Tag: leader

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Mark: A Prophet Without Honor

Read: Mark 6:1-6

“…He was amazed by their lack of faith.”

Just after Jesus brought Jairus’ daughter back to life, he is back in his hometown, the place where people knew him best. The Sabbath rolls around and Jesus enters the synagogue and begins to preach. Mark provides these remarkable observations from Jesus’ relatives, neighbors, etc.:

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Mark 6:3

They were offended, somehow. Where did that come from? Perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised. I’m pretty sure I would be in the doubters group.

We live in a culture that promotes hero worship. I’m not talking about Marvel or DC Comics, I’m talking about people who’ve been blessed with incredible gifts for the building up of the Kingdom on earth who’ve been sucked into accepting a pedestal they’ve been placed upon. Perhaps this isn’t a new concept.

In Jesus’ earthly days, the Pharisees viewed themselves as heroes. They insisted that people look up to them for their vast knowledge and endless faith, but they were, for the most part, lost in their own fame.

In this passage, Jesus’ family and friends are completely confused. They can’t let go of their preconceived ideas of what the coming savior would look like or where He would come from. Though they knew scripture, they couldn’t see that God would do what He said He would do all along. Standing right in front of them, they missed it.

This is a scary thought.

But it’s much worse,

He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. Mark 6:5

Their lack of faith is contagious. It spreads among the people and though the miracle worker was there, though they could hear with their own ears and see with their own eyes, the naysayers infected them with doubt. Deep in their hearts I suspect they were troubled, but the moment passed and Jesus left.

Lord, reveal Yourself to us today, in small ways or works of wonder. May we see your fingerprints in the rising sun and hear your voice in the singing birds. Bring tears of joy from those that come to mind, memories of unbounded love that You have placed in our lives that care about us more than pretense or title.

Don’t let us miss you.

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Mark: Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter; Heals A Woman

Read: Mark 5:21-43

Jesus is not happy with the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, and the religious right, but he doesn’t apply that stereotype to everyone who wears the mantle of Jewish leader. This is important for us to grasp. Our version of church has plenty of Pharisees, but there are many inside those organizations that truly love Jesus and are doing their very best to live lives as disciples and disciple makers. I hope we are not too quick to judge!

In this story, Jesus demonstrates his love for one of the synagogue leaders, Jairus, by receiving him and hearing his request:

He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him… Mark 5:23-24

Tears begin to creep into my eyes when I read “my little daughter is dying…” The words are so sincere, they touch my heart. I don’t know how many children Jairus had, but it’s obvious that he is counter culture on several levels. First, he cares about his “little daughter,” his baby girl. My understanding of the culture at that time would dismiss baby girls as a burden, a non-contributor to the family, something necessary for procreation, but not for carrying the family name. Ugh!

Secondly, though Jairus is part of the currently established church, he seeks out Jesus, he’s not your typical Jewish leader. I’m sure there were many who were not dissuaded by the Pharisees and their evil desires to eliminate Jesus.

Hearing his petition to heal his dying daughter, “Jesus went with him…” Isn’t that just like our Lord, our Savior? I know it’s a simple phrase, but it’s amazing to read that Jesus stopped what He was doing, whatever direction He was headed, and went with Jairus. Do you see that? Can you believe that Jesus would walk with you?

Jesus Heals a Woman on the Way

Along the way, as if this weren’t enough, a woman seeks out Jesus for healing. For 12 years her bleeding simply would not stop. Doctors had not clue (I can’t imagine what they tried). She spent everything she had for a remedy, but it only got worse. Then she heard that Jesus would be walking by and knew that He can heal her, but she is “unclean” by definition, so she had to disguise herself and sneak up to touch the hem of His robe. Instantly she is healed and Jesus decides to use this as His preaching point, on the way to Jairus’ daughter.

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:32-34

Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter

It took time to make the journey, though it doesn’t seem like it was that far. In whatever time it took, the little girl died. Jairus’ friends and family already began to mourn, but Jesus has a different plan. He and His selected three disciples (Peter, James and John) plus mom and dad went into the room where the little girl laid.

He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. Mark 5:41-42

Beautiful story. Happy ending. Many lessons to draw from these few words. I can’t help but be overwhelmed at the deep demonstration of Jesus’ love for those who would simply reach out to Him. He’s willing to walk with us, to take our hand, to heal our brokenness.

Jesus, we love you! Oh how we love you. You are the one our hearts adore!

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Mark: Jesus is Not Happy

Read: Mark 3:7-35

As the Pharisees began to plot against Jesus, the crowds are overflowing. Mark quickly lists the 12 disciples, then focuses on accusations about Jesus’ motivation. In my mind, this quickly gets ugly. Jesus has some strong words for those who are completely confused. At the same time, we are challenged to consider the sin for which there is no forgiveness. Think about that.

Side note: A zillion years ago, I was part of a group of men who reacted some parts of the Gospels as Jesus and his disciples. The part I was given was Simon the Zealot. You may be surprised at the casting call, but I was on active duty in the Air Force at the time. In those days, “bull in a china shop” was my moniker. I’ve lost a lot of that edge, but fondly remember having endless energy and boundless faith. Oh how I long for younger days!

Here’s a quick outline for the rest of chapter 3:

Of all those who followed Jesus, there were a select few called to be disciples:

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted… Mark 3:13

Can you imagine? Were others disappointed? Or did it just make sense? I’m not convinced they really knew what they were getting into, but watching this man heal so many, hearing His words of compassion for the least, the lost and the lonely, learning how to serve God with fresh teaching, on and on–that must have been so overwhelming.

Jesus’ family and those who were teachers of the law had a different opinion:

When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” Mark 3:21-22

Oh man, Jesus is not happy with being “handled” for sure, but I think He understands the confusion amongst His earthly family. However, the teachers of the law have just taken this a step too far. He tells a sensible parable to debunk their accusation that He is of Satan, then caps it off with this bold assertion:

Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” Mark 3:28-29

Hear this clearly, teachers of the law, your slanderous words, your sinful desires, your relentless pursuit of knowledge without wisdom can all be forgiven, but calling the Son of God one who is from Satan is a bridge too far–you will not be forgiven if you hold onto this statement.

These men watched Jesus perform miraculous healing, yet their minds are so lost they would suggest this was of Satan. In my wild imagination, I can see the look Jesus gave them when He spoke those words. I see Him say each word carefully and distinctly as He looks at each of them. With that look, Jesus could have vaporized them, but He gives them a chance to withdraw, to change, to recant. Did some? Possibly. Clearly, there were many who were stained by this horrible misperception.

Lord help me to learn to listen without warping Your words. I long to be in that group that hears your voice, that sees your eyes, that watches you gesture and smile.

 

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Mark: Healing on the Sabbath

Read: Mark 3:1-7

God is serious about the Sabbath, the fourth commandment for those with a checklist. Working from home for nearly 20 years has tainted my personal understanding of Sabbath, something I need to figure out how to fix.

In this passage, Jesus challenges the Pharisees to look beyond the stone tablets, but some are hell bent on missing He who was heaven sent:

Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Mark 3:2

First of all, “some of them” knew that Jesus could heal the man. That alone causes me to pause. It’s not like they were whispering amongst themselves, wondering if He could heal the man, they were wondering if He would.

Secondly, who is “the man with the shriveled hand?” I’m confident that he is not a stranger, someone on a business trip that wandered by the synagogue to catch up on his daily prayer time. No, this man was known by the people, likely an outcast because his “defect” made him just a little less of a man that those standing to accuse Jesus. He came to the synagogue knowing he’d be judged and seen as unworthy–yet he came. I’m not sure I would willingly go to a place where the leaders would look down on me as less than worthy.

Lastly, Jesus knows their thoughts. He could have waited a few minutes and suggested they meet around the corner, at a friend’s house, or anywhere other than right in front of those looking for a reason to fight, but that’s not how our Savior acts:

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Mark 3:3

The stage is set. Time to learn from the Master. Just before this event, Jesus told the Pharisees:

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28

They didn’t get it. They are so focused on their laws that they lost sight of what The Law was created for. Jesus, knowing their hearts, demonstrates His greater compassion for the man who came to the location where people were supposed to find God, the synagogue, the meeting place to learn and share. As we see time and time again, Jesus goes to these places to speak truth, but find stubborn hearts instead.

Here’s the scary part:

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts… Mark 3:5

Anger and distressed.

The last thing in the world I ever want is to have Jesus look at me in anger or be distressed by my stubborn heart! Just glancing through the Old Testament, things did not go well for those who angered God!

The main lesson we draw from this story is to look at the greater meaning of The Law, the rules by which we live. If we miss this lesson, we risk acting like these leaders in the story, a reality that plays out far too often.

Sadly, I’ve seen this before in modern churches. I remember having lunch with the senior pastor of a church where “some of them” decided he was making poor financial churches. They met amongst themselves to stir up dissention and eventually left the church. In the process, my friend lost his position and relocated. Sad. What’s sadder still is this is not unusual.

Lord, help us to learn from the Pharisees that You show us in scripture. Teach us to avoid being so holy that we can’t even see. Help us to help each other and not become “some of them.” Allow us to see the 500-pound gorilla in the room and have the audacity to call it out! None of us wants to be a Pharisee.

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Mark: Pharisees are Confused about Fasting and Lord of the Sabbath

Read: Mark 2:18-28

The Pharisees continue to rack up evidence against Jesus in these two observations: 1) Jesus’ disciples aren’t fasting like they’re supposed to, and 2) Jesus and his disciples broke the law by plucking some heads of grain on the Sabbath.

These two issues are dealt with directly:

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. Mark 2:19-20

He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? Mark 2:25

Both of these answers completely confused the Pharisees. They were so committed to their laws, their rules, their way of life, they were (most of them) unable to see the bigger picture.

Here’s a thought:

  • Why does God highlight the Pharisees in the Gospel record of Jesus’ life?
  • Why do we read so much about the Pharisees?

There is no doubt that Jesus was unhappy with the Pharisees–clearly they have misplaced priorities and have created a system of religion that is centered on their system rather than God. That’s not my question. Why focus so much attention on them?

Some of the reason has to be related to how we have built our version of the church versus the way Jesus intended the church to be built.

Church planting seems to be a big movement, or at least it appears so from my vantage point. Starting a new church when we have some 350,000 churches in this country doesn’t seem to make sense until you look at demographic reports and do the math. But what if 1,000 of these existing churches experienced reformation? This is part of Tom Planck’s vision for Healthy Growing Churches, creating a new culture, a transfusion of sorts, to reenergize the body of Christ by focusing on church health and multiplication. Growing the kingdom on earth today, one church at a time.

Are we willing to say we have become like the Pharisees?

What if we created a Pharisaical Assessment that graded individuals on their tendency toward being like the Pharisees? A score of 100 identifies those found in verses 18 and 24 of the reading above (and many others in the New Testament). This would be a challenging instrument to create for sure. In fact, just creating it would suggest that we have superior knowledge, that we are just a little bit holier than the other guy, so we would get Pharisaical points to start with! But we must ask ourselves the question: are we being like the Pharisees?

Please help me by creating this list of Pharisaical traits. We are acting like the Pharisees when we:

  • inappropriately quote Scripture
  • use scripture to defend our superior wisdom
  • fight about Bible translations
  • insist only paid staff baptize people
  • serve communion by officially ordained pastors
  • (fill in the blank)

Lord, I don’t want to be known as a Pharisee. It’s the least of my desires. How can I be a disciple maker if I tend toward being a Pharisee? How can I effectively share the Gospel, the compelling, crazy, life-changing story of Jesus, if I’m focused on man-made rules? Help me to see clearly when I’m acting proud and haughty, when I’ve elevated myself above others and lost sight of your desire for us to love God and love people more than any other law, commandment, or rule.

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Mark: Dinner with Sinners

Read: Mark 2:13-17

When was the last time you had dinner with sinners? When have I intentionally invited those who are regarded as sinful, shunned by the church, into my home to share a meal? Seriously. Consider the text:

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Mark 2:15-16

This is not a narrative about feeding the homeless, though that’s a good thing to do, instead we see Jesus rubbing shoulders with those who were rejected by the Pharisees, the proverbial well-to-do people in society, business leaders, those with disposable income, titles, prestige, and all the trappings of a successful earthly life.

Jesus, knowing He will only be walking on earth for 1,200 days (or so), chose to invest one evening with this group. I suspect it was way more than one occasion–probably a common occurrence.

My rough calculations suggest I’ve had over 12,000 dinners as an adult. I know that our concept of dinner is much different than that of 2,000 years ago, but still, how many of those were intentionally set with successful people outside of the church? Honestly, I wonder if I know how to make friends with someone outside of church because I spend so much time inside the church.

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

In our modern society it takes about 10 years to become a medical doctor. Imagine becoming a physician that avoids patients. In an instant the Spirit of God can fill a life, change a person for eternity, no need for 10 years of school! In that same instant we can reach out and share the love of Christ around a dinner table, a cup of coffee, or _____ (fill in the blank).

I’m personally challenged by these few verses because I’m sure this happened frequently for John Mark and the disciples. Jesus, friend of sinners, ate with those who were far from God, who were eternally sick, though physically fine.

Lord, open my eyes to those who are far from You, those who are ill, but don’t know it. Show me how to have a relationship with them that will change their lives for eternity–for their benefit and for your glory!

 

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Matthew: Jesus’ Trial, Crucifixion and Burial

Read: Matthew 27

Not the end of the story.

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. Matthew 27:1-2

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” Matthew 27:24

Pilate played his part, ignored his wife’s admonition, and  washed his hands. “All the chief priests and the elders of the people” got their way. All. Sad. Completely deceived.

Jesus, now in the hands of Pilate’s soldiers, was treated with the utmost disrespect. From their perspective, this was just another man to execute. Like the priests and elders, the soldiers were lost in their world, out of touch with humanity. I know it’s horrible to compare priests with brutal soldiers, but both are representatives of systems contrived by humans for their own purpose, their own selfish desires.

Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Matthew 27:37

Priests, elders, soldiers — complete disrespect. Then the people, those wandering by to see the latest execution by crucifixion joined to add their voices, mocking Jesus.

In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. Matthew 27:41

The torture of crucifixion is not something to dwell on, though many have explained the agonizing, painfully slow process that always ends in death, one way or another. The soldiers knew the process, but this time something was different. When Jesus breathed his last, a series of events took place that defied explanation.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:54

Crucifixion complete, the centurion speaks in past tense. I wonder if this centurion was aware of the rest of the story. Surely he would have heard from the company of guards, but that’s the next chapter, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Pilate released Jesus’ body to Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, probably one that Pilate was quick to appease.  Joseph provided burial clothes and a tomb for the body of Jesus.

The Jewish leaders were concerned that Jesus’ disciples, interestingly absent, would steal the body and assert he had risen as he predicted, so they pulled yet another puppet string on Pilate the governor:

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Matthew 27:65-66

As Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story” is yet to come. For today, I ponder the pitiful state of people at that time, lost in their selfishness. They couldn’t see the extent of their depravity–the deceiver had done his job well. Can we see ourselves? Are we like the elders?

It’s easy to say I’m not like the soldiers, but I’m reluctant to shout I’m not like the Jewish leaders. Raised in Christian tradition, I have been assimilated into the fold. So the challenge, my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not be normal. We don’t walk in the footsteps of those who blindly follow protocol, but we’re not rebellious for the sake of rebelling.

The featured image on this post is truly strange. The photographer captured what appears to be a common site in Nepal, these Holy men of Pashupati. Grown men that are part of a ritualistic religious group we would be quick to disassociate ourselves with. I could have chosen a photo from the Vatican or NAMB, but this one was so extreme I thought it conveyed the point that men who appear wise in their own eyes look foolish to God.

Lord, my prayer is for clear vision this morning, to truly see what is before me. Help us to not be so caught up in our earthly systems that we miss the piece of heaven that is in front of us.

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Matthew: Plot, Betrayal, Arrest and Denial

Read: Matthew 26

The narrative captured in this chapter covers a wide range of activity during a short period of time. To be fair, this should be nine separate posts, but I’m not trying to write a commentary, simply point out some thoughts from reading through the Bible.

It’s interesting that Matthew provides the most words on The Last Supper in this chapter. Of all the topics he captured, we read 329 words about this event while the fewest words are used to describe Judas’ agreement to betray Jesus.

When Jesus was anointed with precious perfume in Bethany, I remember the words, “the poor you will always have with you” (Matthew 26:11), but today I was drawn to the beginning of the passage,

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper Matthew 26:6

Jesus was known as the “friend of sinners,” but the significance of meeting in the home of one who is known as “Simon the Leper” escaped me. You simply can’t hang out with lepers! If leprosy.org is correct, the disease still affects more than 3 million people in over 100 countries around the world, and get this:

Scientists don’t fully understand how leprosy is spread.

Interesting, fun fact to enrich the day and give us some appreciation for the context of this occasion — Jesus is hanging out  in the home of a guy that previously had been infected with a mysterious disease that categorized people as unclean and unapproachable. Simon was healed by Jesus and was restored to his position in society, regained his home, but did not lose the label, “the Leper.” This was so common that Matthew lets it slip by as the introductory words for Jesus preparation for burial.

The Last Supper

To gain a Jewish perspective on the events in Jesus’ time on earth, I often venture over to chabad.org. With regard to the Passover celebration in particular, there are lots of steps and procedures to follow. Here’s the process I hope you’ll find interesting:

Ordered Freedom

  1. Sanctify
  2. Cleanse
  3. Appetizer
  4. Break
  5. Tell
  6. Wash
  7. Bread
  8. Matzah
  9. Bitter
  10. Wrap
  11. Set the Table
  12. Hidden
  13. Bless
  14. Praise
  15. Accepted

The disciples, mature Jewish followers of Yahweh knew the process even without the internet, but Jesus changes the final meal from one of anticipation for the “final exodus” to remembrance of His sacrifice.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Matthew 26:26

We, the professional church people, have this quote engraved in our memory, but this was radically different for Jewish ears to hear. Jesus is the final sacrifice and the elaborate Passover celebration now has a completely new meaning. We’re no longer drinking wine and breaking Matzos crackers just to remember deliverance from Egypt, we’re now remembering His sacrifice for our ultimate escape from the bondage of sin.

At Hope Fellowship, we’re going through a sermon series on Exodus. I hope at some point we arrange to have a Seder meal, to take time to go through the rituals of our Jewish ancestors. It provides an interesting perspective and helps us consider the difficulties they faced in the Exodus. Powerful stuff. Perhaps then we’ll stop and think about “this is my body” with a new perspective and deeper appreciation.

This is a deep chapter that covers many topics. I hope you’ll find something you haven’t seen before as you read through the theme of Jesus’ last hours walking amongst us.

Grace and Peace.

Love God. Love Yourself. Love Others.

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Matthew: The Olivet Discourse, Part 1

Read: Matthew 24

If you have a red letter Bible, or like me, you have “red letter” turned on, chapters 24 & 25 are nearly all red (initially I thought I would cover both chapters). The words of Jesus are carefully transcribed here as part of the last discourse in Matthew’s gospel account. The prophetic voice of Jesus himself addresses the end of time with an emphasis on preparation, on doing, more than observing and talking. It’s time to get out of our comfort zone and into our calling zone. Lord, help us to hear that call clearly!

As I was reading chapter 24 and highlighting verses, a funny thing happened: the verses I picked were 10 verses apart: 14, 24, 34 and 44. Weirdness. Not contrived, just fell that way.

Jesus’ prophecy about the end of time comes with clear warnings:

  • And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14
  • For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. Matthew 24:24-25
  • Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Matthew 24:34
  • So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:44

Reading this in September of 2017 is radically different than sitting in the room with Jesus when the words were spoken. Ted Dekker’s recent books (A.D. 30 & A.D. 33) help me to appreciate what it must have felt like to be in that room and how difficult it must have been to understand what Yeshua was saying.

Back up a few verses and grab a glass of context, this is a private conversation for the world to hear:

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

The rare, non-red letters in this chapter describe how Jesus delivered this discourse. It’s absolutely amazing! We only read the important words, but I wonder how many times the disciples raised their hands, scratched their heads, or simply said, “wait, stop, pause, say that again!” This wasn’t a sermon from the pulpit given during the hour of power, this was a conversation where Jesus sat down with his chosen few and painted a picture of what was to be. I truly believe there was a lot of interactive discussion at the time and I further believe Jesus repeated the words so many times so that Matthew, Mark and Luke were able to take notes and provide their perspective on the discourse.

Imagine the first time these fishermen, plus others, heard this statement:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14

The whole world. All nations. That had to be something which needed some clarification. No one was checking to upgrade their MailChimp account or update their Facebook status with the hopes of going viral. Jesus is sitting there with them saying the entire world will hear this gospel that they are hearing for the first time. As we read in the previous chapters, the Pharisees and Sadducees are not the ones who will convey this message; rather, it’s these handful that answered the call. All will hear as a result.

But don’t be deceived, it won’t happen without the Tempter himself trying to screw things up:

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. Matthew 24:24-25

Jesus is speaking in prophetic terms and clearly wants to tell all of us to be aware of false teachers. For the disciples, this provided incredible insight into how they should live out their days. John invests a lot of time reminding us this world will not accept us and Paul would later write about being in the world, but not of the world (Romans 12:2).

When the end comes, it will come with a fury.

Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Matthew 24:34

In one generation God will bring about the end of time as we know it. Will this be the generation? This year? Next year? In our lifetime? Don’t be too quick to say no.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:44

Stop expecting to be the only one that gets the secret message! Instead, be prepared! I’m sure we agree that the type of readiness that Jesus is describing as “be ready,” is a very active state of spreading the good news of the Gospel, but how we go about this business is multifaceted and tied directly to our Spiritual Gifts and personal wiring. The better we understand our calling, the better we will be at serving the body of Christ. However, let’s not get so inwardly focused that we are outwardly useless! This post is already too long, you’re probably not even reading at this point! The next chapter gives us some great words of wisdom to help in the preparation.

We’ve been given the Bible to continue this conversation. When we meet and talk about life, the ups and downs, joy and sorrow, if we’re deeply considering the words in the Bible, these kinds of thoughts just naturally arise — this is a good thing! We should discuss things like, what did he mean by ‘this generation’ and how can we be prepared and act at the same time? We can only do this if we make time in our busy schedules to sit and chat about things beyond football.

Lord, help us to get excited about the journey that is before us, the mission of your church, the Gospel for all nations, for all people, and especially to understand our role in the process.

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Matthew: Jesus and the Religious Leaders

Read: Matthew 22-23

Following the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus continues to challenge the Jewish leadership by exposing their inability to grasp the fundamental truth that was literally standing right in front of their faces. The reading today includes a wide array of topics presented by Matthew as keys to revealing significant problems with the religious right.

Here’s the roadmap for this morning:

Jesus’ response to paying taxes is one we often quote, and it’s probably a favorite of the IRS, but notice verse 16:

They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. Matthew 22:16

The Pharisees tried to trip up Jesus by including the Herodians in the confrontation to create a legal reason for disbanding the disciples. The Herodians, as in, Herod who had John beheaded on a whim. They commune with those who are despised by the people as an oppressive authority and judge Jesus and his disciples who reach out to the least, the lost and the lonely. The Pharisees are hell-bent on getting their way, as we’ll read today, and that’s not a play on words. Jesus doesn’t miss a beat as he sends them off scratching their heads.

Next we read about an encounter with the Sadducees, the group that doesn’t believe in the resurrection. This is their moment on stage with Jesus, so what do they ask? They ask a question to try and gain support for their position on resurrection by creating a ridiculous scenario. Jesus hears their pinpointed question and provides a broad response:

You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. Matthew 22:29

Those who devote their full attention to the Scriptures are lost, they don’t understand at all. Jesus sends them away searching their scrolls to find the basis of his response, but they will not be satisfied because they don’t see the big picture. Lost in the details and checklists, they have no chance at understanding the “why” behind the story.

Time for the Pharisees to step up to the microphone:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:26-40

I can’t help but provide the entire quote here, these words are so important for us to soak in. All the Law hands on these fundamental thoughts. Every time we read the Bible, sing a worship song, pray for another, we need to remember that we are bound to love first. Love God with all we have. Love our neighbors, those caught up in this life like we are. Love ourselves. Obviously, we could write about this for days!

Matthew’s not done and the Pharisees, somewhat surprisingly, are still around so Jesus asks them a question:

What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he? Matthew 22:42

Jesus gives them a puzzle to solve that they cannot possibly comprehend from their perspective and sends them off (for the day):

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. Matthew 22:46

You see, it’s not that the religious leaders misinterpret the Law, the simply don’t understand the underlying principles for which the Law was created — they missed the point. As a result, they are lost in their piety:

So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. Matthew 23:3

When we talk about servant leadership, serving to lead, we are drawn to this passage because we know in our hearts:

The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12

The motivational speech is to humble ourselves, not dance in the end zone.

Just in case anyone is wondering about Jesus’ position on the Pharisees:

  1. Woe: You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.
  2. Woe: you make a new convert twice as much a child of hell as you are.
  3. Woe: You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
  4. Woe: You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
  5. Woe: Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
  6. Woe: You look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
  7. Woe: you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Matthew 23:33

Seven woes. The leaders are completely lost.

Before we begin to gloat over our non-denominational deliverance from Pharisaical thinking or our superior understanding of Calvinism or Arminianism, let’s pause and reflect. While it’s important to be able to articulate theological, dogmatic distinctions, solid expository teaching of the Bible, and appropriate hermeneutics, I pray that we will not lose sight of our savior’s words: Love God and Love Others. Lord, help us to embrace love for the entire world.

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