DAY 38 of my reading plan: 5 days to E-day

FIVE DAYS TO EASTER!

Reading for today:

Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree
Matthew 21:20-22
Mark 11:20-26

Jesus final day of public teaching; teaching in the temple; authority challenged.
Matthew 21:23-27; 21:28 - 23:39
Mark 11:27-33; 12:1-44
Luke 20:1-8; 20:9-21:4

Olivet Discourse
Matthew 24, 25
Luke 21:5-36

Jesus' final message on Tuesday:
Matthew 25:31-46

Tuesday, Nisan 12; In parallel time - it was March 31 then; and is March 30 now.

I discussed Jesus' teaching on the Mt of Olives on Day 13 - but this is actually when it occurred. There was just too much to cover on this one day - and even so, I am overwhelmed with all He covered in his final communication to the then-adoring masses and the increasingly-angry spiritual leaders of his fellow Jewish people.

If you believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer....yet we are also taught that is contingent on praying in God's will, getting our direction first from Him - then praying with the conviction of assurance of what He desires.

Mark 11:25 adds something Matthew does not - telling us that when we stand praying, if we hold anything against anyone, forgive - so that our Father in heaven may forgive us our sins.... Verse 26 is a footnote instead of being in the text of the NIV - and it states, ...if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your sins. It is a clear Biblical teaching - even included in the Lord's Prayer...'forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors'. I originally learned it as 'forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us' but I prefer the image of debtor. In either version of the prayer, the point is obvious. Want forgiveness? Grant forgiveness. And the lesson is repeated here with the same terms.

At this juncture I am extremely grateful that I covered some of this territory in earlier blogs. As of this point the masses are clueless about what will occur in just 3 days - as are the disciples. Jesus warned them well in advance - repeatedly, but their ears have heard the adulation of the crowds and that adulation crowds out any concerns that may try to surface. Still, with the focus of the Passover feast, they have committed time to be with Jesus, and he leaves them with repeated messages that will replay over and over in days soon to come....too soon....

For today he has taught in the temple and on the Mount of Olives. But the calm on the surface is deceiving.

Jesus is walking toward the cross and our salvation with purpose and intention. But all the while what impresses me so completely is that He keeps on keeping on - - just as He compels and encourages us to do.

I haven't had time to write today - and yesterday the time was brief and stolen. I had young grandkids here - - and my time was theirs - - but 'needing to write' in fulfillment of my commitment was on my mind multiple times; there was just no opportunity to extricate myself from being present and enjoying the gift and responsibility of time shared with them.

In yesterday's reading Jesus cursed a fig tree. Today he uses it as an object lesson for receiving answers to our prayers. I need time to grapple with this - to pray over it, and see what the Holy Spirit might reveal.... It will have to be saved for another day.