Jesus teaches that our words will either condemn us or justify us - even the careless (or insignificant) words are judged.
I have stayed with this scripture for the last few days. But tomorrow I move on.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that our words are important because they will be used to judge us?
Note: Jesus draws this picture of our hearts being a treasure chest from which our words are drawn. Those with good treasure, speak good things. Even though the Pharisees were judging Jesus with their words, their words were actually judging them. Their words flowed from an evil treasure.
Last Sunday, during Sunday School, Steve taught that Jesus calls us to address personal attacks with love rather than with fists or put downs. I believe this is only possible when our hearts contain God's love as its treasure. Then from a heart which is full of God's love, we can address the wrongs against us with love instead of anger. The hardest part of doing this, however, is that our hearts are pretty broken and most of us have put up barriers to receiving God's love. We tend to store our own baggage where God's love is supposed to be. So when someone offends us, we go the treasure in our heart and pull out our baggage and throw it at the person instead of finding God's love in our hearts and addressing the wrong out of the abundance of love within us.
I felt this happen in my own life this week. Someone offended me by both attacking my character and telling me just how insignificant I am. The fit way for a follower of Christ to handle this situation is to go to one's heart, find it over flowing with God's love, and use that love to address the issue. My son, who majors in Peaces in Justice Studies and really is an expert on reconcilation, talked with me about the practicalities of how I could address this with the person given the deep hurt I felt. He said to wait until God filled my heart with love for the other person and - not until then - should I address it. Otherwise I would be addressing it from my own baggage - fear of being insignificant, fear of not being "good" enough for God to use in his service. He said it is not enough to act like I loved the person, but I must actually love them. I must actually be willing to put their good before my own.
So I prayed for God to clean my heart of old baggage - old fears - old lies of never being good enough - and replace it with his love. I have since felt God working within me doing just that. Soon I hope my words will over flow from this transforming heart and I will be ready to offer kind words to my offender.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Neutrality and/or doublemindedness is impossible
Jesus teaches that being neutral (not taking sides) or being double minded (changing sides as convenient) is not possible when it comes to this cosmic battle between good and evil.
I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we must take sides in this cosmic battle between good and evil? That good can't be evil and evil can't be good.
Note: Verse 33 is hard to make sense of... because use of the word "make" is strange. How do we "make" the tree evil or good? Since Jesus is replying to accusations that his power comes from evil, I believe he is using the word "make" to say "choose sides". In other words, "You must accept the tree as either evil or good - it is not both." In still other words, "You must accept me as completely good with my power completely coming from God. It is not possible for me or you to be divided."
I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we must take sides in this cosmic battle between good and evil? That good can't be evil and evil can't be good.
Note: Verse 33 is hard to make sense of... because use of the word "make" is strange. How do we "make" the tree evil or good? Since Jesus is replying to accusations that his power comes from evil, I believe he is using the word "make" to say "choose sides". In other words, "You must accept the tree as either evil or good - it is not both." In still other words, "You must accept me as completely good with my power completely coming from God. It is not possible for me or you to be divided."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Blasphemy against Holy Spirit unforgiveable
Jesus teaches that every sin will be forgiven except speaking against the Holy Spirit. He says this in response to the Pharisees saying his power is demonic.
I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we are not to call the works of the Holy Spirit evil? How often do we tread close to this edge when we judge the works of those who belong to God?
Note: Often taken too lightly in our modern culture, is the fact that Jesus's work on the cross happened so that the Holy Spirit could indwell us. The cross and the resurrection were not ends in themselves... Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit is sent to indwell all believers, has to happen too. Otherwise we are neither reconciled to God nor set aside to serve Christ. John the Baptist described Jesus' purpose as the "baptism of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit not only marks us as belonging to Jesus, but it gives us power to do the work of God.
I believe what Jesus is saying here is that if one "speaks against" the Holy Spirit, then one has not allowed the Holy Spirit to mark them and empower them for Jesus' mission. And hence, they have signed up to be on the dark side of a cosmic battle against God. Jesus does not leave room for neutrality here... one is either with him or against him.
The Pharisees have thoughtfully, willfully, and self-consciously attributed the work of the Spirit to the powers of evil. Jesus tells them this is unforgiveable. It appears they would rather see the poor man under the control of their religious rules than set free by Jesus.
I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we are not to call the works of the Holy Spirit evil? How often do we tread close to this edge when we judge the works of those who belong to God?
Note: Often taken too lightly in our modern culture, is the fact that Jesus's work on the cross happened so that the Holy Spirit could indwell us. The cross and the resurrection were not ends in themselves... Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit is sent to indwell all believers, has to happen too. Otherwise we are neither reconciled to God nor set aside to serve Christ. John the Baptist described Jesus' purpose as the "baptism of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit not only marks us as belonging to Jesus, but it gives us power to do the work of God.
I believe what Jesus is saying here is that if one "speaks against" the Holy Spirit, then one has not allowed the Holy Spirit to mark them and empower them for Jesus' mission. And hence, they have signed up to be on the dark side of a cosmic battle against God. Jesus does not leave room for neutrality here... one is either with him or against him.
The Pharisees have thoughtfully, willfully, and self-consciously attributed the work of the Spirit to the powers of evil. Jesus tells them this is unforgiveable. It appears they would rather see the poor man under the control of their religious rules than set free by Jesus.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Gather to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus teaches that those who are with him will gather and those who are against him scatter. This is the purpose of the Holy Spirit to empower us to gather the Kingdom of God. Those who are against Jesus scatter the Kingdom with lies and chaos.
I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that those who are gathering for the Kingdom are for him. And those who are scattering are against him? Do we hang out with gatherers or scatterers?
Note: Jesus gathers here by casting out the demon and making the man whole. Interesting that to "gather," Jesus must first cast out. The Pharisees "scatter" by misrepresenting where Jesus gets his power from - they would rather the man remain unwhole than give up their control over him with their religious laws.
I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that those who are gathering for the Kingdom are for him. And those who are scattering are against him? Do we hang out with gatherers or scatterers?
Note: Jesus gathers here by casting out the demon and making the man whole. Interesting that to "gather," Jesus must first cast out. The Pharisees "scatter" by misrepresenting where Jesus gets his power from - they would rather the man remain unwhole than give up their control over him with their religious laws.
Works of Holy Spirit bring Kingdom of God
Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God has come to us. The sign of this happening is that the Spirit of God is casting out Satan's kingdom from the demoniac, but also from society.
I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that casting out evil through the works of the Spirit is part of "thy Kingdom come?"
Note: The kingdom of God and the works of the Spirit of God are tied together. The work of the Holy Spirit is done through Jesus in this story. But after Pentecost, the works of the Holy Spirit will be done through all of his followers. After Jesus ascends into heaven, this is how the Kingdom of God continues to enter the world... through the work of the Holy Spirit within believers.
I will stay with this scripture for the next few days.
Matthew 12:22-37 22 Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." 25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that casting out evil through the works of the Spirit is part of "thy Kingdom come?"
Note: The kingdom of God and the works of the Spirit of God are tied together. The work of the Holy Spirit is done through Jesus in this story. But after Pentecost, the works of the Holy Spirit will be done through all of his followers. After Jesus ascends into heaven, this is how the Kingdom of God continues to enter the world... through the work of the Holy Spirit within believers.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Loving Trumphs Following Religious Rules
Jesus teaches that love (doing good) trumps a bunch of religious rules every time.
Matthew 12:9-13 9 He left that place and entered their synagogue; 10 a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.
Imagine a bunch of religious people sitting around diligently trying to decide what people should and should not do on the Sabbath. Meanwhile, there are people outside their meeting needing their help... needing food, needing hope, needing love. Jesus said, "Get over your stupid religious rules and do good."
Likewise, I went to a meeting recently where instead of talking about where to use the talents and passion of interested people in the service of Jesus, they spent their time talking about who was good enough and who wasn't good enough to be used in Jesus' service. I wanted to say, "Let us get over our stupid religious rules and let these willing people do good."
So Jesus heals the hand - but he doesn't heal the hearts of the people with the stupid religious rules. Why not? This is where real change needs to happen in our world (espeically in the religion of Christianity) so we can get on with the business of doing good.
Matthew 12:9-13 9 He left that place and entered their synagogue; 10 a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.
Imagine a bunch of religious people sitting around diligently trying to decide what people should and should not do on the Sabbath. Meanwhile, there are people outside their meeting needing their help... needing food, needing hope, needing love. Jesus said, "Get over your stupid religious rules and do good."
Likewise, I went to a meeting recently where instead of talking about where to use the talents and passion of interested people in the service of Jesus, they spent their time talking about who was good enough and who wasn't good enough to be used in Jesus' service. I wanted to say, "Let us get over our stupid religious rules and let these willing people do good."
So Jesus heals the hand - but he doesn't heal the hearts of the people with the stupid religious rules. Why not? This is where real change needs to happen in our world (espeically in the religion of Christianity) so we can get on with the business of doing good.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Offer Mercy not Judgement
Jesus teaches that his followers are not worried about following a long list of rules, but in following him.
Matthew 12:1-8 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath." 3 He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests. 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we are to follow him in offering mercy, rather than following a long list of rules that judge and condemn others?
Matthew 12:1-8 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath." 3 He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests. 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we are to follow him in offering mercy, rather than following a long list of rules that judge and condemn others?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Come to Jesus - Let him hold you in his arms
Jesus teaches us to let him gently take all our problems from us.
Matthew 11:28-30 28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching to trust him to gently hold and love us?
Note: The Pharisees had a saying... "To be right with God, you must take on the Yoke of the Law" which was a long list of rules that they believed that they must follow to be right with God. Instead of focusing their lives on having a loving relationship with God and others, they focused their lives on which rules to follow and which rules to judge people by. But Jesus says something completely different! He says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Stop taking on the burden of being right with God... of following a list of rules - and instead just follow Jesus to a place of peace where you will be tenderly loved and where he will teach you to tenderly love God and others.
Mindy Smith sings a song called "Come to Jesus" that applies so much to this...
Matthew 11:28-30 28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching to trust him to gently hold and love us?
Note: The Pharisees had a saying... "To be right with God, you must take on the Yoke of the Law" which was a long list of rules that they believed that they must follow to be right with God. Instead of focusing their lives on having a loving relationship with God and others, they focused their lives on which rules to follow and which rules to judge people by. But Jesus says something completely different! He says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Stop taking on the burden of being right with God... of following a list of rules - and instead just follow Jesus to a place of peace where you will be tenderly loved and where he will teach you to tenderly love God and others.
Mindy Smith sings a song called "Come to Jesus" that applies so much to this...
"Come To Jesus"
Oh, my baby, when you're older
Maybe then you'll understand
You have angels to dance around your shoulders
'Cause at times in life you need a helping hand
Oh, my baby, when you're prayin'
Leave your burden by my door
You have Jesus standing at your bedside
To keep you calm, keep you safe,
Away from harm
Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms
Oh, my baby, when you're cryin'
Never hide your face from me
'cause I have conquered hell and driven out the demons
I have come with a light to set you free
Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms
Oh, my baby, when you're dying
Believe the healing of His hand
Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
Here in Heaven you will finally understand
Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
Here in Heaven you will finally understand
Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)