40 DAYS - Day 24 - 3.16.21

Love Goes the Distance - Day 24 - Tuesday, March 16th - Pastor Amie
Read Mark 10:1-16 and focus on 10:1-12
Remember to Pause | Read | Reflect | Listen |Pray | Journal |Practice | Encourage/Share |Fast

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.
And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (ESV)

So often in scripture, we read passages about Pharisees trying to trap Jesus regarding common controversies. Their goal isn’t to seek wisdom regarding God’s law but instead use human wit in an attempt to unpopularize him. What I admire about Jesus is He uses their failed attempts to address heart conditions. Not only does Jesus’ response shut down the Pharisees, but it challenges those listening who sought out a genuine answer. Christ redirects the room by reminding them of God's original design over words given to Man regarding a hardened heart. His response? “Divorce was never part of God’s plan, therefore let no man separate what God has joined together.” In short, nobody puts Jesus in a corner.

As we read on, we’re reminded how we ought to approach our Savior. “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Children have absolutely nothing to offer Christ. They come simply to receive. The humility and sincerity of children are what our Christ desires of us. We ought not to approach him with an agenda but instead with a heart to glean his Godly wisdom. I challenge you to sit in the scriptures today with the intent to receive as you worship through reading.  

Prayer Focus - Today, we will pray for the elderly in our community and give us a passion to minister to them as they face the challenges of getting older.