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Tag Archives: Matthew

Emails to God – A God Who Understands Setbacks (Matthew 14:13-21)

16 Feb

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Dear God, when I stop and think about the numbers, 5,000 people (not counting women and children) is A LOT of people back then. That’s a good-sized small town. And they had followed Jesus to a remote place that he had chosen for solitude and mourning. He was a rock star by any definition, but he was a rock star that cared about their needs. He not only had compassion and healed their sick. He also cared about their need for food.

But I want to focus for a second on Jesus’ need for a little mourning time after John was killed. This must have been painful for him. John was his cousin, and, while we don’t know how much they knew each other from their childhood and earlier years, we know that they knew each other. We know that they each knew WHO the other was. This was surely something that shook Jesus as he made his way through human life.

There are things that shake me all of the time. I remember several years ago when I found out my parents were separating. I was in my mid-thirties and yet it really threw me. I took a day off from work to kind of clear my head. I distinctly remember sitting at a park and watching my five-year-old daughter play while I processed the potential death of a marriage that was important to me (they eventually reconciled). Sure, I eventually was able to function again, but just the idea of my parents divorcing shut me down for a bit.

Father, thank you that you are a God who knows what it is to mourn. You are a God who understands the human condition. You understand what it is like to lose a loved one, suffer poverty, be tempted by power, have a friend betray you, etc. Help me as I experience the various trials that come my way. Help me to accomplish the work outside of the home that you have for me to accomplish. Help me to love my wife. Help me to parent my children. Help me to befriend the friendless. Help me to draw closer to you and then allow you to flow through me into my own life and to others around me.

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Ignorance is Bliss (Matthew 14:1-12)

15 Feb

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.

6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Dear God, I wonder how much of this Jesus expected. Was this a blow to him? Obviously, I am sure it caused him grief, but did it make him have any doubt about his tack? Did it give him a little fear about his own eventual fate? Certainly it had to have crossed his mind, but it didn’t change his path.

There are times when I want so badly to know the future, but the truth is that I am a chicken, and if you told me about some of the suffering coming my way I would likely not be up to it and try to avoid it. I go back to my decision to leave my stable job at the beginning of 2003. That started a three-year, painful journey, but the fruit of that journey was more than I could have imagined. In this case, Jesus knew the journey and he knew the end, and yet he continued on his path. I am so grateful that you keep that kind of information from me even though it can really frustrate me sometimes.

Father, I know that the rest of this year has some pain in it regarding the situation with our building. The fixing of the building alone will bring pain. It is going to require all that I know how to do and even more to get this job done. But I trust you. I trust that you will help me to know what to do at any given moment. Please help me to represent you well in every instance and to lean on you and let you work through me in every instance. Help me to find peace in every trial and to not expect any ease of life for myself, but only glory for you.

 
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Posted by on February 15, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Parenting Prophets with Honor (Matthew 13:53-58)

14 Feb

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Dear God, Jesus’ relationships with his family of origin have always been a little curious to me. Of course, there are different theories about whether Jesus was the oldest among his siblings (Mary was Joseph’s first marriage) or younger than all of his siblings (Joseph was a widower who had children from a previous marriage before he married Mary, and she remained a virgin after Jesus’ birth). I have to admit that, in this story, I kind of like the idea of Jesus being the youngest because he points out that he is not only without honor in his hometown, but “in his own home.” Having grown up in a family as the youngest, and even being in my forties now, I have always felt like everyone in the family sees me as the baby and it has been hard to feel grown up.

One of the things that is difficult to do as a parent is figure out how to let your child grow and mature into an adult and then recognize that change when it happens. On the other hand, I think that sometimes a teenager can trick us into believing they are grown up because they seem so grown up, but they still need training and guidance. It is a really hard line to find and draw.

Father, as I raise and train my children (and as my wife does as well), help us to find and draw these lines. We don’t want to disrespect the adults they are becoming, but we also don’t want to abandon them as parents and the training they need before it is time. I think I tend to draw this line on the more childish side of where the line actually is, and my wife tends to draw it on the more adult side of the actual line. So my prayer is that you will increasingly help us to draw the same line in the correct place, and then unite together as we parent both of our children for your glory’s sake.

 
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Posted by on February 14, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Saying We Understand When We Really Don’t (Matthew 13:47-52)

09 Feb

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Dear God, I like the question and answer in verse 51. He asks if they have understood these things and they say, “Yes.” Did they really, or was it one of those times when there was no way they were going to say, “No.”

I remember when my kids were young and they did something wrong. I would punish them and then go back and ask them why they were being punished. About half of the time they were wrong about why they were being punished. It was clear to me, but was it clear to them?

In this case, and for this parable, what does separate a wicked person from a righteous person? Where is that line? Frankly, I’m not perfectly clear. The rich young ruler had to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Do all of us have to do that?

Father, I admit that I don’t understand everything you are trying to teach me. In fact, right now, I feel a little dazed and confused on a couple of fronts. So this is where I need to discipline myself to focus on you and seek your wisdom and insight. Help me to understand what you are calling me to do and to embrace all that you are during these trials.

 
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Posted by on February 9, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Do I Really Think the Kingdom of Heaven is a Treasure? (Matthew 13:44-46)

08 Feb

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Dear God, I like how Jesus is trying to communicate to the people listening (and to me) that what he was offering through the kingdom of heaven is THIS special. It is worth THIS much.

I think I treat it as worth as much in my personal life, but to I communicate that it is worth as much to others around me? When I have an employee who is suffering, do I tell them about the kingdom of heaven?

In fact, I have a friend right now who is not only struggling with some personal relationship issues in her life, but she is also struggling with a health issue. How will I represent you to her? Will I remind her that the kingdom of heaven is a treasure to be valued and embraced, or will I try to be a blessing to her out of my own wisdom and power?

Father, help me to really believe that the kingdom of heaven is a pearl worth a great price. Help me to live like I believe it. Help me to remember it for myself and to embrace it wholeheartedly.

 
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Posted by on February 8, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Free Will and Blaming God for Suffering (Matthew 13:36-43)

07 Feb

36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Dear God, this story kind of coincides with the whole thing I have been doing lately with Job. Satan is sowing evil amidst your glory. It does make one wonder why you allow THAT to happen. Why allow him to sow in the first place?

I suppose it is another example of your respect for your creation and the fact that you allow even your angels free will. Just like the free will you offer to me.

I am sometimes amazed at how hard it is to accept the idea of free will for my children. Sometimes they get mad at me for reasons that I would consider unjust don’t like it. There’s a part of me that wants to force them to act the way I want them to act, including influencing how they think. But you’re right. If I were able to do that and pull it off, then any love they showed me would be empty and meaningless. So I suppose it is better to watch their mistakes and feel their ire than to make them love me.

Father, the thing that struck me about Job’s story is that everyone thought you were responsible for his suffering. Satan got zero blame for it. People get unjustifiably mad at you all of the time because they blame you for things that you didn’t do, or that you are working for their good. I have done it too. So please forgive me for when I have gotten angry and sinned against you. I am truly sorry.

 
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Posted by on February 7, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – What does it mean to be a mustard seed? (Matthew 13:31-35)

03 Feb

31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”[

Dear God, I think this story needs an example. What does this look like in real life? What does it mean?

One of my favorite Bible stories is of Jesus sitting in the synagogue watching the people come in. He sees different ones dropping money in the offering, but the one he singles our to his disciples is the poor widow who gave sacrificially. The thing I find remarkable about this story is that this widow left the synagogue that day never realizing that Jesus had used her as an example to his disciples, that it would be recorded by one of them, and that I would be reading the story nearly two thousand years later. In fact, that day, when she got back to her home, she was as poor as when she started and there is zero evidence that her lot in life ever changed.

This widow is a mustard seed. She is yeast. Unbeknownst to her, she is a living example of sacrificial giving and being willing to lay her needs aside because of her worship of you. She has been used in countless sermons and Bible studies. The story has been told on television shows and in movies. And she never knew.

Father, I think that sometimes I try to see what my seed and yeast are turning into, but, once again, you have me on a need-to-know basis, and I don’t need to know. You are calling me to be like this widow—faithfully ignorant of the impact my life is having. So help me to turn loose of my need to be noticed, appreciated, and admired. Help me to turn loose of my need to leave a legacy and simply find the joy and peace that comes from faithful service and sacrifice to you.

 
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Posted by on February 3, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Why does God Allow Evil People to Live? (Matthew 13:24-30)

01 Feb

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Dear God, I meet with a good friend from myWacodays every Friday morning via Skype. It has been one of the great blessings in my life over the last several months as I have tried to process some personal struggles. Anyway, one of the things we discussed a few weeks ago was this passage. How did we feel about God leaving the weeds here among us? Did that frustrate us? Does answering this questions also deal with the question so many have about how a loving God can still allow evil in the world.

That is when I had this epiphany: I think you left the weeds here out of respect for us. You didn’t want us to be destroyed among the weeds. Go back to when Abraham was pleading forSodom. He asked if you found just a few righteous left would you not save the city. You said you would. In the end, it came down toLotand his family (although his family’s righteousness might be considered questionable) so you removed them before you destroyed the city. After Noah and the flood you were so grieved by what you had to do that you said you would never destroy the world through a flood again.

So, you allow evil to continue in the world because to remove it would be to harm us in some way. It still doesn’t completely answer the question of why there are things like human trafficking, child molestation, rape, etc., or even hunger, poverty, and painful deaths for some of the righteous. But this parable does let us know that you are thinking about us and you have us in mind when you consider all that you are allowing to happen on earth.

Father, life is complicated. Help me to be at peace with whatever complications are coming my way. I am studying Job right now, and, while he kept from cursing you for his pain, he did question why he had to endure it. So as different stresses and even sufferings come into my life, prepare me to handle them with your grace. Prepare me to handle them the way that Jesus handled his pain in the garden on the night he was betrayed—Father, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but yours be done.

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Needing an Explanation of the Parable (Matthew 13:18-23)

31 Jan

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Dear God, I find it interesting that in verses 16 and 17 you tell they that they are blessed because the can see and hear, and yet you go on to lay the meaning of the parable out for them anyway. Perhaps they were not as seeing and perceiving as they might have been. It seems to me that the disciples were continuously not seeing and perceiving. They missed your lessons all of the time.

Of course, I miss your lessons too. I don’t always (or even often) understand what is going on around me. Heck, I don’t quite understand what is going on around me right now. I don’t know what you are doing in me and through me as a dad, husband, employee, church attendee, son, brother, or friend. I know that it seems like there is something missing in me in each of these areas, but I just can’t put my finger on it.

Father, right now, I really need your wisdom, vision, insight, and discernment. I really need to understand how to love my wife. I really need to understand how to parent my children. I need to understand how to be a friend to those who need me. I need to understand how to lead the organization where I work. So help me. Since I am currently on vacation with my wife, please help me to be the husband and father she needs me to be. Help me to be the husband and father that you need for me to be for her sake. I can’t tell what that looks like, but I know that right now I am afraid I am missing it somehow.

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Ever Seeing, but Never Perceiving (Matthew 13:10-17)

29 Jan

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Dear God, I wonder what it was about these twelve men that made them different. What made them seeing AND perceiving? What made them able to hear AND understand? (verse 14) Why wouldn’t you want all of us to “see with [our] eyes, hear with [our] ears, understand with [our hearts] and turn, and [be healed]”?

I admit that there are some things that you try to show me that I just don’t understand. It seems like I am one of the people that you do not reveal things to. But then there are other times when I “get it” and can respond to what you are calling me to do. As I sit and think about this, my inability/ability to “see” seems to change depending upon what area of my life I am talking about. I have pretty good clarity at work. I can often see what you are doing and calling me to do there. I have a little less clarity in marriage. I often know how to respond to my wife, but there are times when I am insensitive and don’t have a clue. And I have even less clarity in my parenting. In fact, I was wondering recently if Satan wasn’t really trying to attack our family’s unity and I was missing it.

Father, help me to be seeing AND perceiving. Help me to hear AND understand. I want to glorify and honor you in every area of my life. In addition to that, I want to feel your peace and be a minister of your peace in every area of my life. Help me to bless my wife and children. Help me to bless my family. Help me to bless my friends and coworkers. Help me to bless our patients. And help me to bless those I simply encounter today. Touch the world through me.

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2012 in Matthew

 

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