I wish I was smart enough to write something very intelligent about Matthew 24. But to be honest, the passage confuses me. If someone can make a prophetic map out of what is written here, then they are a lot smarter than I am. I have studied Matthew 24 and thought I had it all figured out. But then I compare my conclusions to other prophetic passages of Scripture and I get all confused again. I know that Matthew 24 makes clear that Jesus is coming again. And I know that Matthew 24 makes clear there are going to be some tough times on earth before Jesus comes. I also know that Matthew 24 says that there will be a judgment after Jesus' coming. Other than that, I am lost. (Maybe one day I will have to have Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins explain it to me!)
Actually, I do understand the main message of Matthew 24. The main message of Matthew 24 is "Be ready!" The disciples start the chapter by admiring all of Jerusalem's big buildings. The temple complex was truly one of the wonders of the ancient world, even if it isn't officially identified as such. It is no wonder that the disciples would be impressed even after many visits to the capital. But Jesus warns about being too impressed. He says that not one stone of these buildings would be left upon another. He tells the disciples that they will all be destroyed. The disciples probably think that Jesus is starting to sound like the political messiah they want, and so barely able to hide their anticipation they ask, "When will all this happen?" In Matthew 24, Jesus gives His answer.
The when this will happen part of the answer escapes me. But I get the other part. I get Jesus' message to be ready. In verse 44, Jesus says: "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Verse 44 is really an interesting verse. It turns the common interpretation of this chapter on its head. Most people look at Matthew 24 as a puzzle to be solved- put all the pieces together and you will be known as the smart guy who nailed the day Jesus was coming. But verse 44 tells us that this chapter is not a puzzle to be solved. Jesus says that He will come when we least expect Him. People won't know the day. In essence He says, "Don't worry about the date of my return. Just be ready. Have faith in Me. Be serving God. If you are ready the date doesn't matter."
The question of Matthew 24 is not when is Jesus coming? The question of Matthew 24 is are you ready? If you are ready, the timing is inconsequential. You will be prepared whenever and however it happens. Matthew 24:45-47 says: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions."
Every Letter, Every Pen Stroke (Matthew 5:18)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Flannelgraph Pharisee (Matthew 23)
As a child in Sunday School, I sat through a lot of flannelgraph lessons. For those of you not familiar with flannelgraph, a flannelgraph was a blue board on which cardboard characters would be stuck to illustrate a Bible story. I don't know how my Sunday School teachers ever managed to present a comprehensible story on a flannelgraph board. Presenting a whole story usually required 50 cardboard figures that the teacher had to balance on her lap while trying to keep a class of 25 children interested in her story. The main problem was that there was usually more than one cardboard figure for each character. You didn't just have a cardboard Jesus. You had a sitting Jesus, and a standing Jesus, and a praying Jesus. Then, you had the disciples in a group of 12 standing. Then, they came in a group of 12 sitting. Then they came in 4 groups of 3 with 6 standing and 6 sitting. And they came in another arrangement of 4 groups of 3 with the six that were standing sitting and the six that were sitting standing. It was all very confusing, but the teachers always managed the story flawlessly.
I bring up flannelgraphs because of today's chapter where Jesus castigates the Pharisees. On flannelgraphs, you not only had Jesus and the disciples, you also had the Pharisees. You had the Pharisees sitting and the Pharisees standing.....You get the idea. Like Jesus and the disciples, the Pharisees came in lots of poses. But there was one thing that was consistent with the Pharisees. They were always sneering. You see, not only did Jesus and the disciples have different body postures, they also had different expressions. There was smiling Jesus and serious Jesus. There were smiling disciples and fearful disciples. But the Pharisees had only one facial expression: permanent sneer. In addition, all of the Pharisees always had a very dark visage. Even as a five year old, I could look at the Pharisees and understand the message: the Pharisees were evil men. The artists who made flannelgraph figures made it very clear. Pharisees were the type of men who kicked dogs and took lollipops from babies. It was no wonder that Jesus didn't like them.
For years, I was sure that my flannelgraph training was right. I was sure that the Pharisees were the most despised men of their generation. That is why I was so surprised to find that the truth is actually quite different. As I read about first-century history in Israel, I found that Pharisees were not universally despised. In fact, they were largely beloved. In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were enormously popular with the people. Everybody agreed that they were holy men, completely devoted to God. People in the first century wanted a Pharisee as a neighbor. They wanted their daughters to marry Pharisees. Rather than being universally despised, Pharisees were the object of universal admiration and affection. They were admired as truly religious men. No one in their wildest imagination could have imagined that God was unhappy with the Pharisees.
Yet, in Matthew 23, Jesus makes it very clear that God indeed is very unhappy with the Pharisees. Their religion does not follow the teaching of God. It circumvents that teaching through the rule of men. Their religion does not touch the whole person. It changes the outside while leaving the inside alone. Their religion did not center on pleasing God. Instead, it centered on pleasing men. In almost every way, the Pharisees are found deficient.
Many evangelicals could not imagine that God could be unhappy with the evangelical church in America. But the story of the Pharisees raises the troubling prospect that God might not be as pleased with us as we would hope him to be. We are troubled by many of the same flaws that troubled the Pharisees. We are more interested in man's rules than God's Word. We change the outside but our hearts remain dark and sinful. We are not trying to please God. Our religion is about a performance for other people. Jesus words call us to take stock of our own faith tradition and community. His words call us to ask the question: are there still Pharisees among us today? Or to personalize the question, Might we be Pharisees ourselves?
The day I found that out I became very uncomfortable. I had always assumed that I was
I bring up flannelgraphs because of today's chapter where Jesus castigates the Pharisees. On flannelgraphs, you not only had Jesus and the disciples, you also had the Pharisees. You had the Pharisees sitting and the Pharisees standing.....You get the idea. Like Jesus and the disciples, the Pharisees came in lots of poses. But there was one thing that was consistent with the Pharisees. They were always sneering. You see, not only did Jesus and the disciples have different body postures, they also had different expressions. There was smiling Jesus and serious Jesus. There were smiling disciples and fearful disciples. But the Pharisees had only one facial expression: permanent sneer. In addition, all of the Pharisees always had a very dark visage. Even as a five year old, I could look at the Pharisees and understand the message: the Pharisees were evil men. The artists who made flannelgraph figures made it very clear. Pharisees were the type of men who kicked dogs and took lollipops from babies. It was no wonder that Jesus didn't like them.
For years, I was sure that my flannelgraph training was right. I was sure that the Pharisees were the most despised men of their generation. That is why I was so surprised to find that the truth is actually quite different. As I read about first-century history in Israel, I found that Pharisees were not universally despised. In fact, they were largely beloved. In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were enormously popular with the people. Everybody agreed that they were holy men, completely devoted to God. People in the first century wanted a Pharisee as a neighbor. They wanted their daughters to marry Pharisees. Rather than being universally despised, Pharisees were the object of universal admiration and affection. They were admired as truly religious men. No one in their wildest imagination could have imagined that God was unhappy with the Pharisees.
Yet, in Matthew 23, Jesus makes it very clear that God indeed is very unhappy with the Pharisees. Their religion does not follow the teaching of God. It circumvents that teaching through the rule of men. Their religion does not touch the whole person. It changes the outside while leaving the inside alone. Their religion did not center on pleasing God. Instead, it centered on pleasing men. In almost every way, the Pharisees are found deficient.
Many evangelicals could not imagine that God could be unhappy with the evangelical church in America. But the story of the Pharisees raises the troubling prospect that God might not be as pleased with us as we would hope him to be. We are troubled by many of the same flaws that troubled the Pharisees. We are more interested in man's rules than God's Word. We change the outside but our hearts remain dark and sinful. We are not trying to please God. Our religion is about a performance for other people. Jesus words call us to take stock of our own faith tradition and community. His words call us to ask the question: are there still Pharisees among us today? Or to personalize the question, Might we be Pharisees ourselves?
The day I found that out I became very uncomfortable. I had always assumed that I was
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Why the Sadducees Were Sad (Matthew 22)
The religious leaders have a problem. They hate Jesus. They want Him dead. But the crowds love Jesus. They are not likely to stand idly by while Jesus is dragged away to His death. Luckily for the religious leaders, crowds are fickle. The one who is popular today is forgotten or reviled tomorrow. In Matthew 22, the religious leaders try to speed up the process of Jesus' descent from popularity. By asking Jesus a series of loaded questions, they hope to undermine Jesus' status as a spiritual guy. Living in a media age, we know it only takes one dumb statement to remove someone from power. The religious leaders are hoping to egg Jesus into that statement.
One of the groups of religious leaders that tries to bring Jesus down is the Sadducees. The Sadducees were the religious liberals of their day. They were not popular with the crowds because generally speaking they were a rich group. They were known for their merciless exploitation of the very poor people who would have been a part of the people massed in the Temple court for the holidays. But it wasn't only wealth that made the Sadducees hated. They were also hated because they did not stick to the old-time religion. Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees did not believe that the whole Old Testament was inspired of God. They accepted only the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses. In addition, the Sadducees did not believe in the existence of spiritual beings like angels and demons. They accepted only what their eyes could see. And finally, the Sadducees denied the reality of the resurrection. They thought death was the end. If you died before the Kingdom of God came, too bad for you. God did not bring people back to life.
That is why the Sadducees ask Jesus the question that they do in Matthew 22:23-33. Based on a provision of the Old Testament Law (too obscure to explain quickly here), the Sadducees try to show that Jesus isn't as smart as the crowds say that He is. They try to show that Jesus is dumb to believe in the resurrection.
There are lot of people who are cynical about the possibility of life after death. Those people make the same error as the Sadducees. First, they don't know the promises of the Word of God. Jesus tells the Sadducees that they are in error because they do not know the Scriptures. The Old and New Testaments are full of promises of resurrection for the believer. The Bible is clear that the one who trusts in Jesus does not have to fear death. Second, they don't know the power of God. God created this world. He formed us just by speaking. He split the Red Sea. He made the sun stand still. He fed 5,000 from a sack lunch. If God could do all of that, he can certainly raise us from the dead.
As Christians, we have great confidence in the face of death. Unlike the Sadducees, we know the Word of God. And unlike the Sadducees, we know the power of God. And so we have a sure and certain hope of eternal life.
One of the groups of religious leaders that tries to bring Jesus down is the Sadducees. The Sadducees were the religious liberals of their day. They were not popular with the crowds because generally speaking they were a rich group. They were known for their merciless exploitation of the very poor people who would have been a part of the people massed in the Temple court for the holidays. But it wasn't only wealth that made the Sadducees hated. They were also hated because they did not stick to the old-time religion. Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees did not believe that the whole Old Testament was inspired of God. They accepted only the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses. In addition, the Sadducees did not believe in the existence of spiritual beings like angels and demons. They accepted only what their eyes could see. And finally, the Sadducees denied the reality of the resurrection. They thought death was the end. If you died before the Kingdom of God came, too bad for you. God did not bring people back to life.
That is why the Sadducees ask Jesus the question that they do in Matthew 22:23-33. Based on a provision of the Old Testament Law (too obscure to explain quickly here), the Sadducees try to show that Jesus isn't as smart as the crowds say that He is. They try to show that Jesus is dumb to believe in the resurrection.
There are lot of people who are cynical about the possibility of life after death. Those people make the same error as the Sadducees. First, they don't know the promises of the Word of God. Jesus tells the Sadducees that they are in error because they do not know the Scriptures. The Old and New Testaments are full of promises of resurrection for the believer. The Bible is clear that the one who trusts in Jesus does not have to fear death. Second, they don't know the power of God. God created this world. He formed us just by speaking. He split the Red Sea. He made the sun stand still. He fed 5,000 from a sack lunch. If God could do all of that, he can certainly raise us from the dead.
As Christians, we have great confidence in the face of death. Unlike the Sadducees, we know the Word of God. And unlike the Sadducees, we know the power of God. And so we have a sure and certain hope of eternal life.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Applause Please (Matthew 21)
When I was at Rutgers University, I had a history professor who did a most unusual thing (at least for Rutgers). He taught us the story of Christianity. The professor was Eastern Orthodox and despite some rough edges was a very religious man. So, when the text book largely bypassed the story of Jesus, our professor brought it to the forefront. As he told us about the life of Christ, I remember him asking a question. "Why was Jesus put to death?" Well, I answered the question speaking about the atonement and forgiveness of sin. But I think that was too theological an answer for the teacher. He gave a more straightforward answer for Jesus' death: "The religious leaders were jealous. They crucified Jesus because He was taking all the applause that they wanted."
I think there is a degree of truth to that answer. Today, in Matthew 21, we see the religious leaders hesitating to do what they really want to do: kill Jesus. And why do they at least temporarily put their plans on the back burner? Because they are afraid of the crowds. On the one hand, this means that the religious leaders don't want to start a riot. Crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover had a habit of turning ugly at the slightest provocation. But riots weren't the only fear. The religious leaders also feared for their reputation. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that the religious leaders of his day did their religious duty to be approved by men. Their lengthy prayers and flowing robes were all meant to be an advertisement of their spirituality. The religious leaders were religious because they liked the praise of the crowds. Killing the prophet might quell the praise. This fear showed that they were being religious for the wrong audience.
I think it is easy to make the Pharisees' mistake again today. I think it is easy to become religious so that people will think well of us or like us. Yes, there are a lot of people in the world who view the religious (especially Christians) as narrow or intolerant. But there are still many people left who will admire signs of spirituality. It is very easy to make religion a performance for other people rather than fulfilling its true purpose, a relationship with God.
The next few chapters will remind us where the religion of public performance leads: it leads to the death of God. Loving the applause of men more than God, the Pharisees actually become brutally irreligious. I need to always take inventory of my own heart and see who I am being spiritual for. I have to make sure that the applause of nail pierced hands is more motivating than the cheers of an earthly audience.
I think there is a degree of truth to that answer. Today, in Matthew 21, we see the religious leaders hesitating to do what they really want to do: kill Jesus. And why do they at least temporarily put their plans on the back burner? Because they are afraid of the crowds. On the one hand, this means that the religious leaders don't want to start a riot. Crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover had a habit of turning ugly at the slightest provocation. But riots weren't the only fear. The religious leaders also feared for their reputation. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that the religious leaders of his day did their religious duty to be approved by men. Their lengthy prayers and flowing robes were all meant to be an advertisement of their spirituality. The religious leaders were religious because they liked the praise of the crowds. Killing the prophet might quell the praise. This fear showed that they were being religious for the wrong audience.
I think it is easy to make the Pharisees' mistake again today. I think it is easy to become religious so that people will think well of us or like us. Yes, there are a lot of people in the world who view the religious (especially Christians) as narrow or intolerant. But there are still many people left who will admire signs of spirituality. It is very easy to make religion a performance for other people rather than fulfilling its true purpose, a relationship with God.
The next few chapters will remind us where the religion of public performance leads: it leads to the death of God. Loving the applause of men more than God, the Pharisees actually become brutally irreligious. I need to always take inventory of my own heart and see who I am being spiritual for. I have to make sure that the applause of nail pierced hands is more motivating than the cheers of an earthly audience.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
How Many Pastors Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb? (Matthew 20)
When I was pastor of a church in Carteret, I received a phone call from a woman in our congregation. This woman was a widow who lived alone. She had been changing a light bulb when the bulb sheared right off. Now, she had a stub of jagged glass sticking out of her light socket. Concerned that this was a dangerous situation that could lead to a short or a fire, the woman called me as her pastor to get her light bulb free. This was something they didn't warn me about in Seminary. I thought as a pastor I was supposed to be a dynamic leader in God's church. I didn't know I had to join the electrician's union.
I mention this story because of Matthew 20. Matthew 20 contains one of the most foundational passages for Christian ministry. It provides an important reminder that leadership is not about how many serve you. It is about how many you serve.
In Matthew 20, the disciples are being their dense selves once again. Jesus is plainly telling them that His ministry will end in crucifixion. He will not be the political savior that they expected Him to me. James and John don't get it though. Egged on by mommy, they ask for the second and third seats in the kingdom. They want to be co-vice presidents as it were.
In some ways, their request makes sense. Along with Peter, they are the only disciples who saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. This clearly speaks to their presence in Jesus' inner circle. It might seem that Peter would have a claim to one of the seats of honor too. But hadn't Jesus called him Satan not too long ago? Clearly, his candidacy had gotten off track. James and John (and mommy) know that now is the time to make the power grab. But Jesus doesn't react as they want Him to do.
Jesus' response here is particularly interesting to me. Notice that Jesus does not condemn James and John's desire to be great in the kingdom of heaven. What Jesus condemns is the way that the two disciples are going about it. James and John adopted a worldly view of success. They thought that greatness was about having authority over people. Jesus turns their idea of greatness on its head. He says greatness is about serving. The truly great person does not see any job as beneath them. They see themselves as a slave to the needs of others. In other words, the great person doesn't sit on the throne. Instead, they clean it.
I want to be great in the kingdom of God. How do I do that? Do I build a large ministry with lots of money and people? No. Instead, I view myself as a slave to other Christians, humbly extending myself to meet their needs.
Somehow, I got the light bulb out without electrocuting myself. And I learned again what being great is really all about.
I mention this story because of Matthew 20. Matthew 20 contains one of the most foundational passages for Christian ministry. It provides an important reminder that leadership is not about how many serve you. It is about how many you serve.
In Matthew 20, the disciples are being their dense selves once again. Jesus is plainly telling them that His ministry will end in crucifixion. He will not be the political savior that they expected Him to me. James and John don't get it though. Egged on by mommy, they ask for the second and third seats in the kingdom. They want to be co-vice presidents as it were.
In some ways, their request makes sense. Along with Peter, they are the only disciples who saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. This clearly speaks to their presence in Jesus' inner circle. It might seem that Peter would have a claim to one of the seats of honor too. But hadn't Jesus called him Satan not too long ago? Clearly, his candidacy had gotten off track. James and John (and mommy) know that now is the time to make the power grab. But Jesus doesn't react as they want Him to do.
Jesus' response here is particularly interesting to me. Notice that Jesus does not condemn James and John's desire to be great in the kingdom of heaven. What Jesus condemns is the way that the two disciples are going about it. James and John adopted a worldly view of success. They thought that greatness was about having authority over people. Jesus turns their idea of greatness on its head. He says greatness is about serving. The truly great person does not see any job as beneath them. They see themselves as a slave to the needs of others. In other words, the great person doesn't sit on the throne. Instead, they clean it.
I want to be great in the kingdom of God. How do I do that? Do I build a large ministry with lots of money and people? No. Instead, I view myself as a slave to other Christians, humbly extending myself to meet their needs.
Somehow, I got the light bulb out without electrocuting myself. And I learned again what being great is really all about.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Loosen Your Grip (Matthew 19)
I suppose that most pastoral commentary on Matthew 19 focuses on the issue of divorce. We live in a culture where marriages are more disposable than Dixie cups. Of courser with Dixie cups, we worry about the effect of all those little plastic and paper cups on the environment. With divorce, the lingering and lasting consequences seem never to get a second thought. In a culture like ours, Jesus' teaching about the permanence of marriage certainly deserves serious explanation and consideration.
But what strikes me today is not what Jesus says at the beginning of the chapter. It is what He says at the end. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus makes it clear that keeping too tight a hold on one's possessions can hinder one's entrance into the Kingdom of God.
For years, some in the church, especially Fundamentalist churches, have gotten this truth backwards. When I was young, helping the poor was not high on the Christian priority list. The thought was that people needed the Gospel not material goods. Spiritual needs were far more important than physical needs. Jesus' teaching does not really allow us to make this dichotomy. The rich young ruler had a spiritual need. He desired eternal life. Yet, Jesus zeroed in on his bank account. The separation between spiritual and physical needs is apparently not so great.
Am I more like the rich young ruler or Peter? Do I walk away sad from Jesus' command or can I say: "I have left all to follow you." The truth is I am probably somewhere in the middle. This passage challenges me again to give up all for the sake of God's kingdom. It reminds me not to keep too tight a grasp on my possessions.
But what strikes me today is not what Jesus says at the beginning of the chapter. It is what He says at the end. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus makes it clear that keeping too tight a hold on one's possessions can hinder one's entrance into the Kingdom of God.
For years, some in the church, especially Fundamentalist churches, have gotten this truth backwards. When I was young, helping the poor was not high on the Christian priority list. The thought was that people needed the Gospel not material goods. Spiritual needs were far more important than physical needs. Jesus' teaching does not really allow us to make this dichotomy. The rich young ruler had a spiritual need. He desired eternal life. Yet, Jesus zeroed in on his bank account. The separation between spiritual and physical needs is apparently not so great.
Am I more like the rich young ruler or Peter? Do I walk away sad from Jesus' command or can I say: "I have left all to follow you." The truth is I am probably somewhere in the middle. This passage challenges me again to give up all for the sake of God's kingdom. It reminds me not to keep too tight a grasp on my possessions.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Forgive? I'd Rather Pluck Out an Eye! (Matthew 18)
I think that Jesus gives us some of his most difficult teaching in Matthew 18. Many commentators would say the source of difficulty is in verses 8-9. Jesus' words about plucking out your eye and cutting off your hand are not easy to swallow. Still, to me, those words aren't as tough as the ones that follow later in the chapter. Jesus has taught us earlier in Matthew that the body is not the sole or even the true source of sin. Sin comes from our minds and hearts and souls. If this teaching is true, lopping body parts off will not curb our predilection for wrongdoing. In the rhetorical fashion of first-century Israel, Jesus is using hyperbole to remind us of how important holiness is.
Verses 8-9 aren't the difficult part. Verse 22 is the hard one. Jesus says we should forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times. I know translations vary in how they render Jesus' forgiveness count. But whatever the right translation is, that is a lot of forgiveness. The meaning of these words is obvious; it is the execution that is difficult.
Forgiveness implies that I have been hurt- deeply. This week, someone accidentally stepped on my foot. The person who did that was very apologetic: "I hope you can forgive me." And I did forgive them. But not really. You see, I hadn't even felt them step on my foot. In my mind, there was nothing to forgive. That is not real forgiveness. Real forgiveness comes when you feel the pain. It happens when the person steps on your foot even after you have warned them not to be clumsy. It happens when the person stomps on your foot again and again. Those who forgive have been wounded. Those who forgive are saying it is okay that the score will never be settled. To forgive is to love and accept even when the pain cannot be mitigated.
Think about the ruler whose servant owed him so much money. Jesus says the man was owed ten thousand talents. In today's currency, that was millions of dollars. Yet, the man forgave his servant that debt. Do you think that the master didn't miss his millions? Somehow, when I read this story before, I figured the master was so rich that a few million was no big deal. But could that really have been the case? Can we really think that the master wasn't going to take some sort of economic hit from the loss of a few million dollars? The loss was going to hurt, but the master forgave anyway.
How do we forgive when our foot is still broken? How do we forgive when we have millions gone that we will never recover? That is hard. And that is exactly what Jesus calls us to do again and again. God has done that for us. How can we expect to be forgiven if we don't do the same?
Verses 8-9 aren't the difficult part. Verse 22 is the hard one. Jesus says we should forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times. I know translations vary in how they render Jesus' forgiveness count. But whatever the right translation is, that is a lot of forgiveness. The meaning of these words is obvious; it is the execution that is difficult.
Forgiveness implies that I have been hurt- deeply. This week, someone accidentally stepped on my foot. The person who did that was very apologetic: "I hope you can forgive me." And I did forgive them. But not really. You see, I hadn't even felt them step on my foot. In my mind, there was nothing to forgive. That is not real forgiveness. Real forgiveness comes when you feel the pain. It happens when the person steps on your foot even after you have warned them not to be clumsy. It happens when the person stomps on your foot again and again. Those who forgive have been wounded. Those who forgive are saying it is okay that the score will never be settled. To forgive is to love and accept even when the pain cannot be mitigated.
Think about the ruler whose servant owed him so much money. Jesus says the man was owed ten thousand talents. In today's currency, that was millions of dollars. Yet, the man forgave his servant that debt. Do you think that the master didn't miss his millions? Somehow, when I read this story before, I figured the master was so rich that a few million was no big deal. But could that really have been the case? Can we really think that the master wasn't going to take some sort of economic hit from the loss of a few million dollars? The loss was going to hurt, but the master forgave anyway.
How do we forgive when our foot is still broken? How do we forgive when we have millions gone that we will never recover? That is hard. And that is exactly what Jesus calls us to do again and again. God has done that for us. How can we expect to be forgiven if we don't do the same?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Mountains and Mustard Seeds (Matthew 17)
In Matthew 17, the disciples are at it again. Three of the disciples have a mountaintop moment (literally) while the other nine are struggling down below to help a poor boy suffering seizures.
To understand this story, you need to remember what has happened earlier in the book of Matthew. In earlier chapters, the disciples went on a highly successful missions trip. On that trip, they saw people healed and liberated from spiritual bondage. I imagine that coming off that trip the disciples thought that there was very little that they could not accomplish. But here the disciples are stymied. All of the success of their trip seems to be eroded in a single episode of frustration.
I will give the disciples credit for one thing. When all goes wrong, they don't blame God. In verse 19, the disciples ask Jesus: "Why couldn't we drive it out?" They point the finger of blame to themselves. And Jesus says that, that is where it rightly rests. He tells the disciples that they were powerless because of their lack of faith. He famously tells them that all they need is faith like a mustard seed.
A mustard seed is a small seed that grows into a rather big plant, relatively speaking. Jesus' point is that even out of the tiniest bits of faith great things can happen. I wonder how many chances we miss to liberate people from bondage because we don't have even the little bit of faith that we need to have? As I read Matthew 17, it challenges me to trust more in God and less in myself. It is through faith in Jesus that mountains are moved. Perhaps more importantly, it is through faith that people are helped and healed. Do I have even a little faith that God might do great things through me?
To understand this story, you need to remember what has happened earlier in the book of Matthew. In earlier chapters, the disciples went on a highly successful missions trip. On that trip, they saw people healed and liberated from spiritual bondage. I imagine that coming off that trip the disciples thought that there was very little that they could not accomplish. But here the disciples are stymied. All of the success of their trip seems to be eroded in a single episode of frustration.
I will give the disciples credit for one thing. When all goes wrong, they don't blame God. In verse 19, the disciples ask Jesus: "Why couldn't we drive it out?" They point the finger of blame to themselves. And Jesus says that, that is where it rightly rests. He tells the disciples that they were powerless because of their lack of faith. He famously tells them that all they need is faith like a mustard seed.
A mustard seed is a small seed that grows into a rather big plant, relatively speaking. Jesus' point is that even out of the tiniest bits of faith great things can happen. I wonder how many chances we miss to liberate people from bondage because we don't have even the little bit of faith that we need to have? As I read Matthew 17, it challenges me to trust more in God and less in myself. It is through faith in Jesus that mountains are moved. Perhaps more importantly, it is through faith that people are helped and healed. Do I have even a little faith that God might do great things through me?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
From Rock Solid to Rocks in Your Head (Matthew 16)
I have always found reading about the disciples to be a very encouraging thing. Very often, they make me feel good about my Christian life. They let me know that maybe there is hope for me after all. In the popular imagination, the disciples are the guys venerated on the stained glass. They are the saints who all the churches are named after (with the exception of Judas, of course). In some Christian traditions, these guys are the best of the best, the Hall of Famers (as it were).
Those who read the New Testament with even the slightest bit of care know better. These disciples were far from Supermen. More often, they were like a bunch of Clark Kents. That is not to say that they don't have their Superman moments. Peter has one here in Matthew 16. Asked to identify who Jesus is, Peter ignores the popular misconceptions of Jesus' identity and says: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Peter gives the confession of Jesus that would become the rock of the church. And for that Simon (as he was then known) gets a new name. From now on the disciples will know him as Rocky. His new name Peter speaks to his rock solid answer.
But it doesn't take Peter too long to go from rock solid to having rocks in his head. Just several verses later (maybe a few days later in real time), Peter doesn't like this going to the cross stuff that Jesus is talking about. He tells Jesus in no uncertain terms that an attitude adjustment needs to occur. Now, Jesus' name for Peter is not so complimentary. This time Peter is called Satan. How quickly, Peter went from one extreme to the other.
I can relate to Peter. At times I feel like super-Christian and at other times I feel like a failure. I am thankful that Peter's first name stuck with him and not his second. It tells me that even though I fail miserably at times, God can still use me. I am glad that God sticks by me not only when I am the Rock of Gibraltar. I am glad that He sticks by me when I have rocks in my head too.
Those who read the New Testament with even the slightest bit of care know better. These disciples were far from Supermen. More often, they were like a bunch of Clark Kents. That is not to say that they don't have their Superman moments. Peter has one here in Matthew 16. Asked to identify who Jesus is, Peter ignores the popular misconceptions of Jesus' identity and says: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Peter gives the confession of Jesus that would become the rock of the church. And for that Simon (as he was then known) gets a new name. From now on the disciples will know him as Rocky. His new name Peter speaks to his rock solid answer.
But it doesn't take Peter too long to go from rock solid to having rocks in his head. Just several verses later (maybe a few days later in real time), Peter doesn't like this going to the cross stuff that Jesus is talking about. He tells Jesus in no uncertain terms that an attitude adjustment needs to occur. Now, Jesus' name for Peter is not so complimentary. This time Peter is called Satan. How quickly, Peter went from one extreme to the other.
I can relate to Peter. At times I feel like super-Christian and at other times I feel like a failure. I am thankful that Peter's first name stuck with him and not his second. It tells me that even though I fail miserably at times, God can still use me. I am glad that God sticks by me not only when I am the Rock of Gibraltar. I am glad that He sticks by me when I have rocks in my head too.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Limits of Hand Washing (Matthew 15)
I have several thoughts as I read today's passage. My first thought is that my two three year olds would have loved being disciples. They don't like to wash their hands before they eat either. My guess is that the tradition of the elders would have not meant too much to them.
On a more serious note, I am reminded again that Christianity is a religion that works from the inside out. Why were the Pharisees washing their hands? It wasn't for the same reason that we wash. We wash because we are afraid of germs. The Pharisees were afraid of a different type of contagion. They were afraid of spiritual contagion. When the Pharisees washed their hands, they didn't just wash physical dirt off. They washed off dirt that they felt could lead to spiritual corruption. The Pharisees feared that if they ate something unclean it would compromise their relationship with God.
Jesus takes the Pharisees on when it comes to this point. He says that spiritual corruption comes not merely from what we eat (or do). Instead, spiritual corruption is deeper. It is a matter of a faulty heart and mind and soul. Jesus' point is simple: The problem is not that we sin; the problem is that we are sinners. No amount of hand washing can ever take that away. We need a radical re-working of our personalities, temperaments, and wills. In Jesus, that happens. Through faith in Jesus' work and the confession of our sinfulness, the Holy Spirit begins to change us. He conforms our desires and choices to His own.
As I wash my hands today, I'll be reminded that not all corruption cleans up with Softsoap. I will be thankful that Jesus has given of His Spirit that I might be a different person.
On a more serious note, I am reminded again that Christianity is a religion that works from the inside out. Why were the Pharisees washing their hands? It wasn't for the same reason that we wash. We wash because we are afraid of germs. The Pharisees were afraid of a different type of contagion. They were afraid of spiritual contagion. When the Pharisees washed their hands, they didn't just wash physical dirt off. They washed off dirt that they felt could lead to spiritual corruption. The Pharisees feared that if they ate something unclean it would compromise their relationship with God.
Jesus takes the Pharisees on when it comes to this point. He says that spiritual corruption comes not merely from what we eat (or do). Instead, spiritual corruption is deeper. It is a matter of a faulty heart and mind and soul. Jesus' point is simple: The problem is not that we sin; the problem is that we are sinners. No amount of hand washing can ever take that away. We need a radical re-working of our personalities, temperaments, and wills. In Jesus, that happens. Through faith in Jesus' work and the confession of our sinfulness, the Holy Spirit begins to change us. He conforms our desires and choices to His own.
As I wash my hands today, I'll be reminded that not all corruption cleans up with Softsoap. I will be thankful that Jesus has given of His Spirit that I might be a different person.
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Feeeding of the Five Thousand (Plus)
Matthew 14:15-21 is often called "The Feeding of the Five Thousand." In reality, that is a misnomer. Verse 21 makes it clear that five thousand men were fed that day. The women and children were not counted in that number. So, it had to be at least the feeding of the five thousand and two, though the number was probably much larger than that. Even if we don't know the exact figure, we do know that this was a miracle. In our household of four, we are blessed if a loaf of bread last for two or three days. You certainly don't expect five small loaves and two tilapia fillets to feed more than five thousand people.
There is some deep theological truth embedded in this passage. The feeding of the five thousand plus portrays Jesus as the new Moses. Out in the wilderness, He is providing the people of Israel with the bread and meat that they need. If that doesn't have overtones of the Exodus, what does? Jesus' reproduction of bread and fish for Israel makes clear that He will establish a new covenant with Israel just as Moses established the old. It also makes clear that Jesus is God, for God was the ultimate source of the manna and quail that Israel ate on her wilderness journey.
It is not just the theological truths of this passage that interest me, though. I am encouraged by the practical truths here. The disciples see a need. They see a huge need. They see a need that in their wildest imaginations they could never think about meeting. And what does Jesus say? He says: "You meet it." And what do the disciples say? "Our resources are not enough. Jesus, there is no way we can meet this need." Too often, I do the same thing as the disciples. God shows me a need and says, "Meet it." He says, "Here is a ministry challenge for you to undertake." And what do I say? I say: "God, I am not up to the task. I don't have the ministry resources. I am not a gifted enough pastor. Our church doesn't have enough volunteers. There is a problem of money."
God is not interested in my excuses. Jesus knew the limitations that the disciples faced when He asked them to feed the crowd. Yet, He still called on them to help. Jesus wasn't concerned about the little the disciples had. He just wanted the disciples to give all that they had so that He could bless it. And when Jesus blessed it, the little became a lot.
Is God calling you to meet a need? He is not interested in what you don't have. He is not calling you to meet the need in your strength. God is calling you to use what you do have for Him so that He can bless it. When we take the little that we have and use it for God, great things can happen. So when God calls you to meet a need, don't fuss about what you don't have. Just give what you do have to Him and see what happens.
There is some deep theological truth embedded in this passage. The feeding of the five thousand plus portrays Jesus as the new Moses. Out in the wilderness, He is providing the people of Israel with the bread and meat that they need. If that doesn't have overtones of the Exodus, what does? Jesus' reproduction of bread and fish for Israel makes clear that He will establish a new covenant with Israel just as Moses established the old. It also makes clear that Jesus is God, for God was the ultimate source of the manna and quail that Israel ate on her wilderness journey.
It is not just the theological truths of this passage that interest me, though. I am encouraged by the practical truths here. The disciples see a need. They see a huge need. They see a need that in their wildest imaginations they could never think about meeting. And what does Jesus say? He says: "You meet it." And what do the disciples say? "Our resources are not enough. Jesus, there is no way we can meet this need." Too often, I do the same thing as the disciples. God shows me a need and says, "Meet it." He says, "Here is a ministry challenge for you to undertake." And what do I say? I say: "God, I am not up to the task. I don't have the ministry resources. I am not a gifted enough pastor. Our church doesn't have enough volunteers. There is a problem of money."
God is not interested in my excuses. Jesus knew the limitations that the disciples faced when He asked them to feed the crowd. Yet, He still called on them to help. Jesus wasn't concerned about the little the disciples had. He just wanted the disciples to give all that they had so that He could bless it. And when Jesus blessed it, the little became a lot.
Is God calling you to meet a need? He is not interested in what you don't have. He is not calling you to meet the need in your strength. God is calling you to use what you do have for Him so that He can bless it. When we take the little that we have and use it for God, great things can happen. So when God calls you to meet a need, don't fuss about what you don't have. Just give what you do have to Him and see what happens.
Spread the Seed
As a pastor, I have read many books about church growth and evangelism. It seems that there is no shortage of authors ready to tell other believers how to grow the church. In the past decade or so, a lot of books on evangelism have tried to cull insights from the secular field of marketing. These authors suggest that the strategies of marketing and advertising are useful to growing churches and to making converts. According to these authors, one of the lessons we learn from marketing is that we need to concentrate our efforts on a very specific, narrow demographic. In other words, we should try to reach people who are just like us. If you're in a congregation of young families, reach young families. If you are in a congregation of the elderly, reach the elderly. If you have a congregation of people who work high tech jobs, reach people who work high tech jobs. It has become common wisdom in church growth circles that evangelistic efforts have to be focused and narrow to be effective.
I have never written a book on church growth, but I don't know about that strategy. To me, Matthew 13 seems to suggest another approach. Much of Matthew 13 is taken up with the parable of the sower. I don't know about you, but to me the sower doesn't seem like much of a farmer. I thought farmers planted crops in nice straight rows. I thought that farmers made a hole for each seed they planted. The sower does none of those things. He just seems to throw a blizzard of seed anywhere he can find the space. That is not good twenty-first century farming. But it is good first-century farming. First-century farmers knew nothing of our modern agriculture. So how did they try to get good crop yields? The parable suggests that they sought good yields by throwing seed everywhere. The more places seed was sown, the more chance seed had to grow. Farmers back then knew if you wanted to see growth you had to plant a lot of seed in a lot of places. A paucity of seed would not produce fruit.
Why aren't churches growing today (at least in our part of the country)? There are lots of reasons. One reason is that we simply aren't spreading the seed. A more narrow marketing focus is not what the church needs. Jesus teaches us in this parable that to see growth lots of seed must be planted. Not all the seeds grow. There are obstacles that prevent faith in many people. That is why a lot of seed has to go out. It is only as the Gospel is spread to many people in many places that growth comes.
As Christians, we are apt to prejudge who might be saved and who will not. That is a mistake. Our job is not to save. Our job is to plant. I need to continue to look for every and any opportunity to spread the Gospel to others.
I have never written a book on church growth, but I don't know about that strategy. To me, Matthew 13 seems to suggest another approach. Much of Matthew 13 is taken up with the parable of the sower. I don't know about you, but to me the sower doesn't seem like much of a farmer. I thought farmers planted crops in nice straight rows. I thought that farmers made a hole for each seed they planted. The sower does none of those things. He just seems to throw a blizzard of seed anywhere he can find the space. That is not good twenty-first century farming. But it is good first-century farming. First-century farmers knew nothing of our modern agriculture. So how did they try to get good crop yields? The parable suggests that they sought good yields by throwing seed everywhere. The more places seed was sown, the more chance seed had to grow. Farmers back then knew if you wanted to see growth you had to plant a lot of seed in a lot of places. A paucity of seed would not produce fruit.
Why aren't churches growing today (at least in our part of the country)? There are lots of reasons. One reason is that we simply aren't spreading the seed. A more narrow marketing focus is not what the church needs. Jesus teaches us in this parable that to see growth lots of seed must be planted. Not all the seeds grow. There are obstacles that prevent faith in many people. That is why a lot of seed has to go out. It is only as the Gospel is spread to many people in many places that growth comes.
As Christians, we are apt to prejudge who might be saved and who will not. That is a mistake. Our job is not to save. Our job is to plant. I need to continue to look for every and any opportunity to spread the Gospel to others.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Unpardonable Sin?
There is a lot to comment on in this passage today. However, I find that the attention of most people who read this passage inevitably comes to verses 31-32. I have even had people who have never darkened the door of a church ask me: "So what is the unpardonable sin?" More to the point, I have had sincere believers sit in my office and say to me: "I may have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. Can I be forgiven?"
Perhaps no words in all of the Gospels are more misunderstood then the ones Jesus speaks in verses 31-32. "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come" (NIV). One thing is immediately clear from this passage. There is a unpardonable sin. Jesus absolutely speaks of a sin that will not be forgiven in this time or the time to come. The big question is what is that sin? What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
To answer that question, one has to think about the context. Jesus is exorcising demons. Apparently, He is exorcising lots of them. That alone speaks to His great power. But not only is Jesus exorcising many demons. He is exorcising them quite effortlessly. First-century Israel had many who fancied themselves exorcists. Some were apparently successful at their trade. Occasionally, they got a demon to go. But this happened only after hours if not days of toil and struggle. With Jesus, there is no toil and struggle. Jesus speaks; the demons leave. As good theologians of the Old Testament Scriptures, this would have made very clear to the Pharisees who Jesus was. It may have been tough for the Pharisees to admit that Jesus was God. That was a stretch for their way of thinking. But they should have known that the Spirit of God was upon Jesus in a mighty way. The ease with which Jesus cast out demons- many of them- should have told the Pharisees that Jesus was a Spiritual guy. Even the crowds, who don't have the Pharisees' theological acumen, suggest that Jesus is the Son of David (the Spirit filled Messiah that Israel was expecting). But the Pharisees won't tolerate such talk it. Instead, they tell the crowd that Jesus is acting by the power of demons.
The Pharisees had to know better. They had to know that it was God, not Satan, who was behind all these things. And so what were they doing? They were willfully, consciously, repeatedly rejecting Jesus' claims about His identity and lordship. And that is what it means to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to persistently reject Jesus as Savior and Lord. Those who blaspheme the Spirit are those who never exercise faith in Jesus. Those who blaspheme the Spirit reject Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Blasphemy of the Spirit is not a sin committed by Christians. It is a sin committed by those who reject Christ. If our faith and trust are in Jesus, then blaspheming the Spirit is something that we cannot do.
Perhaps no words in all of the Gospels are more misunderstood then the ones Jesus speaks in verses 31-32. "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come" (NIV). One thing is immediately clear from this passage. There is a unpardonable sin. Jesus absolutely speaks of a sin that will not be forgiven in this time or the time to come. The big question is what is that sin? What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
To answer that question, one has to think about the context. Jesus is exorcising demons. Apparently, He is exorcising lots of them. That alone speaks to His great power. But not only is Jesus exorcising many demons. He is exorcising them quite effortlessly. First-century Israel had many who fancied themselves exorcists. Some were apparently successful at their trade. Occasionally, they got a demon to go. But this happened only after hours if not days of toil and struggle. With Jesus, there is no toil and struggle. Jesus speaks; the demons leave. As good theologians of the Old Testament Scriptures, this would have made very clear to the Pharisees who Jesus was. It may have been tough for the Pharisees to admit that Jesus was God. That was a stretch for their way of thinking. But they should have known that the Spirit of God was upon Jesus in a mighty way. The ease with which Jesus cast out demons- many of them- should have told the Pharisees that Jesus was a Spiritual guy. Even the crowds, who don't have the Pharisees' theological acumen, suggest that Jesus is the Son of David (the Spirit filled Messiah that Israel was expecting). But the Pharisees won't tolerate such talk it. Instead, they tell the crowd that Jesus is acting by the power of demons.
The Pharisees had to know better. They had to know that it was God, not Satan, who was behind all these things. And so what were they doing? They were willfully, consciously, repeatedly rejecting Jesus' claims about His identity and lordship. And that is what it means to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to persistently reject Jesus as Savior and Lord. Those who blaspheme the Spirit are those who never exercise faith in Jesus. Those who blaspheme the Spirit reject Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Blasphemy of the Spirit is not a sin committed by Christians. It is a sin committed by those who reject Christ. If our faith and trust are in Jesus, then blaspheming the Spirit is something that we cannot do.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Rest for the Weary
As I read Matthew 11, verse 28 stands out. I think that verse stands out because it contains the word rest. When you are a parent to twin three year olds, the word rest gets your attention. It is the one thing you can never enough of no matter how hard you try.
There are actually many people in our world looking for rest today. Of course, not all of those people are looking for physical rest. Some are looking for mental rest. They want relief from the anxious and troubled thoughts that flood their minds each day. Others are looking for rest from the burden of guilt. They are weary from carrying the sins of their past. Others are looking for rest from addiction. The alcohol or drugs that they have served have been a cruel task master.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus gives those who need rest a great promise. He tells that the old adage is not true. There is indeed rest for the weary. But how do we obtain that rest? Jesus says three things:
1. We have to admit that we are weary. Jesus invites the weary to come to Him. To look for rest in Jesus, one has to admit that he or she is tired. We have to say that we cannot carry the burdens of life by ourselves.
2. We have to live life Jesus' way. He has to be boss and Lord. Jesus says "take my yoke upon you." In Jesus day the yoke that united animals in the field was also a symbol of discipleship. When a student followed a rabbi, he was said to be taking the rabbi's yoke. That meant that he would rigidly follow the rabbi's teaching and instruction. To find rest, we have to let Jesus be our Lord, following His commands. At first, this doesn't sound restful. But Jesus says is yoke His easy and His burden is light.
3. We have to learn from Jesus. We have to continue to hear His word every day and to get to know Him more and more.
Why are there times that I am weary in all aspects of life? It is because too often I am trying to do all of the work myself. I need to continually yoke myself to Jesus. I need to obey Him completely in the power and the strength that he provides.
There are actually many people in our world looking for rest today. Of course, not all of those people are looking for physical rest. Some are looking for mental rest. They want relief from the anxious and troubled thoughts that flood their minds each day. Others are looking for rest from the burden of guilt. They are weary from carrying the sins of their past. Others are looking for rest from addiction. The alcohol or drugs that they have served have been a cruel task master.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus gives those who need rest a great promise. He tells that the old adage is not true. There is indeed rest for the weary. But how do we obtain that rest? Jesus says three things:
1. We have to admit that we are weary. Jesus invites the weary to come to Him. To look for rest in Jesus, one has to admit that he or she is tired. We have to say that we cannot carry the burdens of life by ourselves.
2. We have to live life Jesus' way. He has to be boss and Lord. Jesus says "take my yoke upon you." In Jesus day the yoke that united animals in the field was also a symbol of discipleship. When a student followed a rabbi, he was said to be taking the rabbi's yoke. That meant that he would rigidly follow the rabbi's teaching and instruction. To find rest, we have to let Jesus be our Lord, following His commands. At first, this doesn't sound restful. But Jesus says is yoke His easy and His burden is light.
3. We have to learn from Jesus. We have to continue to hear His word every day and to get to know Him more and more.
Why are there times that I am weary in all aspects of life? It is because too often I am trying to do all of the work myself. I need to continually yoke myself to Jesus. I need to obey Him completely in the power and the strength that he provides.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Let the Mission Begin
One of my sons' favorite TV shows is Little Einsteins. The show features classical music loving toddlers who fly a rocket ship all over the world solving mysteries and helping the downtrodden. Okay, so it is not exactly reality television. (But then again, reality television isn't real either is it?)
At the beginning of every Little Einsteins episode, the characters yell, "Let the mission begin!" One of my sons has taken to yelling that phrase now every time we leave home to go to school, or the grocery store, or wherever. I thought of those words as I read Matthew 10 today. I could hear the 12 disciples yelling, "Let the mission begin!" as Jesus sent them on their way throughout Israel. I wonder how the disciples felt as Jesus sent them off. Were they excited? Jesus said they could heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead! I think I would be pretty pumped for a missions trip like that. But then, of course, there was the rest of what Jesus said. He told them that they could be arrested and flogged and jailed. Jesus even said that some would view them as Satan! Now, I think the disciples might have been fearful rather than excited. The reality is that the disciples probably had a lot of emotions as they started their trek to minister to Israel.
I can relate to the mix of emotions. Ministering to people, helping to meet their needs, can be exhilarating, frightening, exhausting, and freeing all at the same time. But as I read Matthew 10, I am thankful that I have one advantage that the disciples on that first mission did not have. I have Jesus with me. Matthew 11:1 makes it clear that when the disciples went to do their ministry, they went alone. Jesus stayed behind and continued in His ministry alone. But, thankfully, I never have to go it alone. The book of Matthew will end with some very famous words: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." As I go about my work, I am thankful to know that I am not alone. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is with me to equip, to enable, and to encourage.
At the beginning of every Little Einsteins episode, the characters yell, "Let the mission begin!" One of my sons has taken to yelling that phrase now every time we leave home to go to school, or the grocery store, or wherever. I thought of those words as I read Matthew 10 today. I could hear the 12 disciples yelling, "Let the mission begin!" as Jesus sent them on their way throughout Israel. I wonder how the disciples felt as Jesus sent them off. Were they excited? Jesus said they could heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead! I think I would be pretty pumped for a missions trip like that. But then, of course, there was the rest of what Jesus said. He told them that they could be arrested and flogged and jailed. Jesus even said that some would view them as Satan! Now, I think the disciples might have been fearful rather than excited. The reality is that the disciples probably had a lot of emotions as they started their trek to minister to Israel.
I can relate to the mix of emotions. Ministering to people, helping to meet their needs, can be exhilarating, frightening, exhausting, and freeing all at the same time. But as I read Matthew 10, I am thankful that I have one advantage that the disciples on that first mission did not have. I have Jesus with me. Matthew 11:1 makes it clear that when the disciples went to do their ministry, they went alone. Jesus stayed behind and continued in His ministry alone. But, thankfully, I never have to go it alone. The book of Matthew will end with some very famous words: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." As I go about my work, I am thankful to know that I am not alone. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is with me to equip, to enable, and to encourage.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
What's a Nice God Like You Doing in a Place Like This?
It is certainly not news to read Matthew 9 and find out that Jesus hung out with sinners. Most of us are familiar with the facts presented in this passage. We know that Jesus kept company with "sinners" and tax collectors. I don't know, though, if we really understand how outrageous Jesus' behavior seemed to those who considered themselves godly.
I guess we get the problem with the sinners. It is not good to hang around with people of ill repute. "Bad company corrupts good character," we would say. We believe that truth in a figurative way. We use the phrase to suggest that evil influences good more than good influences evil. But in Jesus' day that phrase would have been taken literally. Under the law (or at least the rabbis' interpretation of it), eating with sinners caused one to participate in their sinfulness. So if you ate with a drunk, you shared in the guilt of drunkeness. If you shared a meal with a loose woman, you had spiritual corruption even if you weren't loose yourself. Back then, people viewed sins like we view colds today. It was literally contagious.
Of course, Jesus not only hung out with sinners. He also hung out with tax collectors. What could be wrong with having friends at the IRS we wonder? Remember that tax collectors worked for the enemy. For hundreds of years, Israel had been under Roman occupation. Tax collectors worked for the occupiers. They gathered revenue that helped support Israel's oppression. And to make matters worse, they were cheats. Some historical sources suggest that tax collectors did not draw a salary from the government. Tax collectors made money by collecting more tax then they had to. Whatever tax collectors collected over their quota, they got to keep. So when Jesus hung out with tax collectors, what was he doing? He was hanging out with people who cheated and swindled to keep the hated enemy in power. Jesus eating with tax collectors was sort of like us having lunch with al Qaeda operatives. Imagine how people in the church would feel about that!
I think if many of us were present in the first-century, we might have been uncomfortable with what Jesus did. We would have wondered what Jesus was doing hanging out with those sorts of people. Most of us would not hang with those sorts of people today. But Jesus did. Why? The answer is found in verse 36. Jesus had compassion. His heart was broken for the lost. Most of us don't have compassion. We have judgment. We want to condemn those who engage in public sin. We want to elevate ourselves, thinking that we are so much better because of our circumspect behavior. But when we judge others, we are only judging ourselves because we too are sinners. Jesus was without sin. He had a right to judge but He did not. He offered mercy and grace to those his society rejected. And unlike the "righteous," the "rejects" took it.
I need to open my eyes to see that there is a harvest in unlikely places. I need to get into the fields. And I need to pray that God would send others to go with me.
I guess we get the problem with the sinners. It is not good to hang around with people of ill repute. "Bad company corrupts good character," we would say. We believe that truth in a figurative way. We use the phrase to suggest that evil influences good more than good influences evil. But in Jesus' day that phrase would have been taken literally. Under the law (or at least the rabbis' interpretation of it), eating with sinners caused one to participate in their sinfulness. So if you ate with a drunk, you shared in the guilt of drunkeness. If you shared a meal with a loose woman, you had spiritual corruption even if you weren't loose yourself. Back then, people viewed sins like we view colds today. It was literally contagious.
Of course, Jesus not only hung out with sinners. He also hung out with tax collectors. What could be wrong with having friends at the IRS we wonder? Remember that tax collectors worked for the enemy. For hundreds of years, Israel had been under Roman occupation. Tax collectors worked for the occupiers. They gathered revenue that helped support Israel's oppression. And to make matters worse, they were cheats. Some historical sources suggest that tax collectors did not draw a salary from the government. Tax collectors made money by collecting more tax then they had to. Whatever tax collectors collected over their quota, they got to keep. So when Jesus hung out with tax collectors, what was he doing? He was hanging out with people who cheated and swindled to keep the hated enemy in power. Jesus eating with tax collectors was sort of like us having lunch with al Qaeda operatives. Imagine how people in the church would feel about that!
I think if many of us were present in the first-century, we might have been uncomfortable with what Jesus did. We would have wondered what Jesus was doing hanging out with those sorts of people. Most of us would not hang with those sorts of people today. But Jesus did. Why? The answer is found in verse 36. Jesus had compassion. His heart was broken for the lost. Most of us don't have compassion. We have judgment. We want to condemn those who engage in public sin. We want to elevate ourselves, thinking that we are so much better because of our circumspect behavior. But when we judge others, we are only judging ourselves because we too are sinners. Jesus was without sin. He had a right to judge but He did not. He offered mercy and grace to those his society rejected. And unlike the "righteous," the "rejects" took it.
I need to open my eyes to see that there is a harvest in unlikely places. I need to get into the fields. And I need to pray that God would send others to go with me.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
He Got the Power
I don't know that I have a lot of profound things to say about today's reading. In many ways, the point that Matthew is making is obvious. Again and again, he demonstrates to us the power of Jesus. Miracle after miracle demonstrates to us that the Spirit of God was with Jesus in a mighty way. Indeed, Jesus' miracle on the lake shows that Jesus Himself is God. The disciples understand full well that only God could have power over wind and wave.
So, Matthew 8 serves to remind us that we serve a mighty Savior in Jesus. What interests me, though, are not just the demonstrations of power. I am also interested by the responses given to Jesus' power. In verse 19, a teacher of the law is duly impressed by all that Jesus has done. Seeing lepers cleansed, healings done from a distance, and fevers dismissed, the teacher of the law wants to sign on. And who wouldn't want to be a part of all that Jesus is doing? But in verse 20 Jesus reminds the teacher of the law that all that comes with the power is not glory. For the very one who is God and who wields the power of God does not even have a roof to put over his head. We are not told how the teacher of the law responded to that declaration. But I can put myself in his shoes (or sandals). I am like the teacher of the law in that I want the power. I want to be part of a mighty ministry with people being saved in droves and scores being liberated from the physical and spiritual problems that beset them. But Jesus reminds me that all is not glory. The call to follow Jesus entails not just the power but sometimes the pain. If Jesus was not exempt from this how could I expect to be?
The teacher of the law is not the only one who responds to Jesus' power. The last verse of the chapter gives us the response of another group of people. In verse 34, the people of the Gadarenes react to a mighty deed of Jesus. Jesus has just liberated two demon possessed men from the clutches of numerous and powerful demons. From Mark, we know that at least one of these men had terrorized the town people in the region where he lived. One would think that the people of the Gadarenes would rejoice at what Jesus had done. One would expect them to bake Jesus cookies or to throw a party in His honor. But that is not what they do. Instead they say: "Get out. Leave us alone." Why this response to Jesus' power? Perhaps it is a selfish response. Perhaps they were not thrilled that Jesus cost them a herd of pigs. (Of course, if the people of the town were Jews, the Old Testament Law didn't allow them to be in the pig farming business). Or, perhaps their response of the Gadarenes was a response of fear. Perhaps they knew that Jesus' power revealed not only strength but holiness. Perhaps they sensed that they shouldn't be too close too this holy man. Whatever the reason, the power of Jesus actually drove these people away from Him. The Gadarenes understood that with power came claims of lordship. They understood that with power came the need for holiness. And to keep control over their lives, they rejected the help that Jesus had to give.
So, Matthew 8 serves to remind us that we serve a mighty Savior in Jesus. What interests me, though, are not just the demonstrations of power. I am also interested by the responses given to Jesus' power. In verse 19, a teacher of the law is duly impressed by all that Jesus has done. Seeing lepers cleansed, healings done from a distance, and fevers dismissed, the teacher of the law wants to sign on. And who wouldn't want to be a part of all that Jesus is doing? But in verse 20 Jesus reminds the teacher of the law that all that comes with the power is not glory. For the very one who is God and who wields the power of God does not even have a roof to put over his head. We are not told how the teacher of the law responded to that declaration. But I can put myself in his shoes (or sandals). I am like the teacher of the law in that I want the power. I want to be part of a mighty ministry with people being saved in droves and scores being liberated from the physical and spiritual problems that beset them. But Jesus reminds me that all is not glory. The call to follow Jesus entails not just the power but sometimes the pain. If Jesus was not exempt from this how could I expect to be?
The teacher of the law is not the only one who responds to Jesus' power. The last verse of the chapter gives us the response of another group of people. In verse 34, the people of the Gadarenes react to a mighty deed of Jesus. Jesus has just liberated two demon possessed men from the clutches of numerous and powerful demons. From Mark, we know that at least one of these men had terrorized the town people in the region where he lived. One would think that the people of the Gadarenes would rejoice at what Jesus had done. One would expect them to bake Jesus cookies or to throw a party in His honor. But that is not what they do. Instead they say: "Get out. Leave us alone." Why this response to Jesus' power? Perhaps it is a selfish response. Perhaps they were not thrilled that Jesus cost them a herd of pigs. (Of course, if the people of the town were Jews, the Old Testament Law didn't allow them to be in the pig farming business). Or, perhaps their response of the Gadarenes was a response of fear. Perhaps they knew that Jesus' power revealed not only strength but holiness. Perhaps they sensed that they shouldn't be too close too this holy man. Whatever the reason, the power of Jesus actually drove these people away from Him. The Gadarenes understood that with power came claims of lordship. They understood that with power came the need for holiness. And to keep control over their lives, they rejected the help that Jesus had to give.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Spoiled Rotten
I admit it. I spoil my boys sometimes. I give them more than they need or perhaps even deserve to have. Take last night, for example. Last night found me out at Toys R Us. What would I be doing out at Toys R Us less than 2 weeks after Christmas? It wasn't to make returns. It was to buy a new Wiggles video. For those of you not familiar with the Wiggles, they are an Aussie superband for the toddler set. For those of you who remember the 60's, a comparison to the Monkees is not inappropriate. Only the intended audience is about ten years younger.
My guys love the Wiggles. They got their first Wiggles DVD for Christmas, and they have watched it non-stop. They love to sing and dance with all the songs. And so last night we were at Toys R Us for the sole purpose of finding new Wiggles DVD's. Now I have to admit that part of my motivation was selfish. If I had to listen one more time to the Wiggles DVD that we already had, I could not have been held responsible for what my actions would have been. I needed to get new DVD's so at least there could be some rotation of Wiggles songs. But my sanity was not the only reason I was at Toys R Us. I was also there because I love to see my guys happy. I love to give them gifts that I know they will enjoy.
I bring all this up because of what Jesus says in Matthew 7:11. "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (NIV). We do know how to give good gifts to our children. You don't have to be religious to do that. Even your average raging pagan loves his or her kids. And that is Jesus' point. If we who are evil know how to spoil our children, how much more does a God who is righteous know how to spoil His! Jesus says as good as we are at giving good gifts to our kids, God is even better.
As a child of God, I like that thought. I like the fact that God is as ready and willing to give good gifts to me as I am to give them to my boys. And as I think about that, I know that God has given me good gifts. He has given me a wonderful wife. He has given me two precious sons. He has given me a sufficient degree of material comfort. And, most of all, He has given me His very self through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
I may like to spoil my boys. But I am only an amateur compared to God.
My guys love the Wiggles. They got their first Wiggles DVD for Christmas, and they have watched it non-stop. They love to sing and dance with all the songs. And so last night we were at Toys R Us for the sole purpose of finding new Wiggles DVD's. Now I have to admit that part of my motivation was selfish. If I had to listen one more time to the Wiggles DVD that we already had, I could not have been held responsible for what my actions would have been. I needed to get new DVD's so at least there could be some rotation of Wiggles songs. But my sanity was not the only reason I was at Toys R Us. I was also there because I love to see my guys happy. I love to give them gifts that I know they will enjoy.
I bring all this up because of what Jesus says in Matthew 7:11. "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (NIV). We do know how to give good gifts to our children. You don't have to be religious to do that. Even your average raging pagan loves his or her kids. And that is Jesus' point. If we who are evil know how to spoil our children, how much more does a God who is righteous know how to spoil His! Jesus says as good as we are at giving good gifts to our kids, God is even better.
As a child of God, I like that thought. I like the fact that God is as ready and willing to give good gifts to me as I am to give them to my boys. And as I think about that, I know that God has given me good gifts. He has given me a wonderful wife. He has given me two precious sons. He has given me a sufficient degree of material comfort. And, most of all, He has given me His very self through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
I may like to spoil my boys. But I am only an amateur compared to God.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
From the Mouths of Babes
Today's reading is a lot like yesterday's. There is so much that could be said and so little space to say it. (I definitely feel a sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount coming on at some point). Rather than try to digest everything in this passage, I thought I would share the story of a young man I met in Newark several years ago.
Some time in the early 1990's, I spent a week at the Newark with a group from my church. We were assisting one of our missionaries Toto Baran in his outreach to children in the Ironbound section (and beyond). There was one young man, a 6th grader, who prayed to receive Christ as his Savior. We sent him home that day with a Bible telling him to read it. Well, read it he did. He came back the next day with a question. And what a question it was! He asked me why Matthew 5 tells us to shine our lights shine before me that they may see our good deeds yet Matthew 6 tells us to be careful not to do our acts of righteousness before men? He thought he sensed a conflict.
I thought that was a pretty good question for a one-day old Christian in the sixth grade (whose primary language was not English). I remember being speechless at the question, so speechless that I think the young man despaired of getting an answer. But I did give an answer. The difference, of course, is all about who you are doing your deeds for. In Matthew 5, we shine our lights that others may see our deeds and praise our Father who is in heaven. In Matthew 6, we are warned about placing the spotlight on ourselves. The difference is a difference of motivation and credit. Why are we doing what we are doing? And who is going to get the credit for what we have done?
Those are tricky questions to answer. Sorting out motives is not easy. Discerning who we hope to see glorified is a challenge. Still, it is worth a look into our minds and hearts. Am I in the pulpit for my glory or God's? Am I reading the Bible every day because I want other Christians to think well of me or because I want to know God? There is a slim margin between shining our lights and turning the spotlight on ourselves.
I have often wondered what happened to that young man with all the questions. If I remember correctly, Toto Baran said that his family just disappeared from the neighborhood one day. It was not an unusual occurrence in a place where many weren't in the country legally. I pray that, that young man is still asking perceptive questions and seeking first the Kingdom of God.
Some time in the early 1990's, I spent a week at the Newark with a group from my church. We were assisting one of our missionaries Toto Baran in his outreach to children in the Ironbound section (and beyond). There was one young man, a 6th grader, who prayed to receive Christ as his Savior. We sent him home that day with a Bible telling him to read it. Well, read it he did. He came back the next day with a question. And what a question it was! He asked me why Matthew 5 tells us to shine our lights shine before me that they may see our good deeds yet Matthew 6 tells us to be careful not to do our acts of righteousness before men? He thought he sensed a conflict.
I thought that was a pretty good question for a one-day old Christian in the sixth grade (whose primary language was not English). I remember being speechless at the question, so speechless that I think the young man despaired of getting an answer. But I did give an answer. The difference, of course, is all about who you are doing your deeds for. In Matthew 5, we shine our lights that others may see our deeds and praise our Father who is in heaven. In Matthew 6, we are warned about placing the spotlight on ourselves. The difference is a difference of motivation and credit. Why are we doing what we are doing? And who is going to get the credit for what we have done?
Those are tricky questions to answer. Sorting out motives is not easy. Discerning who we hope to see glorified is a challenge. Still, it is worth a look into our minds and hearts. Am I in the pulpit for my glory or God's? Am I reading the Bible every day because I want other Christians to think well of me or because I want to know God? There is a slim margin between shining our lights and turning the spotlight on ourselves.
I have often wondered what happened to that young man with all the questions. If I remember correctly, Toto Baran said that his family just disappeared from the neighborhood one day. It was not an unusual occurrence in a place where many weren't in the country legally. I pray that, that young man is still asking perceptive questions and seeking first the Kingdom of God.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Buffet Blues
I love buffets (which may explain why my waist is two sizes larger than it was several years ago). The words all-you-can-eat are some of the greatest words in the English language. Of course, the real problem with all you can eat is that no matter how good it looks you can't eat it all. There is never time or room in the stomach to sample everything.
As I come to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), I feel like I am standing at a buffet. There is so much spiritual truth to sample, but time and space don't allow it. So I am just going to share some very random thoughts on this chapter:
1. Did you notice that Jesus sat when He preached? That is how they did it in first-century Israel. The crowd stood and the preacher sat. I for one vote for that custom to return (though I don't think that my vote will win the election).
2. I like the word order of the second half of verse 19: "but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Note that practicing comes before preaching. So indeed you do have to practice what you preach in Jesus' way of doing things. If you can't do it, you can't preach it. Personally, this calls me to take a real inventory of myself before I get in the pulpit.
3. This whole chapter reminds us that Christianity is an inward change that works outward. Jesus emphasizes again and again that following Him is not a matter of outward appearance. It is a matter of real, inward change. My temptation is always to make Christianity exactly the opposite of what Jesus says it is. I can make it about looking good on the outside rather than really letting God change and shape my heart.
By the way, I can't close this post without mentioning the classic work on the Sermon on the Mount. If you have never read Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship, you really should. I won't say it is easy reading. But it is well worth every minute you give it. I think in the coming weeks, I will try to read it again. Maybe I will share some quotes as I go along.
As I come to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), I feel like I am standing at a buffet. There is so much spiritual truth to sample, but time and space don't allow it. So I am just going to share some very random thoughts on this chapter:
1. Did you notice that Jesus sat when He preached? That is how they did it in first-century Israel. The crowd stood and the preacher sat. I for one vote for that custom to return (though I don't think that my vote will win the election).
2. I like the word order of the second half of verse 19: "but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Note that practicing comes before preaching. So indeed you do have to practice what you preach in Jesus' way of doing things. If you can't do it, you can't preach it. Personally, this calls me to take a real inventory of myself before I get in the pulpit.
3. This whole chapter reminds us that Christianity is an inward change that works outward. Jesus emphasizes again and again that following Him is not a matter of outward appearance. It is a matter of real, inward change. My temptation is always to make Christianity exactly the opposite of what Jesus says it is. I can make it about looking good on the outside rather than really letting God change and shape my heart.
By the way, I can't close this post without mentioning the classic work on the Sermon on the Mount. If you have never read Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship, you really should. I won't say it is easy reading. But it is well worth every minute you give it. I think in the coming weeks, I will try to read it again. Maybe I will share some quotes as I go along.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Temptation Resisted
Matthew 4 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture to preach on. In particular, I like the opening chapters of Matthew 4 and the verses that deal with Christ's temptation. Those verses really give a great break down of where temptation comes from and what we do to resist it. But I am going to resist the temptation to comment on those verses (see I learned something). Instead, I want to focus on the message that Jesus preached in verse 17. We are told there that Jesus' message was summarized this way: "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near."
Jesus' message called for one action on our part. Repentance. We talked about that word yesterday. To repent is to change one's mind and actions. It is to live in a radically different way than we did before. And why is it that we should repent? Jesus says: "The kingdom of heaven is near."
First-century Israelites understood the phrase "kingdom of heaven" without much explanation. For us, the term is a little tougher. Bible scholars have endless (and sometimes fruitless) debate about what this term means. Generally speaking, though, Israelites were looking forward to a time when God would break into the routine, mundane cycle of history. They were looking forward to a time when the world would operate differently. In this age, Israel would be liberated from her oppressors. The Holy Spirit would be poured out into the hearts of men and women. People would have a first-hand knowledge of God rather than being kept back through religious ceremony. The dead would be resurrected. All in all, when the kingdom of heaven came, life would be completely different.
So what was Jesus' message? His message was become a new person because in Me everything is going to change. Matthew is telling his readers that all their expectations for new life and a new age were met in Jesus. Now, Matthew knows that life is still not as Israel hoped it would be. He understands that the ultimate consummation of Jesus' work awaits heaven. But Matthew also believes that even now the Kingdom of God is breaking into the world. Even now, through the work that Jesus did, life is being transformed.
So how do we repent? What should we do since the kingdom of heaven is near? Jesus shows us in verse 22. There, Jesus shared the love of God through the sharing of the word and deeds of compassion. Jesus demonstrated the reality that the Kingdom of heaven is near by extending himself into the world. He sought to help the broken and hurting. Too often, I see my own faith as a private concern. My religious focus can be on me as an individual and my own relationship with God. But Jesus shows me that the Kingdom of heaven pushes me to a more public faith, one that seeks to minister to the hungry and the hurting in very diverse ways.
Part of my goal as I go through the Gospels is to really think about this term "the Kingdom of heaven" (also called the "kingdom of God."). I hope to do some reading and to share some more thoughts on this in future blogs.
Jesus' message called for one action on our part. Repentance. We talked about that word yesterday. To repent is to change one's mind and actions. It is to live in a radically different way than we did before. And why is it that we should repent? Jesus says: "The kingdom of heaven is near."
First-century Israelites understood the phrase "kingdom of heaven" without much explanation. For us, the term is a little tougher. Bible scholars have endless (and sometimes fruitless) debate about what this term means. Generally speaking, though, Israelites were looking forward to a time when God would break into the routine, mundane cycle of history. They were looking forward to a time when the world would operate differently. In this age, Israel would be liberated from her oppressors. The Holy Spirit would be poured out into the hearts of men and women. People would have a first-hand knowledge of God rather than being kept back through religious ceremony. The dead would be resurrected. All in all, when the kingdom of heaven came, life would be completely different.
So what was Jesus' message? His message was become a new person because in Me everything is going to change. Matthew is telling his readers that all their expectations for new life and a new age were met in Jesus. Now, Matthew knows that life is still not as Israel hoped it would be. He understands that the ultimate consummation of Jesus' work awaits heaven. But Matthew also believes that even now the Kingdom of God is breaking into the world. Even now, through the work that Jesus did, life is being transformed.
So how do we repent? What should we do since the kingdom of heaven is near? Jesus shows us in verse 22. There, Jesus shared the love of God through the sharing of the word and deeds of compassion. Jesus demonstrated the reality that the Kingdom of heaven is near by extending himself into the world. He sought to help the broken and hurting. Too often, I see my own faith as a private concern. My religious focus can be on me as an individual and my own relationship with God. But Jesus shows me that the Kingdom of heaven pushes me to a more public faith, one that seeks to minister to the hungry and the hurting in very diverse ways.
Part of my goal as I go through the Gospels is to really think about this term "the Kingdom of heaven" (also called the "kingdom of God."). I hope to do some reading and to share some more thoughts on this in future blogs.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Every Boy's Favorite Prophet
I think every young boy who has ever through years of Sunday School has wished that they could be John the Baptist. I know- the whole end of John's life didn't work out to well. Most of us aren't too eager to have our heads up served on silver platters after a few months of prison. But if John's dying wasn't how most of us would want to go, I know a lot of young boys who would like John's living. What isn't cool about camping out in animal skins eating bugs and honey for sustenance? It's like an episode of Survivor or Fear Factor. John the Baptist seems to be the real man's man. There is something in all of us (especially men) that likes the role of rebel.
And that is the role that John still calls us all to play. We are all to be the rebel (though not in the way that we usually think of rebellion). John's message is "Repent." We think of that as a religious word. It is a word that may have lost its force because of its almost exclusive use in church settings. But the word repent is a powerful word. It means do a 180. Stop being the person you were. Be somebody else for God. Do things His way. Rebel against the habits of the world. Be someone devoted to God.
It is interesting to me where John conducted his ministry. He was in the desert, the wilderness. Why didn't God put John in the cities where all the people were? Why be in the boonies? Why all the camel hair and locust and honey stuff? I think the answer is simple. God put John in the country because the very act of coming to hear and see John was a demonstration of what God wanted. To see John, had to leave worldly comforts behind. Had to turn back on wealth and pride and material goods of city and go to middle of nowhere. Seeing John meant leaving it all behind. It was a very tangible picture of repentance: leave it all behind to be someone else for God.
I am not so big on the honey and locust stuff anymore (especially the locusts). I'm man enough to admit I still prefer my tuna salad on whole wheat. But John is still this boy's favorite prophet. I still want to be the guy who rebels against the world to be someone who finds purpose in the Kingdom of God.
And that is the role that John still calls us all to play. We are all to be the rebel (though not in the way that we usually think of rebellion). John's message is "Repent." We think of that as a religious word. It is a word that may have lost its force because of its almost exclusive use in church settings. But the word repent is a powerful word. It means do a 180. Stop being the person you were. Be somebody else for God. Do things His way. Rebel against the habits of the world. Be someone devoted to God.
It is interesting to me where John conducted his ministry. He was in the desert, the wilderness. Why didn't God put John in the cities where all the people were? Why be in the boonies? Why all the camel hair and locust and honey stuff? I think the answer is simple. God put John in the country because the very act of coming to hear and see John was a demonstration of what God wanted. To see John, had to leave worldly comforts behind. Had to turn back on wealth and pride and material goods of city and go to middle of nowhere. Seeing John meant leaving it all behind. It was a very tangible picture of repentance: leave it all behind to be someone else for God.
I am not so big on the honey and locust stuff anymore (especially the locusts). I'm man enough to admit I still prefer my tuna salad on whole wheat. But John is still this boy's favorite prophet. I still want to be the guy who rebels against the world to be someone who finds purpose in the Kingdom of God.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
A Star Will Only Get You So Far
Think fast. Here is a pop quiz question. How did the wise men get to young Jesus? If you are like most people, you will say that the wise men followed the star. But that is not exactly the whole story is it? Matthew 2:2 tells us that at least initially the star only brought the wise men so far. They knew a new king had been born in Israel. But they didn't know how to get to Him. How did they find out where Jesus was? Matthew 2:5-6 tells us. They found out Jesus' location when someone shared the Scriptures with them.
I think that Matthew 2 is actually a great passage to read as I start reading through the NT, Psalms, and Proverbs in a year. I think that Matthew 2 reminds me of 2 important truths:
1. I don't get to know Jesus without the Bible. If it weren't for the Scriptures, the wise men don't get to Jesus. Yes, the star once again leads them out of Jerusalem to Bethlehem. But that happens only after they have heard the words of the prophet Micah. It is through the Bible that the wise men ultimately come to know Jesus more deeply and fully.
2. Reading and knowing the Bible is not enough. There is a danger in reading through the Scriptures of it becoming an academic exercise. We read for facts and information. Note that Herod and the chief priests and teachers of the Law had the information. Unlike the wise men, they knew where Jesus would be born. (Or in the case of Herod, he at least knew who to ask for the right answer). But knowing the Word did not equal knowing Jesus. Only the Wise Men acted in faith. In verse 11, the Wise Men give gifts to Jesus, recognizing Him as their sovereign King. Those who know the Scriptures do no such thing. Instead, Herod actually uses the knowledge of the Scriptures that he has been given to oppose God's plan! I need the reminder that the study of the Bible only does me good as it is combined with faith and obedience. Otherwise it might actually be a detriment to God's purposes!
I think that Matthew 2 is actually a great passage to read as I start reading through the NT, Psalms, and Proverbs in a year. I think that Matthew 2 reminds me of 2 important truths:
1. I don't get to know Jesus without the Bible. If it weren't for the Scriptures, the wise men don't get to Jesus. Yes, the star once again leads them out of Jerusalem to Bethlehem. But that happens only after they have heard the words of the prophet Micah. It is through the Bible that the wise men ultimately come to know Jesus more deeply and fully.
2. Reading and knowing the Bible is not enough. There is a danger in reading through the Scriptures of it becoming an academic exercise. We read for facts and information. Note that Herod and the chief priests and teachers of the Law had the information. Unlike the wise men, they knew where Jesus would be born. (Or in the case of Herod, he at least knew who to ask for the right answer). But knowing the Word did not equal knowing Jesus. Only the Wise Men acted in faith. In verse 11, the Wise Men give gifts to Jesus, recognizing Him as their sovereign King. Those who know the Scriptures do no such thing. Instead, Herod actually uses the knowledge of the Scriptures that he has been given to oppose God's plan! I need the reminder that the study of the Bible only does me good as it is combined with faith and obedience. Otherwise it might actually be a detriment to God's purposes!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
What Do the Begats Beget Besides Boredom?
Today, is day one of reading through the New Testament. And what does our reading commence with? A genealogy. I barely find my own family tree interesting. Finding someone else's family tree exciting is a real challenge. Still, the genealogy of Jesus should beget a lot more than boredom.
In the ancient world, family was everything. One's place in the world was often determined by who one's ancestors were. Writing to a Jewish audience, Matthew is trying to show that Jesus by virtue of his human lineage was the King that God has promised to Israel. Jesus was qualified to be Israel's king in that He was a descendant of Abraham (making Him Jewish) and David (making Him of the royal tribe). The claim that Matthew establishes right at the beginning of his Gospel is that Jesus is Lord.
In Matthew's time, this was a radical, revolutionary claim. Accepting Matthew's conclusion that Jesus is Lord totally reoriented one's life. For a Jew, the claim that Jesus was Lord was a radical claim in terms of religion. Jews were of course strict monotheists. It flew against their most cherished beliefs to believe that a man could be both man and God. For the Romans, there was no other Lord but Caesar. Caesar was king, but he was also believed to be God. Claiming Jesus as Lord seem to be a treasonous claim. Thus, the claim that Jesus is Lord would have torn Matthew's readers out of the two cultures in which they lived- the Jewish and Roman cultures.
As I come to the claims of Matthew in Matthew 1, I have to ask myself how has my belief that Jesus is Lord reoriented my life? I think the claim is as revolutionary in this time as it was in Matthew's. I can claim Jesus is Lord with my mouth. But where is that claim seen in my life? How has knowing that Jesus is Lord ripped my life out of the evangelical, American cultures in which I am so comfortable?
Matthew 1 is simple: Jesus is Israel's promised King. As Israel's promised King, He is their Savior (and now the Savior of the whole world). For me, the problem is not believing the claim. For me, the problem is living it out. The statement "Jesus is Lord" is still revolutionary. It still calls us to live radically in our culture. In the rest of Matthew's Gospel, Matthew will explore how radical that call is.
In the ancient world, family was everything. One's place in the world was often determined by who one's ancestors were. Writing to a Jewish audience, Matthew is trying to show that Jesus by virtue of his human lineage was the King that God has promised to Israel. Jesus was qualified to be Israel's king in that He was a descendant of Abraham (making Him Jewish) and David (making Him of the royal tribe). The claim that Matthew establishes right at the beginning of his Gospel is that Jesus is Lord.
In Matthew's time, this was a radical, revolutionary claim. Accepting Matthew's conclusion that Jesus is Lord totally reoriented one's life. For a Jew, the claim that Jesus was Lord was a radical claim in terms of religion. Jews were of course strict monotheists. It flew against their most cherished beliefs to believe that a man could be both man and God. For the Romans, there was no other Lord but Caesar. Caesar was king, but he was also believed to be God. Claiming Jesus as Lord seem to be a treasonous claim. Thus, the claim that Jesus is Lord would have torn Matthew's readers out of the two cultures in which they lived- the Jewish and Roman cultures.
As I come to the claims of Matthew in Matthew 1, I have to ask myself how has my belief that Jesus is Lord reoriented my life? I think the claim is as revolutionary in this time as it was in Matthew's. I can claim Jesus is Lord with my mouth. But where is that claim seen in my life? How has knowing that Jesus is Lord ripped my life out of the evangelical, American cultures in which I am so comfortable?
Matthew 1 is simple: Jesus is Israel's promised King. As Israel's promised King, He is their Savior (and now the Savior of the whole world). For me, the problem is not believing the claim. For me, the problem is living it out. The statement "Jesus is Lord" is still revolutionary. It still calls us to live radically in our culture. In the rest of Matthew's Gospel, Matthew will explore how radical that call is.
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