Matthew 16:28-17:13 NIV
“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Donʼt be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Donʼt tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever had a premonition where you experienced a bit of the future before it happened? Previews at the movie theater are like that. You experience a bit of a movie you haven't seen. If you are attracted to the preview you are likely to go see the film in the future. That's sort of what's happening in this story of the transfiguration of Jesus. The disciples witness a taste of the future kingdom of heaven.
What has always amazed me about this story is the fact that the disciples recognize Moses and Elijah. These men lived centuries before the time of Jesus. Moses lived between 1526 and 1406 BC. Elijah was a prophet who served the Lord in northern Israel during the reign of King Ahab. (863-851 BC)
I can look at a US dollar bill and see the face of George Washington, first president off the United States of America. I only know what he looks like because he sat for a portrait painting. What we know of George Washington's face is an artist's approximation. The disciples had no such imagery to know these men by sight. So how did they know it was Moses and Elijah?
That's the amazing thing this story brings to light. The disciples are getting a foretaste of heaven. They know Moses and Elijah because in heaven we will have the mind of God. We will be one with God and know all that God knows. We will know one another with such great intimacy that love will reign always and forever! Fear, hate and jealousy will vanish. We will love one another perfectly, just as God loves us. We will know every soul in heaven as if we were bosom buddies! For God knows every hair on your head. God knows all His children intimately, at depths no human could ever know. But in heaven, when the veil is lifted, we will know all things.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 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.
1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 12 NIV
Peter is so stricken by the sight of Jesus talking to heroes of his faith that he blurts out something about building shelters for each of them. On the surface this seems like a kind idea, but there's deeper symbolism.
The booths or shelters were a practice of the Jews at harvest. During the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles the Jews remember how God, during the exodus from Egypt, provided for the freed Hebrew slaves in the wilderness. They celebrate that God is faithful to bless the land with produce and grain. Over time the shelters' meaning took on more advanced ideas. For instance Moses descended from Mt Sinai with a new set of stone tablets containing the law and instructions on how to build the tabernacle, God's shelter among His people. Torah reading cycles end at the Festival of Booths, so there is a celebration of the Word of God as part of God's many provisions. Prophetically speaking, the Festival of Ingathering (harvest), another name for this festival, looks forward with hope to the Messiah and the gathering of His people from the from the four corners of the earth.
Moses represents law and word. Elijah represents prophecy and the restoration of Israel under the Messiah, for Elijah was said to come and herald the Messiah's arrival. For Peter to suggest three booths might be a way of compartmentalizing these three parts of Judaism. There are those who adhere to law, others who are passionate about justice and the reign of God, but in Christ they are bound up together as one. That is why the voice of God from heaven beckons, "Listen to Him". Jesus gave us the golden rule which illustrates the union of law and the spirit of prophecy in Christianity.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12 NIV
The apostles were awestruck and fell face down in worship and holy reverence. Jesus touched them and told them to get up and not to fear. The touch of Christ turns fear into courage and death into life. The Greek word translated as "get up" is the same word used to describe resurrection. It's the same word used in Matthew 17:10, when Jesus urged them not to divulge to anyone what they witnessed on the Mount of Transfiguration until He was raised from the dead.
The secrecy is unexplained. We have to guess as to Jesus' motivation. I'll assume He didn't want any undue attention. The crowds were difficult to manage as it is. There may be practical reasons for keeping the experience a secret. I suspect more than anything that Jesus needs time to prepare His disciples to lead the church after His death and resurrection. Perhaps He felt His transfiguration which they witnessed should be something special given only to His closest companions.
The conversation turned to Elijah, which Jesus confirmed had already come to herald the Messiah, in the person John the Baptist. (Malachi 4:5-6) Jesus once again reminded the apostles that He must die, just as John did. The apostles understood, but had they really?
There are books written on the theological and ontological, even cosmological significance of the transfiguration of Jesus. But for me it's fairly simple. Jesus promised that some would see the Son of Man come into His kingdom. The transfiguration is one example, a foretaste of the kingdom, not only for Jesus, but for Peter, James and John. Jesus' crucifixion is His coronation and crowning as king of His kingdom. The ascension was His exaltation, taking the throne and serving as the supreme authority in heaven and earth under the Father's commission. Yes, these three apostles witnessed Jesus coming into His kingdom! But the journey there is through the cross.
It was hard for them to grasp the reason for the cross. The suffering of the Messiah was prophesied. The atoning sacrifice opened the way into His kingdom for all who believe. For through Him we have received our foretaste of the kingdom, that is the Holy Spirit, a guarantee of our eternal home.
When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance...
Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:16-17 ESV
Glory be to God!
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Matthew 16:21-28
Matthew 16:21-28 NIV
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Fatherʼs glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter had just been praised by Jesus for his acknowledgement that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. But now Jesus calls Peter a devil, because His apostle and close companion did not want to see Him die. Who would blame Peter for behaving the way he did? Jesus told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die at the hands of the religious leadership. He also said on the third day He would rise from the grave, but who could hear that after the shock of hearing their beloved master was going to die a torturous death?
Jesus' response to Peter is the answer to my questions: "You have your mind set on human concerns, not God's." It's true. I'm reacting to this passage like a human. I am human after all. I'm not God. I'm going to think like a limited and fearful human who doesn't want to lose His teacher and friend.
How many times have you feared the possibility of losing a loved one? We've all likely grieved the death of someone close to us. We would seem inhuman if we simply accepted their death as something that must happen as part of God's plan. Grief, fear, astonishment, rage, happiness; these are all part of the human experience. So how can Jesus call Peter, Satan?
I don't think Jesus particularly thought of Peter as Satan or a devil, but that Peter's words came from Satan to try and turn Jesus away from Jerusalem and death. Satan used Peter's fear and astonishment over the thought of losing Jesus to tempt Jesus to abandon His mission in favour of living a long life with His friends. Jesus was speaking to the devil at work in Peter's fear, not to Peter himself.
The film, The Last Temptation of Christ, explores what life might have been like if Jesus would have settled down as a carpenter, married, and raised a family. All He need do to enjoy such pleasures would be to abandon His cross. But what then of the bondage of the world to sin and death? Who will save us? In the end Jesus chose the cross for our sakes because He cared more for us than He did His own life. He was obedient to God's will to be the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. While we may sympathize with Peter's feelings, there are much greater concerns, that is the salvation of the world.
After rebuking Peter, Jesus reasoned with those listening. What good is a life you're afraid to lose? But if you give your life for the sake of Christ and His kingdom, you will find your life. You will find life welling up inside you to eternal life!
We can fight to keep our possessions and people in our lives. You might strive to be the wealthiest of people on earth, but how will all your riches save you on the Day of Judgment? Do you think you can buy off God and pervert justice? All the riches in the world will not pay for the value of your soul. If you don't invest in your soul's eternal destiny you will find that you've lost everything. For all people, every soul, will have to give an account for what they've done in this life.
The leader of Focus on Family ministry, Dr. James Dobson, says we will be asked three questions when we face our Maker:
Who did you love?
Who loved you?
What did you do for God?
I'm not really sure how Dobson knows this, but the questions are worth exploring. How do you want those questions answered at the end of your life? What are you doing now to assure you won't be ashamed at the end?
The wisdom of Jesus in this passage is startling. His reasoning cannot easily be shoved aside as religious fanaticism. We get so caught up in day to day concerns about money, relationships, work, etc., that we barely think of how we are investing in eternity. Jesus taught us to stop worrying about what to eat, drink, or what to wear. Instead set your mind on the kingdom of God and seek to live according to God's right ways. All else will be provided according to your needs. Jesus said we ought to lay up treasures in heaven through good works, not store up wealth for ourselves that we cannot take with us and are so easily lost. No one can steal from your bank account in heaven. And your soul's worth never depreciates in value. Your soul may not mean much to this world, but this world is coming to nothing. Your soul lasts forever. Why should we continue to invest so much anxious concern over something so short compared to eternity?
Jesus would have His followers gain an eternal perspective. Think about the real long term and stop concerning yourself so much with the immediate heartaches and headaches. As Julian of Norwich wrote, "All shall be well and every manner of thing shall be well." So lose you life for Christ's sake and find life everlasting.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Fatherʼs glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter had just been praised by Jesus for his acknowledgement that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. But now Jesus calls Peter a devil, because His apostle and close companion did not want to see Him die. Who would blame Peter for behaving the way he did? Jesus told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die at the hands of the religious leadership. He also said on the third day He would rise from the grave, but who could hear that after the shock of hearing their beloved master was going to die a torturous death?
Jesus' response to Peter is the answer to my questions: "You have your mind set on human concerns, not God's." It's true. I'm reacting to this passage like a human. I am human after all. I'm not God. I'm going to think like a limited and fearful human who doesn't want to lose His teacher and friend.
How many times have you feared the possibility of losing a loved one? We've all likely grieved the death of someone close to us. We would seem inhuman if we simply accepted their death as something that must happen as part of God's plan. Grief, fear, astonishment, rage, happiness; these are all part of the human experience. So how can Jesus call Peter, Satan?
I don't think Jesus particularly thought of Peter as Satan or a devil, but that Peter's words came from Satan to try and turn Jesus away from Jerusalem and death. Satan used Peter's fear and astonishment over the thought of losing Jesus to tempt Jesus to abandon His mission in favour of living a long life with His friends. Jesus was speaking to the devil at work in Peter's fear, not to Peter himself.
The film, The Last Temptation of Christ, explores what life might have been like if Jesus would have settled down as a carpenter, married, and raised a family. All He need do to enjoy such pleasures would be to abandon His cross. But what then of the bondage of the world to sin and death? Who will save us? In the end Jesus chose the cross for our sakes because He cared more for us than He did His own life. He was obedient to God's will to be the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. While we may sympathize with Peter's feelings, there are much greater concerns, that is the salvation of the world.
After rebuking Peter, Jesus reasoned with those listening. What good is a life you're afraid to lose? But if you give your life for the sake of Christ and His kingdom, you will find your life. You will find life welling up inside you to eternal life!
We can fight to keep our possessions and people in our lives. You might strive to be the wealthiest of people on earth, but how will all your riches save you on the Day of Judgment? Do you think you can buy off God and pervert justice? All the riches in the world will not pay for the value of your soul. If you don't invest in your soul's eternal destiny you will find that you've lost everything. For all people, every soul, will have to give an account for what they've done in this life.
The leader of Focus on Family ministry, Dr. James Dobson, says we will be asked three questions when we face our Maker:
Who did you love?
Who loved you?
What did you do for God?
I'm not really sure how Dobson knows this, but the questions are worth exploring. How do you want those questions answered at the end of your life? What are you doing now to assure you won't be ashamed at the end?
The wisdom of Jesus in this passage is startling. His reasoning cannot easily be shoved aside as religious fanaticism. We get so caught up in day to day concerns about money, relationships, work, etc., that we barely think of how we are investing in eternity. Jesus taught us to stop worrying about what to eat, drink, or what to wear. Instead set your mind on the kingdom of God and seek to live according to God's right ways. All else will be provided according to your needs. Jesus said we ought to lay up treasures in heaven through good works, not store up wealth for ourselves that we cannot take with us and are so easily lost. No one can steal from your bank account in heaven. And your soul's worth never depreciates in value. Your soul may not mean much to this world, but this world is coming to nothing. Your soul lasts forever. Why should we continue to invest so much anxious concern over something so short compared to eternity?
Jesus would have His followers gain an eternal perspective. Think about the real long term and stop concerning yourself so much with the immediate heartaches and headaches. As Julian of Norwich wrote, "All shall be well and every manner of thing shall be well." So lose you life for Christ's sake and find life everlasting.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Matthew 16:13-20
Matthew 16:13-20 NIV
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Who do you say that I am?" That just might be the most important question you will ever answer. It is a question that will be revisited and revised over the course of one's life. How we understand Jesus drives much of how we experience life.
If I think of God as a policeman looking to bust me for breaking the law, then I will likely be looking over my shoulder, so to speak. I would live an uneasy existence. If I considered God to be an absentee landlord who wasn't in touch with the daily goings on in my life, I might live ambivalently toward any higher calling than my own personal aspirations, or the aspirations of my current culture. If I said that Jesus was only a good man and teacher, then I wouldn't have much use for prayer to a God who can't really do anything to assist me.
Let's be clear. When the New Testament talks about Jesus, they are talking about divine world changing power. They're talking about the powers of the age to come that are suddenly upon us in the appearance of Messiah Jesus. The lame walk. The blind see. The poor receive good news! Behold! The kingdom of heaven is near! Repent and believe the good news!
The apostles witnessed these powers at work in Jesus and in themselves. So when Jesus took them far north near the Syrian borders (Lebanon today) at Caesarea Philippi and got them away from the crowds of Galilee, He wanted to hear what the people were saying about Him.
The apostles answered that some say Jesus is John the Baptist back from the grave. That's what Herod feared. Others said Jesus was Elijah come to herald the Messiah as foretold. Others thought Jesus was the prophet promised by Moses. Matthew certainly sees Jesus in this way. While Jesus is the fulfillment of Moses' prophecy, there's much more to Him.
Then Peter answered, "You are the Christ (a Greek word for messiah), the Son of the living God."
Jesus was pleased and told Peter that He hasn't gained this insight through men but by divine revelation. God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, opened Peter's eyes to see Jesus for who He is.
Then Jesus made a proclamation. He told Peter that his name would no longer be Simon, son of Jonah, but Peter, which means rock. And Jesus said, "on this rock i will build my church". For Roman Catholics and other Christians this means that Peter is the head of the church. He succeeded Jesus as the chief administrator and spiritual leader. There is a tradition that every pope chosen stands in direct succession to this first appointment. That's really a wonderful idea.
I have a certificate showing the line of bishops in the Methodist tradition going going all the way back to our founder John Wesley. It connects my ordination to the bishop who laid hands on me all the way back to Wesley. It's a great feeling to look at that line of bishops and know I'm connected to something that goes back to the beginning of our version of Christianity.
But as a protestant I put no credence in the pope. Therefore we read this pronouncement of Jesus' rock very differently. The rock on which Jesus build His church is not Peter or any man. The rock is the revealed truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Son of God is a traditional title for kings. Many kingdoms proclaimed their kings and rulers to be divine. The caesars certainly held that belief. Pharaohs in Egypt held that belief. But to call Jesus the Son of God is not simply a kingly title. It is the actual truth of His being. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. There is no other.
He was sent to establish His Father's kingdom on earth in the hearts of men.
Some believe that only centuries later did the church claim divine status on Jesus and that His earliest followers did not think of Jesus in this way. You have to decide for yourself who you say Jesus is. But know this: the belief that Jesus is the divine Son of God is the key to the kingdom. And with this key you have access to the powers of the age to come through your faith. Jesus entrusts to those who believe His authority. What you bind on earth is bound in heaven and what you set free on earth is set free in heaven. The authority of the council of believers brings healing, help and holiness to the world. And not even Hell can stand against the kingdom of God. Not even the power of death is greater.
You likely will not see this truth unless God opens your spiritual eyes to see it.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Matthew 11:27 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mat.11.27.NIV
So what is you answer?
Who do you say Jesus is?
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Who do you say that I am?" That just might be the most important question you will ever answer. It is a question that will be revisited and revised over the course of one's life. How we understand Jesus drives much of how we experience life.
If I think of God as a policeman looking to bust me for breaking the law, then I will likely be looking over my shoulder, so to speak. I would live an uneasy existence. If I considered God to be an absentee landlord who wasn't in touch with the daily goings on in my life, I might live ambivalently toward any higher calling than my own personal aspirations, or the aspirations of my current culture. If I said that Jesus was only a good man and teacher, then I wouldn't have much use for prayer to a God who can't really do anything to assist me.
Let's be clear. When the New Testament talks about Jesus, they are talking about divine world changing power. They're talking about the powers of the age to come that are suddenly upon us in the appearance of Messiah Jesus. The lame walk. The blind see. The poor receive good news! Behold! The kingdom of heaven is near! Repent and believe the good news!
The apostles witnessed these powers at work in Jesus and in themselves. So when Jesus took them far north near the Syrian borders (Lebanon today) at Caesarea Philippi and got them away from the crowds of Galilee, He wanted to hear what the people were saying about Him.
The apostles answered that some say Jesus is John the Baptist back from the grave. That's what Herod feared. Others said Jesus was Elijah come to herald the Messiah as foretold. Others thought Jesus was the prophet promised by Moses. Matthew certainly sees Jesus in this way. While Jesus is the fulfillment of Moses' prophecy, there's much more to Him.
Then Peter answered, "You are the Christ (a Greek word for messiah), the Son of the living God."
Jesus was pleased and told Peter that He hasn't gained this insight through men but by divine revelation. God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, opened Peter's eyes to see Jesus for who He is.
Then Jesus made a proclamation. He told Peter that his name would no longer be Simon, son of Jonah, but Peter, which means rock. And Jesus said, "on this rock i will build my church". For Roman Catholics and other Christians this means that Peter is the head of the church. He succeeded Jesus as the chief administrator and spiritual leader. There is a tradition that every pope chosen stands in direct succession to this first appointment. That's really a wonderful idea.
I have a certificate showing the line of bishops in the Methodist tradition going going all the way back to our founder John Wesley. It connects my ordination to the bishop who laid hands on me all the way back to Wesley. It's a great feeling to look at that line of bishops and know I'm connected to something that goes back to the beginning of our version of Christianity.
But as a protestant I put no credence in the pope. Therefore we read this pronouncement of Jesus' rock very differently. The rock on which Jesus build His church is not Peter or any man. The rock is the revealed truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Son of God is a traditional title for kings. Many kingdoms proclaimed their kings and rulers to be divine. The caesars certainly held that belief. Pharaohs in Egypt held that belief. But to call Jesus the Son of God is not simply a kingly title. It is the actual truth of His being. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. There is no other.
He was sent to establish His Father's kingdom on earth in the hearts of men.
Some believe that only centuries later did the church claim divine status on Jesus and that His earliest followers did not think of Jesus in this way. You have to decide for yourself who you say Jesus is. But know this: the belief that Jesus is the divine Son of God is the key to the kingdom. And with this key you have access to the powers of the age to come through your faith. Jesus entrusts to those who believe His authority. What you bind on earth is bound in heaven and what you set free on earth is set free in heaven. The authority of the council of believers brings healing, help and holiness to the world. And not even Hell can stand against the kingdom of God. Not even the power of death is greater.
You likely will not see this truth unless God opens your spiritual eyes to see it.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Matthew 11:27 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mat.11.27.NIV
So what is you answer?
Who do you say Jesus is?
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Matthew 16:1-12
Matthew 16:1-12 NIV
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”
Jesus then left them and went away. When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didnʼt bring any bread.”
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Donʼt you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you donʼt understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus is back in the crosshairs of His opponents, the Pharisees. This is the first time, however that Matthew says the Sadducees are confronting Jesus. The Sadducees were the rationalists of Jesus' day. They did not believe in the resurrection of the body, nor in angels, demons or an afterlife. They affirmed only the written law as authoritative for Israel and denied authority to oral traditions. Typically the Sadducees were wealthy and hellenized, adapted to Greek culture.
They challenged Jesus to show them a sign from heaven, presumably to prove whether or not he was sent by God. Jesus refused to play their game, calling them wicked for demanding a sign. They know how to read the weather, why can't they read the signs His ministry has revealed all along? The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the mute speak, the dead are raised and good news is given to the poor. Jesus has performed all the signs of the Messiah, but they still will not believe. He told them the only sign they would be given is the sign of Jonah.
The sign of Jonah is a reference to Jesus' death and resurrection. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a great fish. He cried out to God in prayer and the fish vomited Jonah out onto shore. In the same way Death will swallow up Jesus. He will lie dead in a tomb for three days, but on the third day God will raise Him from death.
Even then the Sadducees will not believe, just as today many intellectuals and rationalists do not believe, for they cannot accept a worldview in which the Creator intervenes in our lives in ways that defy their understanding of physical laws.
Jesus crossed the lake again, leaving behind His opponents. While in the boat the disciples realize they forgot to bring bread. When they heard Jesus mention the yeast of the Pharisees, they thought He was upset with them for forgetting bread. Jesus scolded His slow to understand disciples.
Jesus reminded them of the abundance they experienced when He miraculously fed the 5000 with only 5 loaves and two fish. There were 12 baskets left over. And when He fed 4000 with 7 loaves there were 7 baskets leftover. There's enough of what is needed to care for all of Israel and the rest of the world. Then He warned them again to be on their guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples then understood. Jesus was using the word yeast to imply the teachings of these two religious groups.
How might we apply this teaching? Firstly we must understand that when we are focused on the necessary sustenance of the day, we're behaving like faithless people. Jesus taught his disciples not to worry about food and drink and clothing. Instead seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then all else will fall into place as it should. God knows what you need. Stop talking about bread! In our case, stop obsessing over finances.
Secondly, beware of religious teachers who push burdensome doctrines that enslave rather than enliven. The legalism of the Pharisees and Sadducees had made them judgemental toward others. It's not that keeping religious codes is bad for you. It's just that these fellows somehow let their knowledge become their license to play policeman. Beware of such people in the church. Judge not lest ye be judged.
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”
Jesus then left them and went away. When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didnʼt bring any bread.”
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Donʼt you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you donʼt understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus is back in the crosshairs of His opponents, the Pharisees. This is the first time, however that Matthew says the Sadducees are confronting Jesus. The Sadducees were the rationalists of Jesus' day. They did not believe in the resurrection of the body, nor in angels, demons or an afterlife. They affirmed only the written law as authoritative for Israel and denied authority to oral traditions. Typically the Sadducees were wealthy and hellenized, adapted to Greek culture.
They challenged Jesus to show them a sign from heaven, presumably to prove whether or not he was sent by God. Jesus refused to play their game, calling them wicked for demanding a sign. They know how to read the weather, why can't they read the signs His ministry has revealed all along? The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the mute speak, the dead are raised and good news is given to the poor. Jesus has performed all the signs of the Messiah, but they still will not believe. He told them the only sign they would be given is the sign of Jonah.
The sign of Jonah is a reference to Jesus' death and resurrection. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a great fish. He cried out to God in prayer and the fish vomited Jonah out onto shore. In the same way Death will swallow up Jesus. He will lie dead in a tomb for three days, but on the third day God will raise Him from death.
Even then the Sadducees will not believe, just as today many intellectuals and rationalists do not believe, for they cannot accept a worldview in which the Creator intervenes in our lives in ways that defy their understanding of physical laws.
Jesus crossed the lake again, leaving behind His opponents. While in the boat the disciples realize they forgot to bring bread. When they heard Jesus mention the yeast of the Pharisees, they thought He was upset with them for forgetting bread. Jesus scolded His slow to understand disciples.
Jesus reminded them of the abundance they experienced when He miraculously fed the 5000 with only 5 loaves and two fish. There were 12 baskets left over. And when He fed 4000 with 7 loaves there were 7 baskets leftover. There's enough of what is needed to care for all of Israel and the rest of the world. Then He warned them again to be on their guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples then understood. Jesus was using the word yeast to imply the teachings of these two religious groups.
How might we apply this teaching? Firstly we must understand that when we are focused on the necessary sustenance of the day, we're behaving like faithless people. Jesus taught his disciples not to worry about food and drink and clothing. Instead seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then all else will fall into place as it should. God knows what you need. Stop talking about bread! In our case, stop obsessing over finances.
Secondly, beware of religious teachers who push burdensome doctrines that enslave rather than enliven. The legalism of the Pharisees and Sadducees had made them judgemental toward others. It's not that keeping religious codes is bad for you. It's just that these fellows somehow let their knowledge become their license to play policeman. Beware of such people in the church. Judge not lest ye be judged.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Matthew 15:29-39
Matthew 15:29-39 NIV
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The miraculous feeding of the 4000 begins with 7 loaves of bread and "a few fish". Considering that the fish is a symbol for the church, perhaps not as early as the writing of Matthew, the meaning of a few fish cannot be certain, if there is any deeper meaning at all. It could simply be that there were only a few fish on hand. However, it could mean that the number of believers on hand were only a few. I think the fact that there is no specific number attached to the fish, there's no need to probe for a deeper meaning. It is interesting though that Matthew tells us there are two fish in the feeding of the five thousand, but is nonspecific in this story. ( Mat 14:17)
As for the seven loaves I shared several passages in my previous post about the Canaanite woman and her demon possessed daughter to show the meaning of seven in this context. Seven usually means complete or fullness. But in this case the number has a more specific meaning. The number seven represents non-Jewish people, the Gentile nations.
Deuteronomy 7:1 NIV
When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you—
This passage in Deuteronomy is a source for the number seven's association with the Gentiles. Over time "the nations" became a way of speaking about non-Jews and a numerical way to represent them was 7 or 70. These numbers are pointing to the whole of the Gentile nations.
The number 4 represents the earth. In this case the four directions or the four corners of the earth. Again the meaning had to do with totality. When Jesus commissioned His church to be His witnesses He said,
Acts 1:8 NIV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The ends of the earth is all of the people in the world. I've already explained in the posting about the feeding of the five thousand that 10 is the sum of 7 + 3, which means a complete work of God, a fulfillment of divine promise. 1000 is 3 x 10, which is a way of overstating the point. 4000, therefore is pointing to the fact that the lifegiving good news of God's love and mercy through Christ will reach the whole earth.
The prophets of the Old Testament often speak of the day when all the nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel.
Isaiah 60:3, 5-7, 9, 11 NIV
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord. All Kedarʼs flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple. Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession.
This restoration prophecy is tied to the messianic leader who will usher in this age of wealth and radiance for Israel. The feeding of the four thousand is stating that the Messiah is here ushering in the reign of God and the restoration of Israel, but it's not in the way the prophet imagined. Instead of the gentiles bringing the wealth of the nations, Jesus is preparing the Jews to be a source of sustenance for the gentiles, that is the Jews who became the church of Jesus Christ.
There are seven baskets of bread left over, meaning that there is more than enough, there is an abundance of lifegiving grace for all the nations, all the people of the earth. The source of this grace is Jesus and His church.
The world is filled with mute, blind, and lame people. We are blind to the glory of God in our everyday lives. We are deaf to the truth. Even when we know the truth we do not speak it publicly out of insecurity or ignorance. And we do not move into world changing ministry. We are lame and crippled by our earthly burdens and practical excuses. But Christ came to set us free of our infirmities, both the spiritual and the physical. And He has more than enough grace to change your life and satisfy the depths of your soul. Come to the mountainside for the healing touch of the Saviour and learn to hear, see, join in praising the God of Israel, and walk with God in serving up lifegiving hope through the grace and love of Jesus Christ.
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The miraculous feeding of the 4000 begins with 7 loaves of bread and "a few fish". Considering that the fish is a symbol for the church, perhaps not as early as the writing of Matthew, the meaning of a few fish cannot be certain, if there is any deeper meaning at all. It could simply be that there were only a few fish on hand. However, it could mean that the number of believers on hand were only a few. I think the fact that there is no specific number attached to the fish, there's no need to probe for a deeper meaning. It is interesting though that Matthew tells us there are two fish in the feeding of the five thousand, but is nonspecific in this story. ( Mat 14:17)
As for the seven loaves I shared several passages in my previous post about the Canaanite woman and her demon possessed daughter to show the meaning of seven in this context. Seven usually means complete or fullness. But in this case the number has a more specific meaning. The number seven represents non-Jewish people, the Gentile nations.
Deuteronomy 7:1 NIV
When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you—
This passage in Deuteronomy is a source for the number seven's association with the Gentiles. Over time "the nations" became a way of speaking about non-Jews and a numerical way to represent them was 7 or 70. These numbers are pointing to the whole of the Gentile nations.
The number 4 represents the earth. In this case the four directions or the four corners of the earth. Again the meaning had to do with totality. When Jesus commissioned His church to be His witnesses He said,
Acts 1:8 NIV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The ends of the earth is all of the people in the world. I've already explained in the posting about the feeding of the five thousand that 10 is the sum of 7 + 3, which means a complete work of God, a fulfillment of divine promise. 1000 is 3 x 10, which is a way of overstating the point. 4000, therefore is pointing to the fact that the lifegiving good news of God's love and mercy through Christ will reach the whole earth.
The prophets of the Old Testament often speak of the day when all the nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel.
Isaiah 60:3, 5-7, 9, 11 NIV
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord. All Kedarʼs flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple. Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession.
This restoration prophecy is tied to the messianic leader who will usher in this age of wealth and radiance for Israel. The feeding of the four thousand is stating that the Messiah is here ushering in the reign of God and the restoration of Israel, but it's not in the way the prophet imagined. Instead of the gentiles bringing the wealth of the nations, Jesus is preparing the Jews to be a source of sustenance for the gentiles, that is the Jews who became the church of Jesus Christ.
There are seven baskets of bread left over, meaning that there is more than enough, there is an abundance of lifegiving grace for all the nations, all the people of the earth. The source of this grace is Jesus and His church.
The world is filled with mute, blind, and lame people. We are blind to the glory of God in our everyday lives. We are deaf to the truth. Even when we know the truth we do not speak it publicly out of insecurity or ignorance. And we do not move into world changing ministry. We are lame and crippled by our earthly burdens and practical excuses. But Christ came to set us free of our infirmities, both the spiritual and the physical. And He has more than enough grace to change your life and satisfy the depths of your soul. Come to the mountainside for the healing touch of the Saviour and learn to hear, see, join in praising the God of Israel, and walk with God in serving up lifegiving hope through the grace and love of Jesus Christ.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Matthew 15:21-28
Matthew 15:21-28 NIV
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
He replied, “It is not right to take the childrenʼs bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masterʼs table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can appreciate setting priorities and keeping to them. It's easy to get derailed onto other worthy projects and make no progress toward your goals. But I have to admit I'm put off by Jesus' reaction to the Canaanite mother.
A mother's love is a powerful thing. The Hebrews have a word for it. Rachuwm is generally translated as compassion or full of mercy. It is related to the tender love of a mother for her child. Some scholars liken the meaning to the concept of womb pity, a deep connection that only mothers know when caring for a child that was once part of her own body. That's how God feels about you!
It's surprising then that Jesus ignores this woman at first. In fact it's insulting to my sensibilities the way He treats her. I understand His priority is with the Jews, that He was called to begin His church among the His own people, but I don't understand why He was so cold toward her. Jesus had already shown His willingness to relate to Gentiles. He was willing to walk to the home of a Roman centurian, Israel's current oppressors.
I suppose the issue is historical. The Canaanite race was repugnant to God. The history goes back to the time of Noah. Noah's son Ham was guilty of some sort of sexual indiscretion with his father when Noah was in a compromised position. Noah had drunk too much wine when Ham "saw his father's nakedness" and bragged about it to his brothers. When Noah found out about it, He cursed Ham and His son Canaan.
Genesis 9:25 NIV
He said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”
This curse upon Ham's lineage led to a list of descendant nations, all of which became hated enemies of Israel. The so called Table of Nations reveals the descendants of Canaan as a list of notorious bad boys from Israel's history.
Genesis 10:15-19 NIV
Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.
You can see in the list Sodom and Gomorrah, the most vile of cities. The stench of their sins reached the heavens and God utterly destroyed them. Also listed is Canaan's firstborn Sidon. The region of Tyre and Sidon is where our story occurs. The woman with the demon possessed daughter was likely a Sidonian. Another gospel account says she is Syro-Phoenician, which is a broad ethnic term which would include Sidonians of Canaanite descent. In every way she is connected to a race of people whose customs are detestable to God.
Consider these passages from the Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2 NIV
When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
Deuteronomy 9:4 NIV
After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.
You can see the long-standing disdain the Jewish people had for the Canaanites. It's all over the Old Testament. They are known for child sacrifice, temple prostitution and even bestiality!
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 NIV
When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord ; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.
Leviticus 18:23-25 NIV
“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. “ ‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
Are you beginning to get the picture as to why Jesus may have had difficulty with welcoming the Canaanite woman? Jesus had biblical mandates for showing her no mercy. Plus He did not want to be distracted by her from His mission among the Jews. He was only there in the region to get away from the crowds for a while. Their needs were endless and the intense persecution from the Pharisees was enough for Jesus to need some time away.
Even still the Canaanite woman persisted. Jesus called her a dog, compared to the chosen people. Still she continued to intercede for her daughter.
Let's look at what the mother did. She surely had heard about Jesus and the healing power He was demonstrating in Galilee. Travelers and merchants had brought news of Him to Sidon. She approached Jesus and addressed Him as Lord (Master) and Son of David (a messianic title). She had no claim on Jesus for she was no Jew. For her to address Jesus as Son of David would be like me going to a New England Patriots game in Foxboro, Massachusetts, dressed in Indianapolis Colts attire, and asking Tom Brady for an autograph. I'd be lucky to walk out of the stadium without a pummeling.
She persued Jesus with such intensity, asking for mercy upon her daughter, that the disciples urged Jesus to send her away. She was annoying! She begged Jesus to have mercy on her, for her heart was pierced in agony over her daughter's suffering. She didn't let Jesus' cold shoulder stop her, nor the disciples' obvious annoyance. Nothing kept her from her goal, the liberation of her daughter.
When she said even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table, Jesus was struck by her faith. She believed Jesus could help her. She wasn't going to stop begging Him for help until she got it, for she knew Jesus was her only hope. Jesus relented and healed her daughter.
This troubling encounter has a larger purpose than yet another exorcism. Consider the story's placement. It lies after a discussion about what makes a person defiled and what doesn't. The heart makes one defiled, not dirty hands, cups and bowls. Jesus saw into her heart and found faith with a profound mother's love.
The story precedes a miraculous feeding of 4000 from 7 loaves of bread. 7 baskets of scraps were left over. The number 7 points to the Gentile. Traditionally speaking, God drove out of Canaan "seven nations". (Dt 7:1) The Canaanite woman functions as a symbol of what Matthew is trying to get across. There's plenty of grace and mercy in Christ to go around. Even the Gentiles may enter the kingdom of heaven.
The next time you feel like God isn't responding to your prayers remember the Canaanite woman who wouldn't give up. Keep on praying. Don't lose hope and don't stop believing! Who knows? Perhaps your tenacity will be rewarded. Perhaps your faith will bring about wonders in your life and the lives of those you care about.
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
He replied, “It is not right to take the childrenʼs bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masterʼs table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can appreciate setting priorities and keeping to them. It's easy to get derailed onto other worthy projects and make no progress toward your goals. But I have to admit I'm put off by Jesus' reaction to the Canaanite mother.
A mother's love is a powerful thing. The Hebrews have a word for it. Rachuwm is generally translated as compassion or full of mercy. It is related to the tender love of a mother for her child. Some scholars liken the meaning to the concept of womb pity, a deep connection that only mothers know when caring for a child that was once part of her own body. That's how God feels about you!
It's surprising then that Jesus ignores this woman at first. In fact it's insulting to my sensibilities the way He treats her. I understand His priority is with the Jews, that He was called to begin His church among the His own people, but I don't understand why He was so cold toward her. Jesus had already shown His willingness to relate to Gentiles. He was willing to walk to the home of a Roman centurian, Israel's current oppressors.
I suppose the issue is historical. The Canaanite race was repugnant to God. The history goes back to the time of Noah. Noah's son Ham was guilty of some sort of sexual indiscretion with his father when Noah was in a compromised position. Noah had drunk too much wine when Ham "saw his father's nakedness" and bragged about it to his brothers. When Noah found out about it, He cursed Ham and His son Canaan.
Genesis 9:25 NIV
He said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”
This curse upon Ham's lineage led to a list of descendant nations, all of which became hated enemies of Israel. The so called Table of Nations reveals the descendants of Canaan as a list of notorious bad boys from Israel's history.
Genesis 10:15-19 NIV
Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.
You can see in the list Sodom and Gomorrah, the most vile of cities. The stench of their sins reached the heavens and God utterly destroyed them. Also listed is Canaan's firstborn Sidon. The region of Tyre and Sidon is where our story occurs. The woman with the demon possessed daughter was likely a Sidonian. Another gospel account says she is Syro-Phoenician, which is a broad ethnic term which would include Sidonians of Canaanite descent. In every way she is connected to a race of people whose customs are detestable to God.
Consider these passages from the Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2 NIV
When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
Deuteronomy 9:4 NIV
After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.
You can see the long-standing disdain the Jewish people had for the Canaanites. It's all over the Old Testament. They are known for child sacrifice, temple prostitution and even bestiality!
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 NIV
When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord ; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.
Leviticus 18:23-25 NIV
“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. “ ‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
Are you beginning to get the picture as to why Jesus may have had difficulty with welcoming the Canaanite woman? Jesus had biblical mandates for showing her no mercy. Plus He did not want to be distracted by her from His mission among the Jews. He was only there in the region to get away from the crowds for a while. Their needs were endless and the intense persecution from the Pharisees was enough for Jesus to need some time away.
Even still the Canaanite woman persisted. Jesus called her a dog, compared to the chosen people. Still she continued to intercede for her daughter.
Let's look at what the mother did. She surely had heard about Jesus and the healing power He was demonstrating in Galilee. Travelers and merchants had brought news of Him to Sidon. She approached Jesus and addressed Him as Lord (Master) and Son of David (a messianic title). She had no claim on Jesus for she was no Jew. For her to address Jesus as Son of David would be like me going to a New England Patriots game in Foxboro, Massachusetts, dressed in Indianapolis Colts attire, and asking Tom Brady for an autograph. I'd be lucky to walk out of the stadium without a pummeling.
She persued Jesus with such intensity, asking for mercy upon her daughter, that the disciples urged Jesus to send her away. She was annoying! She begged Jesus to have mercy on her, for her heart was pierced in agony over her daughter's suffering. She didn't let Jesus' cold shoulder stop her, nor the disciples' obvious annoyance. Nothing kept her from her goal, the liberation of her daughter.
When she said even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table, Jesus was struck by her faith. She believed Jesus could help her. She wasn't going to stop begging Him for help until she got it, for she knew Jesus was her only hope. Jesus relented and healed her daughter.
This troubling encounter has a larger purpose than yet another exorcism. Consider the story's placement. It lies after a discussion about what makes a person defiled and what doesn't. The heart makes one defiled, not dirty hands, cups and bowls. Jesus saw into her heart and found faith with a profound mother's love.
The story precedes a miraculous feeding of 4000 from 7 loaves of bread. 7 baskets of scraps were left over. The number 7 points to the Gentile. Traditionally speaking, God drove out of Canaan "seven nations". (Dt 7:1) The Canaanite woman functions as a symbol of what Matthew is trying to get across. There's plenty of grace and mercy in Christ to go around. Even the Gentiles may enter the kingdom of heaven.
The next time you feel like God isn't responding to your prayers remember the Canaanite woman who wouldn't give up. Keep on praying. Don't lose hope and don't stop believing! Who knows? Perhaps your tenacity will be rewarded. Perhaps your faith will bring about wonders in your life and the lives of those you care about.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Matthew 15:1-20
Matthew 15:1-20 NIV
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They donʼt wash their hands before they eat!”
Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someoneʼs mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Donʼt you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a personʼs mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Defilement is such a foreign concept to people who are not part of a holiness tradition. There are rare moments in life when we are concerned with God's holy things and God's holy people. There are a few holdovers that point to the idea. Perhaps when you were a child you were told not to run in the sanctuary. Maybe you were scolded for being up on the altar area, where the preacher speaks and where the offering plates are laid. Did you ever play in the water in the baptismal fount? If you had you might have been scolded if caught. The baptismal fount, the altar, the pulpit, the sanctuary; these are sacred and holy things set apart for God alone. For anyone, even a playful child, to treat these as a common things disregards their special status and purpose. In a sense they defile the holy things of God by doing so.
The Pharisees were dedicated to the idea of being God's holy people. The law of Moses states,
Leviticus 20:26 NIV
You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord , am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
The tradition of washing hands before eating was symbolic of being the special people of God. The Pharisees taught to dip the hands into the water 7 times and dip the cup and bowls into the water 7 times before eating and drinking. Not only does this honor God by seeking to be completely clean and free of unholy common things that one has touched, but it's also a good health practice. The seven dippings represent the seven days of creation, and thus completeness. The seventh day is the Sabbath, a day set apart from the others as holy. This ritual is a reminder to be holy as the Lord is holy. The Sabbath is a day for communion with the Lord, completely for that purpose alone. The Pharisees' tradition is a way to remind yourself at every meal that you are called to be holy so that God who is holy may commune with you.
There's something beautiful about the tradition, but when the Pharisees start acting like police officers, (no offense intended to our police) they have lost their way, and have become a hostile burden to others. They want to know why Jesus' disciples do not follow their traction of washing before eating.
Jesus' turns their accusations upon them by pointing out that they break the law of God every time they encourage gifts to the temple in lieu of financial assistance to a needy parent. Jesus said their teachings on that matter nullify the word of God. He accused them of hypocrisy and aptly quotes the prophet Isaiah. Their hearts are far from God and their teachings are only human rules, not the divine word.
Jesus' disciples are alarmed. They tell Jesus that what he said was offensive to the Pharisees. Jesus basically tells them, "Forget those blind guides! They'll only lead you to into a trap with them. God didn't send them and God will remove them soon enough."
Peter asked that Jesus explain His teaching, for Jesus had told the crowd,
Matthew 15:11 NIV
What goes into someoneʼs mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Jesus told them that it's not hands that touch common things that make you unclean. It's a heart filled with sin that shows itself through what you say that makes you unclean.
Matthew 15:18 NIV
But the things that come out of a personʼs mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
Jesus lists many sins which are not little white lies, or what we might label as relatively harmless sins. These are terrible sins like murder and stealing and sexual immorality. Jesus places slander and lies right up there with murder! Wow!
This teaching of Christ's gives me pause. On the one hand Jesus does not wish to burden His disciples as the Pharisees do with excessive rules to keep. Jesus had only one rule which is love. On the other hand Jesus' teaching causes me to think about the things that are in my heart.
I know that I have murderous and adulterous thoughts. How many times have I cursed offensive drivers on the road? Jesus taught that if your curse someone you murder them in your heart. (Mat 5:21-22) And if you look upon another with lust, you have committed adultery in your heart. (Mat 5:27-28) Sensual images are everywhere in our society, on billboards, television, magazines and the like. They are meant to ignite sinful urges in our minds and create a covetous longing in our hearts. Therefore I am defiled when I utter curses under my breathe or comment about the sexiness of a Hollywood beauty.
Jesus' teaching both liberates me from empty rituals and rules, and at the same time condemns me. As Peter said to Jesus when he witnessed the miraculous catch of fish, I want to say, "Go away from me Lord. I am a sinful man." (Luke 5:8)
Remember that Jesus responded by telling Peter, "Don't be afraid." He promised to teach Peter to fish for people, to bring them into the kingdom of heaven in the same miraculous way Jesus had filled his nets with fish. Even in our guilt, the Saviour loves and encourages the repentant who humbly acknowledge their sin. He calls us out of our defilement and into the holy work of sharing the gospel. Though the sins that come from my heart defile me, the Lord loves me and died for me, washing me clean in His atoning blood. He sets me free to be in His holy service.
Do you have a Pharisee in your head constantly accusing you? Jesus says, "Forget them." Let His love set you free. Are you ashamed of your sinful thoughts and behavior? Do you wish to hide yourself from God, perhaps by piling up more and more sins? Jesus says, "Don't be afraid." You are clean because Christ has washed you clean in His blood, once for all!
Now that you are free from condemnation (Rom 8:1), follow Jesus in the ministry of bringing people into the kingdom of God. The world needs you, for there are way too many blind guides speaking on God's behalf.
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They donʼt wash their hands before they eat!”
Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someoneʼs mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Donʼt you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a personʼs mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Defilement is such a foreign concept to people who are not part of a holiness tradition. There are rare moments in life when we are concerned with God's holy things and God's holy people. There are a few holdovers that point to the idea. Perhaps when you were a child you were told not to run in the sanctuary. Maybe you were scolded for being up on the altar area, where the preacher speaks and where the offering plates are laid. Did you ever play in the water in the baptismal fount? If you had you might have been scolded if caught. The baptismal fount, the altar, the pulpit, the sanctuary; these are sacred and holy things set apart for God alone. For anyone, even a playful child, to treat these as a common things disregards their special status and purpose. In a sense they defile the holy things of God by doing so.
The Pharisees were dedicated to the idea of being God's holy people. The law of Moses states,
Leviticus 20:26 NIV
You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord , am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
The tradition of washing hands before eating was symbolic of being the special people of God. The Pharisees taught to dip the hands into the water 7 times and dip the cup and bowls into the water 7 times before eating and drinking. Not only does this honor God by seeking to be completely clean and free of unholy common things that one has touched, but it's also a good health practice. The seven dippings represent the seven days of creation, and thus completeness. The seventh day is the Sabbath, a day set apart from the others as holy. This ritual is a reminder to be holy as the Lord is holy. The Sabbath is a day for communion with the Lord, completely for that purpose alone. The Pharisees' tradition is a way to remind yourself at every meal that you are called to be holy so that God who is holy may commune with you.
There's something beautiful about the tradition, but when the Pharisees start acting like police officers, (no offense intended to our police) they have lost their way, and have become a hostile burden to others. They want to know why Jesus' disciples do not follow their traction of washing before eating.
Jesus' turns their accusations upon them by pointing out that they break the law of God every time they encourage gifts to the temple in lieu of financial assistance to a needy parent. Jesus said their teachings on that matter nullify the word of God. He accused them of hypocrisy and aptly quotes the prophet Isaiah. Their hearts are far from God and their teachings are only human rules, not the divine word.
Jesus' disciples are alarmed. They tell Jesus that what he said was offensive to the Pharisees. Jesus basically tells them, "Forget those blind guides! They'll only lead you to into a trap with them. God didn't send them and God will remove them soon enough."
Peter asked that Jesus explain His teaching, for Jesus had told the crowd,
Matthew 15:11 NIV
What goes into someoneʼs mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Jesus told them that it's not hands that touch common things that make you unclean. It's a heart filled with sin that shows itself through what you say that makes you unclean.
Matthew 15:18 NIV
But the things that come out of a personʼs mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
Jesus lists many sins which are not little white lies, or what we might label as relatively harmless sins. These are terrible sins like murder and stealing and sexual immorality. Jesus places slander and lies right up there with murder! Wow!
This teaching of Christ's gives me pause. On the one hand Jesus does not wish to burden His disciples as the Pharisees do with excessive rules to keep. Jesus had only one rule which is love. On the other hand Jesus' teaching causes me to think about the things that are in my heart.
I know that I have murderous and adulterous thoughts. How many times have I cursed offensive drivers on the road? Jesus taught that if your curse someone you murder them in your heart. (Mat 5:21-22) And if you look upon another with lust, you have committed adultery in your heart. (Mat 5:27-28) Sensual images are everywhere in our society, on billboards, television, magazines and the like. They are meant to ignite sinful urges in our minds and create a covetous longing in our hearts. Therefore I am defiled when I utter curses under my breathe or comment about the sexiness of a Hollywood beauty.
Jesus' teaching both liberates me from empty rituals and rules, and at the same time condemns me. As Peter said to Jesus when he witnessed the miraculous catch of fish, I want to say, "Go away from me Lord. I am a sinful man." (Luke 5:8)
Remember that Jesus responded by telling Peter, "Don't be afraid." He promised to teach Peter to fish for people, to bring them into the kingdom of heaven in the same miraculous way Jesus had filled his nets with fish. Even in our guilt, the Saviour loves and encourages the repentant who humbly acknowledge their sin. He calls us out of our defilement and into the holy work of sharing the gospel. Though the sins that come from my heart defile me, the Lord loves me and died for me, washing me clean in His atoning blood. He sets me free to be in His holy service.
Do you have a Pharisee in your head constantly accusing you? Jesus says, "Forget them." Let His love set you free. Are you ashamed of your sinful thoughts and behavior? Do you wish to hide yourself from God, perhaps by piling up more and more sins? Jesus says, "Don't be afraid." You are clean because Christ has washed you clean in His blood, once for all!
Now that you are free from condemnation (Rom 8:1), follow Jesus in the ministry of bringing people into the kingdom of God. The world needs you, for there are way too many blind guides speaking on God's behalf.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)