Matthew 1:18
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.”
This was a miracle. Never before has this happened, but not a problem for the creator. It did create some issues for the new couple. For Mary it appeared that she had sex before marriage. For Joseph it seemed like Mary had been unfaithful. The parents would have been in the uncomfortable position of explaining to friends and neighbors.
As we follow the Lord we may find ourselves in uncomfortable positions. This hadn’t happened before. How would we explain this? The truth was difficult. John 6 has Jesus feeding the multitudes. He says in verse 26 that they were following because He fed them. He begins to thin the crowds with some tough truths. He says in v. 53, ‘So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.”‘ Many left. Jesus asks if they would leave to. V. 68 says, ‘Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”‘ There is no where else to go.
Don’t let the difficult truths worry us. Put them out of our minds. Pondering over them won’t make them easier. Trust Him. Jesus intended to thin the crowds. Some tough truths are there. Matthew 11:6 says, “And blessed is any person who does not take offense at Me.”
We will be misunderstood. I Peter 4:4 says, “In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of debauchery, and they slander you”. Many enmeshed in the world and in their sin don’t understand why we don’t join them. They will slander and ridicule us. Ignore them. Feed our faith.
There will be times when we don’t understand what God is doing. Proverbs 3:5,6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. We aren’t to lean on our own understanding, but to acknowledge Him always.
Some may mock and say we are checking our brains at the door. Let them. God has given us enough to be confident we are in the truth. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Some don’t want to know the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7 says, “who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.” They love the process of seeking. “I’m a seeker.” They think it’s arrogant to have found the truth.
One test to employ is the child test. Will a child understand this? If not, then it may not be an essential truth to salvation. Matthew 18:3 says, ‘”Truly I tell you”, He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”‘ This means to be humble, but also not to be stumbled at the simplicity of the message. Accept Him as lord and savior and we’re in. A child can do it. Many do.
Lord, help us not to stumble over You and the things that come our way. Help us to trust You when things are difficult and when we don’t understand. But to be as little children and to trust You will all.