Sonshine's Journal

Much is said about the end times but little is said about what will transpire for believers.Thus, this chapter reveals the words of Jesus to help us prepare should we fall into these circumstances. Jesus is telling us to not be overly concerned but trust. Heibert writes: “History bears ample witness to the fact that Christians on trial for their faith have been amazed themselves at the aptness of the answers that flashed into their minds at the opportune moment.” 

And that is one reason we can stand firm as Paul reminds us to do. God is a promise keeper and He will not fail us if and when the time comes. As He has been with those who in the past have been accosted by the enemy, we can trust He will be with us. The book of Nehemiah shows us what true courage is with a sense of humor as he faced those who would like to undermine the work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. When those who sought to destroy the work, Nehemiah had the perfect response: “I am engaged in an important work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?” Nehemiah was a man of prayer. Are we wringing our hands or are we prepared with responses such as this to those who oppose God’s work? 

Jesus saw through the hypocrisy of the religious leaders as they sought to trap Him and cause Him to say what is against scripture. It is the same today. Many come with the questions that they formulate but when truth is revealed, they deny it or question it. Truly Jesus said “you are badly mistaken.” Is this what Jesus would say to us when others come with questions that mirror unbelief?

I recently had a conversation with a fellow believer about the topic of abortion. Even though a believer, she told me I was the unrighteous one for believing that abortion was wrong. I sat there dumbfounded. She had fallen for the lie that the enemy has crafted and used the argument that “you don’t know their circumstances.” Truly Paul wrote: the god of this world has blinded the minds…” 

The religious leaders in the day of Jesus had also crafted what they thought was the right argument to trap Jesus about marriage in the afterlife but He caught them in their argument and silenced them. That is what we face today. Can we silence them with words of truth? 

Rightly Jesus said to the disciples: Do what the religious leaders tell you but do NOT do what they do for they are hypocrites. They came to Jesus and asked him by what authority he was doing what he was doing, that is healing and teaching. Jesus answered them with a question. Was John’s baptism of God or man? Interestingly, they refused to answer that question but instead they conferred with each other. If we say it was from heaven he will ask us why we didn’t believe him or if we say it was from man the people will kill us. Such hypocrisy! They who had the scriptures and the authority from God to teach refused to answer Jesus. 

Again, the apostle John writes the words of Jesus: For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak.  And yet with all the evidence He provided the religious leaders refused to acknowledge him. Today it is the same; the Bible and the miraculous changes in a person reveal the power of him. Truly Isaiah wrote: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and turn to me, and I would heal them.” Isaiah 6:10 And Paul again writes: the god of this world has blinded the minds so they would not see Him whom God has sent. 2 Cor 4:4. 

Is your mind open to Christ or not? 

Children were a favorite of Jesus because they came with no agenda or strings attached. They were drawn to Him because in Him they saw the love of Christ to them. There is a favorite song children love to sing: “Jesus loves the little children, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.” Yes, they are and that is why we need to protect them, love on them, guide them to the cross. He loves them. 

One of the joys we have in our church body is seeing those who have accepted the salvation message and are then baptized. The joy they radiate to our church body is beyond description. How blessed we are for those who teach them and prepare them for the kingdom’s work. Are you praying, assisting, and guiding these young ones so that they see the love of Jesus before them? 

Today we have what are called, day hires or day workers. You can drive down a street to a meeting place and outside you will see men standing in hopes of being hired for a day’s wage, usually in some construction work. This is not a new phenomena, but we can see the similarities except for the wages paid at the end of the work day.  It is said that the ones hired offered their services and the one hiring agrees on a wage for the day. 

Like today’s day hires, Jesus told a parable about a landowner who offered work to those in the market square.The differences were the project, the time they were hired and worked, and the pay at the end of the day. Each one agreed with the landowner to be paid a certain wage but at the end of the day, the landowner chose to pay the last hired first and then the first hired last. Each one received the same pay no matter the time they were hired and worked. 

If this were you, how would you have responded when you realized that the last hired were paid the same wage as the first hired? Just like many of us, the grumbling began because the first hired worked longer and yet were paid the same. Jesus told this parable to remind each of us that no matter when we accepted Christ, all will be rewarded with the wage He has determined and the wage will be the what He determines not us. To say otherwise shows our ungrateful heart. How about you? 

Truly Jesus replied to the religious leaders that Moses wrote a certificate of divorcement because of the hardness of their hearts. Observe and understand this: rightly so Jeremiah wrote that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Only God knows the true intent of the heart. Fast forward in this chapter and see the purity of the heart of a child. Jesus pointed that out to the religious leaders that they might not just observe but also seek to have the heart of a child. 

Where is your heart today? Is it that of a child or hard as the religious leaders who knew the law but refused to obey it. Instead they sought to decide for themselves what is right instead of God’s way and they kept pushing the boundaries so they could ignore them and find themselves righteous. God said the heart is never right until it submits to God and His Law. 

Jesus walked and taught among the people. Some believed and others began to worry. The religious leaders worried not about the people’s cares but about their loss and privileges of being the elite. As they sat in their isolation, they began to argue and complain about the effect of Jesus’ ministry to the people. “If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.” Ironically that came true in AD 77 when the Romans did take away both things. But, hardened hearts do not hear truth. “It has always been the case that those whose minds are made up to oppose what Christ stands for will not be convinced by any amount of evidence.” How true that was and is today. The outcome is not the peace that Jesus proclaimed but worry. 

So what are you worried about today? Are you worried about your government, the political scene or are you worried about tomorrow and the day after that? What about your destiny? Christ offered the evidence that He was and is the Son of God. Peter rightly said: Where shall we go? You have the words of life. When you know that, you have found the pearl of greatest price that no one can take from you. It is called: Salvation! 

In the history of our nation the dialog about slavery brought war and divided the nation. So what about slavery? Is it evil or good? We should be able to answer this easily but stop then and answer the statement Jesus posed: ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’” Is He talking about the slavery our nation experienced? NO! He is talking about being a slave for Christ who gave His all that we might be His slaves to do His bidding. 

When we accept Christ we become His slaves to do His work, not for pay but for His glory. We graciously do it because He gave His all that we might be saved. We do His bidding which is to spread the gospel to every nation and every person we meet. Do we expect a royalty or a payment? No! We have already received the wonderful gift of salvation and a promise to be with Him one day. What more can He expect of us but to obediently provide that He is the truth, the way and the life and no one comes to God but through Him. 

We are His slaves undeserving of any special praise but to give Him glory! 

Jesus used his miraculous powers to heal a man ‘on the Sabbath.’ He asked the religious leaders if that act was lawful but they remained silent. What would you have done? When you see a miracle before your very eyes, would you remain silent? A sinner has grasped the living Word and his life is changed. Would you remain silent? 

Next Jesus gave the religious leaders a lesson about their hypocrisy just as He did with the woman caught in adultery. As the man left the synagogue, Jesus then gave them a poignant story that they could relate to: “Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” And they could not answer. Dr. Luke tells us that they ‘could not.

The hardness of their hearts is revealed and we are saddened. Be careful of how you respond to the work of God. You have a choice, to rejoice or be silent. Which do you choose? Jesus took the initiative and asked the Pharisees and lawyers for their opinion thus shifting the burden of proof to them. He asked for their interpretation of what the Mosaic Law allowed (cf. 6:9). When they raised no objection, He proceeded to heal the man (cf. 6:10). Jesus could have waited a day, but He performed the miracle on the Sabbath to once again prove to them of their hypocrisy. 

said the one who stored up goods for his retirement but God called him a fool. There was a story of a rich man who died and asked to be buried in his Cadillac so he could drive all over heaven; fool. The Pharaohs were buried with their riches. The riches are still there but the soul of Pharaoh has gone on to eternity; fool. The rich Chinese emperor built his tomb with his soldiers. The soldiers are there, but the soul of the emperor has gone on to eternity; fool. What are we to learn from this tale Dr. Luke recorded and the other stories? It is this, he who says “I, I, me,mine” will be called a fool by God. Where are you storing up earthly riches but will one day stand before God empty handed?