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Showing posts with the label I never knew you

Yoked to Jesus

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“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” †  Mathew 11: 28-30  What is the labour and burden that Jesus is asking me to deal with? Perhaps I have to let go of the compulsive burden (or is it a sort of entitlement?) that my spouse and children should choose a spiritual path that I know to be right. Jesus accompanied Judas Iscariot to the very end but never deprived him of his freedom to choose his own destiny. Jesus on the other hand, uninterrupted by Judas's choice to reject him, continues to accomplish his mission. He does become a victim of Judas's betrayal but he seldom takes on the victim's identity. In divine wisdom, Jesus chooses to die in our place (and that of Judas) in a redeeming act of love. Rather than being compelled to fix those whom God has entrusted to my headship by m

I never knew you

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Prophesying, casting out demons and working miracles are signs of a true Christian. Jesus said these signs will follow those who believe (Mark 16:17-18). Yet in Mathew 7:22-23, we confront an angry, unruly Jesus who declares to the many believers who performed these signs in His name “I never knew you; depart from me evil doers”. They were denied entry into his kingdom despite the signs that followed their ministry. Two questions arise here; first, why did Jesus say that He did not know these men when the truth is that God is all knowing? Second, why did Jesus not permit them into His kingdom even though their ministry was accompanied by these signs? Did not Jesus know anything about these men? Off-course he did. In fact Jesus knew everything about them and that is precisely why He declares “I never knew you". To enter heaven we should be known by Jesus. Here the word ‘knowing’ does not mean just an awareness or knowledge rather a higher level of relationship. It po