Siblings,
You’ll recall that I was reading Matthew 22 and felt led to revisit the temptations of Y’shua Jesus. I was struck then by Christ having, ‘one of those days …’ I suspect you know what I mean. If you don’t, I thank God on your behalf and pray that you never have to know beyond the theory. Whether you know what I mean or not, consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Matthew 22:15 CEB
[15] Then the Pharisees met together to find a way to trap Jesus in his words.
The Plot
No. I don’t think I’m a conspiracy theorist, but I couldn’t help but think that this was one of those other moments of temptation that Jesus faced. This time, the opposition was cloaked as religious establishment. I apologise, for honestly, the biggest stumbling blocks to believers’ growth spiritually are us leaders. We and our egos often get in the way of God’s agenda. And when that happens, Lord save us!
My dear siblings, some of us have got lots to repent of, even as we proclaim our righteousness to the world.
Self-Check
If someone were to ask God for relief from their tormentors, would we be included? How have we been stumbling blocks to the message of the Gospel of Christ?
Application
No, despite my stating the obvious, or reflection isn’t so much about the Pharisees, as it is about the spirit behind the Pharisees attitude. You see siblings, in Luke 4, we’re told that the Adversary and enemy of our souls left Y’shua’s presence until another opportune moment. The devil did not let up. The devil simply waited for another vulnerable moment.
According to Matthew, Jesus had just finished teaching. Maybe they felt embarrassed about the implication of the parable. Perhaps He was just a nuisance, threatening the security of membership quotas (It’s possible they were worried about the temple taxes). Whatever the reason, the Pharisees agreed to the devil’s suggestion to plot Y’shua’s fall. They were prepared to trip Him up and place Him on the wrong side of the Law.
While I pray we never have one of those days, I’m conscious that we all face temptations. And no matter how nice or saved we are, there are those who feel it’s their life’s duty to pick on us and/or plot our demise. That’s a given once we’ve given our lives to Christ.
What we have to do then is plot our own escape. It begins with our intentional revisiting the temptations Jesus faced and learning how He overcame them all. Jesus didn’t use a one size fits all approach to overcoming temptation, and neither should we. We also must align ourselves with Jesus through prayer. It keeps us protected and connected. We can also opt for an accountability partner/team that prays with and for us while helping us remain faithful to what we agreed to with Christ. Of course, we also ask God directly for protection and direction, ‘Lead us lest we fall into temptation’ …’Please, Y’shua, deliver us from evil.’
Point to Ponder
Yes, there were plots to discredit Y’shua; but thank God, He overcame them. He won’t neglect us in our time of need. What shall we ask of Him today?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
