Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.  News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.  Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.   (Matthew 4:23-25)

Are the large crowds due to who Jesus was and what his teaching was, or due only to the benefits they are getting?  Jesus ended up crucified as a criminal on the cross. Where were they when Jesus was crucified?

Should I worry about whether I love Jesus for Jesus and whether I will love him for himself when the going gets tough? There are many great things Jesus has given to me.  Having a good wife, a pleasant home, good times running, nice food and a pint of beer, fellowship meetings I love, and more. Yet he tells me that I should love him more than any of these good things.

Should I worry about whether my love for Jesus would fade out if I lost the good things in life that I enjoy?

Did you ever mix colors to dye Easter eggs? Yellow dye for yellow eggs. Blue dye for blue eggs.   Now to get my green eggs I mix the yellow and blue dyes. But once I have the green egg dye, can I separate the blue and the yellow back out? No way.

In the same way, how much I am a Christian for my love of Jesus and how much for what I get from him is a mix that can’t be separated. But I don’t think I need to obsess over it. Because as I continue to seek Jesus, there is one thing I can hold onto as true with confidence.

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1 :6)

What a relief! It’s not mainly up to me to complete it.  Since the Holy Spirit began a work in my heart, I know that He never gives up until it is completed. This is my confidence.

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