Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) assures us that Jesus blesses: “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (22:7). Early in this final book of the Bible, we find the following blessing: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep these things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (1:3). Reading and hearing the Word of God prompts us to think about blessings. It is also a blessing unto itself. When I was teaching at a Christian school, I assigned portions of the Gospels (along with a helpful commentary) for the students to read and then write about. I gave them great freedom in these assignments: they could discuss a subject that caught their attention, consider a theological point, provide a summary, or interact with the passage in a creative way. Luke 18:1-8 is the parable of the persistent widow. Following is a devotional poem written by one of my students (I asked her then if I could use it; thanks, Jen):
The Knobby-kneed Warrior
A desperate woman had a desperate need,
And on her weary, knobby knees she kneeled;
To Heaven she submitted her solemn prayer –
Determined and calmly imploring and pleading;
Continuously and persistently entreating to God.
And though the days and years passed by,
Though her aged knees were knobby and weak,
Still that gritty warrior endured on the battlefield,
Persistently praying and pushing on.
The unlikely warrior showed resolution and strength,
And so her prayers were heard and answered.
A desperate woman had a desperate need,
And on her weary, knobby knees she kneeled;
To Heaven she submitted her solemn prayer,
And Heaven rewarded the warrior who dared.
Clearly, Luke 18:1-6 was a blessing to this poet, to me, and, I trust, to you. Again, thank you, Jen. Even more so, thank you, Jesus, for the blessing of the Bible.