Luke 14:29
For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,
Consider this: before there was time, there was God. Before there were stars in the sky, planets in the solar system, or comets whizzing around space, there was God. Before there was an earth, trees, water, plants, and animals, there was God. Before there was man, there was God. Heaven existed in all of its glory with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit reigning in perfect unity.
At some point in the span of time, however, God started thinking. I think He began to contemplate a scenario where He created a being who had the capability of understanding love, as He knew love; a being who could choose to do whatever he wanted, just as He does. He began to consider that by creating such a creature, He would face the real possibility that they wouldn’t love Him. I think God even thought about the fact that some would choose to deny His very existence and never even acknowledge Him. I think that not only did God have these thoughts, but He knew the answers to His own questions.
I think that long before God created the earth on which we walk today, He considered the cost. He probably came up with a list of pros and cons and laid it all out on the line. I wonder what that list looked like...
Pro-I’ll have friends who choose to know me.
Con-Some won’t want to be my friend.
Pro-I’ll have worship that isn’t required, but freely given.
Con-Some won’t acknowledge my existence, let alone worship me.
Pro-I’ll be able to bless them with all of the riches of Heaven.
Con-My Son will have to die in order to have that happen.
Maybe that isn’t what His list looked like. I don’t know, I’m only human. I wasn’t there when He made this big decision. The point that I’m trying to make is that God knew the outcome before He even began to form the earth. He knew that some of us would reject and deny His existence. He knew that the Devil would trick and deceive mankind in an effort to prove God wrong. He knew that He’d have to send His only Son to suffer a horrific, brutal, humiliating death on a cross in order to redeem His creation. He counted the cost, and at the end of His day, He decided that He would and could finish what He started.
When Jesus hung on the cross at Calvary’s mountain, naked, between two thieves, He cried out with a loud voice, “IT IS FINISHED!” He declared that what He had begun, He also completed. He put His signature on the dotted line and gave us the receipt reading, “Paid in full”.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Farmer?
Genesis 2:8
The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
Before the fall of man, that is, before we became conscious of our sin, everything was perfect. God and man walked together, they talked, they laughed, they enjoyed each other’s company. The created enjoyed the blessings and abundance of what the Creator had made. The only work, if you choose to call it that, man (the word ‘man’ being used to represent both man and woman) had to do was harvest.
The Bible tells us in Genesis 2:9 that God made every tree grow, some to look at for their beauty and others to yield produce for food. The point was that God Himself did all of the work. It was God who planted the seeds. It was God who watered the roots. It was God who fertilized the soil. Man simply had to come and receive, or more appropriately, take what God had cultivated and provided for him.
It wasn’t until after the Fall, when sin consciousness entered, that man had to do the work for himself (Genesis 3:17). Prior to that, God, with His grace abounding, did all of the dirty work on behalf of man. So, since the Fall things have been different. We, mankind, have to toil (struggle, work exhaustingly) in order just to feed ourselves. It’s the curse that came with our desire to be like God. Since we chose to have His knowledge of good and evil, we also chose to have His work in providing for ourselves.
From the Garden of Eden up until the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all of humanity lived under this curse. But I am here to tell you today that through Jesus Christ we are renewed to a right relationship with the Father. We have the ability to travel back in time to the time when God did all the work and we, His “very good” creation, reaped all the harvest! (Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.)
This being the case, there isn’t a Christian out there who should believe that their seed of faith needs to be sown in order to reap a harvest of abundance. The fact is that God is planting seeds constantly for us, His creation. He’s tilling the ground, watering the seeds, and fertilizing the soil so that we simply have to glean what He has blessed us with through His work. The cross restored us to a pre-sin age, when God and man were in perfect communion, and so lifted the curse that was upon us as sinners. (Ephesians 1:3-13) It is good to invest out of our abundance into the Kingdom of God, but in order to do that, we have to first become abundance conscious!
The grace that God extended to all of mankind through His son Jesus Christ at the cross, when He became our sin, our disease, and our curse (Galatians 3:13 and Deuteronomy 21:23) doesn’t simply stop with our knowledge of eternal life. It doesn’t only pertain to our “happily ever after”, but also to our here and now! Where sin abounds, grace super-abounds. That being the case, we as Christians need to change our mindset from that of working (toiling) with our sinful nature, to one where work no longer exists. We need to simply come to God our Father and continue to take an abundance from the grace that He has extended to us.
The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
Before the fall of man, that is, before we became conscious of our sin, everything was perfect. God and man walked together, they talked, they laughed, they enjoyed each other’s company. The created enjoyed the blessings and abundance of what the Creator had made. The only work, if you choose to call it that, man (the word ‘man’ being used to represent both man and woman) had to do was harvest.
The Bible tells us in Genesis 2:9 that God made every tree grow, some to look at for their beauty and others to yield produce for food. The point was that God Himself did all of the work. It was God who planted the seeds. It was God who watered the roots. It was God who fertilized the soil. Man simply had to come and receive, or more appropriately, take what God had cultivated and provided for him.
It wasn’t until after the Fall, when sin consciousness entered, that man had to do the work for himself (Genesis 3:17). Prior to that, God, with His grace abounding, did all of the dirty work on behalf of man. So, since the Fall things have been different. We, mankind, have to toil (struggle, work exhaustingly) in order just to feed ourselves. It’s the curse that came with our desire to be like God. Since we chose to have His knowledge of good and evil, we also chose to have His work in providing for ourselves.
From the Garden of Eden up until the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all of humanity lived under this curse. But I am here to tell you today that through Jesus Christ we are renewed to a right relationship with the Father. We have the ability to travel back in time to the time when God did all the work and we, His “very good” creation, reaped all the harvest! (Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.)
This being the case, there isn’t a Christian out there who should believe that their seed of faith needs to be sown in order to reap a harvest of abundance. The fact is that God is planting seeds constantly for us, His creation. He’s tilling the ground, watering the seeds, and fertilizing the soil so that we simply have to glean what He has blessed us with through His work. The cross restored us to a pre-sin age, when God and man were in perfect communion, and so lifted the curse that was upon us as sinners. (Ephesians 1:3-13) It is good to invest out of our abundance into the Kingdom of God, but in order to do that, we have to first become abundance conscious!
The grace that God extended to all of mankind through His son Jesus Christ at the cross, when He became our sin, our disease, and our curse (Galatians 3:13 and Deuteronomy 21:23) doesn’t simply stop with our knowledge of eternal life. It doesn’t only pertain to our “happily ever after”, but also to our here and now! Where sin abounds, grace super-abounds. That being the case, we as Christians need to change our mindset from that of working (toiling) with our sinful nature, to one where work no longer exists. We need to simply come to God our Father and continue to take an abundance from the grace that He has extended to us.
Names
Acts 3:4
And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
Etymology of names is the study of the origin and literal meaning of names. It’s actually quite interesting. I think that anyone who reads and studies the Bible should spend some time learning the meanings of names. Take, for instance, these two fine folks, Peter and John.
Peter, which is translated from the Hebrew name Cephas, means “rock”. We know from reading the Bible that Peter’s name testified to his personality. He was the disciple who stood his ground right by Jesus’ side. He was the disciple who testified that Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16:16). And, completely out of character, he was the man who denied Christ in His darkest hour.
John, which is translated from the Hebrew name Yohanan, means “God is gracious”. Again, from reading the Bible we see that John’s name testifies to his personality. He is often referred to as “the disciple Jesus loved”. The Gospel of John is written with love and grace. It points out Jesus’ healings and miracles from a very human point of view.
So, now that we have that out of the way we can move on with this scripture. Peter, “the rock”, a representation of the Law which was written in stone, unbending, and John, “God is gracious”, or grace for short, are going out to teach the message of Jesus Christ and His redemption. The Law and Grace are working together to bring the message of salvation to the masses. While they’re traveling Solomon’s Porch they encountered a lame man who was begging for money.
Prior to verse 3, these two men were referred to as Peter and John, in that specific order. Verse 1, “Now Peter (the law) and John (grace) went up together...” and verse 3, “who, seeing Peter (the law) and John (grace)...” But something happens in verse 4 to cause their names to be switched around. That switch is what we need to focus on. In my opinion, it is the most important part of this entire chapter. You’ve read it at the top of the page as the Bible has it, but this is what I read this morning, “And fixing his eyes on him, with Grace, the Law said, ‘Look at us’”.
The tone has changed. The scripture now points us directly to Jesus, who taught the law like no other teacher while He was alive, but He did so with grace. When they brought the prostitute to Jesus, He didn’t contradict the law in any way. Instead He used it, with grace, to point out the fact that no one is guiltless. Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17) and He was able to do that because He wrote the law and He is the law.
We have our teaching backwards in today’s world. We try to teach grace through the law. We tell people that untill they get their act together they’ll never be able to fully receive God’s blessings and favor. The truth, however, is that it is only because of God’s blessings and favor that they’ll ever be able to get their act together. We cannot ignore the laws of God (Matthew 5:18) but we have to instruct with them as the Author did, through grace.
And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
Etymology of names is the study of the origin and literal meaning of names. It’s actually quite interesting. I think that anyone who reads and studies the Bible should spend some time learning the meanings of names. Take, for instance, these two fine folks, Peter and John.
Peter, which is translated from the Hebrew name Cephas, means “rock”. We know from reading the Bible that Peter’s name testified to his personality. He was the disciple who stood his ground right by Jesus’ side. He was the disciple who testified that Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16:16). And, completely out of character, he was the man who denied Christ in His darkest hour.
John, which is translated from the Hebrew name Yohanan, means “God is gracious”. Again, from reading the Bible we see that John’s name testifies to his personality. He is often referred to as “the disciple Jesus loved”. The Gospel of John is written with love and grace. It points out Jesus’ healings and miracles from a very human point of view.
So, now that we have that out of the way we can move on with this scripture. Peter, “the rock”, a representation of the Law which was written in stone, unbending, and John, “God is gracious”, or grace for short, are going out to teach the message of Jesus Christ and His redemption. The Law and Grace are working together to bring the message of salvation to the masses. While they’re traveling Solomon’s Porch they encountered a lame man who was begging for money.
Prior to verse 3, these two men were referred to as Peter and John, in that specific order. Verse 1, “Now Peter (the law) and John (grace) went up together...” and verse 3, “who, seeing Peter (the law) and John (grace)...” But something happens in verse 4 to cause their names to be switched around. That switch is what we need to focus on. In my opinion, it is the most important part of this entire chapter. You’ve read it at the top of the page as the Bible has it, but this is what I read this morning, “And fixing his eyes on him, with Grace, the Law said, ‘Look at us’”.
The tone has changed. The scripture now points us directly to Jesus, who taught the law like no other teacher while He was alive, but He did so with grace. When they brought the prostitute to Jesus, He didn’t contradict the law in any way. Instead He used it, with grace, to point out the fact that no one is guiltless. Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17) and He was able to do that because He wrote the law and He is the law.
We have our teaching backwards in today’s world. We try to teach grace through the law. We tell people that untill they get their act together they’ll never be able to fully receive God’s blessings and favor. The truth, however, is that it is only because of God’s blessings and favor that they’ll ever be able to get their act together. We cannot ignore the laws of God (Matthew 5:18) but we have to instruct with them as the Author did, through grace.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Astronauts of grace.
Romans 7:6
But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
Sometimes it is hard to explain how we, as Christians, are no longer subject to the law as it pertains to righteousness and sanctification without seeming to imply that the law no longer exists. How do you explain that living under the grace of the cross exempts you from living under the letter of the law, but that the law itself is still applicable in everyday life? How do you explain to a new Christian, a future Christian, or for that matter a longtime Christian, that though the law, that is, the Ten Commandments still apply, they no longer have dominion over us? The simple truth is that through the blood of Jesus Christ we have been set free of the burden of keeping the law.
I guess I like to look at this issue based on another law that exists and holds us down. But just like there are Christians who are released from the law and those who choose to still live under the law, there are also people who have been released from this scientific law as well. The law to which I am referring is the law of gravity.
Gravity is what keeps us from floating away from the earth. Not only that, but it gives us security in knowing that it is constant. Gravity on earth never changes. Any object on the face of the earth that is not otherwise suspended in air (through flight or a strong updraft) will fall to the ground and remain there until another force acts upon it. (An aside: I’m not a scientist or physicist, so bear with me!) God’s law is also constant and never changing. It was given to keep us grounded (for lack of a better word). We are secure in our knowledge of right and wrong based on His words.
Have you ever seen an astronaut? They’re not subject to the limitations imposed by gravity when they’re out there going around the world in the Space Shuttle. No, they are floating around enjoying the freedom of being released from gravity’s dominion over them. But I ask you, has gravity ceased to exist because they are no longer subject to its control? The answer of course is no. Have you ever seen an image from space? It’s beautiful! Astronauts get to see the world, the universe, from a completely different perspective then the rest of us. Why? Because they have been released from the bonds of gravity and their perspective on everything in life has changed.
Friends, when we accept Christ as the Son of God, the Saviour of man, the perfect Lamb, we become astronauts of grace. God’s law doesn’t cease to exist, but keeping it in order to remain in good standing with Him does. We are released (as Paul says) from the bonds of the law, no longer captives to its power. We are free, through grace, to see the world in a different way. When an astronaut returns from space, he is once again working in the law, but has experienced his release from it. We too, are working in the law, but have experienced our freeing release from it.
But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
Sometimes it is hard to explain how we, as Christians, are no longer subject to the law as it pertains to righteousness and sanctification without seeming to imply that the law no longer exists. How do you explain that living under the grace of the cross exempts you from living under the letter of the law, but that the law itself is still applicable in everyday life? How do you explain to a new Christian, a future Christian, or for that matter a longtime Christian, that though the law, that is, the Ten Commandments still apply, they no longer have dominion over us? The simple truth is that through the blood of Jesus Christ we have been set free of the burden of keeping the law.
I guess I like to look at this issue based on another law that exists and holds us down. But just like there are Christians who are released from the law and those who choose to still live under the law, there are also people who have been released from this scientific law as well. The law to which I am referring is the law of gravity.
Gravity is what keeps us from floating away from the earth. Not only that, but it gives us security in knowing that it is constant. Gravity on earth never changes. Any object on the face of the earth that is not otherwise suspended in air (through flight or a strong updraft) will fall to the ground and remain there until another force acts upon it. (An aside: I’m not a scientist or physicist, so bear with me!) God’s law is also constant and never changing. It was given to keep us grounded (for lack of a better word). We are secure in our knowledge of right and wrong based on His words.
Have you ever seen an astronaut? They’re not subject to the limitations imposed by gravity when they’re out there going around the world in the Space Shuttle. No, they are floating around enjoying the freedom of being released from gravity’s dominion over them. But I ask you, has gravity ceased to exist because they are no longer subject to its control? The answer of course is no. Have you ever seen an image from space? It’s beautiful! Astronauts get to see the world, the universe, from a completely different perspective then the rest of us. Why? Because they have been released from the bonds of gravity and their perspective on everything in life has changed.
Friends, when we accept Christ as the Son of God, the Saviour of man, the perfect Lamb, we become astronauts of grace. God’s law doesn’t cease to exist, but keeping it in order to remain in good standing with Him does. We are released (as Paul says) from the bonds of the law, no longer captives to its power. We are free, through grace, to see the world in a different way. When an astronaut returns from space, he is once again working in the law, but has experienced his release from it. We too, are working in the law, but have experienced our freeing release from it.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Who are you teaching?
Romans 1:7
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes when I read the Bible, specifically the New Testament, more specifically Romans through Philemon, I think to myself, “Wow, that Paul was a pompous know-it-all.” Perhaps you’ve felt the same way at times. Paul, though full of the Spirit, has a unique way of boldly pointing out where you have really gone astray.
Paul is a very straight forward, “tell it like it is” kind of guy. There were no gray areas in the relationships Paul had with the people he loved. He wrote his letters and spelled out to his friends and brothers exactly what they were doing wrong and what they needed to do to fix it. Sometimes he hurt their feelings. (Sometimes he hurts my feelings!) Perhaps he was considered by some of the church leaders to whom he wrote as not “bought in”. Maybe he just didn’t understand the mission and direction the church was going in her quest to reach the unchurched. Maybe, instead of writing letters, he should have just moved on because he wasn’t part of that church anymore.
We, today’s church, get sermon series and Biblical fix-its from Paul’s letters that we accost the people with on Sunday mornings. We attempt to force-feed the entire congregation (believers and non-believers alike) the corrections that Paul intended for the church leadership. Paul wasn’t writing to the entire congregation of the church. He was writing specifically to the leaders. The Spirit of God stirred up Paul and used his tell-it-like-it-is personality to lay it all out for the church leaders because they had strayed away from the Gospel message.
The churches were beginning to teach life lessons, fix-it programs, and religion. They had forgotten the most important part of the message, that is, the grace and love of Jesus Christ. There are many lessons to be learned from Paul’s letters to the churches, but the most important one is this: Stay true the gospel that you were teaching from the beginning. Hold fast to the grace and love of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Proclaim His name, His forgiveness, and His salvation throughout the land.
In Acts 1:14 and 2:1 the Bible tells us that they (the disciples-about 120) were all “with one accord”. This means they were all teaching and believing and discussing the SAME thing. They weren’t talking about whether pigs were okay to eat. They weren’t talking about what translation of the Bible was more correct. They weren’t talking about whether or not the professionalism of the praise band was adequate. They were all talking and teaching one thing: Jesus Christ came, He died, He was raised from the dead, and He sits at the right hand of the Father. ALL sins are forgiven through Him and salvation is through His Grace.
Paul prefaces every one of his letters with some statement of blessing. He tells each church, “Grace to you.........and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” He opens his letter with the exact message that the church needs to get back to teaching. He’s telling them, “Hey guys, stop acting like that. You know that the Grace of Jesus Christ is the only thing that’s going to change people’s lives. Stop teaching all of this religion and start teaching Grace again.”
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes when I read the Bible, specifically the New Testament, more specifically Romans through Philemon, I think to myself, “Wow, that Paul was a pompous know-it-all.” Perhaps you’ve felt the same way at times. Paul, though full of the Spirit, has a unique way of boldly pointing out where you have really gone astray.
Paul is a very straight forward, “tell it like it is” kind of guy. There were no gray areas in the relationships Paul had with the people he loved. He wrote his letters and spelled out to his friends and brothers exactly what they were doing wrong and what they needed to do to fix it. Sometimes he hurt their feelings. (Sometimes he hurts my feelings!) Perhaps he was considered by some of the church leaders to whom he wrote as not “bought in”. Maybe he just didn’t understand the mission and direction the church was going in her quest to reach the unchurched. Maybe, instead of writing letters, he should have just moved on because he wasn’t part of that church anymore.
We, today’s church, get sermon series and Biblical fix-its from Paul’s letters that we accost the people with on Sunday mornings. We attempt to force-feed the entire congregation (believers and non-believers alike) the corrections that Paul intended for the church leadership. Paul wasn’t writing to the entire congregation of the church. He was writing specifically to the leaders. The Spirit of God stirred up Paul and used his tell-it-like-it-is personality to lay it all out for the church leaders because they had strayed away from the Gospel message.
The churches were beginning to teach life lessons, fix-it programs, and religion. They had forgotten the most important part of the message, that is, the grace and love of Jesus Christ. There are many lessons to be learned from Paul’s letters to the churches, but the most important one is this: Stay true the gospel that you were teaching from the beginning. Hold fast to the grace and love of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Proclaim His name, His forgiveness, and His salvation throughout the land.
In Acts 1:14 and 2:1 the Bible tells us that they (the disciples-about 120) were all “with one accord”. This means they were all teaching and believing and discussing the SAME thing. They weren’t talking about whether pigs were okay to eat. They weren’t talking about what translation of the Bible was more correct. They weren’t talking about whether or not the professionalism of the praise band was adequate. They were all talking and teaching one thing: Jesus Christ came, He died, He was raised from the dead, and He sits at the right hand of the Father. ALL sins are forgiven through Him and salvation is through His Grace.
Paul prefaces every one of his letters with some statement of blessing. He tells each church, “Grace to you.........and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” He opens his letter with the exact message that the church needs to get back to teaching. He’s telling them, “Hey guys, stop acting like that. You know that the Grace of Jesus Christ is the only thing that’s going to change people’s lives. Stop teaching all of this religion and start teaching Grace again.”
Sunday, March 20, 2011
But who?
Mark 16:4
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
It had been three days since they watched their friend and teacher suffer and die. What a horrible time for Mary, Mary, and Salome. (Yes, there were two Marys and, interestingly enough, their names together mean “bitter, bitter, peace” but that has nothing to do with what I am about to write.) On this day they were coming to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body with spices as part of the burial, and as a way to pay their respects.
As they walked they talked to each other, no doubt about Jesus’ horrible death and how sad they were. They wondered and discussed who would roll away the stone from His tomb. (Mark 16:3) They knew it would be impossible for them to roll such a huge boulder away from the entrance to the tomb. Given the fact that the next verse starts, “But when they looked up....”, I find it safe to assume that they talked about rolling the stone away as they walked up to the tomb.
How depressed were these three women? To be walking up to the tomb and not have noticed from far off that the stone had been moved. They must have been looking at their feet while they walked, completely heartbroken, for their King had been killed. They were down and out and had no hope. They were under the assumption that they were going to put smell-nice on a rotting carcass. But that’s not at all what happened.
How often do we walk through our lives like these women? We have the promise that Jesus gave in His word, but we walk through our days with our heads to the ground, hopeless. That’s not what Jesus intended or intends for us. He came to die, but more so, to live and to give life.
These women were worried about the giant stone. Who would be able to move it out of the way so that they could get to Christ? That stone is a representation of God’s law. Who would be able to move it out of the way (not destroy it) so that we can get to Christ? Again, in perfect harmony with every other example of God’s grace and love for humanity, the stone was moved before they came to it. The same holds true in our lives today. The stone or law has been moved aside (not destroyed) in preparation for us to freely and boldly come before the throne of God’s grace through Christ.
Don’t walk through life wondering what you need to do in order to get to Christ. Don’t fret like the Marys did about how you’re going to accomplish your goal. Christ has already prepared the way for you. He’s moved the obstacle that was keeping you from salvation to the side and given you free access to Him. There is no work to be done. “It is finished!”
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
It had been three days since they watched their friend and teacher suffer and die. What a horrible time for Mary, Mary, and Salome. (Yes, there were two Marys and, interestingly enough, their names together mean “bitter, bitter, peace” but that has nothing to do with what I am about to write.) On this day they were coming to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body with spices as part of the burial, and as a way to pay their respects.
As they walked they talked to each other, no doubt about Jesus’ horrible death and how sad they were. They wondered and discussed who would roll away the stone from His tomb. (Mark 16:3) They knew it would be impossible for them to roll such a huge boulder away from the entrance to the tomb. Given the fact that the next verse starts, “But when they looked up....”, I find it safe to assume that they talked about rolling the stone away as they walked up to the tomb.
How depressed were these three women? To be walking up to the tomb and not have noticed from far off that the stone had been moved. They must have been looking at their feet while they walked, completely heartbroken, for their King had been killed. They were down and out and had no hope. They were under the assumption that they were going to put smell-nice on a rotting carcass. But that’s not at all what happened.
How often do we walk through our lives like these women? We have the promise that Jesus gave in His word, but we walk through our days with our heads to the ground, hopeless. That’s not what Jesus intended or intends for us. He came to die, but more so, to live and to give life.
These women were worried about the giant stone. Who would be able to move it out of the way so that they could get to Christ? That stone is a representation of God’s law. Who would be able to move it out of the way (not destroy it) so that we can get to Christ? Again, in perfect harmony with every other example of God’s grace and love for humanity, the stone was moved before they came to it. The same holds true in our lives today. The stone or law has been moved aside (not destroyed) in preparation for us to freely and boldly come before the throne of God’s grace through Christ.
Don’t walk through life wondering what you need to do in order to get to Christ. Don’t fret like the Marys did about how you’re going to accomplish your goal. Christ has already prepared the way for you. He’s moved the obstacle that was keeping you from salvation to the side and given you free access to Him. There is no work to be done. “It is finished!”
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
OOOH OOOH Bless me!
Mark 10:15
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
It’s easy to get caught up in “act with the faith of a child” attitude as far as our relationship with Christ goes. We don’t have any trouble understanding that type of message. You know, the “just follow Christ and trust that He’ll make it all work out” message? That’s how little children have faith in their parents, right? Oh, but I have realized something: this verse has absolutely nothing to do with faith!
For too long in our churches, we have used this lesson of the children rushing in on Christ as an example of how we are to have childlike faith in what He is doing for our lives. I’ve heard it taught, as I’m sure you have too, that in order to receive the kingdom of God we have to have the faith of a child. Oh, that blind faith that only a child has. If we, as adults, could only trust Jesus with that type of attitude the kingdom would be ours. If we could give and not worry, sacrifice and not fear, serve and not grow weary. But alas, we fail. We’re too logical in our thoughts. We’ve seen too much to believe like a child. Isn’t that right?
That’s wrong! These children weren’t coming to Christ with faithful sacrifices. They weren’t bringing tithes to Him, not bringing offerings, or seeds for a harvest, requests for a healing, or pleas for a new job; rather, they were coming simply to receive from Him. Christ Himself said, “...receive the kingdom of God...” with the implication that it had already been offered. Are you still trying to purchase (for lack of a better word) the kingdom of God with your offerings, your seeds sown in faith? Or are you just coming to Christ, like the children in this passage, to receive what has already been given to you?
There is a big difference in doing or giving something to receive a blessing, and simply taking a blessing. Christ was, in essence, telling His disciples that “if you don’t come to me and freely take all that I have, you’ll never get anything” (obviously paraphrased). He was saying, “I don’t want your stuff. I want you to have my stuff!” (again, paraphrased) The very next verse punctuates Christ’s words. Mark 10:16 states, “And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.”
Notice that He didn’t take Jonny’s stuffed puppy as a freewill love gift. He didn’t tell Sally to sow her dolly for a harvest of Barbie Dream Homes. No, He opened His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed away. The nature of Christ is to open His arms and bless the people. It’s the desire of God. I, for one, fully intend to act like a child with Christ. I’m going to run to Him from now on and just take His blessings.
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
It’s easy to get caught up in “act with the faith of a child” attitude as far as our relationship with Christ goes. We don’t have any trouble understanding that type of message. You know, the “just follow Christ and trust that He’ll make it all work out” message? That’s how little children have faith in their parents, right? Oh, but I have realized something: this verse has absolutely nothing to do with faith!
For too long in our churches, we have used this lesson of the children rushing in on Christ as an example of how we are to have childlike faith in what He is doing for our lives. I’ve heard it taught, as I’m sure you have too, that in order to receive the kingdom of God we have to have the faith of a child. Oh, that blind faith that only a child has. If we, as adults, could only trust Jesus with that type of attitude the kingdom would be ours. If we could give and not worry, sacrifice and not fear, serve and not grow weary. But alas, we fail. We’re too logical in our thoughts. We’ve seen too much to believe like a child. Isn’t that right?
That’s wrong! These children weren’t coming to Christ with faithful sacrifices. They weren’t bringing tithes to Him, not bringing offerings, or seeds for a harvest, requests for a healing, or pleas for a new job; rather, they were coming simply to receive from Him. Christ Himself said, “...receive the kingdom of God...” with the implication that it had already been offered. Are you still trying to purchase (for lack of a better word) the kingdom of God with your offerings, your seeds sown in faith? Or are you just coming to Christ, like the children in this passage, to receive what has already been given to you?
There is a big difference in doing or giving something to receive a blessing, and simply taking a blessing. Christ was, in essence, telling His disciples that “if you don’t come to me and freely take all that I have, you’ll never get anything” (obviously paraphrased). He was saying, “I don’t want your stuff. I want you to have my stuff!” (again, paraphrased) The very next verse punctuates Christ’s words. Mark 10:16 states, “And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.”
Notice that He didn’t take Jonny’s stuffed puppy as a freewill love gift. He didn’t tell Sally to sow her dolly for a harvest of Barbie Dream Homes. No, He opened His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed away. The nature of Christ is to open His arms and bless the people. It’s the desire of God. I, for one, fully intend to act like a child with Christ. I’m going to run to Him from now on and just take His blessings.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Heirs
Luke 15:22
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
I’m pretty sure we all know the story and the relative significance of the parable of the Prodigal Son. If not, I’ll sum up for you. A man had two sons. One son decided that he wanted all of his inheritance so that he could go out and live his own life, the way he wanted, without having to answer to his father for everything. The father loved his son very much and decided to give him exactly what he wanted: complete freedom.
The father gave the boy all of his inheritance and sent him out to live his life. The boy was thrilled!! He made friends, had parties, and drove fast cars. He hooked up with the ladies and had his fill of champagne and caviar. He wore the finest suits, Armani no doubt, smoked some fine Cuban cigars, and snorted only the purest Colombian Blow. He stayed at the Palace, took in all the shows, and didn’t have a care in the world.
One day, however, the inheritance money ran out. Slowly and steadily his friends vanished. The lavish parties came to a halt. The cocaine pipeline was shut down, the caviar went sour, and the champagne turned into Mad Dog 20/20. Dinner and a show at the Palace turned into biscuits and gravy at the soup kitchen. The penthouse suite was now nothing more than an old cardboard box in an alley with the cats.
The boy remembered everything he’d had back at home. He remembered how his father always taught him how to work, how to live right, how to earn the things of this world, and he longed to go home. He decided that he would return to his father and beg just to be a lowly servant in his household. He prepared a speech and set off for home.
When the father saw him, he ran out to him, arms open ready for a hug. The boy began to confess his sins and run through his speech, but the father cut him off. He called for his hired hands and ordered that the best robe be placed on his child. He ordered that the ring be placed on his finger. He ordered that sandals be placed on his feet. This boy, who had completely disrespected his father, was not only fully restored as an heir to his father’s household, he didn’t even have to put his own clothes on!
Oh, what a Father we have, who would come, as Christ, with arms stretched wide open to meet us where we are. His grace and compassion is unfathomable. It was Christ who ordered His robe of righteousness be placed on us. It was Christ who ordered His ring be placed on our finger (a symbol of authority and a symbol of marriage). It was Christ who ordered that sandals be placed on our feet (a symbol of ownership of the land). There was no work on our part to get these things. Christ’s desire isn’t for us to be servants in His household, but heirs to His throne.
When God called Moses up the mountain, He ordered him to remove his sandals because the land he was on was God’s land, and it was holy; Moses wasn’t. But when Christ came out to meet us He ordered the sandals put back on our feet. He gave us His land. He made us holy. He gave us His authority, His riches, and His righteousness, all as our possession. We didn’t earn it back, and we don’t have to work to receive it.
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
I’m pretty sure we all know the story and the relative significance of the parable of the Prodigal Son. If not, I’ll sum up for you. A man had two sons. One son decided that he wanted all of his inheritance so that he could go out and live his own life, the way he wanted, without having to answer to his father for everything. The father loved his son very much and decided to give him exactly what he wanted: complete freedom.
The father gave the boy all of his inheritance and sent him out to live his life. The boy was thrilled!! He made friends, had parties, and drove fast cars. He hooked up with the ladies and had his fill of champagne and caviar. He wore the finest suits, Armani no doubt, smoked some fine Cuban cigars, and snorted only the purest Colombian Blow. He stayed at the Palace, took in all the shows, and didn’t have a care in the world.
One day, however, the inheritance money ran out. Slowly and steadily his friends vanished. The lavish parties came to a halt. The cocaine pipeline was shut down, the caviar went sour, and the champagne turned into Mad Dog 20/20. Dinner and a show at the Palace turned into biscuits and gravy at the soup kitchen. The penthouse suite was now nothing more than an old cardboard box in an alley with the cats.
The boy remembered everything he’d had back at home. He remembered how his father always taught him how to work, how to live right, how to earn the things of this world, and he longed to go home. He decided that he would return to his father and beg just to be a lowly servant in his household. He prepared a speech and set off for home.
When the father saw him, he ran out to him, arms open ready for a hug. The boy began to confess his sins and run through his speech, but the father cut him off. He called for his hired hands and ordered that the best robe be placed on his child. He ordered that the ring be placed on his finger. He ordered that sandals be placed on his feet. This boy, who had completely disrespected his father, was not only fully restored as an heir to his father’s household, he didn’t even have to put his own clothes on!
Oh, what a Father we have, who would come, as Christ, with arms stretched wide open to meet us where we are. His grace and compassion is unfathomable. It was Christ who ordered His robe of righteousness be placed on us. It was Christ who ordered His ring be placed on our finger (a symbol of authority and a symbol of marriage). It was Christ who ordered that sandals be placed on our feet (a symbol of ownership of the land). There was no work on our part to get these things. Christ’s desire isn’t for us to be servants in His household, but heirs to His throne.
When God called Moses up the mountain, He ordered him to remove his sandals because the land he was on was God’s land, and it was holy; Moses wasn’t. But when Christ came out to meet us He ordered the sandals put back on our feet. He gave us His land. He made us holy. He gave us His authority, His riches, and His righteousness, all as our possession. We didn’t earn it back, and we don’t have to work to receive it.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Horticulture
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
I know that we have all seen produce at the supermarket. Oranges, apples, pears, tomatoes, and various other fruits and vegetables are made available for us to pick through, throw in our carts, and purchase for consumption. But is that how we get the fruit of the Spirit?
I’m guessing that everyone has also seen an apple tree at some point in their life. Perhaps you’ve even had the pleasure of going apple picking in the fall. Have you ever taken an apple to the tree and tried to hang it from a branch? Now there’s an absurd thought. Who in their right mind would ever try to put fruit back on a tree? Fruit is given from the tree, not placed on the tree!
But this is what we are taught in most circles: that we need to take this fruit of the Spirit and place it in (or on, for metaphorical purposes) ourselves so that it can become a part of us. This is simply an impossible task. We can’t put on joy or peace. We can put on an act and seem joyful or peaceful, but the truth is we’re just posers when we do that. A legalistic approach to Christianity, however, tells you that you have to practice these things, because putting them on and wearing them around will morph them into part of who you are. Believing like that is as ridiculous as thinking we could walk up to a pine tree and hold an apple on it for some unknown period of time until that apple sprouts roots and becomes part of the tree, and thus turns a pine tree into an apple tree.
The truth about fruit is that it grows from a seed. An apple tree is planted, grows, and matures to bear fruit (apples, to be exact). That fruit is harvested and used by the farmer to feed the people. And inside each piece of fruit, whether purchased or given to a person, is another seed with the potential to become a tree itself and someday bear fruit. The same holds true for the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ.
In Mark 4 Christ speaks about a farmer sowing seeds and the crops that he yields. Later He explains that the seeds are the word of God, the gospel message. (Mark 4:14 “The farmer sows the word.”) The moment we received the message of Christ’s grace, a seed sprang forth roots inside of us and a tree of Spiritual fruit began to mature. As we grow in our walk with Jesus and our personal understanding of His grace and finished work at the cross, we will begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit. The more we recognize that it is grace alone that has given us eternal life and favor in the eyes of God, the more healthy, diverse and abundant our fruit will become until we eventually yield a bountiful crop of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The point is that we did nothing except to grow in our understanding of Jesus in order to produce the fruit of His Spirit.
The fruit we yield will then be used by God, the farmer, to feed the nations. Others will devour our Spiritual fruit, and the seed of Christ’s grace that it’s wrapped around will begin to sprout a new tree. That’s true spiritual horticulture!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
I know that we have all seen produce at the supermarket. Oranges, apples, pears, tomatoes, and various other fruits and vegetables are made available for us to pick through, throw in our carts, and purchase for consumption. But is that how we get the fruit of the Spirit?
I’m guessing that everyone has also seen an apple tree at some point in their life. Perhaps you’ve even had the pleasure of going apple picking in the fall. Have you ever taken an apple to the tree and tried to hang it from a branch? Now there’s an absurd thought. Who in their right mind would ever try to put fruit back on a tree? Fruit is given from the tree, not placed on the tree!
But this is what we are taught in most circles: that we need to take this fruit of the Spirit and place it in (or on, for metaphorical purposes) ourselves so that it can become a part of us. This is simply an impossible task. We can’t put on joy or peace. We can put on an act and seem joyful or peaceful, but the truth is we’re just posers when we do that. A legalistic approach to Christianity, however, tells you that you have to practice these things, because putting them on and wearing them around will morph them into part of who you are. Believing like that is as ridiculous as thinking we could walk up to a pine tree and hold an apple on it for some unknown period of time until that apple sprouts roots and becomes part of the tree, and thus turns a pine tree into an apple tree.
The truth about fruit is that it grows from a seed. An apple tree is planted, grows, and matures to bear fruit (apples, to be exact). That fruit is harvested and used by the farmer to feed the people. And inside each piece of fruit, whether purchased or given to a person, is another seed with the potential to become a tree itself and someday bear fruit. The same holds true for the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ.
In Mark 4 Christ speaks about a farmer sowing seeds and the crops that he yields. Later He explains that the seeds are the word of God, the gospel message. (Mark 4:14 “The farmer sows the word.”) The moment we received the message of Christ’s grace, a seed sprang forth roots inside of us and a tree of Spiritual fruit began to mature. As we grow in our walk with Jesus and our personal understanding of His grace and finished work at the cross, we will begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit. The more we recognize that it is grace alone that has given us eternal life and favor in the eyes of God, the more healthy, diverse and abundant our fruit will become until we eventually yield a bountiful crop of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The point is that we did nothing except to grow in our understanding of Jesus in order to produce the fruit of His Spirit.
The fruit we yield will then be used by God, the farmer, to feed the nations. Others will devour our Spiritual fruit, and the seed of Christ’s grace that it’s wrapped around will begin to sprout a new tree. That’s true spiritual horticulture!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Feed Me!
Mark 5:43
And He strictly commanded and warned them that no one should know this, and He expressly told them to give her something to eat.
Jesus brings a dead girl back to life and the very next thing He does is command the people there not to tell anyone about what had happened. Instead, Jesus tells them to feed her something. He doesn’t just tell them to feed her, but the Bible says, “...He expressly told them...” This word, expressly, implies a sense of urgency in the necessity of getting her food. It wasn’t a “Get her some toast and see if she can keep it down” attitude, but more of a “Kill the fatted calf and feed this child” attitude.
There was something very important to the new life that this child had been given, and eating, being fed, played a crucial role in her survival. For the physical-ness of the miracle, food was going to be very important. She had been sick and died. She probably hadn’t eaten for quite some time, was malnourished, weak, and frail. She needed energy, calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats to get her back up and functioning. Any doctor even today would tell you that this is true, but there is a spiritual message here as well.
We all, prior to proclaiming faith in Christ, were sick and had died spiritually. We were weak, frail, malnourished, and finally dead. But Christ came to give us life, just like He did for this girl. Notice that she, personally, didn’t do anything to receive life. She was dead!!! She couldn’t do anything. It was her father, Jairus, who went to Christ and petitioned for Him to come and heal her. This is a picture of a praying Christian. Intercession on behalf of the dead? That’s what we’re called to do.
The work, however, was done by Christ, and Him alone. It wasn’t Jairus that caused Christ to raise the girl from the dead; it was His perfect personality. It’s who He is, life!
After Christ’s purpose was served, that is, to make the dead alive again, there was still work to be done. This work didn’t need to be done by the newly resurrected girl, but by the followers and witnesses that were there to see this miracle, and it needed to be done expressly, urgently. The same holds true for us as believers today. When a person receives life, and professes faith in Christ, they need to be fed, expressly. Its not our purpose as Christians to start piling rules and demands on this new believer, but to feed them the bread of life. They were dead. Before they’re going to be able to work again, we need to give them some nutrition to build back their spiritual muscles.
All too often, we forget this crucial step and instead we drag the new believer up out of bed, weak and frail, and bombard them with to-do lists. “Stop drinking, you’re a Christian now. Stop swearing, you’re a Christian now. Stop living that lifestyle, you’re a Christian now.” When the truth is, we’re simply supposed to be feeding them more Jesus Bread. They don’t need work to do, they need nutrition to survive.
Friends, the grace that Christ extended at the cross doesn’t end at the profession of faith. We, the Christian body, need to continue to preach and expound that grace into the hearts and minds of the newly raised dead. Only after receiving grace-filled Jesus-bread strength will they be able to tackle the tasks set before them.
And He strictly commanded and warned them that no one should know this, and He expressly told them to give her something to eat.
Jesus brings a dead girl back to life and the very next thing He does is command the people there not to tell anyone about what had happened. Instead, Jesus tells them to feed her something. He doesn’t just tell them to feed her, but the Bible says, “...He expressly told them...” This word, expressly, implies a sense of urgency in the necessity of getting her food. It wasn’t a “Get her some toast and see if she can keep it down” attitude, but more of a “Kill the fatted calf and feed this child” attitude.
There was something very important to the new life that this child had been given, and eating, being fed, played a crucial role in her survival. For the physical-ness of the miracle, food was going to be very important. She had been sick and died. She probably hadn’t eaten for quite some time, was malnourished, weak, and frail. She needed energy, calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats to get her back up and functioning. Any doctor even today would tell you that this is true, but there is a spiritual message here as well.
We all, prior to proclaiming faith in Christ, were sick and had died spiritually. We were weak, frail, malnourished, and finally dead. But Christ came to give us life, just like He did for this girl. Notice that she, personally, didn’t do anything to receive life. She was dead!!! She couldn’t do anything. It was her father, Jairus, who went to Christ and petitioned for Him to come and heal her. This is a picture of a praying Christian. Intercession on behalf of the dead? That’s what we’re called to do.
The work, however, was done by Christ, and Him alone. It wasn’t Jairus that caused Christ to raise the girl from the dead; it was His perfect personality. It’s who He is, life!
After Christ’s purpose was served, that is, to make the dead alive again, there was still work to be done. This work didn’t need to be done by the newly resurrected girl, but by the followers and witnesses that were there to see this miracle, and it needed to be done expressly, urgently. The same holds true for us as believers today. When a person receives life, and professes faith in Christ, they need to be fed, expressly. Its not our purpose as Christians to start piling rules and demands on this new believer, but to feed them the bread of life. They were dead. Before they’re going to be able to work again, we need to give them some nutrition to build back their spiritual muscles.
All too often, we forget this crucial step and instead we drag the new believer up out of bed, weak and frail, and bombard them with to-do lists. “Stop drinking, you’re a Christian now. Stop swearing, you’re a Christian now. Stop living that lifestyle, you’re a Christian now.” When the truth is, we’re simply supposed to be feeding them more Jesus Bread. They don’t need work to do, they need nutrition to survive.
Friends, the grace that Christ extended at the cross doesn’t end at the profession of faith. We, the Christian body, need to continue to preach and expound that grace into the hearts and minds of the newly raised dead. Only after receiving grace-filled Jesus-bread strength will they be able to tackle the tasks set before them.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Resumé
Deuteronomy 9:6
Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
It’s easy for us to get wrapped up in our own self worth. Just look at how we go about getting a job. We write out a resume and bring it with us to our anticipated future employer. We put everything down on that document that makes us look fantastic. Our education, career achievements, civic group memberships, experience in the specific field, and even, in some cases, our church involvement, all listed as a true and accurate representation of who we are and what we are like. But is that the truth?
It’s not the whole truth; it’s a portion of the truth, the part we all want our future boss to know about us. We seem to leave out all of the bad things that we’ve ever done. Why? Because we are bent on getting the job based on our good efforts and reputation. Deep down inside, we know that if we were to disclose everything, we’d never get the job!
Fortunately, the Israelites were dealing with God and not man. God intended on giving them the Promised Land, not based on anything that they did, but based on His own good grace. Imagine if they had brought their full resume to God as an example of their hard work and expertise. Imagine if God had made His decision based on their accomplishments. Surely that wouldn’t have gone well for them. Let’s see, there was idolatry, complaining, lack of trust, lying, stealing, cheating, and a little more idolatry. Boy, that would cinch it, don’t you think?
The same holds true for us today. We have no need to bring a resume to God of who we are. For one, He knows who we are! He knows that we’d leave out all of the bad stuff and only tell Him about the good things we’ve done. That’s why He made it real easy, just like He did for the Israelites; it’s not because of our righteousness that we are going to inherit the riches of His glory, but because of His righteousness. He, through Jesus Christ, made the way for us.
Our resume is now written on clean paper with the blood of Christ. When God reads it, He still sees everything: the good, the bad, and the ugly (props to Clint Eastwood). The difference is that He reads it all as it’s written in the blood of His Son, and He sees perfection.
Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
It’s easy for us to get wrapped up in our own self worth. Just look at how we go about getting a job. We write out a resume and bring it with us to our anticipated future employer. We put everything down on that document that makes us look fantastic. Our education, career achievements, civic group memberships, experience in the specific field, and even, in some cases, our church involvement, all listed as a true and accurate representation of who we are and what we are like. But is that the truth?
It’s not the whole truth; it’s a portion of the truth, the part we all want our future boss to know about us. We seem to leave out all of the bad things that we’ve ever done. Why? Because we are bent on getting the job based on our good efforts and reputation. Deep down inside, we know that if we were to disclose everything, we’d never get the job!
Fortunately, the Israelites were dealing with God and not man. God intended on giving them the Promised Land, not based on anything that they did, but based on His own good grace. Imagine if they had brought their full resume to God as an example of their hard work and expertise. Imagine if God had made His decision based on their accomplishments. Surely that wouldn’t have gone well for them. Let’s see, there was idolatry, complaining, lack of trust, lying, stealing, cheating, and a little more idolatry. Boy, that would cinch it, don’t you think?
The same holds true for us today. We have no need to bring a resume to God of who we are. For one, He knows who we are! He knows that we’d leave out all of the bad stuff and only tell Him about the good things we’ve done. That’s why He made it real easy, just like He did for the Israelites; it’s not because of our righteousness that we are going to inherit the riches of His glory, but because of His righteousness. He, through Jesus Christ, made the way for us.
Our resume is now written on clean paper with the blood of Christ. When God reads it, He still sees everything: the good, the bad, and the ugly (props to Clint Eastwood). The difference is that He reads it all as it’s written in the blood of His Son, and He sees perfection.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Favored
Proverbs 14:9
Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor.
It must have been incredible having Jesus Christ, in person, come to your town. Imagine, a Man who could heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons, freely walking about, doing His thing. Is it any wonder that the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came out to see Him?
She didn’t just come out to see Him, though; she came out to take from Him. Her purpose in going out on the street that day wasn’t to sow a seed of faith for prosperity, it wasn’t to give alms to the poor, and it wasn’t to clean the bathroom at the synagogue. No, her purpose was to find this Jesus, the Savior, and take from Him. Her very thoughts show us her intentions: “...If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” (Matthew 9:21) She wasn’t putting her faith in the good works she’d done in the past, or the ones she would certainly try to accomplish in the future. Instead she was putting her faith for a monumental healing in the fact that Jesus was and is the Divine Healer. Her sins, her past, her good, and her bad didn’t matter a bit to Him (or her, for that matter), only that she came out to take what He had to give! That is a picture of true reliance on Jesus. Her unfettered willingness to come out and just take from Christ shows us all that His mission truly was to serve, not be served. (Matthew 20:28)
But how, if at all, does her story relate to this short Proverb? In the day and age that this woman lived, she was considered “unclean” according to Jewish ceremonial law. Under their rules and regulations, she shouldn’t have even left the house. Her bleeding defiled everything that she touched. Her bed, her clothes, and even the people she came in contact with would be considered ceremonially unclean. Because of the law, she was not allowed in the synagogue to worship. She most likely wouldn’t have been visited by many friends, and she certainly hadn’t been hugged for quite some time. Because of her blood issue (whatever it may have been) rumors of a sinful lifestyle would have plagued her. She had seen a number of doctors who could find no cure, but had taken her money. No one would want to be around her. She would have been mocked and alone until the day she died if it hadn’t been for Jesus.
But thankfully Christ had it in His mind to go to her town, to walk down her street. Of all the places He could have been, He chose to make Himself available to meet her need. This woman probably walked bent over, facing the ground. The Bible doesn’t give a detailed description, but I assume that she had pain associated with the bleeding issues as well. I imagine that she walked hunched over, holding her stomach, ashamed to look at the world around her. Saddened by the disease that she had, depressed and alone, how can we not assume she was stooped over toward the ground?
When she did finally touch His garment, however, she was made instantly whole. Jesus turned to see her standing there, with the fringe of His tallit still in her hand, but His response wasn’t to rebuke her for touching Him with her unclean hands. Instead, she found favor in the eyes of the King. She was finally able to stand upright, before the King of kings, as He told her she had been made well, and He called her daughter!
When the world is mocking you for sins you have committed, or for sins they have presumed you committed, remember the faith of this woman, remember the words of this Proverb. Smile and hold your head up high, for not only are you forgiven and made whole in Christ, but you have the favor of the King with you. He has taken the time to come to your street and into your neighborhood, not because it’s on His way, but because He loves you and knows that you’re aching to come out and just touch the hem of His garment. You are highly favored!
Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor.
It must have been incredible having Jesus Christ, in person, come to your town. Imagine, a Man who could heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons, freely walking about, doing His thing. Is it any wonder that the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came out to see Him?
She didn’t just come out to see Him, though; she came out to take from Him. Her purpose in going out on the street that day wasn’t to sow a seed of faith for prosperity, it wasn’t to give alms to the poor, and it wasn’t to clean the bathroom at the synagogue. No, her purpose was to find this Jesus, the Savior, and take from Him. Her very thoughts show us her intentions: “...If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” (Matthew 9:21) She wasn’t putting her faith in the good works she’d done in the past, or the ones she would certainly try to accomplish in the future. Instead she was putting her faith for a monumental healing in the fact that Jesus was and is the Divine Healer. Her sins, her past, her good, and her bad didn’t matter a bit to Him (or her, for that matter), only that she came out to take what He had to give! That is a picture of true reliance on Jesus. Her unfettered willingness to come out and just take from Christ shows us all that His mission truly was to serve, not be served. (Matthew 20:28)
But how, if at all, does her story relate to this short Proverb? In the day and age that this woman lived, she was considered “unclean” according to Jewish ceremonial law. Under their rules and regulations, she shouldn’t have even left the house. Her bleeding defiled everything that she touched. Her bed, her clothes, and even the people she came in contact with would be considered ceremonially unclean. Because of the law, she was not allowed in the synagogue to worship. She most likely wouldn’t have been visited by many friends, and she certainly hadn’t been hugged for quite some time. Because of her blood issue (whatever it may have been) rumors of a sinful lifestyle would have plagued her. She had seen a number of doctors who could find no cure, but had taken her money. No one would want to be around her. She would have been mocked and alone until the day she died if it hadn’t been for Jesus.
But thankfully Christ had it in His mind to go to her town, to walk down her street. Of all the places He could have been, He chose to make Himself available to meet her need. This woman probably walked bent over, facing the ground. The Bible doesn’t give a detailed description, but I assume that she had pain associated with the bleeding issues as well. I imagine that she walked hunched over, holding her stomach, ashamed to look at the world around her. Saddened by the disease that she had, depressed and alone, how can we not assume she was stooped over toward the ground?
When she did finally touch His garment, however, she was made instantly whole. Jesus turned to see her standing there, with the fringe of His tallit still in her hand, but His response wasn’t to rebuke her for touching Him with her unclean hands. Instead, she found favor in the eyes of the King. She was finally able to stand upright, before the King of kings, as He told her she had been made well, and He called her daughter!
When the world is mocking you for sins you have committed, or for sins they have presumed you committed, remember the faith of this woman, remember the words of this Proverb. Smile and hold your head up high, for not only are you forgiven and made whole in Christ, but you have the favor of the King with you. He has taken the time to come to your street and into your neighborhood, not because it’s on His way, but because He loves you and knows that you’re aching to come out and just touch the hem of His garment. You are highly favored!
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