The Word

The Big Picture

🌟 Scriptures 🌟

Matthew 19:16-26

16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Luke 10:25-29, 36-37

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27 He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[]"

28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?",

36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

🗣️The Message📜

God came to earth in a human body still being our all-knowing God. Jesus knew all things while on earth,  He knew the people's thoughts and He knew what was in their hearts. Jesus approached everyone differently, not just because He had discernment but because He knew them. Remember when Jesus told the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven? At that time the religious leaders were thinking that Jesus was being blasphemous, even though they didn't speak, Jesus knew what they were thinking and responded to their unheard accusations. Also, Jesus knew the man that was brought to him for healing. When Jesus saw this man He didn't just heal him as He did to countless others, He first told him that his sins were forgiven. Why? Because he knew the man needed and wanted more than physical healing. When I realized this I started to understand why Jesus didn't say things plainly. When Jesus spoke to the rich man He set the stage for Him to know that he was well on his way to obtaining eternal life but He didn't reveal the one thing that was keeping him from eternity. Why? because he knew what was in the rich young ruler's heart. When Jesus was asked how to obtain eternal life He told him the commandments, but not all of them, then when the rich man asked what else he needed to do? Instead of saying serve God and not your riches, He gave him a charge that revealed his sin.  Jesus didn't have to tell this man his sin, his response to the charge that was presented revealed it. He came to learn how to obtain eternal life, but Jesus revealed that he wasn't willing and that he still wanted to hang on to this world. There is another story in the Bible that is similar to this one, it's the story of the good samaritan. A religious leader came to Jesus for the sole purpose of testing Him, by also asking Him how to obtain eternal life. Jesus responded by telling him to answer his own question. When the religious leader answered by saying Love God above all else and love your neighbor as yourself, Jesus told him that that was correct. But this religious leader wanted to justify himself so he asked Jesus who his neighbor was. Then Jesus proceeded to tell the story of the good samaritan. Finally, He charged the religious leader to have mercy. Jesus knew the hearts of the rich man and the religious leader, He knew their flaws, revealed them in love and called them to change as He calls us. One man was missing love for God and the other was missing mercy for people, even though they knew the commandments they didn't follow them, not truly. Sometimes we may ask God for something and we don't always get what we want, but we get what we need. Sometimes God is calling us to do more, calling us to let go of something, calling us to change, but we're blind to it, we're not listening. Even so, God keeps and continues to call us closer to Him and away from this world so we can follow Him into all righteousness, into freedom, into eternal life. What is God calling you to do? Have you been listening to Him? Have you rejected his advice? Have you closed your ears to his tugging? Or are you walking in his purpose? May God bless us all to listen to Him when He calls us to or away from something and to grow stronger in Him.