Disciple-Wrap Up
First of all, this series was a lot longer than I intended, but I truly feel like Holy Spirit is guiding me. During this process, my prayer life and expectations for people have changed. I no longer focus on their love for me, but their love for God. Once a person can love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, then that person can truly love me the way Christ intended. So, what does this mean? It means I can’t expect people to love me more than they love God. In essence, how a person treats us is a direct reflection of their relationship with God. Jesus modeled his love for the Father everytime He interacted with others. The fact is Peter and the other disciples had first hand experience regarding how to treat people. Jesus was the perfect teacher on the subject. He was love personified.
Luke 9:51-56 tells us about a time when a Samaritan village refused to receive Jesus. It states, “Not long before it was time for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. He sent some messengers on ahead to a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. But he was on his way to Jerusalem, so the people there refused to welcome him. When the disciples James and John saw what was happening, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy these people?” But Jesus turned and corrected them for what they had said. Then they all went on to another village.” (Some manuscripts add, ‘Don’t you know what spirit you belong to? The Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save). Once again this proves that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
So, in other words, while Jesus taught Peter and the other disciples how to strengthen their faith, walk in forgiven, understand scriptures, develop a prayer life, and proclaim the gospel, even in the face of persecution, he also modeled Matthew 22:37-40. It states, “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
So, why wasn’t His example good enough for Peter? Why isn’t His example good enough for us? Why do we allow man’s laws and customs to dictate how we treat people? Why do we allow them to divide us? Think about it. Then go to the Father and pray about it.
#Soul Searching with Our Father
Coming Up Next
Peter enters full time ministry; however, he still needs deliverance regarding his biases toward the Gentiles.
