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Category Archives: Matthew

Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:1-14)

27 Sep

18 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.

12 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:1-14

Dear God, I was once one of the little ones. I was once that humble child. Am I humble now? Am I making myself like that child now?

Once again, this includes some hard teaching from Jesus about being separated from you. It’s always a good reminder that you are not to be mocked. You are holy, righteous, just, and loving. You get frustrated with us and angry with us as well. A holy anger. But you also “go out and search” for us when we are lost. If I am going through these parables so that I can know you better, then I need to understand this about you. All of this about you.

I have to admit that I don’t like the idea of you being so harsh for those who don’t believe or become like a child because there are some people I love dearly who have not accepted your call to love you and build a relationship with you. That scares me. It also scares me that I am part of your plan A for searching for them. I am in the search party you are using to find those who are lost. Frankly, I don’t think I’m a very good searcher.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, open my eyes so I can see how to better search. Well, first, help me to humble myself into this childlike state Jesus is describing here. Help me to embrace it as your child. And then help me to take it and bring others into faith with you. Into discipleship. Into relationship. For their sake, and for your glory, oh Lord!

I pray this through the grace, life, blood, death, and resurrection of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 27, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Heart of Man (Matthew 15:1-20, Mark 7:1-23)

24 Sep

15 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

Matthew 15:1-20

7 One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3 (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands,[a] as required by their ancient traditions. 4 Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.)

5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”

6 Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

9 Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 10 For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 12 In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. 13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”

17 Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. 18 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? 19 Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)

20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Mark 7:1-23

Dear God, I was talking yesterday with an old friend and his wife (a very Godly couple who loves you so much, and whom I admire!) about the mistakes in our theology and biblical knowledge. In what we think we know about you. Our hearts justify errant thinking because we are often selfish and hypocritical. And sometimes we are just the victims of bad teaching that has been handed down generation to generation. There are just so many things about you that I do not know, and so many more that I think I know that are wrong. The example I used yesterday in our discussion was where Jesus was born. I don’t know when this tradition started to be taught, but I have always been taught he was born in a stable/barn/cave where they kept animals–some sort of a livestock area. I’ve also always been given the impression that Mary had Jesus as they rode into town (with her riding a donkey) and they couldn’t find a hotel room (this mistake is probably the reason it was so easy to come up with the “barn” part of the story. So why am I saying this is incorrect? Because in Luke 2:4-8 (NASB 1995 translation) it says, “4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she“ wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a [d]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” [the footnote before “manger” says, “or feeding trough”] So it occurred to me one day that it doesn’t describe Mary riding a donkey or her coming into town fresh off the long journey and needing a quick hotel room to give birth. No, what it says is, “While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.” So how long had they been there? A week? A month? Three months? Did they get there, do their registration duty, and then decide they needed to stay because she was too far along to travel? The text doesn’t say, but what it does indicate is that they had been there for more than just a night or two. So if they were there for a certain period of time, where were they staying? In a tent in a field? Were there camps that had been set up for people like them? If so, maybe, just maybe, she had the baby in the tent, and then when they needed a makeshift crib, Joseph was able to go get a food trough from a local stable/barn/cave and use it for Jesus.

I really got off on a tangent there, but it goes with these passages from Matthew and Mark about the “heart of man” because everyone involved was a victim of errant teaching. And I don’t necessarily blame the Pharisees who were hassling Jesus. I honestly can’t say that I would have done any differently if I were them. They were taught how to be Pharisees by those that came before them, and they were passing it down. I’m sure I’ve done the same thing in my life. I’m sure I do it every day. There might even be part of what I’m doing right now that is doing the same thing.

As I try to take the lesson from the passage, I think the core of it is the reference Jesus gave from Isaiah 29:13, which both Matthew and Mark (Peter?) recorded:

‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I really do not want my heart to be far from you. That’s what this is about. I don’t want my worship to be a farce. I don’t want to just teach man-made ideas as commands from you. No, I want to be completely yours. I want to be able to hear your still small voice speak to me. I want to learn what you want me to learn, and then pass on what you are teaching me to others so that they might be drawn closer to you. make me your vessel, oh Lord. Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me, and then disperse me to your people.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

P.S. I couldn’t help but notice that both of these versions end with Jesus describing what Paul describe in Galatians 5 and what I referenced yesterday as the deeds of the heart/desires of sinful nature. And again, Jesus’s lead-off hitter is sexual immorality. Hmm. I probably should look into this more.

 
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Posted by on September 24, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Mark, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-52)

23 Sep

47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

52 Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

Matthew 13:47-52

Dear God, this is such a hard word. Where is the line? What is the line? Is there an exact line? The line I’m referring to is the opportunity to be with you vs. apart from you in anguish.

Right now, there is this earthly world where your presence moves simultaneously with Satan. You are here moving among your people. Your Holy Spirit is here. But Satan roams this world too. He and his demons have one job–to hurt your beloved creation. To hurt you by hurting us. To separate us from you.

But then one day there will be a great divide. At the harvest, we will all go to places that you will not share with Satan, either he in your realm or you in his. His realm will be all evil. It will be all the opposite of the fruits of the Spirit Paul describes in Galatians 5:22-23. It will be Galatians 5:19-21

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

I was telling someone just this week that it’s interesting that just about any time Paul has a list of things people are doing wrong, his leadoff hitter is “sexual immorality.” We like to think that this is a new phenomenon that has come upon us in the last 60 years (since the sexual revolution in the 1960s in the U.S.), but this is as old as Genesis. But that’s not the point.

The point is that it disturbs me that there will be this chunk of people separated from you–some of whom I know well and love very much. I honestly don’t know which ones they are. I don’t know if you make allowances for life circumstances and trauma experienced. I don’t know just how far Jesus’s blood extends to the world. Even the worst person I can think of and that all of us use as our example as the ultimate bad person, Adolf Hitler. Was there some trauma in his childhood that pushed him onto that trajectory? Is there any mercy from you for him?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, as Abraham asked you to save as many as you could by pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah, asking if there were just a few faithful to you would you save the cities, I am asking that, on an individual level, if there is good in their hearts, even thought they might now call you God, if there is any good in their hearts, will you count it as righteousness to them. And show me explicitly how you would have me reach out and love those who need you in their lives.

I pray all of this completely submitted to your authority and love,

Amen

P.S. I kept verse 52 with this because I really liked how Jesus described the teacher of the religious law who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven. I like the adding new gems of truth to the old. You have given us beautiful gems to live out. Help us to live it for you.

 
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Posted by on September 23, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

Parable of the Hidden Treasure & Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:44-46)

19 Sep

44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

Matthew 13:44-46

Dear God, I think one question to ask myself that I don’t think I’ve ever asked before is, “What have I not sold that is keeping me from having all of you?” What are the things in my life that I hold on to?

  • Possessions
  • Relationships
  • Grudges
  • Fears
  • Idols
  • Selfishness

All of those things, and more, come between you and me. I have a comfortable life. Is my protection of any of it coming between me and you? I have relationships that I hold on to tighter than I should. Do those keep me from knowing you? Grudges and unforgiveness. Fears. Selfishness. And all of the idols I look to to help assuage my discomfort. All of these things come between you and me. They keep me from owning the amazing treasure you offer me.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, if I am here to know you, then one thing to know about you is that you are not to be mocked. You are my God. Help me to gradually figure out what it means to turn loose of each of these things so that I am completely yours and will know you better and better. I love you, Lord. And I life my voice to worship you. Oh, my soul, rejoice! Take joy my King in what you hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.

I pray this through Jesus’s name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 19, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)

17 Sep

3 “God blesses those who are poor [in spirit] and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice [righteousness],
    for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

Matthew 5:3-12

Dear God, I’ve been doing this series on the parables Jesus told because a lot of them describe you and your character. They are your autobiography. But I was just at a meeting with other couples from our church group, and one of the women made this beautiful description of how the beatitudes from the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5 take everything we would strive for and turns them on their head. For example, she talked about someone she loves who is mourning the loss of her mother. My friend was thinking that she really should be over this by now. But then she said someone mentioned this concept of the beatitudes to her and she thought, “Yeah. It doesn’t say, ‘Blessed are those who grieve quickly and efficiently.'” She went on to describe other things and I was completely taken aback by it. So I decided to spend a little time with these things this afternoon and see if you have anything for me.

Here is the list of the things Jesus said you are wanting to help me with:

  • Being poor in spirit
  • Mourning
  • Hungering for justice/righteousness
  • Mercy
  • Pure heart
  • Working for peace
  • Experiencing persecution for doing what is right
  • Suffering for your sake

So what is the opposite of these things? If I am the opposite of these things, does it bring out your indifference towards me? If I am the opposite, can you not help me because I don’t have an opening in my heart for you? Here is a list of things that I think will put a barrier between you and me.

  • Having a spirit of completion in myself. I have it all together. I’ve got this.
  • Making myself numb to mourning because I don’t have time for something that will bring me down, and I don’t want to expose myself to pain.
  • Being arrogant about who I am and what the world and those around me owe me. I am never wrong. I’ve never found a need to ask you or anyone else for forgiveness.
  • Hiding injustice and unrighteousness for the times when it suits my agenda. If there is an injustice that will benefit me, then I will look the other way.
  • Withholding mercy because I have been wronged and that wrong must be punished.
  • Keeping parts of my heart away from you and just for me. Just to satisfy my selfishness.
  • Working to create disturbance between people so that I can have power in those relationships and manipulate them for my purposes.
  • Bowing to the path of least resistance, even if it compromises your values living through me in order to avoid persecution.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I do NOT want to be that second person. I don’t want to be any of those things, but I know my heart will sink into that very quickly if I allow it. I’ve done it before. I’ve done it today. But now, as I sit here, there is a song in my heart from Psalm 103: “Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Bless His holy name, all the earth. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. You are worthy, you are worthy.” So bless my heart, soul, mind, and body. Help me to be the type of person you are anxious to bless, comfort, strengthen, and hold close. Help me to absorb you so that the fruits of your Spirit might grow in my heart.

I pray all of this through the amazing mercy given to me through your son, my God, Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 17, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Yeast (Matthew 13:33)

15 Sep

33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Matthew 13:33

Dear God, this is one of those things that can be interpreted through multiple lenses. For example, I could read this and say, “Jesus is saying that the natural aspect of the yeast living out its life does amazing things, and the same is true for us. If we commit ourselves to discipleship, prayer, study, and worship then the fruit that grows out of us will do amazing things throughout the world.” Or I could say, “If we take our message of Jesus and God’s authority to the world then we can do great things.”

I was listening to a song this morning that I’ve journaled on before: “The Unmaking” by Nichole Nordeman. I think it’s worthwhile to put the lyrics here:

The Unmaking by Nichole Nordeman

This is where the walls gave way
This is demolition day
All the debris and all this dust
What is left of what once was
Sorting through what goes and what should stay
Every stone I laid for you
As if you had asked me to
Monument to holy things
Empty talk and circling
Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?
What happens now?
When all I’ve made is torn down
What happens next?
When all of you is all thats left

This is the unmaking
Beauty and the breaking
Had to lose myself to find out who you are
Before each beginning
There must be an ending
Sitting in the rubble
I can see the stars
This is the unmaking
This is the unmaking

The longer and the tighter that we move
Only makes it harder to let go
Love will not stay locked inside
A steeple or a tower high
Only when we’re broken are we whole
What happens now?
When all I’ve made is torn down
What happens next?
When all of you is all thats left

This is the unmaking
Beauty and the breaking
Had to lose myself to find out who you are
Before each beginning
There must be an ending
Sitting in the rubble
I can see the stars
This is the unmaking
This is the unmaking

I’ll gather the same stones where
Everything came crashing down
I’ll build you an altar there
On the same ground
Because what stood before
Was never yours

This is the unmaking
Beauty and the breaking
Had to lose myself to find out who you are
Before each beginning
There must be an ending
Sitting in the rubble
I can see the stars
This is the unmaking
This is the unmaking
Oh this is the unmaking
Had to lose myself
To find out who you are

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: David Hodges / Nichole Nordeman

This song is all about doing whatever I want to do in your name. Yes, I am guilty of this sometimes. Even now, I have some things happening that are really frustrating me. My temptation is to take control, go monster mode, and force some solutions. But that would be a huge mistake. I want to do it because I’ve made some things idols. Whether it’s relationships with coworkers or family, accomplishments, or whatever, I think my temptation is to try to get some of my security/peace needs met by trying to please people as opposed to just letting your Spirit work and leaning into your Spirit for my peace.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me to be yeasty today. Help me to lean into you for my peace. Help me to let go of the idols that I accidentally establish to make me feel better about myself. I’m sorry for all of it. I really am. Right now, in this moment, I just want to be with you.

I pray all of this submitted to your authority,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 15, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)

13 Sep

31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

Matthew 13:31-32

Dear God, I’ve never thought of this before, but what if it were the opposite? What if the Kingdom of Heaven is like an elephant. It is the largest of the animals and it sits wherever it wants? Sometimes it feels like that’s what the American church today wants. And you’re God. You could make it work that way. You could be the 800-lb. gorilla that sits wherever you want to sit. You could subdue us and make us do whatever you want. You could override our free will. In fact, I wonder how much the Israelites listening the Jesus at the time were disappointed by this parable.

But if I’m doing this series to get a feel for who you are then I need to really think about this. You work in such a loving, growing, organic way. A gentle way. You start with something small and infuse it with your presence. From there is grows from the bottom up until it grows into something that is a blessing to others.

I work in a place like that. You took a woman 31 years ago and inspired her to do one thing: start a one-night-a-week free clinic. She knew people needed help and you planted the seed of an idea within her and it found fertile soil. It grew. Now, 31 years later, we are a medical home for thousands. The come to us from miles around to find hope and help. Volunteers come to us to find a source of joy and serving. Donors join us to be part of your community. What a joy!

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I pray that I will be mindful of how you work. I pray that I will be patient as I see things that I want done, but want to take the elephant approach and not the mustard seed approach. You work through mustard seeds, not elephants. You work organically, not autocratically. Help me to remember that. Help me to remember the joy you have for all of us as we worship you and then till the soils in our own hearts so that the seeds you plant in them will have space to grow.

I pray all of this by your Holy Name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 13, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

11 Sep

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

…

36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Dear God, I have a couple of thoughts about this morning I don’t think I’ve ever had before. First, I think a lot of people who do not understand why there is suffering in the world would question why you let the devil plant the weeds in the first place. Is there a bigger purpose in that? Do we need this struggle between you and him to develop into your children? Would it be possible to be your child without this struggle?

Second, I wondered if I am here this morning because you didn’t pull out the weeds with the wheat generations before. My entire existence (birth) is dependent upon a very specific set of events happening. Essentially the right people had to conceive at the precisely the right time for me to be here. For any of us to be here. How much do I really owe my own life to your mercy?

So as I sit here this morning, I think about my life. Am I wheat or am I a weed? Does the way you see my life change at any given moment? And, for the sake of argument, let’s say I’m a wheat. How would you have me to live among the weeds? It feels like you want me, within my sphere of influence, to love on the weeds as much as possible to see if I can get them to be wheat. You also want me to do everything I can to support the other wheat around me. And finally, you want me to stay wheat and grow strong by tapping my roots into you. Into your living water. Into your Holy Spirit.

Father, I give all of this to you. I don’t understand your ways. I don’t understand why you have given Satan the leeway you’ve given him, but mine is not to ask why. I think of Job 38 when you ask him, “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?” (Job 38:2) I don’t dare question you. So my other choice is to simply submit to you. So Holy Spirit, Jesus, Father, “break me, melt me, mold me, fill me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.”

I pray this in your Holy Name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2023 in Matthew

 

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Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20)

07 Sep

13 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
    They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
    you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
    you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
    and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
    so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and let me heal them.’

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Matthew 13:1-23

4 Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. 2 He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4 As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 9 Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, 12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they see what I do,
    they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
    they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
    and be forgiven.’”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Mark 4:1-20

Dear God, I think I might have some thorny soil. Why do I say that? Because I woke up several times last night and I was not at peace at all. I have some things on my heart that are burdening it. And I guess I’ll go ahead and say it. My temptation is to be coy and vague, knowing you know what I’m referring to, but what I kept thinking about was Christian Nationalism as it is impacting Christianity in the United States as a whole and my community in particular. It kind of reminds me of the COVID-19 pandemic when it first hit. We heard about it other places, but then all of a sudden people were in our hospital with it. People I knew had it. People I knew died from it. I mean, yes, it’s possible that your Holy Spirit is putting this on my heart so that He can use me in some way, but right now it doesn’t feel like my response is pure and of you. It feels full of fear, despair, and sorrow.

So that brings me to the thorny soil. I think it’s safe to say that my heart doesn’t fit the description of being the seed that fell on the path or among the rocks. I’ve been here with you too long for that to be true. Oh, but I can let some thorns come in. Some weeds. I can let “the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things” come in and rob your ability to grow the fruits of your Spirit in me. Some of the worries I’ve let in include worrying about money at work and if we will continue to have enough revenue to operate the programs we offer our patients. I still have a tendency to read too much news. I want to have a nice vacation with my wife next month. I have family relationships that are strained and make me ache. Yes, my soil is thorny. It needs some weeding.

I also want to go back and look at Matthew 13:12: 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. Am I a listener? Am I seeking you? Do I provide space for your still small voice to talk to me? Do I seek voices I trust who will speak to me with your authority? Do I stop and find you in the secular things in my life? I want to have an abundance of knowledge. If I have a little, I don’t want you to take it away from me.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I earnestly pray that you help me weed my soil. Help me to hear. Help me to seek. I believe. Help my unbelief. Help me to love with your love. When others call for you to rain fire down on Samaria, help me to just rest in your arms and walk with you to Jerusalem. I want your fruits, Holy Spirit. I want your comfort. And I want to be your vessel so that you might enter this world through me and my life. Here I am, Lord. Send me.

I pray all of this completely submitted to you,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 7, 2023 in Mark, Matthew

 

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Parable of the Divided Kingdom (Matthew 12:22-30, Mark 3:20-30)

05 Sep

22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”

24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.”

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. 27 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 29 For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.”

Matthew 12:22-30

20 One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan,[e] the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”

23 Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. 24 “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. 25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. 27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” 30 He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”

Mark 3:20-30

Dear God, I remember when I was a kid being freaked out by the idea of being irredeemable from blaspheming the Holy Spirit. I certainly hope I have never done this. I’m fascinated that there is a line drawn in the sand there. I can blaspheme against Jesus and it’s forgivable, but not the other. Oh, Lord, I simply lay myself before you and beg your mercy. Lord, have mercy. Jesus, have mercy. Holy Spirit, have mercy.

So we get the same parable/analogy from Jesus in two different settings here. I never thought about this before, but apparently he experienced this accusation more than once and was able to use the same concepts to teach and explain each time. It was one of his go-to defenses against accusations of being sent from Satan.

The question for me is, how do I keep from being your enemy? How do I keep from being the part of your kingdom that will sow dissension and make at least the little part that I touch weaker? No, I don’t think little ol’ me can make your kingdom fall, but I can certainly do damage to your kingdom. Do I represent you accurately? Do my actions cause anyone to not trust you?

Father, right now, there is something within our local pastoral collective that concerns me. In fact, there are a few things that concern me. We have normally been a pretty cohesive, supportive, constructive group, but I can see a few things that have sneaked in to divide us. I do not want to be part of that division. At the same time, I do not want to ignore those things and enable them to cause more division. Help me to know what to do. Help me to know what to say. Help me to also know what not to do and what not to say. All for your glory, oh Lord.

I pray this in the name of Jesus, my savior,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 5, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Mark, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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