Skip to main content

Building Shelters

             But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (Luke 4:43)

 

            Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4)

 

            The people of Capernaum (Peter’s hometown) had heard what Jesus said and seen Him drive out demons and heal the sick, and sought Him out and asked Him to stay. That would seem to be the good Sunday School answer to the situation. “Yes, Jesus, we want You to stay with us. Come live among us.”

            Perhaps it’s not so surprising, when Jesus started talking about dying, and then was transfigured in Peter’s presence, that Peter’s response would be, “Jesus, I want You to stay with us. Let me build shelters so you can all live among us.” In some ways, it was the proper, hospitable thing to do. We encourage others to invite Jesus into their lives. But in Scripture, Jesus always ultimately declines. He’ll go for a visit, but He has kingdom business to take care of and can’t stay. I know the verse in Revelation 3, but it seems as if God isn’t as interested in being invited into our lives as He is in inviting us, and many others, into His.

            This is one of those critical ideas. We get so tangled up in our lives, homes, jobs, and problems that we want God to touch, heal, guide, help, fix, etc., that we lose track of the fact that it’s not about us. It’s not about ours. It’s about Him and His kingdom. I’m not suggesting God doesn’t care and doesn’t touch, heal, guide, help, fix, etc., but that’s not His primary focus and shouldn’t be ours. In some ways, it might be said that we should build roads instead of building shelters for God and inviting Him in.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Shepherd!

                 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep . (John 10:14) God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Genesis 3:14) The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths     for his name’s sake. Even though I walk     through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,     for you are with me; your rod and your staff,     they comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-4) For the Jews, it was politically incorrect to make claims about yourself as a teacher (or possibly as anything else.) Teachers were expected to take pride in the...
Post a Comment
Read more