus. It is His blessing that will guide, lead, and help them. There is no higher ground. We are to trust in the Lord and His direction. He alone can answer the prayers of the heart as well as fully satisfy all inward longings and desires.

King David writes:

“Trust in the LORD and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! Then you will take delight in the LORD, and he will answer your prayers. Commit your future to the LORD! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause.” —Psalm 37:3–6

The disciples frowned on the actions of these parents. They didn’t think Jesus had time for children. They saw these parents as being troublesome instead of seeing them with the eyes of Jesus. We are never to discourage any person from seeking the Lord Jesus! No one is ever a nuisance to Him. It displeases Jesus when we turn away anyone who is seeking Him. He remains ever ready to receive them!

Become More

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5–6

Further Reflections

“Jesus, Thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love Thou art.” —Charles Wesley

“For the love of God is broader than the measures of man’s mind; and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.” —Frederick William Faber

“It is rare that Christians earnestly seek the Lord’s face when things are going swimmingly, when material blessings abound and we seem to be protected from the vicissitudes faced by others. But in the blackness of discouragement, when we are harassed and downcast, we may indeed turn to the Lord and acknowledge our helplessness apart from his grace; we may do so knowing that God is a compassionate God and that Jesus’ compassion was particularly directed toward the harassed and the helpless.” —D. A. Carson

“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. As he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents was brought to him. Because he was not able to repay it, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt.
“After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed.
“So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart.” —Matthew 18:23–35

In this parable Jesus makes it perfectly clear that we need to forgive others. Perhaps it would be a helpful reminder to review a few verses that talk about sin in order to remember the extraordinary forgiveness God has demonstrated towards us.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23

“For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 6:23

“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:6–8

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach), because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” —Romans 10:8–11

God has every right to put us to shame. Yet He chose to let His Son die for us instead! Certainly none of us would like to hear that we would be tortured until we could repay our debt, a debt that would take us all eternity to repay. In the parable, the unforgiving servant owed his Master a huge amount, yet his fellow servant only owed him a mere silver coin. Jesus is making His point crystal clear. The first servant had been forgiven all and he should have forgiven all. A child of the King has all of their sins forgiven and therefore we are to willingly forgive all from the heart.

Jesus teaches us to forgive others when they have wronged us and to seek forgiveness when we have wronged them. We must follow our Lord’s example. He extended to us the ultimate pardon—the forgiveness of our sins. His forgiveness is so thorough, so complete, so encompassing, it is as if He looks at us as though we have never sinned. Shouldn’t we, as Jesus stated, have mercy on others as He has had mercy on us?

Become More

“Do you wish to receive mercy? Show mercy to your neighbor.” —John Chrysostom

Further Reflections

“If there is the tiniest grudge in your mind against anyone, your spiritual penetration into the knowledge of God stops.” —Oswald Chambers

“Mercy imitates God and disappoints Satan.” —John Chrysostom

“The more godly any man is, the more merciful that man will be.” —Thomas Brooks

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.” —Matthew 18:15–17

Wouldn’t it be far more civil and compassionate—not to mention more merciful, loving, and obedient—if when offended by a brother or sister in Christ, believers would observe our Lord’s instructions presented in our verses for today? Instead, when offence occurs, we oftentimes unforgivingly run straight to everyone else. We love to talk about the wrong doing, and get in our version of how we were wronged, instead of lovingly going first to the offender. We are often likely to head for people we know who will be sympathetic to our case, building an alliance to defame and shame those who have hurt us. Hatred and hurt and anger fester and bleed and ultimately produce bitterness. This unwillingness to forgive, and a desire for revenge, bring us much harm.

Paul tells us in Romans:

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” —Romans 12:17–21

Jesus gives us good reason for forgiveness in the Sermon on the Mount earlier in Matthew:

“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.” —Matthew 6:14–15

Jesus’ words today include any disagreement or quarrel among Christians. It is important to preserve Christ’s church with purity, peace, and order. Those around us must know us by the love we have for one another.

We have been freely forgiven and—and we are to freely forgive. We are to look at each offense through merciful eyes, knowing that we often offend as well.

However, it is not loving, kind, or helpful to simply gloss over matters of offence, perhaps pretending they never happened. If the offence is an ongoing pattern in another believer’s life, we must work out our conflict with the love of Christ. Does it help someone to allow them to continue in an unkind or impudent manner? We are not to wait for them to come to us; rather we are to prayerfully go to them, seeking to settle matters quickly. Sins are prone to silence the conscience of those indulging in them and oftentimes help is needed to arouse it.

The approach should always be from a sinner to a sinner. The rebuke must be loving, prayerful, and private. No human is perfect. All believers in Jesus are in the process of being transformed and, as Scripture states, mercy triumphs over judgment. We must, in faithfulness, meekness, and love, present the offence privately. We should never be seeking shame for a brother or sister. Repentance is the goal and always for the good of the offender.

“Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.” —James 2:12–13

Jesus goes deeper. If the sin continues, two or three others are to be taken along in an effort to reason the case further with the offender ever seeking his good. God’s work is to be done effectively with as little noise as possible.

“A single witness may not testify against another person for any trespass or sin that he commits. A matter may be legally established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” —Deuteronomy 19:15

Become More

Only if our brother or sister staunchly refuses to work out the matter is the church is to get involved in order to examine the matter. Here again, the outcome desired is repentance and restitution of relationship. Ultimately, the offender is not to be looked upon as an outcast, but as one who is in a position to be received and restored. Remember, the shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep and went looking for the one who needed restoration.

Further Reflections

An unwillingness to forgive and a desire for revenge bring us much harm.

“I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” —John 13:34–35

“When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire and into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to heal him.’ Jesus answered, ‘You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him here to me.’ Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that moment.” —Matthew 17:14–18

In these verses we see a daddy humbly approaching the Lord Jesus and pleading for relief of his son’s suffering. The child’s condition is urgent. The father draws near to the Healer empty handed and begging for mercy. Indeed, the word translated “mercy” is from the Greek word eleeo meaning “to relieve affliction, alleviate suffering or distress, ease misery. It is the concrete expression of pity and compassion for the destitute or those in misery which undertakes to mollify or remove their suffering. It is used specifically to signify God’s salvation in which He acts to reverse the adverse effects of sin and to relieve sinners of their moral and spiritual wretchedness, all that He accomplishes in delivering them from the miserable and pitiful (though deserved) condition of sin, guilt, and death” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible–New Testament Lexical Aids).

What parent can’t relate to the father’s predicament? When our children are in trouble of any kind we cry out on their behalf, pleading for the Maker to move His merciful hand. This incident occurs immediately upon the Lord’s return from His mountaintop glory transfiguration, yet we discover Jesus’ glories do not make Him unmindful of our sufferings and needs! As Satan would have it, the effects of this child’s disease were deplorable, casting him into the fire or the water. Mark tells us in his Gospel that this child would also foam at the mouth, gnash his teeth, and become rigid—a frightening sight for any parent to behold.

Jesus had previously granted His power to His disciples to cast out demons and they had been successful.

“Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness.” —Matthew 10:1

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” —Matthew 10:8

And yet, here they failed, and there were nine of them present! The other three had been with the Lord Jesus. Thankfully, the failure of humans does not hinder the operation of Christ’s grace! We see Jesus reprimanding those around Him for their unbelief. Our Lord’s reprimand was not to His disciples, rather to the people and perhaps the teachers of the law in His hearing. Christ himself could not do many mighty miracles among those with whom unbelief reigned. The blessings were withheld because of their faithlessness.

“And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.’ And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.” —Matthew 13:57–58

However, we still see Jesus break the power of Satan with a simple rebuke. All power in heaven and on earth and under the earth belongs to Him. He is the One with all authority.

Become More

“The foundational principle of grace is that God’s kingdom priorities are completely inverted from those of the world. God’s plan is to magnify His saving mercy and grace not through human strength but rather through its weakness … The gospel of grace would remind us that we can’t be used until we operate not out of our own strength but in weakness, as we depend on Christ’s Spirit to show the reality of the cross.” —Paul Kooistra

Further Reflections

“Throw your burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain you.” —Psalm 55:22

“God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.” —1 Peter 5:6–7

“If my people, who belong to me, humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, and repudiate their sinful practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” —2 Chronicles 7:14

“Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain. And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him. So Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Do not be afraid.’ When they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone.” —Matthew 17:1–8

I think if Peter were with us today, he would tell us it is sometimes better to simply not say anything!

During this particular moment with Jesus, Peter didn’t know what he was saying—of course he didn’t!

I am kind of with Peter. I can certainly see why he wanted to stay up on that mountain top. It was so much more peaceful and pleasant up there than dealing with all those frustratingly annoying sheep below. It’s pure peace at the feet of the Master.

But it was not God’s plan for Peter, James, and John to set up residence on the mountaintop. And it isn’t His plan for us either. Earth is not our home, heaven is. Peter was permitted that glorious encounter for the benefit of me and for you. He was given a special moment with Jesus that revealed His very nature. Our encounters, whether they are truths taught or an experience of God’s faithfulness demonstrated in our lives, are not for us alone. They are to be used to help strengthen the faith of others as well.

In our verses for today, Jesus takes His inner circle—Peter, James, and John—up a high mountain for an encounter with God that they will never forget. Indeed, Peter records in his second epistle as being an eyewitness to this incredible encounter:

“For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return of our Lord Jesus Christ; no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur. For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory: ‘This is my dear Son, in whom I am delighted.’ When this voice was conveyed from heaven, we ourselves heard it, for we were with him on the holy mountain.” —2 Peter 1:16–18

In the Matthew passage it tells us that Jesus was “transfigured” before them. The word translated “transfigured” is from the Greek word metamorphoo meaning “to transform, change one’s form; to alter fundamentally.” This word is used of Jesus’ transfiguration which involved the miracle of transformation from an earthly form into a supernatural one … It describes a spiritual transformation, an invisible process in Christians which takes place during their life in this age. (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, New Testament Lexical Aids). This same word is found in Romans 12:2 when Paul warns us to be different from the world by being “transformed” by the renewing of our minds:

“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.” —Romans 12:2

Paul also tells us in 2 Corinthians that believers are being “transformed” into Christ’s likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Holy Spirit:

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” —2 Corinthians 3:17–18

As we demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives we are progressively being transformed into Christ’s likeness—and Christlikeness is the goal of our Christian walk.

Become More

“You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.” —Ephesians 4:22–24

Further Reflection

It was not God’s plan for Peter, James, and John to set up residence on the mountaintop. And it isn’t His plan for us either.

“When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ They answered, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ —Matthew 16:13–16

The most important question every soul will have to answer is presented here within our verses for today: “Who do we say that I am?”

In a remote area, with few followers around, Jesus was afforded the opportunity of private conversation with His disciples. He begins the conversation by asking the question “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Notice He does not ask who the Scribes and Pharisees say that He is, rather He is thinking of the ordinary people, those whom He has spent time with teaching and healing, those who have followed Him from town to town, those whom the Pharisees despise and feel are beneath them.

Jesus had not stated plainly to the people who He was, rather He had left it to them to understand His true identity by His words and by His works. Now He desires to know what they are thinking and saying. Obviously, there were many opinions! The disciples respond to His first question with an honorable and flattering—yet wrong—reply of John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. It is possible to have good thoughts regarding Christ, and yet have those good thoughts be incorrect thoughts. It is possible to have a high opinion of the Savior but not high enough.

In the books of Acts we read:

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:12

Going deeper, Jesus wants to know the opinions of his disciples. Ever the spokesman for the group, Peter passionately pipes up with the precise praiseworthy words of: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter’s answer is brief, yet full, true, and to the point. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God!

Granted, Jesus’ disciples had been better taught than those in the crowds. By their intimacy with Jesus the disciples had a far greater advantage of gaining knowledge than other followers did. And so we see that those who walk closest to the Lord are able to have the truest knowledge of Him. And what we know about Christ we should never keep to ourselves. We are to be conduits of His truth, mercy, and grace to others. He pours his truth, and grace, and righteousness into us so that we, in turn can share it with others.

It is sad to the Lord Jesus when His followers do not seem to understand this key principle. I am reminded of His words to Philip:

“Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves.” —John 14:9–11

“There is no broadminded approach when it comes to entering into the life that God has for you. God doesn’t present you with a variety of doors to consider. He doesn’t say, ‘Go ahead and pick the door that looks best to you, and after you decide, I will support your decision and bless all that you do.’ It is true that God does have a plan and a purpose for your life, but it can only be entered into through one door. Jesus Christ is that door. There is no other entrance. There is only one Gospel to believe; only one Truth to embrace; only one Shepherd to follow; only one Savior to trust; only one Lord to serve; only one Master to obey.” —Roy Lessin

Become More

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Further Reflection

“Jesus was God spelling Himself out in language humanity could understand.” —S. D. Gordon

“Then Jesus called the disciples and said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?’ Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They replied, ‘Seven—and a few small fish.’
“After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, who then gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Not counting children and women, there were four thousand men who ate. After sending away the crowd, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.” —Matthew 15:32–39

In these verses we see that Jesus felt deep sympathy for the crowds He was ministering to. Being fully aware that His audience was both helpless and harassed like sheep without a shepherd, Jesus desired to do more than simply heal their diseases. He wanted to meet their need of hunger as well. Isaiah tells us our Lord is a tender Shepherd who gently and carefully leads and carries the weakest and helpless members of His flock:

“Like a shepherd he tends his flock; he gathers up the lambs with his arm; he carries them close to his heart; he leads the ewes along.” —Isaiah 40:11

Human reason dictated the disciple’s response to their Master’s desire to feed this huge crowd. Isn’t that also typically our response. It is so easy to resort to human abilities and reasoning! However, God is looking for servants who are willing to believe that He can do great things; things beyond the bounds of human expectation, reasoning, or power.

It is God’s desire for us to depend on Him alone. We need to trust His provision. Relying solely on Him—on His sure sufficiency—this is the way of rich blessing, even though it may lead us down difficult paths we would not have chosen. Being content with His provision for us will keep us from being plagued with fear and anxiety. This means we are able to leave the results in His very capable hands.

Jesus wants our focus to remain on Him. He wants us to break free from being preoccupied with ourselves. He wants us to soak in His presence, power, and love. It is His desire for us to cease striving and know that He is God. When Jesus tells His disciples that He wants them to feed these hungry people, they are immediately overwhelmed. That is so human nature! And yet, Jesus was about to teach them the lesson of His sufficiency. He wanted to them to rely on His leading and power. He was preparing them to be His instruments in His world. Jesus is to be our sustaining strength and His peace is to ever fill our minds. He desires to do the miraculous through us!

In this story, Jesus takes the meager portion of food that is available, blesses it, and satisfies all. There is always enough mercy and grace with Him to fill our greatest desires with satisfaction. We are never at a loss in our Master’s company. It is important to remember our past experiences with Him to keep us from present doubting.

“I am the LORD, your God, the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!” —Psalm 81:10

Become More

“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,” —Romans 8:28

“All the resources of the Godhead are at our disposal!” —Jonathan Goforth

Further Reflection

“Everything looks to you in anticipation, and you provide them with food on a regular basis. You open your hand, and fill every living thing with the food they desire. The LORD is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does. The LORD is near all who cry out to him, all who cry out to him sincerely. He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers; he hears their cry for help and delivers them. The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked.” —Psalm 145:15–20

“When he left there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain, where he sat down. Then large crowds came to him bringing with them the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he healed them. As a result, the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.” —Matthew 15:29–31

Hurting humanity constantly sought the Healer for healing. In these verses we see our Lord sitting on a mountainside so that He is both visible and accessible to all. Jesus received all kinds of people—those who were poor, those who were rich, those who were ordinary, those who were in positions of authority, those in bondage physically, those in bondage emotionally, those in bondage spiritually, those who were the outcast. As Jesus sat on the mountainside, it was as if he was settling in to do His gracious and good work for all those who needed Him.

Isaiah tells us:

“For this reason the LORD is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the LORD is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed.” —Isaiah 30:18

People were continually bringing their needy relatives and friends to Jesus for His healing touch. The illnesses themselves spoke for those in need much more clearly than any words could ever accomplish. Certainly, the only way to find healing for all the problems plaguing humanity is to bring them to Jesus! Physical ailments and as well as spiritual diseases were no problem for the Great Physician. Now, just as then, Jesus eagerly desires to heal all.

Isaiah’s words from God remind us:

“Is my hand too weak to deliver you? Do I lack the power to rescue you? Look, with a mere shout I can dry up the sea; I can turn streams into a desert, so the fish rot away and die from lack of water.” —Isaiah 50:2

We all need wholeness. We all need to experience peace like a river and righteousness like the waves of the sea. If we are honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge that our rebellious hearts, our persistence in going our own way, and our determination to pursue paths which are against God and His ways have caused us much harm and produced nothing but futility. Jesus holds out His arms to us!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28–30

“This is what the LORD, your protector, says, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you how to succeed, who leads you in the way you should go.” —Isaiah 48:17

Faith comes in believing what God says is true. It is trusting that He has our best interest at heart and that His ways work out to our advantage in the end. This is not to say that our paths will be easy or painless, but they will always lead to God’s good work in us. We can trust Him. Just as those who were clamoring for Jesus’ touch because they believed He could and would help them, we too can know that Jesus will help us.

The scene described in our verses for today is reminiscent of the one described earlier in Matthew:

“Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness among the people. So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, paralytics, and those possessed by demons, and he healed them.” —Matthew 4:23–24

The work of our Savior was not limited to His preaching. His miraculous deeds pointed to the fact that He was who He claimed to be. His actions authenticated His message. Indeed, Jesus came teaching, preaching, and healing:

“Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.” —Matthew 9:35

Become More

“… and they praised the God of Israel.” —Matthew 15:31

Further Reflections

“There are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God.” —Frederick William Faber

“His love in times past forbids me to think, He’ll leave me at last in trouble to sink.” —John Newton