Second Wednesday in Lent: Lent 2014

Lenten Devotional

Matthew 18-20

As I put down words for a multiple chapter reading in the Bible, I realize more and more that this is a daunting task.  In the gospels, the lessons may not always build as nice and neatly on one topic to the next.  It is a living story of situations and testing by people disagreeing with Jesus.  I would love for sections to focus on a particular subject, but that would not be true to the reason for the gospels, they are a way to tell the story of Jesus to the cross and beyond.  

So, I must focus on what I am being led to bring out in the passages.  Today the three chapters seemed to come together at Matthew 29: 26, Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 

We use this passage many times in conversations about what followers of Christ can accomplish and what he church can do through God's power.  But I hope this will change a little.  We need to read passages in the context of the whole chapter, book and Bible.  This is not about generic situations in life that if we follow God, it will all work out because of His power.  This specific quote is about salvation.  I need to focus on that topic specifically.

The passages leading up to this statement are about what it takes to inherit eternal life.  A rich young man comes up to Jesus asking this very question.  He does not like Jesus' response and walks away sad.  Then a story is told of a camel passing through the eye of a needle being easier than a rich man entering heaven.  This is where Jesus comes in with the testimony of God's power.  

Jesus is telling His disciples and us today that there is nothing we can do for salvation.  We can only believe in Christ and that through his power we will have salvation.  All we need to do is follow. We must be willing to submit to God.  We must surrender to Him and not try and force our will on God.  This is much harder than it sounds.  Most of us a wired to fix problems on our by ourselves.  This is one thing we cannot fix ourselves.  Only God can fix and provide an answer.