Jayamsih..! Welcome to today’s devotion!
Claim of the cross
Mark 10:17-22
- In this section of Mark, where Jesus comes, people come calling him a good teacher. He wanted to relate to Christ in a human way, and to converse with him in words of goodness. But Christ did not want this man to be deceived, so he served him on the cross, and did not claim his own goodness which came from the righteousness of God. Christ served God’s will to this man; indicating that he must go to Calvary. From the outside the result does not seem so satisfactory, Christ’s words dismayed him, and he went away sad.
God’s word does not touch people emotionally, to make people feel good, without experiencing the cross. It draws people in with love, but never backs down when it comes to Calvary. God sometimes pushes you to things that you cannot measure in faith. To measure up is simply to live up to the person whose standard of living has been accepted by God and given to you by grace.
People need to rid themselves of the idea that Jesus always pleases people. Actually it is not like that. Here, for example, his words made the man very sad. Many people use words emotionally. They are afraid that if they preach the Word in its full intent, they will hurt people. Jesus was not afraid. The words he preached caused many of his disciples to no longer walk with him (John 6:66). Christ knew, and those who love the Word know, and are not hurt by its content, that it is only by being sanctified into truth and baptized into death that we can bring forth life.
Today’s reading passage: 2 Samuel 1-4