LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional
MARCH 29 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#12-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#12 *Who decides what is legal, God or man?* “What man is there among you who has one sheep and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?” (Matthew 12:11-12a)
Daily Prayer to JESUS
Jesus, all Praise, Glory, and Honor to the King of kings, my Lord, my Shepherd. Lord my God, Your ways are so wonderful that my lips cannot speak nor my words express how in the midst of a storm that just the thought of “JESUS” can calm my fears. You work things out for our good in ways we cannot imagine and therefore we sing “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!” Lord, keep my heart, mind, and soul all on You and You alone, for “Thou art worthy, worthy is the Lamb!” AMEN
THE JESUS QUESTIONS
MARCH 29 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#12-01 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#12 *Who decides what is legal, God or man?* “What man is there among you who has one sheep and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?” (Matthew 12:11-12a) Jesus is always Teaching us a Truth of God with every word and action that has been recorded in the Holy Scriptures and in this section in Matthew Chapter 12 that starts “At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain to eat…” (Matthew 12:1) Jesus is going to introduce and address a problem among Israel which could very well be at the top of all the problems that Jesus was sent to address as Matthew records “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to [Jesus], ‘Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!’” (Matthew 12:2) Do you see the problem that has surfaced and where the source of the problem is with this section of scripture? Jesus has Taught with His Questions (1) “What is your Spiritual Value?” (2) “What are your Spiritual Expectations?” and now Jesus is going to be direct and ask bluntly (3) “Who decides what is legal, God or man?” When I embarked on this project “Living For Jesus —Daily Devotional” I did not know what road the Lord would lead me down, what doors He would open, and what doors He would close, but I did know one thing for sure, I desired desperately in my heart of hearts to be His faithful servant and disciple! I have the benefit of having a lot of water go under my bridge and I have been in some terrible storms, I have stumbled and despaired but every time I get down to my last hope I find once again that the only “True Hope” is the One Eternal Hope that is always there, JESUS! When the Holy Spirit directed me to start “journaling” back in 2001 with a verse from Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” I could not fully comprehend the significance of “seeking God” but the verse has been a Guiding Light to my life and all these years later as I sit and start this JESUS Question JQ#12 I can still hear the Holy Spirit encouraging me to “stay the course” for ALL ANWERS are found in God. The JESUS Questions have made this writer appreciate the “Divine Teaching” attribute of Jesus and I can appreciate why He was called the Master! JQ#11 was a 6 part lesson on “What are our spiritual expectations of Jesus” which had followed JQ#10 “What is your spiritual value?” and now that Jesus has us thinking in terms of the “spiritual” vs. the “physical” Jesus now introduces His next concept and that is “God vs. man”! When this was revealed to me from the Holy Spirit while reading to find the “next question” I was immediately struck with the obvious answer that “God vs. man” is a “NOLO CONTENDERE” — NO CONTEST! Just the thought that man could even begin to contend with God now seems totally ludicrous to me but then the Holy Spirit called my attention to the fall of man, the fall of Satan, the Israelites after walking through the Red Sea, and example after example of those that knew God yet rejected Him? Let’s begin JQ#12 “Who decides what is legal, God or man?” by reading the questions that Jesus asked (JQ#12a-e) in Matthew 12:4-12. The context for JQ#12 starts at Matthew 12:1 and runs through Matthew 12:23 — Jesus brings our attention to the “Question” in order to “Teach” us the answer, Jesus NEVER asks us a question without giving us the obvious answer! To get a “feel” for the “gravity” of the situation take a “leap of Faith” into God’s Word and read this passage and ponder JQ#12 “Who decides what is legal, God or man?” with the “expectation" of learning yet another “Truth of God” — and if that doesn’t motivate you enough then imagine yourself putting on some “boxing gloves” and getting “into the ring” with God Himself. When the bell rings, are you going to throw a punch or duck?!?!
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