OCTOBER 14, 2021 READINGS... John 7:1-9 & Luke 9:51-56 & Matthew 9:18-22 &
Luke 9:57-62 & John 7:10-8:20
Let me ask you a very serious question. Do you really want to be a follower of Jesus? You see, most want Jesus as Savior, but few want to really follow Jesus. This requires a recognition of Jesus as Lord of our lives. Lord means that He is in control. It’s not what we want, but what He wants. He is the Master, we are the servants. He is the Teacher, we are His students. He is the Leader, we are His disciples. Before you answer too quickly, hear the words of Jesus, “The world hates Me, because I accuse it of doing evil”. The world hates Him…it will hate you also. Jesus did not play religious games with “would be” followers. He tells us, “Foxes have dens to live in, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head”. He says, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead”. In other words…stop making excuses, either follow Jesus, or don’t follow Him. Jesus says to us, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God”. We cannot plow a straight row by looking back…nor can we follow Jesus be continually looking back…just follow Him, wherever He leads. I know many of you are familiar with the hymn often times sung during a time of response to a message in church. We sing it, but do we mean it?
Take up thy cross and follow me, I heard my Master say; I gave me life to ransom thee, Surrender your all today. CHORUS: Wherever He leads I’ll go, Wherever He leads I’ll go, Ill follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads I’ll go. He drew me closer to His side, I sought His will to know, And in that will I now abide, Wherever He leads I’ll go. It may be through the shadows dim, Or over the stormy sea, I take my cross and follow Him, Wherever He leadeth me.
The people and religious leaders continue to argue as to whether Jesus is the Messiah. Then Jesus has the encounter with the religious leaders and the woman caught in adultery. I have always thought it strange that the religious leaders said they caught her in adultery…but where is the man she committed adultery with? Jesus dealt with both the hypocrisy and improper judgment of the religious leaders, and the sin of the woman. We must always be careful of our intentions when we freely deal with the sins of others, while at the same time hide the sin we are guilty of.
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
TOMORROW’S READINGS… John 8:21-59 & Luke10:1-11:13