Tag: mar9

The Kingdom of Humility!

Today’s reading is from Matthew 18, which starts in the middle of an event that began in Mark 9. After Jesus casts a demon out of a young boy, He and His disciples hit the road. During their travel, Jesus uses this time to teach His disciples about His upcoming crucifixion, death, and resurrection (Mark 9:30–31). But, His disciples didn’t understand the teaching: But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:32, ESV)

As Jesus and His group arrive in Capernaum and get settled in, Jesus asks His disciples, “What were you discussing on the way?” (Mark 9:33, ESV) There had been a lot of talk, but not about what Jesus had been teaching them. But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:34, ESV) Uh-oh! It makes sense why they didn’t want to understand what Jesus had been teaching concerning his death and resurrection. In their pride, they were focused on their positions in Jesus’ kingdom, and for that to happen in their minds, Jesus can’t die. No wonder they were afraid to ask Him what He meant by His teachings. 

So what does Jesus do? It’s time for an object lesson! Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “…anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:2–4, NLT) Now they begin to understand! It takes the simplicity and humility of a child to grasp the Kingdom of Heaven; their pride had blinded them.

As believers, let us seek humility in our lives, not position. We should serve, not focus on grand ideas of being served. Embrace simplicity, not pomp. Let us follow Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians: “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11, NLT)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Matthew 18.

Yes, He Can!

Today, the case of a little boy possessed by a demon stood out to me. He was brought to Jesus because His disciples failed to cast out the demon (Mark 9:14–18). As the father of the little boy explains the situation, he says to Jesus, The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” (Mark 9:22, NLT) Notice the question Jesus asks. “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mark 9:23, NLT) The father of the boy then cries out… “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”(Mark 9:24, NLT)

What a relatable situation—belief and unbelief battling for the win. Have you ever had enough faith to bring a situation to God, only to find that unbelief rises from within and weakens your belief? Have you ever been frustrated that leaving a situation in God’s hands is so hard because unbelief wants to take it back? Even if Jesus stood before us, as He did with the man in our text, we would still be prone to this struggle.

With this struggle raging back and forth in this father’s heart, what did Jesus do? And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” (Mark 9:25, ESV) In other words, he answered both of this man’s pleas: the plea to help his son and the plea to help his unbelief. What a God!

Sometimes, overcoming unbelief is a miracle in itself. Believers, though we may struggle, who helps us with this weakness? Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26, ESV) Let us rejoice, let us believe, and let God help us with our unbelief!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62.