Iron Rose Sister Ministries

ritten by Sabrina Campos, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Memphis, TN

We’ve read and studied many stories in the Bible about Jesus’ relationship with the teachers of the law. We insert ourselves in the story, most often identifying ourselves with the Pharisees and Sadducees. And often judging them.

I used to judge them a lot when I was a kid. I could not believe the audacity of some of those teachers. Trying to be tricky, always prideful, and arrogant. At the end of every story, I would think to myself: I bet this person never repented from being this way. 

It's interesting how God can use the same story a bunch of different times to teach us different lessons over the course of our lives. One of those stories we read time and time again is found in Luke 10:25-37, The Parable of the Good Samaritan:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

What incredible patience Jesus had!

If I was allowed to answer what I wanted, I probably would have said: “What do you think? Aren’t you the “teacher of the law?” I thought you were supposed to know this already.”

But Jesus not only shows patience, but also love and interest. 

In our relationships, we think we have all the answers. And if we ever feel like we are being trapped by a question we either decide to fight or flight. But Jesus, who has all the answers, provides a third option: engage. 

He ignites the spark of interest, knowing that the expert in the law would know the answer to this question well. He engages him by making him talk about the subject he loves most in the world: the law! 

Jesus sees a human, a flawed, lost soul. He sees past the exterior of a man who might be prideful and arrogant.

And He also affirms: 

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

And when the teacher of the law doesn’t understand and tries to justify himself, Jesus doesn’t give up. He gives an example, because He knows sometimes, we need visuals.

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

We’ll never know if the teacher of the law really “went and did likewise.” But we can learn a lot from the way Jesus taught and created an honest relationship with the teacher.

Jesus doesn’t judge the questions; He shows great patience, love, and interest. He sees past the exterior. He engages. He affirms. And ultimately, He understands that sometimes we just don’t understand. And so, He takes us by the hand and shows us examples. Like a big brother showing his younger sibling how to act by being himself a perfect example.

Relationships are hard, because we are always expecting something. We expect others to affirm us and love us, to repent and change. We expect them to be our neighbors.

But Jesus says: “Go and do likewise.” You be the neighbor; the example. You will show patience, love, affirmation, because I did that for you. You will explain things a million times, if necessary, because I do that for you. You will take their hand and walk with them, because I will do that with you ‘til the end of time.

Go and do likewise.

How do you picture Jesus? A baby in the manger? Crucified on the cross? Absent from the tomb? Dwelling in your heart?

How do you think Mary pictured Jesus?

We know that Mary treasured all these things in her heart as Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and men.

When Mary saw Jesus turn the water to wine in Cana, did she see him as the Christ, or as the little boy who ate and drank from her table?

When Jesus healed the sick, did she think back to the times when his brothers and sisters were sick at home?

We see Mary appear at various times during Jesus’ ministry. She seems to be a dedicated follower, but I wonder how much she knew about the child she had carried in her womb.

A recent reflection on the account in Luke 1 and her song of praise provided me with a new perspective—one that affirms why she was chosen to carry the Christ child.

When the angel first appeared to Zechariah, he responds with doubt, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years” (Luke 1:18). However Mary’s response, while one of surprise, questions the angel with a different spirit, “How can this be?” She doesn’t ask whether or not it is possible. She does not respond with doubt, but with belief and a request for clarification.

Then, her response immediately transitions to one of submission—humble acceptance of what God has called her to.

If I were Mary, I would’ve had a million questions: What if Joseph won’t marry me? What if others don’t believe me and I am stoned? Why me? How can I be sure? You’ve been silent for 400 years…

Yet she did not respond in any of those ways. How did she respond? In praise.

Luke 1:46-55 is the text of her song and prayer in praise.

Do you know what Magnificat means? “My soul glorifies or magnifies the Lord.” Magnifies: makes bigger (like a magnifying glass). Mary recognizes immediately that it is not about her. It’s all about God. She is only a vessel.

In her prayerful song, Mary thanks God and praises his name, recognizing his character and his actions. That’s it.

If that had been my song, I would’ve included some requests—that is most often the focus of my prayers.

Today, as I think of Jesus’ initial entry into the world, I am inspired by Mary’s example of humble submission, and of praise. No doubts. No requests. No self-glorification. My soul magnifies the Lord.

How can your life be a magnificat today?

My favorite story of Jesus is the way in which He touched the life of the woman who had suffered from an issue of blood. He healed her because He saw her—not her illness, not her uncleanliness, but rather her value in the kingdom.
Jesus did this often. He saw people in ways that no one else could or would. His own disciples chastised Him when he invited the little children to come to Him. They didn’t understand why He was talking with a Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.
Yet people were drawn to the Living Water with a thirst to be seen for who they truly were, warts and all.
The marginalized were recognized for the first time. The downtrodden were lifted up. Because Jesus offers redemption, not condemnation. He invites us to repentance instead of rejection.
Who else would be proud to have Rahab, the prostitute, and Ruth, the Moabite, in his genealogy?
I am not going to get into any sort of feminist debate or promote any sort of egalitarian ideals. However, I want us to highlight and appreciate how Jesus saw and treated women.

Yesterday, we saw the way in which Jesus touched the life of the woman who had suffered from an issue of blood. He healed her because he saw her—not her illness, not her uncleanliness, but rather her value in the kingdom.

Jesus did this often. He saw people in ways that no one else could or would. His own disciples chastised him when he invited the little children to come to him. They didn’t understand why he was talking with a Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.

Yet people were drawn to the Living Water with a thirst to be seen for who they truly were, warts and all.

The marginalized were recognized for the first time. The downtrodden were lifted up. Because Jesus offers redemption, not condemnation. He invites us to repentance instead of rejection.

Who else would be proud to have Rahab, the prostitute, and Ruth, the Moabite, in his genealogy?

I am not going to get into any sort of feminist debate or promote any sort of egalitarian ideals. However, I want us to highlight and appreciate how Jesus saw and treated women.

The Samaritan woman asked Jesus, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9)

Jesus proceeds to offer himself as Living Water and reveals a truth to her that others have not dared to ask or understand, as of yet: the meaning of true worship.

God, in the flesh, offers one of his first explanations and invitations of worship to a foreign woman. Take a moment and let that sink in for a second…

And now let’s make it personal: Jesus sees you, values you, and offers himself as Living Water. He invites you to worship, in spirit and in truth, and to share that invitation with others, just as the Samaritan woman did.

Do you see how the Samaritan woman reacts (John 4:28-30)? What caused the greatest impact in her life? The vulnerability of her sin that he exposed? No. If it were just the revelation of her sin, would she have gone into the town to share with those she had initially avoided by going to draw water in the midday heat?

Rather, she had tasted of the Living Water. She had met the Messiah and wanted all who thirsted to be able to drink.

Jesus saw her for who she was, not for what she had done, and invited her to have access to the Father—to worship him. And she, impacted by her interaction with the Christ, could not help by share her testimony with others.

Do you think Jesus had a thorn he wanted to remove? I don’t know if He used anyone as an accountability partner other than His heavenly Father. But we do know that He bloomed during His time here on earth.
Considering the life of Jesus, we are going to use the Common Threads in order to learn from His example and put His teachings into practice.
Don’t forget to share them with another Iron Rose Sister so that you can pray for one another in these areas.

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58)
Neither Jesus nor the translators of the book of John have a lapse in grammatical clarity in John 8. The Jews conversing with Him at the time react in full acknowledgement of His claim in the moment—equality with the great I AM.
When God freed the Israelites from Pharaoh’s rule in Egypt, who did He tell Moses to say had sent him to save them?
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Ex. 3:14)

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”(John 8:58)

Neither Jesus nor the translators of the book of John have a lapse in grammatical clarity in John 8. The Jews conversing with him at the time react in full acknowledgement of his claim in that moment—equality with the great I AM.

When God freed the Israelites from Pharaoh’s rule in Egypt, who did he tell Moses to say had sent him to save them?

God said to Moses, “IAM WHOIAM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘IAM has sent me to you.’” (Ex. 3:14)

For the Jews in Jesus’ day, his words reeked of blasphemy, but we know them to be a true and faithful declaration of Jesus’ identity as God in the flesh, who came and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

While living as a human on earth, John records seven times in which Jesus makes a descriptive declaration of his divine nature—who he is as the great I AM.

Which I AM description of Jesus do you need to be reminded of today?

• I AM the bread of life, John 6:35
• I AM the light of the world, John 8:12
• I AM the gate for the sheep, John 10:7
• I AM the Good Shepherd, John 10:11
• I AM the resurrection and the life, John 11:23
• I AM the way, the truth, and the life, John 14:6
• I AM the true vine, John 15:1

Written by Ann Thiede, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

Every day that Jesus lived on earth, for about thirty-three years, He chose not to sin. He could have, this One who was fully man and fully God. As the writer of Hebrews says,

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin” (Heb. 4:15)

We all know the powerful pull of the flesh to be drawn into sin, whether in our minds, words, or actions. So how did Jesus do it, day after day? The following scriptures hold a key. Paul speaks of Jesus in Colossians: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17)

And then the Father asked His Son, in our desperate need, to enter this world as Philippians 2:6-8 beautifully states:

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

There is no doubt Jesus’ relationship with God in the spiritual realm built a strong foundation of love and trust that was essential when He became man. May you find some treasures that not only helped Jesus but may also help you draw closer to Father God and farther from the pull of sin.

We hear the first words from Jesus as a twelve-year-old when His parents found Him in Jerusalem’s Temple, astonishing the rabbis with His questions, answers and understanding. He said,

“Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I mustbe about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49)

Early in His ministry around the age of thirty, Jesus called others to follow Him, that they might be with Him, learn from Him, and see Him in action. Was this God’s business, calling followers? A resounding yes! Jesus was with God when He called Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), Moses and prophets such as Isaiah, to name a few. All received God’s call in different ways but were obedient, going where He called them to go even if they weren’t sure of the way, or the way was hard and full of challenges. A beautiful thing happened when Jesus said to Philip, “Follow Me” (John 1:43, NIV). Philip found Nathaniel in the same manner that Andrew had found his brother, Simon Peter, and brought him to Jesus. They had to share with someone; it was impossible to keep Jesus to themselves.

For Jesus, being about the Father’s business involved complete dependency on God, going where the Father wanted Him to go, doing what the Father wanted Him to do with a submissive heart. I love what He says in John 5:19-20a,

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does.”

Jesus and God had an amazing love relationship before time began; the relationship needed nurturing when Jesus walked this earth, going about His Father’s business: opening hearts of men and women through His teachings, calling others to follow Him who in turn called others to follow Jesus, and praying often to His Father with humility and submission. His ultimate obedience? The cross. His reward? Resurrection and a glorious reunion with God!

How can you nurture your relationship with God and be about His business?

How do you picture Jesus? A baby in the manger? Crucified on the cross? Absent from the tomb? Dwelling in your heart?
How do you think Mary pictured Jesus?
We know that Mary treasured all these things in her heart as Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and men.
When Mary saw Jesus turn the water to wine in Cana, did she see Him as the Christ, or as the little boy who ate and drank from her table?
When Jesus healed the sick, did she think back to the times when His brothers and sisters were sick at home?
We see Mary appear at various times during Jesus’ ministry. She seems to be a dedicated follower, but I wonder how much she knew about the child she had carried in her womb.
A recent reflection on the account in Luke 1 and her song of praise provided me with a new perspective—one that affirms why she was chosen to carry the Christ child.
When the angel first appeared to Zechariah, he responds with doubt, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years” (Luke 1:18). However Mary’s response, while one of surprise, questions the angel with a different spirit, “How can this be?” She doesn’t ask whether or not it is possible. She does not respond with doubt, but with belief and a request for clarification.
Then, her response immediately transitions to one of submission—humble acceptance of what God has called her to.
If I were Mary, I would’ve had a million questions: What if Joseph won’t marry me? What if others don’t believe me and I am stoned? Why me? How can I be sure? You’ve been silent for 400 years...

Written by Corina Díaz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Argentina

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matt. 6:6)

Throughout my Christian life, I have experienced different stages in my connection with Jesus, determined by the way in which I have practiced prayer.

During the first years, I learned to repeat prayers and the structure in which one should pray (call on Him – thanks – requests – blessing/praise). This gave me the foundation to practice what, years later, I came to know as Lectio Divina or contemplative prayer/reading—a deep search for silence. For me, silence is the perfect opportunity to listen to the Father and speak to Jesus from the depth of my heart.

First step, Lectio (reading): understand the Word (its literal meaning), responding to the question, what does the text say? It is important to contextualize through the following approaches: literary (word analysis), historical (sociocultural, economic, political, and religious situation), and theological (what God says).

Second step, Meditatio (meditation): receive the Word, what does the text say? We enter into an intimate dialogue with God through a series of questions that question our reality, and that help us to discover a message for life.

Third step, Oratio (prayer): respond to the Word, what does the text lead me to say to God? We respond in prayer, moved by the Holy Spirit.

And the fourth step, Contemplatio (contemplation/action): inspire life in the Word, to what conversion and action is the Lord inviting us? We receive what is discovered through dialogue with God, and the good news is that He sends us to find it with others.

In this final step is where we truly come together in prayer, when we are bathed in silence, and we have heard the voice of the Father to inspire our daily lives.

¡Be still in the presence of the Lord! (Ps. 37:7)

I invite you to practice this exercise through a passage of the Bible, maybe the same text in which Jesus teaches His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:5-15.

The Sermon on the Mount is characterized as the best sermon of all time. Matthew dedicates three chapters to the retelling of the truths Christ clarified to the Jews who had lost the spirit of his Father’s love and intent. “You have heard that it was said, but I tell you...”His teaching style brought new life to what the teachers of the Law had lost sight of.
Jesus dedicates three years to teaching and training the twelve disciples so that they might teach others to teach others, to teach others...
Even at age twelve, Jesus was found in the temple discussing Scripture with the other teachers of the law (Luke 2:46-47).
No matter whom He was with or what He was teaching, the people were amazed at the way in which He spoke. Demons shuddered. Sinners repented. Crowds followed.
“And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22).
What a blessing to sit at the feet of a teacher who truly knew what He was talking about!

In the last verse of his gospel account, John writes, “ Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)

This verse comes to mind as I have prayerfully pondered the focus for this month’s blog posts: Jesus.

There is so much to be said about him! The topics we could choose are infinite.

Therefore, we will use John as inspiration for the purpose of our blogs about Jesus.

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)

And while many of the blog posts will come from John’s gospel since he spends more time describing who Jesus is—even in his sharing the stories of the events that happened—we will also draw from Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s perspectives (which will each be highlighted in tomorrow’s post, so stay tuned!)

What aspect of Jesus do you hope to see highlighted this month?

In the last verse of his gospel account, John writes, “ Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)
This verse comes to mind as I have prayerfully pondered the focus for this month’s blog posts: Jesus.
There is so much to be said about Him! The topics we could choose are infinite.
Therefore, we will use John as inspiration for the purpose of our blogs about Jesus.
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
And while many of the blog posts will come from John’s gospel since he spends more time describing who Jesus is—even in his sharing the stories of the events that happened—we will also draw from Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s perspectives (which will each be highlighted in tomorrow’s post, so stay tuned!)
What aspect of Jesus do you hope to see highlighted this month?

Written by Débora Rodrigo de Racancoj
Have you ever asked yourself how you would have acted if you had lived around Jerusalem while Jesus did? I have, several times. There are so many things in the Gospels that catch my attention about Jesus and the people He encountered!
There must have been something fascinating about the way Jesus spoke and acted. It cannot otherwise be explained why multitudes followed Him, traveling long distances. Desperate sufferers sought to meet Him; sinners did their best to find a suitable place to watch Him just walk by. An encounter with Jesus, even at a distance, had great power. One only had to cross paths with Jesus; touch Him, talk to Him; sometimes, someone simply verbalized a need; miracles happened. What would you have done if it were commented among your neighbors that Jesus was getting close to your city?
When Jesus was on this earth, many had the opportunity to approach Him.
But since He ascended many years ago, we inhabitants of this planet have not had the opportunity to go out and look for Him in bodily form.
However, things have not changed so much since that time. Even today, He can be found among us, in a very similar way as it is told to us in the Gospels. Jesus continues to draw crowds, continues to put peace in hearts, continues to free us from sin and heal from disease.
What would you do if you knew that Jesus would be walking this afternoon in the streets of your city? Are you one of those who would follow Him for miles? Would you look for a tree to climb and watch Him pass, without the crowd bothering you? Would you run to just touch His mantle knowing that in this way you could be free from your affliction?
Open your Bible, search the gospels, watch Jesus walking just a few steps away. He is the same Jesus as before, with the same power, the same characteristics, and is as real as He was so many years ago. Open your mouth and talk to Him, look at Him, follow Him, approach the Master.

Robert Frost wrote a poem about two roads that diverged in a yellow wood. His poem reflects the same principle established by Jesus himself in Matthew 7. Christ encourages taking the narrow or less-traveled path.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matt. 7:13-14)
For Jesus Christ, Messiah, the road He was called to travel was one that only He could walk—the road to redemption.
And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Heb. 10:10-14)
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that allowed us to be redeemed—bought back by His blood.

Yesterday was Palm Sunday.
The smell and color of palm branches welcomed me on my walk to church, as a group descended the mountain and marched toward the Catholic church that Sunday in Caracas.
“Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The Jews welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem and this Venezuelan group of people wanted to reenact that event.
The next day, the remnants of the branches lined the street and the plaza. And I wondered if the memory of that welcome had faded and dried up, like the branches. People trampled the branches as they walked by; possibly unaware of what had occurred the day before... And so I asked myself: have I allowed the sentiment of welcome expressed in the celebratory moments of my life to fade into the background?
Do I welcome Christ on a daily basis?
Hosanna means “adoration, praise or joy.” Admittedly, the welcome of Christ in my life is more out of desperation than rejoicing.
May we welcome Him in celebration as Son of God and Lord of our life!
“Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

This month has been a challenge. When I think of Jesus, so many thoughts come to mind that I struggle to bring them to focus.
At different times in my life, Jesus has meant different things to me. He is living and active, therefore it’s hard to fit Him into a limiting box that only allows Him to show one aspect or another of His character.
Jesus, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Redeemer, Teacher, God’s Son, Example, Friend... some of these descriptions of Jesus we have already touched on through the blogs this month.

This month has been a challenge. When I think of Jesus, so many thoughts come to mind that I struggle to bring them to focus.

At different times in my life, Jesus has meant different things to me. He is living and active, therefore it’s hard to fit him into a limiting box that only allows him to show one aspect or another of his character.

Jesus, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Redeemer, Teacher, God’s Son, Example, Friend… some of these descriptions of Jesus we have already touched on through the blogs this month.

But I want to close this month with a reminder of the difference between thinking about Jesus and spending time with him.

The more time we spend with him, the more in love we fall with him and the easier it is to describe him to others.

Sometimes, with a boyfriend, I made the mistake of doing things for him, but not with him. There´s a difference and it affected our relationship. I don´t want us to make the same mistake with Jesus.

Today, I encourage you to take a moment to simply sit with Jesus. Picture yourself sitting at his feet as Mary did (Luke 10:39), or following him around like the crowds, hanging on his every word. Then ask yourself, “When I think of Jesus…”