Welcome to another wonderful day with God as our Father and Christ as lord in our lives. God’s Word gives us comfort, strength, confidence and grace every time we read and meditate on it. Our readings today are full of all these attributes of our God who loves us so much.
Psalms 65:5-8(NLT)
You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth,
even those who sail on distant seas.
6 You formed the mountains by your power
and armed yourself with mighty strength.
7 You quieted the raging oceans
with their pounding waves
and silenced the shouting of the nations.
8 Those who live at the ends of the earth
stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
you inspire shouts of joy.
Father, thank you for your answers to our heart’s prayers and needs. Help us to remember your great love and care of us and all the earth.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15(NLT) Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
Father, we thank you for giving us new life in Christ, that our old nature is replaced with this new life of relationship and fellowship with You and Your Son
2 Corinthians 5:16-17(NLT) So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Father God, help us to see what Christ has done for us. Then help us to see what Christ has done for all who hear Your voice. Your love for us is overwhelming.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21(NLT) And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
To become an ambassador is to become the representative of the king or ruler whom you represent. In the Eastern culture of that time there was no telephone, texting or internet to communicate to the ambassador in real time what the ruler desired for him to do. So, the ambassador would act in the name of the king or ruler to make decisions, treaties or other relationships with the people he or she was talking to. In the same way we have been given the position of a trusted ambassador by our God, and He is sending us to those that we meet with a message of salvation and grace. We are confident of our position because God has forgiven our sins and shortcomings making us His treasured family and trusted representatives. Our lives should be the living proof of what God has done for mankind.
Our position as God’s ambassadors is to tell the God-story (gospel) to all that we meet. Our message is one of new life in Christ, a changed life today and a future life to come. Our message is one of love and grace not condemnation and fear. The goodness of God brings people to repentance and new life. What have we ever done for God that is so good that we deserve a reward for it? Rather see that God has everything that we need for us and for others. Life will change when we approach it with this confidence and grace for others. Be the ambassadors for our God that He has called us to be!
Reflection Questions
How do you meditate on God’s Word? What can you do to improve?
Who has God sent you to to represent Him?
How can we see this role bigger in our lives?
Prayer
Father God, be with us today as we come to You thanking You for your grace and love. We are overwhelmed by Your love for us in Christ. Help us to become the people that You have given us the opportunity to be. Be with us as we speak Your Word to a fallen world around us. We thank you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our lord and Messiah.
The records of scripture we are reading today include the story of Naaman and his leprosy. This record is familiar to many, but never loses relevance for us as we read. The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword and is able to separate the physical world we live in from the spiritual truth that surrounds this world.
What is important to you? Then what is important to God?
2 Kings 5:1-8(NLT) The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. 2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. 3 One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. 5 “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.” 8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”
A prophet is one who speaks for God. He or she speaks out the truths that God shows them to say to the people in that moment of time and place. These truths are seldom predictions of the future, which is the popular viewpoint of many. But rather most of prophecy is speaking the firmly established truths of the Word of God applied at the right place, right time.
There are also many people that think that there are no more prophets today. This is a reaction I think to the claims of religions such as Mormonism or Islam, for example, that base their authority on the speaking of a self-proclaimed prophet. It is easier to just say that there are no prophets today after the 1st century of the church then to see that there were many false prophets then and many false prophets now.
It is not for the prophet’s own power or position that words of knowledge and wisdom are given to the prophet, but for the building up of the body of Christ. The words spoken by representatives of God in a true relationship with our Father God will be the words that are rightly spoken. This will be in a way that builds confidence in God and Christ, not tearing people down from condemnation. There may be a firm correction given by the prophet to the people but it will build up, not tear down.
Proverbs 25:11(NKJV) A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.
2 Kings 5 :9-15(NLT) So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” 11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed! 15 Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.
The words of a true prophet are established to be true and faithful to our God. God gives us the words of truth and when we speak on His behalf to the powers of this world God will give those words the power to do His good and intent. We are not responsible for the content of God’s Word, but we are responsible for the telling of it to others. God’s message, our speech.
2 Corinthians 4:1-2(NLT) Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. 3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
What are the truths that God has given you to speak and reveal to others?
When you speak for God are you fulfilling the ministry of a prophet? (Hmmm…)
2 Corinthians 4:5-7(NLT) You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
Whose power are you empowered with today?
What is the light (knowledge) that you can shine into the darkness of this world?
Why did God choose you?
Our message is not about ourselves but about the God who has saved us. What is the purpose of the saving grace of God for your life if not to serve Him and speak for Him? It isn’t religious rules and statues that God calls us to speak but the message of that saving grace of God which you have received.
2 Corinthians 4:13-18(NLT) But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory…..18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever
Fix your eyes upon Jesus, look full into his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim….
Reflect On Questions above in bold font.
Prayer
Father God, we pray to You today to empower our lives with Your Word and wisdom. The power that we have is from You alone, and we can only speak truth with Your words. Give us the confidence to speak for You, and Your love to see others as You do. Thank you in the name of Jesus Christ for all Your care and help in our time of need.
Today we start a week with so many inspiring scriptures to read and meditate on. The first section today is from 2 Kings 4 where the familiar story of Elisha and the olive oil is recorded. Elisha is speaking for God and asks the widow “What can I do to help you?” The theme of the week of readings is our God who is always asking us that question. The Good News is that God is also willing and powerful to help us in every way if we put our trust and faith in Him. What He has done for us is to redeem us, sanctify us, reconcile us, and give meaning and purpose to our walk with Him in our lives. Reading from our section of Kings today:
2 Kings 4:2-7(NLT) “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked.
“Tell me, what do you have in the house?”“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied. 3 And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. 4 Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.” 5 So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. 6 Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. 7 When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”
If you combine Basil, Parmesan, Pinenuts and Olive Oil you get Pesto. What do you get when you mix Olive Oil, Spinach and Sweet Peas? You get the cartoon classic Popeye.
Oh well it was a good try. But you know why Our God is so strong? He is strong to the finish!! (famous quote).
The story of Elisha and his walk with twice the spiritual power of Elijah is such an important record for us to read and appreciate. All through these chapters of Kings we see God giving people the things that are needed, continually rewarding faithful followers with what is important in their lives. Elisha walks and talks with God daily and has the voice of God in his spiritual ear all the time.
Can we hear words of knowledge and wisdom from God today like Elisha did?
If we believe that this is true, why do we doubt God’s presence so often?
2 Kings 4:13-17(NLT) Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
Once again, the question “what can God do for her?” And then we read how Elisha raises the child from the dead in a most thrilling story of deliverance. Wow!
How do we change our perspective to “what can we do for others?” in our walks?
How do you think that would affect our lives and ministries?
Now let’s look at what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians where he is working to help their church to become united, strong, and productive. They were divided in their church body, and were accepting and promoting wrong teaching in many areas of Christian living and worship. The books of 1-2 Corinthians are reproof and correction to help them (and us) to get back to the correct path of righteous living, believing and actions.
2 Corinthians 3:1-6(NLT) Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! 2 The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. 3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. 4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles who should be the most exalted and powerful leader of the early church, especially amongst the Gentiles. Instead, he comes to the Corinthians showing them that the attitude of leadership and service in the church body is one of true humility and deliverance. All leadership is based on trust in God and Jesus Christ. He is the example of what true humility is, for Christian living and leadership for them and for us.
2 Corinthians 3:12-18(NLT) Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
The more that we read, study and meditate on the Word, and follow the examples of Christ and all the leaders that are recorded in the Bible, the more we will become like Christ. The walk of fellowship with the Father and His Son will be reflected in our faces and from our lives. I am sure that you have seen this from believers that you fellowship with.
REflection Questions:
Why is the veil of uncertainty done away with when we follow Christ?
What can we do daily to improve our walks of believing in spiritual power?
PRAYER:
Father God, we look to You today and are thankful for all that you do in every way in our lives. You have saved us, built us up and sustained us through the challenges of life. Father, we look to you to talk to us and give us the confidence to do what You ask us to do. We are weak in ourselves but strong with Christ in us. Thank you for being part of all we do. Give us your help today. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Paul had the standing and education to be a powerful teacher and preacher as he traveled Asia Minor in the first century. It is so striking to see how Paul goes right to the most important part of our message to others. It is that proclamation that Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, dead for 3 days and was then raised again from the dead. There were over 500 witnesses that saw him in his resurrected body and could tell the story from firsthand knowledge. Paul proclaimed to them this truth knowing that if people do not believe and accept this truth, then all the other convincing arguments that can be made for Christianity are not going anywhere. Read 1 Corinthians 2 with us today and see how Paul approaches the people in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5(NLT) When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
Our witness to the proclamation of Christ that he is risen from the dead is the central theme of our faith. Read this story about the simple witness of a shoe salesman named Edward Kimble.
When it comes to contemporary heroes of the Christian faith, we are familiar with names like Billy Graham. But what about Edward Kimble or Mordecai Ham?
Edward Kimble was a shoe salesman who worked alongside a guy named Dwight. Edward shared the gospel with Dwight, and Dwight accepted Christ. It was 1858, and Dwight’s last name was Moody. We know him as D. L. Moody, who was one of the greatest evangelists in history.
Years later when Moody was preaching, a pastor named Frederick D. Meyer was deeply stirred, and as a result, he went into his own nationwide preaching ministry. On one occasion when Meyer was preaching, a college student named J. Wilbur Chapman heard him and accepted Christ. He went out and began to share the gospel, and he employed a young baseball player named Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday ended up being the greatest evangelist of his generation.
When Billy Sunday preached the gospel in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was such a great meeting that he was invited back. But when he couldn’t be there, Sunday recommended a preacher named Mordecai Ham. Ham went to Charlotte and preached, but not many people responded to his invitation to accept Christ. But on one of the last nights, a tall, lanky boy who worked on the local dairy farm walked forward. Everyone knew him as Billy Frank, and we know him today as Billy Graham.
So Edward Kimble reached D. L. Moody, who touched Frederick Meyer, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who helped Billy Sunday, who reached businessmen in Charlotte, who invited Mordecai Ham, who ultimately reached Billy Graham. And it all began with the simple witness of Edward Kimble.
Every one of us can make a difference for the kingdom of God. What is He calling you to do?
Billy Graham preached and evangelized to over 200 million people across the world during his life. We may not completely agree with the message he taught or the follow up that was lacking, but the power of God is evident in the chain of witness that faithful believers presented.
1 Corinthians 2:6-10(NLT) Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets
The mystery revealed to us is the hidden decision by God to open the whole world of both Jew and Gentile to become one church of the body of Christ. The hidden decision that God made was that the life of His Son would be able to become the payment for all the sin and sins of the world. Jesus was faithful to all that God asked him to do, and because of his faithfulness God is able to find him righteous and raise him from the dead. Death could not hold Christ and God gives him a new resurrected body and then gives him authority over all of creation. God does all this because He judged him righteous. Paul tells us that if the powers of this world had known God’s plan, they would not have crucified Christ. The powers of this world would have let him live as he was alone as the Son of God, but now there are millions of children of God all who are witnesses of the plan and story of God and Christ.
When we accept the sacrifice of Christ for us, we become new creations in the pattern of Christ. We get a new heart and the way to become a child of God. The gift of holy spirit that we have received in Christ gives us a mind that will see and understand the God-story, the gospel plan that God has made for us and all the creation.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13(NLT) And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
The wisdom that we have is knowledge that can change our minds and hearts. It’s not the wisdom of philosophy and man’s knowledge, but spiritual words revealed to spiritual minds. It even is considered to be foolishness by the academia of this world. We hear with our minds those thoughts and understandings that come from God and are revealed to us in His Word. Every time I spend time with Him and His Word more of His truth becomes real to me. The knowledge of God is inexhaustible and infinite because He is infinite. Our minds can approach the understanding of His Word, but it is a lifetime journey of faith which continues to expand before us. This mystery of godliness is revealed to us today and it is the story that we must tell others. Paul does this with the Corinthians, and it is the pattern for us to follow in our own ministries.
Reflection Questions
What is the witness that changed your life to come to God?
What witness can you give today to others that will give them this new life also?
How can we keep our faith and walk of believing simple and pure in purpose?
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, we pray this day for understanding hearts and minds. Thank you for Your great love that gave us Christ. Help us to meditate on Your Word both day and night. Give us this day the boldness to speak Your Word to this fallen world, telling this story of grace and truth. God, we praise You for all Your works and love. Praying this day in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ.
One of the things taught in most of Christianity is that Jesus came into Jerusalem only one time and it was a great celebration of his kingship and carried out by all who were so glad to see him. It is commonly called “Palm Sunday”. The people calling him the “Son of David” is the same as calling him “king” by the people there. They wanted him to come to the capital there and throw out the Romans and Greeks and then set up his kingdom on earth right then and there. This record in Mark 11 is about the first day before Passover that Jesus comes into the city. I took the reading from the Revised English Bible (REV) on the Spirit and Truth’s website.
Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem on this day is one of rejoicing and great celebrations by the people. “Hosanna” is literally “God save us”. They are saying “God save us by the one who comes in the name of Yahweh”. Heady stuff and sure to make both the secular leaders of the Jews (mostly Sadducees) and the Romans soldiers and administrators very unhappy. The Jews didn’t want to upset the cozy formula they had worked out to go along and get along. Also to keep the money train going in the Temple and with the tourists coming there. They had the money-changing tables where whatever money the people had would be exchanged for the official money to be used in the Temple, with a large profit margin going to the changers. The other commerce area set up was to sell sacrificial animals and was also in the outer court. The outer court was called the court of the Gentiles where all nations could come into the Temple area. This is why Jesus says to them that the Temple was designed to be a blessing for all nations, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.
Jesus on this entrance to Jerusalem comes into the Temple and looks around and then leaves and goes back to where he is staying in Bethany (probably at the house of Mary, Martha and Lazurus).
Mark 11:1-26 THE MINISTRY OF JESUS IN JERUSALEM (REV) The Triumphal Entry
The next day he gets up early in morning and for the second time goes on the road going to Jerusalem. On the way he sees a fig tree and because he is hungry goes to the tree expecting to find figs. The record says that when he gets to the tree it has no figs, but Mark also says curiously that the time of figs is not yet. He then curses the tree, and it dries up from the roots, also not the way that trees normally die. This is a picture of how Israel has failed in God’s purpose at this time. See this explanation from the REV commentary attached here.
(REV Commentary ) “seeing a fig tree.” The fig tree was one of the trees in the Bible that symbolized Israel. This particular fig tree was a fitting parable of Israel. It was in full leaf and looked very promising, even ahead of the rest of the trees. It should have been a source of great blessing for those who looked for early sustenance coming out of the winter months. Instead, it was a liar, promising much but delivering little, deceiving weary travelers and giving them false hope. Jesus cursed it, foreshadowing the curse and destruction that would come upon Israel.
“it was not the season for figs.”The question this verse poses to the average reader is, “Why would Jesus curse the fig tree for not having figs if it was not the season for figs?” The answer to that question lies in understanding that, although there were a couple varieties of fig trees in Israel, the common variety produces two crops of figs per year. An early fig grows on the old branch stock that grew the preceding year. This early fig often begins to grow even before there are leaves on the fig tree, although sometimes these early figs and the leaves start to grow at the same time. These early figs usually start developing in March, but may be a little earlier or later depending on the climate, and the circumstances of any given tree (Israel has many different climates, usually somewhat depending on elevation). These early figs mature in June, and the leaves grow and mature along with them. A second crop of figs starts on the new tree growth that sprouts that year, and they generally ripen in August.
Since Mark is recording events around Passover, Jesus would have approached the fig tree in April. Although it was not yet the season for figs, Jesus noticed that this particular tree was in full leaf. If the leaves were fully formed, that meant he could expect the figs of this particular tree to be early too, or at least be far enough along to be somewhat satisfying to eat. This should not surprise us. It often happens in horticulture that a plant is a few weeks earlier than the “regular season.” However, when Jesus got to the tree, the situation was not just that the figs it had were not yet ripe, it did not have any figs at all!
Jesus then cursed this tree and it died overnight. Jesus would ordinarily never curse a tree of any kind for not having fruit or buds. Often, trees go through hardships that keep them from bearing fruit in a given year. Jesus said he did what he heard from his Father, God, and this is an example of that. God gave Jesus the revelation to curse the tree, so Jesus cursed it and it died overnight, which was a miracle. Thus, this tree became a twofold teaching example: it showed that Israel was going to be cursed (which it was for rejecting its Messiah), and it also taught the apostles that when God gave you revelation, no matter how unlikely it seemed, if you trust God and believe and act on what He says, the revelation will come to pass (this is the manifestation of trust, 1 Cor. 12:9). (REV Commentary on Mark 11)
The withering of the fig tree is a symbol of the judgement of Israel and its leadership. The fig tree and olive tree are used in scripture as symbols of the nation of Israel in several places.
What a lesson in believing and faith for us to learn. We need to have “faith” which is our believing in accord with the Word and Will of God. When we confess the Word, believe it and act on it God is able to help us accomplish His purposes in life. What are the important elements of miraculous deliverance and help? We see here God’s will for us to operate as His agents here in the world today. Don’t discount His help and direction that He willingly gives us when we ask by faint heart or disbelief in spiritual help. Have a great day today in Christ.
QUESTIONS:
What do you learn about Jesus in Mark 11?
What does your faith look like today? What have you seen that has increased your faith? What have you heard that has increased your faith?
Where would you like to have more faith?
Prayer:
Father, we look to you today to give us understanding and wisdom in Your Word and intentions. We thank you for being part of the “God Story” you have made each of us. Give us today the bread we need daily and help us in our times of need. Heal our minds, hearts, and bodies in accordance with Your will. We thank you for the sacrifice of Christ that gives us life today and in the future. We pray in the Name above all Names, Jesus Christ.
Mark 10:2-12(NLT) Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”3 Jesus answered them with a question: “What did Moses say in the law about divorce?” 4 “Well, he permitted it,” they replied. “He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away.” 5 But Jesus responded, “He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. 6 But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. 7 ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, 8 and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, 9 let no one split apart what God has joined together.” 10 Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again. 11 He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.”
This incident is also covered in Matthew chapter 19 also where we read:
Matthew 19:3-9(NLT) Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?” 4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” 5 And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” 7 “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked. 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. 9 And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.”
The subject of divorce and the “putting away of women” in the NT times was complicated depending on the racial and cultural practices of different groups of people present there. For the Pharisees, who here are trying to trap Jesus in his words, the practice of divorce and remarriage was very common, and was justified by saying that the law of Moses allowed them to “put their wife away”. This was not necessarily giving her a bill of divorcement which would allow her to remarry which is what the law required.
Matthew 10:11(NLT) He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.”
This “divorce” here is the “putting away”, not the required bill of divorce required by the law. But rather they would just put the wife away and leave her in a very precarious position culturally. It was a very tough place for a woman to live and prosper without a man to be with and protect her. Think of the Samaritan woman at the well and her marriage situation. She had had five husbands, and the man she was with she wasn’t married to. Jesus doesn’t judge her for this, but rather teaches her the gospel of the kingdom to change her life and those in that village.
One of the two categories of people that the NT promotes to us for charitable giving is for widows and for orphans. These persons would be women that had no husband because of death, and children because of death that had no father or parents to care for them. These are the true recipients of Christian charity we are admonished to care for.
When the Pharisees decided that their wife did not please them for any reason, they would put the woman into this precarious cultural and economic position. If she then went with another man, this would make her adulterous and she would be subject to death under the law of Moses. This would also be true of the husband taking another wife or living with a different woman without divorce. This place of uncertainty that the wife would be in would be the cause of her adultery, not remarriage if she was fully divorced. Read from Malachi 2 what God says through the prophet Malachi.
Malachi 2:13-17 Here is another thing you do. You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. 14 You cry out, “Why doesn’t the LORD accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the LORD witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. 15 Didn’t the LORD make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate divorce!” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” 17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the LORD’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
This is a judgment of the hardness of the hearts of the Jews there and in Mark. This is put on top of a cultural acceptance of almost anything goes sexually for the Romans and Greeks surrounding them. The Gentiles had a very lax view of fornication, or even incest or homosexuality which was certainly not part of God’s plan for marriage and sexual relationships. The Pharisees desired to be able to have any woman that they wanted sexually, and found ways to make this seem good and godly.
Jesus brings us back to the standard set in Malachi 2. God intends for each to be in a marriage relationship with one man or one woman. This is set by vows of marriage which are made at the time of our marriage where we promise to be faithful. Jesus condemns not the woman for what is going on but rather calls out the Jews for the ways they perverted the law and the intent of God for marriage.
The law did give the woman a right for divorce if the husband would not support her and take care of her (Deuteronomy 24:1,3). It could also be for sexual reasons, either adultery on his part or refusal to be one with her sexually. Cruelty could also be the grounds for a divorce for the woman and God does not require that anyone in an abusive relationship needs to arbitrarily stay there regardless of actions or words by either side.
Luke 16:14-15,18 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. 15 Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God…..18 “For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
The word “divorce” here is the word “putting away” and this is the problem. If there were true grounds for divorce for the woman or the man, then there should be a “bill of divorcement” given which would not result in adultery by either if they remarried. The problem is the hardness of hearts which is true until today where easy divorce because of sexual attraction to someone else or simply desire to be single in order to “play the field”, are symptoms of the hardness of hearts which is what God most judges. He cares about the condition of our thinking and our hearts before him.
God knows the evil that is in the hearts of mankind and desires for us to become like Him and His Son in every way in our lives including our marriages.
Colossians 3:5(NLT) So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world
Colossians 3:12-14(NLT) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Jesus holds the Pharisees to this level of commitment, not the deceit of Malachi 2. If we want to walk with God, hearing Him and talking to Him, we need to purge our hearts of evil desire, and make the love of God be the standard for our lives. God knows our weaknesses and lack of godly desire, but forgives us for our sin and gives us fellowship with Him when we seek Him. Forgive others caught up in the cultural normalcy of divorce and remarriage and welcome the sinner to our fellowship if they are interested in change with God’s help and grace.
Our standard is the Word of God and the love that Jesus shows us to be the way we are to interact with others.
Reflection Questions
Does this discussion change your thoughts about marriage and divorce?
What is our moral position for those in the church?
How can we change our hearts to hear the voice of God?
Prayer
Father God help us to give our hearts to You this day. Thank you for the mercy and grace you have given each of us to make us whole. We lift our lives, families and marriages to You asking for guidance and help for us to make Godly decisions about all we do. Father we desire to become like Christ and be able to heal and bless others. In Jesus’ name we pray this day.
Mark 6:45-52 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. 47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50 They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, 52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.
Mark! What’s the deal with saying our hearts were too hard??? Why would God have you write that in your gospel??
The official line about the gospel of Mark is that Peter and other original apostles are the source of the material he writes from. They tell him what happened and then he writes it down. We need to ask ourselves so many times when reading these records about what was Jesus trying to teach his apostles and disciples? Then what is the lesson for us in the recalling of them?
The trip on the sea of Galilee that includes another walk on the water by Jesus comes after feeding 5000 men plus women and children (maybe 15-20K people). He uses such the small amount of food to start with. So many questions come to my feeble mind. How did Jesus ever break up that much bread or fish? How did God multiply the food to fill baskets full? Where did the baskets come from? Who ate the leftovers and for how long? So many questions on these records.
What was the apostle’s reactions to helping to break and hand out the food to that many people? Jesus says “you feed them” to the apostles. Which is exactly what they proceed to do. What should they and we learn from the experience besides astonishment at the event?
I believe that the lesson for us and those disciples there is that God is the source of all blessing and sufficiency. God alone is the giver of all that is good and fruitful, the only source of true food and health for all the people of the world. Our very food we eat is only because of the grace and mercy of God to give it to us. Jesus looks to God and then blesses this small amount of food, making it sufficient to do the humanly impossible. What great power of God is at work in Jesus’ life and is still available to us today.
Christians must bring their lives to God in an attitude of obedience and sacrifice. When we do this, we need to expect God to do far beyond what can be imagined. We should trust that God not only wants to meet our needs, but that He wants to give to us with overflowing spiritual blessings.
Are our hearts too hard to believe our God’s promises? “Hardened” here is to be “petrified” or maybe should mean “calloused”. Our habits of life that don’t believe the promises of God cause our hearts by repetition to become calloused to the truth. We develop a lifetime set of beliefs that doesn’t believe that God can do anything very miraculous. We start to believe miracles and all that Jesus stuff died out with the apostles and isn’t that important today.
We say we have faith but prove that we don’t by our actions and speech. “You feed them” is what Jesus tells us to do, but we say, “OK we will, but here’s our few loaves and fishes. Don’t blame me when it really doesn’t work out. I’ll do it but I don’t really believe that it will work with my resources.” When we pray for someone to be delivered or healed are we really standing in our confidence of God’s help or do we just go through the motions?
I know that one of my lazy habits is to excuse my prayers by telling God that I will pray for people, but because I really don’t know what to pray for, I will just put them up before God and then go on with my life. Ever been confronted with a specific situation that is right there in front of you with no apparent answers to it? How did you react? Our first habit needs to become the truth of God’s Word for us, not the calloused habit of our hearts to give Him our excuses.
So, I thought we were going to look at the walking on the water event. More questions come to mind. Why does Jesus send them off across the lake without him and just go pray by himself? What happens that changes their hearts so much from this experience of the waves and wind? Here they are again in a situation that faces them head on and close in. No amount of rowing or sail handling will get them out of it. Remember that they were experienced fisherman with a great deal of boat handling and weather experience. “Jesus don’t worry about us we have it handled, have some confidence we are the experts”. But once again we and they don’t really have it. For the apostles it is that if God can feed the five thousand then He does have the answers for every situation.
What is the lesson of the waves? Once again that God has our care in place, and we need to put our trust in His promises. Jesus says he will ever be with us to the end of the earth. This is his church and he is building it and taking care of it. We are not really in charge of what we think we are. We are confident every minute until the wind and waves are overwhelming. How many times God saves us from disaster and even death.
Ephesians 3:20(NLT) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Psalms 22:22-24(NLT) I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people. 23 Praise the LORD, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.
Questions:
See bold questions above
Prayer:
Father God, come to us with your promises and give us the heart that hears them and will believe You. Thank you for the records of Your Word to give us confidence to do Your will. Help us to see the Christ-in -us that will give us strength to act and speak. Thank you that Your will is still to feed and save people from destruction. Be with us this day as we hear you with our hearts. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Religious practice is exactly what is said. It is our habitual practices that we bring to our walk with God and make rules for our lives. These practices are not necessarily good or evil but become the habits that we follow as people in our daily life. We also build habits that govern our time together as the body of Christ at church or fellowship. Once again, these practices are neither good or evil but are the way that we have decided to fellowship together.
The law of Moses covered almost every aspect of life for the nation of Israel and gave instruction in how to do righteous actions and have righteous thoughts. As we read in Leviticus these instructions can be very complex and to our culture maybe not very understandable.
In our reading in Matthew, we are at almost the end of Jesus’ life here on earth and he is at the temple. He has many debates with the leaders there and also spends time teaching the people. He throws out the moneychangers and vendors and then has many interactions with them that are maybe not the most decorous from their viewpoint.
Matthew 23:1-13(NLT) Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. 5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’ 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.
Jesus gives us a compact instruction on how we are to practice our religious life in these short verses.
We are to obey the true Word of God which does not fall
We should not add rules and conditions of man to the Word of God
We need to worship and practice with humility to God and His instructions to us.
Bring people into the kingdom of God not draw lines to exclude them
In Micah God reminds us of what is important to Him and what we really need to do to live out the life of compassion and grace that He has called us to.
Micah 6:6-8)NLT) What can we bring to the LORD? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? 7 Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? 8 No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Why does this judge our hearts so well?
We must be careful every day not to start to exalt our minds against God by patting ourselves on our backs for the great works of righteousness for Him that we do. Just doing religious practices and ignoring the grace that God has given us is the way to go down the wrong road (that’s when the pat on the back needs to be down lower). If our religious practices bring us closer to God through prayer, praise, love for others, and Christian service then we are building our relationship with God.
This is what He truly desires from us, not a showy religious practice. Contrast this with what so much of Christianity does today and the consequences of religious practice become immediately evident. Our God wants us to have the heart of grace and mercy towards this fallen world and people that He has. He has built the way to life through His Son Jesus Christ, and he is who we are to become like.
Galatians 2:16(NLT) Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
God’s grace is the important thing to bring to every part of life and practice. It is so human and wrong to be judgmental of people based on how I think they should act or think. I am offended in my mind by their lack of doing of the things that I think they ought to be doing.
Is this the mind of Christ towards others?
Titus 2:11-15a (NLT) For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. 15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them
Hope of life with God and Christ in the kingdom to come is the guiding light for everything that we should be doing. When our motivations and intents of our hearts towards others is right with God then our actions will be godly and good. Our religious practices will become pleasing to God.
How can we examine our hearts in light of this understanding?
Romans 14:10-11(NLT) So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
Ultimately the motives of our hearts will be examined before all the creation and we will be judged at the “bema” for our actions and thoughts. It is not in the actions but our hearts that God sees as important to Him. To renew our minds is to change to become like Christ and do the true instruction of God in this world.
Matthew 23:37-39(NLT) “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!’”
Reflection Questions
See questions in bold above.
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank you for the gifts of Your Word and Your Son where we see what You desire and the perfect example of loving and pleasing You. Forgive me for the times I have had a Pharisee’s heart. I want instead the mind of Christ. Help me see myself and others with Your eyes and remembering Your grace humbly respond as You want me to.
Psalms 9:1-2 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. 2 I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
Praises should flow from our hearts all our lives because of the great God and Father that we have. Yahweh is His name and it means our God who is in a relationship with us.
One of the things that has taken me a long time to understand and also to help me let the Word interpret itself to us is the question of agency. God is the ultimate power and creator of all the universe, but He delegates His power and authority to those that He chooses to give it to. All created beings are given freedom of will to obey God, and are given various levels of authority to exercise on His behalf.
For example, God is the author of our salvation, but Jesus is the agent of our salvation. God has decided to give us His grace, but it comes to us through His agent Jesus Christ.
Titus 3:4-7 (NLT) But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
God decided to save us, but the way that He does it is through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. God also has judged His Son worthy of authority to judge the whole world in the future. Only Jesus Christ has the qualifications to do the judging and giving of rewards to all the world’s present, past and future populations. We see the results of this agency here in Psalm 9.
Psalms 9:7-8 But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. 8 He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.
Yahweh executes judgement from His throne, but the agency for that judgement will come from His Son. God has ultimate authority over all the creation but gives Jesus the rulership over the nations.
Acts 17:30-31(NLT) God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
Revelation 19:15-16(NKJV) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
As we read Psalm 9 there is so much that we could unpack from it. It has declarations of praise, and proclamations of confidence in God’s care and instruction, and declarations of what the ultimate kingdom of God will be.
Psalms 9:7-10(NLT) But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. 8 He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. 9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.
The other thing that we should contemplate today is what authority and power has God delegated to you?
Ephesians 1:19-20(NLT) I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 3:20-21(NLT) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Thanks be to our God for His great love and grace that we have received and that we need to accept and exercise our position and power that God has given us in Christ.
Psalms 9:15-18(NLT) The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. 16 The LORD is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. 17 The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God. 18 But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
Reflection:
How does God ultimately judge the world and the nations?
Who is His agent of judgment?
Prayer:
Our God and Father, creator and ruler of all the cosmos, we lift our hearts in praise to you today. Thank you for the wonderful gift of Your Son who is the agent of our salvation and future. We look to You Father for the power to do Your good in this life. Thank you for the Christ in us which gives us this power. In Jesus wonderful name we pray.
