What on Earth have we done with the Teachings of Jesus? ~ Do the will of God ~

In 2019 I was inspired to study the true Words of Jesus. I listed them according to subject headings and compiled them into a little book ‘What on Earth have we Done with the Teachings of Jesus?’ (available as a free download here). There were 83 different subjects that Jesus taught on. I have listed the top ten subject headings according to the frequency that Jesus spoke on them (page 133 in the book).  In covering the top ten, I am now looking at the ninth most common topic Jesus taught on. Today we focus on “do the will of God”.

Jesus said, My food is to do the will of Him

Having covered humility and forgiveness. Today’s topic is on ‘doing the will of God’. Jesus said, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  In John 4, Jesus moves from the subject of ‘will’ of God to ‘work’ of God.  Going on further to say to His disciples, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life.

Jesus also stated that we cannot serve two employers or masters.  No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches), Matt 6:24.

There are two types of wages

There are two types of wages. Wages we receive through earthly employers and wages we receive from our Father in heaven. Which of these wages will count for eternity? How much of our much time, effort and energy gets poured into which?

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few”, Matt 9:36

The labourers willing to work for God are few. They were few in Jesus’ day and they are few now.

What is the work of God?

What is the work of God? It is the work of a farmer – sowing and reaping.  Jesus says in John 4, One sows and another reaps.  A farmer for the Kingdom of heaven. It is the proactive work of spreading the good news and aiding others in the understanding and coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus.

In Matthew 7 Jesus says, not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Clearly only in the ‘doing’ of His will can we earn eternal life. 

This is His will…

Henry says – Christ here shows that it will not be enough to own Him for our Master, only in word and tongue. It is necessary to our happiness that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. This is His will… Let everyone that names the name of Christ, depart from all sin. There are others, whose religion rests in bare hearing, and it goes no further… This parable teaches us to hear and do the sayings of the Lord Jesus: some may seem hard to flesh and blood, but they must be done. Christ is laid for a foundation, and everything besides Christ is sand. Some build their hopes upon worldly prosperity; others upon an outward profession of religion… but they are all sand, too weak to bear such a fabric as our hopes of heaven. There is a storm coming that will try every man’s work… May the Lord make us wise builders for eternity. Then nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ Jesus.

Adapted from the Matthew Henry Commentary

No Burden Irks
 
The key to Divine Revelation
Is simple acceptance of My will.
Both holiness and happiness are the fruits
Of the heart that in Me, is perfectly still.
 
The way of the cross, may be a way of sorrow,
Pain may encompass each day,
But at its foot the burden of sin
And earth-desire are rolled away.
 
The yoke of My will for you
In the day in, day out of all things
Is adjusted to My servant’s shoulders
No burden too irksome to suppress your wings.
 
Try to see in each interruption,
Each task, however small
The same fulfillment of Divine intent
For I am the God of all.
 
Accept it, say your thanks for it,
Realising you are a winged bird in flight
Do this habitually and the resulting joy
will take you into new pathways of light
 
By the late Andrew Feakin
(passed away 16th March 2019)

Prayer: Lord, I have spent so many hours working for things that will perish.  I see that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are so few.  Lord make me into a worker for Your Kingdom.  Give me Your eyes to see what You see and Your heart to feel as Your feel.  Make me hungry for Your will and work.  I lay all down at Your feet. In Jesus Name. AMEN