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Monday December 9 - Learning from Jesus ...and (Jesus) began to teach them. Matthew 5:2
Jesus’ first disciples were just ordinary fishermen and possibly just teenagers, but these were the very people that he chose to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven – the people into whose hands Jesus would entrust the future of the Church he would build! Sometimes we mistakenly think that we have to pass difficult exams, be clever theologians and eloquent preachers, or have read lots of serious books before we can speak about the good news of Jesus. This short verse shows us that our educational background and our age and position are not the chief qualifications for ministry. The significant thing is to be close to Jesus, read his words and let his truth penetrate your heart and mould your life. Proverbs 9:10 puts it like this, ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.’ ‘Fear’ in this context means not being frightened but having humble respect for God and taking his words seriously.
As I look back over my life I can see how Jesus has taught me so much through reading the Bible, learning to pray, and discovering how to trust him in the dark times of life. Being part of a worshipping community has also been key to keeping going in faith. Whoever you are, let Jesus teach you and you will find eternal life!
Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching the first disciples so that they became world-changers. I want to learn from you too. Amen.
Tuesday December 10 - The secret of success “Blessed are...” Matthew 5:3
Jesus starts his sermon by addressing the aspirations and longings of men and women everywhere down through the ages: money, a good life, popularity (today we might call this celebrity) and health; in a word, success. There are whole libraries of books and thousands of podcasts on how to be a success in this world. We spend our lives trying to achieve these things, and we admire those who appear to have gained them, imagining that they must be supremely happy and fulfilled. And it can be a surprise to read in a magazine that a wealthy or famous person has found the box empty when they finally arrived at their dream.
Jesus uses the word ‘blessed’ and describes who is blessed and how. Blessings come from God. God is the only one who can make sense of our life, since he made us; God is the one we can turn to, since he calls himself Father and loves us. God is the giver of blessings and they come entirely from his goodness, not because we deserve them. This is grace – ‘amazing grace’ as the former slave-trader turned Christian, John Newton, wrote in his hymn.
So a person who is truly blessed is a person in relationship with God! If that is our supreme goal, we too shall find ourselves blessed in ways we can’t imagine now.
Lord Jesus, thank you for making it possible for me to know God. I want this to be the most precious goal in my life. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY