Yesterday we saw the glory of Christ. Today, Matthew 18 brings us down the mountain into the everyday reality of relationships.
Jesus begins with humility, placing a child before His disciples:
“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4
Life in Him is practical. It is relational. It shapes how we treat people, forgive people, and even discipline ourselves.
Jesus teaches about:
Offenses
Forgiveness
Restoring lost brothers
Dealing with sin
Unlimited mercy
Peter asks how many times we should forgive, and Jesus answers:
“Seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:22
Yesterday, we saw God’s glory. Today, He shows us what that glory looks like in human relationships, humility, patience, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
CALL TO ACTION
Think of someone who has offended you. Pray for them today. Even if you can’t reconcile yet, start with prayer.
Tag: forgiveness
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DAY 18 – Life in Him Shapes How We Treat Others (MATTHEW 18)
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8 Lessons from Luke 23:
1. Resilience in Unjust AccusationsDespite facing false accusations, Jesus stood with resilience. Embrace inner strength in times of unjust criticism, trusting in your truth.
Luke 23:2 – “And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.’”
2. Navigating Betrayal with Grace.Judas’ betrayal highlights the pain of broken trust. Learn to navigate betrayal with grace, recognizing that forgiveness can be a source of personal healing.
Luke 22:48 – “But Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’”
3. Compassion Amidst CrueltyJesus’ compassion during his ordeal teaches us to maintain empathy even in challenging circumstances. Strive to show kindness, even when faced with cruelty.
Luke 23:34 – “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.”
4. Endurance in the Face of SufferingThe journey with the cross reveals resilience in suffering. Find strength to endure challenges, understanding that hardships can lead to personal growth.
Luke 23:26 – “And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.”
5. The Power of ForgivenessJesus forgave even in his pain. Explore the transformative power of forgiveness, recognizing its ability to free the heart from bitterness.
Luke 23:46 – “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this, he breathed his last.”
6. Grieving with HopeMary’s grief at the foot of the cross illustrates the human experience of loss. Embrace grief with hope, acknowledging that healing can come through the expression of emotions.
Luke 23:49 – “And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.”
7. Silent Reflection in DeathThe silence surrounding Jesus’ death encourages reflection. Embrace moments of quiet contemplation, recognizing the significance of transitions and embracing the mystery of life.
Luke 23:46 – “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this, he breathed his last.”
8. Transcending Today’s EmotionsThe emotional depth of Luke 23 resonates across time. Acknowledge that shared human experiences connect us, fostering empathy and understanding in our present-day relationships.
Luke 23:44 – “It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.”
In the symphony of Luke 23, we discover invaluable lessons that transcend the boundaries of time. Embrace resilience, compassion, forgiveness, and hope, weaving these lessons into the fabric of your own journey. As we reflect on the Christianity depicted in this chapter, may these lessons guide us toward a more compassionate and understanding existence.See you tomorrow for the last episode but remember to share this post, like and comment too.
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The Parable of Lost Son and Found Ewedu
Welcome to day 15 of The Essence of Christmas’ Blogmas.
I hope you have been enjoying all the delicious Nigerian soups we have been cooking since the beginning of this week and I hope you are taking the various lessons from each chapter of Luke as shared.
Today’s lesson is based on forgiveness and looking out for those we haven’t seen for a long period.
The Good Shepherd in vs 4 didn’t see one sheep, he went looking for him.
He didn’t say there are other 99 perhaps fatty sheep.
The life of each sheep is precious to him.
Like that Shepherd, let’s look out for those that have been long we them to see in fellowship.
Yes, there are 10, 000 other faithful brethren in the house but as those 10,000 sheep in the fold are precious to the shepherd so is the life of the one out there in sin, alcohol, immorality, depression, love of the world, lust, vain speaking, etc.
By doing so we are making Heaven delighted (Vs 15:7)
Right now, pick up your phone and make that call!
Furthermore, we should FORGIVE as the father of the prodigal son did
The prodigal son asking for his share of his father’s estate while the father is alive is saying, ‘dad, as I am concerned, you are dead), yet his father forgave him completely.
Forgive your husband who cheated on you.
Forgive that kid of yours who still chooses the wayward lifestyle despite all that you did for him.
Forgive your parents.
God forgave you, you should forgive too.
Who knows, maybe the prodigal son was a Yoruba boy and missed daily Amala with Ewedu that is loaded with locust beans 😂😂
You said, what’s Ewedu soup? Oya, let me teach you!
Ewedu (jute) is a soup of Yoruba origin and it’s believed to help in managing diabetes and HBP as well as serve as an antibiotics in the body. Now, here are the ingredients needed:
- Ewedu leaf (jute)
- Irú (Locust bean)
- Potash
Here is how to prepare it:
- Add the desired quantity of water and irú (locust beans) to the pot and put on the gas.
- When it’s steaming, put your plucked Ewedu leaf plus a little potash into it.
Note: do not cover.
- Allow it to boil for 10 mins.
- Put it back on fire, add salt and stir.
- While still on hot, mildly blend.
- Let it cook for 5 minutes.
Amala with Ewedu 
Amala and Abula (Gbegiri+ Ewedu) There you have delatable Ewedu which you can add to stew to eat with Amala, Ẹba, fufu, pounded yam, etc, or combine with Gbegiri and hot Amala which we discussed yesterday and enjoy what we call Abula.
Licking tongue, already? Oya, go and try reaching out to forgotten Brethren, forgiveness, and Ewedu soup, and see the richness of all.Thanks for reading. Remember to like, share, subscribe, comment, and come back tomorrow for day 16.
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How to Share the Good News.
Welcome to day 5 of Blogmass titled The Essence of Christmas. Let’s go into today’s topic – how to share the good news. We are studying the Gospel according to Dr. Luke and deriving lessons thereof.
- 🌟 DAY 23 – Life in Him Rejects Hypocrisy (MATTHEW 23)
- DAY 22 – Life in Him Prioritizes Love Above All (MATTHEW 22)
Christmas connotes love, isn’t it? What better to show love than to share the love and what better love than sharing the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of our lord Jesus Christ during this precious season? But how do we go about it?
Firstly, we have to surrender every that we think is ours like Peter and his brother did with their boat (5:1-3, 11, 27-28)
Then we have to listen to Him for in doing so will there be a catch of souls for Him (5 vs 4 – 7).
After then, we have to acknowledge that we ourselves was saved by grace and grace alone so that we will no boast (5:8-9)
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord! ”
Luke 5:8 HCSBFurthermore, we should call others to come and see the savior like Peter and Andrew invited James and John Zebedee to come and the long awaited promised Messiah (5:6, 7, 10)
In addition to that, we should know that Jesus’ encouragement to us in commissioning us for the work of spreading the Gospel in verse 10b
… “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people! ”
Luke 5:10 HCSBWhile going on sharing the good news, we should be compassionate because Jesus had compassion on the unclean man. We may meet a chronic sinner on the road, we must not judge but be compassionate towards his/her that God’s desire is he/she comes to the saving knowledge of Christ. Why? Because doing so will proclaim our Lord the more (5 vs 12-16).
Apart from compassionate heart, we should not forget to offer the sinning world the forgiveness of sin and healing from all affliction in Jesus’ name.
Seeing their faith He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”
Luke 5:20 HCSBTell the guilt lady that her sin has been forgiven.
Tell the guy who thinks he has sinned before grace, that forgiving grace is more than enough for him because the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Luke 5:24 HCSB
Where should we go to do this? We should go to from house to house, hideouts, street to street, ceremonies, invites, workplaces, taverns, pub, etc., not to partake in sin or to add more laws to the burden of sin but to offer the newness of life called Grace that Christ offered because ‘…new wine should be put into fresh wineskins.’
Luke 5:38 HCSBThank you for staying around. See you tomorrow.
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