Month: October 2023

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Covenants and Vows

Mark 10 and Matt 19 A covenant is a binding agreement. As God made a covenant with His people, marriage partners covenant together by a vow that this union is for life or until God calls one home. What does that entail? It means what Solomon wrote: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. “[Eccl 5:4]

Yet, the religious leaders sought to test Jesus. In both of these chapters, they came to ask if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife. Note: they were speaking as men to men. Women had no rights. They asked him a question, and he questioned them to see by whose authority they were obeying. In doing so, they revealed that their authority was not God but Moses. True, Moses was a prophet called by God and faithful in all God’s house, but God is the builder of the house. Moses was a servant, not the author. [Heb 3:3]. Jesus reminded them that Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of their heart. It was not God’s plan. Jesus reminded them that as God the Father covenanted with his people for life, they were to covenant in marriage.

Today, many seek to break their covenant marriage, forgetting that their vows have been witnessed by others with the words that honor that agreement. Today, may we remember this wise counsel.

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The Gospel is for All!

Luke 17 What Samaritan do you see?

Because of a long and convoluted history, Israel hated the Samaritans but not Jesus! Are we like the Israelites or like Jesus? What prejudice today keeps us from sharing the gospel message of hope and reconciliation?

Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well. She heard the message, left her water jar, and went and told and many came to believe in Jesus. Later, Jesus told the story of one who had been robbed and injured. Two Israelites came, saw, but left him destitute on the road. Then, a Samaritan happened by that way; he stopped and nursed the man. In this chapter, Jesus meets ten lepers. They cried out for Jesus to heal them, and He did. He also told them to go and show themselves to the priests. All went, but one, seeing his healing, returned to Jesus to thank him. Jesus said were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? And was it only this foreigner…this Samaritan…who has come to thank God for his cleansing?

In three encounters, three people heard or met the Master, who met their needs. Not one of them was an Israelite! Jesus wants us to see that no prejudice kept him from telling the gospel story to those in need.
What is keeping us from doing His work? Is it prejudice because of race or homelessness? Is it because we don’t see the need because of x,y, z reasons?

Photo Credit: Klang Church of Christ

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Lessons from the Master Teacher

Luke 16 To totally understand the parable of the “unjust steward” Jesus wants us to take time from our recess and stick around a little more during discussion time. He is saying you need to connect the dots between what He taught in Luke 15 and Luke 16.

Listen, all three stories teach us principles for life now and in the future. They also subtly teach us the steps to the kingdom. Remember the younger brother? The lesson here is we must repent or we will be acting like the older brother who just didn’t get it. And then there is the unjust steward. He is our illustration of what is true faithfulness and what is not. He was given responsibility to care for the Master’s gifts and he blew it big time. Now for the last; the rich man and Lazarus. These two men teach us that our eternal destiny must be determined NOW for when we reach eternity it will be too late.

In Jesus School we learn that we must listen with both our ears and our hearts. The brothers had the Father’s gifts, the Steward was entrusted with the Master’s gifts, the Rich Man had the gifts of Prophets and the Law. You and I have the keys to the kingdom. The real question is this: Are we faithfully using it for Him? Will we hear one day: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ [Mat 25:21]

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Lost and Found

Luke 15 How do you handle losing something precious? In these three parables, Jesus taught something precious and valuable has gone missing. If that were you, how would you react? The shepherd left the 99 sheep and went looking for that one errant sheep that had gone astray. Sheep were not only precious but, money-wise, expensive!

The woman lost a coin and set about to clean, clean, and clean. She found the coin and told everyone: rejoice with me, for I have found that which was lost.

Again, our question: what do you do when that which was lost is found? The shepherd and the woman rejoiced and shared that news with others.

But, the third parable is about something even more precious that was lost. It was the son of the family. Yet, the father, unlike the shepherd and the woman, did not go searching. He is like God, patiently waiting until the son comes to his senses and realizes his lost condition. The father has been looking for his return and includes others in his rejoicing. All rejoiced with the father…except the older brother. He not only does not rejoice but has a pity party.

Jesus told these parables so that the religious leaders might see their spiritual condition, but they act like the older brother, sadly. How about us? How do we respond when a sinner repents and comes to the family? Are we looking for the lost sheep, the lost coin, or, more importantly, the lost sinner?

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Fear NOT~

Luke 12 What do you fear most? In today’s world, there are elements that send fear into our lives by their evil actions and threats. Was it any different in Solomon’s day or the disciple’s day? The answer is no, just as then, it is today. Fear is a motivator not to trust God and Solomon, as the wise king made this statement: the fear of men is a snare. [Prov 29:25] Dr. Luke records that Jesus echoed by saying do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that, they have nothing more they can do. [Luke 12:4]

So, what do you fear most? Losing your life? Being found guilty when you are innocent? Being a hypocrite? What do you fear? Jesus noted that if you deny Him, He will deny you before the Father and the angels of God’s court. So, how do we become fearless? Jesus gives one answer: do not worry. He has said this more than once now, and so now He reminds his listeners not to worry because you can’t change the trajectory of your life. You can’t add an hour to it.

Jesus then goes on to give examples from the real world of flowers. They don’t worry if they will germinate or bloom. They just “do!” So Jesus is saying, do not worry about what you will eat, what you will wear, etc. Instead, ask the Father help me to stand steadfast and not to deny You when the opportunity comes.

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Which Person Am I/Are You?

Luke 10 The Samaritan Teaches Us Grace

Jesus uses a simple story to show us how to put aside all preconceived ideas of what Grace looks like and answers the question: who is my neighbor? Interestingly, Jesus tells this story, which follows His meeting with the Samaritan woman to show men that God is impartial. God loves all and He demonstrated that when He sent His Son to die for us who are partial and evil.

The backdrop of this story is that a religious expert sought to trap Jesus in asking: who is my neighbor because in his heart he was partial to Jews and hated Samaritans. So Jesus presented this story to show him what true grace is and how it behaves.

Jesus began his story by sharing what all men think; thieves are self-centered individuals who do not care for the needs of others. Truth: that is why they are called thieves! Jesus continued; a man is accosted by robbers who beat him and steal all he has. Two others come upon this scene; a priest and a Levite, who have been taught about acting godly, yet their life reveals that actions were not more critical, so they stop and see but then go on their way leaving the injured man with no help. They arrogantly look the other way; is this how we react? What was the reason? Jesus leaves the motivation of each to our imagination. A third man, a Samaritan, is on his way, but his heart of compassion demonstrates impartiality for one in distress. He stops and sees the need and puts aside his own journey to help another. He is the godly example and teaches us what true grace is: actions speak louder than words.

The question is: which man are we? Do we see a need and meet it or go on our way saying we are too busy or the injured is “not like us.” What do we do?

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Worship the Giver of Sight

John 9-10:21 Yesterday, I asked what you would see or hear if you could be a fly on the wall. Today in our reading, as we meet a man blind from birth, the disciples ask who caused this blindness. Although the blind man could not see their reactions, he could hear their question. Has anyone ever spoken about you thinking you cannot hear? Has anyone ever said things about you that you have thought about but did not know the answers? That was the blind man. He listened but perhaps had felt that same question because those as impaired as him could not enter the temple or even the religious leaders’ gatherings to hear the scripture’s blessed teachings. Jesus assured the blind man and the disciples that he, his parents, and anyone else had been the cause, but instead, he was born blind so that the works of God might be proven.

Jesus lovingly caressed the eyes of the blind man with mud and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. He went and came back seeing! How would you react to a scene like this? The neighbors were amazed, but some scoffed. The parents were astonished but feared the repercussions of the religious leaders. The formerly blind man was taken to the religious council to attest that this work broke the Sabbath. The encounter is both hilarious and convicting. His questions put them on the spot, and they were offended, yet some followed him as he entered the temple and was met by the LIGHT that offers sight to the blind.

How do you respond when Jesus does a mighty work in your life? The blind man worshiped the giver of sight.

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The Fly on the Wall

John 7 The brothers of Jesus did not believe in him as Messiah, so they sought to put a guilt trip on him about revealing himself to the crowds. Jesus wisely said it is not my time, so he remained home. What caused him to change his mind is anybody’s guess. But, he set out and walked to Jerusalem secretly. We often say I wish I were a fly on the wall so I could hear or see what others are saying about me. I think that was Jesus in a nutshell. He listened, and then he discerned when it was time. It was time to teach the truth that the religious leaders had not done.

He began to teach in the temple, and then the whispers started. How does He know so much?
He hasn’t been formally taught, meaning he has yet to have religious training by us Pharisees. Amid this, Jesus pointed out to the crowd that none of them was keeping the Law. That struck a nerve to the religious leaders. How dare he say such things, for we keep the Law to the letter, yet Jesus wanted them to recognize it is not the letter but a lack of obedience and love.

If Jesus came today, what would He say to us? What would you see or hear if you were that fly on the wall?

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Childlike character

Matthew 18 Little Children

The disciples were trying to ascertain if they had the qualities to be the greatest in the kingdom. So, Jesus told them that they had to love as a child, and at the end of this dialog, he reminded them how one must forgive repeatedly. These are the qualities of humility.

He specifically called out the disciples when they argued about the greatest in the kingdom of God. With such bravado, they were like many who seek to humiliate another to make themselves seem greater. In doing so, they were seeking to turn the children away. He reminded them that it was a child’s humility that God was seeking, and the children were an example to them of this character quality.

God so disliked the way the disciples were acting that he said to them: unless you become like one of them, and if they caused one of them who believed in Him to sin, it would be better to have a millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the sea. These are weighty words!

So what is God saying to us by this dialog? He is saying that God observes our character. What does He see in us?

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Teachable Moments

Mark 8 Today we face crowds but in a smaller situation than what faced Jesus this day. The gospel writer Mark simply says there was another (emphasis added!)  large crowd with nothing to eat and to make matters more pressing, and again, as before, it has been three days. God uses repetition to teach a lesson to the disciples and us!

 The people are hungry but they don’t want to leave. Into this scene, we see the heart of Jesus filled with compassion. Although Jesus saw and recognized hunger in the crowd, it seems that the disciples hunger overshadowed their memories of a similar situation not too long ago. Impatiently, they answer Jesus, where can we get enough food to feed this army? But, Jesus will use this situation as a teachable moment. He  knows something they do not; just as before, He can multiply the little to make a lot.

How often do we just look and react at a situation the way the disciples did? Instead of asking Jesus to help them, they only saw the problem, but not the solution. How like us! Perhaps it had been quite some time since Jesus had fed the 5000. Circumstances and timing has changed but the Master Provider has not, yet the disciples were in forget mode. How like us! We see God at work but when a similar problem surfaces some time later we forget what God has done in the past.

Jesus as the Master Teacher is saying; how foolish you are to forget what I have done for you in the past!

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