Thursday 28 Jul 2022

July 28: Matthew 13:47-52

Key Verse: Matthew 13:52
He said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’

Devotion:
The first reaction I had from reading these verses today was annoyance at the wasteful way in which some modern fisherman treat their catches. When a large trawler gathers up the nets from trawling the sea, there are all manner of things caught in the nets. For commercial trawlers rules are set which they should be abiding by, one being the size of the fish and another being the type of fish. Anything which does not meet the criteria has to be returned… but how they do the returning is not always good!

It does not make commercial sense to spend too much time sorting out the catch and treating the catch with respect; instead some will toss anything back into the water in varying states of health. Typically you will see a large flock of seagulls gathered around the boats which are simply throwing fish back without regard to them… I wonder how people are going to be treated in the last days when the angels will be required to turn the unbelievers away from Heaven!

We should be examples by which others can learn from or look up to. God wants us to be shining lights – this means doing things how He would wants us to and showing people we do so with love, humility and pride. God wants others to see something special in us and be encouraged to find out what it is all about. That is what being a disciple is about, not just talking about Jesus but showing people a new way of hope and life!

Points to Ponder:
How do people see you?

Will you try to be more like Jesus today?