I have been involved in many food service jobs over the years, including food delivery. There was one particular food delivery job that I will never forget because of the absurdity involved with my employer. I had signed up to simply deliver food from restaurants for a company that was like a local GrubHub or UberEats. Things went along smoothly for the first month, until my employer got a wild idea: he wanted to deliver the local newspaper as well (he was nervous about losing business because of larger companies coming into town). For the second month, I was taking on a newspaper delivery route, as well as taking food orders when I could (sometimes working 12-hour days). It didn’t take long before I left that job because it wasn’t what I signed up for: my employer was adding requirements to the job that were not agreed upon from the beginning.
Does this happen in church too? When it comes to eternal life and being saved, do we add requirements that were not originally stated by Jesus or the apostles? Jesus encountered this in our passage today with the Pharisees and scribes. They were teaching that one must wash their hands before eating in order to be “pure” before God, something that is called the tradition of the elders. While washing your hands is still a good practice, there was nothing in the Old Testament that ever stated this as a requirement: God was not requiring this to be in His presence, but men were. They were seeking control over the people and adding requirements that were not original.
Unfortunately, the Church today oftentimes does the same thing: adding requirements for salvation that were not original. For example, the Nicene Creed (325 AD) that is recited at many churches today states that Christians must believe that Jesus is “true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father…” There isn’t a single verse in Scripture that describes Jesus in this way, but it is a required belief for salvation in many churches today. Not only that, but there are usually cultural expectations in many churches that are required for fellowship, such as the clothing you wear or the way you have your hair put up.
What does Scripture say about salvation? “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Many might call me a minimalist, but I don’t believe Jesus intended salvation to be complicated: it’s difficult to make him the Lord of our lives and do what he says, but it’s not complicated. It is supposed to be simple enough for a child to understand (Matthew 18:3).
Reflection Questions
What church traditions are alive around you that are beyond Scripture?
What have you been taught is required, even if it’s not found on the lips of Jesus or the apostles?
Genesis 35 begins with God telling Jacob to go to Bethel and make an altar there to “the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” God is reminding Jacob of what He has done for him in the past. Do you remember what Rachel did a few chapters back? She stole her father’s idols! Jacob’s household STILL has these foreign gods in their possession. The very first commandment in the Ten Commandments (which will be) given to Moses is “You shall have no other gods before me”. What have Jacob’s people done? They have sinned!
I find this next part so interesting. In verses 2 and 3 Jacob gives instructions to his people. He says “put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.” This is repentance. Did Jacob say that they could keep the idols in their spare room and ignore them? NO. They took everything that was an idol or connected to paganism and buried them in the ground. They cast the items of sin out of their midst. Then, after turning away, they purified themselves and changed their clothes.
One commentary makes an interesting point about the garments. There are multiple places in scripture where garments symbolize the character of people. How interesting is it that Jacob told his people to change their garments, almost like a physical way to visualize the heart change of repentance? This gives even more depth to the verses that say things like “put on Christ” or “put on the new self”. WOW! Let’s take a second to thank the Lord for the true gift of Jesus and what that means for our personal lives. The Old Testament is filled with people making altars to God for numerous things. We don’t have to do that anymore because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. Now, our lives are an offering to God and Christ is the one to cover all of our sins. How amazing is that?
Okay, back to Jacob. What do you notice about God in this chapter? I notice how gracious God is. These people had taken false gods! There was no reason why they deserved to have God on their side. But He is still faithful to them! He guides them, protects them, and then blesses them by giving Jacob an incredible promise at the end of the chapter.
How amazing it is to have a God that will forgive us. I want this story to prompt us today to think about any areas in our lives where we are holding on to sin. If we are in Christ, we are a new creation, and although that doesn’t mean we are perfect yet, it does mean that we are continually being transformed. Ephesians 4 says, “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” What does that look like in your life? Think about how you can “put on the new self” today.
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection Questions
What will it look like to take off your old self? What do you need to get out of your house, your heart, your life? Are you hiding any foreign gods?
What will it look like to put on your new self today? How can you put on a clean set of clothes?
“The Kingdom of heaven is like…”Six times we will read that phrase through the rest of Matthew 13 as Jesus shares parable after parable, with the purpose of explaining the Kingdom of heaven, first to the large crowd on the shore and then more directly to his disciples. Jesus knows that they are expecting a Messiah to come rule and set up a kingdom that will overthrow the Roman army and government. Jesus wants them to know the Kingdom he is teaching about is far greater and very different from what they are looking and hoping for.
It is interesting that Matthew is the only Old or New Testament writer who will use the phrase “kingdom of heaven”. Many of the same parables will also be told in Mark and Luke and they will use the phrase “kingdom of God”. John doesn’t include all of Jesus’ parables in his gospel account, but does write of the “kingdom of God.” So, why is Matthew different? As a Jew himself Matthew was writing to convince the other Jews that Jesus was indeed the Messiah promised to Jews long ago. His original audience was very aware of God’s laws about misusing His name and so they cautiously omitted referring to God by name and replaced God’s name with the place God dwells – heaven. Matthew was not trying to create confusion about where this Kingdom would take place. As we read these parables and continue throughout the gospels and New Testament let’s look again and again to see if the hope of the kingdom Jesus taught is to be whisked away to live in clouds or to inherit and possess the land. And when does it take place?
A word repeated many more times than “kingdom” in Matthew 13 is “hear”. Open up your ears and really listen to what Jesus has to say. Don’t assume you’ve heard this sermon before so you can check out. He has mysteries to reveal about the kingdom, but so many will miss it because they don’t really listen to the words of Jesus. So, this year instead of reading through Matthew 13 in one day we thought it would be profitable to slow down and take the parables one day at a time. Many times through the year in our SeekGrowLove Bible reading plan when we come to a new parable we will give a day to the reading and thinking and hearing of that parable. Sometimes the devotion might be written about one of the other Bible passages, but you can still take the opportunity to soak in what Jesus is saying and teaching, often about God’s kingdom.
So, today’s parable is about weeds (we’ll go back and hit the mustard seed and yeast tomorrow). Who doesn’t love a good weed story? And, with this particular weed parable we get the benefit of hearing Jesus’ explanation when the disciples questioned Jesus after the crowds were gone. But the story didn’t start with weeds – it started with the Son of Man planting good wheat seeds in the world. But then the devil sneaks in at night and plants weed seeds. And so the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one grow up together. This is your neighborhood, your school, your office environment, your world. Side by side. Sons of the kingdom and sons of the evil one. Growing older and taller, together. All mixed up, together. Side by side. Wheat and weeds. Righteous and wicked. Until…
Why do we have to wait? Can’t we just take out the weeds NOW? No, Jesus says. Both will grow together until the time of the harvest at the end of the age. Will the weeds and the wheat be sorted out when they each die? No, Jesus says. Both will grow together until the time of the harvest at the end of the age. We aren’t there yet, but every day we are a day closer. What will the harvest look like? Let’s hear what Jesus has to say: “The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:41-43).
Wheat or weeds? You are one or the other. There isn’t a third choice. Which do you want to be?
Son of the Kingdom or Son of the evil one? You are one or the other. Which do you want to be? Which will you strive to be? What will it look like?
Fiery furnace or shining like the sun? Which will the harvest reveal as your destiny?
Have you heard the words of Jesus? How will you respond?
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
What have you been taught about the Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven? Does it line up with Jesus’ words and teachings?
How can we better listen to and actually hear and then respond to the words of Jesus?
What encouragement and warnings do you find in the parable of the weeds?
How can you grow as a Son of the Kingdom living amongst the sons of the evil one?
What are some of the “everything that causes sin” that you look forward to being destroyed at the harvest at the end of the age?
Have you ever eaten a fresh orange straight from a tree? Or maybe an apple from an orchard? Fresh fruit is SO good. I know that some of you are currently in the thick of a snowy, cold winter. For those of us in the Southwest section of the U.S. it’s actually one of our growing seasons, believe it or not! Orange trees are fully loaded with fruit, here in Phoenix, Arizona. Well…most of them….
I have a small little tree right in the middle of my backyard. I did not plant this tree. Whoever planted it didn’t leave any information about what kind of tree it was. I’m a midwest girl and I could not tell you what kind of leaves each fruit tree has. This little dude is small enough that it isn’t growing any fruit yet (although maybe that’s more on us than this tree!). Since I can’t see its fruit, it is hard to tell what kind of tree it is. (For the record, I did google it and I think it is an orange tree.)
In Matthew 12:33, Jesus confronts the Pharisees by using trees as a metaphor for their speech and hearts. He says “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.” He’s calling them out because they were attempting to “speak good” things while their hearts were “evil”. Woah. Now, Jesus was speaking to this group of people, however, I think we can take something away from his instruction.
The Bible talks A LOT about our tongue (the words we say), and our actions. In fact, our reading in Psalms today mentions this as well! Verses 3-4 talks about those who boast with their tongue. In Ephesians 2, we see that God’s grace is what saves us so that we cannot boast about our own abilities and actions. (Kinda like the Pharisees were trying to do in Matthew 12). It is by His mercy that we can have a relationship with Him. Because of this, our “tree” can be rooted in Him – the ultimate source of life. He is the reason that we must not be conformed to the world but instead, be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12). THIS is where the good fruit comes from!
Jesus says in Matthew 12:34 that out of the abundance of our hearts, the mouth speaks. Our words are the outward reflection of our hearts. Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. What we say has an influence on people. I’m sure all of us can attest to this in our personal lives.
I want to encourage and prompt you with this: we are called to be the salt and light of the world. How do we do those things? By our words and our actions. God has given us a calling to bring His light, love, and goodness to those around us. I pray that our hearts and minds may continually be transformed to be more and more like Jesus. Because of this, we will bear good fruit so that others can see God’s goodness and love.
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection Questions
How is your fruit looking and tasting? What do others see coming from your life? What does Jesus see?
What fruit have you produced that you want to create more of? What fruit from your life would you call bad fruit? How can you alter production to produce more of the good fruit and less of the bad fruit?
Jesus goes on to say, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37) Do we often forget the power and consequences of our words? Will your words spoken last week acquit or condemn you? How can you better control the words you say?
Jumping into our Old Testament reading today of Genesis 27-28, we find ourselves among a muddy set of characters. Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau are quite the dysfunctional family in a lot of ways. As a kid I heard the story of Jacob and Esau many times, and I remember coming home from Sunday School one week quite indignant as to why the “liar” got the blessing. That just didn’t make sense to my immature brain which was picking up information from stories in isolation, and in many ways, is still working on weaving them all together. Jacob and his manipulative mother had stood out to me as being the “bad guys” in the story since they were busy lying, sneaking around, wearing hairy disguises, whipping up really good goat stews that just might taste like something Esau’s hunting could have contributed to, and yet somehow, they got away with it. What good Sunday school teacher would have the moral of the story be “lie, cheat, and steal and you’ll be blessed”?
Now when I read this story, I realize….it’s kinda like war. Ultimately, like most stories of human beings, all of the characters are wrong in different ways at different times and full of mistakes. In this case, at times they were all conniving and trusting in themselves to fix problems versus trusting God wholly and His sovereign plan. While Rebekah had been told the older would serve the younger, she certainly hadn’t been told to take matters in her own hands and assume she had to be manipulative and conniving to achieve what God himself had already told her was going to happen. Nor had Jacob been instructed to trick and lie to his father. And Esau certainly was not just an innocent victim with his misplaced priorities like bowls of red stew and pagan wives. Interestingly, according to commentaries, Isaac lived 40 more years after giving the blessing to Jacob. I always pictured him on his deathbed in this story, but apparently he had another 40 years to see what unfolded!
God had a plan, a promise, a land and blessings to give, despite this family’s actions, not because of them. The story of this imperfect crew in Genesis 27-28 falls after Abraham has died. They are descendants of the promises given to Abraham already, and in Chapter 28, Jacob hears those promises reiterated again to him personally. As promised, not because his costume was really good and his lying skills were top notch, Jacob’s descendants are bountiful, and form the biological lineage of King David and our Messiah, Jesus. Genesis in fact, is a book full of beautiful promises, and not just promises found in interesting tales of old, full of characters who like red stew. They are full of incredibly relevant promises for any Christian today, and are absolutely central to the gospel message. For that matter, these passages are also very relevant to current events today and a land that we must trust to God’s sovereign plan. He doesn’t need our plotting, manipulating, and worrying. Not only that, He doesn’t want them. God alone knows the who, what, when, where, why, and how of it all. Jesus will return. The meek will inherit the earth.
In trying to come up with an analogy for the importance of the promises of Genesis in relationship to the gospel, and how they impact what we live for, hope in, and are sustained by, I realized Anthony Buzzard, a faithful teacher of the Abrahamic faith, had already done it for me. In an article I ran across recently in his Focus on the Kingdom magazine, I found comfort and inspiration in his golden thread description:
Underlying the entire Bible story, running like a golden thread through Scripture, is the promise made to Abraham that he would receive, as a reward for his obedience to God’s call to leave Ur of the Chaldees, prosperity, progeny, and property. This amazing, divinely promised guarantee of success, which Christians are invited to share as spiritual children of Abraham, is summed up in the compact phrase “the blessing of Abraham.” This beautiful and memorable phrase is found only twice in Scripture, in Galatians 3:14 and Genesis 28:4. This provides the essential link between the two Testaments.
The article, The Land Promise to Abraham and His Descendants: The Key to the Whole Bible Plot, can be read here.
May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, so that you may possess the land where you live as a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.
Have you ever been outside somewhere and simply sat in silence for a while? Maybe it was in your backyard, a forest, or a beach. Often, if we quickly look at a landscape we only notice the “big picture” things – the mountain in the background, the fact that there are trees in certain places, maybe we notice a path up ahead. But if we take a couple of minutes and just observe the area around us, we begin to realize that there is a lot more happening than we first thought. You might notice how the leaves move in the wind, or see bugs crawling over the dirt, or maybe you can spot where the birdsong is coming from in the canopy above.
It takes intentionality to notice the small details around us.
Matthew 10:29-31 has always been one of my favorite portions of scripture. Sparrows are small, ordinary, brown birds that are very unimpressive in the world of birds. You probably won’t brag to your friends about the sparrows you saw on your bird-watching trip. However, the Bible mentions these little guys multiple times!
Luke 12 gives us a little more insight into just how insignificant these birds were. You could buy 5 sparrows for two Roman coins that were each worth less than an hour’s wage. They were cheaper when you bought more. These birds were pretty much worthless in Jesus’ day.
Look at what Jesus says! He says that the Father sees every single one.
We might pass by a tree, completely unaware that a little bird is perched in the branches. But the creator of the universe knows exactly where it sits.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Jesus then makes a comment about the hairs on your head. Now I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to count each of your hairs…but I did when I was a kid. I remember hearing this verse and being the determined child that I was, I sat down to try. I didn’t get very far. I don’t think I even got past one teeny little section of hair! God can count ‘em! How crazy is that??
We then read in verse 31, “Fear not”. Why is Jesus telling them not to be afraid? If we look at the previous portion of Matthew 10 we see Jesus calling his disciples. This calling is pretty intense, right? He tells them that they will be doing all of these amazing things but they will ALSO be persecuted, hated, brought to trial, and sent as sheep in the midst of wolves. That sounds pretty terrifying if you ask me!
That is when Jesus speaks these incredible words – that even one of the insignificant and seemingly worthless little birds (that we might totally pass by, unaware) is not forgotten by the Father. You are of more value than many sparrows, and our God sees you. And He knows you. And even then, He still loves you.
I want to make a note. Some of us have read this passage countless times. We may even have it memorized. I really want to encourage you (myself included) to let these verses sink deeply into our hearts. Take a moment to meditate on what it truly means to be seen and known by God. How will knowing this impact your life? How will you live your everyday life, with the understanding that even in all the chaos of life and in the grand scheme of the world, the Almighty God cares for you? I hope you find immense comfort and joy in that beautiful truth.
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection & Application
It is a little too cold in some parts of the world today to ask you to go outside and sit for awhile, so if you have to do your sitting inside, that works, too. But, as Katelyn suggests, take some time and consider what this passage means to you. What thoughts and feelings do you have when you hear each of these statements: God sees you, God knows you, God values you, God loves you. Pray to Him about it.
What COULD you be afraid of right now? How does knowing and believing Matthew 10 help combat fear?
Psalm 9 is packed with so many insights into God’s character! Take a moment and read this Psalm if you haven’t yet. Keep an eye out for where David talks about God and His character.
In this Psalm, David is comparing those who know God and those who are wicked. He mentions God’s holiness, justness, and provision – contrasting God’s response to both groups of people. David also mentions multiple times that he will “tell of your deeds” as he reminisces on the wonders that God has done in his life. David has confidence and faith in God because he knows that the LORD is faithful.
Ok just a second though… in David’s time, Jesus hadn’t died and risen yet, let alone even been born. But look at how firm David is in his praise! He knows that God has done wonders and will do even more. He knows that God cares about His people.
How much more thankful can we be because we know of Jesus? We can have a beautiful perspective when we read the Old Testament because we know what happens in the New. The hope of God’s throne, of His provision, and judgment have an exponentially greater meaning to us with the hope of the Kingdom.
Like David in verse 11, we can tell those around us the wonderful things God has done (and will do). We can even see this topic in the New Testament. If we flip to the other side of our Bibles, we see in Hebrews 10:23-25 that we have a steadfast hope because of the faithfulness of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. With this foundation, we can encourage each other as brothers and sisters. This encouragement will lead to love and good deeds – loving God and loving others!
Let’s take some time today to praise God for His faithfulness. That He has done wonderful deeds (Psalm 9:1), that He is a stronghold in times of trouble (9:9), that He hears the cry of the afflicted (9:12), and that He does not forget the needy (9:18). I find it so amazing that Matthew 9 reveals the heart of God even more. Jesus’ mission was to do his Father’s will, which means that we can see God’s character through the actions of Jesus.
In Matthew 9:12-13, Jesus says that he isn’t calling the righteous, but the sinners – the ones who are sick and need healing. WOW! Friends, that’s all of us. Even those of us who have been believers for a while. We must remember that we too were and are sinners and have been saved! Thank you God for seeing the needy, the poor, the hurt, and the sinners. Now THAT is something to praise God with our WHOLE HEART (Psalm 9:1) for. Let us be glad in that.
Today, I want to encourage you to think about the wonderful deeds that God has done in your life. See if you could ask that same question to another believer in your life. Sharing God’s faithfulness encourages and edifies both ourselves and those around us.
-Katelyn Salyers
Reflection Questions
What wonderful deeds has God done in your life?
Today who will you ask to tell you what wonderful deeds God has done in their life?
Why is it important to tell yourself and others what God has done? What happens when we forget?
God had promised Abraham, in Genesis 17:19, “Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”
At this point, Abraham was over 100 years old, and had faithfully followed God. In Genesis 12, Abraham obeyed when God told him to leave his country and family. Abraham allowed Lot to take the lush land around Sodom in Genesis 13, and trusted God to provide for his own flocks and herds on barren mountains. In Genesis 15, Abraham trusted God’s promise that he would have a son in his old age, and God counted that faith as righteousness.
In Genesis 22:2, we find God commanding Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
This doesn’t make sense. God had explicitly promised that God’s promises to Abraham would be passed down through Isaac’s descendants, and now God was commanding Abraham to sacrifice him – apparently destroying the promise He had made to Abraham.
By this point, Abraham had developed a very close relationship with God. In fact, we’re told 3 times in the Bible that Abraham was God’s friend (2 Chron 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23) – and as far as I know, Abraham is the only person in the Bible of whom this is said.
We’re told in Hebrews 11:19 that Abraham reasoned that God was able to raise the dead, and that He was going to keep His promise.
So early the next morning, Abraham took Isaac and 2 servants and left for the place God told him to go. When they got close, Abraham told the servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and we (emphasis added) will come back to you.”
As they got even closer, Isaac asked his dad, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Can you imagine how this must have broken Abraham’s heart, looking down into his son’s questioning face, knowing that in a few minutes he would be killing his beloved son, who would be the offering? Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb.” (Actually, God had provided Isaac – as a miracle baby in his parent’s old age.) When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, tied up Isaac, and laid him on the altar.
As he was getting ready to kill Isaac, the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and stopped him. Abraham then saw a ram caught in the brush by its horns, and sacrificed it instead. God then promised Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 22:16-18, “I swear by myself, declared the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore… and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
I could point out all the similarities of Abraham’s being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, and God being willing to sacrifice His Son, Jesus. I could point out the significance of another quote from this chapter, “Jehovah Jireh – on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (This was the mountain where Soloman’s temple was built hundreds of years later.) I could point out the importance of obeying God, and the benefits that result.
Instead, I want to comment on who, when, where, how, and why of God’s provision.
Who: God tested Abraham with a very difficult test even after a life of serving God. We see that God provided the ram in this case only after Abraham trusted and obeyed God – even though it didn’t make sense. Assertion: God provides for those who trust Him and obey Him.
When: God provided for Abraham at the very last minute, not before. We’re told in Hebrews 4:16 that we will “receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Assertion: God provides precisely when we need something, not when we think we need it. (i.e. according to God’s timing.)
Where: God provided for Abraham only after Abraham went where God told him to go, and after he obeyed everything God told him to do. Assertion: God will provide if we are where He wants us to be. We should have no expectation of receiving God’s provision if we aren’t where He wants us to be.
How: God didn’t send an angel from heaven with an offering for Abraham to sacrifice, God provided a normal ram, caught in a normal thicket, by it’s normal horns. And God didn’t send a whole flock of sheep, just one ram, because that was all that was needed. Assertion: God will usually provide in ways that are very natural – don’t look for miracles.
Why: In times of testing, it’s easy to only think about our problems, and focus on, “why is this happening to me?” I think there may be two general reasons why trials come. First, we are told in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Note that this only applies if we are living according to His purpose. Also note that trials are by definition difficult, and won’t seem to be beneficial at the time. Second, ultimately, everything is for God’s glory. Isaiah 43:7 says, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory…” We see an example of this with God destroying Pharaoh and his army for God’s glory in Ex 14:4, 17. Assertion: God allows trials and gives provision for our good and for His glory.
The bottom line is, if we are faithfully following God, times of testing will come. If we remain true to God, if we are where He wants us to be, and if we are obedient to Him, he will provide what we need (not necessarily what we want), at the very last minute, usually through normal means – and this is for our good. If we aren’t following God, the times of testing may just be to bring Glory to Him. I’d rather be in that first group. How about you?
–Steve Mattison
(originally posted January 11, 2021 for SeekGrowLove)
I am sorry this was not posted this morning – I thought it was – and then was surprised to see it still sitting here this evening. We are enjoying a weekend of reFuel North, a youth retreat in northern Indiana and haven’t been on the computer today.
Reflection Questions
In what times of testing have you seen God provide for you? How?
Are you where God wants you to be now so that He can provide for you?
What do you learn from Abraham in Genesis 21 & 22?
Many surprises are really good surprises: birthday parties, just because flowers or gifts, snow days, finding bacon in the fridge (said my husband), a check in the mail, your daughter coming home from college 4 days early. But, the surprise in our short New Testament passage today would have to be one of, if not the total WORST surprise ever. But, that’s no place to start a good devotion – let’s save that surprise for the (fitting) end and start with the two gates.
I am a visual learner (though not too artistic) so I made a simple little chart in my journal of the two gates in Matthew 7:13 & 14- two simple little verses with a very big lesson.
It brings to mind the repeated refrain of the desperate teenager arguing with his or her parents to be allowed to ___ (fill-in-the-blank with whatever popular but not always wise pursuit kids are into at the time), “But, everyone else is doing it!” Unfortunately, even as adults we too often strive to fit in with what everyone else is doing, saying, watching, thinking, and even being. When will we learn that “what everyone else is doing” is not a good argument for joining in but actually should raise giant red flags and make one consider reversing course immediately. MANY are on the road leading to destruction. It is popular, easy, fun, attractive, politically correct and what everyone else is doing. It is where your friends and neighbors and co-workers are and likely some family and church members, too. It is where the majority live and work and play, where entertainment and media, social and otherwise, hang out, and where influencers thrive. Why wouldn’t anyone want to join in? Just one reason. It. Leads. To.
Destruction.
Not just a bad day, not just a mistake, not just a lesson learned, but destruction, final and ultimate and forever destruction. Many are headed there now. Many are on that road. And you know them. You might be them. This popular road is also the road with the teenager (and now even younger) tragically contemplating and committing suicide. This is the road with the pregnant hopeless woman planning an abortion. This is the road that is raising way too many of our world’s children and youth. This is the road with ferocious wolves dressed up as harmless sheep. This is the road with hatred and despair and deception grotesquely mixed in amongst the glittery fun popularity. This is the overflowing road that leads to destruction.
Who will find the way out? Just. A. Few. Will I? Will you?
Remember that surprise we were saving for the end? The WORST surprise ever? Jesus said that MANY (where did we see that word recently?) who appear to know Jesus and speak in his name – who even drive out demons and perform miracles in his name – will be told by Jesus, “Away from me, you evildoers!” as he denies them entrance into the kingdom. And if you aren’t going into the kingdom the only other option is that wide slippery slope of a road that drops you straight into destruction.
This is one of those many times in the Scriptures where I want more information to answer all my burning questions starting with, who are these (many) people? Yeah, I want names, Jesus, but if you can’t give me that, at least some more details… What denomination(s) are they? What hidden sins? Who do they believe Jesus is? Are they wrong? Is that why they are denied? What role does pride play? Are these different from the wolves in sheep clothing? They kind of seem to be “better” good and effective “Christians”- are they? Do they think they are? It seems they look really good on the outside, could something be wrong on the inside? Have they fooled even themselves?
But the most important question is: How can I make sure I, and the ones I love and care for, are not in this group? And Jesus does give us that answer. Do the will of His Father in heaven. ONLY the people who DO the WILL of GOD will be allowed into eternal life anew in the Kingdom of God. Just wearing the Christian name is not the ticket. Merely calling Jesus Lord is not enough. Even driving out demons and performing miracles – which do appear to be convincing signs of doing the will of God – is not enough to prove one is actually doing God’s will. GOD always knows who is and who isn’t doing His Will. And Jesus isn’t fooled either. It is indeed much harder for us to see and always know who Is and who Isn’t doing the will and work of God. We are told that false Christs and false prophets and even a powerful beast of the earth will come with great signs and wonders in order to deceive. (Matthew 24 and Revelation 14).
Don’t be deceived. Don’t deceive yourself. Don’t set yourself up to receive the worst surprise in the world. Don’t join them on that wide road. Don’t let your last words be, “But everyone else was doing it.” Don’t be tricked into believing you have to stay on that wide road if that is where you are now. Get off. Change your course. Change your destiny. Fight against that loud crowd and find your way to the unpopular narrow road. Do His Will. And in order to DO that – you need to study to know Who God is and what His Will actually is so you won’t be tricked into thinking you are good and safe and got your ticket in. Be one of the few heading toward the narrow gate doing God’s will. It is the only way to life.
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
What do you think makes the wide road so popular?
Do you find the narrow road appealing? Why or why not?
Which road do you think you are on now? What evidence do you have? Is this where you want to stay? Why or why not?
With the information you have right now, what do you think doing God’s will would look like for you today? Are you doing it? How can you learn more about what God’s will is for you? What’s the danger in not learning more about God’s will?
If Sarai of Genesis 16 was my neighbor or Bible study partner or worse, my daughter-in-law, I’m not sure I would like her much. There is the big problem of Sarai sending her maidservant Hagar to sleep with her husband Abram. Perhaps, with a bit of study I could accept this as a cultural Canaanite tradition which was indeed an effective way of fulfilling God’s first command to Adam and Eve: Be fruitful and increase in number (Genesis 1:27). It gets trickier to do this God’s way when there are more than two people on earth, but still no law. In fairness to Sarai, she did not have the benefit of God’s law yet as she was born hundreds of years before Moses. But, even if I were to give her grace and excuse her from that act, there is the whole problem with her attitude and overall mean spirit. Even when her plan works out as she had orchestrated, she quickly casts blame on her husband and mistreats/abuses Hagar. Not a pretty picture, Sarai.
I am glad I am so much better. I would never impatiently try to help God give me blessings in my own way not His. You would never find me blaming my husband. And I have certainly never ever mistreated – anyone. Well, probably not enough to make them run away into the desert.
Maybe, I am exactly what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7 when he begins, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (vs 1-2). Unfortunately, the world has heard just the first three words, “Do Not Judge” and has twisted Jesus’ words into permission to sin and accept sin. But that is not the case! Jesus tells us over and over again (and even multiple times in this same chapter) to look carefully and judge whether people and actions and ideas are good or bad, righteous or wicked, wise or foolish, innocent or dangerous, taking us closer to God or further from Him. He warns you and I about the wolf in sheep’s clothing who wants to deceive you and figurative dogs and pigs that will tear you to pieces. And if you have already decided that it is not your place to judge if they are good or evil or to discern if they want what is good and godly for you or what will destroy you, then I fear you are already sitting in a very dangerous spot.
So, what did Jesus mean when he started out with the words, “Do not Judge…or you too will be judged” and then gave the excellent illustration of the speck and the plank? Make sure you read it for yourself from Matthew 7. I think he was saying judge yourself first in order to be helpful in then spotting sin in others. Specks are hard to see clearly when we have a plank lodged in our eye socket. And our restored sight is crucial in then being able to delicately help our neighbor remove the irritating speck in their eye. When we judge rightly we can start out by putting every single one of us in the sorry sinking boat of sinners in need of a Savior – and make sure you jump into that boat first. Stop bad talking and blaming the neighbors and church members and see yourself for what you are and what you do. Don’t sugar-coat the truth trying to make yourself look better than the rest.
I am no better than Sarai. I have been quick to blame my husband and my kids and my friends, when the fault was more with me. I have mistreated people, sometimes to their face, sometimes behind their back. And I have tried to ‘fix’ things my way rather than patiently trusting God for what He said He would do in His time. I can be very selfish and prideful and rude. And the list goes on. And if I don’t accept and work to correct these problems and sins in myself FIRST then I will be hypocritical and ineffective when I, with that plank still stuck in my eye, turn to help my neighbor who has a speck in her eye.
Jesus was not saying specks and planks are okay and we should leave them be. Sin is not okay. He was telling us the order in which to judge and correct – self first SO THAT you can actually be useful in helping others recognize and remove the sins that are affecting their sight and health and well-being. Sin surgery for yourself first. Recognize it for what it is and get it out! Then look with compassion not contempt on the Sarais and Hagars and neighbors of the world, some of whom do not even know God’s law and have no idea they are stuck in evil because they only heard “Do Not Judge” and never heard the rest.
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
When you honestly look at yourself what sins do you find? How can you work at removing them? What roles do Jesus and God’s word play in surgery to remove sin?
When you encounter sinful stories how can you respond less like a hypocrite and more like “The God who sees me” that Hagar experienced in the desert in Genesis 16?
What is the problem with not judging what you see around you?
How does Matthew 7:12 relate to the “Do not Judge” part of Matthew 7? In what other situations is it wise to live by Matthew 7:12?
Seek Grow Love 