AUGUST 01 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#23 “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32)

AUGUST 01  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#23  “What do you want Me to do for you?”  (Matthew 20:32)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer    

JESUS, I find myself once again completely amazed at how You have brought all the circumstances of my life together into a single purpose and it is obvious that indeed everything in my life of following You will work together for the best ——— and the unspoken blessing is Your Unconditional Love that drives it all, Your Love is at the center of it all,  and Your Love is becoming my all in all — Lord, whatever happens in terms of earthly circumstances is of no consequence as long as it is Your Love consuming my old worldly self and the Light of Your Love is leading this old sinner down the paths of righteousness. Lord forgive me of all my earthly weaknesses that have caused me to worry and to take my eyes off the Heavenly Prize of Your calling, even for a single second or even for a passing glance at my old life, keep me always singing Your Words that Your Holy Spirit gave to me: Remember My Word, And all that you’ve heard, Believe that the Father sent Me, That I came to Save, Put Death in the Grave, My Blood won the Victory, Because I’m Risen, Your sins are Forgiven, For all Eternity, I drank the Cup that the Father filled up, And I died to set you Free ——— My Blood will Wash you Clean! {Chorus from “Grain of Wheat”}.    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

Jesus begins JQ#23 by once again telling His disciples that His purpose for His “living in the flesh” will be His “dying on the cross” so that the Glory of God will be demonstrated when Jesus the Son is Resurrected on the “third day” by God the Father!!!   Jesus reminds us about the centerpiece of His Purpose and then immediately Teaches that how we respond to the Truth of God that Forgiveness of Sins is the primary mission of Jesus becoming flesh impacts our eternity because the Resurrection of the Son by the Father and His ascension into heaven to intercede on our behalf is the cornerstone of our Faith! There is significance to the “Resurrection Prophecy” and to the place where the prophecy will be fulfilled, Jerusalem! Matthew records: “Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.’” (Matthew 20:17)  Jesus again Taught a very valuable Kingdom Lesson to the disciples who seemed to always turn to thoughts of their own glory every time Jesus revealed that in the Resurrection that it was God who would be glorified and not Himself and certainly not the disciples — in Galilee Jesus had reminded them that “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” (Matthew 17:22) Immediately the disciples came to Jesus and asked “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” and Jesus Taught that “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1-3) Then later Jesus Taught the parable of the landowner after reminding the disciples that the Resurrection would be a “regeneration when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His Glory” and that it is God Himself who calls all the followers of Jesus to enter into His “Labor” (Matthew 19:28) and concludes the parable stating “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called but few are chosen.” (Matthew 20:16) But now the disciples are in Jerusalem with Jesus and when He says the Son of Man will die and be “resurrected on the third day” that the disciples again turn their thoughts to what are “they” going to get when Jesus goes to heaven? This time the issue was actually raised by the mother of James and John as she requested that Jesus allow them to “sit [with Jesus], one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” (Matthew 20:21) Jesus started His Lesson on what the disciples true responsibilities would be as He turned and asked the mother JQ#23a, “What do you wish?” (Matthew 20:21) and when she asked for her sons to be honored by Him,  Jesus replied, “…you do not know what you ask…” (Matthew 20:22) Jesus begins Teaching how we should respond to the Truth of God that even though His death on a cross was for the Forgiveness of our sins, that it should be viewed from the perspective that Forgiveness of Sins is in Truth all about the Glory of God in bestowing “Grace” on our undeserving lives, and certainly not to elevate us to a position of “honor” but should instill in us “humility”! Mankind has and always will try to take credit for ourselves instead of giving God the glory! Just stop and think then how important it is to look at our motivation for asking Jesus for anything at all, for He knows your thoughts and the desires of your heart so He will know the “Truth” when you have to answer Him when He asks you, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32)