Saturday, 1/10/2015

“Be not the slave of your own past - plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep, and swim far, so you shall come back with new self-respect, with new power, and with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emmerson

GENESIS 25, 26

Like father like son...after Abraham dies a famine comes over the land and God instructs Isaac to avoid Egypt and go to Gerar the land of the Philistines.  There he encounters Abimelech the king.  Just as Abraham did, Isaac tells him that Rebekah is his sister.  Again Abimelech discovers that she is his wife. This time he allows him to live on the land.  

Later on, Rebekah gives birth to Jacob and Esau.  Rebekah favors Jacob and Isaac favors Esau.  One day while famished from hunting, Jacob manipulates Esau to give him his birthright.  

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. (26:34)

MATTHEW 9:1-17

Jesus calls Matthew after healing the paralytic.  They go to a house and many tax collectors and sinners are there eating and drinking. The Pharisees, who are looking to discredit him, bring attention to the company he is associating with.  Jesus rebukes them...

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (13-14)

Later the followers of John also question why Jesus and his disciples don't fast.  Jesus explains that the old ways of doing things don't apply since he is the Messiah. 

"... No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."(17-18)

JOURNAL

I love this!  I have to confess, I have a rebellious spirit that loves it when Jesus sticks it to the prim and proper Pharisees.  I love how he freely breaks the rules and does so with those that are not "acceptable".  I love that Jesus is undaunted by social pressure.  


Yet the more I really think about what is going on here...Jesus is not a bitter angry man.  He doesn't have an agenda to show up those in charge.  He is just being obedient to God and following a path that will lead to redemption for all.  Being perfect in his love and obedience causes him to be strong and undaunted in the face of those that oppose him. He is not a rebel just to be a rebel. 


True strength does not exist out of anger or selfishness.  It does not need to prove anything or be validated.  True strength comes not from man but only from God.  

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.  ~ 2 Timothy 1:7