Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

February 6
Wednesday

PERIPHERAL
VISION

READ:
Luke 9:51-62
________________________________

Now it came to pass,
when the time had
come for [Jesus] to be
received up, that He
steadfastly set His face
to go to Jerusalem.
__Luke 9:51
_________________________________

Peripheral vision enables us to be aware of our surroundings while remaining focused on our destination. What we see from "the corner of our eye" can be useful, unless it distracts us from our goal.

During the weeks leading to Easter, as we think about the cross, we may be struck by our Lord's purposeful approach to the city where He knew crucifixion and resurrection awaited Him. "Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). From that moment on, Jesus' eyes were on the cross. Every obstacle to accomplishing His Father's will became part of His peripheral vision.

When a man professed an interest in following Him, Jesus told him: "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God' (v.62). The issue was probably not the man's family (v.61) but his focus. We can't move ahead while looking at what we've left behind.

Neither cries of "Hosanna" nor shouts of hatred could deter Jesus from His goal "to give His life a ransom for many" and to pay the price to set us free (Matt. 20:28).

Where is our focus today? __David McCasland
_____________________________________________________________

`````````````````Some people follow Jesus Christ,`````````````````
`````````````````Then obstacles get in their way;`````````````````
``````````````````But if they'll focus on the Lord,``````````````````
`````````````````They won't be led astray. __Sper````````````````
_____________________________________________________________You don't need to know where you're going
if you know the One who does.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 9:51-62*************

51 Now it came to pass,
when the time had come for
Him to be received up, that
He stadfastly set His face to
go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent
messengers before His face.
And as they went, they
entered a village of the
Samaritans, to prepare for
Him. 53 But they did not
receive Him, because His
face was set for the journey
to Jerusalem. 54 And when
His disciples James and John
saw this, they said, "Lord, do
You want us to command fire
to come down from heaven
and consume them, jus as
Elijah did?" 55 But He turned
and rebuked them, and said,
"You do not know what
manner of spirit you are of.

56 For the Son of Man did not
come to destroy men's lives
but to save them."
57... As they journeyed...
someone said to Him, "Lord
I will follow You wherever
You go."

58 And Jesus said to him,
"Foxes have holes and birds
of the air have nests, but the
Son of Man has nowhere to
lay His head."

59 Then He said to another,
"Follow Me." But he said,
"Lord, let me first go and
bury my father."

60 Jesus said to him, "Let
the dead bury their own dead,
but you go and preach the
kindgom of God."

61 And another also said,
"Lord, I will follow You, but
let me first go and bid them
farewell who are at my
house."

63 But Jesus said to him,
"No one, having put his hand
to the plow, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom
of God."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Luke, the author of this gospel account and the book of Acts, was
a doctor (Col. 4:14) and close associate of the apostle Paul. He
apparently joined Paul's team in Acts 16 (where his description
changes in verse 10 from "them" to "we"), and continued with Paul
until his final writing (2 Tim. 4:11). __WEC