“He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.””
Matthew 26:39, 42 NLT
Lord let Your will be done
““Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”
Leviticus 19:2 NLT
I love the reminder of the Lord saying “I am the LORD your God.” It was repeated over and over again and so that’s something He truly wanted the people to get. He wants me to get and fully understand that He is LORD.
Come and join us on Facebook as we discuss the reading and encourage each other together. Search for the group “The Bible in a Year w/ SRT.” We’d love to have you!
The abominations that are written in these chapters of Leviticus had very harsh punishments back in the day. Now, our world is dealing with these problems today! And our churches are accepting them!!! The Bible says that the people who do these abominations shall be put to death! Yet, our churches are accepting it as if it was normal!!
We are still dealing with these problems because we are fallen people, I don’t think we can’t compare then and now, because we all have hearts that have gone astray and can only come back to Jesus through the Spirit.
It’s humbling and eye-opening to read Jesus’s prayer to God, “if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will.” I strive to put God’s will in front of my own like that
It’s difficult to read about not getting tattoos or considering homosexuality an “abomination”. Are there some parts of the Bible that are just outdated, there are other parts about not having a beard that seem a bit ridiculous, too.
I can’t speak into the homosexuality laws, as I’ve never been able to have a clear answer on it— but I’ve heard pastors talk on the ceremonial law vs moral law if the bible. That helped clear up a lot of my questions (as I have a lot of tattoos, but all in relation to God, or family). Researching that may help you out!
@trinity, Jackie hill perry and her husband have a good podcast, specifically on tattoos— check it out. I think it is called 30 minutes with the Perrys
Catching up! Love all the discussions! So helpful in Leviticus- I looked up mixing the seeds and got this off “got questions”, it’s Deuteronomy, but I think the laws repeat-
Also Matthew verses are so hard, the sufferings and all the disciples falling away – all Christ suffered for us
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
My heart is heavy reading Matthew this morning. Jesus knew His hour has come and prayed to have the cup taken away but asked for God’s will to be done. Thank you Jesus for being the ultimate sacrifice to reconcile us back with the Father.
In our own lives, do we ask for God’s will to be done when times are hard or do we try to get out of it in our own abilities? This truly convicts me.
I read some info online & it sounds like God was forbidding the Jews to practice the pagan cultures who cut & permanently disfigured body parts as part of their idolatrous ritual to appease their gods on behalf of the dead person.
As I was reading through today’s passages I, too, was curious why no longer follow these things. Reading through Colossians 3 helped understand that more and knowing that we rather live moral lives and strive to be holy seems more closely tied to what I’ve been taught. The commands of the OT are so harsh and makes it hard to feel ok with what you do (I have tattoos so does my husband for example) and to know that I could be cast out because of that seems so extreme when I know the things within my heart and the love that I have for God.
I know these are old posts, but oh how I love what Michelle said! I estimate that the largest part of sin in my life comes from exactly this. Fear. Lack of trust. I’m glad her post is still here! And KK’s post about the song. It’s been years since I sang it but I’m bringing it back today! I thank God for everyone who reads and posts here!!
This hit me pretty hard this morning. Jesus is standing there, having been betrayed, and watches as they run away.
Fear has a way of warping our perception of everything. Suddenly all we can see is the looming problem. Before our eyes, it’s becomes a too big, too loud, overpowering terror. We’re so focused on it that we lose sight of Christ. When our eyes move from him, the fear takes over. We run, frantically trying to save ourselves. As we retreat, we forget our pursuit; we compromise. We forget the freedom and security that is ours in Christ. We allow fear to drive us into darkness and sin.
All this time, Christ remains. He is faithful. He is loving. He stands, waiting, calling to us. We only need to turn back and fix our eyes on the Savior. He’ll show us how minuscule that problem is in the reality of who he is.
As Jesus was arrested and put on trial, Peter was gripped by fear. All he could see was the problem. He took his eyes away from Christ and forgot to trust him. All the while, God had a plan and Christ was fulfilling it.
The situation may seem hopeless but Christ is making a way.
Thank you for sharing, Michelle! Great reminder to fix our eyes on God. Brings to mind the lyrics: “and the things on earth will go strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
Hi sisters!!! I absolutely love reading in Matthew today about prayer. I feel like we often time look down on the diciples that couldn’t stay awake to pray but to we honestly do that? I for one dont. I am struggling a lot with my prayer life and just feel like I fet too distracted during the day to remember to pray (so bad I know) buttttt I recently discovered this app called prayer mate and it is wonderful!!! it allows you to add different people and things you want to pray for and you can set reminders to be sent to remind you to pray! I hope that this helps one of you out with your prayer life!!♡
17“You must not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him. 18Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.”
this one stuck out to me as a set of verses the modern church needs to hear more often…
that was Leviticus 19. From Leviticus 20, “7Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God. 8Keep My statutes and do them; I am Yahweh who sets you apart.”
another good reminder that God’s people should be obviously different in how our lives looks to the outside world – they should show that we love God and do what He asks even when it is tough for us, like Jesus in the Garden
I’ve always been told that when Jesus died on the cross the new law was in effect and the old law was gone. He was the ultimate sacrifice. As for do not lie, deceive, and steal, those are repeated in the New Testament… Curious to see other responses..
There are still morals. Although we are completely cleansed of our sins, we must still strive to be like christ and obey his commands “love the lord your God, and your neighbor” as well as refraining from sins such as lying, cheating, etc. Since we are saved we should live as such! With love and obedience to his commands.
Hi Kaily! In Colossians 3, Paul talks about putting on the new self. As I understand it, we are made a new creation in Christ, and that enables us to be molded and refined in the potter’s hands, BY his hands. Paul talks a lot about this in Romans – there is a new covenant, and grace is the real deal, but we can be molded into more Christlike creatures by God’s refining work in our lives.
Amazed that after praying 3 times for The Father to take the cup from Him, that Jesus says “Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” He doesn’t wait and let them capture him…no…he goes towards them! He faces the most brutal pain, both physically and spiritually, that is ever imaginable! He did that for me! And for you who believe! Wow! Thank you Jesus!
Here is the question I keep asking as I read through Leviticus…why are some of these OT laws ones we disregard (e.g. How beards or hair is cut, how seeds are sown, wearing garments made of different types of fibers, not having sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period), and others are obviously still put in to practice (e.g. Do not lie, do not steal, do not deceive)? Is it because these are moral laws and therefore stand throughout time?
I also wonder this…which ones we should still follow and which ones are no longer relevant…and why. It always is tough when I’m trying to defend why I believe in traditional marriage and feel that homosexuality isn’t what God wants (for the record–there are gay people in my life that I love–I just don’t agree with it), yet I have a tattoo and my husband cuts his hair and his beard. People think that you either follow all of it or you don’t, and I just want to know what the truth is!
I’ve always heard that it’s the difference between moral and ceremonial law. Some things are morally wrong – they offend God’s holy character. Some things were ceremonial law – things that were meant to set them apart from the surrounding nations. These things are interpreted in more of a cultural context (dress, diet, worship rituals, etc). A visible reminder of the internal difference.
I cannot comment on the fibers of clothing, but I was raised not to have piercings & tattoos, but all the men in my family are clean shaven & trimmed hair (paw paw was in the navy). I think it would be neat to follow some of these other commands :)
Hey ladies! Jesus came and fulfilled the law – kept every point perfectly. The New Testament says we are now under the law of grace. So the way I see it, whatever laws are stated in the New Testament and laws intensified by Jesus are how we are to love and show our love for Him. This would be moral laws consistent with God’s character. Hope that helps!
I highly recommend checking out Exchanged Life ministries. They dedicate their entire ministry to explaining this very thing better, as they feel it is a huge missed point in the modern Christian church. This true message of grace and freedom from the law is life changing and truly what Paul described as being in Christ. Elmco.org
Peter denied Jesus 3 times. He was confident that when tough times came he would be faithful. But when the time came, he denied his Savior and friend. When he realized what he had done he wept over his unfaithfulness. But then eventually we do see him “getting back up” and being used by God. He got another chance
So much to say about today’s reading. This passage from Lev. really stuck out to me:
33 “ ‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
Seeing Jesus’ human side and not wanting to die if there was another way is comforting and encouraging because it shows that we will struggle but the place to turn is God. We have been studying prayer in the Sunday School class my husband and I attend, and the point has been made that prayer doesn’t change things it changes us. So we have to remember that when we pray the outcome we want may or may not happen but by praying God can prepare us to accept whatever outcome He chooses to give.
The fact that even Jesus struggled with his role in life is kind of comforting. I wonder how many times he’d prayed that, other than the three in the garden — when he got made fun of in school for being a child born of wedlock, when his brothers tried to kill him, when John was murdered, on a Tuesday when he just felt really alone? how often was it so hard to just keep being Jesus Christ the Son of God? Did he ever wonder what it would have been like to just be Jesus the Son of Joseph from the line of David, probably going to be a carpenter, build a house, find a wife & have some beautiful babies? He loved God more than he wanted another cup, but don’t be mistaken, God is the only he longed for more than another route in life, I think. & with good reason.
& I think that’s so relatable. sometimes in life I start to doubt whether or not the life I am living – filled with illness & pain at seemingly every turn – is worth whatever greater good God is serving. But I know I can remember Jesus — he didn’t just die the hardest way, he lived the hardest way so that when things get difficult we can trust him anyway.
oh Lord, please make that the attitude of my heart!
I really appreciated what you wrote Moni, What if Jesus didn’t pray? This is so relevant in my life right now as we have taken my mother in to care for her with Hospice. I have found such beauty through surrendering to God’s will, praying constantly and thanking Him for his plan. I am so humbled by his example of prayer, and so thankful for it.
I think this scene from the Garden makes Jesus a little more relatable as a man- he struggled and asked if maybe God would reconsider. He’s so stricken with grief over the whole thing, but he chooses to submit to God’s will.
I love how the side note in my bible puts it…”Jesus does not die a martyr’s death, for his life is not taken from him but is freely given by him for the sake of those who will inherit eternal life in his name.’
So moving reading everything Jesus endured for us, and knowing he too had fear and wanted to be done with it all. I love that he so diligently prayed. Such a model for us all.
It moved me that Leviticus starts out with the command to be holy, and then in Matthew we are watching the moments to Christ’s death slowly unfold. His prayer, three times to God…but still knowing that this had to be done. His disciples, being so human in their response..we know the end of the story, so it’s easy to be like Peter and say “I would never deny you..” But if we approach our lives as holy, set apart, can we pray and aspire to be close to Jesus no matter the cost? God wants us to be holy..that’s why he started the commands that way. What a gift..and only possible because of His plan.
Matthew v. 55-56. It ‘appeared’ to be chaos when the men arrived to arrest Him-but Jesus spoke in that moment that is was all to accomplish God’s ultimate plan.
I choose to rest in my Sovereign God’s plans for my ‘chaos’ today.
While reading in Matthew vs. 56b. One simple sentence struck me. It’s right after Jesus was arrested. It says: “then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” That broke my heart. Then, I kept thinking about it, and asked myself, what would I have done?
I pray that when faced with situations like this, I will defend God. I pray that I can have the strength, courage, and boldness to never desert God, and flee. But, rather, that I would praise his holy, merciful, and wonderful name no matter what the consequences may be.
Moni, yes so powerful…”What if Jesus didn’t pray?” It reminds me of the time he tells the disciples that they will be dragged before authorities but shouldn’t worry about what they will say (us too!). The Holy Spirit will speak through us in those times, and Jesus once again shows us what it looks like in the flesh. He is our example in every way, even here!
I couldn’t sleep and being awake decided to read my morning passages. Definitely not the most “happy” chapters to read so early in the morning. Yet, there is so much to learn…
First off, while reading the commandments, especially the not so cool “sexual relations” aspects, I was thinking how easily we can miss the point. Yes, God’s details are pretty graphic, but he starts by saying “be holy because I, the Lord your God, am Holy”. Therefore, concentrating on God’s holiness is key… And while it seem confusing why God needs to be so graphic, he answers this point also… “You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you…” God also specifically states the he has “set you apart from the nations”. Bottom line, be different not like the world! Simple, yet hard nevertheless…
As I was reading about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, I just marveled how much I devalue prayer. He was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…”, yet he continually went and prayed…even rebuked the disciples for not praying along, yet sleeping. What a powerful testimony to leave behind for us! Especially interesting that sometimes sorrow is not because we did anything specifically, but because God’s plan needs to take place… So when I feel depressed, discouraged, down…I need to remember what Jesus did, go to my father & pray! Interesting enough when Jesus was captured, he didn’t manifest the troubled feeling he had prior, but was bold, confident, and knew exactly what to say… What if Jesus didn’t pray?
So insightful! For some reason, when life gets hard, my first reaction isn’t prayer or fasting (often it’s sleeping, like the disciples, or eating so basically the opposite…) But how much more effective would my life be if I modeled myself more after Jesus? Thank you for the conviction, I need it.
Moni and Britt – I love your insights about prayer being the place we ought to turn. I’m not a great prayer warrior but in the times when I’m fired up about something or stressed and I DO pause and pray, it makes all the difference. I can’t imagine the fear and stress Jesus had that night – and he went back to the Father over and over. What a reminder.
“He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.””
Matthew 26:39, 42 NLT
Lord let Your will be done
“You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.”
Leviticus 20:26 NLT
““Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”
Leviticus 19:2 NLT
I love the reminder of the Lord saying “I am the LORD your God.” It was repeated over and over again and so that’s something He truly wanted the people to get. He wants me to get and fully understand that He is LORD.
The humidity of Jesus in this passage is indescribable. He put God the Father’s will above his own. What an amazing example for us!
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“The son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners”
Jesus pleases forgive us, for we know not what we were doing. I am so sorry that I betray you.
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God understood love that I never will
Wow! To have as much faith as the disciples and still betray and deny Jesus. I am not worthy, but so glad God says I am.
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Come and join us on Facebook as we discuss the reading and encourage each other together. Search for the group “The Bible in a Year w/ SRT.” We’d love to have you!
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God’s love is limitless and steadfast!
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EXACTLY!!! And all of the “churches” today are accepting these wrongdoings instead of lovingly pointing them out and correcting them.
The abominations that are written in these chapters of Leviticus had very harsh punishments back in the day. Now, our world is dealing with these problems today! And our churches are accepting them!!! The Bible says that the people who do these abominations shall be put to death! Yet, our churches are accepting it as if it was normal!!
We are still dealing with these problems because we are fallen people, I don’t think we can’t compare then and now, because we all have hearts that have gone astray and can only come back to Jesus through the Spirit.
And in the Matthew reading, many of those in the “church” were doing exactly what the law told them not to do, like lying and bearing false witness.
Exactly! But those who claim to be true Christian churches are accepting these practices instead of lovingly correcting them.
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It’s humbling and eye-opening to read Jesus’s prayer to God, “if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will.” I strive to put God’s will in front of my own like that
It’s difficult to read about not getting tattoos or considering homosexuality an “abomination”. Are there some parts of the Bible that are just outdated, there are other parts about not having a beard that seem a bit ridiculous, too.
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Worldly view vs God’s view. That is the conflict. Which are you influenced by?
I can’t speak into the homosexuality laws, as I’ve never been able to have a clear answer on it— but I’ve heard pastors talk on the ceremonial law vs moral law if the bible. That helped clear up a lot of my questions (as I have a lot of tattoos, but all in relation to God, or family). Researching that may help you out!
Different culture and era, not outdated.
@trinity, Jackie hill perry and her husband have a good podcast, specifically on tattoos— check it out. I think it is called 30 minutes with the Perrys
Catching up! Love all the discussions! So helpful in Leviticus- I looked up mixing the seeds and got this off “got questions”, it’s Deuteronomy, but I think the laws repeat-
Also Matthew verses are so hard, the sufferings and all the disciples falling away – all Christ suffered for us
Done❤️
not as i will but as You will -ellie
Would that remembering “I am the Lord, your God” would be enough to stir us into obedience to His commandments.
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
My heart is heavy reading Matthew this morning. Jesus knew His hour has come and prayed to have the cup taken away but asked for God’s will to be done. Thank you Jesus for being the ultimate sacrifice to reconcile us back with the Father.
In our own lives, do we ask for God’s will to be done when times are hard or do we try to get out of it in our own abilities? This truly convicts me.
I keep listening to the news speak about getting free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the best site to get one.
http://www.edsheeran.co.uk
means*
I’m a little behind so I’m not sure if anyone will see this but does anyone know what “don’t gash yourself for someone who is dead”
I read some info online & it sounds like God was forbidding the Jews to practice the pagan cultures who cut & permanently disfigured body parts as part of their idolatrous ritual to appease their gods on behalf of the dead person.
As I was reading through today’s passages I, too, was curious why no longer follow these things. Reading through Colossians 3 helped understand that more and knowing that we rather live moral lives and strive to be holy seems more closely tied to what I’ve been taught. The commands of the OT are so harsh and makes it hard to feel ok with what you do (I have tattoos so does my husband for example) and to know that I could be cast out because of that seems so extreme when I know the things within my heart and the love that I have for God.
Why do I fear ? The Lord is incharge of my life. I trust in him ♥️
I know these are old posts, but oh how I love what Michelle said! I estimate that the largest part of sin in my life comes from exactly this. Fear. Lack of trust. I’m glad her post is still here! And KK’s post about the song. It’s been years since I sang it but I’m bringing it back today! I thank God for everyone who reads and posts here!!
“Then all the disciples left him and fled”
This hit me pretty hard this morning. Jesus is standing there, having been betrayed, and watches as they run away.
Fear has a way of warping our perception of everything. Suddenly all we can see is the looming problem. Before our eyes, it’s becomes a too big, too loud, overpowering terror. We’re so focused on it that we lose sight of Christ. When our eyes move from him, the fear takes over. We run, frantically trying to save ourselves. As we retreat, we forget our pursuit; we compromise. We forget the freedom and security that is ours in Christ. We allow fear to drive us into darkness and sin.
All this time, Christ remains. He is faithful. He is loving. He stands, waiting, calling to us. We only need to turn back and fix our eyes on the Savior. He’ll show us how minuscule that problem is in the reality of who he is.
As Jesus was arrested and put on trial, Peter was gripped by fear. All he could see was the problem. He took his eyes away from Christ and forgot to trust him. All the while, God had a plan and Christ was fulfilling it.
The situation may seem hopeless but Christ is making a way.
Thank you!!
Thank you for this insight, Michelle.
Thank you for sharing, Michelle! Great reminder to fix our eyes on God. Brings to mind the lyrics: “and the things on earth will go strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
I love that song KK — “turn your eyes upon Jesus.”
Yikes. How often am I running away from the source of joy & straight into the entrapment of anxiety? Thanks for this, Michelle!!
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Hi sisters!!! I absolutely love reading in Matthew today about prayer. I feel like we often time look down on the diciples that couldn’t stay awake to pray but to we honestly do that? I for one dont. I am struggling a lot with my prayer life and just feel like I fet too distracted during the day to remember to pray (so bad I know) buttttt I recently discovered this app called prayer mate and it is wonderful!!! it allows you to add different people and things you want to pray for and you can set reminders to be sent to remind you to pray! I hope that this helps one of you out with your prayer life!!♡
17“You must not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him. 18Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.”
this one stuck out to me as a set of verses the modern church needs to hear more often…
that was Leviticus 19. From Leviticus 20, “7Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God. 8Keep My statutes and do them; I am Yahweh who sets you apart.”
another good reminder that God’s people should be obviously different in how our lives looks to the outside world – they should show that we love God and do what He asks even when it is tough for us, like Jesus in the Garden
I’ve always been told that when Jesus died on the cross the new law was in effect and the old law was gone. He was the ultimate sacrifice. As for do not lie, deceive, and steal, those are repeated in the New Testament… Curious to see other responses..
There are still morals. Although we are completely cleansed of our sins, we must still strive to be like christ and obey his commands “love the lord your God, and your neighbor” as well as refraining from sins such as lying, cheating, etc. Since we are saved we should live as such! With love and obedience to his commands.
Hi Kaily! In Colossians 3, Paul talks about putting on the new self. As I understand it, we are made a new creation in Christ, and that enables us to be molded and refined in the potter’s hands, BY his hands. Paul talks a lot about this in Romans – there is a new covenant, and grace is the real deal, but we can be molded into more Christlike creatures by God’s refining work in our lives.
Amazed that after praying 3 times for The Father to take the cup from Him, that Jesus says “Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” He doesn’t wait and let them capture him…no…he goes towards them! He faces the most brutal pain, both physically and spiritually, that is ever imaginable! He did that for me! And for you who believe! Wow! Thank you Jesus!
Amen! Praise Jesus!
Here is the question I keep asking as I read through Leviticus…why are some of these OT laws ones we disregard (e.g. How beards or hair is cut, how seeds are sown, wearing garments made of different types of fibers, not having sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period), and others are obviously still put in to practice (e.g. Do not lie, do not steal, do not deceive)? Is it because these are moral laws and therefore stand throughout time?
Great question Lea. Looking forward to responses.
I also wonder this…which ones we should still follow and which ones are no longer relevant…and why. It always is tough when I’m trying to defend why I believe in traditional marriage and feel that homosexuality isn’t what God wants (for the record–there are gay people in my life that I love–I just don’t agree with it), yet I have a tattoo and my husband cuts his hair and his beard. People think that you either follow all of it or you don’t, and I just want to know what the truth is!
Exactly Sara!
Hi Sara – check out Colossians 3. It’s helped me understand what the new covenant means for how we should be living. :)
Thanks Catherine!
I’ve always heard that it’s the difference between moral and ceremonial law. Some things are morally wrong – they offend God’s holy character. Some things were ceremonial law – things that were meant to set them apart from the surrounding nations. These things are interpreted in more of a cultural context (dress, diet, worship rituals, etc). A visible reminder of the internal difference.
I am also very interested in this. Do you know where we can find which are moral and which are ceremonial?
I cannot comment on the fibers of clothing, but I was raised not to have piercings & tattoos, but all the men in my family are clean shaven & trimmed hair (paw paw was in the navy). I think it would be neat to follow some of these other commands :)
Hey ladies! Jesus came and fulfilled the law – kept every point perfectly. The New Testament says we are now under the law of grace. So the way I see it, whatever laws are stated in the New Testament and laws intensified by Jesus are how we are to love and show our love for Him. This would be moral laws consistent with God’s character. Hope that helps!
I highly recommend checking out Exchanged Life ministries. They dedicate their entire ministry to explaining this very thing better, as they feel it is a huge missed point in the modern Christian church. This true message of grace and freedom from the law is life changing and truly what Paul described as being in Christ. Elmco.org
I love the question of what is Jesus had not prayed? This sparks the question in me… What is the disciples HAD prayed???
41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Woah! Great question!!
Peter denied Jesus 3 times. He was confident that when tough times came he would be faithful. But when the time came, he denied his Savior and friend. When he realized what he had done he wept over his unfaithfulness. But then eventually we do see him “getting back up” and being used by God. He got another chance
I love how God is generous with second chances! He never gives up on us!
So much to say about today’s reading. This passage from Lev. really stuck out to me:
33 “ ‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
I also highlighted this verse! It really stuck out to me. How are we treating those different than us?
Seeing Jesus’ human side and not wanting to die if there was another way is comforting and encouraging because it shows that we will struggle but the place to turn is God. We have been studying prayer in the Sunday School class my husband and I attend, and the point has been made that prayer doesn’t change things it changes us. So we have to remember that when we pray the outcome we want may or may not happen but by praying God can prepare us to accept whatever outcome He chooses to give.
Pam – Thank you for this encouraging post! One year later and still so true.
The fact that even Jesus struggled with his role in life is kind of comforting. I wonder how many times he’d prayed that, other than the three in the garden — when he got made fun of in school for being a child born of wedlock, when his brothers tried to kill him, when John was murdered, on a Tuesday when he just felt really alone? how often was it so hard to just keep being Jesus Christ the Son of God? Did he ever wonder what it would have been like to just be Jesus the Son of Joseph from the line of David, probably going to be a carpenter, build a house, find a wife & have some beautiful babies? He loved God more than he wanted another cup, but don’t be mistaken, God is the only he longed for more than another route in life, I think. & with good reason.
& I think that’s so relatable. sometimes in life I start to doubt whether or not the life I am living – filled with illness & pain at seemingly every turn – is worth whatever greater good God is serving. But I know I can remember Jesus — he didn’t just die the hardest way, he lived the hardest way so that when things get difficult we can trust him anyway.
oh Lord, please make that the attitude of my heart!
Thank you for this :)
I really appreciated what you wrote Moni, What if Jesus didn’t pray? This is so relevant in my life right now as we have taken my mother in to care for her with Hospice. I have found such beauty through surrendering to God’s will, praying constantly and thanking Him for his plan. I am so humbled by his example of prayer, and so thankful for it.
I think this scene from the Garden makes Jesus a little more relatable as a man- he struggled and asked if maybe God would reconsider. He’s so stricken with grief over the whole thing, but he chooses to submit to God’s will.
I love how the side note in my bible puts it…”Jesus does not die a martyr’s death, for his life is not taken from him but is freely given by him for the sake of those who will inherit eternal life in his name.’
So moving reading everything Jesus endured for us, and knowing he too had fear and wanted to be done with it all. I love that he so diligently prayed. Such a model for us all.
It moved me that Leviticus starts out with the command to be holy, and then in Matthew we are watching the moments to Christ’s death slowly unfold. His prayer, three times to God…but still knowing that this had to be done. His disciples, being so human in their response..we know the end of the story, so it’s easy to be like Peter and say “I would never deny you..” But if we approach our lives as holy, set apart, can we pray and aspire to be close to Jesus no matter the cost? God wants us to be holy..that’s why he started the commands that way. What a gift..and only possible because of His plan.
Matthew v. 55-56. It ‘appeared’ to be chaos when the men arrived to arrest Him-but Jesus spoke in that moment that is was all to accomplish God’s ultimate plan.
I choose to rest in my Sovereign God’s plans for my ‘chaos’ today.
While reading in Matthew vs. 56b. One simple sentence struck me. It’s right after Jesus was arrested. It says: “then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” That broke my heart. Then, I kept thinking about it, and asked myself, what would I have done?
I pray that when faced with situations like this, I will defend God. I pray that I can have the strength, courage, and boldness to never desert God, and flee. But, rather, that I would praise his holy, merciful, and wonderful name no matter what the consequences may be.
Amen Sara!
My prayer too Sara!
Moni, yes so powerful…”What if Jesus didn’t pray?” It reminds me of the time he tells the disciples that they will be dragged before authorities but shouldn’t worry about what they will say (us too!). The Holy Spirit will speak through us in those times, and Jesus once again shows us what it looks like in the flesh. He is our example in every way, even here!
Great thoughts, Ebbiejo and Moni–thank you!
I couldn’t sleep and being awake decided to read my morning passages. Definitely not the most “happy” chapters to read so early in the morning. Yet, there is so much to learn…
First off, while reading the commandments, especially the not so cool “sexual relations” aspects, I was thinking how easily we can miss the point. Yes, God’s details are pretty graphic, but he starts by saying “be holy because I, the Lord your God, am Holy”. Therefore, concentrating on God’s holiness is key… And while it seem confusing why God needs to be so graphic, he answers this point also… “You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you…” God also specifically states the he has “set you apart from the nations”. Bottom line, be different not like the world! Simple, yet hard nevertheless…
As I was reading about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, I just marveled how much I devalue prayer. He was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…”, yet he continually went and prayed…even rebuked the disciples for not praying along, yet sleeping. What a powerful testimony to leave behind for us! Especially interesting that sometimes sorrow is not because we did anything specifically, but because God’s plan needs to take place… So when I feel depressed, discouraged, down…I need to remember what Jesus did, go to my father & pray! Interesting enough when Jesus was captured, he didn’t manifest the troubled feeling he had prior, but was bold, confident, and knew exactly what to say… What if Jesus didn’t pray?
So insightful! For some reason, when life gets hard, my first reaction isn’t prayer or fasting (often it’s sleeping, like the disciples, or eating so basically the opposite…) But how much more effective would my life be if I modeled myself more after Jesus? Thank you for the conviction, I need it.
Moni and Britt – I love your insights about prayer being the place we ought to turn. I’m not a great prayer warrior but in the times when I’m fired up about something or stressed and I DO pause and pray, it makes all the difference. I can’t imagine the fear and stress Jesus had that night – and he went back to the Father over and over. What a reminder.
Thank you for reflection