Leftist tolerance. NOT!
Jesus is One Serious Son
For the Lord God helps Me,
Therefore, I have not been ashamed or humiliated.
Therefore, I have made My face like flint,
And I know that I shall not be put to shame.
He who declares Me in the right is near;
Who will [dare to] contend with Me?
Let us stand up to each other;
Who is My adversary?
Let him approach Me. Is. 50:7, 8. AMP
God gave the people of Israel a prophetic message to the prophet Isaiah about Christ’s attitude 700 years prior to His earthly incarnation – when Jesus would begin to spread the Gospel. No one will be able to interfere with His Father’s commission. Jesus came to save; and He is one serious Son…
Fast forward seven hundred years, and we can see the Pharisees assessing the truth of this in Jesus – the Man who heals the sick, cures the lame, and gives sight to the the blind, even raising the dead. Not to mention that He is many leagues beyond them in His spiritual knowledge and its true application. And He’s not backing down.
Yet for all of Christ’s wisdom and miracles, the Pharisees and most of the Jewish laity cannot see the Messiah in Him. Nevertheless, He is undeterred. The love of the Father and the Son for humankind is so vast, that They will not be thwarted (short of making the decision to be saved for you) in their Holy Invitation to your salvation:
Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages [in Galilee], teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [His words and His works reflecting His Messiahship].
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Mt. 9:35 – 38. AMP
Jesus is telling the apostles that the world is overflowing with lost, hungry souls. So, He utilizes His Father’s power to supernaturally endow His disciples to effectively deliver His salvation message:
Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Mt. 10:1 AMP
Then He gave them their ‘marching orders’:
“Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep.” Mt. 10:5, 6. NLT
Looks like God is playing favorites, but He’s not. God promised salvation to the Jews first, so it is a promise being fulfilled – through Christ, as was spoken through the prophet Zechariah so long ago:
For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has arrived to look after Judah, his flock.
He will make them strong and glorious, like a proud warhorse in battle.
From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the bow for battle, and all the rulers.
They will be like mighty warriors in battle, trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet. Since the Lord is with them as they fight, they will overthrow even the enemy’s horsemen.
“I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries. Zech. 10:3 – 6. NLT
“On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.” Zech. 13:1 NLT
Jesus was / is Jehovah’s Messiah, incarnated from the tribe of Judah. Let’s hear from the Son of God as He continues to prepare His apostles for evangelizing:
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.
“Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take gold, or silver, or [even] copper money in your money belt, or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support.
Whatever city or village you enter, ask who in it is worthy [who welcomes you and your message], and stay at his house until you leave [that city]. As you go into the house, give it your greeting [that is, ‘Peace be to this house’].
If [the family living in] the house is worthy [welcoming you and your message], give it your [blessing of] peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God].
But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust [of it] off your feet [in contempt, breaking all ties]. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city [since it rejected the Messiah’s messenger].” Mt. 10:7 – 15. AMP
The Jews only considered the land of Israel to be holy. So, when they traveled outside of Israel, upon returning, the Jews would brush off the ‘unholy’ dust from their clothing.
Thus, is Jesus suggesting that those who refuse the Gospel are unholy? Most assuredly. The rejection of Christ and His message is tantamount to committing the unpardonable sin, should they remain in that state.
In that vein, Jesus warns His apostles about those who resist / reject His salvation message, and of the retaliatory methods they may utilize:
When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
“A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.” Mt. 10:19 – 22. NLT
Then, Jesus follows by laying some serious motivation on His disciples with regards to evangelizing:
What I say to you in the dark (privately), tell in the light (publicly); and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops [to many people]. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Mt. 10:27, 28. AMP
Christ is saying that evangelizing will not be easy. Yet, He speaks of the Holy Spirit endowment that will give us the greatest chance to break through; and regardless of the outcome, the evangelizer is promised eternal salvation for his or her efforts.
But remember, God always gives everyone a choice:
“Therefore, the one who confesses and acknowledges Me before men [as Lord and Savior, affirming a state of oneness with Me], that one I will also confess and acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven. But the one who denies and rejects Me before men, that one I will also deny and reject before My Father who is in heaven.” Mt. 10:32, 33. AMP
And just in case the apostles thought Jesus’ approach to spreading the Gospel was not a life-or-death endeavor, He hones down His purpose:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword [of division between belief and unbelief]. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not].” Mt. 10:34 – 36. AMP
Jesus, like His Father, will never violate free will. Thus, we will be held accountable for our decisions.
And those who do choose Him have their perks:
And He shall stand and shepherd and guide His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God;
And they shall dwell [secure in undisturbed peace],
Because at that time He shall be great [extending His authority]
[Even] to the ends of the earth.
This One [the Messiah] shall be our peace. Mi. 5:4, 5. AMP
Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. He who receives and welcomes you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” Mt. 10:39, 40. AMP
The most important decision you will ever make in your life. Choose Jesus…
Goodnight and God bless.
Building Better Americans 178
Men don’t become good by being less masculine, but by not being bad. Simple. Femeninization is what increases toxic masculinity.
Are There Limits to the Power of Christ?
Previously, we watched the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus into blasphemy. (See Pharisees Looking to Catch Jesus in a Gotcha Moment.) They were highly unsuccessful…
Later that very same day, Jesus and His apostles traveled to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is now being followed by large crowds wherever He makes a public appearance.
This multitude was so great that Jesus entered a boat and rowed away from the shore so that He might address them from an equal vantage point.
As we’ve seen in the recent past, we know that Christ taught the Pharisees a parable (See What Is the Methodology Behind the Parables of Jesus?).
Now, Jesus is ready to use this same method to reveal spiritual and / or moral lessons designed to be understood by His audience, which were typically farmers and shepherds.
On this day, He teaches the ‘parable of the sower’, which addresses the barriers that may crop up when trying to discern His salvation message:
“Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field]; and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and thorns came up and choked them out. Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.” Mt. 13:3 – 9. AMP
Later, Jesus would gather with the apostles privately, because they had difficulty in understanding the parable. This was the first time they heard Him teach the people via a parable. Christ taught this parable to address some in His audience, (including the Pharisees), that were rejecting His message. He elaborates for His disciples:
He said to them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you [who have teachable hearts], but those who are outside [the unbelievers, the spiritually blind] get everything in parables, so that they will continually look but not see, and they will continually hear but not understand, otherwise they might turn [from their rejection of the truth] and be forgiven.” Mk. 4:11, 12. AMP
Jesus is alluding to how some of the present-day Jews were rejecting Him exactly as how their ancestors rejected His Father when Jehovah sent the prophet Isaiah to try to unite His children with His salvation. Unfortunately, many of the Hebrews spurned Him. He left them to the devastation of their own design:
And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on listening, but do not understand;
Keep on looking, but do not comprehend.’
“Make the heart of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.” Is. 6:9, 10. AMP
Isaiah asked God how long this punishment must continue. He answers:
“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
And houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,
The Lord has removed [His] people far away…” Is. 6:11, 12. AMP
Jesus is trying to save the Jews in the present, with His message. Now, He explains the parable to His apostles in detail:
The sower sows the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation]. These [in the first group] are the ones along the road where the word is sown; but when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
In a similar way these [in the second group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy [but accept it only superficially]; and they have no real root in themselves, so they endure only for a little while; then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they [are offended and displeased at being associated with Me and] stumble and fall away.
And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries and cares of the world [the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures], and the deceitfulness [and the false security or glamour] of wealth [or fame], and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
And those [in the last group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation] and accept it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much [as was sown].” Mk. 4:14 -20. AMP
Thankfully, Jesus steers us towards our salvation as He further addresses the apostles:
“A lamp is not brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Is it not [brought in] to be put on the lampstand? For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been kept secret, but that it would come to light [that is, things are hidden only temporarily, until the appropriate time comes for them to be known]. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”
“Pay attention to what you hear. By your own standard of measurement [that is, to the extent that you study spiritual truth and apply godly wisdom] it will be measured to you [and you will be given even greater ability to respond]—and more will be given to you besides. For whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a yearning for truth], even what he has will be taken away from him.” Mk. 4:21 – 25. AMP
Christ again addressed the crowd, this time with the ‘parable of the wheat and tares’, to further demonstrate the plight of those who reject His Gospel:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away. So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also. The servants of the owner came to him and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?’ He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’
The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’ But he said, ‘No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” Mt. 13:24 – 30. AMP
Again, Jesus would take His apostles aside and give them greater clarity about this parable as well:
“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and [as for] the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.
So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend [those things by which people are led into sin], and all who practice evil [leading others into sin], and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].
Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.” Mt. 13:37 – 43. AMP
That is some serious information Christ is relaying – life or death information. Ignore it at your peril, because things don’t look good for the unrepentant when He returns:
(But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.) 2 Tm. 3:1 – 5. AMP
(…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.
But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.) 2 Tm. 3:12 – 15. NLT
Jesus continues to teach parables to the crowd. One of them likened the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed – one of the smallest of plant seeds. Yet, it grows into an enormous tree that nurtures the birds that inhabit it. It alludes to the gradual growth of the Kingdom that cultivates the believers of Christ.[1]
In another, Jesus likens the Kingdom to ‘yeast’, saying that like leaven that transforms flour into edible bread, likewise, the Kingdom converts the follower of the Gospel.
In still another, He creates a Kingdom metaphor, as both hidden treasure[2] and as a pearl of great value.[3]
Finally, Christ speaks a ‘parable of the dragnet’, which was tossed into the sea and when drawn back up, the catch was divided – the good from the bad, stressing a warning to His listeners:
“So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].” Mt. 13:49, 50. AMP
Jesus and the apostles then sailed across the Sea of Galilee. He fell asleep. Suddenly, a storm arose. The disciples panicked and woke Him up. Christ responds:
And He got up and [sternly] rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still (muzzled)!” And the wind died down [as if it had grown weary] and there was [at once] a great calm [a perfect peacefulness]. Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith and confidence [in Me]?” Mk. 4:39, 40. AMP
Wow! That is some kind of power that Christ wields; and He continues to do so.
They disembarked in the region of the Gadarenes, located on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus is immediately confronted by a demon-possessed man who lived among tombs, cutting himself with rocks and screaming with wild abandon.
He was terrorizing the region, so wild that even chains could not constrain him. Yet, upon confronting the Son of God, he dropped to his knees in front of Him and cried out:
“What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!” For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
“What is your name?” he asked him.
“My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” Mk. 5:7 – 9. CSB
Knowing that Jesus’ imperative must be obeyed, the demons within the man begged Him to let them inhabit a nearby herd of swine. [There was a large population of Gentiles in this area, thus the presence of the pigs (unclean animals for Jews)].
Jesus agrees, the demons enter the pigs, and they stampede into the Sea and drown themselves. The Gentile inhabitants were upset over the loss of their herd, neglecting the fact that He had liberated them from their demonic oppression.
Christ and company sailed back across the Sea of Galilee where they were met by another crowd on the opposite shore. A Pharisee by the name of Jairus fell at His feet, begging Him to come to his house and heal his dying daughter. He agrees and the crowd follows in tow.
During the journey, a woman who suffered from a non-stop menstrual flow for 12 years, saw Him from afar, and thought to herself that if she could just touch His garments, she would be healed.
The moment she touched Him, she was instantly healed. Jesus stopped in His tracks, feeling some of His power go out of Him and asked who had touched Him. The woman confessed.[4] Jesus responds:
“Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Lk. 8:48 NLT
Resuming His journey to Jairus’ house, He is met along the way by some people who were coming from that very same residence, sadly telling Jesus and Jarius that his daughter was dead.
Jesus turns to Jairus and says:
“Do not be afraid; only keep on believing [in Me and my power].” Mk. 5:36 AMP
When they got to the house, there was a group of hired mourners wailing. Jesus told them that it was unnecessary because she was only sleeping. They scoffed at His comment.
Jesus took Peter, James and John as witnesses, as well as Jairus and his wife to where his daughter laid upon her bed. He took the child’s hand and told her to arise, and she did![5]
As Jesus was leaving, He was approached by two blind men who pleaded with Him to give them sight. He asked them if they had faith in His ability to do so. They answered in the affirmative, and He did that as well![6]
Coming back to our title question, we can surely say that Jesus’ power is limitless. Why? He is the Son of God. He does what the Father does, and God can do anything.[7]
Goodnight and God bless.
[1] Mt. 13:31, 32.
[2] Mt. 13:44
[3] Mt. 13:45, 46.
[4] Lk. 8:43 – 47.
[5] Mk. 5:41, 42.
[6] Mt. 9:28, 29.
[7] Jn. 5:19