SCRIPTURE
Matthew 25:1-13
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
COMMENT
So very much like the last post from Matthew 23. Kind of like a part two, which I talked about at the end of the post. In chapter 23, Jesus is addressing the leadership. In this section, He is addressing the hearers with a definite message: DO NOT BE LIKE THEM!
We feel the need to worship, but sometimes the focus of that worship is misplaced, and we worship the messenger rather than the sender of the message. Some preachers exploit this, and have become multi-millionaires in the process. They sometimes preach prosperity, and other times they preach pain and suffering. But the thing they do not preach is the cross of Christ, and without that, their preaching is in vain. (1 Cor 1:17, 1 Cor 15:14)
Repentance. That is where the servant's heart comes from. It is not enough just to be a servant, there must also be the servant's heart. That is why the cross must be preached, for it is the basis for our actions. We offer our lives as living sacrifices in view of God's great mercy toward us. (Romans 12:1-2) DO NOT BE LIKE THEM, those who would ignore, or even worse, abuse the cross of Christ by making it about us and what we do or need. I think one of the teachings of Christ that we tend to not want to think about is the idea that the road to heaven is a narrow one. Many have chosen a path, but it is not the right or righteous path. My belief is that those on the wide path are not just those who don't want any part with God, but also those who seek to go to heaven, but are not taking the correct path to get there. Do we really believe that the path to God is about us and our own righteous deeds? Is it really a "try harder, do better" mentality that will get us to our goal? How did that work for the Jewish leaders? Read the book of Philippians, look at all that Paul was, and how he learned that is was meaningless, like dung, and the only thing that mattered was Christ, and Him crucified.
Philippians 3:12 "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." Why does Paul press on? It is to earn salvation, or is it because of what Christ has already done? SO then, the life and deeds of Paul, his service, are not a means of achieving salvation, but rather a response to the salvation he has been granted. Praise God!
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Practice What You Preach! (Matthew 23:1-12)
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 23:1-12
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
COMMENT
Problems with the scribes and Pharisees as leaders:
Matthew 23:1-12
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
COMMENT
Problems with the scribes and Pharisees as leaders:
- They preach, but do not practice
- Not willing to bear the burdens they place on others
- Do deeds to be seen by others
- Love the attention their roles provide for them
This is not, in my opinion, a cry against the Prosperity Gospel preachers of that day or today. It is actually much worse. It is a cry against those who would misuse the teachings of the Bible to give them something they are lacking, without understanding the direct relationship such teachings have to themselves.
Preach, but do not practice: This is done by some who believe that God has called them to a superior role over others, while denying God's sovereignty over themselves. Preachers who tell others from the pulpit how to live (don't smoke, drink, watch porn, curse, etc.), but fail to live perfect lives themselves. When we make the Gospel about how to live right instead of why we love God, we shift the focus and lose the correct focus in the process. You might say, "But the Bible tells us many things we should and should not do." You would be correct, but those do's and don'ts are not an end themselves, but rather a result of showing us what it means to love and honor God. When we become a living sacrifice, we do so "in view of God's mercy." (Romans 12:1-2) So we do it because we have seen God and His mercy for us, and it draws us onto a love relationship, not an obligation to do good for the sake of salvation.
Not willing to bear the burdens they place on others: When you see yourself as God's chosen messenger, it is going to affect you. Jesus did not do this. Paul did not do this. They saw themselves as God's servant as well as the servant of those God sent them to minister to. I have dealt with pastors who did not have time to talk to me, told lies, stole from the churches funds, and worse. I once had a pastor say at the end of a weekend retreat, "I just realized that we did not spend any time in prayer this weekend, but it is okay, because we are doing God's work." Really? Is that the same message he would preach to the congregation if he were speaking on prayer? Or do different burdens go to the people in the pews?
Do deeds to be seen by others, Love the attention their roles provide for them: Some give preachers a place of reverence, just because of the title. In some faiths, they go so far as to call them "Reverend," Pastor," or "Father." They sometimes wear clothes or other additions to their wardrobe to indicate their status. And for some, that is where it ends. They talk a good talk, they preach morality, but as far as knowing Jesus, I have to have a question mark. But they do love the praise. I think of a story I read in one of Mark Batterson's books. As I recall, his father had taken him to a Super Bowl game, and he wanted to take his son. So he got on Twitter and asked if there was someone who had tickets he could obtain. God heard. He not only got tickets, but all he had to do for them was preach at a church. Not sure of all the details and not interested in rereading the book, but it just stuck me then as it does now, that this is a misuse of his place and privilege as a minister. Your thoughts?
Bear in mind, this is not just a warning against those in leadership. Anyone who pursues the things God offers over God Himself needs to repent. I will just end with with verses 11 and 12: The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Bear in mind, this is not just a warning against those in leadership. Anyone who pursues the things God offers over God Himself needs to repent. I will just end with with verses 11 and 12: The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
No Hesitation (Matthew 22:34-40)
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
COMMENT
Ever notice how Jesus, when approached by someone with a question designed to trap or discredit Him, usually asks another question in return? Example: when asked if it is right to pay taxes, He asks to see a coin, and then asks, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" But in this case, there was no hesitation at giving a direct answer. What is the greatest commandment? Love God. Totally. Heart (emotions), soul (worship), mind (logic). Then Jesus answers a question they didn't ask, that the second greatest commandment is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. Now we can debate who is my neighbor, but didn't Jesus define that in the parable of the Good Samaritan? For those who are not familiar, He showed that our neighbor was anyone in need.
Sometimes, we over complicate things. Sometimes, we shouldn't. Here was a case where Jesus did not want to complicate things. I still say it goes to the idea of repentance. Turning away for living for self, and to living for God. It really isn't that complicated. It gets complicated when we feel we have to justify or excuse the things that maybe we are not ready to surrender.
Perhaps if we just viewed this question the way Jesus did, one that deserves a complete and direct response, we would all be better off.
Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
COMMENT
Ever notice how Jesus, when approached by someone with a question designed to trap or discredit Him, usually asks another question in return? Example: when asked if it is right to pay taxes, He asks to see a coin, and then asks, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" But in this case, there was no hesitation at giving a direct answer. What is the greatest commandment? Love God. Totally. Heart (emotions), soul (worship), mind (logic). Then Jesus answers a question they didn't ask, that the second greatest commandment is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. Now we can debate who is my neighbor, but didn't Jesus define that in the parable of the Good Samaritan? For those who are not familiar, He showed that our neighbor was anyone in need.
Sometimes, we over complicate things. Sometimes, we shouldn't. Here was a case where Jesus did not want to complicate things. I still say it goes to the idea of repentance. Turning away for living for self, and to living for God. It really isn't that complicated. It gets complicated when we feel we have to justify or excuse the things that maybe we are not ready to surrender.
Perhaps if we just viewed this question the way Jesus did, one that deserves a complete and direct response, we would all be better off.
Monday, April 6, 2020
The Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14)
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 22:1-14
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
LANGUAGE
Vs 14 called - invited, appointed
Vs 14 chosen - select, favorite, chosen
COMMENT
Longer passage than usual, and a lot of things that could be focused on, but I want to deal with the main idea of repentance, a theme that I believe goes through all of the gospel of Matthew and Jesus's teachings.
Consider the first group, those who were invited to a wedding feast, but did not come. Why? As invitees, were they not acquainted with the groom's family, the king? But that did not matter to them. They just refused the invitation. The second time they were invited, they were shown all of the lavish preparations that had taken place, yet some went about their own business while others treated the messengers roughly, even killing some. It appears that their level of respect towards the king was zero.
But the wedding feast was ready! The king determined that those invited were not worthy. Why? Because by rejecting the offer, they were rejecting the king. A great feast had been prepared for them, and they snubbed it. Not worthy because they did not want to take time out of what they were doing and come. Not worthy because their level of respect for the king was zero. Perhaps they even hated and despised the king. So others were invited, both good and bad, and the feast went on as planned, just with different guests.
One man was spotted without a wedding garment. Being invited off the street to a wedding, of course the guests were not dressed for a wedding. No need, as custom dictated that appropriate wedding attire be provided. Yet one man decided that he was okay as is. Quite a slap in the face to the king, a complete lack of respect. How did he even manage to get in? The parable does not say, but it does say that once approached about his lack of wedding attire, the man had no response, he was speechless. The king had him bound and thrown out to a place of punishment.
Then come the words that we do not want to hear, "For many are called, but few are chosen." Regardless of what you feel about predestination, these words indicate that the number of those who attain heaven is far smaller than the number of those who desire heaven. In the parable, only one man is singled out to leave. But how many others of those invited were not able to sneak in without wedding clothes? And he that did, must have tuck out like a sore thumb. What does this say about our easy-believe-ism of today? We tell people to say a prayer or even get baptized so that they can be saved. We hand them the wedding garments, but do they put them on? (Romans 13:14) Do they crucify themselves with Christ? Do they put on Jesus? Or do they just go back about their lives, tucking the wedding garment away in a closet, to be pulled out in case of emergency?
Matthew 22:1-14
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
LANGUAGE
Vs 14 called - invited, appointed
Vs 14 chosen - select, favorite, chosen
COMMENT
Longer passage than usual, and a lot of things that could be focused on, but I want to deal with the main idea of repentance, a theme that I believe goes through all of the gospel of Matthew and Jesus's teachings.
Consider the first group, those who were invited to a wedding feast, but did not come. Why? As invitees, were they not acquainted with the groom's family, the king? But that did not matter to them. They just refused the invitation. The second time they were invited, they were shown all of the lavish preparations that had taken place, yet some went about their own business while others treated the messengers roughly, even killing some. It appears that their level of respect towards the king was zero.
But the wedding feast was ready! The king determined that those invited were not worthy. Why? Because by rejecting the offer, they were rejecting the king. A great feast had been prepared for them, and they snubbed it. Not worthy because they did not want to take time out of what they were doing and come. Not worthy because their level of respect for the king was zero. Perhaps they even hated and despised the king. So others were invited, both good and bad, and the feast went on as planned, just with different guests.
One man was spotted without a wedding garment. Being invited off the street to a wedding, of course the guests were not dressed for a wedding. No need, as custom dictated that appropriate wedding attire be provided. Yet one man decided that he was okay as is. Quite a slap in the face to the king, a complete lack of respect. How did he even manage to get in? The parable does not say, but it does say that once approached about his lack of wedding attire, the man had no response, he was speechless. The king had him bound and thrown out to a place of punishment.
Then come the words that we do not want to hear, "For many are called, but few are chosen." Regardless of what you feel about predestination, these words indicate that the number of those who attain heaven is far smaller than the number of those who desire heaven. In the parable, only one man is singled out to leave. But how many others of those invited were not able to sneak in without wedding clothes? And he that did, must have tuck out like a sore thumb. What does this say about our easy-believe-ism of today? We tell people to say a prayer or even get baptized so that they can be saved. We hand them the wedding garments, but do they put them on? (Romans 13:14) Do they crucify themselves with Christ? Do they put on Jesus? Or do they just go back about their lives, tucking the wedding garment away in a closet, to be pulled out in case of emergency?
Friday, April 3, 2020
Who Is It? (Matthew 21:28-32)
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 21:28-32
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
COMMENT
I believe the first step in understanding this parable is to consider the audience to whom it was spoken. Since Jesus had just been questioned about His authority by the chief priests and elders as to where He got His authority, I assume He is still speaking mainly to them, and then perhaps to the crowd as well.
I think the next step would be to determine who are the characters in the parable. Who is the first son, and who is the second? The second son gives his father lip service only. He says he will do as the father asks, but then does as he pleases. In Jesus's eyes, this would be the chief priests and elders. Jesus talks about how they have ears, but do not hear. In most of the parables that he tells, they are the bad examples, and one would find it difficult to see any change in that here. They honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. (see Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:8,9) The first son is the one who actually does what the father has desires, although not at first. Again, if we look at the overall message that I believe Jesus is constantly coming back to, this is an issue of repentance. The first son must change his mindset for a reason. Perhaps, having had time to consider his actions in light of all that his father has done for him, he sees the error of his choice and changes his course. In other words, he repents. Therefore, it is not about the obedience in doing what his father has asked (sacrifice), but it is the change of heart (mercy) that matters. (Matthew 9:13) So when they (the Pharisees and leaders) stand in judgement, and those who they have preached against and despised (the sinners of the world) are granted salvation, they have no excuse, God's judgment is righteous.
That is going to be a harsh realization for many. Fortunately, there is still time to repent. That is the gospel.
Matthew 21:28-32
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
COMMENT
I believe the first step in understanding this parable is to consider the audience to whom it was spoken. Since Jesus had just been questioned about His authority by the chief priests and elders as to where He got His authority, I assume He is still speaking mainly to them, and then perhaps to the crowd as well.
I think the next step would be to determine who are the characters in the parable. Who is the first son, and who is the second? The second son gives his father lip service only. He says he will do as the father asks, but then does as he pleases. In Jesus's eyes, this would be the chief priests and elders. Jesus talks about how they have ears, but do not hear. In most of the parables that he tells, they are the bad examples, and one would find it difficult to see any change in that here. They honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. (see Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:8,9) The first son is the one who actually does what the father has desires, although not at first. Again, if we look at the overall message that I believe Jesus is constantly coming back to, this is an issue of repentance. The first son must change his mindset for a reason. Perhaps, having had time to consider his actions in light of all that his father has done for him, he sees the error of his choice and changes his course. In other words, he repents. Therefore, it is not about the obedience in doing what his father has asked (sacrifice), but it is the change of heart (mercy) that matters. (Matthew 9:13) So when they (the Pharisees and leaders) stand in judgement, and those who they have preached against and despised (the sinners of the world) are granted salvation, they have no excuse, God's judgment is righteous.
That is going to be a harsh realization for many. Fortunately, there is still time to repent. That is the gospel.
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