Lessons from the Conflict (Matthew 22 - P 58)

Jesus was in Jerusalem.  He was being confronted and challenged by "leaders" of his society.  All of this was being done in front of the crowd in an attempt to discredit him before the people.  There were three groups that were on the attack - three groups that were at odds with each other usually, yet joined forces in their common hatred of Jesus and their desire to eliminate him.  Let's consider the three before we read today.

The Pharisees - these were the super-orthodox of the day.  They resented the Roman occupation.  They resented paying taxes to Rome.  After all, the Jewish nation had one king - God.  To pay taxes to Caesar was an admission that he was a king, their king.

The Herodians - these were the party of Herod, the king of Galilee.  He owed his power to Rome and worked hand-in-glove with the Roman authority.  They marched in line with Herod.

The Sadducees - these were the wealthy, aristocratic and governing class.  While small in number, they were large in power.  The chief priests were Sadducees.  Politically, they were collaborators with Rome.  Religiously, they were traditionalists, accepting only the Pentateuch as binding and unwilling to accept the scribal and oral law which was held in such high esteem by the Pharisees.

Strange bedfellows ... but a common enemy leads to such bizarre alliances ... still does today.  Let's read

Matthew 22: 15 - 33

What lessons can we learn from these encounters for ourselves ... for our day and time?

First ... sarcastic complements are odious!  The seeming complements in verses 16 - 17 are not genuine.  They were designed to look good to the crowd and to set Jesus up.  Have you ever been the recipient of such twisted language?  Have you ever been guilty of using it?  Paul said in Ephesians 5:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

As Jesus people, we MUST guard our speech and avoid manipulative language.  It reeks ... and we see it powerfully demonstrated in this encounter with Jesus.

Secondly ... Jesus people take civic responsibility seriously.  We are citizens of two countries ... the one in which we live on this earth and the kingdom of God.  Jesus told these Pharisees to pay their taxes ... coin belonged to Caesar ... so give it back to him.  God requires your heart, soul, mind and money ... so give to him what belongs to him.  Jesus did not say we had to love paying our taxes ... he just said pay them.  When the two citizenships clash, our primary allegiance is to the kingdom of God.  Barclay writes: 

 "Where the boundaries between the two duties lie, Jesus does not say.  that is for our own consciences to test.  But real Christians - and this is the permanent truth which Jesus here lays down - are at one and the same time good citizens of their country and good citizens of the kingdom of heaven.  They will fail in their duty neither to God nor to society."

And remember what the apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:17:  

Show proper respect to everyone:  Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Third ... quit trying to define heaven and eternity by earthly customs and standards.  The whole scenario about the 7 brothers and the one wife was absurd.  It was using earth to define heaven.  Eternity is not going to be an extension of life on earth.  It will be different ... at its core ... in its essence.  We sing songs about "mansions" in heaven.  Maybe we, too, think of heaven as an extension of life on earth.  I think perhaps we are better served by the willingness to embrace the mystery of it.  There is little reason, in fact there is no reason, to confuse and argue about relationships or housing in heaven - because we do not have a frame of reference for eternity.  Bottom line ... TRUST GOD.  It will be splendid!  And it will be alive!

Our passage today closes with the statement that the "crowds were astonished at his teaching."  Are you?  Where will you apply these principles in your own life and thinking right now?  Do a self-check on 

• your speech habits
• your civic habits
• your willingness to embrace the mystery of God

Conclusion (Matthew - P 77)

We began our journey through the gospel of Matthew with the recognition that in this book, Jesus was portrayed as the King - King of his kingdom.  Matthew writes so much about the Kingdom of heaven. (Kingdom of God)  As disciples of Jesus, we are citizens of His kingdom ... subjects to King Jesus.

To conclude our journey, I want to share with you the lyrics to a song written by Jason Ingram and Robbie Seay.  To me they wrap up the message in this splendid gospel.  They speak the words that I could not form myself.  I offer them to God ... from me ... with thanksgiving that God has given some people the gift of words.  And I offer them to you ... perhaps you will choose to claim them as your own.

Kingdom and A King

My heart is beating faster in my chest

As I sing of where my loyalties will rest

To never wait on governments to move

As the broken and the poor cry out to You

For the Kingdom and the King

For His glory, we will sing

For the rescue of our souls

He has come

For the kingdom and the cross

Oh, the triumph and the loss

Love has broken through

And new redeemed

For the Kingdom and the King

Oh God may we be focused on the least

A people balancing the fasting and the feast

A call to give and to serve and to celebrate

For You are great, of my God, You are great

So I pledge to know

And love You above all

May we the hands

To free them we are called

For the Kingdom and the King

For His glory we will sing

For the rescue of our souls

He has come

For the Kingdom and the cross

Oh, the triumph and the loss

Love has broken through

And now redeemed

And our hope is not in this land

Oh, not in these laws

Not in these things

And rest, oh, knowing Your love

Has called us to move

Called us to sing, sing, sing

And the people will sing

They will sing, sing

Oh the people will sing

For the King, for the King

For the Kingdom and the King

For His glory we will sing

For the rescue of our souls

He has come

For the Kingdom and the cross

Oh, the triumph and the loss

Love has broken through

And now redeemed

For the Kingdom and the King

The King ... the King

The people will sing, sing, sing

For the Kingdom and the King.

So ... my friends ... sing ... and worship our King!

Thank you for journeying through Matthew with me.  May God give you eyes to see your King more clearly with each day.  May you learn what it means to be His subject more deeply with each passing day.  

Thy Kingdom come - Thy will be done

On earth (and in my heart) as it is in heaven.

Amen

Last Words (Matthew 28 - P 76)

We close our reading of Matthew today ...

Matthew 28: 16 - 20

Have you ever done the exercise of deciding, if you knew today were your last day on this earth, what exactly you would want the people you love to hear from you?  It is a sobering activity.  It requires you to decide what you really consider of utmost importance.  In these final verses from Matthew, we are privileged to 'listen in' on Jesus' last words to his disciples.  Some observations and some lessons as we close this study.

Observation #1:  Mary had told the disciples about Jesus' instructions to go to Galilee - and they went.  We are reminded one more time from the pen of Matthew that being a disciple means following Jesus' instructions.  Still does.  

Observation #2:  When they saw Jesus, they worshiped.  In verse 9, when the Marys saw Jesus, they worshiped.  It is the absolutely appropriate response to the presence of Jesus.  We are reminded one more time from the pen of Matthew that to be a disciple of Jesus is to worship him.  Still is.  

Lessons to learn from Jesus' final words:

Jesus makes some remarkable promises in these few words.  And while they were addressed to the immediate crowd gathered on that mountain, they have been preserved so that you and I can hear them and respond to them as well.  Jesus provides three things in these final words:

First, he addresses the issue of power and authority.  They are his.  The power plays and games of this world are only shams.  We can rest assured that all power and control is given to Jesus and rests firmly in his hands.  That does not explain away the horrific things that take place in our old world ... but it allows one to sleep at night.  It provides security and peace.  Real authority and power rests in hands that we can trust.  I need to know that!

Second, he leaves his followers with work to do.  We have a commission.  Jesus knows that work matters - it's important - and he provides a task for those who would walk after him.  We are to make disciples.  How you do that will depend on your particular gifts - on the way you are put together - on the opportunities that the Lord places in your path.  That's why formulas don't really work.  

One reason I know that Jesus expects us to be at work for him while he is away is because of the stories he told.  Remember the story of the talents? We studied it in Matthew 25: 14 - 30.  There was an expectation that the servants would be about doing the master's work.  Jesus told a similar story in Luke 19: 11 - 27.  Even with the different details, the main point is the same - the master expected work to be done in his absence.  Are you discipling your own children?  Are you discipling the people placed in your circles?  Make disciples, Jesus said.  It is our "work" - the harvest is in his hands.  

And third, he promises his very own presence.  He will not leave us.  His presence is a continual reality in the life of all believers.  In the presence of the Lord, the response is to worship.  If he is with us always, doesn't that mean that our entire lives are experiences of worship?  Worship is not an event.  It is not something we "go to".  It is our very lives.  I love Matt Redman's song: "The Heart of Worship".  The chorus from that wonderful song is:

I'm coming back to the heart of worship 

And it's all about You 

All about You, Jesus 

I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it 

When it's all about You 

It's all about You Jesus 

Paul explains is well for us in Romans 12:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

In the presence of God, one worships.  And what is worship?  It is the offering of myself - all of me - nothing held back - as a sacrifice to God.  

Jesus' final words?  1)  He assures us that power and authority are in his hands - so rest well, disciple.  2)  He assigns us a task - so be assured of your value and importance, disciple.  3)  And he promises that we will not walk alone - so breath deeply, disciple.  

May we be faithful to the one whose very name is Faithful and True.  

The Unimaginable (Matthew 28 - P 75)

Our reading today ...

Matthew 28: 1 - 15

Matthew gives us such an abbreviated account of this remarkable event.  We learn a little more from the other gospel writers ... but we still are left with a desire for so much more detail!  

As I write this morning, my heart is aching with a throb that you know as well.  The past few days have carried much pain ... and loss.  One of my daughters said 'good-bye' to a precious friend who died from cancer.  The sister of one of my dearest friends died yesterday.  And yet ... and yet ...

These few verses we read today give us a glimpse into the unimaginable truth of resurrection.  Death conquered - overcome - denied victory.

Allow me to make some observations from Matthew's account of this event.

First, notice it was Mary Magdalene and the 'other Mary' who were going to the tomb that morning.  It was these Marys who had walked the entire way with their Lord.  They stayed at the cross and did not run.  They sat by the tomb at the burial.  They were coming to the tomb on that Sunday morning.  And they were the first witnesses of Jesus - alive.  My name is not 'Mary' ... but I want to be in their company!  I want to be 'another Mary' - one who does not desert - one who walks faithfully all the way, even when I do not understand - one whose faith is stronger than anything this fallen world can hurl at me.  Join me, won't you?  Let's form a "Mary" coalition that covers the globe - the faithful ones!  

Second, look again at the description of their emotions in verse 8.  They were "afraid yet filled with joy".  Those two emotions can coexist in one heart at the very same moment.  Joy is from the God.  It is one of the remarkable gifts he gives his people.  Recall what Jesus told his disciples recorded in 

John 15:11

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Jesus followers are full of His joy.  And it is complete joy.  It does not depend on smooth circumstances.  It is from him - through him - and by him.  Our Marys were filled with joy.  But that astounding joy does not necessarily negate feelings of fear.  When we don't understand - when we don't know what is coming - when circumstances are beyond any personal control - when pain is hovering at our door - there can be fear.  I believe that is why the command, "Don't be afraid", is the most repeated command in all of scripture.  This old world is full of things that cause us to be afraid.  But in our "Mary Coalition", fear and joy can coexist.  

Third, we observe the pitiful attempt by the chief priests to cover up the truth.  The guards told them what had happened - and yet, even truth from eye witnesses would not turn their darkened hearts.  How many times have we seen that repeated in our own country - cover ups to hide the truth?  It seems to be humanity's way of handling what it does not like.  What tragedy - both then and now.

So what difference does this resurrection event make in our lives?  It makes all the difference!  Mary saw Jesus - alive.  He told her to go and tell his brothers to go to Galilee and they would see him also.  Jesus - alive.

Amy Grant sings a song titled, "Lay Down Your Burdens".  It is on her album, "Rock of Ages - Hymns of Faith".  I think that song speaks to the difference the resurrection makes for me - in my life - right now.  Listen ...

CHORUS

Lay down your burden I will carry you

I will carry you my child, my child

Lay down your burden I will carry you

I will carry you my child, my child

Cause I can walk on water ..

Calm a restless sea

I've done a thousand things you've never done

And I'm really watching

While you struggle on your way

Call on my name, Ill come

Repeat Chorus

I give vision to the blind

I can raise the dead

I've seen the darker side of hell

And I've returned

I've seen those sleepless night

And count every tear you cry

Some lessons hurt to learn

Repeat Chorus

Indeed, Jesus saw the "darker side of hell and returned".  

So the lesson for me ... for you ...

Call on His Name 

He will come!

The Body (Matthew 27 - P 74)

Our reading today ...

Matthew 27: 57 - 66

After crucifixion ...

          Roman law:  The law allowed the relatives of a criminal to claim the body for burial.  If it was not claimed, the body was simply left to rot until the scavenger dogs dealt with it.  Obviously, none of Jesus' relatives were in a position to step up and claim the body.

          Jewish law:  A criminal's body was not to be left hanging overnight.  It had to be buried on the day of the execution.  The law was based on Deuteronomy 21: 22 - 23:

If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight.  Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse.

To all those aware of these laws, there had to have been a fever pitch to deal with Jesus' body.

Who was this man, Joseph?  We learn from Matthew that he was rich.  We learn from Luke that he was a member of the Sanhedrin.  Wow.  That sets up all sorts of questions.  Where was he the night Jesus was railroaded through the mock trial?  Remember a quorum required that 23 of the 70 members of the Sanhedrin be present.  Could it be that the high priest only called the men he knew he could count on?  Perhaps Joseph was not even aware of what was going down that night.  We will not know this side of eternity.  We do know he was a disciple.  He did not support the Sanhedrin and their views and plans for Jesus.  And we see him step forward when he could.  I wonder what the "rest of his story" looked like?  

It seems that Pilate did not care - but Joseph risked the displeasure of the ruling governor by stepping forward.  I think we can assume that his position in the Sanhedrin was forfeited.  At the least, he would have triggered the hatred and rage of the ruling class in Judea.  There was an honorable man named Joseph at the beginning of Jesus' life on earth - his earthly father.  And there is an honorable man named Joseph at the close of Jesus' life on earth - a Jewish leader - a man of courage.  I have come to love the name "Joseph".

Look back at verse 62. "On the next day" - the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate.  What was the "next day"?  None other than Sabbath - and not just any Sabbath - the Sabbath of Passover.  These religious leaders were willing to break their own most sacred laws to get what they wanted.  Oh what a severe warning exists here for us!  James, the earthly brother of Jesus writes:

When tempted,no one should say, "God is tempting me."  For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  (James 1: 13 - 15)

We see that truth played out in dramatic fashion by these Pharisees and priests.  Their own evil desire led them to violate everything they considered sacred, Godly, righteous.  That leads us to serious and sobering questions.  Do we see the same thing in our world?  Listen to men and/or women explain why they violate their marriage covenants and  have affairs.  Listen to men and/or women who are in prison for fraud.  What are you willing to violate to get what you want?   What is "sacred" to you?  Will you ever set aside your own "desires" to guard what is sacred?  Hard lessons - but critical lessons for people who call themselves "people of God".

And so Jesus' body is laid in a tomb.  It would have been carved out of the rock, a small cave, with ledges upon which the bodies were laid.  And we observe two groups watching ...

From verse 61 ... Mary Magdalene and another woman also named Mary.  The faithful.  The believers. The ones whose hearts and lives had been forever altered by their encounters with Jesus.  Unwilling to leave because of love.

From verse 66 ... the guards.  The unengaged.  The indifferent.  They were doing their job.  Hired by those determined to kill and destroy faith in Jesus.  What they did not know was that anyone who would try to put bonds on Jesus faced an impossible task.  It is no different today.

Has your heart been forever altered by your encounters with Jesus?  Or are you going through the motions of religion without the life of the Lord?

In our reading of the last two chapters of Matthew, we have "watched the lamb".  Now it is time to "watch the tomb".

Jesus, Crucified (Matthew 27 - P 73)

We read today of the pivot point in all history.  Read carefully.  Read slowly.

Matthew 27: 32 - 56

Some observations to consider:

1.  Golgotha.  We are such products of our western art  - the painting of 3 crosses standing alone on a hillside.  We also sing; "On a hill far away ... " and I had always envisioned an isolated scene away from the masses of a busy city.  But that is not the way things happened in Jerusalem under Roman occupation.  Crucifixion was used as execution.  But crucifixion was also used as a deterrent to all people.  It said to the occupied territories, "Don't cross Rome or this very thing could happen to you."  The place of the skull marked one of the main thoroughfares that led out of the city of Jerusalem.  It was highly traveled.  It was not "far away".  Perhaps the writer of that hymn meant far away from our Western world.  But it was not far away from Jerusalem.  I live in Houston, TX.  It would be as if these crosses were put up on I 45 going out of the city ... seen by masses of humanity coming into and going out of the city.  And remember, it is Passover week.  Very public.  The humiliation beyond anything I can even comprehend.  

2.  Jesus refused the wine with gall offered him.  I read that some of the wealthy women of Jerusalem offered this drink as a drug - something to dull the pain - an act of mercy.  Why did he refuse that help?  Perhaps it was so that he would accept death at its most bitter and most grim - so that he would know physical pain at its most grim - so that he could stand by you when you must suffer physical pain.  

3.  Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Why did he cry such a thing?  

     a.  Perhaps he cried out because he truly felt the weight of all human sin at that moment.  Perhaps  as he became sin he felt the inevitable separation from God that sin causes.  Paul expressed it well in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

     b.  Or perhaps there was something more human happening here.  Perhaps at this moment Jesus  felt that ache of abandonment that we often feel when we it seems that life cannot get worse - when we feel that God has abandoned us.  William Barclay expresses it well:

Here we see Jesus plumbing the uttermost depths of the human situation, so that there might be no place that we might go where he has not been before.

4.  The "loud voice cry" in verse 50 is further explained by John in his gospel writing.  He tells us in John 19:30 that Jesus' cry was "It is finished!"  In Greek, this is one word - tetelestai.  This word is a victor's shout.  It is the cry of someone who has completed their task.  It is the cry of someone who has won through a struggle.  Jesus died a victor - with the cry of victory on his lips!

5.  The torn curtain in the Temple and the opened graves.  Some scholars read this as literally happening.  Others believe it is figurative language.  If it is symbolic ... notice what is revealed:

     

     a.  The way to God is now open!  No longer a curtain, a barrier, between mankind and the  presence of God.  The life and death of Jesus show us what God is like.  We can know ... we can see.

     b.  Death is conquered.  The grave no longer holds terror and tragedy.  That door has been opened.

6.  The first fruit of the cross was a Roman centurion.  Jesus had said "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (John 12:32).  The way for the Gentile has been opened and we see evidence of the opening through a Roman soldier.  

7.  There was a band of women that did not abandon the scene - they did not abandon their master.  Why did they have the courage to stay?  We don't know for certain.  Perhaps they did not run because they were women ... and considering the insignificant place women held in that society ... perhaps they posed no threat and so had no reason to be afraid.  Or ... perhaps ... it is as John writes in 1 John 4:18:  "There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drive out fear ...".  Perhaps these women did not run because they loved Jesus purely, deeply, and, therefore, refused to be afraid.

Let's close this reflection by meditating on some questions for ourselves:

*  Do I look to Jesus when my own pain sears its way into my very being?  Do I hold His hand?

*  Do I recognize the incredible companionship that I am offered in Jesus?  There is truly

NOTHING I must bear that He has not already born.

*  How is my love relationship with Jesus?  Is it strong enough to "cast out fear"?  

What am I currently afraid of?  How can loving Jesus deal with that fear?

Lord ... we are stunned into silence at the foot of the cross.  Help us comprehend more fully.  Help us understand more deeply.  How can our lives express gratitude for this incredible gift?  Help us ...

The Roman Trial (Matthew 27 - P 72)

The Sanhedrin condemned Jesus.  His crime?  Blasphemy.  That offense was enough to condemn him to death.  However, the Jews did not have the power or authority to pronounce a death sentence.  Therefore they had to get the Roman authority to weigh in - only Roman authority could carry out execution.  So Jesus is dragged before Pilate, the Roman governor of the region.

Read Matthew 27: 1 - 2, 11 - 31

The Jews knew very well that Pilate would pay no attention to the accusation of blasphemy.  Pilate had disdain for the Jews and what he considered their irrational and fanatical religious practices and beliefs.  If they had approached Pilate with a charge of blasphemy, he most likely would have sent them on their way and told them to settle their own religious disputes elsewhere.  

Matthew does not tell us what the charges brought against Jesus before Pilate were ... but Luke does.  From Luke (Luke 23: 1 - 2) we learn what was officially charged against Jesus.  They accused him first of being a revolutionary.  Second, they accused him of inciting people to not pay their taxes.  And third, they said he claimed to be king.  

Pilate knew it was made up stuff.  He was warned - by his own impressions of Jesus and then by the troubled dream of his wife.  He tried to cause the whole mess to go away.  Then he tried to wiggle out of responsibility.  But he could not/would not stand against the mob scene in front of him.  

Listen to Michael Wilkins as he writes about this scene:

Pilate's infamous act of ordering Jesus' execution was carried out in the political backwaters of  first-century Palestine.  His actions were conducted in relative obscurity, wit no thought that they would have historical and spiritual consequences for all of humanity for all time.  But Pilate is know forever as one whose political machinations perverted his integrity. ...  When the opportunity presents itself, each of us must contend for what we know to be right and for those for whom we are responsible, regardless of whether we think that the outcome will ever be known by others.

Remember the words from Proverbs 21:1 - 3

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord;  he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.  All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.  To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Is there a price tag on your integrity?  It is a question worthy of much consideration.  

I learn a couple of lessons in this reading that I never want to forget:

•  God's will WILL be done.  The question becomes what part will I play in the scene.  Will I stand for what is right and just?  Or is expediency and comfort more important to me?  
• It is impossible to abdicate responsibility for something that you are responsible for.  It can't be done. I may want to walk away from a responsibility that I feel ill equipped for or that I just don't want to carry the consequences for ... but it can't be done.  Mothers.  Fathers.  Teachers.  Workers.  Bosses.  

As we close today, plant the following sentence firmly in your mind and heart ... never forget it ...

I am responsible for the purity to my motives

and the integrity of my behavior.  

Peter Collapses (Matthew 26 - P 71)

While the excuse for a "trial" was taking place inside the home of the high priest, Peter was in the courtyard.  Peter had been in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus and the others.  When Jesus was arrested, Matthew told us that someone drew a sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest (26:51)   John tells us in his gospel record that the one who drew a sword in the Garden was Peter.  And while all Jesus' companions fled from the scene ... Peter follows and we find him in the courtyard of the home of the high priest ... enemy territory ... dangerous place to be!

Read Matthew 26: 69 - 75

Jesus had warned Peter about this.  (26: 31 - 35)  Of course, Peter could not - in the furthest stretches of his imagination - believe such a thing could happen.  Not to him.  Courage was part of his make up.  Hadn't he been one of the first to be a disciple?  Hadn't he walked with Jesus for 3 years?  Wasn't it he who was willing to step our on the Sea of Galilee during a storm?  Wasn't he the first to say out loud that Jesus was the Jews' long awaited Messiah?   Others may deny ... fail ... run ... but not Peter.

However, as with all of us, we are most vulnerable when we think we are not.  And his courage fails him.  He cannot stand under the pressure.  And fear rushes in.  

Have you ever walked in Peter's shoes?  We deny Jesus as well whenever we want to be sure that no one knows to whom we belong.  Therefore, we don't want our words to give us way.  So we can be as worldly as the next guy with our language!  We don't want our look to give us away as being Jesus followers.  So we can copy the world with inappropriate clothing or ungodly behaviors.  Ever deny Jesus?  

Follow Peter's example ... weep over that failure!  Confess it ... take it to Jesus ... he knows your heart.

Let's not quit reading and thinking today until we go to ...

John 21: 15 - 19

Also, listen to Peter himself as he tells us how to deal with collapses of resolve and with personal failures:

1 Peter 5: 6 - 11 ( New Living Translation)

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  Stay alert!  Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.  Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus.  So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.  All power to him forever!  Amen.

The Jewish Trial (Matthew 26 - P 70)

Jesus and his disciples leave the Garden of Gethsemane.  It is night time.  That is why Peter and James and John had such a hard time staying awake while Jesus prayed.  Judas approaches leading the ones that were sent to arrest Jesus.  It would not have been an orderly Roman company of soldiers.  I think we get a better sense of the scene if we think of it as a mob - more like a lynch mob in the western movies we have watched.  Judas kisses ... steps back ... and the events begin to escalate.

Before you read our text for today, I want you to read a description of the legal rules for the Sanhedrin.  Remember, the Sanhedrin was the supreme court of the Jews.  It consisted of scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and elders of the people.  It had 71 members and was presided over by the high priest.  A quorum was 23.  Jesus was taken to the home of the high priest that night.  What follows is a description of the Sanhedrin's own rules of order.  I am quoting a summary of those rules from William Barclay:

All criminal cases must be tried during the daytime and must be completed during the daytime.  Criminal cases could not be transacted during the Passover season at all.  Only if the verdict was 'not guilty' could a case be finished on the day it was begun; otherwise a night must elapse before the pronouncement of the verdict, so that feelings of mercy might have time to arise.  Further, no decision of the Sanhedrin was valid unless it met in its own meeting place, the Hall of Hewn Stone in the Temple precincts.  All evidence had to be guaranteed by two witnesses separately examined and having no contact with each other.  And false witness was punishable by death.  The seriousness of the occasion was impressed upon any witness in a case where life was at stake:  'Forget not, O witness, that it is one thing to give evidence in a trial for money, and another in a trial for life.  In a money suit, if thy witness-bearing shall do wrong, money may repair that wrong; but in this trial for life, it thou sinnest, the blood of the accused and the blood of his seed unto the end of time shall be imputed unto thee.'  Still further, in any trial the process began by the laying before the court of all the evidence for the innocence of the accused, before the evidence for guilt was adduced.

With those rules of order and trial in mind, read ...

Matthew 26: 50 - 67

It always stuns me when I read about the events that took place that night.  What can be said?  When a court system violates its own rules for process and order, chaos and injustice follow.  In our country's system, when the procedural rules are violated - or even slightly altered - a mistrial is declared - and the accused walks out free.  We see so clearly the results of hatred.  Hatred leads to violations beyond measure.  Hatred walks on the same road as does a death wish.

Do a deep heart check in yourself.  If you have suffered any abuse in your life ... of course, physical, but also emotional ... are you doing the forgiveness work?  It is worth the incredibly hard work!  It is worth sacrifice of pride.  Hatred is deadly.  Spend some time in prayer.   

We see a quintessential illustration of the old adage:  "the ends justify the means".   And it is just not so!  Wrong "means" never make a desired outcome OK.

I wonder why Judas was not a witness against Jesus.  He's not there.

I am struck by the words of the old hymn ...

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh ... sometimes ...

it causes me to tremble ... tremble.

And we tremble as we read this mockery of justice - mockery of righteousness - mockery of God.  

The people of God ... violating Him.  And we tremble.  

Gethsemane - Purpose and Promise (Matthew 26 - P 69)

Definition:  Intimacy - familiarity; emotional warmth and closeness; something of personal or private nature.

When someone allows you to share a part of their most personal self - you walk into the realm of intimacy.  It's vulnerable.  Because all masks are off.  The person, at his/her core, is exposed.  But it is also only through intimacy that we REALLY have an opportunity to KNOW someone.

In our reading today, Jesus invites us into intimacy with him.  The Holy Spirit, through the writers of the gospels, allows us to be with Jesus at his most vulnerable.  He allows us to witness Jesus in intimate prayer.  We are privileged to hear Jesus' heart - to watch the intense struggle of his soul.  Enter today's reading with your "shoes off" ... you are about to walk on holy ground.

Matthew 26: 36 - 46

As I watch and listen to Jesus is this vulnerable place, I learn things about him as a man that draw my heart closer to him - that swell my love for him - that connect me to him.  Intimacy is like that.  

First, even Jesus had to wrestle in prayer.  And I think that terminology is appropriate.  Because prayer often is a wrestling - a struggle.  Why does he keep going back?  Keep saying the same thing?  It is because he was struggling to get his will totally aligned with God's will.  I think he was on board with God's aim - the buying back of humanity from the hold of the evil one and their flesh - their redemption.  But he was not on board with the path.  Too much pain.  And so he wrestled ... in prayer.  

That is the focus of prayer, you know.  It is to adjust our wills and wants to the will of God.  It disturbs me when I hear people say things "Prayer is working - keep doing it."  My experience is that what these folks are saying is that some situation is going the way they hoped and wanted.  But prayer is not figuring out a password to get God's account open.  It is intimacy with God.  It is to align my will and wants to the will of God.  It is mysterious.  

Second, even Jesus experienced the emotional agony that accompanies pain.  No one wants to experience death at thirty-three years old - much less death through torture.   Yet Jesus knew what was at stake.  Listen to William Barclay:

All he knew was that the will of God imperiously summoned him on.  Things happen to every one of us in this world that we cannot understand; it is then that faith is tried to its utmost limits; and at such a time it is sweetness to the soul that in Gethsemane Jesus went through that too.

We all have private "Gethsemanes" ... we all wrestle to learn to say, "Your will be done".  Jesus began his work on earth with the words, "Follow me".  That is still the call as he enters his final hours.  

Third, even Jesus knew times of intense loneliness.  He took the three closest friends that he had on earth.  But they just couldn't stay the course with him.  This battle he had to fight alone.  That is also true for us.  There are some battles, some decisions, that must be handled completely alone.  Our helpers, our friends, will fail us.  That's reality.  Henry Lyte lived and wrote at the beginning of the nineteenth century.  Reflect again on these familiar words and place them in the context of Gethsemane:

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

When darkness deepens, Lord with me abide.

When other helpers fail and comforts flee;

Help of the helpless,  O abide with me.

God was with our Lord in Gethsemane.  And even though the loneliness of human companionship escaped Jesus in this hour ... he was not completely alone.  Nor are you ... ever.  

Fourth, even Jesus walked in trust of the Father.  He approached his Father in childlike trust.  The early church fathers, Chrysostom, wrote:

Abba was the word used by a young child to its father; it was an everyday family word, which no one had ventured to use in addressing God.  Jesus did.  He spoke to his heavenly Father in as childlike, trustful, and intimate a way as little child to its father.

Jesus walked in trust ... so, indeed, must we.

And fifth, even Jesus had to walk into his destiny with courage.  At the end of our reading, Jesus says, "Rise, let us go."  He rose from his knees to enter the battle.  That's what prayer is ... that is what prayer does.  We kneel ... wrestle in prayer ... so that we can get up and stand erect and strong before the world.  We enter heaven through prayer ... so that we may face the battles that face us on earth.  

Are you facing a 'Gethsemane' right now?  Before you walk into the battle ... spend time in your own Gethsemane.  Trust God.  And then ......... Get up .......... and Go.  

The Feast (Matthew 26 - P 68)

Jesus is in Jerusalem.  He knows why.  His band of disciples don't quite get it yet.  How could they?  They think they are in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  They are ... but ... they do not realize that they are accompanying the Passover lamb to the altar for the sacrifice.

Read Matthew 26: 17 - 35

Passover ... the annual feast on the Jewish calendar that carries such significance, such history, such promise, such rich symbolism.  The preparations had to be made - which was no small task.

• there is the ridding of the house of any and all leaven
• there is the preparation of the unleavened bread
• the lamb had to be taken to the temple where its blood would be offered as sacrifice
• the meat of the lamb brought back to the house for the meal
• a bowl of salt water (or vinegar) set out for the table (a reminder of the tears of slavery and the parting of the Red Sea)
• the bitter herbs had to be prepared (a collection of horseradish, chicory, endive, lettuce, and the like)
• a paste was prepared called the charosheth.  A mixture of apples, dates, pomegranates and nuts. (a reminder of the mixing of clay for bricks while in slavery)
• 4 cups of wine were prepared.  Four cups were to remind them of the four promises of Exodus 6: 6 - 7:  "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.  I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.  I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.  Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians."

And through this traditional, annual, commemorative meal, Jesus expands and deepens the symbolism and the meaning.  Passover was a commemoration of deliverance.  Moses had been a great liberator ... but Jesus is more!  The Jews had been released from physical slavery ... but all people can be released from the slavery to sin and death.  

Jesus - body and blood - the great emancipator.

The New Covenant

The Passover lamb, the food for the meal, represented safety.  In Egypt, all those years ago, it was the  blood of a sacrificed lamb that was painted on the door frame of the houses.  Why?  As a marker.  It marked the house as a "safe house".   Its blood on the door frames provided the only safe place in the entire land of Egypt that horrible night.  And all people can have a place of safety.

Jesus - body and blood - the only place of safety from sin and death.

The New Covenant

A new path to God is opened through the person of Jesus.  A connection with Jehovah God that does not require priests and mediators ... Jesus is that.  A connection with Jehovah God that does not require more animal sacrifice ... Jesus did that.  A new relationship with God that is opened for all people - Jew and Gentile, male and female, all races, all cultures - a path to God.

That is what we celebrate every time we take the "Lord's Supper".  Beware the ease in which we humans slip into ritualism and form - leaving the depth of meaning behind.  It is not small thing - this sharing the "body and blood" of Jesus symbolically week after week.  We declare freedom ... we declare safety ... we declare faith and trust each time we "break the bread and share the cup".  How I would love to sit together with every one of you reading this little piece of writing and share the body and blood of Christ!  

Let me share some observations about Jesus from these few verses we have read today.

First, Jesus was a realist.  He fully knew what lay ahead of him.  And he walked forward anyway.  

Do you ever have to walk into the "hard thing"?  Jesus already has ... and he walks in front of you.

Second, Jesus loved enough to say the hard things.  He loved Judas enough to warn him.  He loved Peter enough to warn him.  He loved all of his disciples enough to warn them of their coming trauma and fear.  He knew (and still knows) human weakness and human failure - and he loves anyway.  In a transient, broken and chaotic world, three things are steady - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of the three is love.  Do you ever have to say a hard thing to someone you love?  Do you love them enough to say it?  Jesus showed you how ... and he has done it before you.

Third, Jesus was completely confident in God's plan.  He knew he would rise from the dead.  He knew he would be able to meet his disciples in Galilee.  He knew.  Are you confident in the promises of God about eternal life - about safety with him - about peace and security - about all things working together for good for his people?  We could list more ... but the question is:  Are you confident in God?  Jesus was ... and is ... and will show us how.  

There are many lessons to be learned in the shadow of the cross.  Watch Jesus ... and be amazed.

Judas - the Tragedy (Matthew 26 - P 67)

Matthew 26 contains what detail we have about Judas.  Today, as we continue our walk through Matthew, let's consider all the passages about Judas together.  Read ...

Matthew 26: 14 - 16

Matthew 26: 20 - 25

Matthew 26: 47 - 50

Matthew 27: 3 - 10

What happened to this man?  I think he began his walk with Jesus as a disciple full of hope and promise and possibility.  We all begin our faith walks there.  Listen to the words Mark chose when he described the calling of the twelve:

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.  He appointed twelve - designating them apostles - that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. (Mark 3: 13 - 15)

Mark then lists the twelve ... and Judas is there.  What caused him to turn?  What was in his head?  His heart?  Was it disillusionment?  Was it greed?  Was it hate?  Was it bitterness?  We don't know for certain.  And all of these possibilities have been proposed by people trying to understand how people turn.  

I don't think it was greed.  After all, 30 pieces of silver represented a little less than 6 months wage for a working man.  That's not much!  

I think perhaps Judas was so disappointed that Jesus was not whom Judas expected him to be.  Judas was ready for the overthrow of the Roman occupation ... all Jews were ... and for the freedom of Israel and the Jews.  I think perhaps Judas thought Jesus was the man.  And as he saw more of His power ... he couldn't wait for that power to be unleashed against Rome!  But it didn't happen.  Not only was Jesus not mounting an offensive against Rome, he was now talking about crucifixion?!  In his lack of understanding, I think Judas took matters into his own hands and decided to force the issue ... force Jesus into action.  He wanted to change Jesus.

Ever been guilty of that desire - the desire to mold Jesus into what YOU want - the desire to have Jesus do what YOU think is best to do - to make YOUR life what you want?  Ever wanted to USE Jesus for your own purposes?  Political?  Personal?  Those are all Judas traits.  We take Jesus totally on his own terms ... or we do not take him at all.  

Another observation that fascinates me about the whole Judas ordeal is that Jesus wants him to know that HE knows.  Was it a last appeal?  Was it the last effort to make him reconsider the path he was choosing?  But Jesus did not, would not, stop him.  I am amazed at our God's respect for human free will.  He will not violate it.  He will not take it from you.  

Then there is this kiss.  In 26:48 we read that Judas told the mob who came to get Jesus that he would identify him with a kiss.  The Greek word used is philein - the normal word for kiss.  But then in verse 49 when Judas actually kisses Jesus, the word is a different one.  Here the word kataphilein is used, intensifying the meaning.  Kataphilein means to kiss repeatedly and fervently.    Why the change in language?  If Judas had come in bitterness and hatred ... there would have been no kataphilein.  If Judas had come in greed ... there would have been no kataphilein.   Read the following from William Barclay:

It is much more likely that Judas kissed Jesus as a disciple kissed a master and meant it, and that then he stood back with expectant pride waiting on Jesus at last to act.  The curious thing is that from the moment of the kiss Judas vanishes from the the scene in the garden, not to reappear until he is intent on suicide.  He does not even appear as a witness at the trial of Jesus.  It is far more likely that in one stunning, blinding, staggering, searing moment Judas saw how he had miscalculated and staggered away into the night, a forever broken and forever haunted man.  If this is true, at that moment Judas entered the hell which he had created for himself; for the worst kind of hell is the full realization of the terrible consequences of sin.

And a hell from which Judas could not find relief.  The awful sense of responsibility.  So when the death sentence came down on Jesus' head ... Judas could bear it no longer ... and suicide prevailed.  Had he not learned the lessons of repentance after being with Jesus those three years?  Had he not seen person after person released from self-inflicted prisons of pain in the hands of Jesus?  Why could he not see himself a recipient of such grace and love and forgiveness?  I think he believed his sin too big ... to monumental ... to damning ... to turn back.  And so death ... 

Never ... never ... never ... never ... think your sin is beyond the reach of the grace of God.  IT IS NOT!!  It is not.  It is not.  

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8: 1 - 2)

Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions ...   (Ephesians 2:4 - 5)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.   (Galatians 2:20)

Extravagant Love (Matthew 26 - P 66)

As we enter Matthew 26, we become witnesses to the last act in the story of Jesus' physical life in our space-time continuum.  The prophecies have been fulfilled ... the scene has been established ... the pattern has been set ... the teaching has been done ... the sacrifice has been prepared ... it is time.

This chapter is long - 75 verses.  The individual events happening in rapid-fire momentum are many - at least 9.  I plan to organize thoughts around character studies.  Therefore, we may jump around a bit in the text rather than read straight through.  As an overview ... it may serve you well to read Matthew 26: 1 - 27: 10 in its entirety to keep the events in sequence.  Then let's focus ... first on loves extravagance.

Matthew 26: 1 - 13

The plot is on from the chief priests and the elders of the people.  They plan to kill Jesus to rid Palestine of this troubling Rabbi.  

About chief priests:  In the Old Testament, the office of chief priest was an hereditary post and lasted for the life of the man.  However, under Roman occupation, Rome had been assigning persons for the position of chief priest and replacing them at will.  Between 37 BC and 67 AD (remember the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD and the post of high priest was eliminated) there were no fewer than 28 high priests.  So you can tell that tenure was short lived.  The high priest at this time in history was Joseph Caiaphas.  He served the post of high priest from AD 18 - 36.  That was extraordinarily long for that post!  Does that suggest anything to you?  I think it tells us that Caiaphas was very good at appeasing the Roman government.  One thing Rome hated was civil disobedience.  Caiaphas knew how to pacify and please Rome.  Hence, his plan was to eliminate Jesus AFTER Passover ... too many people in Jerusalem at Passover ... too much potential for riots and demonstrations.  Rome wouldn't like it.

God had other plans.  Jesus' death had to be AT Passover ... that's the only time in the entire year that fit the plan ... the plan that began when Adam and Eve broke covenant with God, the creator.  So at Passover ... it would be.

Bethany was a small town right outside of Jerusalem.  It was more peaceful there.  Jesus had friends there (Mary, Martha and Lazarus).  He often stayed there when needing to be in Jerusalem.  And so as the dark clouds of humiliation and death build on the horizon ... Jesus goes to Bethany ... and for a fleeting moment is washed in love.

Mark and John both tell of this encounter with the woman in their gospel writings.  Luke tells of a similar encounter.  We can't know for certain if they all are telling the same event ... of if there were two.  While we cannot know that for certain ... there are some things we can know for certain.

We can know ...

1.  Love is extravagant.  Estimates are that this little vial of perfume would have represented an entire year's wage for a working man in Palestine.  This gift was extravagant.  It was a precious gift ... precious to her ... and poured out freely.  

Barclay writes:

Love never calculates; love never thinks how little it can decently give; loves one desire is to give to the uttermost limits; and, when it has given all it has to give, it still thinks the gift too little.  We have not even begun to be Christian if we think of giving to Christ and to his Church in terms of as little as we respectably can.

2.  Love claims the moment - the opportunity.  There are times when common-sense and reason don't always serve us well.  This was not "reasonable" ... this was an outpouring of love.  And it ministered to our Lord's heart.  So often opportunities present themselves only once.  And when we fail to respond ... or when we over- think it ... or when we just can't make up our mind ... or when we ignore a heart stirring ... opportunities that would have been precious, lovely, gracious moments fly past and they are forever gone.  

So we must ask ourselves some questions ... are you passionately in love with Jesus?  How do you choose to "anoint" him in your life?  Has the Lord placed an opportunity in front of you right now to pour out love?  What are you waiting on?  

One of my favorite songs of all time is:  "Broken and Spilled Out".  Close your time with me today by meditating on these lyrics ... can you sing this song?  pray this prayer?

Broken and Spilled Out

VERSE 1

One day a plain village woman

Driven by love for her Lord

Recklessly poured out a valuable essence

Disregarding the scorn

And once it was broken and spilled out

A fragrance filled all the room

Like a pris'ner released from his shackles

Like a spirit set free from the tomb

CHORUS 1

Broken and spilled out

Just for love of you Jesus

My most precious treasure

Lavished on Thee

Broken and spilled out

And poured at Your feet

In sweet abandon

Let me be spilled out

And used up for Thee

VERSE 2

Lord You were God's precious treasure

His loved and His own perfect Son

Sent here to show me

The love of the Father

Just for love it was done

And though You were perfect and holy

You gave up Yourself willingly

You spared no expense for my pardon

You were used up and wasted for me

CHORUS 2

Broken and spilled out

Just for love of me Jesus

God's most precious treasure

Lavished on me

You were broken and spilled out

And poured at my feet

In sweet abandon Lord

You were spilled out and used up for Me

In sweet abandon, let me be spilled out

And used up for Thee

About Service (Matthew 25 - P 65)

We are in the middle of a discourse by Jesus about the kingdom of heaven.  He has just told 2 stories to try and illustrate what seems hard for us to understand.  He told the parable of the 10 Virgins to illustrate the necessity of our being ready and prepared for his coming.  He told the parable of the Talents to illustrate the necessity of our being productive, using God given gifts for the benefit of the kingdom.  And then He says ... "When the Son of Man comes in his glory ..."

Read Matthew 25: 31 - 46

We are accountable.  We are accountable for our behaviors.  We are accountable for our attitudes.  

What do you learn as you read these verses?  They are sobering, aren't they.  Here are some of the things that I hear as I reflect on these words from Jesus ...

First ... I hear that my response to human need is of paramount importance.  Questions arise ... have I become oblivious to the human need around me?  Am I so conditioned to ignore that ignoring becomes a way of life?  If I do respond, do I examine my own boundaries so that my help is done in wisdom, not creating need in another arena?  Do I provide help ... or do I enable irresponsible behaviors?  

Second ... I hear that it is in the little things.  Food ... Drink ... Clothing ... a visit when sick ... or a visit when in bondage.  So the questions ... do I only want to help when it is dramatic and splashy?  Do I need publicity or recognition for helping?  Do I allow the enormity of the human need in this world stop me from doing what I can?  

Third ... I hear that responding to the human need around me is the SAME as doing that small act of service for the Lord himself.  Don't miss the fact that those people did not know they were serving the Lord ... they were merely responding out of a heart of compassion.  I have no doubt that if the folks Jesus identified as "goats" had known that they were serving Jesus ... they would have done it!  And there's the rub.  It's intent ... it's attitude ... it's motivation.  Responding to human need to gain publicity ... to gain personal approval ... to feel good about myself ... that's not help ... that's about self.  I suspect many of us can recall a time when these words came from our mouths:  "Oh if I had know it was you, I would have been glad to ...".  

Fourth ... I hear clearly that there is another kingdom that is not like the one in which we live.  It is the inheritance of the people of God.  And it is real.  And it was planned out and prepared since the creation of the world.  

There is a wonderful story told about Martin of Tours who was a Roman soldier and a Christian.  

One cold winter day, as Martin was entering a city, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms.  Martin had not money; but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, and martin gave what he had.  He took off his soldier's coat, worn and frayed as it was; he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar man.  That night he had a dream.  In it he saw the heavenly places and all the angels and Jesus among them; and Jesus was wearing half of a Roman soldier's cloak.  One of the angels said to him:  'Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak?  Who gave it to you?'  and Jesus answered softly:  'My servant Martin gave it to me.'

Lord ... grow in me a spirit of compassion.  Help me respond to the need around me.  Help me see your face in the faces of those in need.  Cleanse me from the spirit of judgmentalism  I desire to see people ... not labels ... I desire to offer help in small ways ... no need for grandiosity or comparison with others.  Forgive my failures in the past ... and set my feet on the path of treating others as you did when you walked on this planet amid the hurt and need of others.  You are able ... live THAT life through me.

Use It or Lose It (Matthew 25 - P 64)

Jesus was in his final teaching discourse and was focused on the kingdom of heaven.  He has just told the story about the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom ... teaching his followers to stay prepared and ready.  Then he began another story ... we have called it "the parable of the talents."  If you know the story ... read it again today ... praying for fresh eyes.

Matthew 25: 14 - 30

A talent was a weight, not a coin.  So the actual value of the talents would depend on the type of coin being handed out - whether copper, gold or silver.  But that is actually not the point of the story, is it?    Some lessons to learn from this little story ... 

1.  God gives according to His wisdom.  We, as human beings, are the ones that begin to compare and decide some gifts are better than others.  God knows what to give ... what abilities and resources, what strengths and capabilities to give to each of his children.  The church in Corinth was having trouble with its members being envious of each other because of certain gifts given. The result seemed to be divisions and conflict within the church.  They were comparing gifts.  In the language of the parable we are studying, one member might say, "Why do I just have two?  She got five.  What's she got that I don't have?  Do you like her better than me?  This isn't fair."  The apostle Paul had to address the problem of comparison, of better/worse thinking, that confronted this new church.  Listen to Paul:

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.   ...  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives the to each one, just as he determines.   ...   The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and through all its parts are many, they form one body.  So it is with Christ.    ....    Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  And i the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.  Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?  Do all work miracles?  So all have gifts of healing?  Do all speak in tongues?  Do all interpret?  But eagerly desire the greater gifts.  (Paul goes on to describe that 'greater gift' as the exercise of love.)  [from 1 Corinthians 12)

Have you wasted any emotional time and energy wishing you had another person's gifts from God?  Some talent or ability?  Some opportunity?  Do you struggle with feeling less important to the church than people with public gifts?  Do you think you're something, or more important to the church,  because you have been given public gifts?  This little story from Jesus corrects our thinking.  God gives the gifts ... we receive them.  Do you really think you know better than God?  

2.  Gifts are given for use.  They are not like museum displays ... behind glass to be admired by passers by.  What God has given to you ... the abilities, the talents, the financial resources ... they are to be used for the betterment of the kingdom of God.  The issue is not WHAT you have ... the issue is HOW you use it.  Question #1:  What 'talents' do you have from God?  If you are tempted to say, 'nothing' ... you are not being honest with yourself or God.  So go back and ask yourself Question 1 again!  Question #2:  Am I using this gift from God for the betterment of his kingdom?  If not, why not?  Diligence is the desired trait.  And what is the reward for faithful service and use?  More opportunity!  More work!  Why?  Because you were faithful with what was given ... so God will trust you with more.  Think about it ... being trusted by God!

3.  Punishment comes from non-use.  We are told what drove the man in the story to bury his talent was fear.  Was it fear of making a mistake?  That particular fear has held many religious people in bondage for years.  Was it fear of failure?  That fear has left hoards of believers unwilling to risk anything for the Lord.  And the result ... the talent was taken away.  Where does fear stifle you?  God can handle our mistakes and failures. We will have some to be sure.  But they are not the deadly thing ... safety and non-use of spiritual gifts is.  If this little story teaches anything ... it tells us to risk for the kingdom!  

I like the way William Barclay describes this truth:

It tells us that those who are punished are the people who will not try.  The ma with the one talent did not lose his talent; he simply did nothing with it.  Even if he had adventured with it and lost it, it would have been better than to do nothing at all.  It is always a temptation for the one-talent person to say:  'I have so small a talent and I can do so little with it.  It is not worth while to try, for all the contribution I can make,'  The condemnation is for anyone who, having even one talent, will not try to use it, and will not risk it for the common good.

So ... we must understand this truth ... the only way to keep our spiritual gifts ... is to use them up.  We understand this principle in the realm of athletics or music or art.  Do you want to keep and improve your skills?  Then use them ... practice ... continue stretching yourself in your craft.  And growth comes.  

Our homework?  Identify at least one spiritual gift that has been given you by God.  Are you using it for his kingdom?  There is nothing wrong with being a one-talent gal!  There is everything wrong with being a one-talent gal afraid to use her gift.  Our challenge?  Get to work!!

I'm Ready (Matthew 25 - P 63)

How do you describe something that is indescribable?  We generally default into word pictures ... we use phrases like "Well, it is sort of like ...".  We use similarities.  We use the familiar in hopes of getting a glimpse into the unfamiliar.  Jesus does the same.  Chapter 25 of Matthew begins with two stories ... told by Jesus ... stories that attempt to describe what is indescribable with our human limitations.  So Jesus begins with ... "the kingdom of heaven will be like ..."  We will read the first one today.

Matthew 25: 1 - 13

This is no contrived story.  It is actually the way weddings worked in Palestine.  The exact moment when the bridegroom came for his bride was unknown.  That was part of the "fun"!  So readiness was of utmost importance.  When he came for her, he sent a "crier", his friend, ahead crying out, "Behold! the bridegroom is coming!" - so the bridal party had to be ready to go out into the street at any time to meet him.  And when the parade to the house was complete, the door was closed and no one else was admitted into the celebration.  This is no contrived story ... it was a very familiar scene for the Jewish audience to which Jesus spoke.  

So what is Jesus saying to you through this story?  Of course the primary lesson to be learned is "Be ready ... the bridegroom will come at any time."  There are also warnings embedded in this story.  Let's turn our attention to them.

First ... I learn through this illustrative story of Jesus that there is such a thing as being "too late".  Have you experienced that?  Have you ever missed something important to you because you were too late?  Also, we are reminded often that our lives can be finished in an instant.  

• a shooter walks into a school
• an explosion happens at a manufacturing plant or an oil refinery
• a bomb goes off at a public race
• two cars collide going incredibly fast
• an avalanche breaks loose and wipes out any in its path
• a plane goes down

The reality is ... WE REALLY ONLY HAVE TODAY!  I know I say that ... but so often I live as if I do not believe it.  

Michael Wilkins wrote:

My wife and I have made a commitment that we don't ever want to say "if only":  if only we had taken care of our health more; if only we had spent more time with our kids; if only we had been more disciplined to pay off our debts; if only we had not allowed that relationship quirk to pull us apart.

There is wisdom there.  And even more importantly ... never to have to say, "If only I had accepted Jesus and surrendered myself to him."

Are you prepared?  For the bridegroom?  Washed clean by the blood of Jesus?  Having invited Him into your very soul and life?  Are you prepared?  There is such a thing as "too late".

Secondly ... I learn through this illustrative story that there are some things I cannot borrow from others.  I cannot borrow a relationship with God.  I must possess it for myself.  I cannot borrow character from another person.  It must be in my own possession ... transforming me daily.  I cannot bank on spiritual capital that belongs to someone else.  

Are you building your own storehouse of necessities for the wedding feast?  Your faith?  Your relationship with God?  Your transformation?  You will not be able to "borrow" ... from your parents, a spouse, a good friend ... at the last minute.  It just doesn't work that way.  

Be prepared.

Live as though Jesus is coming back today;

Plan as though he is not coming back for a hundred years.