Nov. 25, 2008
Missing Simple Words
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How often have your read the Bible, and really didn't READ what it said? Your eyes go over the words, and the words go into your head, sometimes, and ....
I don't know about anyone else, but I love the "AH HA" moments that occur when we read the Bible. You know the kind: when your reading a familiar passage, but your half reading it from memory, or skim reading, (admit it, you do that too, right?) when without any warning a word or two, maybe a whole phrase or verse is transformed into a flashing neon sign. Has that ever happened to you??? It happens to me, and when it does, oh my, talk about goosebumps! Well, I'm going to show you one of those flashing neon signs that Bob pointed out to us on Sunday morning. As part of our family Bible study, we are reading through the New Testament on Sunday morning, kind of like our version of Sunday school. Last week we took a sidepath and studied marriage/remarriage from the Bible; this week we finished Matt. chap. 19. Thus we come to
Then were there brought unto him little children,
Why were they brought to Jesus? To be baptised? To be healed? To be blessed? (I wonder if this is where Catholicism gets the infant baptism)
These are familiar passages to us, and often we interchange the accounts, verses etc from teh Gospels. Or in our busy daily schedule we glance over the words, with an unspoken, ya ya ya attitude/ mentality. But when we do that, and I am including myself, we miss important details. Then again, The LORD knows all, and He knows when we will see the details, or when we NEED to see the details and it is when we are able to bear it, or when it will be most valuable to us, that we see it or it is brought to our mind by the Holy Ghost.
That's what happened to my husband this week as he was preparing Sunday's lesson.
He was just reading along, and SURPRISE, out pops that he should put his hands on them,and pray:
Children were being brought to Jesus for him to PRAY for them, over them... My thinking is, yes, Jesus blessed them, but not in an eerie ceremonial almost creepy manner. He simply touched them, to pray for them, over them.... It might be true that some were not physically whole or healthy, but Scripture doesn't say that.
From the perspective of a Mom.... WOW! If I could take my baby somewhere and have Jesus Christ himself do that, I would too. In many baptist churches it is customary to have a baby dedication, and the pastor holds or touches the infant and prays for him/her and the parents dedicate their baby to God and His service. So who among us wouldn't have taken her children and sought out Jesus to put his hand on them. I can't even imagine the power in his touch. Think of the woman who touched the hem of His garment and was healed. ALL she touched was His HEM. Imagine touching His hands, having Him put His hands on you, or your child. Seems like that alone would do somethings unimaginable. Have you ever seen people overcome to the point of tears and trembling because a popular actor, singer, or political figure shook their hand, or they saw the person up close, or they spoke to them.... A perfect example can be seen in a clip from the Ed Sullivan Show when the Beetles made their first TV appearance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k23OX_p4VvY Or in a clip of the audience watch Elvis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1Qo1eaWF8c
Listen to the audiences... don't you think that you or I might have been that excited to see Jesus? I sure wish that was so. I wonder if any of us are anywhere near that excited to see Jesus at all?
The Bible tells us the crowds thronged him. Mar_5:24, And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
Luk_8:42, For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. and the disciples rebuked them. \
This is very sad....I don't understand why the disciple rebuked them. Perhaps it was their way of protecting Jesus. In their way, they might have felt that the people were bothering Jesus, (which we can NEVER do) so, like a modern era bodyguard to a celebrity, the disciples took it upon themselves to keep people away from Jesus to let him rest, or eat, or sleep, or....
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Isn't that a blessing???? This confirms that fact that we are NOT bothering Jesus when we come to Him for any want or need, and especially if we just want to have him to touch us, to give us something.
And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.Mat_19:13,-15 Jesus not only rebuked the disciples for keeping the children from him, but he did what the parents wanted, he laid his hand on their children and prayed. How often do we miss out on ______ because we simply don't want to bother the LORD JESUS with out cares, or dream? The truth is that usually it is WE who don't want to bother asking or praying. That Jesus is our last resort instead of our first choice.
I KNOW that all too often Jesus is my last resort. I get the attitude of "well, all I can do now is pray, and trust the LORD." That isn't the way it should be. We/I should be boldly going to the throne of Grace whenever we/I have need. That's a blessed privilege given to us because of Jesus Christ. Read Heb. 4. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. 4:16
No doubt all of us could benefit from being a little bolder before the throne of grace, and more timidly in everything else.
If this spoke to your heart today, all praise and glory to be to God.
Love,
Terry at home in PA
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