Hey Faith Travellers,
How is it in your part of the world?
It’s in the middle of winter here in Aotearoa New Zealand where people hibernate in their cosy cocoons, read and watch sports in the weekend while it rains outside all the while dreaming of sunny days.
I have been a bit under the weather lately so I looked up the archives and found this little gem that I wrote to you all in the middle of 2021 - it is still resonates today.
I was deep in Mark chapter 8 and discovered some remarkable insights into our human natures.
God is shaking my perceptions, assumptions, beliefs, interpretations and vision. It's unsettling because it's uncomfortable.
It's probably what it was like for the people listening to Jesus.
He had to keep saying ‘Having eyes do you not see? and having ears do you not hear'.
Are we guilty of not seeing and not hearing what God is saying to us?
Jesus uses a small lunch to feed 5,000 people. Then he does it again to feed 4,000 people. But the disciples still worry about not having enough bread on their boat trip when the Provider is in the boat with them!
But are we like that? God provides for us in the past but we don't see it and remember. We worry about right now.
The Pharisees were seeking a sign from Jesus. They probably wanted some sort of voice from heaven or lightening bolt or stones turned to bread. I don't know what they had in mind but Jesus wasn't about to play their game. The truth was, the sign was standing right in front of them but they didn't ‘see’ it! Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is the door. He is the gate. He is the great I AM.
Are we like the Pharisees? always looking for a sign when Jesus is already right here.
Peter realises that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. That's great. But he didn't perceive the end correctly. He thought Jesus came to take over from Rome and establish a great kingdom on earth. He even rebukes Jesus for talking about suffering and being killed.
Are we like Peter, do we see some parts of the gospel and not others? Have we twisted scripture to fit our perception of Christianity?
Here's the correct vision that Jesus lays out in Mark 8:
And He summoned the crowd with His disciples and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation , the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.
Mark 8:34-38 NASB
Join me in prayer today:
Father God,
help us to recognise when our vision is off,
when we are not seeing things right.
Please help us to see with your eyes.
Please help us to recognise error in our thinking,
in our perceptions,
in our assumptions,
in our theology,
in our relationships,
in the people that influence us,
in what we think is the problem,
in what we think is the solution,
in what we have in front of us,
in what we value as important.
Lord give us your vision.
In Jesus name, AMEN.
I would love to hear your thoughts - please join the conversation -
Rachel,
So well said! I am in total agreement with you. I think we need to stay in that posture of humbling ourselves before God, asking Him to examine our hearts and our motives. I say a hearty “Amen!” to your prayer and pray that for myself! Thank you for articulating mine and so many others’ prayers, I am sure, of our hearts.
Sandra
Amen to the prayer.
I also ask God to help me to hear His cues throughout the day, as I go about my life....planning my day....listening to His promptings.
Proverbs 16:9
New Living Translation
9 We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.