Verse of the Day 8/2

Through the Bible - Psalms 60-62, Acts 22

 

A while back I quoted Psalm 84:5 as the verse of the day :

Ps 84:5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.  NIV

Perhaps no better passage, no better life exemplifies this than Jesus in Luke 9:51-56.  Today's verse shows Jesus' resolution, his strong determination to complete His journey on earth which included Jerusalem, Calvary, and the resurrection.

 

Luke 9:51 When the days drew near for  him to be taken up,  he set his face  to go to Jerusalem.  ESV

Knowing what was before Him, nothing could hold Him back.  I've heard it in sermons and read it in commentaries that Jesus set His face "like flint", to go to Jerusalem.  I have always been fascinated by that word in this context.  Flint was the stone used in early muskets to ignite the gunpowder.  Here it is as if saying, if you went against Jesus and His mission sparks would fly.  You can see it in other passages in his rebuke of the disciples when they tried to divert him from his journey.

 

The procession of His journey, led to Jerusalem.  It was the epicenter of His ministry and would be the launching pad for the Christian faith.

 

Commentator Henry Wansbrough writes, "he (Luke) rearranges the material and brings in more from other sources, focusing the whole on the goal of Jerusalem.  All other geographical references are suppressed, so that the reader is not diverted from the intention of Jesus who now 'resolutely' turned His face towards Jerusalem."

 

Is you heart set on pilgrimage?  Are you willing to rearrange, change the course of your life to follow Him where He leads?

 

It takes a strong determination, a life filled with devotion, and faith that won't give up.  Sound impossible?  We can do it through Him who gives us our strength for the journey.  If you are facing what seems to be impossible today, set your face towards Him.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Luke 9:51-57

 

Opposition from Samaritans

 

51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, "Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?" 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 So they went on to another village.  NLT