Marilyn's Mussings

The Toddler Challenge has been all over social media and even showed up on some news programs. A mother sits her toddler at the table with a cookie or a bowl of candy and tells the child not to eat it until she returns. She leaves for a short time and keeps the camera rolling. This results in so many cute pictures of precious, though not always innocent toddlers. My favorites are those in which the child licks his lips, or smells the treat, or just excitedly holds his hands back in anticipation. But the one that made me laugh the hardest was the little fellow who popped a piece of the candy in his mouth and chewed fast, while full body dancing. He then calmly sat down to wait for his mom, the picture of innocence. The Toddler Challenge is interesting, funny and sweet, as well as a great open door for teaching. Our response to "challenges" are not usually interesting, funny or sweet, but God always intends they be an open door for Him to teach us. He sets us up wi...

It has always bothered me when people have said that Jesus was tempted so He would know what it feels like for us, and help us. That doesn't make sense to me. Because Jesus is God, He would have known that before He ever came to the earth. So was it that He was tempted so that we would know that He knows? Or is it simply part of Him being fully man?  Then Hebrews 2:18 tells us that because Jesus "suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Why did Jesus suffer when tempted and how does that help us? Obedience is not always easy and we are faced with the temptation to not obey every day. Just making those decisions can be painful and choosing to obey even more painful. We don't always stand up to temptation very well. Sometimes we do okay but other times we don't suffer at all as we choose to disobey.  But Jesus learned obedience when tempted and it was painful. While He never sinned, as a man He was susceptible to sin.  Suf...

Barabbas was a really bad guy. Mark 15:7 says he was "among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder."  Jesus, on the other hand, was the Son of God and the only one who has ever lived a perfect life. Jesus's mother was Mary, but Jesus's Father was God Himself. Mary was a virgin when the Holy Spirit put Jesus inside her womb. As an adult Jesus taught, healed the sick, miraculously fed thousands and even raised the dead. People got really excited about all that He was doing and began to gather in large crowds around Him. But then things changed. One week they were waving palm branches and praising Him as he entered town, the next week they wanted Him killed. An angry mob had Him arrested and beaten. Ultimately they would nail His hands and feet to a cross and leave Him hanging there until He died. But the best part is that three days later He conquered death and rose from the grave, never to die again! In so doing He made a path to eternal life for us. W...

The first temptation that resulted in the first sin has had an effect on all mankind since Adam and Eve. The serpent told Eve that she would not die if she ate the fruit of the tree that God had forbidden, but that she would be "like God." (Genesis 3) I have had a hard time relating to that exactly. I think we are like God in that we are made in His image, and that's huge! So why was that a temptation to Eve, and how does my sin say that I want to be like God? It was in fact a temptation to Eve and she succumbed to it. She looked at that tree and saw that it was good for food , and a delight to the eyes , took the fruit and ate it! (Genesis 3:6) But wait, God had filled the earth, and specifically the Garden of Eden with oh so many trees and plants that were  pleasant to the sight and good for food . "You shall have them for food" He said. All except one.  (Genesis 1:29-30, 2:9,16-17) So why was that a temptation to Eve? What she wanted God had alrea...