Almightiness, By Sarah Tummey

This is the second instalment in Sarah’s excellent series of 6 devotionals for the season of Lent.

In these weeks of Lent, the church thinks of Jesus’ life, given for us. He didn’t cling to equality with God, and nor did He cling to His almightiness. “Coming to His home town, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all His sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offence at Him.

“But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home.’ And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:54-58).

I’ve been blind from birth and I’ve had hearing-aids in the last couple of years. Disability can make you feel restricted – that you can’t live the life you’d choose to otherwise. I wrote a song once where I said to Jesus: “Whatever I go through, You’ve already been there”, and reading these verses, I realise Jesus was restricted.

Have you ever had someone on the phone to you with a problem you can’t fix? A health issue, maybe, or the loss of a loved one? Much as you’d like to, you can’t solve it for them. Jesus had that, but to a greater extent. As part of the trinity, He was so powerful that nothing could have been made without Him (John 1:3). He brought creation into being, and yet this restriction was placed upon Him because of their lack of faith. The people were amazed when they heard Jesus’ teaching, but they let what they thought they knew get in the way of them experiencing His power. They only saw Him as the carpenter’s son, not the author of creation.

It’s not about what we think we know. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is living and active. If we’ve invited Jesus into our lives, we need to be open to His influence on a daily basis. He became restricted, so we might become empowered. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

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