(Click on the verse to read it)
Thoughts:
(In the comments section write any take aways... it can just be thoughts or a discussion)
What do you guys think that this means?
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the
kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,[d] and
violent people have been raiding it.
Those of us for who God has performed miracles in our lives, we have a lot of responsibility to repent and live correctly. We don’t have an excuse to live like the
people who don’t have God’s redemption.
Like the towns that were unrepentant after his miracles had been shown,
the day of judgment will determine much.
I often wonder why Jesus told people not to tell of his
miracles and the good he did. Is it because he didn't want to be exalted until
he truly fulfilled his purpose here on earth?
What do you guys think he meant by:
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through
arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it
says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house
unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it
goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go
in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the
first.
The reason why Jesus spoke in so many parables is because Though
seeing, they did not see; though hearing, they did not hear or understand. It is so important for us to make sure that we do not rely on our own ability and logic so not to fool ourselves into thinking that we fully understand God’s desires or plan.
How are we persecuted today? I know that in Sunday school we always
were asked how we were persecuted in daily life. I remember saying if someone made fun of us
for being Christian. It has become so much more complicated and we need to make
sure that we do not fall due to trouble.
“The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word,
but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the work, making it unfruitful."
The Parable of the Weeds is a good explanation of why God
allows bad people in his good world. Not
that God was sleeping, original man was. We just need to make sure we are the
good not the bad harvest.
One of my favorite verses is in this passage: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28
ReplyDeleteI have notes from a different sermon and I wrote underneath it that the rest he is talking about isn't a lazy rest, but the spirit of life.