Day 42 Two people who turned their backs on Jesus

Matt 26 & 27 Peter and Judas
Peter denies knowing Jesus and when the rooster crowed thrice, "he went outside and wept bitterly". The reality of denying Jesus hit him between the eyes and pierced his heart. He felt dejected as he rejected Jesus. His was a spur of the moment, not knowing what to think - under pressure type rejection the night when Jesus is arrested.

Judas, his was a more thought out plan. He began plotting before the passover meal, just after the woman with the alabaster box broke the perfume on Jesus's feet. The disciples were indignant and Judas takes the emotion of the disciples and goes to the chief priests to conspire against Jesus, for a price of course. Was his thought process spurred on by the popular opinion of Jesus and he found a way to capitalize on this and get some money as well? We will never know.

Matt 27 3-5 "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "

Judas had a very narrow view of what the Jews would do with Jesus. What did he expect to happen? Unfortunately, he couldn't retract his betrayal. The chief priests used his sense of remorse to remove their complicity and responsibility in all that was to happen to Jesus. His exaggerated sense of responsibility led him to hang himself - hopeless with no way out. The chief priests played a shrewd game with Judas. As Pilate later washed his hands of the blood of Jesus, here the chief priests do exactly the same using Judas's greed as their way out.

"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." How many of us have heard and believed a similar lie? We do something that is questionable, something we are not proud of and those who encouraged us in the wrong path - point the finger and there we are, Guilty as charged, and we condemn ourselves to hopelessness for a life time.

Peter found that Jesus was forgiving and merciful, Judas was not that fortunate and ended his hope of a resurrection to life.

Day 29 Burdens

Matt 20 :12 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'

the people who have work have a productive burden - and hope with $$ at the end of their day.
the people who wait wanting work have the bigger burden and no hope or wages at the end of their day

The guys who worked only an hour were made equal to the guys who carried the burden of work all day. I would say that in the period of not having work, their burden was greater.

Day 28 Do we get eternal life or enter it?

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments."

The man obviously didn't know what he was asking?
Jesus split the conversation into two 1, Goodness and 2. entering eternal life.
There is nothing we can do that is good.
God is the only one who is good, "all our righteousness are as filthy rags" Isaiah reminds us.

There is no "getting" of eternal life, it is "entered". Now that's profound. Plenty to think about.

Day 25 Whatever ...happens in our week

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Paul adds the last word, "Finally" but really its the beginning of everything..

Day 22 Being offended

"Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"

Matt 15:10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into your mouth does not defile you, but what comes out of your mouth, that is what defiles you."

Its interesting that what they heard offended them, not what Jesus said.

How many times do we hear people being offended because they were told the truth?

Big distinction!

Day 21 The shopping trip that ended in slavery.

Gen 41:51-57 Here are two aspects of prosperity recorded in the names of Joseph's sons.

Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said,"It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

When life goes well, we feel great and no burden is too great to bear. That is level one. The next step is to "produce" something, knowing that ones endeavours are making progress gives us hope for a better outcome and keeps us going.

Joseph also knew that 7 years of famine was around the corner, but he didn't focus on that in his family life. He enjoyed the children and seen them as the hope through his hardships in his past. Famines generally don't last forever, his life was still fruitful in the face of famine.

Joseph done all he could to prepare for the famine, interpreting the dreams - the sign of the times- connecting with those in authority to implement a plan, execute and administer the plan.

The famine had serious ongoing consequences for the common people, eventually they were indebted to the government and sold themselves into slavery for survival...

Be careful what we buy into today...it may possess us tomorrow.

day 20 Basketfuls of left overs.

Matt 14. Feeding the 5 thousand

I wonder where they got the baskets from? the story gives the impression that people followed Jesus without much thought for food shelter etc. would people naturally have baskets with them on a whim?
I found it odd.

Jesus didn't have time to mourn the loss of his cousin, John the Baptist. John's disciples were in need of a shepherd and now naturally turned to follow Jesus. In Jesus bereavement, he has compassion on the people and feeds them.