Saturday April 29th, 2023
Memorize: Matthew 8:12 GNT
« But those who should be in the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness, where they will cry and gnash their teeth. »
Matthew 8:11-12 CEV
11 Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 12 But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”
Read: Luke 7:36-47 NLT
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.
37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.
38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.
42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet.
46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”
Understand
The words in our memory were spoken by Jesus when He saw how great the faith of the Centurion was.
He attested to the fact that He had never seen such great faith in Israel. This man was considered an unbeliever, yet he had faith that was greater than that of everyone Jesus had met.
A chronic unbeliever who has an encounter with Christ would likely hold on to Him fervently.
On the other hand, the one who has been a Christian for a long while, especially since childhood, has a great tendency to begin to take Jesus for granted.
In our Bible reading for today, Jesus dined at a Pharisees house, but the man did not even offer to wash His feet; he took such an august visitor for granted because he had known Him for long.
Many Christians are fervent in the first few months or years after they encounter Christ, and then begin to relent.
This could be because the memory of their salvation experience is beginning to wane or they may have seen other Christians slipping and still looking holy.
Beloved, it is very dangerous to forget your salvation encounter with Christ, very dangerous to take examples from people who are not as fervent as you; rather, take examples from those who have gone higher than you in the faith.
Always hold on to Jesus for dear life!
When He gives you an instruction, obey immediately.
Always go early for Church services; if you are a worker in the Church, serve to the best of your ability.
Make Him a priority in your life; increase your commitment to His kingdom rather than reducing it.
I pray that you will not be replaced in the kingdom of God in the mighty name of Jesus.
Application: Never take God for granted.
Author: Bishop Enoch. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
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