I started New Thru 60 (#NT60) today. I hope you’ll join us!
One thing that really jumped off the pages (actually the iPad) today was this simple principle. We follow. Jesus Equips.
Look at Matthew 1. It’s easy to skip right over it. It’s a genealogy. If you’re not careful, you’ll mindlessly skip over something significant. The people listed in Jesus’ lineage aren’t perfect. There are adulterers, murderers, a hooker, cheaters, liars, and other in there. Also, the genealogy lists women. In the first century Jewish world this was written in, NO ONE mentioned women. They were after thoughts. They were treated as less than human. Yet, the Bible specifically mentions them.
Why is this?
Then, skip down to Matthew 4. Jesus begins His public ministry by calling the guys to be His disciples. Look at who He chose. Tax collectors. Fishermen. These are guys who were Middle School dropouts.
The simple idea here is this. You don’t have to be perfect to follow Jesus. He wants to use you.
I can’t tell you how many people have told me that they’d never be “good enough” to serve God. Good news – YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE. Just follow Him with your whole heart and allow Him to equip and shape you into the person He has called you to become.
We simply follow. He equips.
Wow! Jason your comments really resonate! I have always been amazed at those included in Matthew’s geneology! It really turns things upside down. Something that resonated with me in this reading was when Jesus approaches John to be baptized (Ch 3). What a moment that would be. John has just gotten through saying that he is not tworthy to tie Jesus’ sandals (v. 11). And here comes Jesus asking John to do the baptizing! Shouldn’t it be the other way around (vv. 13, 14)? Then in 3:15, Jesus answers,”…Permit it to be so ow, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness…” This is amazing. With this statement, John consents. By humbling himself and being baptized Jesus is setting the stage for his sacrificial life. Jesus sets the example. He turns things upside down! We follow. He equips!
Love it man!