Life Lessons from Unexpected Sources Matt 18:1-4 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
In life, as we continue to learn, some of our life lessons come from the most unexpected sources. Such was the case with Jesus’ disciples. Jesus used some unusual people to teach them some very important life lessons. He taught them about:
Greatness from a little child – Matt 18:1-4 – greatness in the world is about fame and fortune, about doing highly notable and commendable things. But with the Lord, greatness is all about humbling yourself like Jesus did [Phil 2:3-8] and serving the Lord, about humbly doing the will of God. And a child is the perfect teacher of this one of these life lessons since, after we get saved, we are children of God. Children honor their parents by obeying them. The greatest children are the ones who humbly and obediently do what their parents tell them to do. This is what Jesus did with his Father and now he has a name that is exalted above every name [Phil 2:9-11].
Giving from a poor widow – Mk 12:41-44 – the rich men who cast their money into the treasury gave of their abundance. The poor widow cast in all of her living. She gave everything she had. What a lesson to the disciples who had forsaken all to follow Jesus [Matt 19:27]. In this one of these life lessons they were being instructed on how the Lord would take care of them in Acts 2:44-45, 4:34-37. That poor widow demonstrated that giving is about trusting the Lord and his provisions rather than trusting our wealth [Mk 10:17-25].
Faith from a Roman soldier – Matt 8:5-10 – the Roman centurion knew that the power of God was in the word of God [Matt 8:8] and in the authority of God [Matt 8:9]. He knew a lot more than most of the Pharisees and the Jews to whom the oracles were given. He knew that Jesus only needed to say the word and his servant would be healed. The Pharisees didn’t believe anything Jesus said [Rom 10:17] and wanted him to prove his deity with signs. The centurion didn’t need a sign; he just needed the word of God. Faith is not about great feats and signs; it’s about the great faithfulness of our God. And God used a soldier to teach his disciples this one of these life lessons.
Salvation from a Samaritan woman – Jn 4:3-26 – Jesus only came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and yet he was willing to lead this Samaritan woman to himself. She got past her prejudices [Jn 4:9]. She got interested in the message [Jn 4:11-12]. She thirsted for life [Jn 4:15]. She was honest with Jesus [Jn 4:17-18]. She sorted out her misunderstanding [Jn 4:20-24]. And she believed [Jn 4:25-26]. She seemed to forget all about that water pot she came to the well to fill [Jn 4:28-29]. And that’s the way it is in salvation. When a person is truly interested in getting saved, they’ll get interested in the message, they’ll be honest, they’ll sort out their questions, and they’ll forget about the distractions. Because ultimately salvation is about the man Christ Jesus [Jn 4:29 come, see a man].
Witnessing from a Samaritan woman – Jn 4:39-42 – the best witnessing takes place in the ordinary course of life. Jesus witnessed to the woman when she came to the well to get water. We should always be on duty; we should always be ready to stop and witness to someone in need of our Savior. Notice that when this woman believed, she went immediately into town to tell others she knew about the Messiah. Often the best time to encourage someone to witness is right after they get saved. In the end, witnessing is simply about doing the work and will of God all the time [Jn 4:34-38] and you don’t want to forget this one of these life lessons.
Conclusion: life lessons are learned sometimes from the most unexpected sources. So, keep your eyes open and remember to be ready to witness any time you meet someone who is ready to talk with you about everlasting life.