Matthew 14:22-36

Matthew 14:22-36 NIV

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Jesus fed the crowd of 5000 with miraculous bread, He sent his disciples by boat ahead of Him while He went up the mountain to pray. That's a Moses kind of thing to do. Remember Matthew makes efforts to depict Jesus as the new Moses, mediator over a new covenant and the prophet to come promised by Moses.

Jesus' need to grieve the death of John the Baptist was put aside in order to tend to the needs of the crowd. After healing their sick, encouraging them with the good news of the kingdom of heaven, and feeding them, He finally got away for some alone time with God. This part of the story reveals Jesus the man, a tired mind and body in need of rest, a grieving spirit in need of consolation.

Jesus prayed well into the early hours of the morning. He renewed His spirit and then saw His disciples struggling against the wind and waves. So He walked out onto the sea to help them.

It's easy to jump to the application of this story to our own lives, but it's important to acknowledge the meaning of Jesus walking on water. This miraculous feat reveals Jesus as God.

Ancient myths from other nations, like Babylonia and Assyria, tell of their gods defeating the monsters of chaos. One such myth is of the god Marduk who defeats Tiamat the dragon. Tiamat represents the ocean of primordial chaos. Maduk killed the dragon and split her body in half. With one half he made the sky and with the other he made the earth.

Jesus walking on the sea may be a way to point to such myths and say that Jesus has mastery over chaos, that He is God. The disciples come to that conclusion as they worship Him.

One of my favorite Christian rock bands is Audio Adrenaline. They have a song called, Walk On Water. The chorus says repeatedly,

"If I keep my eyes on Jesus I can walk on water."

Peter gets out of the boat and walks on water for a short period. He turns his attention to the waves and loses heart. He becomes terrified and begins to sink, but he knows well enough who to call. He cried out to Jesus, "Lord, save me."

Life is filled with chaotic events and sometimes a chaotic pace. The nature of chaos is disorder and disorientation. Chaos causes destruction and death. It diminishes life and community and is associated with darkness. Peter is above it all while he trusts in Jesus, the Son of God, but when he takes his eyes off of Jesus, that's when the chaos overtakes him.

Our lives can get pretty hectic and sometimes we lose sight of the goodness of life and God who is with us. We can feel overwhelmed as if sinking below the weight of it all. And sometimes life causes suffering. In our pain and grief we may feel as if we are about to drown in sorrow and anguish. It's at those times we must remember who to call upon. Jesus lifted Peter from his peril and He will do the same for you.

Jesus asked Peter why He doubted. The nature of doubt in this story is to give greater credence to the things that worry and frighten us than to the authority of the Son of God. We could also say that those things that anger, confuse us, or sadden us can claim our attention and we will lose sight of the fact that Jesus is with us and He has mastery over all things. He is Lord of heaven and earth. The demons recognize His authority and bow in submission. So too the wind and waves go silent when the disciples get Jesus into their boat. The closer you are in communion with Christ the less the clamour of chaos will bother you. When life gets overwhelming, get Jesus into the boat with you! Call upon Him and the peace that calms the storm will be yours.

Remember that Jesus went away to pray. Follow His example. Get away from the hustle and bustle and spend time alone with God. The more you are in the habit of prayer, the more quickly you will enjoy Christ's mastery over any challenge you face. Keep your eyes on Jesus and you can walk happily above it all.

I end with lyrics from Audio Adrenaline's Walk On Water.

Just like Peter I want to go farther
tread on the sea and walk on the water
step where he steps and go where he goes
side by side when the sea billows roll
I'll be alright when the wind comes
I'll be alright when the waves come crashing
I'm not afraid for this is my father's world

Give it a listen!

Audio Adrenaline - Walk On Water
youtube.com

Matthew 14:15-21

Matthew 14:15-21 NIV

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 
“Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

According to Jack Pastor, author of Land and Economy in Ancient Palestine, the average sized family was 4.3-4.75 members. That means the crowd that Jesus fed could have been as many as 23,750! There's no way of knowing how many men had their entire families with them. It's not likely that all of them did. And we can't know that every woman and child there were attached to a man in the crowd. So guessing the size of the crowd is filled with all kinds of problems. Besides the size of the crowd, the figure 5000, likely had some sort of symbolic meaning for Matthew and his readers.

Biblestudytools.com reports that the number 5 is symbolic of God's grace. There are five books of Moses. There are five books in the collection of the psalms. Humankind has five fingers on each hand with which to serve God. 5000 is the product of 5 x 10 x 10 x 10. The number 10 is the sum of 7 and 3. The number 3 has to do with God. There are three persons in the trinity. The first three days of creation God was separating light from dark, earth from sky, water from land, which is indicative of holiness, to be set apart for God alone. The number 7 has to do with completion. The universe was created in 6 days and God declared a Sabbath on the seventh day. A week is not complete without a day of rest and communion with God and His people. 7 + 3 = 10. The number 10 has to do with the complete work of God, or all the fullness of God. 1000 is three sets of ten, meaning a godly complete work of God. (We're beginning to belabor the point!) Therefore the number 5000 is saying that God's grace, which is at work among His people, is overly abundant, totally sufficient, and fully satisfying. It's a complete meal that the crowd enjoyed with Jesus and His disciples, for they were feasting on God's grace.

The scene also points to the bread from heaven, manna which the Lord gave His children every day while they wandered the wilderness for forty years. God is with them on the journey. And God has sent a great prophet... no more than that, the Messiah, God's Son. The miraculous bread came by grace and was filled with grace, a satisfying meal.

The disciples were afraid there wasn't enough to feed everyone. They urged Jesus to send them home. But Jesus told his disciples, "You give them something to eat". With what shall we feed them? With the grace of our God. This is the mission of the church, to bring to the crowd, to the world, God's all sufficient grace through a saving relationship with Christ Jesus.

When we fear a lack of resources to carry out the mission of Christ, which is to save the world with the transforming, lifegiving love of God, we must remember that with God all things are possible. We must remember that God's grace is enough and totally sufficient. We must remember that the Lord provides. If your life is aligned with God's purpose, you can rely on grace to win the day every time.

Romans 8:28 NIV

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

One more point has to be mentioned. If you know the sacrament of Holy Communion or The Lord's Supper, then you cannot miss the symbolic reference to this holy meal which Christ gave to His church.

Matthew 14:19-20

...looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples...

This same language is used in the Christian liturgy of the Eucharist.

On the night in which He gave Himself up for us,
He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you."

Holy Communion is the chief means of God's grace given to the church. It was the custom that every time believers gathered, they celebrated this meal and did so in remembrance of Jesus and His sacrificial death. For His death is the sign to all of God's unfailing love and mercy, abundant for all.

Now let's compare this meal with Jesus and the crowd to Herod's birthday party. For in this comparison we see two very different kingdoms and two very different kings. Herod represents the kingdom of this world which is perverted by Satan. Jesus represents the kingdom of heaven which is empowered by God.

Herod threw a party for himself and invited the rich and powerful to attend. Jesus invited a multitude of the poor, common people to sit down with Him and His disciples for a satisfying meal. Herod's wealth undoubtedly comes from taxing the people such that he can live in luxury and throw expensive parties. Jesus was a man of the people. He came from meager circumstances and He lifted the burdens of the people wherever He went. Herod takes. Jesus gives. Herod's party glorified sensuality with the young dancing girl, the fine food, drink, and music. Jesus' meal glorified God. Herod's party ended in death. Jesus' meal gave life to the multitude. Herod made decisions out of fear and insecurity. Jesus made decisions out of faith in God to provide.

There's much more that could be said, but clearly the kingdom of heaven has plenty for all comers. The kingdom of this world keeps the good stuff in the hands of the rich and powerful, creating poverty for the rest. Never mind the two fish (Jewish and Gentile disciples) or the twelve baskets of leftovers (Israel). It all points to the fact that if you have Christ, you have more than enough.

Matthew 14:1-14

Matthew 14:1-14 NIV

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus is grieving the death of His cousin John the Baptist. He had heard what Herod did to him, how he had imprisoned John for confronting Herod's sin and beheaded him at the whims of a dancing girl. For John this was a sad way to go. Jesus held John in high regard saying that there was none born of women better than John. He was the best of His generation, good, faithful, righteous and true. But now John's voice is silenced by an insecure puppet of Rome.

Herod Antipas was tetrarch. He was governor of parts of Palestine, namely Galilee and Perea. The Son of Herod the Great, he shared rulership with Philip. Antipas divorced his Nabatean wife in favour of the divorcee of Herod Philip I, his half-brother. Not only was his marriage to Herodias adulterous, it was incestuous as well. John the Baptist spoke out against Antipas and his sin, so Herod had him imprisoned.
.
Herod grew up in a royal family under the favour of Rome. Now He had inherited a portion of His father's kingdom to rule with Rome's blessing. Herod is willing to break Jewish custom and religious law and do like the Romans do. The Caesars intermarried. Caligula was rumored to have had incestuous relations with His sisters. Herod Antipas clearly abuses his powerful position to do as He pleases.

We see that Antipas is the kind of man who does not like to be held accountable or challenged. When John confronted his sin, he behaves like some of the kings of Judah and Israel from centuries prior who imprisoned or executed the prophets the Lord sent to them. By imprisoning John he hopes to silence him, at least publicly.

We learn that Herod makes rash promises. When the daughter of Herodias pleased him with her dance, he promised her anything she asked for. Because he wanted to appear gracious before his guests, Herod was trapped into doing what the girl asked. Herodias, her mother, wanted John the Baptist to die. She encouraged the girl to ask for John's head on a platter.

We discover that Herod is insecure. He's afraid to look bad in front of his guests. He doesn't want to shirk on his promise. He didn't really want to kill John for fear of how the people of his tetrarchy might react. But because of his fear of looking like a man who doesn't keep his promises, he goes against his better judgement and orders John's execution!

Herod is a man of low character, but Jesus is a different kind of king. Jesus went away to grieve John in solitude. The crowds followed Him. Rather than turn them away, which would be understandable, Jesus has compassion on them. He healed all of their sick.

Now here's a man who is sad and tired and wanting some alone time, but when the needs of others confront Him He chooses to put His needs aside for their sake. Jesus exemplifies love, to give oneself away for the benefit of others.

How often have you felt like God was too busy to hear your prayers or concern Himself with your problems? God is not limited in time, space, or compassion. Though God may seem far away or hiding, persevere in prayer, for the Master will turn with compassion and help you. You belong to the kingdom of heaven and the limitless resources of God.

Matthew 13:53-58

Matthew 13:53-58 NIV

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God keeps surprising me. The moment I think I have God all figured out, I am humbled by life in some way and have to rethink me position. One time I went looking for a job. I prayed for a specific salary, job type, and benefits. I searched for six months and found nothing. I was getting desperate. I paid a company to help me in my search. Within a week after abandoning my trust that God would provide, I got an offer for the job I prayed for. I wasted considerable cash on the job search service. I never even finished their program. At the end of the experience I was so pleasantly surprised by God and yet I felt foolish. Why was I surprised? Didn't I just pray for these things? Why did God wait so long? Was He testing me? What does this all mean?

There's a danger in having a certain comfortable familiarity with God. It keeps God in a box. When we think we know God completely, we limit a being who is limitless. How can a limited mind fully know the mind of God? And yet we are promised this very thing... one day.

1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth and found the townspeople He grew up with were offended by Him. "Who does He think He is?" they murmured to themselves. They thought they knew the carpenter's son. When He challenged their perceptions by preaching with great wisdom and authority, when He healed the sick and cast out demons, they felt uncomfortable. They felt insulted and angry.

Seems weird that they wouldn't be excited when Jesus healed and helped people in their town. But that's what happens when your words and actions force people out of their comfort zones. Some are more gracious than others, but when fear takes hold, because the ground has shifted under us, sometimes our dark side comes out. In Luke's version of this story the men of Nazareth want to throw Jesus off a cliff! (Luke 4:28-29)

I suppose that their difficulty was seeing Jesus, who came from their own humble circumstances, becoming a national sensation. Everyone one was talking about Jesus. Amazed at His teaching and God's power at work in His ministry, the people were all abuzz. They'd never seen anything like it before. They praised God, for a great prophet had come to Israel. And they had thought perhaps God had abandoned them, but now this prophet has appeared! Surely Nazareth had heard the stories, but they were not as enthused. That's the trouble with thinking you know a thing or person all too well. You close your mind off to experiencing it or them in new ways.

Jesus didn't perform many miracles that day in Nazareth, not because He wasn't able to, but because the people didn't want Him to. Their discomfort kept them from embracing who Jesus had become. They wanted to remain believing He was only the carpenter's son. They couldn't get past that. Their lack of faith kept them from coming to Jesus for healing.

The incarnation is a mystery. How can God be human? How can a poor man's son be the messiah and king of Israel? And if that truly happened for Jesus, why Him? Why not any of the others in Nazareth? Why not me?

But there's the irony. You can be God in human form. Clearly your cannot be all of God, but some of God is in everyone. Christ sets the believer free of fears and frozen minds to become like Him. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. God will work through us in amazing ways sometimes when faith is present. We were made in God's image. We are fallen from God's image because of sin. And we are being redeemed through faith in Christ to be restored to the divine image in which we were made. Healing is a sign of this redemption, a sign of restoration to God. And having our eyes opened, our hearts and minds opened, is no less a miracle. For when we see Jesus for who He is, the whole world changes for us. Everything seems somehow new and different, a fresh blessing.

How well do you think you know Jesus? He wants to be known by you and it will take you an eternity to fully know. The good news is that, through Christ, eternity is in you. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Seek and you will find. Ask and you shall receive the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 13:44-52

Matthew 13:44-52 NIV

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are more parables in Matthew 13 comparing the kingdom of heaven to things on earth we can understand. In this case Jesus teaches the incomparable value of the kingdom to anything we may own. It's worth everything.

I assume we may feel that way about our family. Perhaps we'd give any ransom to save our children. Perhaps you'd sell all your possessions if it meant you could save your spouse from a terminal disease. What value is your faith to you? What would you give in order to see God's kingdom of love, righteousness, peace and plenty to rule the land?

I daresay I wouldn't sell all my possessions in order to fund ministries that move us there. I'm reluctant to do such an impractical thing. I have bills to pay and people who depend on me.

I'm sure you feel a similar way when presented with the concept of selling everything you own in order to possess the kingdom of God. Yet here it is. Jesus presents the idea to His disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like a man who finds a great treasure, greater than all he owns. We can assume the owners of the field have no idea that this great treasure is located in the field, otherwise they wouldn't have sold it. The man sold everything he owned to buy the field so that he might possess the treasure.

I wonder if the hidden treasure is a way of speaking about Israel. In their scriptures, the Christian's Old Testament, the Jewish Tanakh, there is prophecy of the coming of Christ. In every book of the Old Testament, there is a thread of redemption running through it leading to the appearance of Jesus. Yet the wonderful news that Christ is born was only given to simple shepherds and discerned by pagan astrologers. Israel's own wise men, their prophets and teachers and priests, were not visited by angels, nor did they see the signs and join in proclaiming the good news. It was to simple and poor people, ignored by the religious establishment, that the good news was announced by angels. It was wise men from far away in Persia who came to give homage to the Messiah.

In the parable of the treasure in the field, I think the field is Israel, specifically the land and its people, it's history and scriptures. The owners of the field are only implied in the parable. The owners are those who are leading Israel, corrupt politicians and the clergy in their pockets. The man who stumbled across the hidden treasure is the disciple whose eyes have been opened to see Christ ushering in a new era, the promised reign of God.

Of course the man who found the treasure should be you and me and anyone who understands what the kingdom of heaven means. When we truly understand we may be inclined to invest more of ourselves in seeing the kingdom come in all its fullness.

Here's a prophecy of life under the rule of God's anointed. It's a picture of peace that comes from righteous leadership and the saving knowledge of God.

Isaiah 11:1-2, 5-9 NIV

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord... Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

And of course we cannot forget the beauty of John's revelation.

Revelation 21:3-4 NIV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

What value do these promises hold for you? What are their worth? How are you moved to see the day these words come true? How is your life contributing to this future? Blessed are the peacemakers.

The third parable in today's reading, Mat 13:47-50, is a reinforcement of His teaching through the parable of the wheat and weeds. It's the same message. At the end of this current age, in which the wicked and the righteous dwell together, God will separate the wicked from the righteous and destroy them. The righteous will be free to live in happy obedience to the God who saves them, without the opposition and persecution of the wicked.

The fishnet drawn up from the sea filled with all kinds of fish is the day of judgement. It is a day we will all see. For all must stand before the judgement seat of Christ. Who can stand, but for the mercy of God? I love the apostle Paul's conviction that the love shown us in the cross of Christ means a salvation that can never be taken away. And it means a heavenly inheritance that outshines all early treasure.

Romans 8:31-35, 37-39 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those words are a great treasure for a soul that longs for God, our creator.

"Have you understood these things?", Jesus asks His disciples. They affirmed that they do understand. Notice that Jesus then affirms teachers of the law who become disciples. You see not every Pharisee rejected Christ. Paul is the prime example, for he persecuted the church, but later repented and became its greatest apostle. He was able to teach the Old Testament with new eyes, for his blindness had been healed by Christ. As Jesus says every teacher of the Old Testament, who is a disciple of Christ, brings out new treasures with the old, meaning new insights into the message of redemption that is found in the Old Testament scriptures. The New Testament could easily be called the New Treasure, for the writings there are the commentary of disciples who found the treasure of great worth, the pearl of great value, for their eyes have been opened to see Jesus the Christ and the coming of His kingdom on earth.

May your eyes and heart be opened to find the treasure. And may you be given grace to take hold of the kingdom of heaven and your divine inheritance in Christ.

Matthew 13:31-35

Matthew 13:31-35 NIV

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew 13 continues with the parables of Jesus. Jesus is specifically instructing the people about the kingdom of heaven, the government of God upon the earth. These two short parables compare the kingdom of heaven to something small that ends up massive or highly impactful.

The mustard seed is tiny, only one grain is 1 or 2 millimeters in size. The mustard bush, under ideal conditions, can grow upwards to 30 feet in height and it's foliage spread 20 feet in diameter. That's quite the transformation!

In the same manner a small pinch of yeast powder mixed into a batch of dough will cause the whole loaf of bread to rise in the oven. According to one website on baking tips, one tablespoon of yeast will leaven up to 6 cups of flour, which will produce two 10" loaves of bread. That's a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from one tablespoon of yeast!

The illustration is simple to comprehend. The kingdom of God starts small, almost insignificant, but it becomes great in the number of people within the movement and influential in the world.

The influence Christianity has had on the world cannot be understated, though contemporary opponents continually do so. This web article gives an excellent summary coming from various books on the subject.

http://www.faithfacts.org/christ-and-the-culture/the-impact-of-christianity

Christianity has changed the world for the better in numerous facets of society like how we view the value of human life, our concern for the needy, our compassion when tragedy strikes, marriage and family, education and so on.

Did you know that the first 123 colleges in America were Christian institutions, save one? Look at this excerpt from the founding documents to Harvard.

"Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life." (John 17:3 being clearly referenced)

In His book, What's So Great about Christianity, Dinesh D'Souza writes,

"Christianity is responsible for the way our society is organized and for the way we currently live. So extensive is the Christian contribution to our laws, our economics, our politics, our arts, our calendar, our holidays, and our moral and cultural priorities that historian J. M. Robers writes in The Triumph of the West, 'We could none of us today be what we are if a handful of Jews nearly two thousand years ago had not believed that they had known a great teacher, seen him crucified, dead, and buried, and then rise again."

Our contemporary society seems to be slipping into a new dark age with violence and the ignorance that breeds it pervasive in the headlines. Even though our media depicts Christianity as synonymous with bigotry, superstition and hate, the freedom of press wouldn't even exist if it weren't for Christ's movement.

Jesus and twelve men began a small religious movement that has propelled the human race forward in dramatic ways.

The parables of Jesus reveal something of what God is doing in the world. God has been working from the beginning to redeem this earth and free it from the death grip that sin has upon it. Matthew said Jesus' parables fulfill prophecy. The scripture he quoted was from Psalm 78, a retelling of God's history with Israel from their deliverance from Egypt to the anointing of David as king. For Matthew to quote the psalm points to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David.

Psalm 78:70-72 NIV

He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

That the kingdom is led by a king with integrity and skill is good, but to be led by God's own Son is to live under divine blessing. The kingdom may seem small at times against the enormity of evil we see displayed in the news, but remember that God's good and righteous government will grow until all the world knows the truth and bows the knee to Christ. Keep hope alive and let the kingdom grow mightily within you as you contribute to its growth in the world.

The Impact of Christianity - Faith Facts
www.faithfacts.org

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 NIV

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I listen to Alice Cooper. Some of you might ask, "Who is she?" Alice Cooper is the stage persona of Vincent Furnier. His character is the villain of Rock and Roll. His stage shows are best described as horror theatrics. In every show since the mid-seventies Alice is executed for his crimes, either by hanging, or beheading, or some other gruesome form of death.

In Jesus' parable of the wheat and weeds He tells of the end of the age when the children of the evil one will be removed from His kingdom and destroyed. Their end is gruesome. They will be thrown into a blazing furnace. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It's a horrific picture of of death.

Imagine standing in line as you hear the screams of those in front of you bring tossed into the fire! Would your teeth be clenched with terrible fear as you prepare to meet your doom? Massive and powerful angels tower over you as you moving ever closer to the furnace. There's no point in fighting. There's nowhere to run. It's the end of the line. Would you weep for those who face such a punishment?

I realize I'm sounding rather grim. I think that is a way to read this parable, with a focus on death and the horrors of Hell. The are other ways to receive this parable. You will notice Jesus doesn't use the word Hell in His story. It would be easy to think of the furnace as a picture of Hell, but that is reading something into the story that isn't exactly there.

The blazing furnace has been used in scripture before. The king of Babylon erected a golden statue of himself to be worshipped. Three devout Jews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, refused to bow down to any idol, for they worshipped the God of Israel. The king ordered them to be thrown into a blazing furnace.

Daniel 3:22 NIV

The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego...

But when the king looked into the furnace he saw four men. The three faithful Jews were miraculously saved from the fire by the Lord.

You can read the parable of the wheat and weeds from the perspective of salvation, rather than from the perspective of a horrible end for those who do evil. Then the parable becomes a wonderful message of hope about the nature of the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of heaven is a place for those who are faithful to God and do not place their ultimate trust in anything or anyone else. The kingdom of heaven is here on earth, right now. And it is not yet free of the infestation of evil. The church of Jesus Christ is a visible expression of the kingdom of heaven, and if you've spent any time in the church, then you know it's not perfect. The church is filled with forgiven sinners, but we are sinners just the same. It's so heartbreaking when sin gets the upper hand and Christians behave badly, staining the goodness of God's name and the reputation of His people. The church is a mixed bag with disciples at different phases of spiritual maturity. The church is like a weed infested field of wheat. There are those who do evil among those who consciously try not to.

Sometimes we do evil without truly recognizing it, much like the Pharisees and teachers of the law in Jesus' day. These religious men loved God and were fierce about obeying God's law, but they became arrogant and unmerciful. In their zeal for righteousness they became murderous. And so it is within the kingdom of heaven. Right now, in this period before the end of the age, God allows the evil and the good to dwell together.

In His mercy God waits for the weeds to show themselves. In order to spare the ones who may yet turn in repentance to God, He allows the mixture of sinners and saints. I appreciate God's mercy depicted in this parable. There is mercy for the Christian who stumbles into sinful habits. There's time given to repent. There's mercy for the evildoer who is living in willful rebellion. For they too are given time to turn from their sinful choices and seek God's kingdom and righteousness.

I have to admit, however, how tiresome this sinful world has become. The world infects the purity of Christ's church and it's heartbreakingly disappointing. How I long for my perfection. How I long for the perfection of the church. And yet I make decisions that run counter to my perfection. I still live comfortably with sinful habits that I know are separating me from God and His goodness. I'm certain that you have your own sins of which you cannot seem to let go. We are human, sinful and made in God's image. We are both worthless weed and treasured wheat.

The apostle Paul wrote what it's like to be human.

Romans 7:15, 18-19, 24 NIV

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

Alice Cooper wrote these lyrics.

You're your own worst enemy
You're a walking catastrophe
You're at war with yourself and nobody else
You're a danger

But there is mercy in the Lord. We aren't perfect yet, but we can be faithful. We can keep trying even though we fail. God gave us a Savior who walked into the fiery furnace for us. As such His death is an atoning sacrifice that washed away the stain of our sins. And He is with us providing grace to be freed from this wretched body subject to death. For His grace is greater than sin. Sin cannot touch us when we stand in God's grace.

When I read this parable there is a hopeful promise about our future. The kingdom of heaven will one day be purged clean of every evil doer and even causes to do evil. Can you imagine living without even the temptation to do evil? There will be nothing to trip us up. The old enemy will be bound and thrown into the furnace for destruction, never to cause us to stumble every again.

Matthew 13:43 NIV

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Far from this parable being a horror show, to me this parable is beautiful and lifegiving. The hope this story gives of one day finally being freed of this sinful world lifts a heavy burden from my heart. This world is beautiful and deadly at the same time. The weight of our sins crushes us emotionally. I look at the wickedness going on in our time and I am filled with sadness and disgust. It weighs heavy on my soul. And I look at my own walk and see where I fail and I am tired and sad. But praise God who gives us the victory in Jesus Christ! One day, when this age comes to an end, we who trust in Christ shall be glorified in the new creation without evil. I just cannot fathom how wonderful that will be.

Philippians 1:6 NIV

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Thank God for His mercy, His patience, His wisdom and His amazing grace. We will shine!

Matthew 13:10-17

Matthew 13:10-17 NIV

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
 you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
 they hardly hear with their ears,
 and they have closed their eyes.
 Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
 hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm getting hard of hearing. I have tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears which can be attributed to listening to loud music for years. It makes it difficult to hear in noisy rooms. Most of the time it's not an issue.

A bigger issue with my hearing is a mind that is preoccupied or focused on something other than what is being said. Being a good listener takes effort. I have learned to take a break from my work and relax before I'm to engage in active listening. Even then my mind drifts back to tasks I am working on. I also have difficulty hearing an opinion that differs from my own when my mind is already made up. And when music is playing in the background, I sometimes cannot concentrate on the conversation, for I am drawn to music.

Jesus was asked why He teaches in parables. He answered that He did so that those who hear will not understand and those who see will not see (assuming that sight is comprehension).

This seems kind of mean, but again Jesus is merely pointing out the obvious. The callused hearts of the Pharisees and teachers of the law is what keeps them from seeing and hearing. They do not see Jesus for who He is. They do not accept what He has to say either. Their minds are already made up about Jesus. As such these religious leaders are a fulfillment of prophecy. They are like the leaders of Jerusalem in the time prior to the destruction of the city by the Babylonians. Isaiah warned his contemporaries and now his words warn a new generation. The surprising prophetic verses are intended to pierce the heart of the listener and perhaps lead them to repentance. In the case of Jesus' opponents, it seems their hearts grow harder as they scheme for ways to end Jesus and His movement.

But those within the movement of the kingdom of heaven, with Christ as leader, are blessed. They are given spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear. They comprehend that Jesus is from God. They hope in Him as the messiah. They understand His message, and when they don't understand, they ask their teacher and Jesus explains the meaning. The Pharisees aren't asking for understanding, but the followers of Christ do ask and they find answers through divine insight.

Why are they blessed? They are blessed because they are witnessing first hand the fulfillment of God's promise to restore Israel through the messiah whose kingdom of peace will have no end. That promise continues in its fulfillment to this day. The divine Christ has placed heaven on earth. It is the gathering of faithful disciples of Jesus known as the church.

Be blessed church and be a blessing.

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 NIV

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew has 23 parables, whereas Luke has 28. The gospel of Mark only has 9. John has no parables at all, although Jesus still speaks in riddles in John's account.

Parables are short stories that teach a spiritual truth about God, humanity, or the condition of Israel and its leadership. Parables generally utilize a comparison of one thing to another. For example Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed. The seed is small but grows to become the largest tree in the garden. So it is with the kingdom. It begins with a small number of believers, but became the most significant movement in human history.

In the famous Parable of the Sower, Jesus speaks of four types of soil to compare to the human heart. A farmer scatters seed upon all four types and each produces results by nature of the soil's condition.

The hardened path bears no harvest. Lying upon the surface of the footpath, the birds eat up the seeds. The human heart can get stepped on. When our hearts are hurt, we naturally build up walls to protect ourselves from further injury. Some hearts have been trodden upon enough to become hard like a footpath. Nothing is getting in. So when the gospel of hope is presented, there's no benefit. The devil has already eaten up what faith or trust there was in their heart.

Other hearts are like the shallow soil filled with stone, when they hear the gospel they are joyful at first, but when the Christian life proves to be difficult in the face of persecution or troubles, they quickly lose interest and go back as they were. No harvest here either because faith has wilted.

Other hearts are like the weed and thorn infested soil. Faith gets choked out by worries and greed. If there is any benefit at all to their faith it becomes only a personal asset for their own use, and not a faith that grows the kingdom of God. Their self-centeredness negates any lasting benefit to others. These hearts are too focused on their own problems to see others. Their desires to gain more of the world's treasures keeps them from contributing to the work of the kingdom of heaven.

Finally there are hearts like good fertile soil. Such soil produces an abundant harvest. Such receptive hearts receive the gospel, follow Jesus, and transform this world with the love of God.

It seems pretty simple. The parable invites self reflection. What is my heart like? You can easily tell by looking at the results of your faith, your impact upon the world for Christ's sake. Or you can ask yourself which soil do you identify with most. Likely there's a little bit of each in your heart.

My experience is there are times when my heart is like the hardened path. I've been hurt and I circle the wagons in a defensive posture. Trust in others is low. Sometimes, depending on the tragedy I face, I may even question my trust in God. But even a hardened path can become fertile and tillable soil. Add water, a spade, rake and perhaps some sort of fertilizer, and the soil will likely yield produce. In the same way love heals a hurting heart, like water softens the path. Patient listening, compassion, and understanding are interventions like the spade and rake. And the word of God, which gives hope, is a soul nurturing additive like nutrient rich fertilizer.

My heart has been like the shallow soil, a field filled with stone. My heart has been filled with hurts and resentments that have kept God's love from going very deep. But a stone filled field can be cleared of stone. It's back breaking work, but it brings an agricultural capacity to that field that was not there before. I've certainly grown in my capacity to love and be loved, but my heart is not fully cleared of obstacles to grace. There are parts of me that live like Jesus and others that are still shallow, still in need of stone removal to increase the capability of my heart to share God's love.

And my heart has been like the thorn infested soil. I lived the greed generation in the eighties. I know what it's like to have my heart set on gaining things, getting promotions, chasing the bigger salary, and working to build my influence and public image. It's a relentless agenda that leaves little room for God. What faith I had was used to nurture and assist my own agenda, not God's will for my life. When the glittering prizes failed me, I knew where to turn. I turned to the Master Gardener who helped me pull the weeds, thorns and thistles. He helped me recognize the things in my life that needed to go. He helped me prioritize my life according to His plan. And He helped me to see that chasing after worldly wealth and worrying about tomorrow will never satisfy. Seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is the priority.

I would say there have been times when my heart was good soil. God was able to use me to impact others positively and advance His kingdom. But I'm not aware of all God has done. Sometimes a simple conversation, from my perspective, becomes a life changing event for the other. More than once I've been surprised by church members who've shared how something I've said or done had impacted them positively.

I'm sure the same is true for you. We are all a work in progress. We are God's handiwork created for good works in Jesus Christ. (Eph 2:10) When you are living into God's will for your life, and seeking to build His kingdom of love on earth, you will be planting seeds of the kingdom in the hearts you encounter. Join Christ in scattering seeds of hope, faith and love. As you go, give your heart to the Master Gardener to help you become increasingly useful and productive for Christ. And the world will be blessed because of you.

Matthew 12:46-50

Matthew 12:46-50 NIV

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 
He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You can choose your friends but you sho' can't choose your family..."

The above quote is by the character Harper Lee, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. I thought of it when I read this passage from Matthew about Jesus' family wanting to speak to Him. His family is standing outside the synagogue and send in a message to let Jesus know they want to see Him. Chances are the place was packed and they couldn't get inside. Instead of Jesus getting up to go out and greet His mother and brothers, He uses the moment to teach.

Often we overlook the fact that Jesus had a family that He grew up with. He was firstborn of Mary. Her husband Joseph raised Jesus as his own, though Jesus was not his child. There are few biblical references to His family, but here are three.

Mark 6:3 NIV

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?”

You might think that Jesus is estranged from His family. That may be close to the truth. Other gospels point to the friction in His home.

Mark 3:20-21 NIV

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

John 7:2-5 NIV

But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

Matthew doesn't clue us in on these family tensions. It's of no matter. Mary comes around soon enough, and James ends up taking leadership of his brother's church in Jerusalem. The point of this little story is not to illustrate family tensions for Jesus, but to point to something greater than family by blood. "Something greater is here" is a consistent theme in Matthew 12. That "something greater" is the kingdom of heaven, or should I say the family of God?

We've already heard Jesus tell us that there will be division in families over Him.

Matthew 10:36-37 NIV

a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

So now Jesus uses the instance of His family by blood beckoning Him to teach that His truest family members are those who do the will of God.

Matthew 12:50 NIV

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

This might seem like a slap in the face of Jesus' family. It may truly have insulted them, but that is not Jesus' intent. He may very well have gotten up to go out and see them. But he used the moment to love and compliment His disciples gathered around Him. Imagine the twinkling delight in His eyes as He looked about the room! Imagine His eyes looking upon you as His brother, sister or mother.

Of course Jesus only claims one father, that is God in heaven. In the family of God there are many brothers and sisters. Sometimes we can be mentored by spiritual elders who become like fathers or mothers in some sense. The apostle John refers to fathers in the faith in His first letter. (1Jn 2:13-14) But in regards to Jesus, He only has one Father.

I find it interesting that Jesus feels a motherly connection to some in His church. With the revered status of Mary in the Roman Catholic tradition, this passage might seem to run counter to lifting Mary to a divine status with God. But there was no such tradition in Jesus' day, so we can't draw any conclusions from the passage regarding the Roman Catholic reverence for Mary.

What we can do is recognize that the church is the place where we can find close relations, closer perhaps than our own kin. Be mindful that such relationships are waiting to be formed. You may be a father, mother, sister or brother to someone. And you may find you need that kind of connection with a fellow disciple. Above all know that Jesus sees you that way. You are His true family when you do the will of His Father in heaven.

Matthew 12:38-45

Matthew 12:38-45 NIV

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The confrontation between Jesus and His opponents continues. The Pharisees, a strict sect within Judaism, asked Jesus for a sign. What was their motive? Previously they placed a deformed man before Jesus in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Matthew 12:10b NIV

Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

We can safely assume that their motives are similar when asking for a sign. They want to discredit Jesus. Perhaps they are demanding He prove Himself as the Messiah. But He had already performed many miracles that are proof enough. The Pharisees are just trying to pick a fight. They are blind to Jesus' true identity. They do not understand that God is among them in Jesus.

Jesus scolds them saying that they are wicked for demanding a sign to prove His authority as messiah. The only sign the blind will be given is the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus speaks in parables by saying the sign of Jonah will be given and nothing else.

Jonah was a prophet sent to warn Nineveh of God's impending wrath. Jonah didn't want to go, so he fled by ship. God sent a storm and the sailors feared for their lives. Jonah asked them to throw him overboard for he knew he was the reason for the storm. Once tossed in the sea a great fish swallowed him whole. He prayed to God and was freed after 3 days. A fantastic story to be sure, but no more fanatic than dead men rising from the grave.

The Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah, but the religious leadership of Israel is not repenting. They are not embracing the gospel. They are an adulterous generation, meaning their hearts do not truly belong to God. Jesus will later chastise them for many specific idolatries. Here is one example.

Matthew 23:5-7 NIV

“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

Their hearts belong to their positions of influence and the respect they enjoy, not as much to God. I dare say that pastors today face similar seductions. We can forget to serve God and instead serve the agenda that gets us noticed, promoted, and applauded. The same goes for many kinds of jobs.

Jesus said something greater than Jonah is here, meaning Himself and the kingdom of heaven. Jesus pointed to the Queen of Sheba who traveled from a great distance to witness the wisdom and majesty of Israel's King Solomon. Some say she came from modern day Somalia, but others say Arabia. No one really knows. The point is that she paid homage to Solomon and his God, but this generation before Jesus is not paying homage, not giving heed, to the Son of David (that is Jesus Christ) who is greater than Solomon.

Then Jesus seems to take a left turn. It's a bit difficult to connect this next section with the rest of the chapter. It almost feels like Matthew took a teaching of the Lord and plopped it in here for reasons unclear to me.

The passage has to do with the behavior of demons. In Matthew 12 Jesus drove out a demon from a deaf mute. So there's that connection. At the end of this teaching on demons, Jesus applies the teaching to this wicked generation, meaning the Pharisees and teachers of the law who oppose Him. There's the second connection. How might we read this teaching in light of these?

If the metaphor of the demon possessed deaf mute (Mat 12:22-24) is about the inability of the Pharisees to hear Jesus as the One sent by God to free Israel, if it's about their inability to give Him the honor and glory due Him, then perhaps Jesus' presence among them gives them opportunity to be freed like the deaf mute. But they are not freed, therefore they remain under the spell of their idolatrous hearts.

Jesus says that an exorcised demon will go about arid places looking for a new home. Doesn't that sound like Israel's history? I'm just guessing here, and it's a new thought for me, but might Jesus be pointing to the exodus from Egypt? After all the Hebrew slaves also worshipped the gods of Egypt. Removing idols from their hearts was a difficult and centuries long process. You may remember while Israel wandered in the desert, an arid place, they wanted to go back to Egypt. They also committed idolatry more than once. They fashioned a golden calf to mimic how other countries depicted their gods. Might Jesus be saying that though Israel was freed by God through Moses and the law, their idolatrous hearts have turned the law into a death trap? The law was intended to give life, but it became death. Might Jesus be saying that the spiritual condition of Israel's religious leadership is worse than it was in the days of Moses, or perhaps in the days following the exile from Babylon?

I've always read this teaching about demons to apply specifically to addiction. When set free by God from an addictive substance or activity, if the addict does not remain clean but returns to her or his addiction, then it's much harder to get free again. The hold the addiction has its even more tremendous. Perhaps Israel's idolatrous tendencies is like an addiction. And since Israel is a prime example of all humanity that means my heart and your heart is prone to idolatry.

Idolatry, in essence, is exchanging the glory of the creator for some created thing. Any thing, any activity, any person, any idea we place above God is an idol. The litmus test to see if you have a idol in your life is the example of Abraham who offered up his only son Isaac as a sacrifice in obedience to God.

Though it pained him greatly, though he could not understand why the Lord would ask him to do such a thing, Abraham was completely obedient. He bound his son and raised the knife, but God stopped him. Is there any thing, or any one, or any activity that you wouldn't surrender if the Lord commanded you to do so?

I know I could not abandon my children or my wife. I would have great difficulty letting go of rock music or Hollywood films. These are idols in my life. I often turn to movies and music, instead of prayer, for quick comfort, or at least a brief refuge from reality. However, I am fully aware that these do not answer my deepest need. I am made for communion with God. Not even my wife, my closest companion, can fulfill my need for God. If I expected to receive from our relationship what only God can give, I'd be an idolatrous fool and placing a burden upon her she cannot bear.

How about you? What idols does your heart tend to turn to? May you have your hearing restored and your ability to speak God's praise returned to you. And when the Lord sets you free, May you be given grace to remain in Him and free from your idols. May we always realize that something greater is here, Jesus Christ our Lord! May He forever be praised.

Matthew 12:29-37

Matthew 12:29-37 NIV

“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. 
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The confrontation with the Pharisees, who want to kill Jesus for what they believe to be heresy, continues after Jesus had healed a deaf and mute man in the synagogue. They told the people that Jesus can only drive out demons by the power of the prince of demons, Satan. They were publicly labeling Jesus as an evil man.

Jesus responds by saying that a kingdom that is divided will fall, so if Satan drives out his own demons, his kingdom of darkness will fall. Jesus continues in the same thought by saying that a strong man can protect his home from robbery, unless the thieves first overpower him and tie him up.

The deaf mute was possessed by a demon who stole his ability to hear or speak. Metaphorically the deaf mute represents the Pharisees who can neither hear Jesus' truth nor speak His praise. They are also under some sort of demonic captivity, or else they wouldn't be looking for ways to trap Jesus or kill Him.

Jesus is stronger than the demon. He is able to overcome the demon, with His divine power and authority, and take the man's abilities to hear and speak and give them back to him. In a sense the demon is the strong man overcome by the greater power of Christ.

Then begins a very difficult teaching, one that has been controversial throughout church history. It is the teaching known as "The Unforgivable Sin". Jesus says all slander and sin will be forgiven, but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. That will not be forgiven.

The Pharisees had said that the good work Jesus was doing, healing, liberating and giving hope, was of the devil. Jesus is able to do what He does because He is filled with the Holy Spirit who is God.

In trinitarian doctrine God is one God in three distinct persons. These three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live in such a perfect unity that they are one. They are the same and yet unique and distinct persons. It's a difficult concept for we have no easy examples in life to which to compare the trinity.

I teach children that the trinity is like clouds, rain and lighting. They all come from the same place. The cloud is high above us and mysterious in its ever shifting shape. Much like the cloud the Father is above us and shrouded in mystery. Clouds are filled with moisture. And when conditions are right, the moisture falls to the earth in the form of rain. The Son of God came to us in physical form, like the rain falls from the cloud. Sometimes lighting occurs when the rain falls. This also comes from the cloud. The Holy Spirit sometimes feels like electricity, an energy flowing through us. Each is very different in appearance and yet they all come from the same place and you cannot have one without the other. Lightning never strikes without clouds and clouds are never visible without moisture and rain never falls without clouds. And so it is with the trinity. If one of the three persons in the godhead is present, God is present.

Therefore to label Jesus and His ministry as evil is to call God evil. That blasphemy is unforgivable. How can we find an application to this teaching? Evangelicals have said that to deny Jesus' divinity and therefore refuse to place one's faith in Him, is the unforgivable sin. How can we be saved unless we believe? It's a popular interpretation. But I don't think that's what Jesus means.

Jesus is talking to His opponents who have publicly called Him evil. This teaching is to them first and foremost. But this is scripture so we look for ways to apply what Jesus says to our own lives. The Unforgivable Sin is to speak against, or blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Here's where the logic gets difficult. Jesus said that one could speak against the Son of Man and be forgiven, but. to speak against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Isn't Jesus the Son of Man? Isn't Jesus the Son of God? Isn't The Son of God the of the same divine origin as the Holy Spirit? In other words, isn't Jesus God? Since we believe Jesus is God then how can blasphemy against Jesus be forgiven, but against the Holy Spirit it cannot? There's no easy answer.

I read a United Methodist bishop write that if we were concerned about committing the unforgivable sin, then we had nothing to worry about. What he meant was that the unforgivable sin pertains to people who have no humility before God. If you don't care if you offend God, then you are surely in danger of committing the unforgivable sin.

But can we truly say that the Pharisees had no humility before God? Their whole way of life was built around strictly keeping God's law so as not to offend God! Yet Jesus labels these men as evil. He told them that a tree is known by its fruit and their fruit is bad, for their hearts are filled with all kinds of wickedness. They are plotting to kill Jesus. They are looking for ways to publicly discredit His ministry. They seem obsessed with tripping up Jesus. I would argue that they are doing so because they believe Jesus to be a false prophet. With good intentions they are trying to protect the people from what they believe to be heresy. They interpret Jesus' liberal views toward the law and His questionable company to be proof of His corruption. Jesus turns the tables on them and publicly denounces them as evil.

I have both sympathy and disdain for these Pharisees. On the one hand I admire their passion for living holy lives in order to please God. On the other hand, their rule keeping lifestyle has turned then into mean-spirited policeman. Their good intentions have become twisted somehow. Jesus says that their hearts are full of evil, for their mouths betray them. Out of the mouth the heart speaks. When your heart is full of hate and envy, your mouth will reveal it with all sorts of profanity, cursing and blasphemy. To vilify the Lord is blasphemy. The Pharisees, in their contempt for Jesus, have unwittingly spoken against God.

Jesus says that if you are not with Him, you are against Him. So no one can be impartial. An agnostic cannot be blameless by saying he or she doesn't know what to believe. To not believe in Jesus is to not be with Jesus, and therefore is to be against Him. And if you are not with Jesus you are not helping to gather souls for salvation. Therefore you scatter people to the wicked whims of this world.

Above all I'd say the application of this difficult teaching is beware. Be aware of where you stand with Christ. Are you for Him or against Him? You cannot be undecided. Know that we all will be judged. According To Jesus every empty word that comes from our mouths will condemn us. So guard your tongue. What you say about God is eternally important.

Yet let us remember that there is mercy in the Lord. He loves you and forgives all your sins. We did nothing to deserve this mercy. God gives it freely out of God's love for us. Even words against Jesus will be forgiven. But do not make the mistake of the Pharisees and join in rebellion against the advancement of the kingdom of heaven. You will not win. Instead you will lose everything. For there is no stopping what God has begun in Jesus Christ. This world is coming to nothing. All our earthly wisdom means nothing, nor our positions or power. In the end every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. For there is no strong man able to keep Him from seizing what is rightfully His, that is the dominion of this earth. An of His kingdom there shall be no end. Hallelujah!