Pastor Joynt's Devotionals

The Other Jesus, Part 2, Week 3, Day 3

MATTHEW 16:2-3

He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’  And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

In parts of the US with beautiful weather, like Florida and Southern California, the weather often leads the evening news. Images of snow in Chicago or ice in New York are common. It is as if the stations are congratulating their viewers on being intelligent enough to live where they do. Weather obsession goes back a long way, and in this passage Jesus calls out his opponents, who are experts at monitoring meteorological signs but who are missing the significance of his ministry. Spiritual blindness is compatible with insight in other areas. Many brilliant people cannot see clearly when it comes to matters of faith.

PRAYER

Gracious God, Grant me discernment. Help me to use the gift of my mind in conjunction with my heart. Show me signs of your goodness and grace that I can celebrate and praise. Don’t allow me to focus on the trivial and passing and miss the vital and eternal. Amen.

The Other Jesus, Part 2, Week 3, Day 2

MATTHEW 16:1

The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

The demand for a sign is insincere, and it is also irrational. Already in Matthew’s gospel there have been many moments where Jesus has exercised divine authority over disease and brokenness. The blind have received sight, the deaf have heard sounds, the lepers have been cleansed, the mute have spoken, the paralyzed have taken steps, and the possessed have been freed.

We must not impose our own faith conditions on God! Drawing lines he must cross, setting tests he must pass, in order to win our allegiance, is unfair and presumptuous. Jesus himself is the sign! Our reaction to him shows us our hearts, tests our souls, and reveals our identity.

PRAYER

Gracious God, Thank you that we can see your heart and discover your ways and know your truth through Jesus. Let us approach him in scripture with reverence and gratitude. Let us seek him in prayer with devotion and love. In his name we pray. Amen.