“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field"
The kingdom of God is worth more than all of your possessions but make no mistake, you cannot afford the kingdom of God. If the owner of that field knew just exactly what was in it, he would have never sold it. God cannot be bought. However, to all those who seek it with joy it is freely given to them by the Father through the adoption afforded by the blood of the True Son, Jesus Christ.
You are a son of God if you are in Christ and a co-heir with Christ to the riches of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is freely given to everyone who considers God their Father and loves, honors, and obeys him as a child would their parent. God would never think to make his children earn his inheritance, but freely gives it. Not only this, he purchased men and women by the blood of Jesus as sons and daughters just so more people can share in his inheritance.
We have a gracious, forgiving, and benevolent Father! The entire world and everything in it belongs to Him; it is his inheritance to pass on to his children.
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Matthew 21:29-31
" “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered."
You can take all the time you need to tell God how much you don't want to do something. God understands, for the heart of man is desperately wicked (Jer 17:9).
In the end, it does not matter if you want to do something or not, only that it gets done. And it should be no surprise to us that God will call us to do things we do not want to do! In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." If you are called to be like Christ, you are called to a life of self-denial and obedience like Christ. These things are hard!
But the thing is, Jesus understands what he's asking you to do, and he asks you to do them anyway. He knows full well what you can endure and what you can accomplish if you put your trust in him. He knows you don't want to do them, and yet he still asks. And so the only question that remains is do you have the faith to follow Christ, even to the cross? If not, pray for faith, otherwise for strength and endurance.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered."
You can take all the time you need to tell God how much you don't want to do something. God understands, for the heart of man is desperately wicked (Jer 17:9).
In the end, it does not matter if you want to do something or not, only that it gets done. And it should be no surprise to us that God will call us to do things we do not want to do! In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." If you are called to be like Christ, you are called to a life of self-denial and obedience like Christ. These things are hard!
But the thing is, Jesus understands what he's asking you to do, and he asks you to do them anyway. He knows full well what you can endure and what you can accomplish if you put your trust in him. He knows you don't want to do them, and yet he still asks. And so the only question that remains is do you have the faith to follow Christ, even to the cross? If not, pray for faith, otherwise for strength and endurance.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Matthew 18:17
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
At first, it appears as if Jesus is saying to give up on the person, after you've done all that you could. We naturally interpret it to mean that we judge and condemn him as an outsider because our minds are fallen.
However with the mind of Christ, tax collectors and pagans (nonbelievers) are to be sought after and loved more than those in the church.
Think about it. How did Jesus Christ treat tax collectors and pagans? He ate with them (Luke 5:30, Mark 2:17). He forgave their sins. (Luke 9:1-10) He said to them, "Come, follow me." (Mark 2:14) Jesus did not abandon or condemn pagans or tax collectors, but sought after them. He didn't give up on them.
So, if a brother (using the mind of Christ, According to Jesus a brother is a Christian (Mark 3:35) remains unrepentant even after showing him his fault, he is not a Christian until he repents. However, do not give up on him! For it is those who are fallen away then deserve most of our attention. We love them more, not less, when they stray. For I tell you the truth, there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than 99 righteous who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7)
At first, it appears as if Jesus is saying to give up on the person, after you've done all that you could. We naturally interpret it to mean that we judge and condemn him as an outsider because our minds are fallen.
However with the mind of Christ, tax collectors and pagans (nonbelievers) are to be sought after and loved more than those in the church.
Think about it. How did Jesus Christ treat tax collectors and pagans? He ate with them (Luke 5:30, Mark 2:17). He forgave their sins. (Luke 9:1-10) He said to them, "Come, follow me." (Mark 2:14) Jesus did not abandon or condemn pagans or tax collectors, but sought after them. He didn't give up on them.
So, if a brother (using the mind of Christ, According to Jesus a brother is a Christian (Mark 3:35) remains unrepentant even after showing him his fault, he is not a Christian until he repents. However, do not give up on him! For it is those who are fallen away then deserve most of our attention. We love them more, not less, when they stray. For I tell you the truth, there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than 99 righteous who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Matthew 17:20
"He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.""
Two men came to a frozen lake and although seeing the "thin ice" sign, walked out onto the lake anyway. The first man said, "Let us walk boldly for this ice will not break!" while the second said with a quiver in his voice as he reluctantly stepped forth, "I don't know if this ice is going to hold." Which one had faith?
They both did.
In the end, both of them walked out onto that lake, one rather blindly and the other cautiously. They didn't fall in because ultimately it was not their faith that supported them but the object of that faith, the ice. We are not asked to believe blindly but to come and see for ourselves. Had the ice given way, the first man would have proven to be foolish, not that he isn't already a fool. It is better to test and discern God's will than to rush in blindly where angels fear to tread.
So I tell you the truth, it does not matter how much faith you have (even as small as a mustard seed), but who you have faith in. Nothing will be impossible for us because we believe in a God for whom nothing is impossible.
Two men came to a frozen lake and although seeing the "thin ice" sign, walked out onto the lake anyway. The first man said, "Let us walk boldly for this ice will not break!" while the second said with a quiver in his voice as he reluctantly stepped forth, "I don't know if this ice is going to hold." Which one had faith?
They both did.
In the end, both of them walked out onto that lake, one rather blindly and the other cautiously. They didn't fall in because ultimately it was not their faith that supported them but the object of that faith, the ice. We are not asked to believe blindly but to come and see for ourselves. Had the ice given way, the first man would have proven to be foolish, not that he isn't already a fool. It is better to test and discern God's will than to rush in blindly where angels fear to tread.
So I tell you the truth, it does not matter how much faith you have (even as small as a mustard seed), but who you have faith in. Nothing will be impossible for us because we believe in a God for whom nothing is impossible.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Matthew 1:1
"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."
The New Testament and the gospel begin with the most seemingly unremarkable of ways. However, it could not have begun more appropriately. It says three things: Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is the son of David, and Jesus is the son of Abraham.
Jesus is the Christ, the coming Messiah promised to the people of God. The LORD has once again heard the sufferings of his people and their groans of agony under the oppressive reign of the Roman empire and of Herod. The Gospel begins with a declaration which no one has spoken before, that the Christ has come and his name is Jesus, "God saves".
Jesus is the Son of David, the promised and everlasting king in his line. He is the hope of God's everlasting kingdom and the fulfillment of God's covenant with David.
Jesus is also the Son of Abraham, his Seed through which God will bless every nation. In the Old Testament, Abraham and David are the greatest hopes for the Jewish people and are symbols of God's promise. Jesus is the embodied faithfulness of God. Matthew starts his Gospel with a threefold statement of promise and fulfillment. After years of anticipation, the messiah has finally come! God has not forsaken his promises and he has not forgotten us. This sentence points back to the entire Old Testament and you will never fully understand the New Testament until you understand what comes first.
The New Testament and the gospel begin with the most seemingly unremarkable of ways. However, it could not have begun more appropriately. It says three things: Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is the son of David, and Jesus is the son of Abraham.
Jesus is the Christ, the coming Messiah promised to the people of God. The LORD has once again heard the sufferings of his people and their groans of agony under the oppressive reign of the Roman empire and of Herod. The Gospel begins with a declaration which no one has spoken before, that the Christ has come and his name is Jesus, "God saves".
Jesus is the Son of David, the promised and everlasting king in his line. He is the hope of God's everlasting kingdom and the fulfillment of God's covenant with David.
Jesus is also the Son of Abraham, his Seed through which God will bless every nation. In the Old Testament, Abraham and David are the greatest hopes for the Jewish people and are symbols of God's promise. Jesus is the embodied faithfulness of God. Matthew starts his Gospel with a threefold statement of promise and fulfillment. After years of anticipation, the messiah has finally come! God has not forsaken his promises and he has not forgotten us. This sentence points back to the entire Old Testament and you will never fully understand the New Testament until you understand what comes first.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Matthew 27:12-14
"When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge--to the great amazement of the governor."
The Almighty creator of heaven and earth stands before human authority and he says nothing. With just a word he can heal the centurion's servant and raise a dead girl back to life, and he says nothing. The unknowable and unquestionable God is questioned and he makes no reply. What is going on?
When Job makes his accusations, God responds in force to clear His name. When Habakkuk makes his complaints to God, God answers. But now God stands accused and yet he says nothing. Is our God guilty? Has he been caught in wrong doing? Far from it. This time He isn't just out to clear his name, but ours as well.
Jesus Christ died on the cross not to receive punishment for wrong doing but in order to be just and the one who justifies us. Jesus could have spoken up and cleared his name, but who then would clear ours, we who also unwittingly stand accused? The death he died he died for all so that whoever might live in him be raised with him unto eternal life. He kept his mouth shut not for his sake, but for ours. He was silent and we stand amazed.
The Almighty creator of heaven and earth stands before human authority and he says nothing. With just a word he can heal the centurion's servant and raise a dead girl back to life, and he says nothing. The unknowable and unquestionable God is questioned and he makes no reply. What is going on?
When Job makes his accusations, God responds in force to clear His name. When Habakkuk makes his complaints to God, God answers. But now God stands accused and yet he says nothing. Is our God guilty? Has he been caught in wrong doing? Far from it. This time He isn't just out to clear his name, but ours as well.
Jesus Christ died on the cross not to receive punishment for wrong doing but in order to be just and the one who justifies us. Jesus could have spoken up and cleared his name, but who then would clear ours, we who also unwittingly stand accused? The death he died he died for all so that whoever might live in him be raised with him unto eternal life. He kept his mouth shut not for his sake, but for ours. He was silent and we stand amazed.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Matthew 23:25-26
"Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."
Jesus taught that we needed to be washed and cleansed from the inside out. Greed and self-indulgence are only two things Jesus mentions, but they have a common link. They both are evidence of selfishness. The one who is greedy cares only for his own provision and possession and not for others. Someone who is self-indulgent is focused solely on their own pleasure to the exclusion of those who live in misery. They turn a blind eye to those who are in poverty and who suffer. They eat cake and ice cream while starving children want only bread and water.
How detrimental is that old line "I deserve this, I've earned it, I need to treat myself every once and a while" to receiving grace? Is $9 spent on a 2 hour movie better spent that 2 hours chatting with a homeless man over a $9 meal? How can we preach what we do not practice? What good is it if everyone else believes it but you don't believe it?
Jesus called us to wash the inside of the cup and be justified and sanctified by his blood. However, he still wants us to wash the outside of the cup too.
Jesus taught that we needed to be washed and cleansed from the inside out. Greed and self-indulgence are only two things Jesus mentions, but they have a common link. They both are evidence of selfishness. The one who is greedy cares only for his own provision and possession and not for others. Someone who is self-indulgent is focused solely on their own pleasure to the exclusion of those who live in misery. They turn a blind eye to those who are in poverty and who suffer. They eat cake and ice cream while starving children want only bread and water.
How detrimental is that old line "I deserve this, I've earned it, I need to treat myself every once and a while" to receiving grace? Is $9 spent on a 2 hour movie better spent that 2 hours chatting with a homeless man over a $9 meal? How can we preach what we do not practice? What good is it if everyone else believes it but you don't believe it?
Jesus called us to wash the inside of the cup and be justified and sanctified by his blood. However, he still wants us to wash the outside of the cup too.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Matthew 23:19
"You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?"
Nothing on earth is holy on its own. The only way for something to be Holy is for it to be in communion and contact with the Holy One. How often do we forget that distinction.
Saints are holy not because of their good deeds, but because they live in service to Jesus Christ. Worship music without the presence of God is just normal music. Prayers without the presence of God are just words to a one sided conversation. The Bible without the presence of the Holy Spirit is just a story book. The Eucharist without the presence of Christ is just bread and wine. These things are nothing in and of themselves. It is the Holy One who makes these things holy through his real, powerful, and true presence who is anything.
And you are holy who have received Christ by faith. Do you believe that? You should. You are holy, not because you are holy, but because Christ sanctified you with his presence. To be holy is to be set apart for His purposes. If you have laid down your life to serving Christ and advancing His kingdom in every sphere, you are one of Christ's holy ones, a blessed saint. To be holy is to in every way point back to the Holy Trinity who makes, calls, justifies, and sanctifies his creation.
You who are in Christ: you are holy indeed!
Nothing on earth is holy on its own. The only way for something to be Holy is for it to be in communion and contact with the Holy One. How often do we forget that distinction.
Saints are holy not because of their good deeds, but because they live in service to Jesus Christ. Worship music without the presence of God is just normal music. Prayers without the presence of God are just words to a one sided conversation. The Bible without the presence of the Holy Spirit is just a story book. The Eucharist without the presence of Christ is just bread and wine. These things are nothing in and of themselves. It is the Holy One who makes these things holy through his real, powerful, and true presence who is anything.
And you are holy who have received Christ by faith. Do you believe that? You should. You are holy, not because you are holy, but because Christ sanctified you with his presence. To be holy is to be set apart for His purposes. If you have laid down your life to serving Christ and advancing His kingdom in every sphere, you are one of Christ's holy ones, a blessed saint. To be holy is to in every way point back to the Holy Trinity who makes, calls, justifies, and sanctifies his creation.
You who are in Christ: you are holy indeed!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Matthew 27:64
"So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
On the Sabbath day, Jesus rested in the tomb. The guards were posted and the tomb sealed shut but they didn't know what was happening within. They weren't necessarily trying to keep men out but to keep one in. But for all the Pharisee's clever planning, they are no match for what would happen next. How could they have known?
But for now, everything is quiet, normal, and unsuspecting as all creation groans in anticipation for what is to come like a child on Christmas Day. But Jesus's fight has not stopped at his death. While all is quiet on Earth, in the spiritual realm a war is being waged. Jesus has infiltrated the enemy base under the guise of sin and death. He has begun to set the captives free as war rages on beneath. Satan can not hold out much longer (much like the Philistines when they took the Ark of the Covenant) and will soon release his prisoner.
But as for the rest of us, it's just another uneventful Sabbath while our Champion lies in wait, ready to come back at any moment. Are we prepared to welcome home our hero when he comes against all odds in all his Glory?
On the Sabbath day, Jesus rested in the tomb. The guards were posted and the tomb sealed shut but they didn't know what was happening within. They weren't necessarily trying to keep men out but to keep one in. But for all the Pharisee's clever planning, they are no match for what would happen next. How could they have known?
But for now, everything is quiet, normal, and unsuspecting as all creation groans in anticipation for what is to come like a child on Christmas Day. But Jesus's fight has not stopped at his death. While all is quiet on Earth, in the spiritual realm a war is being waged. Jesus has infiltrated the enemy base under the guise of sin and death. He has begun to set the captives free as war rages on beneath. Satan can not hold out much longer (much like the Philistines when they took the Ark of the Covenant) and will soon release his prisoner.
But as for the rest of us, it's just another uneventful Sabbath while our Champion lies in wait, ready to come back at any moment. Are we prepared to welcome home our hero when he comes against all odds in all his Glory?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Matthew 10:24
"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master."
Do you consider yourself greater than Jesus? Now your gut reaction is to say no (or at least I hope it is), but it might not be that obvious. If Jesus is your Lord and Master, then you must expect to be treated in the same way he was treated. Don't be surprised if the world throws back in your face your good intentions and your speaking the truth in love. You might as well be just as surprised that the enemy across the battlefield shot at you when you tried to deliver them tea and cookies.
Neither should you think yourself not bound to the same things Jesus was bound to. His life is filled with examples of love and obedience. He healed the sick and dying, those otherwise untouched by Jewish society due to purity regulations. He came to serve others, not to be served. If you think this life of servitude and obedience was only good for Jesus and the same rules don't apply to you, then truly you consider yourself greater than He was.
If you want to be a disciple, you must do the things he did and teach and obey the things he taught. It's the very definition of what a disciple is. Now there are stories of disciples "surpassing" their masters by going beyond what their masters taught, but do you hope to do it better than Jesus did it?
Do you consider yourself greater than Jesus? Now your gut reaction is to say no (or at least I hope it is), but it might not be that obvious. If Jesus is your Lord and Master, then you must expect to be treated in the same way he was treated. Don't be surprised if the world throws back in your face your good intentions and your speaking the truth in love. You might as well be just as surprised that the enemy across the battlefield shot at you when you tried to deliver them tea and cookies.
Neither should you think yourself not bound to the same things Jesus was bound to. His life is filled with examples of love and obedience. He healed the sick and dying, those otherwise untouched by Jewish society due to purity regulations. He came to serve others, not to be served. If you think this life of servitude and obedience was only good for Jesus and the same rules don't apply to you, then truly you consider yourself greater than He was.
If you want to be a disciple, you must do the things he did and teach and obey the things he taught. It's the very definition of what a disciple is. Now there are stories of disciples "surpassing" their masters by going beyond what their masters taught, but do you hope to do it better than Jesus did it?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Matthew 25:15
"To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability."
Sometimes we get disappointed with our own ministries because we try to spend five talents when we've only been given one. We can easily stretch ourselves too thin, trying to do everything but being effective at nothing. Sometimes we even try to do too much at a time and we end up exhausted with a pile of things all over the floor.
God has indeed gifted some more than he's gifted others, each according to their ability, but there is no reason to be jealous and to try and act as if we are more capable than we are. God has given us only what we can handle! This is a blessing to delight in, not a reason to covet the blessedness of others. So what if you cannot physically do as much as others or you cannot speak as well as others, God has only ever asked of you to do the best with what you have been given. You can still be an encourager, a prayer warrior, a companion to the poor and destitute, and a friend of sinners.
Remember that no one owns the talents they work with, all of it is a gift from God, so keep watch as he might return at any day. Remember that the worst thing you can do is not to do anything.
Sometimes we get disappointed with our own ministries because we try to spend five talents when we've only been given one. We can easily stretch ourselves too thin, trying to do everything but being effective at nothing. Sometimes we even try to do too much at a time and we end up exhausted with a pile of things all over the floor.
God has indeed gifted some more than he's gifted others, each according to their ability, but there is no reason to be jealous and to try and act as if we are more capable than we are. God has given us only what we can handle! This is a blessing to delight in, not a reason to covet the blessedness of others. So what if you cannot physically do as much as others or you cannot speak as well as others, God has only ever asked of you to do the best with what you have been given. You can still be an encourager, a prayer warrior, a companion to the poor and destitute, and a friend of sinners.
Remember that no one owns the talents they work with, all of it is a gift from God, so keep watch as he might return at any day. Remember that the worst thing you can do is not to do anything.
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