(2 Peter 1:5-10 ESV) …make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
In contrast to the list of negative attributes to avoid in the second chapter of 1st Peter, we see in the first chapter of 2nd Peter a list of attributes that we should aspire to. Believe, absolutely, but belief must be supplemented with action. Virtue = moral excellence; let your character be representative of Christ. As one called to redemption in the name of Jesus, your motivations and behaviors should be indicative of Jesus’ righteousness (he is your righteousness, so honor it with your lifestyle). As we strive for moral excellence, we should seek to understand.
Sir Francis Bacon coined the term “knowledge is power.” Knowledge gives us an advantage. Simply hearing that we should behave in a certain way is one thing, but studying the scriptures to understand WHY we should behave a certain way is more powerful and compelling. As someone who grew up in the 90’s, “The More You Know” PSA’s come to mind. To be discerning in addressing the many challenges of life, the knowledge and understanding of scripture is crucial.
Our knowledge gives us a basis to exercise self-control. Having an understanding of scripture gives us a metric by which to measure our behavior. If we know what we should do, then we can aspire to behave that way and recognize where we might fall short. Our salvation is not based on our works or actions, but our works/actions speak, or bear witness to our faith. If the way we behave is supposed to point others to Jesus, then we should be passionate about being self-controlled. If we can’t manage our emotions or behaviors, what message is that sending to others about our faith and character?
Add to your self-control steadfastness; this is understood as endurance or staying power. It is one thing to exercise self-control for an hour, a day, a week… Even someone who is convicted or passionate about something can get worn down or discouraged over time; so we continually need to renew our minds and evaluate ourselves.
Godliness can be understood as the way that we submit and respond to God and the way that we look at and respond to his creation, namely that which is created in his image (spoiler alert, that means people). Brotherly love (or affection) and agape: general love, care, concern, and treatment of people in general, are the logical and spiritual outpouring of our submission to God’s will in the way that we relate to and treat others.
Lacking these characteristics is tantamount to blindness, but practicing them is indicative of absolute victory. We don’t have to be perfect in our execution, but we need to strive for all of them in our behavioral orientation.
J.J. Fletcher is a 2009 graduate of Atlanta Bible College and has been pastoring Pine Grove Bible Church (Brooklyn Park, MN) since 2017. He has been married to Hope (Kirkpatrick) for 18 years and has 4 children.
Reflection Questions
Why is just having faith not enough?
Virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Why is having just a bit of any of these not enough? What would it look like to add more and more of each of these qualities?
Is one (or two) of these harder for you than the others? How could you especially focus on that/those? Is there something to get rid of in order to make it easier to build more of this/these qualities?
When have you been blind – missing these? How does your blindness affect your relationship with God? How does it affect your relationship with others?
Prayer
Dear God – I praise You for being the One True God – perfect in all your qualities. Forgive me for the times my faith is incomplete and blind. Help me see where I need to add on more and more that I will be effective and fruitful. And help me do what is pleasing to You, living like Jesus. In his name I pray, Amen.
At the beginning of chapter four Peter says to “arm yourself with the same way of thinking” aligning this directive with Jesus suffering in the flesh. While Jesus’ suffering was likely to exceed what these Christians endured, they were still facing a culture that might ostracize, if not outright persecute or kill them.
Peter points out distinctions in how the gentiles live according to the flesh (perverting many things that God intended for good), and how we as believers are to pursue the will of God – this means among other things giving up things that might feel good or make us feel like we belong.
We’ll home in on what Peter writes in verses 7-11:
“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:7–11 ESV)
Considering the coming kingdom (which is immanent, but we don’t know when it will come): Exert Self-Control! Many times, we see this attribute called for in the life of believers (at least 18 times in the ESV). Looking in the letter of James (which I preached from yesterday), lack of self-control can lead to self-deception. When we allow our thoughts to be clouded by worldly things or self-centered behaviors, we are going to miss what God would have us do. By being sober (or clear) minded we can think critically, and we need to think clearly so that we can be effective in our prayers. Jesus gave us a model by which to structure our prayers, but our prayers are not meant to be mindless or rote… We need to be looking at things through the lens of God’s spirit, which allows us to see things that our physical eyes cannot see. Think back to 1 Peter 3 where it says a man should live with his wife in an understanding way as not to have his prayers hindered – the way that we think, live, and act has a direct impact on how we pray and the effectiveness of our prayers.
We’re instructed to love one another earnestly, because love covers a multitude of sins. (Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13). “…in the face of extreme social hostility, love will be necessary for spiritual survival. For Peter the primacy of love is accompanied by a qualification, and this qualification is a partial citation of Proverbs 10:12 similar to James 5:20—’love covers over a multitude of sins,’ rather than magnifying the faults of others. After all, love is patient and doesn’t keep a record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5)” (J. Daryl Charles, “1 Peter,” in Hebrews–Revelation, vol. 13 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised Edition).
How does the Church expect to thrive if we let piddly little things (or even larger disagreements) get in the way of caring for each other? How are we to expect to overcome the world through Jesus if we don’t exercise with others the grace that we have been shown (we all kind of stink at times, to put it mildly)?
We need to show hospitality in a world that is oft inhospitable to Jesus’ way of living. If we’re inhospitable to other believers, they might find hospitality in places that will draw them away from the grace of God. We shouldn’t grumble when we have an opportunity to be hospitable, but rather see it as an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus (Genesis 12 says Abraham was blessed to be a blessing, and through grace and mercy we’ve also been blessed to be a blessing as well).
In everything we do we need to do so viewing ourselves as representatives of God, as ambassadors of the kingdom, and imitators of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:3-8).
Reflection Questions
How does my life look like the life of Jesus and how does it look different?
How does hospitality with fellow believers prime me to be hospitable to those who I disagree with?
Am I doing well at being self-controlled? What are my biggest obstacles to living in this way? Who can I ask for help or be accountable to help me in this endeavor?
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on Oct 10, 2022)
Prayer
Dear God, You are worthy of all my praise. Thank You for Your Son Jesus Christ. I want to become more and more like him. Show me where I fail, strengthen my self-control, guide me in thinking and doing what is right and loving better.
-Devotion by J.J. Fletcher – J.J. Fletcher is a 2009 graduate of Atlanta Bible College and has been pastoring Pine Grove Bible Church (Brooklyn Park, MN) since 2017. He has been married to Hope (Kirkpatrick) for 18 years and has 4 children.
Yesterday we looked at Peter’s exhortation to be prepared and self-controlled. Chapter 1 ends with the following words: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:22-25 ESV)
As we prepare ourselves for self-controlled lives of holiness, Peter mentions that we should love our brothers and sisters earnestly from a pure heart.
Sometimes we may love someone but not treat them well. There’s an old saying, “familiarity breeds contempt.” As we become more intimately involved in the lives of others, we become more acutely aware of their strengths and faults. We typically know our shortcomings, and we may try to hide or compartmentalize them, but someone may have the same shortcomings, and we can easily hold those things against them in a way that we would never hold them against ourselves. This can be anything from personal sin/temptation issues to lack of social awareness. If someone is transparent with their struggles or confesses sin, it can be easy to look upon them with judgment; it can color the way that we view them or our respect for them. On the flipside, sometimes people carry themselves in a certain way or have mannerisms that put us off. I once shared in a sermon illustration that everyone annoys me… if I let them. If I want to be annoyed, I’ll find a reason. If I am set on people behaving in a certain way, it can be very easy to let irritation or resentment take over my perception of a person.
Peter’s words at the beginning of chapter 2 are important to understand in a relational sense. Malice can be interpreted as having a “mean-spirited or vicious attitude.” Deceit is “taking advantage through craft or underhanded methods.” Hypocrisy is “to create a public impression that is at odds with one’s real purposes or motivations, play-acting, pretense, outward show.” Envy is wanting what others have, and slander is speaking ill or evil about another. Peter does not address gossip in this section, but all of these things can play into the sin of gossip, which can tear apart people on both an individual and relational level. (Quoted definitions from BDAG Greek Lexicon).
Allowing room for these attitudes or behaviors in our lives will destroy the way that the church is meant to relate to one another; it reminds me of these words from the book of Hebrews:
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled
So we should not allow ourselves to be caught up with these attitudes and behaviors. We should be willing to receive correction if we are behaving in a way that is detrimental to ourselves and the church, and also we need to be willing to confront those who harm the church by their conduct.
These problems stem from not being focused on what Peter calls “pure spiritual milk.” If our priorities and focus are not on the life that God wants us to lead, but rather on what we want for ourselves, we open ourselves up to relating to others in a selfish or prideful way that opens us up to these types of destructive conduct.
We’ll close out with this excerpt from the NIV Application Commentary:
“Pure spiritual milk” refers to the very things that nourish the Christian community in its growth: knowledge of God, prayer, instruction in the gospel, faithful obedience, and hearing God’s preached word. The desire for spiritual nourishment is the desire of any church that wants to know the Lord and live in light of his will.”
Reflection Questions
Who do you love that you can work on treating better? What will that look like?
Do you allow yourself to be annoyed by others? What are your options? How can you view others instead?
Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, and gossip. Stop and examine yourself. What can you get rid of in your own life? What will you replace it with?
How do you get spiritual nourishment? How does it help you grow in respect to salvation? If you have been feeling spiritually malnourished recently what can you do to crave – and consume – more pure spiritual milk?
Prayer
Dear Father – I give you praise and worship for You are a great God. Thank You for Your faithfulness and love and the gift of Your Son. Help me to get rid of all bad attitudes and evil thoughts, words and actions towards others. I want to love others well, as You and Your Son have loved me. Thank You for Your perfect Word that lives forever and supplies all we need to grow in You. Help me crave it, learn from it and pass it on until Your Son returns. In his name we pray, Amen.
-Devotion by Paula Kirkpatrick (originally posted for SeekGrowLove on Oct 27, 2021)
When children finish high school, and they go off to college or to live on their own for the first time, those frenzied final weeks before leaving are usually a flurry of activities. To-do lists are checked off and then added to, last minute shopping trips become a daily occurrence, and packing everything needed seems an impossible task. Finally, the day arrives, and the slightly panicked parents are often confronted with this stark realization: did I prepare them sufficiently for the challenges they will face in life? And so ensues final reminders, gentle warnings, and many sentences starting with “Don’t forget,” or “Remember.” The parents want the best experience for their children at college and in life.
The writer of Hebrews also desires the best outcome for his dear readers, his spiritual children, as he finishes his letter. Of course, that best outcome is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Thus, Hebrews 13 concludes with straightforward instruction to reach this prize.
Consider the direct instructions found in verses 1-7, and the reasons WHY these instructions are important.
“Keep on loving each other as brothers”
“Do not neglect hospitality to strangers—(WHY?)—”for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
“Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated—(WHY?) – since you yourselves also are in the body.”
“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; – (WHY?) – for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”
“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; – (WHY?) – for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you.”
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; – (WHY?) – considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith.”
Verse 17 goes hand in hand with verse 7. “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, – (WHY?) – because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”
Hebrews 13:8 can be a stand-alone statement and beloved promise, easy to memorize (and it should be) and underlined in your Bible.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
What an assurance to us that Jesus has not changed and will not change—he is our Savior and coming King. Perhaps the writer felt a plain statement of our basic hope was warranted after his beginning list of directives.
Building on that simple reassurance, verse 9 warns the early Christians and us today, not to “be carried away by varied and strange teachings,” just as parents might advise their departing children—stay true to your foundation, the principles of your upbringing. It is firm, it is solid, it will keep you grounded.
Now, remember our reading from Hebrews 10 a few days ago.
“But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Heb. 10:12-14)
Continuing in Hebrews 13, verses 15-16 should be OUR response for this sacrifice.
“Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Our Salvation Gift from God:
Jesus—ONE SACRIFICE for all time
Our Response:
CONTINUAL SACRIFICE of
Praise
Doing good
Sharing
As the end of verse 16 says, “for with such SACRIFICES God is pleased.”
The writer concludes with a benediction or ending prayer in verses 20 and 21 that sums up his thoughts in this chapter.
“Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
This prayer serves as the perfect final reminder for young adults off to college, and for each one of us.
Reflection Questions
What reminders would you pass on to your children (biological, adopted and spiritual children)? What spiritual instruction do you want them to hear one more time?
What did you need to hear again (or for the first time) from Hebrews 13?
What do you love about Jesus’ once for all sacrifice? What will your continual sacrifice look like today?
Prayer
“Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
In the Old Testament passages we read today, I pondered a lot. I wondered if Abijah actually sought God’s wisdom about starting the civil war against his brethren or if he took his own initiative. He slighted his father for not being aggressive and starting the battle during his reign. We know through scripture that his father refrained on account of God’s will.
What is evident in the passage is that when Abijah called upon the name of the LORD in times of war, he and his kingdom were saved in miraculous ways during each battle. Because they called out to God in their distress, God acted on their behalf. God acts as they humble themselves before him.
Another thought I pondered was God’s heart when it came to hearing his children brag about him, and how they kept his commandments and served him. This bragging seemed to be a part of Abijah’s decision to begin a civil war because it made the people proud. Though it ended victoriously, it led to the slaughter of thousands of Abijah’s own bloodline.
This is where Jesus and the New Covenant direct my thoughts. We should absolutely strive to keep God’s commandments and serve him through Jesus, and we should be proud if we are able to do that, but we should brag about how we were able to do it with the help of Jesus. We should not brag about our works on account of ourselves, lest it puffs us up and leads us into battle against our brother or sister (whatever “battle” that may be).
Though God led Abijah to victory, I don’t think it was God’s will for him to start a war in the first place. But since he acted, got himself into trouble, then humbled himself, God acted on his behalf. I don’t think it was the boasting that led God to work on his behalf, it was his/his people’s humility in their distress.
If we are going to boast, we should boast in Jesus. Boast that you died and were buried with him, then raised to life, so that you can live like him, loving as he loved, to help another conquer like he conquered. If we let love drive us, maybe there won’t be a need for victories to be won—at least not victories conquering our opponents.
Our victories will be measured by the way we loved our “opponents.” Colossians gives us a few examples of how to love our “opponents” in our everyday lives with the relationships we have.
Most of us will never be a master of slaves. But we do have relationships that need cultivating, like that of an employee to an employer, husband to wife, child to parent, apostle to church goer, etc., that we can respect and behave in with wisdom, working for the good of both parties like Jesus would, with the same endgame; save others. And if we mess up, we have a God we can seek in the name of Jesus, who will look on the humble who cry out to him for help.
How do we cultivate good in these relationships, rather than going to war in them? Colossians 4 gives us some wisdom about this. Devote yourselves to prayer and thanksgiving, especially for those who have the opportunity to meet others, for a door to be opened to share the gospel. We should conduct ourselves with wisdom towards outsiders (by asking for it), so that our speech towards them will be seasoned with salt, so that we’ll gain more wisdom about how to speak life to them.
It is good for those doing the Lord’s work to talk about it with the churches, so that we can be encouraged and join in the fight for lives, and provide for those in the trenches. We must remember their labor, especially when we’re comfortable in our more stationary position in the body of Christ, without much hardship. Remember those imprisoned for Christ’s sake.
QUESTIONS:
1. How many times do you think God answers your distress call after you’ve messed up?
2. Kings who do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD often receive such a title by doing what?
3. What wisdom do you get from reading Colossians 4 that can help you in your “battle” with one of your relationships?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father – I need Your wisdom to walk in Your will. Help me come before You seeking direction to do only what is pleasing to You. Give me a humble spirit and strength to do what You want me to do – in the way You want me to do it. Help me be a wise witness of You and Your son in all of my interactions with outsiders, “opponents”, brothers and sister. In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen
The Corinthian church was composed of a majority of Gentiles. Corinth had been a Greek city and now was a Roman city. All the administration and customs there were Roman, and the culture was Greek and Roman combined. The city was a very rich place by all accounts of that time because of the trade and transportation that went through it from both sides of the peninsula that it was located on. The culture of that time was very religious, and it was not a question of believing in god, but what gods and when were the questions. Also the city was full of the Greek philosophers such as the Stoics, Epicurians, Cynics, and others. Giving and sacrifice was part of all these systems of pagan worship and thought.
Paul had advised the Corinthians about giving and its importance and position in the worship of daily life towards God. We see evidence of what he taught them in Romans 16:1-4. The flow of money and help was from the Gentile churches who had received the Word of Truth from the apostles and prophets of the early church, to the work that was centered in Jerusalem. The church leaders there were James the brother of Jesus, as well as Peter and John. Paul and Barnabas meeting with them is recorded in the book of Acts chapter 15 where the questions of the law and circumcision for the Gentiles were discussed and then settled with the apostles there.
Giving is a simple and at the same time complex question that we need to understand and teach. The tithes of the law do not apply to us now in the same way as in the Old Testament so there is no direct formula to follow. We need to see that true Christian generosity comes from the heart of the believer. First we are fully committed to Christ, and then our heart needs to change to be fully committed to the care of others both inside the church and outside of it. Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 16 the “how” of our giving, and in 2 Corinthians 8-9 the “why” of our giving.
1 Corinthians 16:1-4(NLT) Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me.
Great advice about the “how” to do it part of the commitment to give. We say “give to God” but there really isn’t any way that we can do that. We can give out of our finances, resources and time to people and organizations but not directly to God. God has no need of anything that we could possibly have or give to Him. Everything that we have or possess is because of His grace and love. Our finances, talents and abilities are all tools that can be utilized in our walk. What he does ask us to do is to be conscious and generous about how we treat others in Christ, and those in need.
What is your first reaction when you see a need in the church?
What is your first reaction when you see a need in another believer’s life?
How about the unbeliever?
This gets difficult to figure out at times. Giving to my direct church body in Blanchard is easy to figure out. Giving to the General Conference is another easy choice. Then there are direct gifts of money or time for those in need that we are directly related or connected with. Then there are organizations outside the COGGC that may merit our help or financial support. Paul once again gives us great advice on “why” of our giving in 2 Corinthians 8:8-15.
2 Corinthians 8:8-12(NLT) I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. 9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. 10 Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. 11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. 12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.
Paul once again puts financial giving into perspective for us. We should be eager and willing to walk in truth, knowledge, faith and love. And to this also Paul shows that our Christian giving is important. It is not an obligation but rather a choice that we should make about our priorities and directions.
2 Corinthians 8:13-15(NLT) Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. 14 Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. 15 As the Scriptures say,
“Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over,
and those who gathered only a little had enough.”
See also the record from Romans where Paul talks about the gifts and the direction of the flow of support to Jerusalem that is recorded in Acts 15.
Romans 15:25-27(NLT) But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially
We don’t have a law of giving to follow, but the promise from God that those who sow generously will reap generously. Recognition of the riches of our life that God has given us will change our perspective on our life, family, job, and church body. This new godly perspective of our position and responsibilities will change us to be able to give with a generous heart and mind. We will be able to do the good works that God has prepared for us to do in this life.
Reflection Questions
Can we truly do any good work that does not involve God?
If God calls us to do something won’t He give us the resources to do it?
Prayer
Father God, we put our hearts and hands into Yours. Thank you for your great love to give us the bread of our need this day, and the resources to help others. Bless the work of our hands, and the responses of our heart. Be with us this day and help us to do the works You have called us to do. In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ.
Ruth shows exemplary faith and trust in her mother-in-law, which is an example we can all learn from. Naomi provides a plan to appeal to Boaz to be a family redeemer, a crazy plan that, even by today’s standards, would be radical.
So remember exactly what this is: a marriage proposal. Ruth is fully on board with marrying a man, not her herself, but for her mother-in-law. This is, at its core, an example of a person fully submitting themselves to another.
This reminds me of John 15:13
No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.
In the context of the gospels and this sentence in general, it is about sacrificing your full life for your friends, that is, dying for them. But Ruth shows another way we can lay down our lives for our friends, by giving up our life so that our friends, family, or whoever, might have a better life because of our actions. Ruth could have stayed in Moab (Ruth 1:15) but instead she left security to support her widowed mother-in-law.
Using this context on sacrificial love, take a look at Mark 12:29-31, where Jesus answered the question of the greatest commandment.
29Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, Israel! The Lordour God, the Lordis one.30 Lovethe Lord your Godwith all your heart, with all your soul [life], with all your mind,and with all your strength.31The second is, Love your neighboras yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
When we’re told to love Yahweh our God with all of our heart, life, mind, and strength, do you understand what all means there? Ruth is an example of living a life for someone else. She gave up her own wishes and fully submitted to the will of her mother-in-law. And, while Boaz is certainly a perfect example of loving your neighbor as yourself, Ruth is certainly a good example, too. Remember: Ruth is a Moabitess. So any care and love she shows for an Israelite is showing love for her neighbor.
Reflection Questions:
Are you willing to forget yourself for the sake of your friends and family, when they’re in need? Are you fully in submission to your God, that when he sends you a command, will you say, “I will do everything you say”?
PRayer:
Yahweh, our one and only God,
I thank you for your son, who was the perfect demonstration of both,
One thing that surprised me recently when our church was going through a study of Acts, was thinking about the timeline. I don’t know that I ever realized (or maybe I just forgot), that Stephen’s story doesn’t take place just right after Jesus ascends into heaven and the Holy Spirit is poured out. Depending on different sources I looked at, it was 5-7 years later that Stephen’s story here in Acts 6-7 takes place.
Why that sticks out to me here is that when Stephen gets into a debate with some men, and they are essentially embarrassed and then get people to lie about him in order that he can be arrested, it isn’t happening right in time after Jesus’ ministry. It is years later, but groups of people are still seeming to be freshly bothered by the impact of his ministry. This isn’t something that died down – it only got stronger through the faithfulness of those in the early church.
So Stephen is falsely accused, and does he go into a heated defense of himself? Nope. He launches into a history lesson of the people who accuse him, reminding them of God’s relationship and covenant with the Jews over time, and of the failures too of these people. And then he says to them
51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.” (Acts 7:51-53)
Never in his defense is Stephen trying to argue for himself. Through all of it, he is focused on God’s righteousness and as this group stones him, he is rewarded by getting to see the glory of God and Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
And despite this stoning, Stephen’s final words are “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” which is so reminiscent of Jesus’ words of “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
This is such a great example and reminder of forgiveness and loving others that are treating you wrong/hold different beliefs. Advice that I have heard before when dealing with difficult people is to ignore them or not focus on what they are doing and God will “make it right” or enact justice in the end. But Stephen didn’t try to ignore the fact that they were stoning him. Instead, he chose to ask for them to not have his death on their hands which is just so much more loving than the concept of not taking things into your own hands but still looking forward to people receiving “justice” for wrongdoing. As he was literally murdered, he asked for them to be forgiven. Can we offer this much love to people in our lives that probably aren’t trying to murder us, but are doing things that we don’t like?
Reflection Questions
What impresses you about Stephen?
What do you do when you feel you are being falsely accused? What happens when we are quick to defend ourself?
What can we learn from what God allowed Stephen to see and share right before his death?
Why do you think Stephen chose to forgive them? What do you think is the hardest part of forgiving someone who has/is hurting you? Pray about who God wants to see you forgive.
Prayer
Dear Lord God, I thank You for Your Son Jesus, and his follower Stephen. Forgive me of the times I have not shown the faithfulness, wisdom, courage, love and forgiveness Stephen displayed. Help me forgive, Father, so I can be forgiven. I pray for Your Spirit and wisdom to guide my decisions and words. May I be focused on You and not myself. Show me how You want me to be a faithful witness of You and Your Son today and in the future, and help me do it whatever the cost.
Today we are pulling up three previously shared devotions on Mark 14, and these are just a few of several posted over the last 9 yearsat SeekGrowLove.com. You may read one, two or three – or even go find some more. Today, may we consider what Jesus did for us, as we also contemplate what we will do for him, this day.
A BEAUTIFUL THING
-Devotion by Andy Cisneros (SC) – (originally posted 3/28/2024 for SGL)
In Mark 14 we see the story of Jesus being anointed with perfume. Jesus takes this beautiful moment and shows us just how great this event truly was. Mary’s actions may signal more than she knows. But, although she may not fully comprehend the messianic significance of her anointing, she appreciates Christ’s worth more than anyone else at the table. But Jesus receives the woman’s gift as a selfless act of love and devotion—an appropriate way to honor the Messiah. Jesus reveals that He will not be with them much longer, which references His soon death and burial.
Jesus says five things about it that mark it as an extremely beautiful act. First, he says, “she has done a beautiful thing to me”. The beauty of it lay in its extravagance. This woman did not spare any of the costly perfume but broke the flask and poured the whole quantity out on him. Judas, with his practical and corrupt mind, counted it up as worth three hundred denarii. A denarius was the day’s wage for a laborer. Three hundred days’ wages would be a tremendous sum. In the eyes of Judas, this woman wasted an enormous amount of money when she poured out the perfume on Jesus. It was such a lavish over the top act, and there lies the beauty of it. When have you done something extravagant and beautiful for Jesus?
Second, He said that it was a timely thing she had done. It was something that could only be done now. Any time you want to do good to the poor you can, because they are always around. And it is right to help the poor. But there are opportunities that come in our life that must be seized at that moment. Mary had sensed this and seized the moment to offer this gift, for such a time would never occur again. It was out of the sensitivity of her heart that she realized that the timing was right, and Jesus recognized this. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase timing is everything. Mary is preparing Jesus for his death. The timing was now.
Third, she did what she could. She could not fix Him a meal; there was no time for that. She could not make a garment for Him; there was no time for that. There was nothing else she could do to show her love but this. She did what she could. I am sure Jesus has called our attention to that because it is so practical for us. Someone said, “I can’t do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do I ought to do. And what I ought to do, I’m available to do”. Are you doing what you can? Or are you doing what’s easy? Are you doing at least what you are capable of for God and his son?
The fourth element of this act was that it was insightful. Jesus says she has anointed my body beforehand for burying. Many times, Jesus said to these disciples that He was going to die. Not one of them believed or understood him–except maybe Mary of Bethany. She could have understood that he was heading for burial. And since she could not be sure she would ever have the opportunity later to find his body and anoint it for burial, she did it now, as a loving act of service. Of all these friends who were around Him at this time, only this one had the sensitivity of heart to understand what was happening.
Finally, what she did was deserving of being remembered. It was memorable. Jesus said, the story of this beautiful act will be told in memory of her wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world. Here we are today, two thousand years later, fulfilling this very word, telling again of the act of Mary of Bethany when she anointed our Lord’s head and feet.
I hope we can be as understanding and extravagant as Mary was. What can you do today to show your love and appreciation of Jesus? Something extravagant. Something with meaning.
FEAR TAKES OVER
-Devotion by Melissa New (AR) – (originally posted 8/3/2019 for SGL)
Jesus told the disciples that they would all abandon him. It was bad enough that he knew the agony he would endure on the cross, but the emotional sorrow of the betrayal of his closest friends would be gut-wrenching. All of the disciples were saying they would never leave him, no matter what. Peter insisted, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” (14:31) Jesus told Peter that not only would Peter abandon him, but that very night he would also deny him three times.
Later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asks the disciples to keep watch and pray. They keep falling asleep. I imagine the impending situation has them exhausted from worry and dread. Jesus acknowledged that “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (14:38)
When Judas comes to betray Jesus the tension is at an all-time high. The disciples want to fight, but Jesus stops them. Apparently, they immediately realized they were overwhelmed and that’s when fear kicked in. They all ran. One was slow enough that he was seized, but that fear was coursing through his veins so strongly that he left his clothing and ran away naked. That was better than sharing the fate of Jesus. We might see this as utterly shameful. How could they? And how could Peter deny Christ three times especially after Jesus said he would? Did he not remember Jesus’ words after the second denial?
Fear is such a powerful thing. It can be crippling. Fear can shut our mouths, stop us from going and loving others, and keep us from fulfilling God’s will for our lives. More often I see that fear holds God’s people back, but it can also provoke us to act as we shouldn’t just as the disciples did. The naked man and Peter are a clear warning to us. Let’s not let fear have the power to encourage us to expose ourselves shamefully or deny Christ even. In I John 4:18 we are told “perfect love casts out fear.” Let’s pray for perfect love. When we feel fear creeping in, let’s pray for our love to be stronger than the fear.
A DAY TO REMEMBER
-Devotion by Mason Kiel (IN) – (originally posted 8/5/2022 for SGL)
It’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times – Mark chapter 14. Jesus predicts that one of his disciples will betray him, one will deny him, and they feast for one last supper. He’s arrested and, in the face of threat of death, commits to remaining non-violent; even going as far as to heal those who oppose him. The archetype of betrayal, prophecy, and endurance coming together in one of the final chapters of Jesus’s time on earth. So, what more could we take away from these things after hearing it repeated our entire lives? There is always something new to be learned or applied if you’re willing to try to find it.
Starting at the beginning of the passage, a woman approaches Jesus with an exorbitantly expensive container of perfume. She takes this jar of perfume and dumps it all over Jesus, to which she receives backlash. Those in the company ridicule her for not utilizing the perfume for something better, like helping the poor. Admittedly, this would be a very honorable thing to do. But surprisingly, Jesus stands up for her and tells them to not shame her for doing a good thing to him. “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.” Mark 14:7.
This is an interesting thing for Jesus to say, as I would imagine him having the mindset of ‘do everything to help those in need,’ but this circumstance seems to be different. There will always be the poor and needy, there will always be the hurt and the wicked. Jesus is the light in darkness, as darkness is the default state, only interrupted by the presence of light, not vice versa. If we spend all of our energy trying to eliminate the darkness, we will lose sight of the light that sustains us incipiently.
Jesus is well aware of this, as the light that sustains and empowers him is God. He cries out “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36. Jesus is crying out in the most passionate and sincerely affectionate way imaginable to his father, begging that his death be made unnecessary, that this burden will be taken from him. However, he takes the proper mindset of being able to accept that what he wants may not be what God wants. When you pray to God for an answer, are you able to accept what He responds with in the same faith Jesus could? It’s no mere feat, but then again Jesus is no mere man.
Not only does he accept what needs to happen, but he also stands firm on what he teaches. If you remember from yesterday, Jesus specifically said to not be afraid when we are brought before the court for our faith, but to answer as the Spirit guides you to, as it is the voice of the Spirit that will talk for you. When they had arrested him and grilled him with questions, “… Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.” Mark 14:61. He needed not respond to their trickery but waited until he knew what he was saying to tell them the truth. For this, they killed him. Could you stand for truth until the end? Could you stand with what you believe and know to be true even if every person would hate you for it? If so, you would be stronger than Peter. He lacked this ability, and defied Jesus 3 times—to which end it destroyed him.
“Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.” Mark 14:72. Have you ever gotten to the point in your sin where you don’t even recognize who you are anymore? For Peter, he had been spending the past couple years of his life devoted to following Jesus to the end. And yet, when it mattered most, he denied even knowing him. He had become so distraught by his sin that he had nothing else to do than weep at what he’d done.
Sometimes, when we recognize that we’ve fallen so far from the righteous path laid before us, and become so wrapped up in our sin, all we can do is weep and pray that God can forgive us. In fact, it’s often in these moments that we convince ourselves that there’s no way God could possibly forgive us for what we’ve done… but that would be missing the whole point of the story! Jesus died so that even in the midst of our most egregious pain from sin, we have the opportunity to be forgiven. Even Paul, who was a Christian-slaying murderer found salvation! Do not waste this opportunity that Christ has given to you, but rather repent for your sins and devote your life toward serving his purpose. Amen.
Application Questions
Even if you’ve read Mark 14 many times before – what stands out to you today?
How can you extravagantly love and honor Jesus?
What does it mean to pray, “Not my will but yours be done”? What do you need to surrender and give up to God?
In the past, how have you deserted or denied Jesus? How has fear kept you from doing what God wants you to do?
PRAYER
Dear God,
We thank You for the gift of Your Son. We are not worthy of such a perfect gift. Forgive us of the times we have acted in fear not faith, for the times we have passed up the opportunities to give extravagantly in response to the gift given for us. Help us see Jesus for who he is, and respond with total commitment and devotion today and everyday. I love you, Lord God.
I’m very partial to and fond of the book of Deuteronomy for a couple reasons. First and foremost, Jesus quoted out of this particular book religiously (no pun intended). When Jesus was tempted, every single one of his responses was from the book of Deuteronomy (go ahead and verify that if you like, per temptation: hungry? Deut 8:3, test God? Deut 6:16, worship Satan? Deut 6:13). When Jesus said “It is written…”, this is usually the book that he’s quoting from that it was written in; which tells me it was probably pretty important.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “The Shema”: 4“Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! 5You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (LSB Translation). If you don’t have that one memorized and know it by heart, you really should, because according to Jesus it’s the greatest commandment; see Mark 12:29-31. It’s one of the primary reasons that many of us understand our God in the manner in which we do, since it was given in such a clear manner. This passage alone should have prevented a number of the innacurate understandings (but clearly didn’t, starting in about the 4th century and persisting to this very day).
When I was younger and read some of the Old Testament statutes given to the Israelites, I thought some were just weird. I didn’t really understand that this is because the statutes were given to an entirely different culture, in an entirely different time and place, and that they make much more sense when read holistically and with a more “macroscopic” lens. When you take a step back most of these laws had to do with respect; respect for your community, respect for your fellow creation, and respect for your God. The thing that I didn’t understand the most at the time was that respect for my fellow creation WAS respect for my God, or at least one aspect of it.
Looking at just a few of these today from our reading, there is one specific point I’d like you to consider, and take away from this reading: (Deut 22:2 LSB ) “And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother searches for it; then you shall give it back to him.”. This is the key question I’d like for us to think about today: Who is our brother? We see from the above passage that they don’t need to be near us, and that we don’t even need to know them. I would suggest that based on these two simple criteria that our brother (or sister, or “sibling” if you’d rather) is any other human being (which God created) that is sharing this planet (which God also created) with us (see also Luke 10: 25-37 for a more complete understanding). Your brother is everyone, just as your sister is everyone, just as your neighbor is everyone.
So when Jesus gave us the second greatest commandment in Mark 12:31, “…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (quoting Lev 19:18), it sets a pretty high standard for this type of love. I mean, let’s be honest: while most of us like our neighbors plenty, do we really love them as much as we love ourself? Do you regularly think of how much food others have when you’re buying groceries for your family? When you buy new clothes for yourself, are you also concerned about what the guy down the street is wearing? When you get a new car, do you ever stop and consider how the next door neighbor’s vehicle is working? I’d say that (speaking for myself at least) while I try to be a good Christian I tend to think about myself a lot more than I think about other folks, and the further out they are from me the more that is the case. I could say that a lot of this is due to the wealth driven society that I grew up in here in America or the “current evil age” that we’re in, but then Christ came to save us and gave everything he did while we were still in our sin. We should remember that when we consider how we act towards others, even when wronged.
Applying the verse above we see that people that we don’t even know are our brother, our neighbor. So what about their needs? What about that homeless guy, or the addict, or that guy who goes to a different church that doesn’t believe the same thing, or that guy/gal that uses weird pronouns? Can we truly say that we love them as much as we love ourself? If we did, we’d think about all of them every time we thought about doing something for ourself, and we just don’t. It’s an almost impossibly high standard and one in which I personally fail almost constantly, if I’m being honest.
I believe that a very, very important thing to remember is that God created us in His own image so that we would have dominion over the things on the earth (Gen 1:26), which comes with some privilege and some responsibility. We have been placed here on this earth with our fellow creations, and allowed to have the resources and wealth that we currently possess by the grace of God, in order to reflect the character of God. God is the most gracious, the most merciful, and being created in His image means that we should be reflecting that graciousness and mercy as well. Think about how patient God has been with you. Do you show that same patience to others? Think about how generous God has been with you. Do you show that same generosity to others? Think about how forgiving God has been with you. Do you show that same forgiveness to others? Think about it for a moment. Now consider that even with all of the offenses that humanity has committed against God, from the beginning of history, He STILL sent us Jesus. Sober reflection on this will show us that we have a long way to go if we are going to accurately reflect God’s love.
Have you ever been watching TV or listening to the radio and hear a loud alarming series of beeps which are followed by a “This is a test. This is only a test” message? Well, we don’t get that loud annoying sound in life, but I’d like you to consider that this life that you have been given is also just a test. God has strewn seeds all along the road, and the ones that grow and develop fruit in the manner which He desires will be brought into the storehouse and saved (The Kingdom). Those that do not grow in the manner He desires and bear the proper fruits will be discarded. If you are ever so focused on yourself that you do not stop to consider “Am I my brothers’ keeper?”, then please stop for a moment and understand fully that the answer is a resounding YES, because God made you that way, as His representative. So, child of God, represent.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How can I better reflect the character of God…
With my interactions with others?
With the wealth and other resources that God has given me?
With my time and attitude?
With my patience?
While bearing the fruits of the spirit?
When was the last time you…
Bought a homeless person a meal?
Offered a stranger a ride?
Stopped and helped a stranger who was broke down?
Offered to do a physically difficult task for an elderly person?
What are some things that you CAN do/WILL do for a “sibling”/neighbor?
PRAYER
Father God, help me to circumcise my heart, and to reflect Your character to all of my brothers and sisters, to each of the other beautiful and unique humans which You have created, to glorify You. Please grant me the ability to show the same patience, mercy, and generosity that You’ve shown to me. Father God, thank you most of all for Jesus. Amen.
Seek Grow Love 