| Matthew Chapter 17 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" 25 "Yes," he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?" 26 When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him, "Then the subjects are exempt. 27 But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you." John Chapter 2 1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4 (And) Jesus said to her, "Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told them, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter."So they took it. 9 And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now." 11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. |
| "But Jesus, You're God!" WHY WORKS? |
The title of this article is what I might have exclaimed to Jesus if I
were Peter or one of the servants in the scripture below. In the first
example, Jesus instructs Peter to go to the sea, drop in a hook, and
take a coin from the mouth of the first fish that comes up. Now
keep in mind that Simon Peter had been with our Lord long enough
to know that all this work was not necessary! After all, Peter has
seen Him calm a storm, multiply loaves and fish to feed thousands;
he saw Jesus transfigured on Mt Tabor, restore sight to the blind,
hearing to the deaf, cleanse the leper, heal the lame, heal his own
mother in-law, raise the dead, cast out unclean spirits, walk on
water, and no doubt, countless other miracles, all without the aid of
Peter or anyone else! Why would our Lord now want Peter to go to
all this trouble and work when Jesus could simply pull this coin out
of thin air? Indeed, If I were Peter, being the lazy sort that I am, I
might be inclined to argue with Jesus a little, exclaiming, "But
Jesus, you're God! Can't you just do that...that..that stuff you do?
Can't you just do that 'Let there be' thing that you do and make
the tax money just appear?" "Why do I have to do all that work
with all the fishing and stuff ?" But of course, Peter did not argue
or question our Lord, but simply did as he was told!
The second example, the miracle at Cana, in a similar way
demonstrates our Lord's desire for man to work with Him as He
works His miracles for us! Jesus could simply have made the wine
appear without involving the servants! After all, He is God! The
entire universe and all of creation came to be, (from nothing),
through Jesus in the beginning! What's a few jugs of wine? Yet
God invites us to take part in the good He does and only asks us to
make some effort, to perform some work, and He does the rest! He
does not ask those who are not able, such as the sick or the lame;
only those who are able to help themselves and others in some way!
Even His mother, without being told, is aware of this requirement
as we see in Chapter 2, verse 5 of John below, where she tells the
servants to "do whatever He tells you."
So the next time a non-Catholic accuses you, (or Catholics), of
trying to "work" their way into heaven, or uses that old
"Fundamentalist" refrain from Eph. 2: (8 For by grace you are saved
through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God. 9 Not of works, that
no man may glory.)(DRV), hand them this article!
Whenever we or someone we know has need of God's help, we too
must be willing to do whatever He tells us, whatever we are able to
do first, and then He will do the rest.
God Love You!
TFN
were Peter or one of the servants in the scripture below. In the first
example, Jesus instructs Peter to go to the sea, drop in a hook, and
take a coin from the mouth of the first fish that comes up. Now
keep in mind that Simon Peter had been with our Lord long enough
to know that all this work was not necessary! After all, Peter has
seen Him calm a storm, multiply loaves and fish to feed thousands;
he saw Jesus transfigured on Mt Tabor, restore sight to the blind,
hearing to the deaf, cleanse the leper, heal the lame, heal his own
mother in-law, raise the dead, cast out unclean spirits, walk on
water, and no doubt, countless other miracles, all without the aid of
Peter or anyone else! Why would our Lord now want Peter to go to
all this trouble and work when Jesus could simply pull this coin out
of thin air? Indeed, If I were Peter, being the lazy sort that I am, I
might be inclined to argue with Jesus a little, exclaiming, "But
Jesus, you're God! Can't you just do that...that..that stuff you do?
Can't you just do that 'Let there be' thing that you do and make
the tax money just appear?" "Why do I have to do all that work
with all the fishing and stuff ?" But of course, Peter did not argue
or question our Lord, but simply did as he was told!
The second example, the miracle at Cana, in a similar way
demonstrates our Lord's desire for man to work with Him as He
works His miracles for us! Jesus could simply have made the wine
appear without involving the servants! After all, He is God! The
entire universe and all of creation came to be, (from nothing),
through Jesus in the beginning! What's a few jugs of wine? Yet
God invites us to take part in the good He does and only asks us to
make some effort, to perform some work, and He does the rest! He
does not ask those who are not able, such as the sick or the lame;
only those who are able to help themselves and others in some way!
Even His mother, without being told, is aware of this requirement
as we see in Chapter 2, verse 5 of John below, where she tells the
servants to "do whatever He tells you."
So the next time a non-Catholic accuses you, (or Catholics), of
trying to "work" their way into heaven, or uses that old
"Fundamentalist" refrain from Eph. 2: (8 For by grace you are saved
through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God. 9 Not of works, that
no man may glory.)(DRV), hand them this article!
Whenever we or someone we know has need of God's help, we too
must be willing to do whatever He tells us, whatever we are able to
do first, and then He will do the rest.
God Love You!
TFN
| FULTON'S WHISPERING ANGELS http://www.whisperingangelsgift.com/ |
| First Example |
| Second Example |
| Matthew Chapter 16 Peter already knew & declared who Jesus is! 13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." |
| Jesus raises the dead |
| Jesus Walking on Water |
|
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