Matthew 12:46-50, Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

So you’re a Lutheran? Nice. Baptist? Wonderful. Methodist? Peace to you. Catholic? Blessings. Christian and Missionary Alliance? Excellent!

An elder? Perfect! Deacon? Good job! Pastor? Even better.

Promise Keeper? I like that.

Then again, it may not make a difference….

We’re accustomed to the notion of fame by affiliation…importance by position… adoption by denomination.  It’s natural in our world. Unfortunately, not so much in God’s world. The family of God is not reserved for affiliation, position or denomination.

Unless we have acknowledged our eternal lostness, and intentionally trusted the work of Christ (alone) to redeem us, our affiliation or position…or denomination will avail nothing. Once we do, however, we become “family”

And being family is what counts. Once we’re there, our brother (or sister) might be any denomination…it doesn’t matter (of course, we all know there are those branches of the family tree we don’t like to talk about!).

Don’t be confused by this church culture thing. More important, don’t presume that just because you have become “family” your natural children still don’t struggle with the notion.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 12:38-45, The Sign of Jonah

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.

 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

These Pharisees make me nervous…mostly because they sometimes sound like me.

What’s the matter with a sign?

Of course, it’s not the “sign”, but the motivation for asking. Jesus could see into their souls and recognize what was behind it. “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign”!  Jesus could see it wasn’t an honest request, but justification for their unbelief. Furthermore, he’d done plenty of miracles. One more wouldn’t change their stubbornness. if they could shake off that wickedness of their unbelief it would only be for a moment. If they didn’t fill the vacancy with the powerful Spirit of Christ the wickedness would simply return.

What are the chances the Pharisees were prepared to do that?

The only sign we get is the life of Christ…his death and resurrection. If that’s not enough, there’s no point in asking for more.

I understand the temptation. When our lives are out of order…through no fault of our own…it’s natural to wonder if Jesus is truly up to the task of making a difference. We want to see him fix something. In fact we’re told to ask. Then again, are we genuinely seeking Christ…or are we merely looking to improve our circumstances?

Even Jesus didn’t get a sign. When he asked to be delivered from his suffering (“let this cup pass from me”) the cup never passed. Wonder why? Because, He added “nevertheless, not my will, but thine”.

And that’s the key. God gets his way. It may not be easy on us. It may be painful. But, as with the death and resurrection of Christ, it is always for our benefit.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 12:22-37, Jesus and Beelzebul

 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jesus the philosopher…I love it!

Of course, the Pharisees (yes, they’re back) were at their wits end after Jesus healed the demon-possessed man. They only thing they could respond with was “the devil made him do it!” Philosophy 101 students would laugh at this foolishness and Jesus didn’t let the opportunity go to waste.

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?

Pretty hard to refute…but here’s the kicker: But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

The kingdom of God has come upon us. This ought to wake us up. Jesus is telling us it’s “either…or”.

Most of us harbor an internal conviction that there are many things God doesn’t really care about. Think not? How many of us prayed about the color of the last car we bought? Or, the brand of toothbrush?

When Jesus says “whoever is not with me is against me” He means “WITH ME”. He doesn’t include that broad expanse of experience we have carved out between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan…that secular “no man’s land” where we think neither spiritual power cares much.

If we’re living there…we are “against” Jesus.

We can’t be “neutral” in this. Need proof? Jesus said “I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”  

What do we think an “empty word” is? It’s a word that is devoid of spiritual value. It doesn’t have to be vile or wicked or profane…just empty. Empty words are those words that echo around the vast expanse of that no man’s land we think Jesus is unconcerned with.

Could be we’re wrong about that “no man’s land” thing...

Or course, if we limit this to just words (and don’t include empty actions) we salve our conscience but do it at our own peril. However, I can stay very busy repenting of just the (countless) empty words I've uttered...and praise God for His marvelous grace!

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 12:15-21, God’s Chosen Servant

 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope”.

When the Pharisees decided it was time for Jesus to die, our Lord could have ended that quarrel on the spot. No more Pharisees…”crispy critters!”

Well, he could have. It would have made sense to us. It’s what “manly men” do.

“That’s the way we roll!”

Not Jesus…you know why? Because the Pharisees were not his mission…Satan was. Anything focus short of victory over Satan would only sidetrack Jesus.

When we think of revenge…or retaliation…even reaction…we are being sidetracked and our mission suffers. That mission, “proclaim justice and hope to the nations,” is why we are still hanging around. Next time we feel threatened, we should remember this. It may help us avoid embarrassing ourselves and Jesus.

Walk away…it worked for Jesus.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 12:1-14, Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?  He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.  Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?  I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.  If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.  For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

  Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,  and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?  How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

What’s God’s view of the Sabbath…really? No football? No beach? No mall?

The answer is found in the verse quoted by Jesus. Hosea 6:6 says…”For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings”.

And the Lord’s commentary? …”if you had known what these words mean…”

The two historical accounts that Jesus raised are both connected with the temple. Both David and the priests “got a pass” because their technical violation of the Sabbath was somehow connected with the temple.

The clue is in the connection…

Then, Jesus says (referring to himself) “something greater than the temple is now here”.

”if I only knew what these words mean…”

If I was a betting man I’d say the meaning is clear: God is content with anything we do on the Sabbath as long as it is connected with Christ “for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

It is not possible for an activity to be connected with Christ and also be prohibited. That applies seven days a week. Unfortunately, we prefer to connect our activities to our traditions. It removes all the guess work. If Leo Berreth said it…or Dave Hustad said it…it must be right. Right?

Maybe…

When we take this to heart we may begin to see activities that don’t always harmonize with our tradition. I’ll bet it concerned David…but he stepped out in faith anyway.

My advice? Look for the connection. If we can’t find it…perhaps we should take a pass.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 11:25-30 The Father Revealed in the Son

  At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.  Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

    “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

   “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

A step without Jesus is a step into the unknown…

If I take the next step of my life and leave Jesus behind…I stumble into a world of possibilities, many which are treacherous and destructive.

Like…”God doesn't own me”

Or…”There are many paths to eternity besides Jesus”

On and on…

How does it happen? Well, in the “unknown”, the world of possibilities, we will stretch any explanation to cover the things we don’t understand…not having any idea whether it contains a shred of truth…because it’s unknown. It only has to “make sense”.

On the other hand…walking with Jesus allows us to see everything around us by the light of His presence. Nothing is left hidden. Nothing is subject to misunderstanding.

How? “No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him”. When the Spirit of Jesus enters our lives he “guides us into all truth”.

The world is curious about God…but not very well informed…which explains all the half-baked theological assertions. The world doesn’t know any better. Some people prefer the unknown because they prefer to fabricate their own reality. It might be exciting, but very risky as well.

It is through Jesus that we move from the unknown to the known. It’s as simple as that. I suggest we don’t countenance any other path. How do we know when we’ve discovered it?  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We will find rest for our souls…

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 11:20-24 Woe on Unrepentant Towns

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.  “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.^[e] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.  But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Familiarity breeds contempt. It’s why lots of marriages die. The gratitude and appreciation that once sprung up anytime something thoughtful was done is replaced by a sense of entitlement.

It can be fatal…

It also is a danger for people of faith. We have become so familiar with the life and times of Jesus that we are no longer awed. Instead of gratitude for daily blessings our attitude becomes one of frustration that more isn’t being done to satisfy us.

Jesus offers us a warning. “Woe to you, Bethsaida!... if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Really? It will be more bearable for Charles Manson than for me, unless I acknowledge God’s gracious mercy every day?

How often do we catch ourselves thinking “it’s all about God?”  Daily blessings and miracles…big or small…are designed to help us agree with God that we need to live in fellowship with him.

Have we missed any today? All we need to do is look at our sense of gratitude. It will tell us all we need to know.

Live boldly out there today…