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crimsonredemption · 5 years

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Hey! Love your modern!reader stuff! What would you say the gang would work as when they would live in this time? (sorry for my english 🙈, i hope you know what i mean)

Thank you so much! Don’t worry your English is perfect!

Modern!Au Headcanons // TW: None The van der Linde gang and their jobs

I see Arthur working as a curator in a museum, probably one displaying various art pieces. He loves the paintings, the history behind them and the many different ways to interpret their meaning. He’s shy about it though and rarely talks about his job to others; he also only works there maybe three days a week so many people don’t even know he’s in the field. Before giving his first tour through the museum he was a nervous wreck but he soon lost himself in it and there was no stopping him it’s just really cute ok? When he’s not at the museum gushing about artists and paintings, you can find him at his ranch living his best life with the animals he keeps there.

Dutch is a lawyer! I can just perfectly imagine him swaying his way around the courtroom delivering the speech of his life to the judge and the jury. He’s bursting with charisma and has an easy time wrapping others around his finger. It doesn’t always work, of course. But he always has words of encouragement for those he defends. “Have a little faith, will you? We’ll turn this around” his catchphrase is getting on everyone’s nerves but he just won’t stop

Hosea would probably be a teacher, or at least an educator of some sort. That’s a fact and we all know it! I see him in a high school teaching older kids about history and geography? Maybe literature? He’s very interested in his students and makes sure to uplift and encourage them as often as possible. He can be strict and demanding, but not ever cruel which is why he is respected by everyone. Sometimes tells stories of his youth and people are convinced he’s been into some shady business but?? He’ll only ever tell enough to keep them guessing.

Charles runs a wildlife sanctuary! He’s big on the rights of those that can not defend themselves against mankind. He’s got a huge heart and while he’s not the most social person, it’s easy for him to find sponsors and donors. I can totally see him as a veterinary surgeon as well!

Javier works in an urban coffee shop as a barista. He knows his stuff and probably makes the best coffee around town. But in his free time, he likes to sing and perform his own songs, which soon made him somewhat Instagram famous his looks probably also helped and while he loves the many opportunities this brings, he’s the happiest when he can sing to his loved ones in private.

Sean, I said it before and I’ll say it again, is that guy working part-time at Subway while he’s in college. He’s the guy to take your order and tell you how goddamn awful your choice of meat toppings and sauce is “Oyy here we go again with the fuckin Tuna and honey mustard?? Are ya’ll even tryin’?? What kind of sick ole’ bastard only wants pickles on his salami sub???” But he’s a nice guy after all and gives away cookies for free if you’re nice to him, fuck company rules.

It took John a long time to find his calling. After years of drifting from job to job he had to take a good long look at his life so far and he decided that what he really enjoyed most was helping people, sometimes complete strangers. He becomes a social worker, maybe even doing some street work. He may not be the most social person around but he’s kind and dedicated, and most importantly never judges a book by its cover. He knows that there is always more to someone than meets the eye.

After working as a nurse for a few years, Abigail decides to go to med school to become a doctor. It demands a lot of time and dedication but fortunately, she can count on her family and friends to help her out. She hesitates at first knowing that she won’t have as much time for Jack as before, but her mind is put to rest when she sees how John and Jack are bonding more than ever now that he spends more time with his son.

Pearson owns his own catering company. He started as a chef in a small restaurant located in his hometown when people started hiring the restaurant to cater to social happenings. He soon realized that being on the road, while also being a chef and getting to cook to his heart's content was the best of both worlds!

Lenny, like Sean, is also still enrolled in college and works part-time as a lifeguard at the local public swimming pool or at the beach depending on where he lives. He’s fun but also enjoys being responsible, a perfect combination to teach little kids how to swim!

I can totally see Tilly as a real estate agent! She’s kind and opinionated and really knows her way about business and salesmanship. She’s an honest soul as well, there’s no way she would try to sell you a shit home for the price of a mansion by disguising its flaws! She’ll probably be like “Yeah it might be haunted but you and I both know your budget...sooo get used to it”

Karen works in PR (Public Relations) for a major company. She’s very social and has an easy time making friends and new acquaintances, which comes in handy! She can also hold her liquor, a nice trait to have when you gotta be on a lot of company parties and outings.

Mary-Beth works part-time in a Library surrounded by what she loves most - books! She plans and organizes book fairs and festivals especially aimed at kids to get them into reading, something she’s really passionate about. In her free-time, she tries herself as an author but yet still has to send a manuscript out.

I love the idea of Sadie as a firefighter. She’s a total badass who has a heart of gold, always ready to help in any way she can. It’s a tough and dangerous job but she’s more than willing to put herself in danger if it means saving the lives of innocent people. She can be rough, sure, but working in a field that’s predominantly male it’s a trait that has helped her more than once. She was met with the usual demeanor, but they soon found out that she’s not one to mess with.

Strauss works in a bank, a big one that is. It’s a well-paying job and he’s content with his life choices so far, but sometimes he thinks about all the people he met that have been at their absolute worst and while he sometimes really did want to help them, he couldn’t. It keeps him awake at night occasionally.

Kieran works with horses, you can’t convince me otherwise. Maybe he has a little ranch that doubles as a hotel, where he offers to teach people how to ride horses? The ranch would be way off in the middle of nowhere, but it’s perfect for those who want a fresh breath of air or to just get away from the city for a little while.

Micah earns his money with little acting gigs and voice acting. He makes more money with the voice acting though, which he doesn’t like all too much. He’d rather score a role in a big movie and become famous but for now, he’ll have to roll with the small parts he’s given.

Reverend Swanson would still be a Reverend I suppose?

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #rdr2 headcanons #my writing #hnnnggg #Arthur would probably meet his s/o at the museum too???#how cute would that be though #arthur morgan #charles smith #javier escuella #dutch van der linde #john marston #sean macguire #rev swanson #karen jones #mary beth gaskill #tilly jackson

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angelarthurmorgan · 5 years

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❛ protector | when you’re taken for months at a time, things change. but there’s only one man that you can trust.

❛ warnings: physical fight, blood

❛ genre: angst, fluff

❛ word count: 2.6k

You were a girl who could handle herself, somebody that wasn’t afraid to be independent. You had many positive aspects of your personality, and many admired those traits; you were strong-willed, bold, independent, confident, and always prepared for the worst.

But, every human-being has their positive and negative traits. Even though you were somebody many others looked up to or tried to be, you had traits that made you not so good. Hot-headed, jumping into things without thinking things through, you sometimes cared too deeply for the wrong people.

Although you acted as if you didn’t need anybody to lean on, Arthur Morgan could see right through it. He understood that you wanted to do things alone and prove your own worth, and he let you, but he was always there to step in when you overstepped your boundaries. Most of the time, you would throw fits and spew insults and curses right his way, saying that he didn’t trust you enough to be alone and do things on your own, but deep down the both of you knew it was for your safety.

That was something you despised about yourself; you’d get frustrated and beyond pissed when people tried to protect you and keep you out of harm’s way. The self-hate you had for yourself only grew stronger when you realized you had adapted the trait of not being able to trust anybody anymore, not even the men and women you had called a family. It was hard to speak to them, even to look in their direction as it only triggered harsh moments you didn’t want to relive.

You tried not to dwell on the past and what had happened to you, but sometimes it was hard not to at least think about it, especially since every damn time you saw one of your gang members it just flooded back into your head. It was tough on you, it was tough on everybody else and especially Arthur.

A part of you thought that Arthur carried the guilt ten times more than the others carried. After you had been taken and had been gone for around a month, he must’ve felt partly responsible, even though it truly wasn’t his fault. You never blamed him for the position you were put in, maybe the others slightly, but you could never bring yourself to put anything on Arthur. You knew he was struggling with his own past, and struggling to even get through what was happening currently, and he only continued to carry every bad thing that had happened to him on his back. Arthur wasn’t and isn’t the type of man to just let those type of things go, and you knew he blamed himself for all of it.

A heavy sigh escaped your lips as you looked at the body length mirror in front of you, tears welling in your eyes as you observed your entire appearance. Small scars had been engraved in your rosy cheeks, burn scars were around your wrist and on your stomach, cuts that still hadn’t healed were scattered everywhere on your skin. The bruises had faded, but you could only imagine the blue-purple marks as you stared at yourself. It was hard for you to let go, especially when you were reminded of it just by seeing your own skin.

Usually, when you were upset before you disappeared, any of the guys would check up on you. John, when he truly felt the need to, he’d approach you and do his best to be as kind as possible when confronting you but it was difficult for him, but you appreciated it and talked to him sometimes. Javier, someone you had bonded with when you had spare time in camp; you always sang songs with him, attempted to play the guitar which always ended in laughs and giggles, you even tried to learn a few phrases in Spanish just to get closer to him. He’d usually know when something was up, so he’d do his best to comfort you. Lenny, the boy that was like your younger brother, someone who knew exactly when you were having a bad day and he would always talk to you and try to brighten it with jokes or drinks, always a fun person to spend your time with. Dutch, someone who didn’t think much of your state until he realized deep down that everything wasn’t alright, and being the fatherly figure he was he would question you, trying to be as gentle and sweet as possible as you were like one of his daughters. Hosea, who was similar to Dutch in a sense, but noticed it much more quickly and would approach the situation much more gentle and caring, using his wiseness to help you out through whatever you were struggling with. Charles, he spent some of his spare time with you, the two of you would go hunting together and talk about your past lives, he was always so humble and calm you had grown to admire him. He usually was there for you and would let you know he knows what’s up. Even Uncle and Bill would sometimes converse with you about your issues, and they weren’t quite as helpful, but the support was all the mattered — but now when they even noticed that something was wrong, you’d turn them away, leaving them worried and concerned.

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss the relationship you had with them, as most of them were like brothers or fathers, but you couldn’t bear to even be in a five-foot radius of them. After what they did to you, you couldn’t possibly forgive them. Some of them, like Dutch and John, didn’t seem to get the message about staying away, and that’s when the only man you trusted had to step in. Once you had told Arthur only a little of your story, he made a vow to himself that he’d protect you. He was protective before, but now if one little thing triggered you in a bad way he would be right there to get whatever it was away and spend the rest of his time with you until he made sure you were okay.

Loud yelling could be heard outside your cot in the camp, and you couldn’t help but listen in on it. Acting as if you weren’t eavesdropping, you crawled into your bed and buried yourself in the covers, pretending you were sleeping. It would be believable since all you did was lay in your bed when you didn’t want to deal with any of the camp members, especially since mentally you weren’t strong enough to even leave the camp.

“She really has the audacity to ignore us? It’s not like she can do it for fucking ever! Shit happens, that’s what happens when you run with a god damned gang with people constantly up your ass. We’re always there for each other, she needs to be there for us as well. Whether it be hunting, donating camp funds, whatever the case.”

That voice belonged to no one other than a hot-headed John Marston, who must’ve been angry about a whole ordeal, and seeing you must’ve frustrated him even more greatly.

You narrowed your eyes, clenching your fist and digging your fingernails in the palm of your hand, leaving some deeper marks than you wanted. Anger engulfed your whole being as you hopped right out of the bed, stalking over to where John was standing. Many other members observed from afar, knowing not to get between something so heated. You felt your chest grow heavy as you looked John directly in the eyes for the first time in forever; your intense stare could’ve burnt a hole right between his eyes. Without even exchanging any words, your fist flew right to his face as he stumbled backward in shock. You took this opportunity to leap at him before straddling him and holding him down, your fist meeting his face repeatedly as you punched with all your strength. “You fucking left me to die! You fucking deserve this, all of you fucking deserve this.”

In a matter of seconds, you felt someone roughly grab you by your shoulders, ripping you off of John instantly. “(Name), calm down and breathe. Look what you did.” It was a familiar voice, a voice you knew all too well; it was Arthur’s and you couldn’t help but listen to him. Hesitantly, you rose to your feet and there it was. There you saw his bloodied face, scratches and bruises on the right side of his face. Once you saw the aftermath, you couldn’t help but feel regret and sorry, but you refused to show that you cared for somebody that didn’t give two shits about you.

Arthur leaned close to your ear, his voice barely above a whisper. “I think it’s best ya go to your cot, I’ll take it from here, alright?”

You gulped. Half of you wanted to protest, argue that you had the right to fuck John up, he had it coming when he felt the need to badmouth you to the entire camp. Yet, the other half of you wanted to give into Arthur’s request, not only because you trusted him but because you were slowly falling in love with the only person that actually gave a damn. You turned heel and slowly walked back to your camp, but not without shooting a few dirty looks in John’s direction. Fucking asshole.

An angry Arthur was something nobody wanted to deal with, but now everybody was paying the consequences after the stunt both you and John had pulled. Arthur stalked over towards John and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him onto his feet, their eyes both narrowed. “I don’t know what the hell was going through your damned head, those wolves ate all of your god damn brains and common sense. You left her when she needed ya the most, you all left her when she needed ya most.”

“You wouldn’t have done anything differently if you were in the situation like the rest of us were. Maybe you should have been there, Arthur.”

Arthur held back the urge to punch John square in the jaw when he was in such a vulnerable position. It would’ve felt so nice, teaching him some type of lesson, but he didn’t. “You damn well I’d risk my life for that girl, unlike you cowards. I’d protect her with everything I had. I’d be the men you couldn’t and can’t be. Hell, you probably wouldn’t even save Abigail and your son if your life depended on it.”

John opened his mouth to spit back an insult, a remark, but Arthur quickly cut him off.

“I ain’t gonna fight you, Marston. Just know that none of y’all have any place to say shit, because y’all made her this way and she needs support from her family, not some damned people who are gonna knock her down a couple more pegs when she’s already low enough. If y’all ever hurt her again, I promise you there will be consequences.” Arthur threatened, his voice dangerously low as he refrained from lashing out on everybody and John specifically. He dropped John to the dirt ground with no hesitation before leaving the scene, heading towards where you currently were.

Once he entered your small cot, he noticed you were sitting there with your head in your hands. Your right fist was covered in blood, and he wasn’t quite sure if it was John’s or yours. “L-look at me Arthur, I’m a mess. What he said was somewhat true, I’m useless. How am I gonna be in a gang if I can’t even leave the camp, or pick up a gun and shoot a couple guys?”

Arthur hushed you by bringing his finger up to your lips, wiping away a couple tears with the thumb of his opposite hand. “Nothing that came out of that idiot’s mouth is true; he’s just angry and hurt. Just like you are, (Name). You’re like a sister to him, a sister to the rest of ‘em and a daughter to Dutch and Hosea. One day you’ll be able to trust ‘em again, maybe a little, but for now, you have me and you always will.” Arthur stated, trying to make you understand how the rest of the gang felt.

With nothing else to say, you curled up next to Arthur, resting your head in his lap while he played with your (hair color) locks as a way to calm you and keep himself occupied.

The room was quiet for a while until your hoarse voice broke the silence. “Arthur, I trust you with my whole entire being, I hope ya know that. I mean it.”

Once Arthur processed this information, he only felt guilty. Everyone knew that he beat himself up about his past and about himself, and this was no exception. He was a bad man, he knew it, you knew it, the whole United States knew it and he hated it, and that’s why he felt that this was wrong. “I’m a bad man, (Name). You shouldn’t trust me with nothin’, and you shouldn’t trust me with such a thing, ‘cause if I lose ya it’s gon’ be my fault and I ain’t trying to deal with losin’ somebody I care about again.”

A frown adorned your features as you looked up into his emerald green eyes. You brought your hands up and cupped his cheeks, forcing him to stare straight at you. “When are you gon’ learn that you ain't-a bad man? That you’re just tryin’ to survive, and get through this life and get this country back to what it was ‘sposed to be? Maybe them lawmen think you’re a bad man, but you sure as hell ain’t to me. Look what you just did for me out there, just to protect me and make sure they knew that it wasn’t my fault I’m this way and that is was theirs. I can’t even explain how much of a good man you are to me Arthur, and everyone that doesn’t think so is blind.”

“That’s the most I’ve heard ya say in weeks.” Arthur chuckled, lightening the mood and you shoved him playfully, rolling your eyes. “Thank ya, (Name).” he whispered softly.

“Of course,” you responded before returning back to your previous position, cuddled up with Arthur on your bed.

One day, you would be able to leave this camp and return back to your daily duties. One day, you’d also be able to walk up those who betrayed and look them right in the eyes and smile. One day, you could prove those who thought you were weak wrong. And one day, you would surely get back at those who did those dirty disgusting things to you, but for now, you had somebody to loved and cared for you; and that’s all you needed to get back up on your feet.

Arthur Morgan’s love for you kept you going, kept pushing you forward and you were forever grateful. Even though the two of you had your negatives and issues with each other, you would always come back to him because he’s the reason you were a semi-functioning member of society currently.

Words couldn’t explain your thanks, but you knew he knew, and that was enough for you. All you needed was Arthur Morgan.

That’s all you needed and would ever need.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption #arthur morgan #john marston #hosea matthews #javier escuella #charles smith #arthur morgan x reader #x reader #fan fiction #reader insert #fanfic #rdr2 x reader #read dead redemption 2 x reader #red dead redemption 2 #fluff #angst #dutch van der linde #dutch van der linde gang

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pastorcowboy · 6 years

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The making of a christian

Matthew 11: what we see in Christ

In some ways, I feel that Matthew 11:7 is Christianity in a nutshell. “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind”? I feel it’s ironic and intentional that wilderness is mentioned. Moses found God in the wilderness. Israel was born in the wilderness. John preached in the wilderness, and the crowds came to him in that deserted place. When we read the Bible, what are we looking for: redemption, answers, salvation or something else. Matthew seems to be planned out like a book or movie. Did Matthew have this all organized and laid out before he recorded it? Or, as he wrote, did he see the ministry life of Jesus playing itself out in those three years. Did Moses, the Prophets, and Jesus ministry suddenly come crashing together in a violent revelation: who are we looking for in religion? What are you seeking in religion?

Matthew 11:2 “When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Exodus 3:13 “Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

At the end of verse 19 Jesus says “yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” I find this astounding. I looked up all the wisdom mentions in the Old Testament (there are a ton). It’s not surprising to me that Jesus made a quote like this. Wisdom played a huge role in historical teaching and in the landscape of modern Rome. Greek philosophy was as big as political correctness is big in this era. Some manuscripts have deeds replaced with children. I think children is even more astounding. If God would have a child, would that child vindicate God and his character? Matthew 21 has a parable that says “Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said”. Matthew is written very smartly. The question remains “who are we looking for”? There is another concept in the Bible called the refiners fire. The point was to see perfection when the impurities are smelted out. Does God see Jesus in you?

Matthew 11:11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Exodus 3:12 “God answered, “I will be with you, and when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will worship me on this mountain. That will be the proof that I have sent you.”

The question has been for over 2000 years “Is Jesus the son of God.” In a manner of speaking John, the Baptist was asking the same thing. John was expecting a ruler that would crush the Romans, they all were. They heard the teachings and they had witnessed the miracles, but they wanted to get to the good stuff. They wanted the Christ to take over. Jesus reply to John is a reply to us as well. Who are you looking for. Is what you hear and see good enough or do you want more. Maybe Matthew is asking us to reevaluate how we look at the kingdom of God. Verse 12 is the lynch pin “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” The kingdom has received violence but it does not act by violence to achieve its goal. Far too often we expect God to act in ungodly ways to achieve our hearts desires.

Matthew 11:25 “At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.”

John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”

Read Matthew 11 and John 14 this week.

1. Matthew 11:1-15 is a stern warning to those who say they believe. Why are you here? I read a book called The Time Machine by H.G Wells. He built the machine to prove a point that humans will eventually find peace. He called it utopia. He traveled far into the future to see humans in their glory. What he found was the same old same old. Are you seeking peace? Is Jesus the answer as long as he provides? There are two things I want to point out. One is that Jesus did amazing things. Miracles don’t grow on trees. Yet, we seem blind because we are looking for something different. Did you know that the kingdom of God should imprint on you and not the other way around? Secondly, Jesus makes a point of saying we might be following soft robes in royal palaces. Are we impressed by glitz and glamour? The fake leaders will give you plenty. The kingdom will give you none of that on earth. The treasure and majesty are in heaven.

Matthew 11:15 “let anyone with ears listen.”

Job 19:6 “then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me.”

2. Matthew 11:16-24 is scary stuff. The kiss principle is so prevalent in the kingdom of God. Keep it simple stupid. Jesus says this generation is like “children saying.” I feel that is a shot at people. We hear the simple stuff but never react. We should dance, morn, or laugh, but we always have our intentions and minds on other things. J Vernon McGee says we need the board of education applied to the seat of knowledge. Sometimes we need a swift kick because we are in our own world. I think Jesus uses Sodom and Gomorrah because they were the worst. I also believe he used it because they were consumed with themselves. Has the kingdom been playing a song and a role in your life all along and you have ignored the whole tune?

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

Judges 16:20 “Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.”

3. Matthew 11:25-27 again begins with the use or the word infants. Adults think far too much. I was astounded at university that the more I learned the more I realized how stupid I was. There is always more to know. Jesus says wisdom is hidden from the wise and revealed to the infants. The wise are so because they think they are. Saying you have arrived is a very dangerous thing. A true Christian will always be seeking, learning, and growing. Why is there eternity? I believe it’s because the depths of God would take more than a lifetime to discover. It seems I’m pounding the same drum but this chapter is screaming it. Why are you a here as a Christian?

As a side note, we have verses 26-27. They are so important to Christian theology. Did we create theology? How do we know that Jesus is the son of God? I suppose it could be the miracles or his resurrection. Yet, the word of God tells us plainly. Jesus says he is in the father and the father is in him. Our definition of the trinity is formed through verses like these. In John 14 Jesus repeats much of what he said in Matthew 11. However, Jesus adds that God and Jesus will send the Spirit to be within us. We don’t get the word trilogy in the Bible but Jesus teaches trilogy of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Matthew 11:27 “All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

John 14:15-17 ““If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.”

4. The last part of this chapter is really good. To hear about the kingdom is tough listening. The talk of Jesus dying and sin is a heavy topic. To have people persecute you because you say you are Christian is a tough place. Yes, we claim to love God, but down here on earth is hell at times. The world is awful. It’s really hard to live Holy in an unholy world. I find it also really hard to believe that some claim to be pure down here. I’m not so sure it is possible. Yet, Jesus said the best man John was accused of being impure. He shows us that good guys like Peter will fall. Even Jesus was accused of acting unholy several times. What we see in Christ is perfection. Jesus tried to tell the people it was not about showing holiness or perfection. It was about earnestly coming to the Lord as children eager to learn. To living simple lives that are devoted to helping this world rather than hindering it. The expectations of people are far too high. That goes for our expectations too.

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Hosea 6:6 “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”

What it all means?

There are several religions. There are several denominations within these religions. How can different Muslim, Jewish, and Christian denominations be the right one? I feel each one is voices. One says my view is the most important. Another retorts that their way is correct. They all say one God, but all interpret that God differently. It’s a confusing mess. Matthew 11 is asking us to remember why we’re here. Interpretation is best left to God alone. The reason we go down denominational rabbit trails is our pride. We have to be valuable and right.

Matthew 11 points to the simple answers. The children receive simple instructions and treat them at face value. Adults want to dissect, analyze, and interpret. How can I say this plainly? The kingdom of God is not about us. It is for us but not about us. It’s Gods heaven not our utopia. It’s Gods instructions and word. His meaning not ours. Far too often we say “come to our church.” People boast this version of the Bible is right. This denomination is the true church. We have made Christian living about us.

What it all means is children. That has always been the key. Children grow. They learn. They are disciplined. Children want to be wowed. They want to be taken care of. Adults think they know and they think they can take care of themselves. Matthew 11 is trying to slowly move us forward. Now you know. Now you have heard. What will we do with what has been given? Will we box it, sell, it, market it? Luke 19 has a parable of the gold coin. What you do with what is given is important. I think most of the time we forget that the most important part is that the coin was given. It’s not about us.

Matthew 11:25 “At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.”

Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”

#matthew #bible #Christianity #jesus god #life

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