Cast Your Bread: Devotional Talks for the Busy Leader

By Warren Ravenscroft

This book is about Christian devotional material and storiessome in depth, most just an easy read.

Challenging to living the Christian calling, it is all about God and not about me.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Nov 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499033885

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Warren Ravenscroft.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

‘Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.’

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 11/26/2014

Xlibris

1-800-455-039

www.Xlibris.com.au

663074

CONTENTS

1. Cast Your Bread

2. Faith or Hope

3. Growing

4. Motives

5. Attached

6. Twelve Days of Christmas

7. Things Aren’t Always What They Seem

8. Alpha and Omega

9. Rededication

10. Inability or Acceptance

11. Judge Not, and You Shall Not Be Judged.

12. Mission Statement

13. Seek Only the Best Gifts

14. I Am the Bread of Life

15. Shall Never Thirst

16. Reflections

17. The Sacrificial Lamb

18. Scars

19. Feed My Lambs

20. Temptations of Jesus, Fasting

21. The Temptations of Jesus

22. At the Hour of Prayer

23. Pentecost (Feast of Weeks)

24. As We Give, So We Get

25. Accept We Become As Little Children

26. David and Goliath

27. Faint Not

28. Why Five Smooth Stones?

29. Five Stones, Why They Work

30. Five Stones, How They Work (Practical Application)

31. Having What You Say

32. Puzzled

33. Being Blessed

34. The Milk Bottle Parable

35. What Will Your Answer Be?

36. Zacchaeus

37. Building Our Lives on Jesus

38. Deceit

39. Storms of Life

40. The Little Pencil in God’s Hands

41. Final Things

42. Relationship

43. Living or Limiting Faith

44. Wisdom and Understanding

45. Wisdom and Understanding 2

46. Death in the Pot

47. The Cutting Edge Lost

48. Gehazi, the Mystery Man

49. A Better Year

50. Be Still

51. Anger, Bitterness, Resentment

52. Remaining Teachable

53. Jonah Disobeys

54. Jonah Obeys, But

55. The Watch

56. Choices Make a Difference to Eternity

57. Choices Make a Difference to Eternity 2

58. A Generous Business Partner

59. The Passover, Betrayal

60. Eyes Opened

61. A Special Set of Laws

62. Slow Down

63. Confrontation

64. All Is Revealed

65. Future Plans

66. Having a Grateful Heart

67. Ready for the Unexpected

68. My Spiritual Family

69. Equipped for Life

70. This Is My Life (Why ‘my spiritual Family’ and ‘choices’ blend)

71. Do Not Be Deceived

72. Beware of the Kookaburra

73. Shining Lights

74. Remaining Faithful

75. Shout Out

76. Body Art

77. Life Is a Journey

78. The Eleventh Commandment

79. Time

80. Covered for Life

81. The Hospital Room

82. New Spiritual Heights

83. Mercy

84. Where Are My Children?

85. What We Are Matters

86. What We Eat Matters

87. Lukewarmness

88. Lukewarmness 2

89. Love Your God

90. Today

91. Spiritually Afloat

92. It’s All about Trust. Trust Me

93. I Will Guide You

94. The Old Corps

95. A Most Precious Gift

96. Foundations

97. The Sower

98. The Wheat and the Tares

99. The Mustard Seed

100. The Leaven

101. The Hidden Treasure

102. The Pearl of Great Price

103. The Dragnet

104. Do You Understand?

105. Light, Hidden or Exposed

106. The Railway Man

107. A Fool for God

108. Worship, True or False

109. Singing for Jesus

110. You Can Make a Difference

111. Spirit-filled Trees

112. Walking Life’s Treadmill

113. Jesus Is Calling

114. The Journey

115. Why did I choose to write?

116. About the Author

Cast Your Bread

Bible Reading

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

(Isa. 55:11)

There have been some enquiries as to why I choose this title for my weekly devotion series, so I will share it with you. A number of years ago, as a child, I heard the following story. It made an impression then and has stayed with me my whole life through, along with so many others.

The son of missionaries was doing his devotions one night before going to sleep. His reading that night was Ecclesiastes 11:1: ‘Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.’ In his boyish mind, he hatched a plan. He, with his parents, lived in a remote village. They made or grew much of their food along with the tribes they were ministering to. The young boy knew that Dad had baked a number of loaves of bread that day, so he decided to put this verse to the test and see if the bread would come back. Early the next morning, this young fellow went to the kitchen and took two loaves of bread and, along with his little raft, made his way to the edge of the river near their home. Securing the bread in protective wrapping to the raft, he sent it on its way. Out into the river it made its way. He watched it for some time until he could no longer see it.

Every day, this young fellow would walk the edge of this river looking and waiting for his raft with the bread to return. Eventually, his dad noticed that two loaves were missing and sought to find out where they had gone. The young boy confessed to what he had done, thinking he was in big trouble. His father and mother took him aside and assured him that while it was wrong for him to do this, maybe God had something else in mind.

Eventually, the boy and his parents returned home and life went on. The boy grew into a man and married. He had somewhat strayed from the path, so to speak, but his wife was a firm believer that someday God would break back into his life.

An old missionary was to visit the church attended by this man’s wife. She urged him to come to the special presentation, as this old missionary had live near to where he had lived as a child. Although reluctant to relive those days or anything associated with those times, the man agreed and sat in the very back seat, not wanting to be noticed. The old missionary shared many experiences about how God had been with him and his wife as they did what they believed was their calling. Even though times had been tough, God had never let them down, always provided for them. The old missionary paused for a moment and then told the story of how God had miraculously saved them from virtual starvation. They were living at the time in the remotest part of the country and had not only been cut off from their home, but any contact with anyone. They had exhausted their food supply and had accepted the fact they could die at any time. They had prayed to God to intervene in some way if they were to continue to do the work they believed they were called to do. Very weak, they walked by the edge of the sea near their camp, and there, at the edge of the water, was a little raft with a package strapped to it. As they unwrapped the package, there to their surprise were two loaves of bread. It was just enough to tide them over until help arrived and they were able to return to their village.

The man sitting in the back seat looked at his wife. She looked back and saw tears flowing down the cheeks of her husband. His heart, that had become so hard, had broken. That verse, so many years ago, had been the source of this man leaving the faith, doubting the Word of God until hardness had prevented God from doing anything with his life. As soon as the service was finished, the man made his way to the old missionary, waiting patiently for all to leave. He then shared how it had been him, all those years ago, that had provided bread unknowingly for them in their time of desperate need. Now all these years later, many days, it had returned, not at all how he had expected. The two knelt together and thanked God for his provision for both their lives.

Over the years, I have tried to provide, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for people of all kinds and ages. Often I pray the words, ‘May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer’ (Ps. 19:14). While I cast these things on the Internet, in meetings, or conversation, one never knows where they will end up, and really that is not my concern at all, for I am reminded that it is all about God and not about me. I just need to be diligent to enter into His rest, being open to the Holy Spirit and His teaching and revealed Word.

This then brings us back to both the verses, ‘Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days’ (Eccles. 11:1) and ‘So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it’ (Isa. 55:11).

Faith or Hope

Bible Reading

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

(Heb. 11:1)

My weekend at Hervey Bay may be a distant memory now, but I would like to share with you some thoughts that passed through my mind during those days.

I was very happy not to be interviewed during the service, but I did listen intently to those who were. Some people had long answers and some short, very short. I have since thought about my faith, defining faith and my leap of faith. My quick answer is, ‘I don’t have faith any more.’

Let me explain. Leap of faith would have been as a child of seven when I committed my life to Jesus. There has never been a time when God has not been part of my life. I was blessed with godly parents. In childlike faith, I accepted Jesus into my heart, and so my journey began.

Luke 17:6 tells us about the mustard seed likened to faith. I have for years looked at the outside or the size of the seed, but I should have been looking at the inside. It is a growing process. ‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it produces much grain’ (John 12:24).

We need to die to self. I am reminded of a chorus I sung many years ago. The words were something like this: ‘Happy am I since Jesus came, I have a faith, a living faith …’ This is all about ‘living’ and ‘growing’. This chorus has travelled with me through the years, as it seemed to say something about my spiritual life and how it was to develop.

Sometime in the last fifty years, my faith died. It had to die for me to grow, and so my ‘faith’ became ‘hope’. There is a song we sang in our services, some time ago now; the words explained the progression in Jesus. ‘I now have a hope that is steadfast and sure, since Jesus came into my heart.’ This is all about reliance on Jesus and growing closer to Him, daily looking to Him for our every need.

I sometimes wonder why we are so quick to throw out our song book, with its wealth of doctrine and teaching, for froth and bubble choruses and songs. Does ‘Having a form of godliness but denying its power’ come to mind? (2 Tim. 3:5). Satan is so subtle. If he can present himself as an angel of light and deceive us into things we are progressing, he will, no matter what the cost.

You might have read the book The Pilgrim’s Progress. Notice it says ‘The’. The pilgrim or believer starts with ‘faith’, then it is replaced by ‘hope’. At the final river, faith fails and it is hope that takes the believer into eternity. It’s all in the being and not in the doing.

A fundamental belief is that I believe we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believeth hath the witness in himself.

Faith without works is dead. That gets us started.

Faith = Believing. Hope = Knowing.

These are as different as chalk and cheese. It is one thing to say that we believe it is going to happen. It’s another to say I know it will happen.

But then it is a progression, a living thing which grows. Our spiritual life is like a seed, and this is how it is represented in the Bible many times. A seed needs water and light to grow. Jesus is both of these and so much more. Paul, when writing to the Corinthians, explains this very thing in what we read as the love chapter. I think it is called this because it is the love of God that helps us to progress in our life and living.

Next time you read this chapter, read it as a progression: 1 Corinthians 13:

Faith (v1, 2), hope (v3), God (v4). God is love.

It’s all about God and not about me.

It all in the being and not in the doing.

Growing

Bible Reading

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

(Luke 11:9-13)

Jesus had just finished instructing the disciples how to pray, then launched into the ‘friend at midnight’ story. In the verses we just read, Jesus is telling His disciples to be persistent in their praying to get the desired results; to continue to ask, seek, and knock, because God will hear and answer their prayers. This then brings a tension as to why do I need to ask a second time if I have known the first time. This is where faith/believing opposes hope/knowing. If you ask the same thing a second time, you really didn’t believe the first time you would get the answer. You were actually standing in doubt and not in faith. But you can remind God. I am just reminding …

Has my ‘faith’ grown to become ‘hope’? Proverbs 13:12 says: ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.’ If you haven’t grown, progressed, then, as the Bible says, your heart is sick. You are dying. Luke 12:4 and 5 says: ‘And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear, fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell, yes, I say to you, fear Him.’

Proverbs 9:10 says: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.’

I can remember a time when I prayed and didn’t get the answer, or if I did, it never seemed to work out the way I expected. When seeking counsel about this, I was told that I probably asked amiss, meaning that it really wasn’t God’s plan. This didn’t sit well with me, as I was sure that I had prayed in accordance with the Will of God. I am sure that some of you know exactly what I am talking about. Already, images are in your mind. He brings all things to our remembrance, good and bad.

There is a quote which says: ‘The new is in the old concealed and the old is in the new revealed.’

This is referring to the Old Testament and the New Testament. You can’t have one without the other.

The last part of our reading said: ‘Your heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’ James chapter 1 verse 5 says: ‘If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all liberally.’ So, for the quote to work, I need to go to the Old Testament to locate something on wisdom. Where better to look than in Proverbs, for it’s all about wisdom?

While we could use chapter 4, chapter 5 says it this way: My son, pay attention to my wisdom, lend your ear to my understanding, that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge.

So let’s combine the two readings, Luke 11:9 and Proverbs 5:1 and 2.

Ask for wisdom and you will get knowledge.

Seek discretion and you will get understanding, so that when you knock, the way will be opened for any situation.

The problem with my prayer wasn’t because I had asked amiss; it was because I had only prayed the first part. God gave me knowledge. He gave me the go ahead, but I had forgotten to say, ‘Now, how do I apply what You have given me?’ You see, it is two parts. So many of us never ask for understanding to deal with the knowledge given to us, and so the door we want open sometimes fails to open and we become discouraged.

Ask for wisdom and you will get knowledge.

Seek discretion and you will get understanding, so that when you knock, the way will be opened for any situation.

Motives

Bible Reading

Now it came to pass, as He (Jesus) was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of the disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’ So He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.’

(Luke 11:1-2)

In our reading, it said ‘one of the disciples’. Who do you think was the disciple and why?

The disciples were Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Matthew, Thomas, James, the son of Alphaeus, Simon, the Canaanite, Bartholomew, also know to be Nathanael, Thaddaeus, also known to be Judas, the son of James, and Judas Iscariot.

We first need to establish Jesus’s attitude to the question. What was behind the request, the real reason for asking? Jesus did not hesitate, but went straight on and answered the request.

He knew that the motives had pure intent. So who in the band of disciples had pure intent?

Let’s briefly look at the twelve disciples and see if we can discover who was the most likely.

Peter

Leader, asked questions, part of inner circle, didn’t think of his brother, spokesman, betrayer, headstrong, businessman, used by Satan, repentant. Referred to everywhere, then why not here?

James

Part of the three, ambitious.

John

Part of the three, ambitious, the beloved disciple, disciple of John the Baptist, would have been already taught how to pray.

Andrew

A disciple of John the Baptist, already knew how to pray, introducer, optimistic, happy to be the second person.

Phillip

Pessimistic, avoided responsibilities, questioner.

Thomas

Courageous, loyal, questioner, doubter, little faith, loner, believer.

Matthew

Outcast, specific beliefs, reformed, obedient, fastidious, writer.

James, the son of Alphaeus

Zealot, specific beliefs, patriot, law-keeper.

Simon, the Canaanite

Zealot, specific beliefs, patriot, law-keeper.

Thaddaeus, also known to be Judas, the son of James

Zealot, specific beliefs, patriot, ambitious.

Judas Iscariot

Zealot, specific beliefs, patriot, betrayer, thief, schemer.

So who have I left out purposely?

Nathanael. He was a searcher of the scripture and a seeker after truth. He was a man of complete sincerity. He was a man of prayer. He knew no half measures, a man of staying power.

To me, there seems to be only one person who had the spiritual discernment, would have had a heart that was ready to receive further teaching in this area at this time. Jesus himself said of this man, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom I find no deceit.’ I think that Nathanael would have bought Phillip to Jesus and said, ‘Lord … teach us to pray.’

If only Jesus could have said that of me at our first meeting.

There is no clear answer. We are not told who it was.

Attached

A team leader called a meeting and said, ‘This is our goal. This is why we need to achieve this goal’ and outlined several points. He then said, ‘Thank you for coming. I will see you next meeting.’

You would go away saying, ‘What a waste of a meeting!’ While it is good to know the whys, we need to know the ‘How do I achieve this?’

Bible Reading

John 15:1-8.

Verse 1: ‘I (Jesus) am the vine and my father (God) is the vinedresser.’

Verse 2: ‘Every branch in me (Jesus) (to be in Jesus, we need to have accepted Him as Lord and Saviour of our life) that does not bear fruit, He (God) takes away; And every branch that bears fruit, He (God) prunes, that it may bear more fruit.’

Lisa Hindle, a young Christian friend of mine posted this on Facebook: ‘Branches do not produce fruit, they put it on display.’ This brings me to the thought of what people see in me. Is it Christ or does the real me shine through brighter than the One who should be being seen?

Verses 3, 4, and 5: ‘You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.’ This is all about keeping oneself attached to the vine. Unless we listen and stay dependent on Jesus and the Holy Spirit for our inner spiritual food, we will die and wither, because no life will be flowing from Him to myself to keep me alive. I am dependent on Him for my daily growth.

The branch does nothing but grow from external appearance. It’s all happening on the inside. Leaves appear, then buds, then fruit, an outward sign of an inner experience. The branch did nothing. It all happened because it was part of the vine. It’s all in the being and not in the doing, believing into knowing, knowing that the One who cares for us in so much more detail than we can imagine will not allow the flow of to be limited, but will constantly supply us with everything necessary for living our God-inspired life in Him.

Verse 6: ‘If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.’ Hope deferred, the outcome of not keeping yourself attached, He has promised to bring the increase and He does.

Verse 7: ‘If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.’ Being attached, you can ask what you desire. Ask, seek, knock.

Verse 8: ‘By this My Father is glorified, that you bear (Branches do not produce fruit, they put it on display) much fruit; so you will be my disciples.’ God is glorified through our obedience to whatever He says and whatever we do.

Pruning Time

Verse 2b: ‘And every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.’

The Christian’s path seems often hard. Let’s call it growing pains. Matthew 11:28-30 says: ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden (Produced much fruit, been through much pruning), and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yolk is easy and My burden is light.’

Psalm 23:2 says: ‘He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.’ You will stop so I can restore you. Do a further work. He just doesn’t make us lie down anywhere. Green pastures, still waters. While David said it that way, Jesus said it this way: ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger … and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’ Green pastures = hunger, still waters = thirst.

The Beatitudes

According to Matthew 5:6: ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.’ A real inward desire, a restoration. James 1:2-4 says: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.’

There’s a time for growing and a time for pruning. Have you ever seen a pruned tree? How sparse are the branches and no leaves to hide the interior! All is exposed and we are open for all to see what is really in our hearts. People can now see the real me.

God is at work in your life today as He is in mine, taking away branches that don’t belong and pruning ones that do. What kind of things does God take away? Things that have served their purpose, things that refuse to change, things that will give you trouble later on, things that are standing in the way of greater fruitfulness, things that are holding you back, things He has not chosen for you.

When God starts to prune your branches, cut back certain things in your life in order to redirect your energies. You might not look too good for a while. Sometimes this means: A. having fewer things for a while; storm devastation; B. letting go of things you thought would always be there: a job, health, friends, a wife, a husband; C. being unable to explain to others why you’re even going through this pruning process, why you feel the way you do.

‘Weeping might endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning’ (Ps. 30:5).

We then start to grow anew and it starts all over again. Verse 7 says: ‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.’ What sort of things will you be asking for? Grace, wisdom, understanding, patience, and all the other fruit of the Spirit? God knows what needs to be cut back in your life. He also knows what needs to be cut off. Trust Him. Even though you can’t understand what He’s doing, just pray, ‘Lord, if I needed it, You would let me keep it, so I open my heart to you today.’ You’ve let go of the old and familiar, but you’re not sure yet whether you can handle the new. Until it gets here, you’ve got to hold steady and trust God to know what He’s doing.

Twelve Days of Christmas

Some things aren’t always as they appear to be.

First reading of a certain scripture passage brings light, but often a second reading brings further insight.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their Church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember.

‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ Song

(What do you think these represent in the Christian sense?)

The partridge in a pear tree …

Two turtledoves …

Three French hens …

The four calling birds …

The five golden rings …

The six geese a-laying …

Seven swans a-swimming …

The eight maids a-milking …

Nine ladies dancing …

The ten lords a-leaping …

The eleven pipers piping …

The twelve drummers drumming …

‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ Song

(Answers)

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments

Three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of Creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership, and mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolised the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

Things Aren’t Always What They Seem

Bible Reading

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

(Ps. 34:14)

Two mature people were sitting quietly having lunch together. A friend of both of them, Mrs ‘X’, observed them from a distance. On arriving home, Mrs ‘X’ rings Mrs ‘Y’, ‘Do you know who I saw? Yes, a couple, didn’t take him long to move on, yes, probably end getting married soon.’

Mrs ‘Y’ then rings Mrs ‘Z’, ‘Hello dear, did you know that … are getting married?’

In actual fact, the mature couple were good friends, and the woman had been through two tragic times and she was concerned for her friend, who had lost his wife some months before.

Things aren’t always what they seem.

I found it interesting on Sunday morning listening to Maree in the children’s segment discussing things that weren’t in Christmas to those that were. The band message that followed, ‘Take Time to Be Holy’, reminded me that in the hustle and bustle, while the world rushes on, we need to take time to be holy, remember to keep Christ in Christmas. That’s really what it’s all about.

Things aren’t always what they seem.

Then there was the ‘Cupcake Ministry’, the group working in the red light districts of the Gold Coast. The visitors being seen as having an ulterior motive, I was reminded of something Jesus said to the