Already Standing On It

The Reflection question for this week was to notice how Jesus responded in difficult situations. And in Matthew chapters 4 through 7, difficulty isn’t missing. 

Nope, it’s right there, front and center.

Jesus is tempted in the wilderness… hungry, alone, and pushed to the edge. And yet....He doesn’t argue with the enemy. He answers with truth. Not frustration. Just truth that’s already settled in Him.

“It is written…”

That’s a pretty grounded response! 

And then you watch Him move into the crowd… people pulling, needing, questioning. There He was..teaching things that cut straight through surface-level living, like loving your enemies, forgiving when it’s undeserved, giving without needing to be seen.

Even in ALL of that demand… He’s not frantic.

He’s clear and that’s stands out to me.  Maybe it stands out more to me because I know that I would've been overstimulated! 

But He doesn’t match the chaos around Him.

When He’s pressed, surrounded, and challenged....truth comes out.

Most of us do NOT respond like that in difficulty.

We react.

We defend.

We overexplain.

We shut down.

We try harder.

We get exhausted.

Am I right?

But Jesus shows another way.

And it's anchored perfectly.

He already knows what’s true… and nothing showing up around Him gets to rewrite it!

And maybe that’s what we need to take from these chapters?

Not to try harder in the hard moments…but to be SO ROOTED in truth beforehand…
that when difficulty comes…

you don’t have to scramble to find your footing because....you’re already standing on it.

IT IS WRITTEN!

Next week's Reflection:

Exodus 11 - 14

What moment of rescue stood out to you?