Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

Have you ever prepared for a big engagement, celebration, or a big meeting with important people by dressing up in your best clothes?  We are taught to put on our best to impress so that you “fit it” as being just as important or worthy in our thinking.  Men put on that “power suit” with a red tie.  Women wear clothes that accentuate their best features to appear up to date with current styles.  We dress for success.  Admit it.  We dress to impress.  We don’t want to stand out as one who isn’t “in the know” so we put on a show.  Okay, I rhyming way too much. 

What if the celebration or event was suddenly interrupted or cancelled at the last minute.  Here you are, all dressed up with no place to go!  What then?   

Matthew 23, The Message

Religious Fashion Shows

^1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer.

^4-7 “Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’

^8-10 “Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.

^11-12 “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We who grew up in the church with parents who required us to put on our best “Sunday clothes” each week to worship with others, wonder if all that was necessary as we read this lesson from Jesus.  But we must go much deeper to what Jesus is really saying to those who dress only to impress and to gain a higher position in His Kingdom work. 

Wanting to take a shower, comb our hair, then putting on the best we have to meet God each day with a grateful heart of praise for the One who loves us most and saved us from our sins is a holy attitude to have and to hold in His Presence.  The greatest of these, however, is the love we have in our hearts for God and for people.  Jesus told us that clearly in yesterday’s passage. He now emphasizes the resulting behavior from a heart filled with love for Him and people.

Jesus is pointing out the difference between those who dress to impress for success in gaining positions of power versus those humbling ask God for a cleansing of hearts, transforming of minds, clothing our souls to be ready to serve—not to be served.  Jesus came to serve—not to be served.  Be like Jesus!  Jesus is our One and Only perfect Example and Life-Leader of service!

Later, Paul the Apostle explains what this desired behavior from a heart for Jesus looks like for us.  It’s not our physical attire but our spiritual attitude that matters to God.  Paul gets specific in the “clothing” we should wear. 

“… as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

^“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:12-17, NIV

Let’s get dressed, we got places to go and serve!

Lord,

Thank you for this lesson reminding us to dress our hearts, minds, and souls with all that pleases you and prepares us to serve in Your Name for your Glory.  There is power in your Name, our hope of glory!  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh and fill our souls, restoring the joy of your salvation at work within us. Grow your character traits in us.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
This I tell ya, brother, you can’t have one without the other.

This catchy tune of the fifties comes to mind as Jesus tells of the two most important elements of our healthy, intimate relationship with God.  Wait, what? Simply put we must Love God and then Love Others like He loves us.  Jesus told the pesky, ferocious Pharisees you can’t have one without the other.  Jesus applies this principle to our forgiveness as well, an outcome of our love for God and Others. For Jesus to forgive us our sins we must forgive others who have sinned against us or offended us.  You can’t have one without the other.  (So, is this tune stuck in your mind as it is in mine right now?)  Our new life with Christ, learning to be more like Him, “hangs” on, depends on, these two commands to love.  How revolutionary!

Let’s dive into Kingdom of God thinking and behaving as taught from Jesus, the Master Teacher, who cannot be stumped with questions designed to discredit Him for He is Truth.  Truth is what it is, embodied in the Person of Jesus.  Truth, whether we believe it or not, just is.  Truth, God’s Truth, expressed by His Son, Jesus never changes. Jesus was, is and is to come, Truth—God’s Truth—so who He is and what He says is reliable and trustworthy. 

Please tell me the truth!  Over the few months, I have dealt with sales and service people who fed me nothing but lies, telling me only what they thought I wanted to hear so I would buy their product.  When I found out that every answer to my questions was a lie, they blamed me for not understanding and accepting their lies as truth.  Yep, this is how the world without God thinks and behaves.  It is getting harder to trust people as we barter for goods or services.  Right and wrong is lost somehow in the discussion.  I bring this up to discuss fully what Jesus meant when He said “Love others as well as you love yourself.”  More later…read on…

When we are immature in our love for God by saying we love Him but not others we don’t like to associate with or be around, John, Jesus “Beloved disciple, writes that we don’t know what love really is because we don’t know God.  God is love.  (See 1 John 4) To apply the love commands by Jesus, then is to know God.  We can’t love God like He wants us to love Him if we do not know Him.  AND, we can’t love others as well as we love ourselves if we do not know God. We can’t have one without the other!  Confused?  Read on…

Matthew 22, The Message

The Most Important Command

^34-36 When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”

^37-40 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”

David’s Son and Master

^41-42 As the Pharisees were regrouping, Jesus caught them off balance with his own test question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “David’s son.”

^43-45 Jesus replied, “Well, if the Christ is David’s son, how do you explain that David, under inspiration, named Christ his ‘Master’?

God said to my Master,
    “Sit here at my right hand
    until I make your enemies your footstool.”

“Now if David calls him ‘Master,’ how can he at the same time be his son?”

⁴⁶ That stumped them, literalists that they were. Unwilling to risk losing face again in one of these public verbal exchanges, they quit asking questions for good.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence,” says Jesus.  (Our more familiar, NIV translation states, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”)  In other words, love God back with all that is within us!  Everything we are and hope to be is guided by knowing His love for us.  His love teaches us that God is trustworthy and unchanging in His love. God is our Father, Creator, Sustainer, Healer, Provider, and Protector!  As we grow in our love for God; we realize the depth of love He has for us. 

We love Jesus, we follow Jesus, because in believing in Him we are in a bond of loving commitment to Him that He compares to marriage.  We are the “bride” of Christ.  He is our Groom.  We wait for Him to return someday to take us home to live with Him in our forever home that He is preparing for each one of us!  (A huge message for discussion at another time!)

The more we realize the real, pure love God has for us, I have learned that the deeper and greater our love for others grows—if we imitate the kind of love Jesus exemplified!  “Love others as well as you love yourself,” says Jesus as the second greatest commandment.  Wait, are we supposed to love ourselves?  How do we love ourselves without being prideful and boastful? Isn’t that kind of narcissistic?  And how do we love others as well or better? 

In this world, loving ourselves has been confused with self-importance.  We crave self-worth.  We hate feeling less than when around others who arrogantly declare their importance.  It’s in our nature, friends, complements of the greatest narcissist of all—Satan, himself.  Narcissism is a popular word to throw around for people who disagree with us and offend us.  But what is this trait, really?  I looked it up! 

When taken as extreme dominance in our lives, as defined by psychologists, narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism.

A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school, or financial matters. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they’re not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them.  These traits become a “disorder” when taken to unhealthy extremes in behavior.  So be careful using this term.

Seems to me, however that these traits describe our Enemy, the fallen angel who did not want to be like God but demanded to be God!  He as been plaguing us ever since he was kicked out of heaven, tempting us with these tendencies of selfishness.  We may not go as far in having a disorder that cripples us, but just the tendencies of selfishness can be a kink in our armor of God as we live our lives for Jesus.  (See Philippians 2 for Jesus supreme example of laying self down.)

We definitely are tempted to think more highly of ourselves like the Pharisees thought of themselves—maybe that’s why Jesus phrased this second commandment like He did–love people as much as you love yourselves right now!  But remember; loving others begins first with loving God with all that is in our being, relating and living.  God is love.  God teaches us how to love like He does—unconditionally, relentlessly, unselfishly, wanting the best for us. 

Love God.  Love Others.  You can’t have one without the other!

Try, try, try to separate them
It’s an illusion
Try, try, try and you will only come
To this conclusion

Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage                                                             This I tell ya, brother, (and sister), you can’t have one without the other.

Lord,

I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.  Because of Your love for me, I want to love like you love.  Cleanse my heart of all that offends you.  Renew my mind.  Feed and refresh my soul with your new mercies each morning.  Restore the joy of your salvation at work within me.  Thank you for teaching us what love is—You.  Be my wisdom, strength, and power to love others like you love me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

NOTE: God created doctors to help us when we are overwhelmed.  This advice is helpful in deciding when to see a doctor:

People with narcissistic personality disorder may not want to think that anything could be wrong, so they usually don’t seek treatment. If they do seek treatment, it’s more likely to be for symptoms of depression, drug or alcohol misuse, or another mental health problem. What they view as insults to self-esteem may make it difficult to accept and follow through with treatment.

If you recognize aspects of your personality that are common to narcissistic personality disorder or you’re feeling overwhelmed by sadness, consider reaching out to a trusted health care provider or mental health provider. Getting the right treatment can help make your life more rewarding and enjoyable.

It has been said by many that one thing is certain, well actually two things; death and taxes.  Jesus comes to repute the idea that these are not things that give life eternal.  To those who believe and follow Jesus, only one thing is certain—eternal life.  Above all, God defines Himself, says Jesus, as the God of the living, not the dead.

Those who live without Jesus are dead in their sin as they continue the pursuit all things not God.  The “walking dead” live only for themselves, trying to survive this world of taxes, failed relationships, selfish goals to be most important, denying help from the One who loves them most. They try to figure out life only by what they see it right in front of them without thought to what lies ahead in the heavenly realms.  They don’t know Kingdom of God thinking and wisdom that goes beyond our human understanding.  So, the question to ponder is: Are we bound by earth without the hope of heaven?

Jesus, Son of God, with the wisdom of God, sidesteps the traps set by the religious leaders, and delivers Kingdom of God thinking and behaving which requires higher thinking skills beyond what is in front of them.  The Pharisees try to trap Him with tax evasion.  The Sadducees, who are “sad, you see” because they don’t believe in resurrection of the dead, try to use the Law of Moses to trap the Son of God about marriage relationships.  Both parties have met their match!  God wins.  He always does!

Matthew 22, The Message

Paying Taxes

^15-17 That’s when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

^18-19 Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece.

²⁰ “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”

²¹ They said, “Caesar.”

“Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.”

²² The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads.

Marriage and Resurrection

^23-28 That same day, Sadducees approached him. This is the party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies childless, his brother is obligated to marry his widow and father a child with her. Here’s a case where there were seven brothers. The first brother married and died, leaving no child, and his wife passed to his brother. The second brother also left her childless, then the third—and on and on, all seven. Eventually the wife died. Now here’s our question: At the resurrection, whose wife is she? She was a wife to each of them.”

^29-33 Jesus answered, “You’re off base on two counts: You don’t know what God said, and you don’t know how God works. At the resurrection we’re beyond marriage. As with the angels, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. And regarding your speculation on whether the dead are raised or not, don’t you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, ‘I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ The living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the living.” Hearing this exchange the crowd was much impressed.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

When we ask the Holy Spirit to raise our thinking to His higher place, we understand that everything man has defined does not compare with what God has designed. 

God is working through Jesus to reconcile mankind to God—individually—one relationship at a time.  THIS is how God works.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  Believe Jesus—who is the way, truth, and life! 

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Matthew 6:33

God first.  Be still and get to know God through Jesus.  Begin to learn how God thinks, what pleases Him, and how He works in the lives of His beloved.  Jesus, who was sent to save us, also taught us how to have an intimate relationship with God and each other.

Earthy things are temporary.  God is forever.  This perspective changes everything.  JESUS changes everything!

Lord,

Help us to worry less about paying taxes, broken appliances, appointments canceled, people who misinform and lie to get their way, debating rules, and other earth stuff.  May we center completely on who you are and what you have done to save us and then teach us.  When we get this right, we find we are right with God.  “And the things of earth grow strangely dim, in the light of your glory and grace.” Thank you, Lord

In Jesus Name, Amen

We all start on the outside
The outside looking in
This is where grace begins
We were hungry we were thirsty
With nothing left to give
Oh the shape that we were in
Just when all hope seemed lost
Love opened the door for us

He said come to the table
Come join the sinners who have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior
Sit down and be set free

Come to the table

Come meet this motley crew of misfits
These liars and these thieves
There’s no one unwelcome here
That sin and shame that you brought with you

You can leave it at the door
And let mercy draw you near

So, come to the table
Come join the sinners who have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior

Sit down and be set free
Come to the table
Come to the table…

(Song by Sidewalk Prophets)

Jesus continues his discussion with the religious leaders with yet another story to clarify what they are really doing along with the consequences. 

Matthew 22, The Message

The Story of the Wedding Banquet

^1-3 Jesus responded by telling still more stories. “God’s kingdom,” he said, “is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn’t come!

⁴ “He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, ‘Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!’

^5-7 “They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.

^8-10 “Then he told his servants, ‘We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren’t up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.’ The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on—every place filled.

^11-13 “When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn’t properly dressed. He said to him, ‘Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!’ The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, ‘Get him out of here—fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn’t get back in.’

¹⁴ “That’s what I mean when I say, ‘Many get invited; only a few make it.’”

To the thief and to the doubter
To the hero and the coward
To the prisoner and the soldier
To the young and to the older
All who hunger all who thirst
All the last and all the first
All the paupers and the princess
All who fail, you’ve been forgiven
All who dream and all who suffer
All who loved and lost another
All the chained and all the free
All who follow all who lead

Anyone who’s been let down
All the lost you have been found
All who have been labeled right or wrong
To everyone who hears this song

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The Invitation was to the Jews first.  God Chosen people were invited to feast with the promised Messiah, the Reconciler of Man to God, sent to save them and set them right with God—but the leaders, who haven’t heard from God for centuries, no longer hear His voice—only their own. 

When Jesus speaks, they still do not hear God speaking through Him.  So, when the invitation is given, they refuse to “come to the Table” –to celebrate the Bride (The Redeemed) and her Groom (Jesus).  Their refusal becomes aggressive as they deny Jesus as Messiah sent from God.  These religious leaders gather with a plan to have Jesus beaten, slandered, mocked, and cruelly humiliated before crucifying the Son of God. 

Jesus, who knew no sin became sin and paid the price we all should have paid and deserved to pay.  Jesus bought us back from sin’s hold on us.  We can now come to the Table dressed in His holy righteousness.  All who believe have been made right with God because of Jesus’ sacrifice.  Hallelujah!  Oh, what a Savior!

God’s love is poured out to all who come.  Grace is given to the hopeless.  Our Merciful Father sacrificed His Son so that salvation could be offered to all!  Yes! The Table is set for all who believe with hearts, minds and souls open to receive all the nourishment we need from the Head of the Table.  Jesus changes everything. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Come join the sinners you have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior
Sit down and be set free

Oh
Come to the table

Lord,

Thank you for the invitation to come to the Table where salvation is offered freely. Thank you for cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds, feeding our souls and restoring the joy of your salvation at work within us.  Help us to bring others to your Table where they can be filled with all of you as well.

In Jesus Name, Amen

I have worked with people in my past and present who will tell you anything, especially if it pleases you, just to be heard and trusted as one “in the know.”  They give out misinformation in response readily without truthfully knowing the answer—and they do so with such confidence, you are fooled into thinking that what they say is right.  It is frustrating, when humans skillfully create (lie) answers, responding with words off the top of their heads in order to sound important.  These people are hard to rely on when forming a plan of action or completing a mission.  We cannot depend on their information to be valid.  When they are working against you for self-preservation, it’s even more dangerous. It would be so much better if they would just tell me they don’t know.  I can deal with that.

Jesus knows the people well who ask for his “credentials”—“by whose authority do you teach”?  As a former teacher who had to wear a tag around my neck always that signified the authority to teach, employed by the company who hired me, I get it.  But this is Jesus!  Jesus, with the wisdom of His Father, handles the authority question brilliantly, “turning the tables” on their goal to discredit the Son of God.

Notice how wise they were to say, “We don’t know.”  That response is probably the smartest and most accurate response they could have given, because they didn’t know.  They had forgotten God and how He works.  They didn’t know God’s will and plan.  These pride filled leaders with man-made power didn’t know Jesus was the Son of God. They didn’t know that the Messiah they have read about from the words of the prophets was standing right in front of them!  They also didn’t know that they would play a role in His sacrifice for their sins and the sins of the world.  They just didn’t know.  They refused to know.

That’s why Jesus follows up this “meeting of the minds” with two stories to reveal just how much they do not know…

Matthew 21, The Message

True Authority

²³ Then he was back in the Temple, teaching. The high priests and leaders of the people came up and demanded, “Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to teach here?”

^24-25 Jesus responded, “First let me ask you a question. You answer my question and I’ll answer yours. About the baptism of John—who authorized it: heaven or humans?”

^25-27 They were on the spot and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, “If we say ‘heaven,’ he’ll ask us why we didn’t believe him; if we say ‘humans,’ we’re up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet.” They decided to concede that round to Jesus. “We don’t know,” they answered.

Jesus said, “Then neither will I answer your question.

The Story of Two Sons

²⁸ “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’

²⁹ “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.

³⁰ “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.

^31-32 “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”

They said, “The first.”

Jesus said, “Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God’s kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn’t care enough to change and believe him.

The Story of the Greedy Farmhands

^33-34 “Here’s another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip. When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.

^35-37 “The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away. The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment. The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. ‘Surely,’ he thought, ‘they will respect my son.’

^38-39 “But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. ‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all for ourselves.’ They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?”

⁴¹ “He’ll kill them—a rotten bunch, and good riddance,” they answered. “Then he’ll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it’s time.”

^42-44 Jesus said, “Right—and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles:

The stone the masons threw out
    is now the cornerstone.
This is God’s work;
    we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!

“This is the way it is with you. God’s kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed.”

^45-46 When the religious leaders heard this story, they knew it was aimed at them. They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in jail, but, intimidated by public opinion, they held back. Most people held him to be a prophet of God.

WHAT DO LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Ah, the religious leaders know now these stories were about them.  But this knowing did not change their minds.  Sigh.

Be “in the know”!  Believe that Jesus is truly God’s Son.  Believe that Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin and raised by a carpenter as the Son of Man.  Know that Jesus grew in stature and wisdom as Son of Man and Son of God in this devoted Jewish family where He loved and served his family and community until it was time to complete the mission God sent Him to do.  Jesus knew His Father God.  They talked without ceasing.  Jesus always did or said what His Father told him to say and do.  Know that Jesus was without sin.

Because of being Son of God who is love, Jesus expressed this love to the world.  People were drawn not only to His wisdom in teaching that was unlike they had ever heard; but they were enthralled by His love extended to all kinds of people who God had created.  Who is this? What kind of love is this? Where did He come from? How does He do what He does? 

Probably the best “knowing” response comes from a now sighted man whom Jesus healed with just one touch but then berated by these same religious leaders who wanted to kill the Son of God—who they did not know:

“Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”  (John 9:25)

Know Jesus.  Know that He loves you enough to die for you so that you will have a home forever with Him.  Know that Jesus left a Helper to guide us on our journey in this life now.  Why?  Because of God and God is Love.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Believe and be saved for life with the One who is the Way, Truth, and Life!  Then live in the unforced rhythm of His grace here and now.  Get to know Jesus by reading what He says in God’s Word to us. “I want to know Christ”, says Paul, “yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 4:10-11)

We do not know all there is to know—yet!  But the more we know about Jesus, the more we want to know!  “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:12-14

The gift of a new life with Jesus that leads to eternal life is ready to be opened and enjoyed right now!  Know and believe.  Grow and receive help in the journey to know Jesus more and more each day.  The more we know, the more we can be like Him.

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole.  Thank you for cleansing my heart and making me right with God. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins as I forgive others who merely offend me because they do not know.  Thank you for renewing my mind as I study Your Word.  Thank you for restoring the joy of your salvation continually at work within me.  You are Life.  You are Hope.  You are the peace I seek.  Thank you for your love that is at the foundation of who you are. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

Our Father everlasting
The all creating One
God Almighty
Through Your Holy Spirit
Conceiving Christ the Son
Jesus our Savior

I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the Name of Jesus…

This I Believe, by Hillsong

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Ps 122:1

As soon as the parade into Jerusalem disbanded, Jesus’ first order of business was to go the Temple.  I wonder if Jesus knew what He would find when He got to the house of the Lord?  Jesus knew He would need to “clean house” and was prepared to do it, but when the Son of Man/Son of God saw how bad it was in person, He knew this was another time that the prophets message would be fulfilled so that the glory of God was seen by all. 

“My house was designated a house of prayer”, He shouts among the noise of crooked buyers selling “sacrifices” at inflated prices to those who have traveled to the Temple.  The people will pay the price to accomplish their obligation.   The poor who need help the most are left out of the game altogether.  They cannot pay the price.  This is a human system of bartering and exploiting took the place of worship, desecrating the Holy Ground of the Temple.  They have forgotten why the Temple was built and Who it stands for in the heart of the city.  “You have made it a hangout for thieves,” Jesus quotes again from the Scripture—the same Scripture the religious leaders read but do not live.  Their faith has withered.  There is no holy fruit growing for they are no longer attached to the Vine.  They have become useless in helping people reconcile to God.

“Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.”  Psalm 122:2-5

Jesus, He who is without sin, is the One and Only who has the authority to judge in the house of the Lord—God’s Temple.

Matthew 21, The Message

He Kicked Over the Tables

^12-14 Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

My house was designated a house of prayer;
You have made it a hangout for thieves.

Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.

^15-16 When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, “Hosanna to David’s Son!” they were up in arms and took him to task. “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

Jesus said, “Yes, I hear them. And haven’t you read in God’s Word, ‘From the mouths of children and babies I’ll furnish a place of praise’?”

¹⁷ Fed up, Jesus spun around and left the city for Bethany, where he spent the night.

The Withered Fig Tree

^18-20 Early the next morning Jesus was returning to the city. He was hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree alongside the road, he approached it anticipating a breakfast of figs. When he got to the tree, there was nothing but fig leaves. He said, “No more figs from this tree—ever!” The fig tree withered on the spot, a dry stick. The disciples saw it happen. They rubbed their eyes, saying, “Did we really see this? A leafy tree one minute, a dry stick the next?”

^21-22 But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

To merely read of this act of cleansing the Temple with our smallness of human understanding, we might think, “wow, Jesus was in a mood that day.”  First, he chases away people then he causes a fig tree to completely wither and die. But when we ask God to open our eyes to see His glory at work through Jesus, we begin to understand a bit more.  As always, there is much more to be learned.

Jesus’ compassion for the poor, hopeless and helpless who could not get in drove him to chase the thieves out.  Just as there was “no room at the inn” when Jesus was born, there was no room for those who wanted and needed God most.  The Temple was built as a place of prayer to reconcile with God and to be healed by God.  The Temple of God was designed for praises, thanksgiving, celebrations, and prayers to God.  It was not a place for the carnival types barking their “sacrificial’ wares at prices that changed with each person’s ability to pay, with the poor left out of the equation completely! 

This behavior left not room for compassion, love, mercy, or grace.  Jesus set the Temple right again by turning the thieves’ world upside down!

Since Jesus reconciled us to God by dying for our sins—everything changes when we believe in Him!  We become the Temple of God in which His Holy Spirit has come to dwell.  Trust His Spirit to guide us!  And Jesus’ resurrection is our hope of eternal life with God!  Here’s proof:

 ^“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ESV

What is the depth and breadth of our faith? 

What is happening at the center of our being that houses His Holy Spirit? 

Our “temple” needs to be cleaned daily of all that offends God and does not belong in our hearts, minds, and souls—His House.  Pray like David…

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12)

Do we feel a bit withered and less fruitful?  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) so all of us need a check up on the production of the Holy fruits of His Spirit growing in us!  (See Galatians 5 for the list of those fruits)

Do we need the cultivate the Vine while allowing Jesus to pull some weeds? 

Is our branch attached firmly to the One, True Vine that gives and sustains Life?

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7  Go deep and nourish those roots!

“And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” Colossians 1:27

Still wondering about the actions of Jesus, unlike his usual ways of ministry?  Warren Wiersbe helps us to understand what is really going on here…

“Jesus performed two acts of judgment: He cleansed the temple, and He cursed a fig tree. Both acts were contrary to His usual manner of ministry, for He did not come to earth to judge, but to save (John 3:17). Both of these acts revealed the hypocrisy of Israel: The temple was a den of thieves, and the nation (symbolized by the fig tree) was without fruit. Inward corruption and outward fruitlessness were evidences of their hypocrisy.”  (Wiersbe Study Bible)

What then, does God want as the temples of God who come together in One House?

God wants prayer among His people (1 Tim. 2:1), for true prayer is evidence of our dependence on God and our faith in His Word.

Prayer connects our raw humanness to His holiness.  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV

Jesus also wants us to help people seeking Him.  The needy should feel welcome, finding the kind of help they seek and need most—Jesus!

Real, authentic prayer, in Jesus Name, is powerful and effective!  (See James 5) There should be power-praying in God’s house, while watching the power of God at work to change all of us from the inside out!

Praise and thanksgiving are also features of God’s house as indicated in this passage.  Jesus quoted from Psalm 8:2.

Avoid being “all show but no go”!  When we consider the time and place of this event, we understand it better. Jesus was near Jerusalem in the last week of His public ministry to His people. The fig tree symbolized the nation of Israel as the prophets Jeremiah, Hosea, and others foretold.  Just as this tree had leaves but no fruit, so Israel had a show of religion but no practical experience of faith resulting in godly living.

Lord,

Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with your new mercies each morning.  Restore the joy of your salvation at work within us where you dwell.  Come, Lord Jesus.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory and Praise, Amen

“The time has come for all good things to come to an end,” we say as we wrap up a project with good friends.  For Randy and I it was serving as directors of church camps with a staff of good friends all focused on pointing the way to Jesus to kids of all ages.  When the week was over we were super tired physically but pumped up spiritually as we saw lives changed through the week.  We gave it all we had and more because of Jesus living in us.  Our only goal was so others would know Jesus, too. 

The kids at camp, along with the auxiliary staff, didn’t want to leave by the end of the week because of all the friends they had made.  No one wanted to get back to “normal life.”  But there was something more that we didn’t want to lose.  For a whole week we had been secluded from the world’s noises and chatter, undistracted by media’s pull to tell us what to think and how to behave.  We had been with Jesus only, learning about Jesus, prayers of confession with cleansing from Jesus, with giving all our time, focus and energies to Jesus.  It was a blessed week, indeed, but we had to close the week by reminding the campers that this was NOT the end, but a new beginning to live a different life with Jesus who will guide them spiritually in all they think, say, and do.  Jesus is with us now and will be with us always—His promise that does not fail.

Jesus walked the earth with an unwavering purpose, sent to seek and to save the lost and reconnect them to God.  He did this work with a few friends who became as close as brothers and sisters to Him and to each other. As they walked and talked, observed, and learned from Him, they knew He was indeed exactly who He said He was—Son of God, the promised Messiah.  After three years of healing, seeking lost people who had been discarded in life, along with teaching wisdom that gave clarity to God’s Word, His followership grew in popularity.  Everyone knew He was different than anyone they had ever met.  They had never heard teaching words of wisdom delivered with such authority before Jesus.  They loved Jesus and honored Him.  They were drawn to His compassion and love for them.

Jesus now looks over Jerusalem.  How He must weep inside for He knows that this is the beginning of the end of his walk on earth.  He knows not all people believe in Him and will soon bring His time on earth to an end.  Jesus knows that the cheers of the crowd will soon turn to jeers as His life is cruelly taken from His earthly body. 

But Jesus also knows that His final sacrificial week on earth will be the beginning of eternal life for all who believe in Him—for generations upon generations to come!  THIS is why He came.  THIS is why God sent Him—so that we might be saved from our sins that separate us from God.

The crowds only know that the infamous Jesus has come to their city. 

Those who are against Him are appalled at the spectacle.

Matthew 21, The Message

The Royal Welcome

21 ^1-3 When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: “Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, ‘The Master needs them!’ He will send them with you.”

^4-5 This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:

Tell Zion’s daughter,
“Look, your king’s on his way,
    poised and ready, mounted
On a donkey, on a colt,
    foal of a pack animal.”

^6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”

¹⁰ As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?”

¹¹ The parade crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”

THIS is Jesus who has come—and He is coming back someday soon to claim His own.

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for saving us and reconciling us to God by taking our deserved place of punishment for our sins.  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who merely offend us.  Help us to live like the redeemed!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him
And say that we love Him
Open our ears, Lord
And help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus…

(Written by Bob Cull)

This chorus of my youth returns to play in the background of my mind as I read this passage this morning.  Two blind men know that Jesus is near from hearing the chatter of the crowds.  They hear what He is doing among the people; but their sight prevents them from physically seeing Him and knowing Him personally.  How do we know they know who He is?  They cry out to Jesus, telling world—”Son of David” “Master”!  They know He is the Merciful Messiah who was promised to come.  They know He is Messiah come, but they want to be able to see Jesus—really SEE Jesus in all His glory.

Matthew 20, The Message

^29-31 As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, “Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!” The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, “Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!”

³² Jesus stopped and called over, “What do you want from me?”

³³ They said, “Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!”

³⁴ Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The world blinds us at times to the power of Jesus within us.  We are easily overwhelmed by unexpected circumstances.  Our sight is blocked from our view of the One who can save us and help us through all situations of life.  We suddenly lose sight of hope, trust, and faith in the One who can change everything with a just one word.  And then we remember, nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible with God.  When God is for us, who can be against us? —No one. 

Son of David, have mercy on us!   

Our faith moves the heart of God!  “Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes.”  Instantly these now fully sighted men who wanted to see Jesus could now join Jesus in His work to seek and to save the world.  As a result:

• Eyes open to the work ahead. 
• Eyes open to the power of God at work in His Son. 
• Eyes open to His compassion and love expressed throug healing. 
• Eyes open to the Messiah who would soon demonstrate His love for all who believe by enduring torture, being nailed to a cross for all the sins of the world, laying His life down for the punishment we deserve. 
• Eyes open to the watching Jesus defeat death and in a final victory, rise again for all to see! 
• Eyes open to seeing Jesus after resurrection to hear their assignment command from Him to “go and tell and make disciples, teaching them…”
• Eyes open to the Hope of Glory.  They saw Him in all His glory which validated what they knew and believed.  Jesus was, is and is to come our Savior and Lord of all.  God ordained His Son in the Highest place of honor in His Kingdom as King of kings and Lord of lords.  (Philippians 2)

How’s our eyesight?  Do we need a checkup?  We all do!  Sometimes our eyesight is blurred by circumstances that challenge our faith in God who knows exactly what we are going through.  We must realize that nothing escapes His notice!  So, call out to Him as the once blind men did.  Pray in Jesus Name for what we really need—to see, really see Jesus at work in our lives.  Pray for ears to be opened to hear His voice above the useless chatter of the world that distracts us.

I’m reminded of the story of Elisha who prayed for his servant who was in a panic over what was about to happen in battle.  All his servant could see was the enemy with great numbers on the horizon about to descend on them.  “Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” – (2 Kings 6:17) 

WOW!  This is the glory of the Lord always at work in our lives, too!  We need to pray for opened eyes to see Him at work! 

“’Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet (Elisha) answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them'” (2 Kings 6:16).  Realizing his servant could only see what was happening in the natural, Elisha asked God to open his servant’s eyes so he could see what was really going on in the spiritual.

We can also prayer that pray for help in trouble!  Jesus told us this truth… “Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:23-24

“Son of David, have mercy on us!”  “We want to see!”

For many of us, it’s easier to become distracted and caught up in what the enemy is doing around us than to keep our eyes steadily focused on the Lord.  Sadly, some believers in difficult situations believe they have to fight their battles on their own, leading many to turn to worldly tactics rather than applying spiritual principles.  But like Elisha requested for his servant, rather than thinking we’re all on our own in the conflict, we can ask God to open our eyes to see Him in the midst of our circumstances.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—Jesus

Son of David, Son of God, have mercy on us—we want to see!

Lord,

Open our spiritual eyes to all that you are while realizing what you are doing even today.  May we see your glory at work all around us and give you praise the moment we realize that it is you all along.  How great are you, Lord! You never leave us, you never sleep, you are for us not against us, you love us beyond human understanding and fight all our battles as we fall to our knees in humble gratitude.  There is no one like you!  You are my Hope.  You are Life!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I once was blind, but now I see.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus…

We make choices with every breath we take with every hour passes, every day of our lives.  It begins with waking up.  Do I get out of bed or sleep in a little longer?  Do I get up at all?  Do brush my teeth now or wait until I eat breakfast?  Do I eat breakfast or skip it?  What clothes will I wear today?  What shoes?  Well, it depends on what I need to do today.  Do I go to work or call in sick?  When you have kids still at home.  The choices multiply and get more complicated when the choices they are making do not comply or match your choices.  Who is in control or our choices?  We are.  God gave us free will to choose.  What we choose affects our lives and those lives around us.

All we choose to think, say, or do is driven by the decision we have made to follow Jesus—or not.  To follow Jesus is a commitment to be like Him in the way we live our lives.  If we choose being like Jesus then we have chosen to be one who serves, not one expecting to be served.  This or that?  Not making a decision is a choice made, too.  We have chosen to live life on our own with no help from the God who created us and loves us and wants His best for us.  Choosing has consequences.  Decisions carry responsibility.  There are only two choices.  This or that.

God does not force us into this decision to love Him back or accept His Son’s deliverance because God wants us to decide for ourselves.  He will not step in until we choose to allow Him.  Know this:  Our Father is looking over all the earth for those who have decided to follow Him with willing, excited, expectant, committed, attentive, joyful, open hearts full of Hope believing their sins are gone because of His Son, Jesus.  God looks because He loves to help, bless, lead and guide those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. THIS, or that which is not of God?

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him”(2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV). What does He want to do when He finds such hearts? He wants to strengthen them for they have chosen to drink from the Cup of Jesus’ salvation.

Matthew 20, The Message

To Drink from the Cup

^17-19 Jesus, now well on the way up to Jerusalem, took the Twelve off to the side of the road and said, “Listen to me carefully. We are on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. They will then hand him over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion. On the third day he will be raised up alive.”

²⁰ It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request.

²¹ “What do you want?” Jesus asked.

She said, “Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand.”

²² Jesus responded, “You have no idea what you’re asking.” And he said to James and John, “Are you capable of drinking the cup that I’m about to drink?”

They said, “Sure, why not?”

²³ Jesus said, “Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. My Father is taking care of that.”

^24-28 When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

THIS OR THAT? 

Oh, momma!  What a contrast of thinking between the mission of Jesus and the mission of the mom of James and John.  Her timing, bless her heart, (as we say in the south), was astronomically and astonishing awkward!  Did she not hear what Jesus just said?  Obviously not.  Jesus just told his guys about how he will be brutally beaten and terrorized then crucified, die but then rise again on the third day. 

Mom only heard the rising again part and immediately wants her boys to be the greatest in God’s Kingdom, after Jesus, of course.  This stage mom wants her sons to be higher and greater than the rest of the disciples.  Why didn’t James and John shush her?  Mom!  But they were thinking the same thought. 

Has she not heard Jesus’ teaching or watched Him serve?  It doesn’t matter to stage moms, what matters is that their children achieve the highest praise and positions of honor.  Stage moms are prevalent today!  Back to this one…Mom has not chosen well.  She does not know what she is asking, says Jesus, who handles the awkwardness as only Jesus can.

Have you ever been in deep conversation of importance with a small group of people when a person steps in to interrupt with something so unlike what is being discussed that you feel sorry for them?  I am cringing with embarrassment for this mom!  How awkward!  But Jesus handles the situation by asking James and John if they can drink from the Cup.  The Cup is the mission of Jesus and is of greatest importance.  This presents James and John with a decision to make that will affect their relationship with Jesus/God for eternity.  THIS or that?

The other disciples get angry after the awkward asking for power and position.  Jesus reminds them—again—of what it means to follow Him, to be more like Him in every way.   “He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”  THIS, not that of which the world expects.  THIS is the mission of Jesus sent by God, the cup of decision to save people held hostage by their sins.  Jesus will set them free! 

THIS OR THAT?  Take a minute to reflect…

Are we willing to drink the Cup, share in His sufferings, as we get to know Jesus more? (See Philippians 3:10)

Are we willing to be obedient, following Jesus’ command to go and tell others His story of redemption? —No matter how awkward doing this might seem?  (Matthew 28)

Jesus saves, we merely point people to the One and Only who saves and forgives. We honor Him.

Are we willing to serve, not expecting to be served?  This changes our perspective of life.

Are we seeking to put others’ interest ahead of our own?

Do we seek God first in the morning and listen for his voice all day long?

Do we really believe what God said and what Jesus did for us really real?  Our behaviors will reflect what we truly believe in our hearts.

This or that?  Choose wisely.  Choose Life.

Lord,

I don’t want to be like James and John’s mom.  I don’t want that.  I want to be more like you.  I’m learning daily what this means.  There will be troubles in this world, skirmishes with the one who wants us to choose him instead of you, but you have already overcome and won this battle.  I choose you because You chose to save me.  Thank you for this lesson of humility.  Thank your for loving us so much you laid down your life for our sins, setting us free to love like you.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

One, two, three o’clock, four o’clock, rock
Five, six, seven o’clock, eight o’clock, rock
Nine, ten, eleven o’clock, twelve o’clock, rock
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight

Jesus is really rockin the great reversal of Kingdom of God thinking and behaving versus what and how the current world thinks is “fair” to his followers in this parable.  Jesus, the Rock of our salvation, wants us all to clearly understand what Kingdom of God thinking looks and acts like so we believers will begin to approach life living in this way.  It is indeed a great reversal of thinking for his disciples—and later for us. 

Lord, we ask that you cleanse our hearts, renew, and transform our minds, feed our souls, and restore the joy of your salvation that Kingdom of God thinking provides. In Your Name, by your Power working within us, Amen

Matthew 20, The Message

A Story About Workers

20 ^1-2 “God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work.

^3-5 “Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.

^5-6 “He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’

⁷ “They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“He told them to go to work in his vineyard.

⁸ “When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’

^9-12 “Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’

^13-15 “He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

It does not matter how long but that we believe in our Savior.  It does not matter when we began to serve our Lord but how we serve with hearts of gratitude for “hiring” (calling), offering (inviting) us a better life, and rewarding us by saving us and including us as part of His Kingdom family!

One of two thieves on either side of Jesus as He is being crucified turned his mocking to begging when he was about to die.  He turned to Jesus for repentance.  Jesus forgave him and said, “truly, you will be with me in paradise.”  (Luke 23:43) That’s how the great reversal of thinking works.  God decides what is “fair”—we do not.

God is infinitely beyond human thinking.  God is the Original Love that knows no boundaries.  His love is unchanging.  His love is for us, not against us.  His love causes Him to grieve when he watches us fall into the traps of evil that cause harm to us.

God’s mercy and grace also goes beyond what humans think is deserved and gives as gifts of “fairness”.  What is fair and right to God is that NO ONE perish but that all be saved from their sins.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 The gift of grace is there, ready for us to receive as we believe.  His mercies are new and fresh each morning as we hold up both hands to grasp and retrieve them.  God is good.  God is so, so, good.

The Great Reversal of Kingdom of God thinking and behaving is magnificently taught and demonstrated by our Perfect Example, Jesus Christ, the Rock of our Salvation.  (Philippians 2)

God knew we would not be perfect as we navigate this world, so he provided Perfect Forgiveness—Jesus, His Son.  God provides the only Way out of the punishment we deserve for all our sins.  That Way is Jesus who embodied Truth.  By believing Truth, we are reconciled and reconnected to God who is love.  We are given Life eternal which begins the moment we believe and repent of our sins, not matter what age or how “late” in life we begin to believe. 

No one deserves it but our merciful God gives it—that is His nature and preference for God is love.  (1 John 4)  To know God is to know real love.

To God be the Glory!

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will rejoice and be glad all day long and into the night for you are my salvation, my strength, and my song!  I will rejoice with the angels in heaven when another soul comes to you!  No matter when they come to you; we have learned not to judge or complain that they waited until the last hour of their lives.  We pray that no one perishes!  Thank you for reversing our thinking!  Help us to live what you teach!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen