January 10
Matthew 8:1-17
How often do we just “go through the motions?” We can go to church every Sunday, give money away and back to God, read our Bibles, and be mostly nice to others. These are all good things, but they are also things we can take too much pride in—not one of those things buys us salvation. Being raised in a Christian home with parents who pray over you and take you to church every week is an amazing blessing, but that does not provide salvation either. There are thousands of examples of things that are great on the surface, but they all fall short. I had a friend/teammate in high school who shared the need for Christ with his dad often. Lee’s dad had the same response; "I have not murdered, I have never cheated on your mother, and I give to United Way; why would I need Jesus?"
In verses 11 and 12 Jesus says that many will come to the feast from everywhere and all walks of life, but some people who think they are in the kingdom, are actually out —and way out! Those that get tossed out rely on their family ties, religious discipline, or even think they are just nice enough people. Let’s have faith like the Roman centurion— he knew Jesus was Lord without any biblical training or religious schooling. The Roman KNEW Jesus. The only way to salvation is knowing and trusting in Jesus.
Lord, help us not to become trapped in religious rituals. Convict us of our reliance on ourselves. Turn our lack of faith into an abundance of faith as we bow down to worship your greatness. Thank you for your incredible love. Amen
Where do you see a reliance on self instead of Jesus?
How often do we just “go through the motions?” We can go to church every Sunday, give money away and back to God, read our Bibles, and be mostly nice to others. These are all good things, but they are also things we can take too much pride in—not one of those things buys us salvation. Being raised in a Christian home with parents who pray over you and take you to church every week is an amazing blessing, but that does not provide salvation either. There are thousands of examples of things that are great on the surface, but they all fall short. I had a friend/teammate in high school who shared the need for Christ with his dad often. Lee’s dad had the same response; "I have not murdered, I have never cheated on your mother, and I give to United Way; why would I need Jesus?"
In verses 11 and 12 Jesus says that many will come to the feast from everywhere and all walks of life, but some people who think they are in the kingdom, are actually out —and way out! Those that get tossed out rely on their family ties, religious discipline, or even think they are just nice enough people. Let’s have faith like the Roman centurion— he knew Jesus was Lord without any biblical training or religious schooling. The Roman KNEW Jesus. The only way to salvation is knowing and trusting in Jesus.
Lord, help us not to become trapped in religious rituals. Convict us of our reliance on ourselves. Turn our lack of faith into an abundance of faith as we bow down to worship your greatness. Thank you for your incredible love. Amen
Where do you see a reliance on self instead of Jesus?
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