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 Point: Fellowship with Jesus daily and serve Him faithfully, to honor His invitation.

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Reflections

Reading Leviticus 13 felt kind of clinical. Like how would someone so long ago, know about skin diseases and whether those are kind of contagious or not. It’s beyond understanding and only the Lord is able to provide such answers. 

“Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.”Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭33‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• we all knew what happened so every single one of his disciples went away. We probably didn’t know how strong our faith was until we are tested. Like a popular saying goes, pure gold fear no fire (真金不怕火). If we are standing firm in our faith, nothing will shake. But how firmly are we standing? That is really  a question we need to ask ourselves.
• In times like these, it is pretty easy for us to be like Peter who declares that we will never fall away. When trouble comes, can we really stand the test? 

“Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.”Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭50‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• I don’t know how it would feel like to know who your betrayer is, and yet treat him as a honoured guest to allow him to take the seat on his left. A seat that is somehow above the rest. Here, Jesus called him friend, even though it is obvious now that Judas is a betrayer. Would you wonder if this is worth it? I guess in Jesus’s eyes whether Judas was worthy or not is relative. But without him playing the part he is supposed to play, the ending maybe different. We did read further on that Judas felt guilty after everything that had happened. But perhaps at that moment it is no longer important.
• This part made me think a little deeper. When Jesus was on the cross, beside him was a murderer whom he too lifted up whereas the other just mocked on. We saw stark contrasts of right and left a few times in the bible. Even during judgement, the sheep to the right to eternal life and the goat to the left to eternal fire. It seems to have foretold what it is going to be like. Like how the weed will grow together with the good crops till harvest time. I believe it is not coincidental that things happened as such and the bible states it as such.
• In the world, people often want to be the right and left hand man of the man in power. It is the same for Jesus’s disciples when the mother came to Jesus to ask for such positions. Jesus’s reply was that they do not know what they are asking when they asked to sit at his right and left. Would you want to be on His left hand? I’m not sure and I don’t think any one of us knows till the opportune time.

Jesus has invited all of us to fellowship with Him. May we take it seriously and honour Him, serving Him faithfully and with love.

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Is Your Hope in God Faint and Dying?

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

February 11

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. — Isaiah 26:3 (kjv mg)

Is your imagination stayed on God, or is it starved? A starved imagination is one of the greatest sources of exhaustion in a disciple’s life. To attain the perfect peace Isaiah describes, we must set our minds steadfastly on God, trusting entirely in him.

If you have never used your imagination to put yourself deliberately before God, begin to do it now. It is no use waiting for God to come to you: you must go to him, turning your gaze away from the faces of idols. Imagination is the greatest gift God has given us, and it ought to be devoted entirely to him. If you learn to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, it will be one of the greatest assets to your faith when the time of trial comes, because your faith and the Spirit of God will work together.

“We have sinned, even as our ancestors did. . . . They did not remember your many kindnesses”(Psalm 106:6–7). If you find that your mind is not steadfastly set on God, if you cannot remember his kindness and love, drive a stake through the heart of your forgetfulness. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. If you do, your affection for God will increase tenfold, your imagination will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.

Leviticus 11-12; Matthew 26:1-25

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Much of the misery in our Christian life comes not because the devil tackles us, but because we have never understood the simple laws of our make-up. We have to treat the body as the servant of Jesus Christ: when the body says “Sit,” and He says “Go,” go! When the body says “Eat,” and He says “Fast,” fast! When the body says “Yawn,” and He says “Pray,” pray!

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Reflections

A mind set on Jesus Christ is a mind that is grounded and anchored. 

My mum was reading newspapers this morning and she commented that the world now is so crazy. People have changed so much! So much evil in this world. I told her, haven’t you read in the Bible, it did say when end times come, this world will be a place of evil. So we need to learn to stand firm. She went “ya, we ourselves must learn how to stand firm.” My reply to her was “No, you do not rely on yourself because it is doomed for failure. You rely on Christ Jesus because our eyes need to be focused on Him.”

In our daily lives, we meet with various challenges and also issues. News that we heard are also not very encouraging. It is as if people are going more berserk, going around stabbing and killing people with no apparent reason. In this fallen world that we live in, we need to understand that none of us is perfect. We are all learning to survive. But the good news is that Jesus holds our hands, He guides us every step so we will reminded and not fall into temptations, evil intent, malice, etc. Instead, He fills us with love.

Love is the first language we all should learn before anything. Without love, anything else that we have is just an empty shell. Only with love are we being able to be filled with joy, with grace, with mercy and having the ability to forgive, to also loving others who are hard to love.

It’s difficult to put a finger to it, but I felt something in me changed. It felt like I have been given a daily dose of tranquilliser. It was the same kind of feeling I got when I got news of divorce from my ex-husband. I know I feel sad but there’s this greater sense of peace that overwhelms me and sort of shield me from everything else. It felt like I’m in some sort of a fortified bubble and I can see everything that is going on outside but it doesn’t overwhelms me. It has helped me stayed anchored and still in the midst of chaos and make sensible decisions. I believe the Lord and only Him can do this.

Keeping our eyes on Him also reminded me of the lesson I took for Stand-Up Paddling. The instructor told me this specifically, “look to the front, focus your eyes on the front and look up! Don’t look down! Else you will definitely fall!” And indeed I fall whenever I looked down and drank seawater. Quite similar to riding a bicycle.

Let’s pray:

Thank You Lord for the reminder that in all circumstances, to fix our eyes upon You. Just like how Peter did when he asked Jesus to call him to walk on water and he did what humans think is impossible. Truly in You, Father, anything is possible. May You continue to guide and prompt us in our daily lives to fix our eyes on You, always. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen 🙏🏻 

Sharing a song titled “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” too that I like and reminded of when I wrote this reflection.

https://youtu.be/5X85txs60yY?si=MHTDXRBzHZlxGThU