Today is a day of mourning after that crazy game last night.
My team lost...which means that I a mourning until they win tonight. So no devotion today for all you cardinal fans.
Sy Huffer
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Matthew 12.9-14
Now we move on to the second controversy that occurs with Jesus and the Jewish Leaders. But before we get into that, there is something we need to understand for these two passages to really make sense. It is called honor/shame.
In our culture, what are the two things we value more than anything else?
Time and Money.
We want to make the most amount of money in the least amount of time. These are the two things that is the hardest to get a westerner to give up. It makes sense then that in the church the two lowest things are usually the offering and volunteers. We get a lot of people to show up and be entertained, but people don't want to give up their money or time, because we value these more than anything else in our culture.
Time and Money were just tools in the ancient world to get what everyone wanted...honor. Everyone wanted as much honor as possible. Yet the problem was that there was only so much honor to go around. If you acquire honor, that means someone else lost it. When someone gets honor, someone else automatically gets shamed. One way to get honor in the ancient world is called the challenge and response honor game.
There are four simple phases in this game:
The first is a challenge is extended. This can be done by a theological debate, or you could invite someone to your party and seat them in the lowest seat, shaming them. The challenge could occur in a number of ways, but whatever way it happens, someone challenges someone else for honor.
The second phase is the perception of the challenge. This is when the person being challenged has to decide two things: 1. is this really a challenge (sometimes people may not be meaning to challenge someone else) and 2. is the person challenging me a worthy opponent. If someone challenges you and they aren't in your same class, you don't have to respond at all. This shames them for trying to step outside of their class.
The third phase is the response. This is when the person challenged will respond. He could do this by arguing directly with the challenger, showing him why he is wrong. He could do this by asking the challengers disciples questions, showing them to be stupid thus their leader is stupid.
The last phase is the evaluation of the public. After the challenge, perception of the challenge, and the response occurs. The crowd decides who receives the honor and who receives the shame in the situation. It kind of reminds me of this:
I Love This!!!! In high school we had things like this going on all the time, and the crowd would determine who won by laughing and cheering the loudest for the person who had the best yo momma joke.
Now after talking about all of this, Let's hop into the text and try to recognize the challenge and response honor game in our passage.
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Wow. Do you not recognize the game all over this passage????!!!!!
The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus by placing a man with a shriveled hand in front of him. They knew that it was against their oral law (look at yesterday's post) to try to fix some physical ailment if it wasn't deathly. So if someone jumped off of a building and cracked their head open and broke their leg. You could path up the head because that could lead to death, but you had to leave the broken leg alone, because that consists as work on the Sabbath.
So a challenge went out, and Jesus responds by making a "how much more" argument. This argument was a standard Jewish argument. It works basically like this, "if your oral tradition says its ok to rescue a sheep from a pit that it fell into on the sabbath, how much more important is a human being than a sheep?! Since they are, then how much more appropriate is it for us to meet the need of a person over an animal?!
Wow!!!!
So not only does Jesus totally win at the challenge and response game, he even heals the guys hand right in front of them all.
And then we see, for the first time, what the Pharisees try to do to get back their honor. This is the thing with the ancient world, if you lost your honor, you would do ANYTHING to get it back. They recognize that they keep losing at the challenge response game. So they figured, if we kill the guy that is taking our honor, we will get it back from him, especially if it is the most shameful kind of death possible, perhaps a cross.
And this is what they started to plan.
You see, Jesus, by meeting the needs of people, by showing honor to the shameful, encountered conflict. And that conflict is what got him killed.
When we live the kind of life Jesus did, we will rub people the wrong way.
Is this something you are willing to sacrifice?
In our culture, what are the two things we value more than anything else?
Time and Money.
We want to make the most amount of money in the least amount of time. These are the two things that is the hardest to get a westerner to give up. It makes sense then that in the church the two lowest things are usually the offering and volunteers. We get a lot of people to show up and be entertained, but people don't want to give up their money or time, because we value these more than anything else in our culture.
Time and Money were just tools in the ancient world to get what everyone wanted...honor. Everyone wanted as much honor as possible. Yet the problem was that there was only so much honor to go around. If you acquire honor, that means someone else lost it. When someone gets honor, someone else automatically gets shamed. One way to get honor in the ancient world is called the challenge and response honor game.
There are four simple phases in this game:
The first is a challenge is extended. This can be done by a theological debate, or you could invite someone to your party and seat them in the lowest seat, shaming them. The challenge could occur in a number of ways, but whatever way it happens, someone challenges someone else for honor.
The second phase is the perception of the challenge. This is when the person being challenged has to decide two things: 1. is this really a challenge (sometimes people may not be meaning to challenge someone else) and 2. is the person challenging me a worthy opponent. If someone challenges you and they aren't in your same class, you don't have to respond at all. This shames them for trying to step outside of their class.
The third phase is the response. This is when the person challenged will respond. He could do this by arguing directly with the challenger, showing him why he is wrong. He could do this by asking the challengers disciples questions, showing them to be stupid thus their leader is stupid.
The last phase is the evaluation of the public. After the challenge, perception of the challenge, and the response occurs. The crowd decides who receives the honor and who receives the shame in the situation. It kind of reminds me of this:
I Love This!!!! In high school we had things like this going on all the time, and the crowd would determine who won by laughing and cheering the loudest for the person who had the best yo momma joke.
Now after talking about all of this, Let's hop into the text and try to recognize the challenge and response honor game in our passage.
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Wow. Do you not recognize the game all over this passage????!!!!!
The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus by placing a man with a shriveled hand in front of him. They knew that it was against their oral law (look at yesterday's post) to try to fix some physical ailment if it wasn't deathly. So if someone jumped off of a building and cracked their head open and broke their leg. You could path up the head because that could lead to death, but you had to leave the broken leg alone, because that consists as work on the Sabbath.
So a challenge went out, and Jesus responds by making a "how much more" argument. This argument was a standard Jewish argument. It works basically like this, "if your oral tradition says its ok to rescue a sheep from a pit that it fell into on the sabbath, how much more important is a human being than a sheep?! Since they are, then how much more appropriate is it for us to meet the need of a person over an animal?!
Wow!!!!
So not only does Jesus totally win at the challenge and response game, he even heals the guys hand right in front of them all.
And then we see, for the first time, what the Pharisees try to do to get back their honor. This is the thing with the ancient world, if you lost your honor, you would do ANYTHING to get it back. They recognize that they keep losing at the challenge response game. So they figured, if we kill the guy that is taking our honor, we will get it back from him, especially if it is the most shameful kind of death possible, perhaps a cross.
And this is what they started to plan.
You see, Jesus, by meeting the needs of people, by showing honor to the shameful, encountered conflict. And that conflict is what got him killed.
When we live the kind of life Jesus did, we will rub people the wrong way.
Is this something you are willing to sacrifice?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Matthew 12.1-8
Now we enter into a series of controversies. Jesus is preparing and training his disciples for what carrying his ministry consists of. And one of those things is that you will be faced with controversy. He doesn't want them to go looking for controversy, but he does want them to stand up for what is right. What we are going to do today is read the whole passage at once, then walk through it with three simple steps.
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
So what does all of this really mean? Let's walk through it one step at a time.
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
What is going on here is that Jesus and his disciples did nothing that was wrong according to the written law of Genesis through Deuteronomy. But during this period in between the Old and New Testament, the Jewish Rabbis had added thousands upon thousands of Oral traditions on top of the Old Testament Law. The Law says to rest on the sabbath, but the Jewish leaders added tons of laws saying what rest actually looks like. They said you couldn't walk a certain distance on the sabbath, that was work. They said you couldn't throw something a certain height in the air, that was work. And they even said you couldn't pick heads of grain in a field and eat it, that was work too. So the disciples and Jesus were breaking the Oral Traditions that the Rabbis made up, not the actual Old Testament Law. Yet, Jesus references a story about David in which he did break the actual law, and it was ok. Here we go:
3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
Jesus began his response with the very, in your face, remark to the Pharisees. He said, "Haven't you read...". This is like me saying, "don't ya know!!!" And he then he referenced an instance when David and his companions were hungry and they ate the consecrated bread. This was actually unlawful. This WAS against the Old Testament Law. Yet, because they were in need, the need of people overruled the ritual laws. This is what Jesus says in the next section.
6 I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
He quotes a passage that we have already seen once in Matthew 9, the calling of Matthew to discipleship. Jesus defends himself eating with sinners and tax-collectors by quoting Hosea 6.6. This is the story about Hosea, a holy man, commanded by God to marry Gomer, a prostitute. The image is that Hosea was a faithful husband to an unfaithful wife, just like God is a faithful God to an unfaithful Israel. Yet no matter how many times Israel was unfaithful to God, he didn't not require sacrifice, he showed them mercy. Jesus is referencing the same story. He is saying that the needs of people, they overrule ritual rules.
This is Jesus' main point. His ministry is focused on meeting the needs of people, even when it conflicts with ritual activities. The heart of Jesus is to care for the needs of people, not to have a great sunday morning worship service, or awesome outreach event. He cares about the people who are hurting, the downtrodden, the outsiders. This is the heart of carrying out the ministry of Jesus. Meeting the needs of people.
So here is my question to you today.
Is the ministry you are involved in meeting the needs of people? If it isn't, then you are not taking part in carrying out the ministry of Jesus.
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
So what does all of this really mean? Let's walk through it one step at a time.
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
What is going on here is that Jesus and his disciples did nothing that was wrong according to the written law of Genesis through Deuteronomy. But during this period in between the Old and New Testament, the Jewish Rabbis had added thousands upon thousands of Oral traditions on top of the Old Testament Law. The Law says to rest on the sabbath, but the Jewish leaders added tons of laws saying what rest actually looks like. They said you couldn't walk a certain distance on the sabbath, that was work. They said you couldn't throw something a certain height in the air, that was work. And they even said you couldn't pick heads of grain in a field and eat it, that was work too. So the disciples and Jesus were breaking the Oral Traditions that the Rabbis made up, not the actual Old Testament Law. Yet, Jesus references a story about David in which he did break the actual law, and it was ok. Here we go:
3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
Jesus began his response with the very, in your face, remark to the Pharisees. He said, "Haven't you read...". This is like me saying, "don't ya know!!!" And he then he referenced an instance when David and his companions were hungry and they ate the consecrated bread. This was actually unlawful. This WAS against the Old Testament Law. Yet, because they were in need, the need of people overruled the ritual laws. This is what Jesus says in the next section.
6 I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
He quotes a passage that we have already seen once in Matthew 9, the calling of Matthew to discipleship. Jesus defends himself eating with sinners and tax-collectors by quoting Hosea 6.6. This is the story about Hosea, a holy man, commanded by God to marry Gomer, a prostitute. The image is that Hosea was a faithful husband to an unfaithful wife, just like God is a faithful God to an unfaithful Israel. Yet no matter how many times Israel was unfaithful to God, he didn't not require sacrifice, he showed them mercy. Jesus is referencing the same story. He is saying that the needs of people, they overrule ritual rules.
This is Jesus' main point. His ministry is focused on meeting the needs of people, even when it conflicts with ritual activities. The heart of Jesus is to care for the needs of people, not to have a great sunday morning worship service, or awesome outreach event. He cares about the people who are hurting, the downtrodden, the outsiders. This is the heart of carrying out the ministry of Jesus. Meeting the needs of people.
So here is my question to you today.
Is the ministry you are involved in meeting the needs of people? If it isn't, then you are not taking part in carrying out the ministry of Jesus.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Matthew 11.25-30
After the passage that we saw yesterday, Jesus denouncing all these cities, Jesus changes tone and says something very endearing. Let's read this passage:
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus begins by praying to the Lord, saying something very interesting. He said that he has hidden all these things, Jesus' ministry, to the wise and learned and revealing them to little children. Now is he meaning this that literally God hid his ministry from the wise and learned and only revealed it to little children? I don't think so. I think What Jesus is saying is that the people who should have got it, the cities where all his miracles were performed in, didn't and that the outsiders, the unexpected, they are the ones that have recognized Jesus as the Messiah. We will see this in the next following passages, that the Jewish leaders, the wise and the learned, don't think Jesus is who he says he is. There are a number of controversies that occur, but the people who are following him are the fishermen, the tax-collector's, those that everyone wouldn't have thought would have gotten it.
Then in verse 27, we see Jesus stating what his ministry is doing. Let's read this again:
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Jesus' ministry is revealing God to the world. This is what Jesus came to do. By revealing God to the world, he is blessing the world. Because now, people have access to the father through Jesus. And then Jesus gives an invitation that is quite incredible.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Have you ever felt weary or burdened? Do you need rest? Do you want a master that is gentle and humble in heart? Do you want rest, not only for your body, but also for your soul as well?
Then Jesus is inviting you to come, and submit yourself underneath his yoke.
What is that?
A yoke is like a collar that is placed on a cow or horse that would then guide them, telling them which direction to go. The Old Testament Law was referred to by the Israelites as their yoke. They saw the Law as a gift because after they came out of the idol worship, pagan filled nation of Egypt, they needed a guide on how to be the people of God. So they saw the Law as their yoke, something to guide them through a very confusing and dark world. This is why they called God's word, his law, as "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." But when the Pharisees and Sadducees began to tack on all kinds of different interpretations and traditions to the law, it became a weight rather than a yoke.
Jesus is inviting everyone to submit to him as your guide through life. He wants to help you in this confusing, dark and weary world. And he says take my yoke, let me be your guide, and it is easy and his burden is light.
So following Jesus is easy? Didn't Jesus just say in Matthew 10 that you have to give up everything to follow him, even take up a cross?
Yes.
So what does Jesus mean by easy?
The general consensus is that he means that his yoke, having Jesus your guide, is fitting. It works. When you submit your life to Jesus and follow him, he will guide you in a fitting matter. This, in comparison to being lost in a dark and weary world, is easy and light.
This is Jesus' invitation to you. We live in a very confused world, a world that says it has all the answers, but it doesn't. A world that kills each other, over eats while others starve, a world that sells its children into sex slavery, a world that is destroying itself. And Jesus is inviting you to submit yourself to him as your guide. Trust him, he will guide you through life and help you live the life that you were created to live.
The question then, that has to be asked, is this....Do you trust him?
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus begins by praying to the Lord, saying something very interesting. He said that he has hidden all these things, Jesus' ministry, to the wise and learned and revealing them to little children. Now is he meaning this that literally God hid his ministry from the wise and learned and only revealed it to little children? I don't think so. I think What Jesus is saying is that the people who should have got it, the cities where all his miracles were performed in, didn't and that the outsiders, the unexpected, they are the ones that have recognized Jesus as the Messiah. We will see this in the next following passages, that the Jewish leaders, the wise and the learned, don't think Jesus is who he says he is. There are a number of controversies that occur, but the people who are following him are the fishermen, the tax-collector's, those that everyone wouldn't have thought would have gotten it.
Then in verse 27, we see Jesus stating what his ministry is doing. Let's read this again:
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Jesus' ministry is revealing God to the world. This is what Jesus came to do. By revealing God to the world, he is blessing the world. Because now, people have access to the father through Jesus. And then Jesus gives an invitation that is quite incredible.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Have you ever felt weary or burdened? Do you need rest? Do you want a master that is gentle and humble in heart? Do you want rest, not only for your body, but also for your soul as well?
Then Jesus is inviting you to come, and submit yourself underneath his yoke.
What is that?
A yoke is like a collar that is placed on a cow or horse that would then guide them, telling them which direction to go. The Old Testament Law was referred to by the Israelites as their yoke. They saw the Law as a gift because after they came out of the idol worship, pagan filled nation of Egypt, they needed a guide on how to be the people of God. So they saw the Law as their yoke, something to guide them through a very confusing and dark world. This is why they called God's word, his law, as "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." But when the Pharisees and Sadducees began to tack on all kinds of different interpretations and traditions to the law, it became a weight rather than a yoke.
Jesus is inviting everyone to submit to him as your guide through life. He wants to help you in this confusing, dark and weary world. And he says take my yoke, let me be your guide, and it is easy and his burden is light.
So following Jesus is easy? Didn't Jesus just say in Matthew 10 that you have to give up everything to follow him, even take up a cross?
Yes.
So what does Jesus mean by easy?
The general consensus is that he means that his yoke, having Jesus your guide, is fitting. It works. When you submit your life to Jesus and follow him, he will guide you in a fitting matter. This, in comparison to being lost in a dark and weary world, is easy and light.
This is Jesus' invitation to you. We live in a very confused world, a world that says it has all the answers, but it doesn't. A world that kills each other, over eats while others starve, a world that sells its children into sex slavery, a world that is destroying itself. And Jesus is inviting you to submit yourself to him as your guide. Trust him, he will guide you through life and help you live the life that you were created to live.
The question then, that has to be asked, is this....Do you trust him?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Matthew 11.20-24
Just Seeing Jesus Isn’t Enough
Matthew 11:20-24
By: Lindsey Bell
After the Joplin tornado, I heard an incredible quote from a meteorologist in Springfield. He said something along the lines of this: “The tornado was an act of nature, but the fact that many more people were not killed was an act of God.”
There is no denying it. God was present in Joplin during that storm. He didn’t save everyone, much to our dismay, but he most certainly did save some. The miracles cannot be denied.
Let’s read our text for today:
“Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you’” (Matthew 11:20-24).
Allow me to provide a little bit of historical background to our text before we hit on how it applies to us today.
Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom were all cities destroyed by God because of their wickedness. You can read about them in the Old Testament. (See Genesis 18-19 for the story of Sodom’s destruction and Ezekiel 27-28 for the prophecies against Tyre and Sidon.)
What Jesus is saying in these verses is this: these wicked cities, had they seen the miracles Jesus performed, would have repented immediately. Even as evil as they were, they would have fallen to their faces in sorrow. Contrast them to the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, who saw Jesus’ miracles and refused to repent. These cities would face even greater punishment than the cities of the Old Testament. They saw Jesus face-to-face and ignored him.
As Christians living in the world today, we are so blessed. We have churches (at least here in the Bible belt) on nearly every street corner. We have easy access to Bibles, Biblical television programming, and Christian books. Because of the tornado, many of us have been given the opportunity to hear stories of God’s miraculous protection and comfort.
We’ve been given a lot. I wonder, though, what we’re doing with the gift. Are we allowing it to change us into the men and women God desires us to be? Or are we sucking it all in, filling our minds with more and more knowledge, but never allowing the knowledge to change us? I fear that many of us are a lot like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. We see Jesus, but don’t let him change us.
And when judgment comes, we’ll have no excuse. We had the miracles. We had the resources. We had the blessings.
We just didn’t use them.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Matthew 11.16-19
When I play a game, I like to play according to the rules. A game where people ignore the rules isn't even worth playing. If you are anything like me, it really frustrates you when people ignore such rules. I can think of playing dodgeball in middle school, and sometimes a player would come back in the game after they had gotten out, just because they felt like it. I would think, "What?! Dude, you can't just walk back into the game! That's not how the game works!"
Sometimes, we can begin to think of life as a game that operates according to a set of rules that we ourselves have created. We might even try to force God to play according to our rules. We don't want God to work in his own way because we want him to fit into the box that we have fabricated for him.
That's exactly what some people were doing with Jesus and John the Baptist, and in Matthew 11:16-19, Jesus shows that God is not bound by any rules that we make up. He has the sovereignty and freedom to act as he pleases, and it's our job to hop on board with what he is doing. Here's today's text:
16 "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and 'sinners.'' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
Jesus says that the people of his day are like kids sitting around. They want to "play wedding" and have a joyful song and dance, but some kids don't go along with it. Then they want to "play funeral" and sing a mournful song, but again, others don't go along with it. The children get upset because other children don't play the game the way they think it should be played. They aren't playing by the rules.
The religious leaders that Jesus criticized would get upset because Jesus and John the Baptist weren't acting the way they thought they should. They had a certain idea about how God should work, but Jesus and John didn't fit their plan. So the religious leaders would criticize John for has asceticism (living out in the desert eating locusts and honey) and would also criticize Jesus for having dinner with sinful people. The bottom line, though, was that the religious leaders just needed something to complain about so that they could reject the message of both Jesus and John.
Do you ever try to put God in a box? Do you try to dictate the ways that he should work? Maybe you find yourself thinking, "No, I'm not going to share the gospel with that coworker. God wouldn't ask me to do that." Maybe you think, "I don't need to forgive that family member for what he did. God wouldn't ask me to do that." Or maybe you take the five-year plan that you've made for your life and demand that God makes it work.
But God is bigger than our boxes. He isn't obligated to work according to the rules we make. He is God! We can't control him. When we try to fit God in a box, we're trying to make him much smaller than he actually is. Our job isn't to tell God what he can or cannot do. Our job is to follow God where he leads us. He is the shepherd; we are the sheep.
And the truth is that God's way is always better. Jesus ends this passage by saying, "Wisdom is proved right by her actions." The religious leaders should have been able to look at Jesus and John and know that they were right because of the results. Jesus and John lived above reproach. The way God worked in their ministries was simply better than the rules the Pharisees wanted to play with.
What are some boxes that we sometimes try to fit God into? What can we do to sense his leading instead?
Sometimes, we can begin to think of life as a game that operates according to a set of rules that we ourselves have created. We might even try to force God to play according to our rules. We don't want God to work in his own way because we want him to fit into the box that we have fabricated for him.
That's exactly what some people were doing with Jesus and John the Baptist, and in Matthew 11:16-19, Jesus shows that God is not bound by any rules that we make up. He has the sovereignty and freedom to act as he pleases, and it's our job to hop on board with what he is doing. Here's today's text:
16 "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and 'sinners.'' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
Jesus says that the people of his day are like kids sitting around. They want to "play wedding" and have a joyful song and dance, but some kids don't go along with it. Then they want to "play funeral" and sing a mournful song, but again, others don't go along with it. The children get upset because other children don't play the game the way they think it should be played. They aren't playing by the rules.
The religious leaders that Jesus criticized would get upset because Jesus and John the Baptist weren't acting the way they thought they should. They had a certain idea about how God should work, but Jesus and John didn't fit their plan. So the religious leaders would criticize John for has asceticism (living out in the desert eating locusts and honey) and would also criticize Jesus for having dinner with sinful people. The bottom line, though, was that the religious leaders just needed something to complain about so that they could reject the message of both Jesus and John.
Do you ever try to put God in a box? Do you try to dictate the ways that he should work? Maybe you find yourself thinking, "No, I'm not going to share the gospel with that coworker. God wouldn't ask me to do that." Maybe you think, "I don't need to forgive that family member for what he did. God wouldn't ask me to do that." Or maybe you take the five-year plan that you've made for your life and demand that God makes it work.
But God is bigger than our boxes. He isn't obligated to work according to the rules we make. He is God! We can't control him. When we try to fit God in a box, we're trying to make him much smaller than he actually is. Our job isn't to tell God what he can or cannot do. Our job is to follow God where he leads us. He is the shepherd; we are the sheep.
And the truth is that God's way is always better. Jesus ends this passage by saying, "Wisdom is proved right by her actions." The religious leaders should have been able to look at Jesus and John and know that they were right because of the results. Jesus and John lived above reproach. The way God worked in their ministries was simply better than the rules the Pharisees wanted to play with.
What are some boxes that we sometimes try to fit God into? What can we do to sense his leading instead?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Matthew 11.1-15
After Jesus' sermon in Matthew10, we are now entering into a new section of narrative material, where Matthew is preparing his readers for Jesus' next sermon in Matthew 13, which the focus is what the kingdom of God is like. So the next two chapters we will see Jesus training his disciples, preaching to crowds and encountering conflict. Actually, it is a real life version of the first parable in Matthew 13.1-9. In this parable, a man goes out to sow his seed, the word of God. Some seed falls on the path and the birds come and eat it up. Other seed falls on rocky places where there isn't much soil. Their roots are not very deep and they don't last long. Other seed falls among thorns, the false teachers, and the thorns choke the plants. And lastly some seed fell on good soil which produces a great crop. In Matthew 11-12, we see Jesus entering into controversy with the religious leaders of the Jews, the ones who are choked by false teachers or even have shallow soil. We see Jesus preach to crowds who are like the seed that the birds come and pick up, they don't last that long. But most importantly, we see Jesus training the disciples. This is the good soil that will produce a great crop. This whole section is leading up to chapter 13, where Jesus teaches the disciples in parables about what being a part of his kingdom looks like.
And we begin with Jesus correcting doubts.
The first doubt that Jesus is correcting is that of John the Baptist. Look what happens in this text:
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
And we begin with Jesus correcting doubts.
The first doubt that Jesus is correcting is that of John the Baptist. Look what happens in this text:
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
John, from prison, sent his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he was the one, because it seems like John was doubting that Jesus was doing what he thought the Messiah would be doing. Think about it, the Jews had been waiting for a warrior king, and Jesus was healing people and calling fishermen to follow him. This was not what John the Baptist was expecting. Yet, Jesus quotes two passages from Isaiah, Isa. 35.5-6 and Isa. 61.1, showing him that these were the expected signs of the Messiah, that the Messiah would heal the blind, the lepers, the lame, the deaf and raise the dead. Jesus relieves the doubt of his announcer, his forerunner by showing him himself, showing him that this is what the Messiah was supposed to do.
Next, the Crowd may have been doubting him, and so Jesus addresses them in two ways: 1) by talking to them about John the Baptist, and 2) by talking to them about themselves. Let's see how he does this:
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.10 This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’[a]
11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 He who has ears, let him hear.
16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17 “‘We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
Vs. 7-15, Jesus asks the Crowd basically this, "What do you think about John the Baptist?" He knows that most of them went out to see John the Baptist when he was preaching. He knew that they all really respected John, yet he said that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him. The point is this: Jesus is offering an invitation to be a part of his kingdom. If they were doubting him, he was saying the privilege of being a part of my kingdom is better than any privilege John the Baptist had. The kingdom is advancing and you can either be a part of it, or act like the forceful men and try take hold of it. This is the offer Jesus is making to the crowds, that is why he ends with, "he who has ears to hear let him hear." This is the Jewish way of saying, If you want it, come get it.
And finally in verses 16-19, Jesus addresses the crowd and basically shows them a mirror, revealing to them that if they didn't pay attention, they were going to miss the Messiah. verse 17 is one of the weirdest verses to understand, so we will not dive into the different options for the interpretation for it, I will just tell you the main idea of this passage. And I think it is this, Jesus is saying to the generation, "this generation has both denied John the Baptist and is on the verge of denying me". As we will see in tomorrow's text this is a bad deal.
So Jesus is confronting John the Baptist's doubts by showing him that Jesus is doing what the Messiah is supposed to be doing, contrary to popular opinion. Then he looks at the Crowd and makes them confront their own doubts about being a part of his kingdom or not. And then he makes them look at themselves and ask the question, are we missing the Messiah?
So let me ask you, Are you missing the Messiah? Are you mission the ministry that Jesus has laid out for you?
Next, the Crowd may have been doubting him, and so Jesus addresses them in two ways: 1) by talking to them about John the Baptist, and 2) by talking to them about themselves. Let's see how he does this:
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.10 This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’[a]
11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 He who has ears, let him hear.
16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17 “‘We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
Vs. 7-15, Jesus asks the Crowd basically this, "What do you think about John the Baptist?" He knows that most of them went out to see John the Baptist when he was preaching. He knew that they all really respected John, yet he said that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him. The point is this: Jesus is offering an invitation to be a part of his kingdom. If they were doubting him, he was saying the privilege of being a part of my kingdom is better than any privilege John the Baptist had. The kingdom is advancing and you can either be a part of it, or act like the forceful men and try take hold of it. This is the offer Jesus is making to the crowds, that is why he ends with, "he who has ears to hear let him hear." This is the Jewish way of saying, If you want it, come get it.
And finally in verses 16-19, Jesus addresses the crowd and basically shows them a mirror, revealing to them that if they didn't pay attention, they were going to miss the Messiah. verse 17 is one of the weirdest verses to understand, so we will not dive into the different options for the interpretation for it, I will just tell you the main idea of this passage. And I think it is this, Jesus is saying to the generation, "this generation has both denied John the Baptist and is on the verge of denying me". As we will see in tomorrow's text this is a bad deal.
So Jesus is confronting John the Baptist's doubts by showing him that Jesus is doing what the Messiah is supposed to be doing, contrary to popular opinion. Then he looks at the Crowd and makes them confront their own doubts about being a part of his kingdom or not. And then he makes them look at themselves and ask the question, are we missing the Messiah?
So let me ask you, Are you missing the Messiah? Are you mission the ministry that Jesus has laid out for you?
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Matthew 10.32-42
Now we move to the last section of this sermon that Jesus has preached about carrying out his ministry. The first part of the sermon had immediate application for the short term mission trip that the disciples were going on. The last section of the sermon was just general ministry tips for all those who would take part in carrying out the ministry of Jesus by following him.
And now we come to our last pericope, or section of scripture that gives us four very simple but difficult activities that carrying out Jesus' ministry consists of. The First is verbally acknowledging him to others.
Let's read verses 10.32-33:
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
The word "acknowledges" comes from the Greek word homologeo which implies a verbal confession. It is speaking about Jesus publicly, evangelism. Carrying out the ministry of Jesus consists simply with telling others his good news, telling your coworkers and neighbors about what Jesus has done for them. That is easier said than done is it not, yet it is very much needed. We need to live as if Jesus could come back at any moment, so that we will not put off telling others about him, but will just verbally confess the good news to a lost and dying world who is longing for the news we have for them.
If we knew that someone was dying of dehydration, and we found some water, wouldn't we tell that person where the water was? So why will we not tell others were the LIVING water is, the most important news that will save them from eternal damnation rather than eternal life? Here are some reasons: Fear, Comfort, maybe we don't think we know enough. But remember what Jesus says, the one that acknowledges his before men, he will acknowledge him before men, and then he will acknowledge us before the Father in heaven.
So first of all, carrying out Jesus' ministry consists of telling others about Jesus.
Second, carrying out Jesus' ministry consists of dividing people. Check out what Jesus says next:
37 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
As the famous theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, when Jesus calls us to follow him, to carry out his ministry, "he bids a man to come and die." What he means by those words is that he calls a man to give up everything, his family, his dreams, his passions and even his life. Now this is usually done in one of two ways.
The first is it is done all at once. This is what takes place when someone is martyred for their faith. I love the story of Polycarp, the disciple of the Apostle John in the early second century AD. He was the bishop (leader) of the church of Smyrna and was martyred for his faith. When he was arrested, he fed the soldiers so they would allow him to pray for two more hours, and then went willingly to the stadium to be burned alive. Yet they continued to try to get him to reject Jesus. Look at his story before he died:
But as Polycarp entered the stadium, there came a voice from heaven: “Be strong, Polycarp, and act like a man.” And no one saw the speaker, but those of our people who were present heard the voice. And then, as he was brought forward, there was a great tumult when they heard that Polycarp has been arrested. Therefore, when he was brought before him, the proconsul asked if he were Polycarp. And when he confessed that he was, the proconsul tried to persuade him to recant, saying, “Have
respect for your age,” and other such things as they are accustomed to say: “Swear by the Genius1 of Caesar; repent; say, ‘Away with the atheists!’” So Polycarp solemnly looked at the whole crowd of lawless heathen who were in the stadium, motioned toward them with his hand, and then (groaning as he looked up to heaven) said, “Away with the atheists!” But when the magistrate persisted and said, “Swear the oath, and I will release you; revile Christ,” Polycarp replied, “For eighty-six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
And they burned him alive.
This is one way to give up everything for the cause of Christ, you give it up all at once, you pay the ultimate price of martyrdom for Jesus. It's like if your life was a million dollars, you would lose it all at once. Not many of us will be martyred for our faith, so most of us will give up everything for christ the second way, one little bit at a time.
It's as if we took the million dollars that counted for our lives and exchanged it for a million dollars in quarters. And every day was giving up a quarter here and quarter there. Our lives consisted of slowly but methodically giving of ourselves every day for others. Think how long that would take, it is tough. it isn't a glamorous ending that comes to a climax, but it is a slow, methodical sacrifice that happens over a lifetime. This is how mush of us will give up everything for following Jesus. So give some quarters today.
Following Jesus, carrying out his ministry, consists of telling others about him, causing division, giving up everything and finally taking care of the poor and needy. This is what Jesus says in vs. 10.40-42:
40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
Yesterday I taught a class at school and I talked about the two most important things that are valued in our culture, Time and Money. We do an ok job at giving money to a world vision child or the church or a mission organization, but we do not do a good job of giving of our time to the weak and needy. Yet Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and he came to save the sinners, to spend time with children, and to hang out with fishermen. We are called to meet the needs of people, whether they are financial needs or emotional or physical needs.
This is what following Jesus, carrying out his ministry consists of: to tell others about him, to cause divisions with truth, to give up everything, and to meet people's needs.
Are you doing these? Are you carrying out his ministry? This is why you exist, so how are you doing with it?
Follow Jesus.
And now we come to our last pericope, or section of scripture that gives us four very simple but difficult activities that carrying out Jesus' ministry consists of. The First is verbally acknowledging him to others.
Let's read verses 10.32-33:
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
The word "acknowledges" comes from the Greek word homologeo which implies a verbal confession. It is speaking about Jesus publicly, evangelism. Carrying out the ministry of Jesus consists simply with telling others his good news, telling your coworkers and neighbors about what Jesus has done for them. That is easier said than done is it not, yet it is very much needed. We need to live as if Jesus could come back at any moment, so that we will not put off telling others about him, but will just verbally confess the good news to a lost and dying world who is longing for the news we have for them.
If we knew that someone was dying of dehydration, and we found some water, wouldn't we tell that person where the water was? So why will we not tell others were the LIVING water is, the most important news that will save them from eternal damnation rather than eternal life? Here are some reasons: Fear, Comfort, maybe we don't think we know enough. But remember what Jesus says, the one that acknowledges his before men, he will acknowledge him before men, and then he will acknowledge us before the Father in heaven.
So first of all, carrying out Jesus' ministry consists of telling others about Jesus.
Second, carrying out Jesus' ministry consists of dividing people. Check out what Jesus says next:
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
"What a paradox", said my professor in his commentary on the Life of Christ. The Prince of Peace brings division?! Yes. He brings peace, a whole relationship back with God, by telling the truth. Yet telling the truth always causes division.
The Truth of the matter is this, no one can get to the father except through Jesus. Not Buddhists, Muslims, Mormons, Hindus, Atheists, or whatever else a person is. And this truth divides people. Yet...it is the truth. And we cannot and will not back down from it.
So carrying out the ministry of Jesus will always cause divisions, because truth causes divisions. Remember, our enemy is the Father of lies, and he seduces the world with words like tolerance. God is not a tolerant God, he is a loving God, and he came and died so that we could have peace with him. He has shown his love already through the cross, and the cross is the only thing that bridges that gap between us and him. So we cannot be tolerant, but we must be loving the same way.
So, Following Jesus consists of telling others about him, causing divisions and third, giving up everything.
This is what Jesus says in vs. 10.37-39:
As the famous theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, when Jesus calls us to follow him, to carry out his ministry, "he bids a man to come and die." What he means by those words is that he calls a man to give up everything, his family, his dreams, his passions and even his life. Now this is usually done in one of two ways.
The first is it is done all at once. This is what takes place when someone is martyred for their faith. I love the story of Polycarp, the disciple of the Apostle John in the early second century AD. He was the bishop (leader) of the church of Smyrna and was martyred for his faith. When he was arrested, he fed the soldiers so they would allow him to pray for two more hours, and then went willingly to the stadium to be burned alive. Yet they continued to try to get him to reject Jesus. Look at his story before he died:
But as Polycarp entered the stadium, there came a voice from heaven: “Be strong, Polycarp, and act like a man.” And no one saw the speaker, but those of our people who were present heard the voice. And then, as he was brought forward, there was a great tumult when they heard that Polycarp has been arrested. Therefore, when he was brought before him, the proconsul asked if he were Polycarp. And when he confessed that he was, the proconsul tried to persuade him to recant, saying, “Have
respect for your age,” and other such things as they are accustomed to say: “Swear by the Genius1 of Caesar; repent; say, ‘Away with the atheists!’” So Polycarp solemnly looked at the whole crowd of lawless heathen who were in the stadium, motioned toward them with his hand, and then (groaning as he looked up to heaven) said, “Away with the atheists!” But when the magistrate persisted and said, “Swear the oath, and I will release you; revile Christ,” Polycarp replied, “For eighty-six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
And they burned him alive.
This is one way to give up everything for the cause of Christ, you give it up all at once, you pay the ultimate price of martyrdom for Jesus. It's like if your life was a million dollars, you would lose it all at once. Not many of us will be martyred for our faith, so most of us will give up everything for christ the second way, one little bit at a time.
It's as if we took the million dollars that counted for our lives and exchanged it for a million dollars in quarters. And every day was giving up a quarter here and quarter there. Our lives consisted of slowly but methodically giving of ourselves every day for others. Think how long that would take, it is tough. it isn't a glamorous ending that comes to a climax, but it is a slow, methodical sacrifice that happens over a lifetime. This is how mush of us will give up everything for following Jesus. So give some quarters today.
Following Jesus, carrying out his ministry, consists of telling others about him, causing division, giving up everything and finally taking care of the poor and needy. This is what Jesus says in vs. 10.40-42:
40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
Yesterday I taught a class at school and I talked about the two most important things that are valued in our culture, Time and Money. We do an ok job at giving money to a world vision child or the church or a mission organization, but we do not do a good job of giving of our time to the weak and needy. Yet Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and he came to save the sinners, to spend time with children, and to hang out with fishermen. We are called to meet the needs of people, whether they are financial needs or emotional or physical needs.
This is what following Jesus, carrying out his ministry consists of: to tell others about him, to cause divisions with truth, to give up everything, and to meet people's needs.
Are you doing these? Are you carrying out his ministry? This is why you exist, so how are you doing with it?
Follow Jesus.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Matthew 10.21-31
So Today, we have a lot of stuff jammed into this one passage. We could spend the next three days alone talking about what Jesus meant when he said, "you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."So we are not going to do an in depth study on this passage, but what I do want to do is pull out the main thought that I think Jesus is trying to make in verses 28-31. So read this passage, and let this thought run through your mind, following Jesus is really really hard, but really really worth it.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub,[a] how much more the members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[b]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
In this passage, Jesus starts off by warning not just the disciples, but everyone he will ever send out to carry on his ministry (including us) that it is really really hard. He says that families will be divided, all men will hate you, you will be persecuted, but ultimately those who stand firm to the end will be saved.
Again, following Jesus is really really hard, but really really worth it.
This is one reason why it is so hard to do mission work in Muslim countries. The Quran teaches that it is ok for Christians to be around, they would even allow them in the ancient world to live in their communities, but what was illegal and terrible was for a Muslim to convert to Christianity. Families would disown the family member that converted, and if that person ever came back, the Muslim family would kill them. Following Jesus will divide families.
Following Jesus means a lot of people will hate you and insult you and be unhappy with you. There is a friend of mine that is trying to not talk with his brothers who aren't Christians about inappropriate things, like sexual jokes and vulgar language. Because of this, his brothers are getting really mad at him, calling him "holier than thou" and all kinds of other things. Following Jesus means offending people.
And Following Jesus means getting persecuted from time to time. I have heard it said that in the last century more Christians have been martyred than all of the years before it combined. Christians are insulted, beaten, imprisoned and killed everyday for their faith. And we complain that we aren't appreciated enough when we serve in the children ministry, or we just don't have time to help out at Watered Gardens or Feed the Heart or any homeless ministry. We need to get out of our comfort zones, our little precious bubbles, and quit talking about Jesus dying on a cross for us, but picking up our own cross and dying for the world around us.
Following Jesus is really really hard.
Jesus says in vs. 25 that what is true for the teacher or the master is true of the student and the servant. if the Master and teacher are persecuted and beaten and hated and their families are divided, so this will also happen to those who follow in his footsteps.
And these are the footsteps we are following in.
Following Jesus is really really heard, but it is really really worth it.
Check out vs. 26-31 again.
26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[b]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus is saying here that those who follow me and endure the same kind of suffering that I went through. Those that carry out my ministry here on earth, don't be discouraged by the world around you that can only kill your body, but try to please the one that can destroy your soul. He needs to be your audience, because when you live for him, as Jesus said in vs. 22, "Those that stand firm to the end WILL BE SAVED!!!"
An awesome devotion to do is to read through the book of Revelation and look for people standing.
This may not make any sense, but over and over again, the book of Revelation is encouraging the Christians in the midst of persecution to endure the persecution, to persevere through this tough time. He keeps saying, "to those who will overcome", to those who will stand firm to the end. He is encouraging his people to remain firm till Jesus comes back.
But how?
When you read through the book of Revelation, the ones that are standing, they are the ones that John is symbolically showing as the ones who endured till the end, who stood firm. And there is one particular verse that I think sums up the book of Revelation.
It is Revelation 14.4. John is describing the ones who are STANDING with the Lamb on Mt. Zion (heaven), and he says this, "They follow the Lam wherever he goes."
They follow the Lamb (Jesus) wherever he goes.
Do you want to stand firm to the end? Do you want to endure and receive the reward?
Then Follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Follow Jesus everyday of your life. Wake up to the call to discipleship, "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men".
Follow Jesus. It is really hard, but really worth it.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub,[a] how much more the members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[b]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
In this passage, Jesus starts off by warning not just the disciples, but everyone he will ever send out to carry on his ministry (including us) that it is really really hard. He says that families will be divided, all men will hate you, you will be persecuted, but ultimately those who stand firm to the end will be saved.
Again, following Jesus is really really hard, but really really worth it.
This is one reason why it is so hard to do mission work in Muslim countries. The Quran teaches that it is ok for Christians to be around, they would even allow them in the ancient world to live in their communities, but what was illegal and terrible was for a Muslim to convert to Christianity. Families would disown the family member that converted, and if that person ever came back, the Muslim family would kill them. Following Jesus will divide families.
Following Jesus means a lot of people will hate you and insult you and be unhappy with you. There is a friend of mine that is trying to not talk with his brothers who aren't Christians about inappropriate things, like sexual jokes and vulgar language. Because of this, his brothers are getting really mad at him, calling him "holier than thou" and all kinds of other things. Following Jesus means offending people.
And Following Jesus means getting persecuted from time to time. I have heard it said that in the last century more Christians have been martyred than all of the years before it combined. Christians are insulted, beaten, imprisoned and killed everyday for their faith. And we complain that we aren't appreciated enough when we serve in the children ministry, or we just don't have time to help out at Watered Gardens or Feed the Heart or any homeless ministry. We need to get out of our comfort zones, our little precious bubbles, and quit talking about Jesus dying on a cross for us, but picking up our own cross and dying for the world around us.
Following Jesus is really really hard.
Jesus says in vs. 25 that what is true for the teacher or the master is true of the student and the servant. if the Master and teacher are persecuted and beaten and hated and their families are divided, so this will also happen to those who follow in his footsteps.
And these are the footsteps we are following in.
Following Jesus is really really heard, but it is really really worth it.
Check out vs. 26-31 again.
26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[b]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus is saying here that those who follow me and endure the same kind of suffering that I went through. Those that carry out my ministry here on earth, don't be discouraged by the world around you that can only kill your body, but try to please the one that can destroy your soul. He needs to be your audience, because when you live for him, as Jesus said in vs. 22, "Those that stand firm to the end WILL BE SAVED!!!"
An awesome devotion to do is to read through the book of Revelation and look for people standing.
This may not make any sense, but over and over again, the book of Revelation is encouraging the Christians in the midst of persecution to endure the persecution, to persevere through this tough time. He keeps saying, "to those who will overcome", to those who will stand firm to the end. He is encouraging his people to remain firm till Jesus comes back.
But how?
When you read through the book of Revelation, the ones that are standing, they are the ones that John is symbolically showing as the ones who endured till the end, who stood firm. And there is one particular verse that I think sums up the book of Revelation.
It is Revelation 14.4. John is describing the ones who are STANDING with the Lamb on Mt. Zion (heaven), and he says this, "They follow the Lam wherever he goes."
They follow the Lamb (Jesus) wherever he goes.
Do you want to stand firm to the end? Do you want to endure and receive the reward?
Then Follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Follow Jesus everyday of your life. Wake up to the call to discipleship, "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men".
Follow Jesus. It is really hard, but really worth it.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Matthew 10.16-20
So last week we finished out the week looking at Matthew 10.5-16, the instructions Jesus gave to his disciples before he sent them out to do a sort mission tour. The key to all the specific instructions was just to stay close to Jesus by the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer and participating in community. Now we will see Jesus give some more general instructions to his disciple for all future ministry. Let's dive into this passage:
17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
If you read the book of acts you will see that this kind of stuff happens to the disciple of Jesus all the time. Just look at Paul's report on 2 Corinthians11, he says this:
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
Paul says that when you follow Jesus, you will be persecuted. Not only will people not like you but God will want to use the persecution to reveal himself to people. This is very hard to be willing to overlook your hard situation of sffering innorder to serve Christ. And yetnthis is what carrying out the ministry of Jesus looks like.
And what instruction does Jesus give to his disciples to endure the persecution and opportunities that cone with doing Jesus' ministry? Check out what e says one more time:
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
ught
We are to rely on the spirit to helps us during these tough times. Yetmhow do we do that?
We need to just learn to listen to the Spirit's voice in our lives. I donthis by simply asking God tonspeak to me. If we take 5 minutes every day to sit in silence, listening to the Spirit, in the heat of these tough moments we will be able to hear God's voice and know how he is guiding.
As a preacher told me recently, to have an authentic ministry FOR God requires an authentic relationship. Most importantly, the reationship with God is based t upon us listening to the Holy Spirit.
Sit and listen, then go bless somebody.
17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
If you read the book of acts you will see that this kind of stuff happens to the disciple of Jesus all the time. Just look at Paul's report on 2 Corinthians11, he says this:
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
Paul says that when you follow Jesus, you will be persecuted. Not only will people not like you but God will want to use the persecution to reveal himself to people. This is very hard to be willing to overlook your hard situation of sffering innorder to serve Christ. And yetnthis is what carrying out the ministry of Jesus looks like.
And what instruction does Jesus give to his disciples to endure the persecution and opportunities that cone with doing Jesus' ministry? Check out what e says one more time:
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
ught
We are to rely on the spirit to helps us during these tough times. Yetmhow do we do that?
We need to just learn to listen to the Spirit's voice in our lives. I donthis by simply asking God tonspeak to me. If we take 5 minutes every day to sit in silence, listening to the Spirit, in the heat of these tough moments we will be able to hear God's voice and know how he is guiding.
As a preacher told me recently, to have an authentic ministry FOR God requires an authentic relationship. Most importantly, the reationship with God is based t upon us listening to the Holy Spirit.
Sit and listen, then go bless somebody.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Matthew 10.5-16
This second sermon of Jesus is a very interesting one to say the least. In the middle of the sermon, Jesus begins to prepare the disciples for their future ministries. This first section of this sermon, Jesus focuses on giving specific instructions for the ministry that they will be immediately involved in.
To make it more clear...
Vs. 5-16--Jesus is giving them instruction about what they are getting ready to do.
Vs. 17-31--Jesus is giving instructions about their future ministries
Vs. 32-42--Jesus is giving general instructions about ministry, period.
There are three general observations that need to be made about this passage before we move through it.
To make it more clear...
Vs. 5-16--Jesus is giving them instruction about what they are getting ready to do.
Vs. 17-31--Jesus is giving instructions about their future ministries
Vs. 32-42--Jesus is giving general instructions about ministry, period.
There are three general observations that need to be made about this passage before we move through it.
- It is full of a lot of Jewish language
- It is specifically about their immediate ministry, but also applies to us
- It is all about going out to do ministry
Because this passage is filled with so much Jewish language, we will have to walk through it one chunk at a time.
First read it as a whole:
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Now let's tackle this difficult text one section at a time.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
So Jesus tells his disciples to NOT go to the gentiles but just to the Jews. Is this a universal command to all of us? Are we just supposed to preach to the Jews? This seems contradictory to what Jesus says in Matthew 28.19-20, "Go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS!!!" including Gentiles. The key to remember, is that this is a short, local tour. Jesus is just sending his disciples on a short-term assignment. And at this point, that isn't to the Gentiles just to the Jews.
Now let's move on:
7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
No matter if our trip is a short-term trip or if we are going to move some place for ten years, the ministry is still exactly the same as what Jesus did in chapters 8-9. Jesus' ministry is proclaiming the kingdom by meeting physical needs of people and making disciples. This is what Jesus is telling his disciples to do on this quick ministry tour, and this is what we are called to do as we. Actually we should run everything we do in the church through those two lenses. Is this program or ministry or class meeting the physical needs of people or making disciples? If it isn't, it isn't really the same ministry of Jesus. If it is, we are on track.
Now verses 9-10:
9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
The key to understanding this language is found at the end of verse 10, "the worker is worth his keep." The reason that they didn't need to bring gold or silver for housing, or extra clothes or an extra tunic for bedding if they had to sleep outside is because the people they are serving are expected to provide for them. Since they are doing all these ministries and services for everybody, the people they are helping should help them by feeding them, clothing them and housing them. This is the trust and reliance on God to take care of those who are committing their lives to his ministry.
Now let's jump to verse 11:
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
This instruction is very simple, Jesus knew that they would be quite popular as they went through these areas, healing people, exorcising demons and raising the dead, and so instead of wasting a lot of valuable time by moving from house to house, entertaining all these people, they are to find one house and stay there until they leave.
Now an interesting couple of verses:
12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
The Hebrew greeting was the word, shalom, which means "Peace" but more fully carries an idea of a blessing for the person's wholeness, physically, socially, and spiritually. But the idea of shaking the dust off of your feet when you leave comes from Jews when they would enter the Holy Land after traveling through Gentile territory. These Jews were making a statement that even the dust they walk on in the unclean Gentile territory is disgusting, and we have to shake it off of our feet because even the dust is unclean. Jesus is saying, if the people are nice to you and welcome you, give them your blessing, but if they don't accept you, don't waste your time on them.
Now the last two verses of this passage:
15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Sodom and Gomorrah were two towns in the book of Genesis that God destroyed because they were so sinful and didn't repent of their sin. These towns are referred to a number of times in the New Testament as examples of God's judgment. Jesus is saying that if these people do not accept the preaching and teaching and ministries of the twelve apostles, this great benefit, then they will be judged even worse than Sodom and Gomorrah was.
And this leads into the last verse. The key with these two verses is this, when we carry out Jesus' ministry the way he did, we will meet resistance. People will reject us, God will judge them in the end, but we still have to live among them. That is why Jesus uses four similes in this passage to instruct his disciples how to live in the midst of resistance.
Sheep, Wolves, Doves and Snakes.
The last two similes are stated. Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. A lot of times Christians do not think it is ok to use business strategies or secular ideas or non-conventional ways to advance the kingdom. Yet, Jesus instructs us that in the midst of the resistance of the world, we need to be shrewd, but also innocent. We can't be shrewd at the expense of our integrity. These two are sometimes opposite, but not mutually exclusive. Jesus was continually shrewd and innocent throughout his ministry.
The Sheep and Wolves similes stand for weakness and savagery. The basic gist is that we as kingdom citizens are often poor and powerless, and we live in a savage world. So the way to endure and succeed and advance God's kingdom is to be shrewd and innocent.
Wow... that is a lot of stuff we just talked about that is very new. I think the thing we need to remember, is that when we serve Jesus and carry out his ministry of advancing his kingdom by meeting the needs of people and making disciples, we will experience resistance. But the key is to have a relationship with Jesus so that he is able to instruct us with all the particulars and guide us to be shrewd and innocent.
So how to keep this relationship with Jesus? I have three very simple things I do that help my relationship with Jesus.
1. read the Bible daily (eatyourbible.com)
2. Pray daily (on september 9th, I posted a blog on prayer that is very helpful)
3. weekly meet with Wiser Christians than me who are close to Jesus so that he can speak to me through them. (sign up for a family group at your church)
I remember listening to my friend, David Heffren, preach a sermon at graduation last year. And his text was John 15, which is all about remaining in the vine, which is Jesus. And he said that it doesn't matter where we are going to do ministry or what kind of ministry we are doing, what matters is with whom you go, with whom you serve, with whom you live. The Key to carrying out the ministry of Jesus, to caring for his sheep, is standing next to the shepherd, is committing our lives daily to investing into a relationship with Jesus.
So do ministry, with Jesus.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Now let's tackle this difficult text one section at a time.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
So Jesus tells his disciples to NOT go to the gentiles but just to the Jews. Is this a universal command to all of us? Are we just supposed to preach to the Jews? This seems contradictory to what Jesus says in Matthew 28.19-20, "Go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS!!!" including Gentiles. The key to remember, is that this is a short, local tour. Jesus is just sending his disciples on a short-term assignment. And at this point, that isn't to the Gentiles just to the Jews.
Now let's move on:
7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
No matter if our trip is a short-term trip or if we are going to move some place for ten years, the ministry is still exactly the same as what Jesus did in chapters 8-9. Jesus' ministry is proclaiming the kingdom by meeting physical needs of people and making disciples. This is what Jesus is telling his disciples to do on this quick ministry tour, and this is what we are called to do as we. Actually we should run everything we do in the church through those two lenses. Is this program or ministry or class meeting the physical needs of people or making disciples? If it isn't, it isn't really the same ministry of Jesus. If it is, we are on track.
Now verses 9-10:
9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
The key to understanding this language is found at the end of verse 10, "the worker is worth his keep." The reason that they didn't need to bring gold or silver for housing, or extra clothes or an extra tunic for bedding if they had to sleep outside is because the people they are serving are expected to provide for them. Since they are doing all these ministries and services for everybody, the people they are helping should help them by feeding them, clothing them and housing them. This is the trust and reliance on God to take care of those who are committing their lives to his ministry.
Now let's jump to verse 11:
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
This instruction is very simple, Jesus knew that they would be quite popular as they went through these areas, healing people, exorcising demons and raising the dead, and so instead of wasting a lot of valuable time by moving from house to house, entertaining all these people, they are to find one house and stay there until they leave.
Now an interesting couple of verses:
12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
The Hebrew greeting was the word, shalom, which means "Peace" but more fully carries an idea of a blessing for the person's wholeness, physically, socially, and spiritually. But the idea of shaking the dust off of your feet when you leave comes from Jews when they would enter the Holy Land after traveling through Gentile territory. These Jews were making a statement that even the dust they walk on in the unclean Gentile territory is disgusting, and we have to shake it off of our feet because even the dust is unclean. Jesus is saying, if the people are nice to you and welcome you, give them your blessing, but if they don't accept you, don't waste your time on them.
Now the last two verses of this passage:
15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Sodom and Gomorrah were two towns in the book of Genesis that God destroyed because they were so sinful and didn't repent of their sin. These towns are referred to a number of times in the New Testament as examples of God's judgment. Jesus is saying that if these people do not accept the preaching and teaching and ministries of the twelve apostles, this great benefit, then they will be judged even worse than Sodom and Gomorrah was.
And this leads into the last verse. The key with these two verses is this, when we carry out Jesus' ministry the way he did, we will meet resistance. People will reject us, God will judge them in the end, but we still have to live among them. That is why Jesus uses four similes in this passage to instruct his disciples how to live in the midst of resistance.
Sheep, Wolves, Doves and Snakes.
The last two similes are stated. Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. A lot of times Christians do not think it is ok to use business strategies or secular ideas or non-conventional ways to advance the kingdom. Yet, Jesus instructs us that in the midst of the resistance of the world, we need to be shrewd, but also innocent. We can't be shrewd at the expense of our integrity. These two are sometimes opposite, but not mutually exclusive. Jesus was continually shrewd and innocent throughout his ministry.
The Sheep and Wolves similes stand for weakness and savagery. The basic gist is that we as kingdom citizens are often poor and powerless, and we live in a savage world. So the way to endure and succeed and advance God's kingdom is to be shrewd and innocent.
Wow... that is a lot of stuff we just talked about that is very new. I think the thing we need to remember, is that when we serve Jesus and carry out his ministry of advancing his kingdom by meeting the needs of people and making disciples, we will experience resistance. But the key is to have a relationship with Jesus so that he is able to instruct us with all the particulars and guide us to be shrewd and innocent.
So how to keep this relationship with Jesus? I have three very simple things I do that help my relationship with Jesus.
1. read the Bible daily (eatyourbible.com)
2. Pray daily (on september 9th, I posted a blog on prayer that is very helpful)
3. weekly meet with Wiser Christians than me who are close to Jesus so that he can speak to me through them. (sign up for a family group at your church)
I remember listening to my friend, David Heffren, preach a sermon at graduation last year. And his text was John 15, which is all about remaining in the vine, which is Jesus. And he said that it doesn't matter where we are going to do ministry or what kind of ministry we are doing, what matters is with whom you go, with whom you serve, with whom you live. The Key to carrying out the ministry of Jesus, to caring for his sheep, is standing next to the shepherd, is committing our lives daily to investing into a relationship with Jesus.
So do ministry, with Jesus.
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