How Far Will You Go to get your Way?

Matt. 20:17-28

In a busy "dog eat dog" society, we all want to get ahead and/or move up. But is it really necessary at the expense of others? Sure there is an easy answer. No; but is it really that simple?

You might recall the question by Salome about James and John, in which she asked, "Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”

 New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 20:20–21.

The question was to see if Jesus would give them special places of honor in the Kingdom to come. The problem was that during their greediness, they offended the other ten disciples around them. Did they really understand what they were asking? Did they even understand which kingdom was being spoken?

"No self-seekers and place hunters do anticipate evil results from their promotion. But that does not make them less selfish. It only shows that, besides being selfish, they are vain." The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pg. 284.

"Many a bold, ambitious prayer, even for spiritual blessing, is offered up by petitioners who have no idea what the answer would involve, and if they had, would wish their prayer unanswered." Bruce, pg. 288.

But what happens to those whom are offended when this question arises? Normally we are offended when someone tries to "get ahead" of us; even in a line in a store! Why? Because the same ambitious spirit is in us, otherwise we would not have felt the same resentment. The humble might not feel this, but they will be grieved by its actions when they see it. All are affected within the realm; and yes it does occur even inside the body of believers. Even within the presence of Jesus...

So what is the way out of this style of thinking? "I shall obtain my kingdom in another way than secular princes get theirs. They get their thrones by succession. I get mine by personal merit; they secure their kingdom by right of birth, I hope to secure mine by the right of service; they inherit their subjects, I buy mine, the purchase money being mine own life." Bruce, pg. 292.

I don't know about you, but I want to be rewarded for what I earned, not gained at the cost of others. This way I can be proud about the hard work I gained for the kingdom, because of my love for my Lord, not because He owes me anything. I want my works to be "revealed as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:13) so that the last reward will be something that is eternal, not temporal. 

Is it all worth it to move up the ladder? I guess that depends on your view of "What moving up the ladder really means?" Vanity or Vulnerability?

The Pride of Humankind

Matt. 20:17-28; Mark 10:32-45; Luke 18:31-34

In today's reading we find the disciples traveling through Jericho, and eventually to Jerusalem. The two sons of Zebedee petition the Lord for the chief places of honor in the kingdom. 

The sons (James and John) coveted the honorable place. As you remember, these same two earlier asked the Lord for the calling down of fire from heaven upon the Samaritan village when they couldn't find a place to rest and were not welcomed. Now they have drawn a line between themselves and the rest of the disciples seeking the best for themselves!

Is this not human nature though? Don't we seek the best for ourselves at the cost of others?
In fact, prior to the question being asked, Jesus made a profound statement to the disciples which He stated twice before. 

           As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” Matt. 20:17-19

              New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 20:17–19.

This time, Jesus told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death." He is telling them, "When we get to Jerusalem I will die there!"

How did they miss this? Was it the human nature again? How many times do we take the time to listen when we have our ideas about what is the most important? I mean this was a pretty profound statement to tell the disciples when He was going to die. And yet they missed it; dreaming about their treasures and what crowns lie ahead.

"This prayer had certainly another origin than the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and the scheme of which was the outcome was not one which we should have expected companions of Jesus to entertain. And yet the whole proceeding is so true to human nature as it reveals itself in every age, that we cannot but feel that we have here no myth, but a genuine piece of history." The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pg.282-283.

What was in their head? Or better asked today, "What is in our head?" Jesus told them He would die when they arrived in Jerusalem. Their comforter, teacher, leader, provider, their life, will be gone soon and they are still consumed about places of significance. 

Folks, our country is in trouble. No one can deny that things are changing; and not for the best. Our nation is turning from God to self more and more each day. 

Can we depend upon our human nature to get us through it all? If we look at the disciples lives, we would have to conclude that we are in trouble without our Christ, our King, our Lord of Lords, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Source of Life.

Will you go on today while Christ is speaking important things to your heart; or go on with your own self-centered heart which misses the most important thing; God? Will you listen to the voice of the age or to the One who knows the future He holds for you?

Who is On First?

Matt. 19:30; 20:1-20; Mark 10:31

You've heard the words before of Jesus, "But, many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first."

This passage is found exclusive to the Gospel of Matthew. Part of the explanation is more difficult than the thing to be explained. As a result, many interpretations have been made. But this one is more to the understanding of what Jesus was trying to teach...

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 “When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place;

4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went.

5 “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.

6 “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

7 “They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’

9 “When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.

10 “When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

11 “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,

12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 ‘Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.

15 ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last shall be first, and the first last."

17 As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,

18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,

19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”

 New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 20:1–19.

"Three things must be taken into to account in order to form a just estimate of men's works, viz. the quantity of the work done, the ability of the worker, and the motive... when the ability is equal, quantity view meantime the motive: when the ability is equal, quantity determines relative merit; and when ability varies, then it is not the absolute amount, but the relation of the amount to the ability that ought to determine value." The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pg. 273.

Zeal is what drives the amount of the quality of the work, not motives. This is what the first laborers had in their minds. Their motives gave them the idea that they were more highly respected because they were the first to be selected. But they did not realize their works meant nothing to the Lord, unless their was zealously performed. 

Until all the vainglory of what we do is cast aside, the Lord will not accept our works; it must come from a well-spring of "good impulses; cleared of all smoke of carnal passion- a pure flame of heaven-born devotion. A base motive vitiates all." Bruce, pg. 274.

The Master hired the last group to go out into the field and paid them first. Why? This was because He was excited to see them again and wanted to be the first one to reward their honest and sincere works as they came off the work field. This small quantity of work done in the right spirit was of greater value than a large quantity done in a wrong spirit, however zealously it might have been performed.

Bruce comments, "The first and the last, then, represents two classes amount the professed servants of Christ. The first are the calculating and self-complacent; the last are the humble, the self-forgetful, the generous, the trustful." Bruce, pg. 275. 

"The last are paid first to signify the pleasure which the master has in rewarding them. They are also paid at a much higher rate: for, receiving the same sum for one hour's work that the others receive for twelve, they are paid at the rate of twelve pence per diem." Bruce, pg. 275.

What does your work ethic look like? Is it a case of "Who is on First?" or "Who is First, period?" In my reading today, this area is one which I know it bears more inspection... I truly enjoy the Word of God when we allow it to get in our faces. We all need it. The question is whether we are teachable to receive it and learn.

Ask the Lord today to inspect your heart and ask the hard question of, "What does my work look like to you Lord?"

Who? Me? Give?

Matt. 19:27-30; Mark 10:28-31; Luke 18:28-30

As we see from these passages, these disciples had left their fishing boats and nets and were seeking rewards of thrones. Did they really understand the full reward that they would receive one day?

Jesus told them, "...you shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt. 19:28b

If we forsake things in this life for the kingdom, which being from the Giver, will be promised an hundred-fold in return. Remember, our gifts will be either purified as gold or consumed as by fire...

But don't cheapen what we see as superficial comparing what another person can give compared to us. Sometimes we look at the world and ask the question why God uses us when someone else can offer so much more (like the rich young ruler). But such words have never been spoken by Jesus! The disciples left their boats and nets (which were all they had) and followed Jesus, leaving them behind. Truly they were not the value of what the rich young ruler could have given to the kingdom!

But Jesus was not looking for what they had to offer, but more of what importance it was to them. When we part with things of this world we can be sure Jesus will reward those who give in sacrifice for the kingdom; but what we do give we must part with willingly. When God gives us good things they are meant to be used for His Kingdom, not our indulgences.

"The promises made by Jesus have one other excellent effect when considered. They tend to humble. Their very magnitude has a sobering effect on the mind. Not even the vainest can pretend that their good deeds deserve to be rewarded with thrones, and their sacrifices to be recompensed an hundred-fold. At this rate, all must be content to be debtors to God's grace, and all talk of merit is out of the question. That is one reason why the rewards of the kingdom of heaven are so great. God bestows His gifts so as at once to glorify the Giver and to humble the receiver." The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, page 264.

This means the gift or whatever we have that is of value has been bestowed upon us as believers to keep the gift in focus of its Source. If it was His from the beginning, what right do we have to hold on to the gift? I challenge you today and take a hard look at the gifts that God has given to each of us and consider that it might not just have been given to you but to give back to the Lord who allowed the blessing to come your way! I'm not advocating the total abandonment of all material things and living in a cardboard box, but I am saying that if Jesus were to say to you to give it today, would or could you do it? I fear today, we have too many things we are unwilling to part with, even if Christ commanded...

Remember, the Benevolent is the one who bestows the Benefit, which is meant to humble the Beneficiary!

Is it all worth it? Only if you one day choose to decide if hundred-fold on your investment is worth it!

This is the act of a true believer who loves his God and has allowed Him to become the centerpiece of his life. We don't do it for the Reward, but for the Rewarder of our Faith!

How Selfish Are You?

Matt. 19:1-26; Mark 10:1-27; Luke 18:15-27

After Jesus final departure from Galilee, He entered into Peraea. Imagine his delight of revisiting the same area where He began his ministry starting with his baptism. However he knew of his impending death. This became a new chapter in His life which would become saddened and yet unwilling to stray away from His goal; the Redemption of Man...

Remember my last post where the leaders asked Jesus about divorce? Well, soon afterward, a rich young man came to Jesus inquiring about eternal life. Jesus read his heart from the beginning and saw he was more interested in his earthly possessions than his spiritual and eternal life. Jesus posed the question to him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and then thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me." Although the young man wanted eternal life, he was unwilling to part with his possessions. He could not pay the price asked of him. All that money, and no way to buy his way out!

"In the observations He made He did not expressly say that to part with property was necessary to salvation, but He did speak in a manner which seemed to the disciples almost to imply that... He was hinting that the thing to be renounced in order to salvation was not money, but the inordinate love of it." The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pg. 254.

What a shame to have everything, seemingly, but yet lose everything in eternity!

Even the disciples were perplexed by this statement as they asked, "Who then can be saved?" Bruce continues, "It is an inquiry of vital moment what our Lord really meant to teach on the subjects of marriage and money. The question concerns not merely the life to come, but the whole character of our present life. For if man's life on earth doth not consist wholly in possessions and family relations, these occupy a very prominent place therein. Family relations are essential to the existence of society, and without wealth there would be no civilization. Did, Jesus, then, frown or look down on these things, as at least unfavorable to, if not incompatible with, the interests of the divine kingdom and the aspirations of its citizens?" pg. 255.

The short answer is "no." Jesus knew that these things did not change the salvation of man anymore than they do today for those who have family and riches; and in some occasions both. The question is where the young man's heart was centered. He had all he could ever want (on this earth), but was unwilling to part with it for the kingdom's sake. That's where his heart lie.

Was Jesus asking him to part with all his riches just to enter the kingdom of Heaven? I don't think so. I think He was determining from His spiritual intuition that this would be a stumbling block for the young man from the very beginning and wanted him to know it before he surrendered to the call.

You see, some in the past have given everything up for the high calling of Christ and still missed the mark. Monks were some of the few. Celibacy was the given course of their life. This allowed the monk no distractions in his quest for the cause of Christ. But was it? When he spent his whole life behind walls of stone craving his quest; did he really understand his calling was to go out from the walls and reach those with the saving power he kept to himself? In reality, this monk's life was and is never a serious option for the serious Christian. The serious Christian lives beyond the walls. He ventures out of it, seeking to save that which was lost; even losing what some consider important in life.

Listen to one more quote as we close for the day, "Abstinence is the virtue of the weak (the monk), temperance (the serious Christian) is the virtue of the strong. Abstinence is certainly the safer way for those who are prone to inordinate affection, but it purchases safety at the expense of moral culture; for it removes us from those temptations connected with family relationships and earthly possessions, through which character, while it may be imperiled, is at the same time developed and strengthened. Abstinence is also inferior to temperance in healthiness of tone." pg. 257.

So where are you today? Are you selfish with no ambition to share Jesus? Or are you serious about the cause of Christ willing to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ outside the walls of your household and share it with the world who need the light in a morally and spiritually darkened world?

Self Sacrifice

Matt. 19:1-26; Mark 10:1-27; Luke 18:15-27

How much are you willing to sacrifice for your relationship with the Lord?

As Jesus makes a second visit to the area of Peraea, he and John both have recollections of the last visit. Both must have reflected on the great days of the past; however Jesus knew that His time was coming to an end. The joy he must have experienced of meeting with John the Baptist, undergoing baptism in the Jordan River, and beginning His public ministry. Now, on his second visit, He is nearing the culmination of His ministry. To die a cruel death for those who would be willing to put Him to death...

Before He can get a chance to enjoy His memories of goodness and joy, the Pharisees begin to taunt Him with questions; seeking to entrap Him into either being unpopular with the crowd or finding fault in His knowledge of the law. "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?"

Jesus replied, "By laying down the primitive principle, that divorce was justified only by conjugal infidelity, and by explaining, that any thing to the contrary in the law of Moses was simply an accommodation to the hardness of men's hearts. The disciples heard this reply, and they made their own remarks on it. They said to Jesus: 'If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.'" The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pg. 252-253.

The heart of the matter is this:
1. Marriage is a serious event in life. It is not to be taken lightly. It is a "heart matter." It is and was designed to be for life. If you're not ready for a lifelong event, don't jump into it...

2. Marriage is something to be thought about and carefully planned with careful consideration. Is Jesus at the heart of this marriage? We find that today, marriage is something which is planned very quickly and has the "option" for divorce if it doesn't work. Its called "convenience marriage."

If it doesn't work, "lets find a way out." I tell people often who ask about marriage, "God hates divorce on so many levels." One is because of the hurt and pain associated with the separation that occurs; it is a cancer that lives within each one for years to come.

Spouses come to the closest thing to having the death of another; except they see the person still alive, without them...

Children suffer with fear, anger, rejection, and resentment thinking they might have been the root cause. Parents know their children will confront them in the future. How will they though? Either properly or improperly? This too can cause the previously damaged person to enter into their relationships in the future which affects their own marriage view and relationships.

3. Some of us from the womb feel the need for celibacy, because anything else distracts us and is impracticable. They sense the family life would impend their time with the relationship with the Lord. I know of people to this day who have made this decision. Believe it or not...

But something to think about in all this. What if Jesus ran out on our salvation when the times got tough? Did He commit to the relationship with us when we are infested with cancer, or broken from a bad relationship? No. He is there to comfort us in our times of need.

Don't get me wrong. There are circumstances where "space" is definitely needed. Maybe not divorce immediately, but space to think about the marriage. But what a shame it is to think about it "after" everything has gone wrong, instead of this planning"before" the marriage. Seems kind of backwards doesn't it?

This is why God has a perfect plan. It includes being obedient to His Word. This will help avoid a lot of heartaches in the future and allow us to have the best life Christ intended for us! I encourage you to place your life in His hand and allow His feet to guide your steps in your marriage today!

Is Jesus Prejudice?

Luke 9:51-56

I often have thought of the story where Jesus and the disciples entered into a Samaritan city. When they asked for lodging, they were refused. Jesus knew the answer, but still James and John (aptly named the Sons of Thunder) proposed the calling of fire from Heaven to consume the villagers.

Just as Jesus knew the heart condition of the people in the village; so He knew the hearts of these two men...

This was another strange proposal for the disciples of Jesus after years of following Him. In fact John would have been witness to the woman at the well's meeting with Jesus when He told her of the new era to come. How it shows the best are to learn so slow!

"How startling, again to think of this same John, a year or two after the date of this suggestion, going down from Jerusalem and preaching the gospel of Jesus the crucified in 'many of the villages of the Samaritans,' possibly in this very village which he desired to see destroyed!" The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pg. 242.

But Jesus was not prejudice against the disciples as a result of their tempered responses at the time. He knew what they would come to be. Jesus loved the heart of the men whom they would become.

"The zeal of the son of thunder did not disappear from John's nature after he became an apostle; it only became tempered by the light of wisdom, and softened by the heat of love....in his later years he knew better what to hate-- the objects of his abhorrence being hypocrisy, apostasy, and Laodicean insincerity; not as of old, mere ignorant rudeness and clownish incivility." pg. 242

All of us have something from our past which is lurking within. It's called our old nature. It wrestles for its attention and demands its place in our new life. It calls for retribution when hurt, getting the last word in during a conversation, pushing the limits of the legal boundaries. It is the worst of us... We are prejudice to only the things that matter to us.

Some how do we change and become the person that Christ can use and glorify His Kingdom? Here is the key. Submit your life to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! This means taking our time to diligently study the Scriptures and ask ourselves the hard questions. How do I respond to this situation which will honor God instead of doing it the same way I have before? Praying and asking God to reveal our hearts; showing us what they really look like in that area. Asking godly friends and family to help us with our struggles as we seek to follow Christ in a real and personal way.

These are attainable goals for each us which can be started now. Don't wait until the new year. You can begin now! Remember, Jesus sees the goodness in you and what you will become as a child of God, but it only because of what He has done in you. Now, give way to that change and let it happen!