"For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away."
Jesus gives us some insight into the days of Noah. Here's a guy who embarks on a building project so out of the ordinary, so out of proportion to anything anyone has ever seen up until that time, and still there were some who had no clue what it was about. Could people really have something so unavoidable, so newsworthy in the midst of their daily circuits, and yet be so unaware of its significance? Or was Noah's explanation received as the eccentric exaggerations of an aged zealot? Was the ark present and under construction for so many decades that they simply took it for granted? Did it's extraordinariness fade over time, slipping into the background of their more individual concerns - 'what's for dinner, did you get the wine, who should I marry, do you like his fiancee?'
Jesus taught that it would be the same way when He comes again. But let's not jump all the way to the Second Coming. Isn't it true that the resurrected Christ is alive today? Isn't it true that He can speak to the heart today in an extraordinary, unavoidable and life-altering way? And today, wouldn't the ark that stands as a testimony to the activity and intentions of God in our midst, and holds the family of the faithful and the hope of all - wouldn't that 'ark' be the church? And yet so many have no clue what it is about. They are unaware of the church's significance, or they have chalked it up to a construction of eccentric zealots.
Sadly, unlike the steadfast witness of Noah's clan, the church has done quite a bit to undermine its own credibility. Our voices HAVE sounded at times like senile ranting. We have frequently veered off God's blueprint and built country clubs and fortresses and walmarts instead of sea-worthy vessels. So, even though there are many who are clueless, careless and callous, there are many who are just confused.
Let's get back to building an ark, a temple, a church, a community that actually resembles the plans God gave us through His Son (with project management by the Holy Spirit.) Let's make sure the clueless get plenty of clues. Let's make sure the connoiseurs and the courtiers are primarily hungering and thirsting after righteousness and planning to be members of the Bride of Christ.
Pray: God, help us to know truly what You mean for your church to be and do. Make us clear witnesses to the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. Use us to make sure the least amount of people possible are taken by surprise at Your return.
Matthew 24:1-28 - Honey, I Think It's Time ...
We've all seen it played out many times to peals of laughter. The young wife appears in the doorway and announces to her neophyte husband that their firstborn is about to arrive. Instantly he is a frantic dervish without a brain. He is running into walls. Wearing one untied shoe he grabs an armful of pre-packed bags and throws them and himself into the family car. He is down the block before he realizes he has left his contracting bride at home.
Sometimes I observe a bit of the same high anxiety when I hear some believers talk about the "last days" or the "end times." It is true that on more than one occasion the final days of history and the return of Jesus Christ is described as "birth pains." But Christians don't have to respond to this reality of our faith like the father-to-be in the aforementioned comic scenes. In the paragraph before Paul's writing to the Thessalonians about the Second Coming, he urges them to "aspire to live quiet lives." There is no need to become panicky or alarmist as end time signs begin to appear. Here are some of the signs Jesus lists in today's passage:
In the anticipation of all this, can we heed the words of Jesus to 'not be alarmed?' Can we live "quiet lives" in the face of the approaching crisis? Jesus' last comment at the end of this passage seems at first cryptic. "Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather." But maybe it is very straight forward. Vultures tear up the dead, not the living. As long as I am alive in Christ, I don't have to panic. The vultures will come for the deceivers and the warmongers and those who abandon the faith, for the cold-hearted persecuters and the cockamamie messiahs, but they won't come for me. I am alive in Christ.
Jesus Himself says He doesn't know the day or the hour of His return and the moment of it is described as a flash of lightning and a thief's arrival under cloak of night. If it is to be sudden and unexpected, then I ought to be doing today and tomorrow what I hope to be doing when He shows up. I believe that is a calm and unalarmed discipleship that participates in the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom to all the nations. Yes, make Christ known in word and deed, steady as she goes, until the Groom says to His Bride, "Honey, I think it's time."
Pray: God, you have made known to us the end from the beginning. You are life and life eternal; You are fullness of joy forever. We have all this guaranteed to us by Your grace through faith. Heaven is our inheritance, and no wordly distress of any magnitude can strip us of it. Glory to You, true Prophet, Messiah and King!
Sometimes I observe a bit of the same high anxiety when I hear some believers talk about the "last days" or the "end times." It is true that on more than one occasion the final days of history and the return of Jesus Christ is described as "birth pains." But Christians don't have to respond to this reality of our faith like the father-to-be in the aforementioned comic scenes. In the paragraph before Paul's writing to the Thessalonians about the Second Coming, he urges them to "aspire to live quiet lives." There is no need to become panicky or alarmist as end time signs begin to appear. Here are some of the signs Jesus lists in today's passage:
- The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem
(accomplished A.D. 70; Titus and the Romans) - Deceivers claiming to be the Messiah
- Wars and rumors of wars ("don't be alarmed," Jesus adds)
- Famines and earthquakes ("just the beginning," Jesus indicates)
- Hatred and murderous persecution of believers
- Many will betray Jesus and turn from the faith
- Wickedness will increase and love will grow cold
- Daniel's prophecy of the "abomination of desolation" will be fulfilled
- The greatest distress the world has ever seen will take place
- False messiahs and prophets will perform amazing wonders
- The gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to all the nations
In the anticipation of all this, can we heed the words of Jesus to 'not be alarmed?' Can we live "quiet lives" in the face of the approaching crisis? Jesus' last comment at the end of this passage seems at first cryptic. "Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather." But maybe it is very straight forward. Vultures tear up the dead, not the living. As long as I am alive in Christ, I don't have to panic. The vultures will come for the deceivers and the warmongers and those who abandon the faith, for the cold-hearted persecuters and the cockamamie messiahs, but they won't come for me. I am alive in Christ.
Jesus Himself says He doesn't know the day or the hour of His return and the moment of it is described as a flash of lightning and a thief's arrival under cloak of night. If it is to be sudden and unexpected, then I ought to be doing today and tomorrow what I hope to be doing when He shows up. I believe that is a calm and unalarmed discipleship that participates in the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom to all the nations. Yes, make Christ known in word and deed, steady as she goes, until the Groom says to His Bride, "Honey, I think it's time."
Pray: God, you have made known to us the end from the beginning. You are life and life eternal; You are fullness of joy forever. We have all this guaranteed to us by Your grace through faith. Heaven is our inheritance, and no wordly distress of any magnitude can strip us of it. Glory to You, true Prophet, Messiah and King!
Matthew 23:13-39 - Woe...Woe...Whoa!
Have you ever been warned that you were going to be read "The Riot Act?" In 1715, the British under King George I instituted a "Riot Act" to be able to control unruly crowds of twelve or more, particularly those who opposed King George. Once read in public to the crowd, the gathering would have to disperse within an hour or face severe penalties. Nowadays, we use the phrase to mean any occasion when a person or group is sternly warned or corrected. In light of the modern idiom, Jesus definitely reads the Pharisees the "Riot Act" in today's passage from Matthew.I have preached on this passage before under the title, "How Not to Be a Pharisee." Although the format of Jesus' rebuke indicates 'seven woes,' I find there are twelve solid instructions within this chapter to guide us away from the foolishness of phariseeism.
- Practice What You Preach (23:1-3)
- Lighten Other People's Loads (23:4)
- Work for God's Approval, Not Man's (23:5-10)
- Lead By Serving (23:11)
- Practice Humility (23:12)
- Make It Easy for People to be Saved (23:13)
- Make Disciples of Jesus, Not of Yourself (23:15)
- Value Christ, Not the 'Things' of Christianity (23:16-22)
- Prioritize the Higher Virtues (23:23-24)
- Be Righteous from the Inside Out (23:25-28)
- Accept God's Correction and Wisdom (23:29-36)
- Live Under the Savior's Wing (23:37-39)
Instead of an unruly mob of twelve, be glad to have this gathering of twelve rule your approach to the Christian life. Consider each of these bullet points as twelve stalwarts calling you to join them in exalting Christ, His Kingdom and it's principles. The "Riot Act" was employed to disperse any activities contrary to the rule of the King. I think I'll read the Matthew 23 Riot Act to myself, to disperse any phariseeism that might be gathering in the back alleys of my spirit.
Pray: Lord, thank you for your boldness and your clarity about what does and doesn't reflect true spirituality, true devotion and Kingdom character. Help me to conform to your refinements and transform me. The last thing I want to hear from you is "Woe!"
Matthew 22:34-23:12 - Sometimes Too Hard; Sometimes Too Easy
You might just have one or more
"Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The hook was the "hook" for the lesson. It represented the two-pronged imperative that the entire life of a disciple is lived out of. The child of God, the follower of Christ, needs only to remember one thing -- to love. If you forget everything that's written in the Law and in the Prophets, but you remember to love, you've got it covered. One supreme action, commanded to be poured out in two directions - like the two beams of a cross. Vertical love; loving God with everything I've got. Horizontal love; loving other people, all people, as if they were me.
Today's text begins with Jesus having silenced the Sadduccees. So the Pharisees took a shot at Him and the result of that volley was, "from that day on no one dared to ask Him any more questions!" Jesus baffled the self-proclaimed experts. His sayings were too hard to understand. Hmmm. Really? Or were they too easy? Love God. Love others. Done. But then, how could these holymen maintain their reputations through position, power and meticulous piety? Jesus had brought them low by the profound simplicity of love. They had exalted themselves and Christ humbled them. But those who humble themselves to love God and man through selfless service - these he promises to exalt.
Don't ever be a Pharisee. Don't be a "do as I say, not as I do" hypocrite. Don't preach and not practice. Be a disciple of Jesus. Be His follower, His student, His imitator. Pour out love in two directions. And keep asking for His help. So easy, yet so hard.
Pray: I do love you, Lord. Help me to love you more. And help me to demonstrate that love by the way I love others. I cannot say I love You and hate my brother. Humble me. Teach me. There are no greater lessons than Your lessons of love.
Matthew 22:1-33 - Power Lines
Many of you are all too familiar with the concept of heavy snow and ice bringing down power lines. The nation has suffered severe storms this winter. Thousands have had to endure the consequences of crippled electrical supplies to their homes. There was plenty of current being generated; it just couldn't get through. The lines were down.
After explaining to the crowds another charactersistic of the Kingdom of God, staving off a challenge by the Pharisees and correcting the theology of the Sadduccees, Jesus states, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." The Scriptures are the Word of God and the power is the Spirit of God. Together, the Word and the Spirit are the dynamo that generates the current of truth by which we can conduct our lives. We can understand the nature of the Kingdom of God when we are connected by the Spirit to the Word. We can become wise and discern with subtlety; we can know, trust, and practice sound theology when the line to the source remains up.
Stay plugged into the Word. Lean on the Spirit of God to empower the Word and your understanding. "Lean not on your OWN understanding ..." as the ancient Proverb teaches. Whether it's the mission of God in relationship to human history, or the relationship of faith to human government, or the practical implications of doctrine - all this and more becomes clear through Spirit and Word.
When the storms came up and the power lines came down, people suffered a loss of comfort, a loss of food, a loss of communication, a loss of light. Similar losses on a spiritual level are experienced when the conduit is cut between our souls and God's truth. Don't let the blizzard of busyness or the whiteout of doubt or the weight of life's challenges keep you from being connected to the empowering Word.
Pray: Lord, it is so easy to let the stuff of earth cut me off from the treasures of heaven. Help me to prioritize my time with You, in prayer, study and meditation. How can I expect to stay charged up when I keep pulling the plug?
After explaining to the crowds another charactersistic of the Kingdom of God, staving off a challenge by the Pharisees and correcting the theology of the Sadduccees, Jesus states, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." The Scriptures are the Word of God and the power is the Spirit of God. Together, the Word and the Spirit are the dynamo that generates the current of truth by which we can conduct our lives. We can understand the nature of the Kingdom of God when we are connected by the Spirit to the Word. We can become wise and discern with subtlety; we can know, trust, and practice sound theology when the line to the source remains up.
Stay plugged into the Word. Lean on the Spirit of God to empower the Word and your understanding. "Lean not on your OWN understanding ..." as the ancient Proverb teaches. Whether it's the mission of God in relationship to human history, or the relationship of faith to human government, or the practical implications of doctrine - all this and more becomes clear through Spirit and Word.
When the storms came up and the power lines came down, people suffered a loss of comfort, a loss of food, a loss of communication, a loss of light. Similar losses on a spiritual level are experienced when the conduit is cut between our souls and God's truth. Don't let the blizzard of busyness or the whiteout of doubt or the weight of life's challenges keep you from being connected to the empowering Word.
Pray: Lord, it is so easy to let the stuff of earth cut me off from the treasures of heaven. Help me to prioritize my time with You, in prayer, study and meditation. How can I expect to stay charged up when I keep pulling the plug?
Matthew 21:23-46 - God Has Three Expectations
I'm attending an evangelism conference in Torrance next week, so my wife and I drove down early together to visit our daughter in Santa Monica. We had heard of a barbecue place in Venice called Baby Blues on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, so we thought we'd check it out. Until my introduction to Sprayberry's in Newnan, GA, I had always considered the noun 'barbecue' to mean an event or a cooking apparatus. Then I ate a pork barbecue plate with brunswick stew. I discovered "barbecue' as a noun meaning amazingly tender and tasty meat cooked over low, slow smoky heat. So Sprayberry's hooked me, and Baby Blues continued to confirm that barbecue is THE best way to eat meat. And Baby Blues met my three criteria for an excellent dining experience -- friendly staff, great food, and prices commensurate with the quality of the meal. Those are my three expectations.
There's no barbecue in today's reading, but there are expectations. Three expectations. Jesus confronted the chief priests and elders and clarified God's three expectations, but they are not just what God expected from ancient Jewish leaders. God still expects these three activities from everyone He calls upon.
First, God expects transparent dialogue. God IS alive and He gets people's attention and speaks to them - through His creation, through His Word, through His followers, with immediacy through His Holy Spirit. God is a God who speaks. Are we willing to have an open and honest conversation with Him? Are we willing to pray with candor? The religious leaders who spoke with Jesus refused to answer His question. They didn't like the facts that their answers would reveal, so they didn't answer Him at all. They ducked and dodged in their conversation with God. Don't do that!
Second, God expects repentance and faith. At some point in an open and sincere conversation with God, God is going to broach the matter of sin in your life. He will expect you to agree with Him (He is GOD after all) that your sin is a serious issue with deadly consequences. He will expect that you will turn away from sin and put your faith in Him as the remedy for it. Jesus offended the religious leaders of His day by saying that the prostitutes were entering the Kingdom of Heaven ahead of them! But the prostitutes were repenting and the self-righteous priests were not. A hard truth to swallow, but the truth nonetheless. Don't expect to be in right relationship to God and heavenbound by any other means than repentance and faith in God the Son, Jesus Christ.
The third of God's expectations is fruitfulness. Once we have heard and answered the call of God, and out of a transparent talk with Him confessed our sins and turned from them to faith in Jesus Christ, God will then expect us to be productive as colaborers of His. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. They are unique to every one of us, but fruitfulness is the common element. An abundance of godliness should tumble out of our lives. We should overflow with the character of Christ, bounteous in love joy, peace, patience and all the fruit of the Spirit. There should be plenty of good works that glorify God in our lives and the reproduction of new believers - disciplemaking. When God, who owns the 'vineyard' you've been placed in to live and work, comes for a harvest from you - what will you have to present to Him?
Everyday we go out into the world with expectations of how we ought to be treated and what we ought to gain. Shall we rather go out focused on meeting God's expectations of us?
Pray: Father, you made me, saved me and set me free to live a life of transparency, faith and fruitfulness. Help me not to forget Your appropriate expectations of me as Your beloved child.
There's no barbecue in today's reading, but there are expectations. Three expectations. Jesus confronted the chief priests and elders and clarified God's three expectations, but they are not just what God expected from ancient Jewish leaders. God still expects these three activities from everyone He calls upon.
First, God expects transparent dialogue. God IS alive and He gets people's attention and speaks to them - through His creation, through His Word, through His followers, with immediacy through His Holy Spirit. God is a God who speaks. Are we willing to have an open and honest conversation with Him? Are we willing to pray with candor? The religious leaders who spoke with Jesus refused to answer His question. They didn't like the facts that their answers would reveal, so they didn't answer Him at all. They ducked and dodged in their conversation with God. Don't do that!
Second, God expects repentance and faith. At some point in an open and sincere conversation with God, God is going to broach the matter of sin in your life. He will expect you to agree with Him (He is GOD after all) that your sin is a serious issue with deadly consequences. He will expect that you will turn away from sin and put your faith in Him as the remedy for it. Jesus offended the religious leaders of His day by saying that the prostitutes were entering the Kingdom of Heaven ahead of them! But the prostitutes were repenting and the self-righteous priests were not. A hard truth to swallow, but the truth nonetheless. Don't expect to be in right relationship to God and heavenbound by any other means than repentance and faith in God the Son, Jesus Christ.
The third of God's expectations is fruitfulness. Once we have heard and answered the call of God, and out of a transparent talk with Him confessed our sins and turned from them to faith in Jesus Christ, God will then expect us to be productive as colaborers of His. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. They are unique to every one of us, but fruitfulness is the common element. An abundance of godliness should tumble out of our lives. We should overflow with the character of Christ, bounteous in love joy, peace, patience and all the fruit of the Spirit. There should be plenty of good works that glorify God in our lives and the reproduction of new believers - disciplemaking. When God, who owns the 'vineyard' you've been placed in to live and work, comes for a harvest from you - what will you have to present to Him?
Everyday we go out into the world with expectations of how we ought to be treated and what we ought to gain. Shall we rather go out focused on meeting God's expectations of us?
Pray: Father, you made me, saved me and set me free to live a life of transparency, faith and fruitfulness. Help me not to forget Your appropriate expectations of me as Your beloved child.
Matthew 20:29-21:22 - Lord, Have Mercy on My Eyes
As Jesus made His way to Jerusalem for the final week before His crucifixion, He encountered two blind men. These men exhibit great faith and great persistence. They cry out and demonstrate that they believe Jesus is the Messiah, and that He has supernatural power. They ask for mercy and call Him, "Lord." The crowd tries to hush them, but the prospect of being treated by the 'Son of David' is too much for them to be silent. Jesus wants them to say specifically what they desire. "We want to see!"
With compassion, Jesus gives the men the sight they asked for. He touched their eyes and more - now they are following Him. They are following Him into the most intense week of His life. And they will see it all. I wonder if Matthew puts this healing story here for a special reason. It isn't unique - Jesus has done many other healings before, including restoring sight. These men are nobody special and the circumstances are fairly insignificant. Except, this is the beginning of that final week. It's almost like Matthew wants to say to his readers, "Open your eyes now. Cry out for clear vision now. Don't miss any of what I'm about to show you."
Matthew lets these men model for us the prayer he is encouraging us to pray - "Lord, have mercy on my eyes."
If our eyes have been opened and we are following Jesus, what is it the writer says we will see?
1. That Jesus' life is a fulfillment of prophecy. God promised us Christ the King, and He delivered.
2. When we follow Him, Jesus will immediately place us in the midst of what He is doing. (It's quite possible that the 'two disciples' He sent for the donkey were the two He had just healed of blindness!)
3. Jesus is One to celebrate over; to give entrance to with a joyful heart.
4. Jesus is intense about the church getting it's priorities straight: prayer and worship - number one!
5. Jesus prefers innocent praise over indignant 'piety.'
6. Jesus is hungry for us to bear fruit.
7. Jesus wants us to pray in faith; ask, believe, receive.
When you follow Jesus with fresh eyes, there's a lot to see! Stay alert. Don't blink.
Pray: Lord, you know how blind I am. Open my eyes to see You wherever You show up this week. Help me to perceive Your Word correctly, to recognize opportunities to celebrate You in public, to see the importance of prayer and worship, to identify my pride and judgmentality and seek a simpler, more innocent way of honoring You. Help me to see my way through to fruitfulness and faithfulness.
With compassion, Jesus gives the men the sight they asked for. He touched their eyes and more - now they are following Him. They are following Him into the most intense week of His life. And they will see it all. I wonder if Matthew puts this healing story here for a special reason. It isn't unique - Jesus has done many other healings before, including restoring sight. These men are nobody special and the circumstances are fairly insignificant. Except, this is the beginning of that final week. It's almost like Matthew wants to say to his readers, "Open your eyes now. Cry out for clear vision now. Don't miss any of what I'm about to show you."
Matthew lets these men model for us the prayer he is encouraging us to pray - "Lord, have mercy on my eyes."
If our eyes have been opened and we are following Jesus, what is it the writer says we will see?
1. That Jesus' life is a fulfillment of prophecy. God promised us Christ the King, and He delivered.
2. When we follow Him, Jesus will immediately place us in the midst of what He is doing. (It's quite possible that the 'two disciples' He sent for the donkey were the two He had just healed of blindness!)
3. Jesus is One to celebrate over; to give entrance to with a joyful heart.
4. Jesus is intense about the church getting it's priorities straight: prayer and worship - number one!
5. Jesus prefers innocent praise over indignant 'piety.'
6. Jesus is hungry for us to bear fruit.
7. Jesus wants us to pray in faith; ask, believe, receive.
When you follow Jesus with fresh eyes, there's a lot to see! Stay alert. Don't blink.
Pray: Lord, you know how blind I am. Open my eyes to see You wherever You show up this week. Help me to perceive Your Word correctly, to recognize opportunities to celebrate You in public, to see the importance of prayer and worship, to identify my pride and judgmentality and seek a simpler, more innocent way of honoring You. Help me to see my way through to fruitfulness and faithfulness.
Matthew 20:1-28 - Counter-Intuitive
Our natural intuition and conventional wisdom may help us flow well with the ways of this world, but if we want to track with the Kingdom of God, we have to learn the counter-intuitive ways of Christ. An excellent book on this subject is Donald Kraybill's The Upside-Down Kingdom. In today's text, Jesus teaches two more lessons about the inverted nature of God's Kingdom.
In the kingdom's of this world, reward is earned. There are pay rates and scales. The expectation is that the longer and harder you work, the greater will be your compensation. The problem with applying that principle to Christ's Kingdom is that right relationship with God and entrance into the Kingdom can not be earned. This is perhaps the greatest misunderstanding in the realm of religion and spirituality -- that somehow, we can work our way into Heaven. 'I must be good enough. I must be holy enough. I can perform spiritual exercises and grow in faith and goodness. When death comes, I will have amassed a spiritual resume sufficient for access into eternal bliss.' But devout religious ritual + sincere good deeds DO NOT = the gospel of Jesus Christ. Careful study of the New Testament would lay that fallacy to rest, but few are willing to read it much less study it with care.
Jesus tells a story about how everyone who responds to His call to join Him in His work receives the same reward. Heaven is for those who labored with Him, one hour or eleven. The only way that that does not qualify as unfairness is if the reward is not based on the work. And it's not. The reward is based on God's grace and generosity. Of course, this story of His is not a complete theology, so one has to read more to understand how it fits with things like repentance, regeneration and discipleship. But the core concept is clear - salvation is not merit based. It is mercy based. The meritorious work is referred to in the verses after the parable - "the Son of Man must be ... mocked and flogged and crucified .." The only work related to our heavenly reward is the work of Christ on the cross. His work accomplished what our meager efforts could never have achieved.
The second counter-intuitive lesson in our reading is Christ's definition of greatness. In the world, the 'great ones' rule from on high with dominion and authority. In God's Kingdom, the great ones are the servants. Sacrificially meeting the needs of others is the sign of greatness, which is exemplified in the surrender of Christ to the aforementioned work of the cross. He loses that we might gain. He lowers Himself that we might be exalted. He dies that we might live. He is the greatest of the great -- because He is the servant of all. How topsy-turvy is that? It's how the first becomes last and the last, first. It's how we get paid when He did all the work. It's the way of the upside-down Kingdom.
You do well to let Jesus stand your life on its head!
Pray: Lord, help me to see life the way You see it. Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways not my ways. Teach me Your Kingdom perspective, so I can be in the world, but not of the world.
In the kingdom's of this world, reward is earned. There are pay rates and scales. The expectation is that the longer and harder you work, the greater will be your compensation. The problem with applying that principle to Christ's Kingdom is that right relationship with God and entrance into the Kingdom can not be earned. This is perhaps the greatest misunderstanding in the realm of religion and spirituality -- that somehow, we can work our way into Heaven. 'I must be good enough. I must be holy enough. I can perform spiritual exercises and grow in faith and goodness. When death comes, I will have amassed a spiritual resume sufficient for access into eternal bliss.' But devout religious ritual + sincere good deeds DO NOT = the gospel of Jesus Christ. Careful study of the New Testament would lay that fallacy to rest, but few are willing to read it much less study it with care.
Jesus tells a story about how everyone who responds to His call to join Him in His work receives the same reward. Heaven is for those who labored with Him, one hour or eleven. The only way that that does not qualify as unfairness is if the reward is not based on the work. And it's not. The reward is based on God's grace and generosity. Of course, this story of His is not a complete theology, so one has to read more to understand how it fits with things like repentance, regeneration and discipleship. But the core concept is clear - salvation is not merit based. It is mercy based. The meritorious work is referred to in the verses after the parable - "the Son of Man must be ... mocked and flogged and crucified .." The only work related to our heavenly reward is the work of Christ on the cross. His work accomplished what our meager efforts could never have achieved.
The second counter-intuitive lesson in our reading is Christ's definition of greatness. In the world, the 'great ones' rule from on high with dominion and authority. In God's Kingdom, the great ones are the servants. Sacrificially meeting the needs of others is the sign of greatness, which is exemplified in the surrender of Christ to the aforementioned work of the cross. He loses that we might gain. He lowers Himself that we might be exalted. He dies that we might live. He is the greatest of the great -- because He is the servant of all. How topsy-turvy is that? It's how the first becomes last and the last, first. It's how we get paid when He did all the work. It's the way of the upside-down Kingdom.
You do well to let Jesus stand your life on its head!
Pray: Lord, help me to see life the way You see it. Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways not my ways. Teach me Your Kingdom perspective, so I can be in the world, but not of the world.
Matthew 19:13-30 - Leave Everything Behind
This is a picture of a rich man entering the Kingdom of Heaven, according to Jesus' picturesque teaching. Some say that Jesus was referring to an actual passageway or door in a city gate called "the eye of the needle." For a camel to pass through it, the beast would have to be stripped bare of its cargo. No historical, archaeological evidence exists to substantiate this explanation, but it is still pretty close to capturing what Jesus was saying. Another explanation is that behind the Greek word for 'camel' in this text is the Aramaic word 'rope.' Camel and rope are the same Aramaic word -- "gamla." It would be nigh impossible for a rope to be shoved through a needle's eye, also. Unless - we untwine the rope and strip it down to just one of its component threads. Again, the idea of stripping down to the minimum to accomplish the goal.
Jesus speaks this memorable phrase in reference to how hard it is for the rich to inherit eternal life. When the wealthy man asks what he lacks to gain passage through heaven's gate, Jesus says, "Sell all you have ..." Divest yourself of your cargo, Camel! Unravel your rope down to the last thread, friend. Then, come follow me through the gate to glory! The man couldn't do it. He was bound up in his own rope; burdened down by his own wealth. He didn't have IT. IT had him. So he turned away from Jesus and went away in sorrow.
Notice earlier in today's text how Jesus embraced and blessed the children. The Kingdom of Heaven is their's, because they don't have any baggage or bindings. They have no earthly 'riches.' They are paupers in the kingdom of this world, but princes in the Kingdom of God. This weaves perfectly with Jesus' closing statement, "Many who are first (in this world) will be last (in the world to come)..." and "many who are last (by man's estimation) will be first (in Jesus' eyes)."
By the way, those riches don't have to be money. The 'riches' that keep us from eternal life are ANYTHING that we value more than following Jesus. In the same vein as His statement to the rich man, what if Jesus said, "Leave your current job behind and follow Me?" That's how I ended up at seminary. He said, "Leave your job, sell your house, move 2000 miles to a place you've never been before and take up Master's level studies after 11 years away from academia." I'm not bragging; I'm saying that Jesus is still in the "unraveling" business. Still calling for divestiture. Still encouraging us not to win the whole world and lose our souls.
"If I were a rich man, ...?" Um... Nah.
I'd rather be a pauper Prince.
Pray: Lord, to gain more of You and the Kingdom, I have to lose more of my worldly self. Help me to make the trade willingly. Unravel me.
Pray: Lord, to gain more of You and the Kingdom, I have to lose more of my worldly self. Help me to make the trade willingly. Unravel me.
Matthew 18:21-19:12 - Forgive From Your Heart
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’Well ...
shouldn't you?
Pray: "Our Father, who art in heaven ... forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Help us to imagine what we would be like if the forgiveness we received from You were only equal to the forgiveness we have extended to others.
Matthew 18:1-20 - Link Arms with Their Guardian Angels
Even as a Pastor, I sought to be involved with Vacation Bible School and Children's Church in a front line role because, I love children. In most cases, they are not so tainted or jaded by the world, and what you get is purity and innocence of relationship. Their transparent wonder, self-expression and affection melt my heart. They are easily influenced and molded, also, and great care must be taken in our relating to them.
And if you ever wondered what Jesus thought about our precious little ones, this passage in Matthew 18 makes it crystal clear. Jesus puts forth children as the exemplars for greatness in the Kingdom of God. And Jesus reserves some of His most aggressive and violent language for those who would cause harm to children.
In a moment when Jesus is surrounded by inquiring adults clamoring for the label of "great" in God's Kingdom, He calls a child to come to His side. Not great in stature, nor power, not in knowledge, nor accomnplishments, this child simply comes by humble obedience and trust. And therein is the greatness. So Jesus instructs - "Change! Become like a little child or you will never see the Kingdom of Heaven." Great humility; great obedience; great faith ... THAT is what Jesus is looking for.
We must not look down upon the children but rather look for Jesus in the children. We welcome Christ when we welcome them. And Jesus reveals a unique reality - that the children have angels who serve and intercede for them before the face of God! (verse 10) God speaks to our children and ministers to them through His appointed messengers. Ought we not to link arms with their guardian angels, to minister the Word and the blessing of God to them, too?
And how serious is Jesus about the children not being caused to stumble in sin? He says if you trip a child up, having a stone tied around your neck and being flung into the sea would be preferable to the punishment you're going to get. Oh, sorry, not a stone, a "large millstone," and not just into the sea, "drowned in the depths" of the sea. Jesus isn't pulling any punches here. He is dead serious. If your hand or eye is going to cause a child to sin, "cut it off, ""gouge it out." This is not a literal prescription, but an indicator of the magnitude of God's concern for leading our children in holiness and not in sin. "Not one child should be lost." Is that your commitment to the children in your life?
Deal with sin rightly and swiftly - within yourself, with other adults, and in the presence of the children. When we burden the next generation with the consequences of our prideful disobedience to God, it is as if we tie the millstone around THEIR necks ...
May it never be.
Pray: Lord and Savior of every precious child, help us to see their beauty and innocence and do all we can to preserve that. Help us to grasp the ramifications of our sin for the children in our lives. This should be ample motivation to serve You and so bless the little ones.
And if you ever wondered what Jesus thought about our precious little ones, this passage in Matthew 18 makes it crystal clear. Jesus puts forth children as the exemplars for greatness in the Kingdom of God. And Jesus reserves some of His most aggressive and violent language for those who would cause harm to children.
In a moment when Jesus is surrounded by inquiring adults clamoring for the label of "great" in God's Kingdom, He calls a child to come to His side. Not great in stature, nor power, not in knowledge, nor accomnplishments, this child simply comes by humble obedience and trust. And therein is the greatness. So Jesus instructs - "Change! Become like a little child or you will never see the Kingdom of Heaven." Great humility; great obedience; great faith ... THAT is what Jesus is looking for.
We must not look down upon the children but rather look for Jesus in the children. We welcome Christ when we welcome them. And Jesus reveals a unique reality - that the children have angels who serve and intercede for them before the face of God! (verse 10) God speaks to our children and ministers to them through His appointed messengers. Ought we not to link arms with their guardian angels, to minister the Word and the blessing of God to them, too?
And how serious is Jesus about the children not being caused to stumble in sin? He says if you trip a child up, having a stone tied around your neck and being flung into the sea would be preferable to the punishment you're going to get. Oh, sorry, not a stone, a "large millstone," and not just into the sea, "drowned in the depths" of the sea. Jesus isn't pulling any punches here. He is dead serious. If your hand or eye is going to cause a child to sin, "cut it off, ""gouge it out." This is not a literal prescription, but an indicator of the magnitude of God's concern for leading our children in holiness and not in sin. "Not one child should be lost." Is that your commitment to the children in your life?
Deal with sin rightly and swiftly - within yourself, with other adults, and in the presence of the children. When we burden the next generation with the consequences of our prideful disobedience to God, it is as if we tie the millstone around THEIR necks ...
May it never be.
Pray: Lord and Savior of every precious child, help us to see their beauty and innocence and do all we can to preserve that. Help us to grasp the ramifications of our sin for the children in our lives. This should be ample motivation to serve You and so bless the little ones.
Matthew 17:10-27 - Crazy Quilt
This quilt segment can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and was made by Elizabeth Keeler and Ellie Keeler Gorham around the year 1883. They called the quilt, "Crazy Pattern." It appears that every scrap of material that could be found at the Keeler home was salvaged and used to produce this engaging work of art.
New Testament gospels are quilts of a sort, too. Each author had a variety of sources to choose from, edit, and arrange in order to tell the story of Jesus in the most compelling way for his unique audience. Sometimes the pattern of narrative swatches is plain, and at other times it's a crazy pattern. In today's reading, Matthew has quilted together some story snippets and their inter-relationship is not so clear. Perhaps the craziness of the pattern reflects the crazy spiritual state of the people around Jesus, and why He says, "You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?"
In these eighteen verses, we see misunderstanding, weak faith, grief and presumption on the part of Christ's disciples. "Who IS the Elijah to come?" "Why couldn't WE cast out that demon?" "What will we do when You are DEAD?" "Why WOULDN'T You pay the Temple tax?" Jesus' followers are such a confused and immature bunch. They are pushing the One who invented patience to the end of His rope. But He will never let go. He will persevere through craziness, through the betrayal and the denial and the abandonment - and die for the redemption of them all.
And 'them all' means you and me. We are among the disciples who drive Jesus crazy. We misunderstand His Word. We fail at our tests of faith. We fret, panic and weep, even though He has told us that in Him we overcome. Then, on the other hand, we speak with bold assurance of things about which we are dead wrong. Oh, the unsearchable riches of His grace toward the insanity that is humanity!
How long-suffering
and merciful is He
to persevere with a 'crazy quilt'
like you and me.
Pray: Thank you, Lord! Thank you. I have so far to go. And I have ignored, mis-represented, and mis-interpreted Your Word so many times. Yet You continue to show me grace and supply the help that I need. Your grace IS truly amazing!
Matthew 16:13-17:9 - Denial, Diligence and Deference
Super Bowl 50 will be played this winter. Is your team in the hunt? Which team will lift the Vince Lombardi trophy in victory? Well, I'll tell you which one. The team of denial, diligence, and deference. The team whose players deny their individual status and function together as a seamless unit, who devote themselves to effort and execution at the highest level of excellence, who yield to the leadership of their decision makers - their quarterback and coaches; the team that does that best will win.
Those three qualities are also the marks of the true disciple of Jesus. He told them, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Self-denial, diligence in carrying the sacrificial burden of God's calling, and deference to the will and wishes of Jesus are what it takes to be a genuine Christian. There are plenty of Monday-morning Quarterbacks and Sunday-morning Christians; neither of which should be taken very seriously. They both have something in common - an armchair. From their place of comfort they presume to analyze and criticize the game without ever getting in the game. And most won't, because they don't want to deny themselves, or sweat the sweat of diligence, or humble themselves in deference to somebody who actually knows the game.
Those three qualities are also the marks of the true disciple of Jesus. He told them, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Self-denial, diligence in carrying the sacrificial burden of God's calling, and deference to the will and wishes of Jesus are what it takes to be a genuine Christian. There are plenty of Monday-morning Quarterbacks and Sunday-morning Christians; neither of which should be taken very seriously. They both have something in common - an armchair. From their place of comfort they presume to analyze and criticize the game without ever getting in the game. And most won't, because they don't want to deny themselves, or sweat the sweat of diligence, or humble themselves in deference to somebody who actually knows the game.
Of course, with Jesus we're talking about the 'game' of life! And if it weren't for His
status as "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (as Peter correctly named Him), Jesus, the consummation of the Law and the Prophets (as seen in His transfiguration), we might have a hard time accepting His 'upside down' insight into the game of life. He says, "whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me
will find it."
His team wins eternal life. But that calls for losing our self-centeredness, losing our self-protection, and losing our self-rule. With Jesus, when you lose, you win. It's not easy to grasp that. That's why Peter rebuked Jesus when He started talking about crucifixion. But Peter was out of bounds. Could Jesus coach us to deny self and take up a cross if He hadn't done so Himself?Jesus exemplified denial, diligence, and deference to the Nth degree, and walked out of the grave victorious! He won. And we win in Him.
Pray: Lord Christ, I want to have the victory over sin, death and hell. I want to be counted among Your true followers. Help me to do what it takes to follow You daily with my cross in hand.
Matthew 15:29-16:12 - Reading the Signs
Each time I packed up and traveled to Tecate, Mexico for a mission trip, I anticipated learning more Spanish. One helpful activity on the van ride from San Diego airport to Valle Redondo was to try to read the signs. I would look carefully at the businesses that stood behind the signs for clues to try to interpret the words.
In today's text, people are having a hard time with interpreting signs. Jesus is healing people left and right. And the text says this caused the people to, "praise the God of Israel." But it seems they were praising God for the display of power and for the healing, and not for what these miraculous signs signified. Jesus never performed miracles just to show off; just to give people what they wanted. Jesus' miracles were signs. Signs that pointed to Him as God and Messiah. The physical healings were signposts to the deeper spiritual healing that Jesus had more importantly come to accomplish.
When Jesus fed thousands miraculously after His hillside teaching sessions, the bread was meant as more than a meal. It was a sign. "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." This bread -- that multiplied itself, that fully satisfied, that in the end was more than they started with -- was a sign of His teaching. His teaching is God's Word. His mouth is God's mouth. Jesus is the ultimate manna; the ultimate bread which came down out of heaven. Don't hunger for mere bread and be satisfied, and praise God for a full stomach. Hunger for Jesus; find soul satisfaction in Him!
The Pharisees and Sadducees were good at interpreting the signs of nature. But the signs of Jesus' life and work baffled them. So they wanted signs at their request, on their terms. That's not how Jesus rolls. Man does not dictate terms to God. Defer to Christ. Accept Him on His terms.
And beware of the "yeast" of the ones Jesus called, "blind guides." In this case, the yeast represented the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Why follow the directions of people who can not even see where they themselves are going? Again, they are the blind leading the blind. So, follow Jesus. Interpret His signs correctly. Arrive with Him at His destination - the place of salvation and abundant life without end!
Pray: Jesus, teach me! Help me to understand Your Word. Help me not to be dull and miss the true meaning. Keep me focused on the eternal, not the temporal. Help me not to reject Your teaching when it challenges me or calls for me to change.
In today's text, people are having a hard time with interpreting signs. Jesus is healing people left and right. And the text says this caused the people to, "praise the God of Israel." But it seems they were praising God for the display of power and for the healing, and not for what these miraculous signs signified. Jesus never performed miracles just to show off; just to give people what they wanted. Jesus' miracles were signs. Signs that pointed to Him as God and Messiah. The physical healings were signposts to the deeper spiritual healing that Jesus had more importantly come to accomplish.
When Jesus fed thousands miraculously after His hillside teaching sessions, the bread was meant as more than a meal. It was a sign. "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." This bread -- that multiplied itself, that fully satisfied, that in the end was more than they started with -- was a sign of His teaching. His teaching is God's Word. His mouth is God's mouth. Jesus is the ultimate manna; the ultimate bread which came down out of heaven. Don't hunger for mere bread and be satisfied, and praise God for a full stomach. Hunger for Jesus; find soul satisfaction in Him!
The Pharisees and Sadducees were good at interpreting the signs of nature. But the signs of Jesus' life and work baffled them. So they wanted signs at their request, on their terms. That's not how Jesus rolls. Man does not dictate terms to God. Defer to Christ. Accept Him on His terms.
And beware of the "yeast" of the ones Jesus called, "blind guides." In this case, the yeast represented the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Why follow the directions of people who can not even see where they themselves are going? Again, they are the blind leading the blind. So, follow Jesus. Interpret His signs correctly. Arrive with Him at His destination - the place of salvation and abundant life without end!
Pray: Jesus, teach me! Help me to understand Your Word. Help me not to be dull and miss the true meaning. Keep me focused on the eternal, not the temporal. Help me not to reject Your teaching when it challenges me or calls for me to change.
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