Friday, October 21, 2016
Matthew 18:21-35
Matthew 18:21-35 NIV
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servantʼs master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldnʼt you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You won't find the parable of The Unmerciful Servant on a list of Jesus' most beloved parables. The parable of the Good Samaritan, the parable of The Sower, the parable of the Mustard Seed; these are popular. This parable, however, is a tough one because Jesus ends His teaching with a painfully sobering warning. That warning is that we must forgive from our hearts or else suffer God's wrath.
After having taught that the church should confront sin in its membership and shun those who refuse to repent and change their sinful ways, He turns to the topic of mercy and forgiveness. Peter asked Him how many times should he forgive when someone sins against him. Jesus told Peter not 7 times, but 7 x 70.
The number seven represents completeness or fullness in the Bible. The number ten is also a complete number. It is the sum of 3 and 7. Three has to do with God. So generally I think of the number 10 representing the complete work of God, like the 10 commandments. To forgive 7 x 70 is a way of saying forgive completely, with God's help forgive fully.
Then Jesus tells the Parable of The Unmerciful Servant to press the point. A king had several servants to whom he had entrusted money. When settling accounts he found one servant who owed a substantial sum. The actual figure is 10,000 talents which in today's money is worth about $2.25 billion. The idea here is that the servant owed a debt he could never repay.
The master decided to sell off the servant, his wife and children, and all his possessions in order to pay the debt. The servant begged for mercy and the master forgave his debt. Wow! That is mercy.
The servant, however, found another servant who owed him 100 denarii, worth only about $15,000, the annual salary of a day laborer. Yet he could not forgive the servant when he pleaded for mercy. You can see the huge difference between the first servant's debt and the second one's. He threw the poor man in jail until he paid his debt.
When the master heard about this servants harsh behavior, having shown him incredible mercy, he had him thrown in prison and tortured until he could pay his unpayable debt.
Then Jesus warns that unless we forgive others from the heart we will experience much suffering like that of the tortured, imprisoned, unmerciful servant.
Interpreting this difficult teaching is like a tightrope walk. One false move and you slip either into hellfire and damnation or extreme whitewashing. Let's be clear though. Jesus didn't have a problem talking about hell. He warns of being cast out where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth at several places in Matthew's gospel.
His warning is stern. If we take God's incredible mercy shown to us in the cross, and our hearts are not made merciful and loving, then we've missed the salvation offered there. We remain lost in sin. And where there is no salvation, then there is only the prospect of continued imprisonment in our sinful state. While Jesus said that God will treat you like the master treated the unmerciful servant if you don't forgive, I believe that God is simply letting us suffer the consequences of our resentments. Bitterness and resentment is a killer. It's a self imposed prison of our own making.
The liver is central to the body's health function. All blood is circulated through the liver and food is converted to usuable nutrients. Emotionally we carry negative emotions like resentment, anger, frustration, and gall in our liver. Health studies suggest that cancer and resentment are associated. I like to say that unforgiveness is like eating rat poison and expecting the rat to die. We are only harming ourselves when we hang on to resentment.
But letting go and fully forgiving is a lot more difficult than we may realize. It's not a simple thing to find peace when we've been treated unjustly or abused. That is why it takes God's help. God's amazing grace is fully sufficient to deliver us from our inner torture. It takes continual prayer and undying hope.
I wish I were free of all my resentments, but I'm not. I'm still trapped in prison and tortured over the debt I think some people owe me. And the interesting thing is that since I find it difficult to forgive others fully, I am unable to forgive myself most of all!
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 7:24-25a NIV
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Mathew 18:15-22
Mathew 18:15-22 NIV
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.(or seven time seventy)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Church discipline is a subject that doesn't get much discussion in my circles. We are trapped in a polite paradigm and it would be impolite to point out someone's sin, so we don't. Some think that to do so would be judgemental. After all didn't Jesus command us not to judge others? Yet here is Jesus telling His disciples to point out another's sin. Some versions say when a brother sins against you point out their sin, but others leave "against you" out. The latter leaves open the possibility of playing policemen watching for sinful behavior among our brothers and sisters in the church family. That sort of legalism is not what Jesus is encouraging. Rather when sin is obvious or causing division in the church, it must be dealt with for the sake of the health of the body.
We all sin. We sin when we don't do the things we know we should do, which are called sins of omission. We sin when we do the things we know we shouldn't do. Those are called sins of commission. And then there are sins that we didn't know were wrong. Those are sins of ignorance. Have we got all our sins covered under these categories? Well...no. Sins as actions are one area of sin but sin as a sphere of influence, a power at work in our flesh, is another. We were born into sin. The effects of sin are felt at our deepest core. Fear, faithlessness, gossip, greed, lust, impatience, resentment, angry outbursts, etc. These are the works of the flesh.
Here's one of many lists in the New Testament speaking of sins of the flesh.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 NIV
Jesus taught His disciples to confront sin and gave them a very sensible and compassionate way to deal with it in the church. Let me be clear that this teaching is not for non-Christians. You wouldn't confront a person who is not part of your church community about their sins. That's just a bad idea. They never signed up for repentance. But baptized Christians have died to sin and been raised with Christ as a new creation.
The death he (Jesus) died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:10-14
As Christians we all are on a journey toward Christlikeness or holiness. Just as a coach tells his players how to improve their game, fellow Christians ought to be supporting one another in achieving growth in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore pointing out a brother or sister's sin within the church is a healthy means to strengthen one another in faith.
But what does the church do when a member does not wish to pursue holiness along with the rest? If a teammate isn't pulling his weight on the team, the coach benches him and often teammates will prod him to step up. There's a way to correct people that is constructive, and there are ways that shame and do more harm than good. Jesus' way is compassionate and gives every opportunity for erring members to repent.
First you speak to the person who is sinning in private about it. Here's an example from Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each otherʼs burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:1-2 NIV
There's a real sense of care and humility in this instruction. Confronting another's sin should be done gently and with loving concern, not brutally shaming the person. Remember that you are a sinner too. Point sin out in the way you want your sin pointed out. If you don't want your sins pointed out, then perhaps you shouldn't approach anyone else about their sin.
If the person refuses to listen to godly correction, then get a couple other church members to join you. This isn't ganging up on a person. It's a persistent pursuit to address an ongoing problem that is destructive to the sinner's life, for sin separates us from God who is life, and it's unhealthy for the church.
If they still do not repent and change their ways, then a more official meeting should be held with the leaders of your congregation. If they still don't repent after being confronted by church leadership then it's obvious they don't value the vision and mission of the church. Therefore a separation is in order. They are to be shown the door out.
That sounds mean, but it's intended to improve the health of the church body. When we have a fever we take antibiotics to remove the germs from our body so that we might heal. In the same way a rebellious sinner endangers the health of the body of Christ. Such a person should be excommunicated. Jesus offers the practice of shunning, a common practice in Jewish communities.
"Treat them like you would a pagan our tax collector." In other words ignore them. Have nothing to do with them.
Paul dealt with a case of incest in the church at Corinth.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his fatherʼs wife. And you are proud! Shouldnʼt you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. You must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 5, 11 NIV
The purpose of shunning, or handing a sinner over to Satan, is to let the sinner deal with the consequences of his sin without the support of the church family. He is to go his own way and the church will no longer associate with Him as a part of the family. This is done in the hope that the rebellious sinner will come you their senses and repent.
Jesus tells the disciples the kind of authority He is entrusting to the church. He said that if we bind anything or loose anything on earth, it will be the same in heaven. I'm really not sure what He means, but it's clear that Jesus trusts the Church to make decisions that have divine authority behind them. If we ask for it in Jesus' name, it will be done. If two or three in the church agree on a course of action in reproving a sinner, Jesus is there also in the corrective action. Christ's divine presence validates and empowers the church to pursue its mission to bring God's good and righteous government upon the earth through holy communities.
Then Peter asks how many times are we to forgive. Since we're talking about casting rebellious sinners from the church, should we not also speak of reconciling?
Again Paul spoke about a man who had been excommunicated and encouraged reconciliation after an appropriate time.
The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
2 Corinthians 2:6-8 NIV
Just as the church has a process for confronting sin, we also have procedures from reentry. Offer grace if the person wants to resume fellowship. And always forgive. Jesus answered Peter that we are to forgive not 7 times, but 7 x 70! His point is not to keep track and stop forgiving after 490 times, but to always forgive. Be generous with God's love and mercy, just as God is generous with you.
The purpose of church discipline is to improve the Christian's spiritual health and the health of the body of Christ. The purpose of reconciliation is to share the abundant grace given us in the cross of Jesus Christ who said as He hung there dying, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."
Praise God that He did.
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.(or seven time seventy)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Church discipline is a subject that doesn't get much discussion in my circles. We are trapped in a polite paradigm and it would be impolite to point out someone's sin, so we don't. Some think that to do so would be judgemental. After all didn't Jesus command us not to judge others? Yet here is Jesus telling His disciples to point out another's sin. Some versions say when a brother sins against you point out their sin, but others leave "against you" out. The latter leaves open the possibility of playing policemen watching for sinful behavior among our brothers and sisters in the church family. That sort of legalism is not what Jesus is encouraging. Rather when sin is obvious or causing division in the church, it must be dealt with for the sake of the health of the body.
We all sin. We sin when we don't do the things we know we should do, which are called sins of omission. We sin when we do the things we know we shouldn't do. Those are called sins of commission. And then there are sins that we didn't know were wrong. Those are sins of ignorance. Have we got all our sins covered under these categories? Well...no. Sins as actions are one area of sin but sin as a sphere of influence, a power at work in our flesh, is another. We were born into sin. The effects of sin are felt at our deepest core. Fear, faithlessness, gossip, greed, lust, impatience, resentment, angry outbursts, etc. These are the works of the flesh.
Here's one of many lists in the New Testament speaking of sins of the flesh.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 NIV
Jesus taught His disciples to confront sin and gave them a very sensible and compassionate way to deal with it in the church. Let me be clear that this teaching is not for non-Christians. You wouldn't confront a person who is not part of your church community about their sins. That's just a bad idea. They never signed up for repentance. But baptized Christians have died to sin and been raised with Christ as a new creation.
The death he (Jesus) died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:10-14
As Christians we all are on a journey toward Christlikeness or holiness. Just as a coach tells his players how to improve their game, fellow Christians ought to be supporting one another in achieving growth in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore pointing out a brother or sister's sin within the church is a healthy means to strengthen one another in faith.
But what does the church do when a member does not wish to pursue holiness along with the rest? If a teammate isn't pulling his weight on the team, the coach benches him and often teammates will prod him to step up. There's a way to correct people that is constructive, and there are ways that shame and do more harm than good. Jesus' way is compassionate and gives every opportunity for erring members to repent.
First you speak to the person who is sinning in private about it. Here's an example from Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each otherʼs burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:1-2 NIV
There's a real sense of care and humility in this instruction. Confronting another's sin should be done gently and with loving concern, not brutally shaming the person. Remember that you are a sinner too. Point sin out in the way you want your sin pointed out. If you don't want your sins pointed out, then perhaps you shouldn't approach anyone else about their sin.
If the person refuses to listen to godly correction, then get a couple other church members to join you. This isn't ganging up on a person. It's a persistent pursuit to address an ongoing problem that is destructive to the sinner's life, for sin separates us from God who is life, and it's unhealthy for the church.
If they still do not repent and change their ways, then a more official meeting should be held with the leaders of your congregation. If they still don't repent after being confronted by church leadership then it's obvious they don't value the vision and mission of the church. Therefore a separation is in order. They are to be shown the door out.
That sounds mean, but it's intended to improve the health of the church body. When we have a fever we take antibiotics to remove the germs from our body so that we might heal. In the same way a rebellious sinner endangers the health of the body of Christ. Such a person should be excommunicated. Jesus offers the practice of shunning, a common practice in Jewish communities.
"Treat them like you would a pagan our tax collector." In other words ignore them. Have nothing to do with them.
Paul dealt with a case of incest in the church at Corinth.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his fatherʼs wife. And you are proud! Shouldnʼt you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. You must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 5, 11 NIV
The purpose of shunning, or handing a sinner over to Satan, is to let the sinner deal with the consequences of his sin without the support of the church family. He is to go his own way and the church will no longer associate with Him as a part of the family. This is done in the hope that the rebellious sinner will come you their senses and repent.
Jesus tells the disciples the kind of authority He is entrusting to the church. He said that if we bind anything or loose anything on earth, it will be the same in heaven. I'm really not sure what He means, but it's clear that Jesus trusts the Church to make decisions that have divine authority behind them. If we ask for it in Jesus' name, it will be done. If two or three in the church agree on a course of action in reproving a sinner, Jesus is there also in the corrective action. Christ's divine presence validates and empowers the church to pursue its mission to bring God's good and righteous government upon the earth through holy communities.
Then Peter asks how many times are we to forgive. Since we're talking about casting rebellious sinners from the church, should we not also speak of reconciling?
Again Paul spoke about a man who had been excommunicated and encouraged reconciliation after an appropriate time.
The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
2 Corinthians 2:6-8 NIV
Just as the church has a process for confronting sin, we also have procedures from reentry. Offer grace if the person wants to resume fellowship. And always forgive. Jesus answered Peter that we are to forgive not 7 times, but 7 x 70! His point is not to keep track and stop forgiving after 490 times, but to always forgive. Be generous with God's love and mercy, just as God is generous with you.
The purpose of church discipline is to improve the Christian's spiritual health and the health of the body of Christ. The purpose of reconciliation is to share the abundant grace given us in the cross of Jesus Christ who said as He hung there dying, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."
Praise God that He did.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Matthew 18:6, 10, 12-14
Matthew 18:6, 10, 12-14 NIV
If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus continues teaching the disciples after they had inquired about who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He told them that they must change and humble themselves like children to enter the kingdom. In the teaching that followed Jesus refers to little ones-those who believe in Him. We might presume that Jesus is talking about children since He had previously mentioned youngsters, but as I read the teaching it becomes apparent that Jesus is talking about new believers.
The Greek word mikros can be translated as young in age, but there are other valid translations.
Little Ones "mikros":
>of time: short, brief, a little while, how little!
>small in rank or influence
In the church there are new converts who need nurture just like little children. Sadly our churches are all too often focused only on Sunday programming and these short timers are left to fend for themselves without a guide. I recently was saddened to hear how one convert was exposed to deplorable behavior by members of the church under the influence of alcohol. As a result this little one left the church!
The newly converted are wide open and filled with childlike curiosity. As such Jesus says their angels always look upon the face of God in heaven. This talk of angels is hard to grasp. You've probably heard of guardian angels, but this concept is not universally believed. The Jews of Jesus' day thought of powers influencing and controlling life. There are principalities, authorities, rulers and powers of this world. Some are under the power of demons, some under righteous angels. In such a worldview each person has a spiritual emanation representing themselves before God, and God to them.
So basically my interpretation is that the newly converted are closer to God in a childlike innocence. They are vulnerable; longing for and seeking their heavenly Father. This state is tender and doesn't last, just like childhood. Their faith needs nurturing and support from the spiritually mature. Woe to the one who leads them astray.
Jesus warns the church about looking down upon the lesser among us, whether in economic and social standing or spiritual children. To abuse and mislead these little ones is a travesty. The consequences are severe, but God doesn't want to lose a single soul to Satan. He seeks us out like a shepherd searching for a lost sheep.
I'm encouraged by Jesus teaching. While He condemns my sins for leading others away from Him, He still loves me. Though I have gone astray, away from the safety of God's flock, He calls out to me. He finds my lost soul and brings me home. And He seeks out those little ones who've been led astray and brings them home too.
I'm thankful for the word of God. It tells me the truth about my sin and the greater truth of God's saving love through Jesus Christ.
If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus continues teaching the disciples after they had inquired about who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He told them that they must change and humble themselves like children to enter the kingdom. In the teaching that followed Jesus refers to little ones-those who believe in Him. We might presume that Jesus is talking about children since He had previously mentioned youngsters, but as I read the teaching it becomes apparent that Jesus is talking about new believers.
The Greek word mikros can be translated as young in age, but there are other valid translations.
Little Ones "mikros":
>of time: short, brief, a little while, how little!
>small in rank or influence
In the church there are new converts who need nurture just like little children. Sadly our churches are all too often focused only on Sunday programming and these short timers are left to fend for themselves without a guide. I recently was saddened to hear how one convert was exposed to deplorable behavior by members of the church under the influence of alcohol. As a result this little one left the church!
The newly converted are wide open and filled with childlike curiosity. As such Jesus says their angels always look upon the face of God in heaven. This talk of angels is hard to grasp. You've probably heard of guardian angels, but this concept is not universally believed. The Jews of Jesus' day thought of powers influencing and controlling life. There are principalities, authorities, rulers and powers of this world. Some are under the power of demons, some under righteous angels. In such a worldview each person has a spiritual emanation representing themselves before God, and God to them.
So basically my interpretation is that the newly converted are closer to God in a childlike innocence. They are vulnerable; longing for and seeking their heavenly Father. This state is tender and doesn't last, just like childhood. Their faith needs nurturing and support from the spiritually mature. Woe to the one who leads them astray.
Jesus warns the church about looking down upon the lesser among us, whether in economic and social standing or spiritual children. To abuse and mislead these little ones is a travesty. The consequences are severe, but God doesn't want to lose a single soul to Satan. He seeks us out like a shepherd searching for a lost sheep.
I'm encouraged by Jesus teaching. While He condemns my sins for leading others away from Him, He still loves me. Though I have gone astray, away from the safety of God's flock, He calls out to me. He finds my lost soul and brings me home. And He seeks out those little ones who've been led astray and brings them home too.
I'm thankful for the word of God. It tells me the truth about my sin and the greater truth of God's saving love through Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Matthew 18:1-9
Matthew 18:1-9 NIV
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Unless you change..."; those are words we don't want to hear. I love the old joke that asks how many Methodists does it take to change a light bulb. The answer?
"Change???!!!"
The humor of course is that nobody likes change. Change is uncomfortable. It requires more effort, more attentiveness. We are creatures of habit and change upsets our routines. As a result we feel awkward and cautious, perhaps annoyed and frustrated. Change is rarely something we seek.
But we do seek changes. If we are given a health warning we make changes to our lifestyle, diet and exercise habits. If we get bored with our location, we move to a new town. If we feel our career needs a change we go on a job hunt seeking new employment and better opportunity.
Jesus tells His disciples that if they want to be great in the kingdom of heaven they must change. The question is, "How badly do they want to be great?" Are they willing to change in order to be great in God's eyes?
Of course God sees all His human creatures for their potential, and it is great. We are made in God's image! But we are, at the same time, in bondage to sin and fall short of God's glory. Classically speaking, it's impossible to save ourselves from this fallen and corrupt status. That's why we need a savior.
Often we think of salvation as admission into heaven after we die. Salvation is not simply your eternal address. Salvation means change. Salvation means transformation. The New Testament is full of transformation language. I think of transformation as a result of salvation and part of the journey of salvation to our ultimate goal, which is becoming like Jesus.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29 NIV
It is our divine destiny to be conformed to the image of Jesus, that is to change to become like Him.
Jesus told His disciples that they must change and become like little children or they will never enter the kingdom of heaven. His point is that we humble ourselves before Christ and before one another. The very question about who will be great in the kingdom reveals that the disciples are dreaming of positions of power when Jesus takes the throne. But Jesus uses the moment to teach that that if you want to be great in God's government, make yourself a servant to others. Welcome the lowly, the vulnerable, the needy and helpless. By doing so you welcome Christ into your life.
Having understood that the sins of pride, greed, and coveting were at work in His disciples, Jesus then warned them about what they set their eyes upon and what they do with their hands. Using prophetic rhetoric intended to shock and elicit a response, He told them if their eye causes them to sin, pluck it out. If their hand causes them to sin, cut it off. It's best to enter life maimed than to go to Hell in one piece.
Disturbing as this is, it does make a memorable impression, one not soon forgotten. Jesus' teaching is not to be understood literally, but poetically. The point is that we should remove from our lives those things that tempt us to sin. It's better to do without some things in this life in order to make a change for the better, eternal life.
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Unless you change..."; those are words we don't want to hear. I love the old joke that asks how many Methodists does it take to change a light bulb. The answer?
"Change???!!!"
The humor of course is that nobody likes change. Change is uncomfortable. It requires more effort, more attentiveness. We are creatures of habit and change upsets our routines. As a result we feel awkward and cautious, perhaps annoyed and frustrated. Change is rarely something we seek.
But we do seek changes. If we are given a health warning we make changes to our lifestyle, diet and exercise habits. If we get bored with our location, we move to a new town. If we feel our career needs a change we go on a job hunt seeking new employment and better opportunity.
Jesus tells His disciples that if they want to be great in the kingdom of heaven they must change. The question is, "How badly do they want to be great?" Are they willing to change in order to be great in God's eyes?
Of course God sees all His human creatures for their potential, and it is great. We are made in God's image! But we are, at the same time, in bondage to sin and fall short of God's glory. Classically speaking, it's impossible to save ourselves from this fallen and corrupt status. That's why we need a savior.
Often we think of salvation as admission into heaven after we die. Salvation is not simply your eternal address. Salvation means change. Salvation means transformation. The New Testament is full of transformation language. I think of transformation as a result of salvation and part of the journey of salvation to our ultimate goal, which is becoming like Jesus.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29 NIV
It is our divine destiny to be conformed to the image of Jesus, that is to change to become like Him.
Jesus told His disciples that they must change and become like little children or they will never enter the kingdom of heaven. His point is that we humble ourselves before Christ and before one another. The very question about who will be great in the kingdom reveals that the disciples are dreaming of positions of power when Jesus takes the throne. But Jesus uses the moment to teach that that if you want to be great in God's government, make yourself a servant to others. Welcome the lowly, the vulnerable, the needy and helpless. By doing so you welcome Christ into your life.
Having understood that the sins of pride, greed, and coveting were at work in His disciples, Jesus then warned them about what they set their eyes upon and what they do with their hands. Using prophetic rhetoric intended to shock and elicit a response, He told them if their eye causes them to sin, pluck it out. If their hand causes them to sin, cut it off. It's best to enter life maimed than to go to Hell in one piece.
Disturbing as this is, it does make a memorable impression, one not soon forgotten. Jesus' teaching is not to be understood literally, but poetically. The point is that we should remove from our lives those things that tempt us to sin. It's better to do without some things in this life in order to make a change for the better, eternal life.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Matthew 17:22-27
Matthew 17:22-27 NIV
When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesnʼt your teacher pay the temple tax?”
“Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”
“From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let me tell you how it will be.
There's one for you, nineteen for me.
Cuz I'm the taxman
Yeah in the taxman
The words above were penned by George Harrison of The Beatles. Frustrated with the amount of money the government was taking from his income as a performer and recording artist, he wrote Taxman in 1966 for the Revolver album. Americans can identify with his pain every pay stub, and every April 15th when we must submit our annual tax returns.
Jesus lived when the majority of people lived at a simple sustenance level. Their tax burden from the Roman Empire was overwhelming. It was a corrupt system where Roman officials sold rights to collect taxes to local Jewish civilians. Their bribe got them a lucrative position in which they could charge any amount they saw fit, as long as Rome got their required amount. Tax collectors grew rich off of their countrymen and Rome got their taxes. You can understand with such a system an additional tax required by the temple only added to the burden.
The temple tax was established by the law of Moses in which every man was to give 1/2 shekel annually, which amounted about $5.00 of today's money. Later in Jesus' time 2 drachmas was worth less than $1.50. It doesn't seem like much, but added onto Rome's many taxes, income, sales, harvest, export and import taxes, etc., it was just another painful reminder of their oppression.
The Israelites were initially to live in a theocracy in which God was king. The people were to live according to God's will made known in the covenant, the Law of Moses. But as time went on they moved away from their loose confederacy of tribes toward a nation ruled by an anointed king. They approached Samuel, prophet and the last of Israel's judges, to anoint for them a king. Samuel consulted the Lord and gave Israel this warning.
He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
1 Samuel 8:10-18 NIV
It is known that the chief priests and other upper echelon temple officials lived quite comfortably. The temple tax was a reminder each year of this inequity. While the temple tax had become a bit of a pariah with many, some gladly gave out of their love for God and support of God's throne on earth, that is the temple. So it was with those collecting the temple tax. They were surprised that Jesus, a holy man, had not paid the temple tax. Perhaps these collectors too were trying to discredit Jesus publicly, like the religious leaders had done so numerous times. Or perhaps they were shocked Jesus hadn't shown visible support of the temple.
Peter affirmed to these men that Jesus did indeed support the temple by paying His annual tax. Peter went to Jesus, but Jesus already knew the conversation had happened. This is Matthew's way of reminding us that Jesus is divine. He had a sixth sense, so to speak, and knew that Peter had been approached about the temple tax.
Jesus asked Peter if earthly kings require their own children to pay taxes. Of course the royal family does not pay taxes. They benefit from them. Jesus then reasoned that the children of God, the divine King, are also exempt.
That's interesting. For the King of the Universe had established the temple tax. Why would Jesus say Israelites were exempt, or does He mean only the church is exempt? There is a sense in the Law, and in interpretation, that giving was to be voluntary, not a legal obligation. Perhaps He felt the church needn't regard this tax as an obligation.
More to the point, Jesus knows the temple's end is near. The temple and it's leadership had become corrupt. The tax wasn't about glorifying God, but about keeping the religious authorities well funded. You may remember that Jesus cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit, as a means of pointing to the fruitless ministry of the temple. (Mat 21:18-19)
Even though Jesus felt that His followers needn't pay the temple tax, as children of God, He did not think offending the temple officials was wise. So He instructed Peter to go fishing and grab the first fish out of his net. In its mouth Peter would find a four drachma coin which would pay Jesus and Peter's obligation.
Why is this story in the gospel? The temple tax certainly was something the early church wrestled with, but how do we apply the wisdom revealed here? The story reveals that we are God's children. We are royalty as far as Jesus is concerned. That ought to make you feel very good. That knowledge ought to boost your self-esteem.
In addition we learn that God provides for His children. The four drachma coin miraculously was found in the fish's mouth. The fish often symbolizes the church, so one might presume that the charity of the church, an expression of God's mercy, can be counted on to help those who are short on their financial obligations. I don't think that is Jesus' intent here. Rather it is that God, the King of the Universe, provides for His children.
Finally, we see that some battles, while just, are not worth engaging. Would you really take the IRS to task over $1.50 discrepancy? It's better not to offend. This doesn't mean that Jesus thinks we should roll over for everyone expecting something from us. Rather we should be generous wherever possible, especially with the authorities.
The early church was under intense scrutiny as a new and misunderstood religious sect. The apostles' letters give frequent attention to peaceful and obedient behavior with state authorities. Paul wrote in the letter to the Romans,
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Romans 13:1-2 NIV
Therefore pay your taxes. American Christians benefit from the many privileges of American citizenship. We should pay our taxes and not look for ways to cheat or shirk our responsibility. While we may disagree with our government's expenditures on military enterprises, we nonetheless should choose not to offend. Address dissatisfaction in the voting booth.
You are God's children. You are royalty. God provides. So be at peace and be a peacemaker. By cooperating with appointed authorities you will set an example pleasing to God and beneficial to society.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Matthew 17:14-20
Matthew 17:14-20 NIV
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldnʼt we drive it out?”
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm going to offer an interpretation of this passage that is unique to what I've usually thought when reading this story. I've usually read this story from the perspective of Jesus and His disciples. He has just come down from an amazing foretaste of the kingdom of heaven on the Mount of Transfiguration, but now Jesus is faced with a demon possessed young man whose father pleads for his healing. Jesus is clearly frustrated by the way He responds. "How much longer will I have to put up with you", He exclaims in the face of perversity and unbelief. Is it the demon that frustrated Jesus, the young man or the disciples? Is it all of them?
But today I'm reading this passage from the perspective of the father who intercedes for his son. The Greek literally says that his son is moon struck, which is a way of saying his son is crazy. Older translations like the King James Version use the word lunatic to describe the young man's condition. The NIV uses the word "seizures" to describe the result of the young man's moon struck condition. Others call it epilepsy. I appreciate the translators' attempt at making this ancient phrase apply to what we know of epilepsy, but it's reading ourselves into the text. Nobody in the first century knew of a condition called epilepsy and it certainly is not related to demonic possession. The Greek phrase literally means to fall prostate. It's the same word used to describe the apostles' behavior when they heard the voice of God from the cloud the surrounding them on the Mount of Transfiguration.
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.
Matthew 17:6 NIV
The similarities in the Greek phrases are there, but they are also distinct from one another. The apostles literally fall prostate to their faces. The Greek phrase is "ἔπεσαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον". The young man falls prostate towards the fire and water. The Greek phrase is "πίπτει εἰς". The Greek preposition eis can be translated to mean to, into, towards, unto, for and among.
I haven't studied Greek, so I'm only going on the interlinear dictionaries and their definitions for Greek words. I may be making more out of this than I should. I ought to follow traditional interpretations, but here's what I'm thinking. The young man worships fire and water. He falls down before them in worship. Pagan worship often involves venerating the powers within nature. The pentagram symbolizes the worship of the five elements, earth, wind, fire, water and spirit. The ancients were known to worship elements like fire and water, or astrological bodies like the sun and moon. Might Matthew be speaking metaphorically using the young man as a representative of the entire perverse and unbelieving generation?
At face value the young man falls into the fire and into the water. Why an epileptic would fall into fire and water is beyond me. Why would the father provide this detail? Why wouldn't he say that his son falls rigidly to the ground? That's how I'd describe epilepsy. I suppose that if the young man is out on a boat fishing he might fall into water during a seizure. If cooking around an open fire he might fall into it. But the detail is too specific and Jesus' frustration is too overblown, at least from my perspective.
What if the father is interceding for his son who's turned to pagan worship? The bible claims that those who worship idols worship demons. The apostle Paul wrote, "...the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons."
1 Corinthians 10:20 NIV
If Jesus is responding to the fact that this young man has fallen under the influence of demons through his worship of the powers within nature, then Jesus' response makes more sense to me.
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”
Matthew 17:17 NIV
Regardless of whether I'm correct I'm my interpretation or not, what happens next is the point of the story. The disciples could not drive out this demon and help the young man. Jesus told them that they could not drive the demon out because they lacked faith. The disciples are part of this unbelieving generation. Jesus told them if their faith was like a mustard seed, starting out tiny but growing into the largest of all the plants in the garden, then they could move mountains. "Nothing will be impossible for you."
I can't help but think of Yoda training Luke Skywalker on Dantooine. Luke's x-wing fighter is sunk in the swamp. The Jedi master raises the spacecraft from the bog with the power of the force and the young Skywalker exclaims in amazement, "I don't believe it!" Yoda flatly replies, "That is why you fail." Luke could not lift his fighter from the swamp with the force because He thought it was impossible.
How often have I thought it was impossible to reach someone who's turned away from God and turned toward New Age religions or atheism? Rather than intercede with a love like the father in Matthew's story, I gave up on them. The word of God calls me out of unbelief and into growing my faith by embracing the impossible.
Jesus had just descended from the Mount of Transfiguration down into the perverse and unbelieving. He told His disciples if they had faith they could tell this mountain to move from here to there. Did Jesus mean the mountain upon which He just experienced the transforming presence of God? If we have faith we can send the transforming power of God into any perverse and unbelieving city, neighborhood or person. And we can cast the demon out and replace it with God's love. That is if we believe that with God nothing is impossible.
The father's compassion for his wayward son was rewarded. Jesus healed the young man and cast the demon out. Do you have compassion for those in your life who are into things that enslave them? Do you feel inadequate to help them? Perhaps they don't want your help or your God. That needn't stop you from praying in faith for God to free them from their suffering. All you need is a desire to grow like a mustard seed in your faith in God's ability to do the impossible.
Friday, October 14, 2016
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