Distorted Reality

Matthew 19:11-12, 14-15, 23-24

Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”…Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there…Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

 

Jesus seems to contradict everything known to the men of those times, even the wise and learned ones, and the passages above are a reflection of some of his statements that puzzled everyone, even his own disciples. It seems like he was getting them to unlearn all of Moses’ teachings, the traditions followed by the Israelites for 1,000s of years and the rules set to help people follow God diligently. What was the problem? Is this something we face today also? What is Jesus teaching us today?

One of the things we notice is that Jesus’ corrections were to do with the blindness of our beliefs. In those times, it was unthinkable for children to be given any importance in society and they were the outcast until they became adults, just like women always were. Divorce became a thing of convenience and was no longer a taboo like it is not today. Religiosity and religious fervor was determined by acts and deeds and not by a change of heart and faith. Jesus was trying to awaken their dead hearts which were living in their version of the present rather than what God wanted for them and this was the reason for conflicts. Are you fixated on your version of God’s will for you or can you hear what the Lord is speaking to you through his word today? For me, it’s going to be a lifetime of undoing what I thought and think about living and all I pray is that God would patiently love and lead me each day to make me more like his son Jesus and to change my heart to love and serve him in everything I do.

In His Loving Service,
Vineet

The Inverse Hierarchy of God

Matthew 5:3-12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

As Jesus continued to teach in Galilee, these were some of his words that to me stood out in chapter 5. They stood out because these were a preamble to his teaching on murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, revenge and loving our enemies. What specifically got me again and will never stop is the fact that Jesus is talking not to the rich, the strong, the wise, the faithful, the righteous, the saints or the people we perceive as the ones whom he would recognize among us but instead, his words were to the poor, the sick, the broken, the frustrated, the suffering, the weak, the hungry or in essence the ones who realize that they need help, over and above anything they can get from this world or the powers and authorities of this world.

Jesus spoke then and still speaks now in the same language. He does not want our wealth because he has more and he does not want the ones who have achieved a lot because they believe in themselves and their own efforts and feel no need for a God and savior. Therefore, whenever I hear people saying ‘Believe in yourself; Mind over matter; self realization; power of inner self; etc’, it worries me because these people are capitalizing on the one thing we all desperately need, a SAVIOR. When our savior becomes anything but the Lord Jesus Christ, we are serving no one else but the devil whose only goal is to steal us from God and ruin our lives. Are you in need of saving? Turn to Jesus and know that you can have newness of life, unceasing joy and peace in his him and through his love and sacrifice for us.

In His Loving Service,
Vineet