Let’s see…..one Chapter each day…..beginning February 1st…..starting in Matthew
(of course)….and today is the 19th…..that should put me right about at Chapter 19…..but….I’m still back at Chapter 8. Sorry.
I have been reading and rereading 5 through 8 this week. (Thankfully, I noted Pastor Paul was in a similar state, having read his blog entry, so I’m not the only one trying to get something that either won’t come or is settling into my heart for another reason). I am struggling with the last verses of Chapter 8, where after a multitude of miracles and signs, Jesus is simply asked to “depart and, (essentially) leave us alone…”.
Check it out for yourself; healing leprosy “if He wants to”? Done! No problem. Healing the servant from afar? Ditto, easy-peasy. Healing Peter’s mother-in-law? Cake! Oh, and now she can cook for everybody. More miracles. Counting the cost of discipleship; preached, with several examples! Still more miracles including the physical calming of an entire weather front (hands down favorite bible passage, here, but I like the Mark 4 version of the story better…. “Who is this man, that even the wind and the seas obey him?”). And finally, the complete and awesome defeat of some form of demonic evil; those poor pigs. Here’s the struggle point, those who saw that miraculous sign or even heard firsthand of it? What was their response? It was “leave us!”
“Leave us”?!?!?!? Well, to be honest…..I might say that too! And maybe that’s my struggle, some times…..maybe I only want so much of Jesus….when it comes to sending everything over the cliff in wild abandon, all in the Name of Jesus Christ,….well, maybe I’ve been known to hesitate….to hold back…I don’t want to, but I do….how ‘bout you? Just asking….
JBH
Way to go on staying in the passage to allow yourself to bathe in it. That's encouraging to me. Thanks for sharing what you did.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question - sometimes I jump rashly. sometimes I hold back, too. It seems that when I go for it, Jesus is always there, already there waiting for me.
I don't think I've ever told Jesus to leave... I'm more likely to suggest He not come so close, give me a little more time, let me be in charge a while longer...but wait, isn't that the same thing??
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