Family ties

 21 Jul 25

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Life Application Study Bible Devotion

Family ties

Jesus was speaking to people who put extremely high value on family ties. Their genealogies were important guarantees that they were part of God's chosen people. A man's value came from his ancestors, and a woman's value came from the sons she bore. Jesus' response to the woman meant that a person's obedience to God is more important than his or her place on the family tree. The patient work of consistent obedience is even more important than the honor of bearing a respected son.

“As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.””Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

————————

Reflections

When we started out as men and women, identities are important to us. Our family names and our names, especially more so even for us Chinese, as our roots go back to where our ancestors came from. People usually ask us of our dialects and they find it exceptionally warm to meet people of the same lineage, as if we are long lost siblings or relatives. However Jesus pointed people back to where the focus should be. To God and to obey Him.

Yesterday I met a man at the missions showcase who asked me a question about Chinese characters. He felt that Chinese characters has the tendency to lean towards to buddhism or taoism and asked me what I think. I said Chinese characters went way back to ancient times where they first discovered words and was formed from it. It is part of Chinese culture and got nothing to do with religion. It was because people passed down myths and legends and thereafter people start praying to whatever. To me, I felt Chinese cultures should be preserved as it says much of who we are by our race. And by the festivals we kind of celebrate, I see it as a time for family gatherings and nothing more. Like I buy dumplings during dumplings festival or mooncakes and play with lanterns during autumn festival, more like to remember it as part of Chinese culture. But I would not go as far as to pray or burn anything for sure. Though dumplings and mooncakes are just part of myths on how it came by.

To me, my allegiance is Christ and nothing is going to change this.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are you fulfilling your priestly role by holy living?

  2 Feb 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Exodus 29 Exodus 30 Matthew 22:1-22 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9).  Are you fulfilling your priestly role by holy living? Moses receives directives from the Lord to sanctify Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. The Lord says to Moses, “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests” (Exodus 29:1). Also, God previously chose Israel as a nation to serve Him in a priestly role. “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Whether Old Testament Israel, high priest, or a member of the church-age royal priesthood, God desires His people to separate from the moral contamination of this world’s system. Peter proclaims, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15).  Employment Point:  Live acc...
Read more

How are you responding to Jesus’ hospitality as an honored guest?

  11 Feb 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Leviticus 13 Matthew 26:20-54 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me (Revelation 3:20). How are you responding to Jesus’ hospitality as an honored guest? The triclinium is used for the Passover meal. It consists of three couches. Guests would recline with their left hand supporting their head while feeding themselves with their right hand. Traditionally the two most honored guests at the feast would recline on the right and left hand of the host. John, who reclines on the Lord’s breast, sits at Jesus’ right (John 13:23) and Judas on His left. When Jesus identifies His betrayer, no one hears but Judas, who is sitting next to Him (Matthew 26:25). John repays Jesus’ invitation for eternal life and intimacy by a lifetime of service; Judas betrays Him for thirty pieces of silver. Employment Po...
Read more

He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5).

  16 May 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: 2 Kings 15 2 Kings 16 2 Kings 17 John 6:1-21 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do (John 6:6).  He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5). Jesus doesn’t ask the above question to Philip because He needs an answer; our Lord knows all things. The Good Shepherd’s question has a twofold effect: It shows the inability of men to meet the needs of mankind and displays the impossibility of feeding the vast multitude. Philip should have turned to Jesus and said, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). This is the first miracle the disciples participate in with the Lord. Amazingly, Jesus provides “as much [bread and fish] as they wanted” (John 6:11). The verb “they wanted” occurs in the imperfect tense, showing continual action in past time. Jesus also had “twelve baskets with the fragments” left over to feed the ...
Read more