July 1
Matthew chapters 16-18
All apologies for not getting this out
first thing this morning. We are in the middle of several days of
triple-digit weather here (upper 30's-mid 40's) and it is just
debilitating. Especially when the air-conditioning in the car isn't
working! So I got up as usual to read my Bible, but I just couldn't put
my thinking cap on to write anything.
I'm sitting at work now,
it's the beginning of the pay period and the first week of the new
fiscal year - there's not a whole lot to do. So I'm pulling up today's
reading and writing a bit, now my brain has awakened.
Pop Quiz.
The religious leaders were testing Jesus again, trying their hardest to
trip Him up. The asked for a sign, and Jesus told them they'd already
had enough signs, enough prophets, enough clues, to understand why He
was there. They backed off for the moment.
Non-sequitur. The
disciples were poor planners. No food for the crowds, no bread in the
boat. So they go to Jesus and tell him they have no bread. "Beware the
leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Y'wha? Jesus loves us
all, but sometimes I think he just wants us to put our brains to use.
They were talking about physical, earthly things, and He was speaking of
spiritual pureness. Leaven is yeast, it's what makes bread rise. But
sometimes you need unleavened bread. Like when God tells you to drop
everything and obey.
You'd think they might have gotten it, since
when He called them, they did just that. But the transition from "I'm
hungry" to "Beware the sin that can permeate your heart" was just a bit
too much for them.
Jesus God, perfectly patient and righteously
loving, explains it to them. Had they already forgotten the miracles of
feeding thousands of people, and yet here they were still worried about
not having breakfast? Your attention needs to be focused on Him,
otherwise all you'll think about is food. Or tv. Or the job. Or
ministry. Chew on that last one, see how it tastes.
Son of God,
the Living Christ. Jesus had showed them over and over, through His
miraculous acts and with authority over the Scripture, that He was the
Messiah. At last Peter and the others rub two brain cells together and
speak their faith. And He commends them for it, especially Peter (who
is always the loudest know-it-all in the crowd).
And then . . .
Peter loses the plot. "I'm on my way to Jerusalem, I have to finish
what I started in order to fulfill Scripture." Hot-headed, mouthy,
argumentative, arrogant Peter - hey, I resemble those remarks! :)
"We'll never let that happen!" He thinks He can change God's mind or
reverse what the prophets all said. Typical blowhard.
Jesus
finally has had enough, and is so frustrated that He lashes back out at
the devil - not Peter, although Peter gets his eyebrows blown off in the
process. It happens like that sometimes, I know. I'm happily chugging
along, planning God's plan for me, and all of a sudden, it occurs to be
that I'm not quite getting the point of His grace. I regrow my
eyebrows constantly.
There is nothing in this world more important than your soul. Don't lose it. 'Nuff said.
Holy
Moses, it's Moses! And Elijah. And God Himself, in the form of Jesus
and also the thunder. And here goes Peter's mouth again. "We'll build
tributes here to the three of them!" God then administers a heavenly
MiB eye exam - flash! There is nothing more important at this moment
than Jesus as God. So get up off your faces, dust yourself off and
let's get on with it. But keep it to yourselves for now, it will be
revealed to the world soon.
And another thing . . . . John the
Baptist had been dead for a good while, but Jesus does not make light of
John's ministry. They thought they were going to see Elijah before
they saw the Messiah - well duh! What do you think John represented?
It seems the closer they got to Jesus' death and resurrection, the
dumber the disciples got.
Mental health issues. When I was
younger, I was convinced that all crazy people weren't crazy, they were
demon-possessed. Then I grew up and became a crazy person. I
understand now that there is a distinct difference between
demon-possession and mental illness. But they definitely look the same
in some circumstances. The thing is, if our hearts aren't fully
immersed in the Word of God, completely surrendered to the Lord
Almighty, then ANYTHING can creep in and make itself at home in there.
It's our choice. Control your heart with prayer, scripture and God's
grace (and for some of us, with medication - God created doctors after
all). Then the illness or the demon has little chance of finding a
niche and making your life hell.
For me, the choice is every day. And God is a Mighty Healer. I just have to choose to believe.
Render
Unto Caesar. Peter, and boy does he get it wrong a lot in just these
few chapters, is worried that someone's going to throw his arse in jail
because he hasn't paid taxes. Oh yeah, and Jesus too. Jesus does what
he does to the rest of us - he tells us to go to work and earn the tax
money. "Go fishing, you fisherman!" Sure enough, God provides. Trust
and Obey, that's the ticket.
I'm not sure what to write about
chapter 18. It's incredibly simple and incredibly dense at the same
time. Child-like, not childish. But more importantly, how you treat
others is a clear indication of your heart. If you aren't treating the
children, physical or spiritual babes, the way you're supposed to, then
figure out which part of you needs a drastic change. And change it. Or
get rid of it.
If I pop open a beer at home in front of the
cat, I'm only batting him away because he wants to know what I'm doing
and maybe wants a drink.
If I pop open a beer in front of one of
the people at our church's recovery group, I'm causing him to stumble,
because all he sees is "It's okay for Christians to drink" and he thinks
he can do it until he's falling down again.
Or I just don't pop open a beer at all. Cut it off.
Jesus
speaks specifically to believers. This bit is practical instructions
about dealing with a spiritual brother who has hurt you, or is sinning
in a big way against you. It's personal, it's not a church-wide
shunning, it's between him and you. Unless he laughs in your face, then
you grab a couple of peers and confront him again. If he still doesn't
repent, then it does become a church matter, because we as Christians
cannot effectively serve with this kind of resentment in our hearts.
But
then Jesus says something out of the blue. Peter again, of course.
Forgiveness? Jesus wasn't talking about forgiveness in the previous
passage actually, but that's the truth of it, and Peter's question
brings it out. Just as the brother cannot minister in resentment, so we
must forgive him and stay away from the same resentment. That doesn't
mean he gets away with it, it doesn't mean you can't be angry, it just
means you need to forgive him.
Besides, it's too much work to
keep all that stuff boiling and roiling in your heart. God graciously
forgave us our sins through Jesus and the Cross, how can we be anything
less than forgiving to others?
In other words. Get over it and start serving the Lord.
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