Jonathan

An account for sharing the Word daily so that any who would welcome it may receive it.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

Compassion. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, has compassion for us. He understands our grief. He knows our pains. He sees this widow and is not removed from her. He comes up to her and says, in what I imagine to be a soft, kind voice, "do not weep." Bring your troubles to Jesus.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

A daily reminder we should have.

God created all things, and each moment and everything we have is a gift.

Jesus saved us from our sins and fallen self. He completed the work on the cross and is our Great High Priest.

Through faith in Jesus, we are brought into God's family.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

I believe this was planned, Jesus coming as the funeral procession left the city. It wasn't man who planned it but God.

The widow was obviously heartbroken and weeping. "My son, my boy", you can almost hear her wail as she goes to bury him. But out of grief, God can bring joy.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

There are two times we see Jesus marvel, and for two opposite reasons. Once here at the faith of the centurion and once in Nazareth at their unbelief. Here He heals without being in the presence of the ill, at Nazareth He could do very little because of their lack of faith.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

Here's someone who understood the type of power Christ possessed, not because he also had the power but because he had a similar type of authority. The centurion need only say something was to be done and it would be. He believes Jesus has that same authority over the illness.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

This is where we can stumble too. "He is worthy to have You do this." If we aren't careful, we can start thinking about all the nice things we've done or how good we are and think God owes us something. God does not owe us anything. Our salvation and every breath is a gift.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

We see later in this passage that the centurion did not think himself worthy to even come before Jesus to make this request. He knew of the differences between Jew and Gentile, but also knew Jesus wasn't just any other Jew. The centurion humbles himself from the start.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

To continue the subject, we can't live perfectly every day, but we can earnestly attempt to and confess of our failures when we inevitably do fail. Stumbling isn't a loss or lack of faith.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

Superficial faith is no faith. It has no foundation, nothing to ground it. It won't withstand the trials of this world or the judgement that comes when we go to the next. Your life and actions either reinforces or refutes your statement of faith.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

Your life shows who your master is. Is your master the world or God?

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

These statements all appear to be connected and appear to be warning against being blind guides. The student becoming like the teacher but not greater, blind leading blind, speck versus log. Being a blind (untaught) teacher is a dangerous thing, especially for those who follow.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

No commentary from me, aside from follow what the Lord commands.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

God is merciful. Be merciful.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

The main takeaway for me from this is be different in a good way. God's been abundantly merciful to us, and so we should have that same attitude towards others.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

"And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." Do that even to the people who you want to get back at. Don't let people define how you treat them, let God define how to treat them. And as this passage commands us, pray for them that they may not be lost.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

Living for money? Food? Pleasure? Praise? You've received your reward. There's a clear difference between this and the previous passages. Those who don't have these will receive them, those who do will have them taken away. The fulcrum? Jesus. "On account of the Son of Man."

[SpurgeonBooks @SpurgeonBooks]

“If I know God, and yet live for my own profit, for my own honor, for my own comfort, then I do not glorify God as God.”

— Charles Spurgeon

[Dr Kingsley | @TheWayThinker @DrKingsleyAyi]

Apologetics 101: "God’s existence may not be proved, in the hard rationalist sense of the word. Yet it can be affirmed with complete sincerity that belief in God is eminently reasonable and makes more sense of what we see in the world, discern in history, and experience in our lives than its alternatives."

Alister McGrath, Mere Apologetics

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

This isn't something you'd read in books on influencing people or making friends. I believe He's presenting them not only with what they might have been at the time, but also what they would become by following Him. Poor, hungry, weeping, hated.

[Jonathan @BibleWithJon]

A great number coming to hear and be healed. Following Jesus. If we had a multitude like that following us, we'd likely get prideful. But we don't see that in Jesus. He was humble, going to the cross to die for our sins, and healing and teaching many as He went.