“The basic premise of religion– that if you live a good life, things will go well for you– is wrong. Jesus was the most morally upright person who ever lived, yet He had a life filled with the experience of poverty, rejection, injustice, and even torture.”
―
GENESIS 27-28
20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lordf will be my God 22andg this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”(28:20-22)
MATTHEW 9:18-38
20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
22Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
JOURNAL
Throughout the story of Jacob, my thoughts are why would God reward a lying manipulator like Jacob. In the same vein, I do not know the story of all the people he is healing in Matthew but it obviously is not because of their righteousness but rather because of their need and then their faith that Jesus can heal them.
This idea is really astounding and turns the typical idea of blessing received as a result of being earned on its head. Need and faith are really the only requirements...because that is the only thing that is a constant. God is the only consistent trustworthy thing in our lives and in this universe. Everything else is flawed, designed to fail and fall apart.
I confess that over the course of my life I spent alot of time putting my faith and hope in people. I wanted people to come through for me, love me, be there for me when my life was falling apart. In short...I wanted other people to be my God. That includes my wife, family, friends etc. What I found was that people are flawed, they fail miserably to be God. Hoping and trying to make them fill that void is a miserable proposition that only creates frustration, disappointment and heartache.
This is the story and essence of the Bible. Humans tend to try and fill God's void with people, places, things and experiences. Doing so is the essence of sin and leads to all kinds of problems and ultimately the depths of hell. Jesus came to show us how a life devoted to God is supposed to be lived and then died so that his spirit (God's spirit) could infect our hearts and lives.
When I look at how Jesus lived...it is a lesson of how as followers we are also to live. Jesus was so sold out to the love of God and faith to the point that even when he felt God had abandoned him he still persisted in trusting God and his plan. It didn't culminate in riches or titles or trophies on earth but it provided a way to save all of humanity for eternity. This is the whole point of the Christian faith...we can have the same relationship that Jesus had with God. We can become son's and daughters of God, but in order to do so we must turn loose of anything and everything that would take the place of God.
Throughout the story of Jacob, my thoughts are why would God reward a lying manipulator like Jacob. In the same vein, I do not know the story of all the people he is healing in Matthew but it obviously is not because of their righteousness but rather because of their need and then their faith that Jesus can heal them.
I confess that over the course of my life I spent alot of time putting my faith and hope in people. I wanted people to come through for me, love me, be there for me when my life was falling apart. In short...I wanted other people to be my God. That includes my wife, family, friends etc. What I found was that people are flawed, they fail miserably to be God. Hoping and trying to make them fill that void is a miserable proposition that only creates frustration, disappointment and heartache.
This is the story and essence of the Bible. Humans tend to try and fill God's void with people, places, things and experiences. Doing so is the essence of sin and leads to all kinds of problems and ultimately the depths of hell. Jesus came to show us how a life devoted to God is supposed to be lived and then died so that his spirit (God's spirit) could infect our hearts and lives.
When I look at how Jesus lived...it is a lesson of how as followers we are also to live. Jesus was so sold out to the love of God and faith to the point that even when he felt God had abandoned him he still persisted in trusting God and his plan. It didn't culminate in riches or titles or trophies on earth but it provided a way to save all of humanity for eternity. This is the whole point of the Christian faith...we can have the same relationship that Jesus had with God. We can become son's and daughters of God, but in order to do so we must turn loose of anything and everything that would take the place of God.
ROMANS 3:22-24
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