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Clean Hands, Clean Spirit

Today’s Reading: Mark 7

“Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” Mark 7:14-15

Hello! It’s Jillian again this week.  Lynden went on a little daddy son vacation this weekend and all the fun got the best of him! I promise to make our Monday morning short and sweet. Mark Chapter 7 teaches us about inner purity. The overall theme is about keeping the law and traditions in order to look holy instead of honoring God. Jesus wasn’t against all tradition but he was against the idea of making tradition more important than the words of God. I chose verses fourteen and fifteen for us to focus on today. When I re-read this chapter in preparation to write this evening, this verse or set of verses were speaking to me!   The Pharisees believed that rituals like cleansing hands or dishes prior to eating would make them acceptable to God simply because they were clean on the outside.

We as Christians (and by we I mean ME) can become like the Pharisees when we worry that contact with unbelievers or spending time with those that aren’t necessarily the “same” as us. Jesus didn’t limit himself to ministering only to Christians. He didn’t reject people or groups that had ideas inconsistent with His own. Jesus wants us to follow his example by going out into the world an connecting with others.  He doesn’t want us to surround ourselves with just other Christian’s in an effort to stay pure. Jesus didn’t intend for us to withdraw. We are  charged with taking up the responsibility of exemplifying the love and acceptance of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus goes on to say that it’s not what influences us on the outside that defiles us, but what comes from our heart. So then we must search our heart.  We must practice traditions that honor our Heavenly Father, not out of obligation or appearance of devotion. I pray this week that we can be genuine in our love for Christ. That we can truly connect with him this week as we continue to study his words though Mark. I pray for all of us that we can purify our heart!

Do We Believe?

Do WE Believe??

Mark 6 is about believing God.

Verses 1-6 describe how Jesus went back to Nazareth and the people (his family and neighbors) did not believe that He was the Son of God. They knew him as a carpenter, a family member, or a neighbor. They could not figure out where he got all of his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles. Because of the people’s unbelief, Jesus did not perform many miracles in Nazareth.

Verses7-13 Jesus sent out the disciples 2×2 to proclaim the gospel. He sent them together so that they could encourage each other, especially when they faced rejection. He instructed the disciples to “shake off the dust from your feet” when someone rejects what you have to say. This was a sign that they were to remain separate from people who had rejected Jesus and his message. They were only responsible for sharing the message of salvation, they were not responsible for the people who chose not to believe.

Verses 14-29 tells of Herod and his murdering of John the Baptist. Herod did not believe that Jesus was the son of God, but thought that he might be John the Baptist come back to life.

Verses 30-36 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and Jesus took them away to rest. They were very excited to share with Him all that took place and about those who made a decision to believe.

Verses 37-44 Jesus asked the disciples to provide food for over 5000 people. They were worried about how much money it would cost to feed so many people. They were given an impossible task, to feed 5000 with only 5 loaves of bread. They did not believe that God would do the impossible.

Verses 45-52 Jesus made the disciples get back in the boat while he went into the hills to pray. Hours later, Jesus saw them struggling to row the boat against the wind. He came to them, walking on the water. The disciples saw him and did not believe it was Him, they thought it was a ghost.

Verses 53-56 The chapter of Mark comes to a close on a positive note. Many people brought the sick to Jesus for healing. These people had faith and believed that Jesus could heal them, and their faith was rewarded. This scene is the opposite to what happened in the beginning of the chapter in Nazareth where very few were healed because the people lacked faith and did not believe.

This chapter is full of beliefs about Jesus, who He is and what He is capable of doing. The people who knew Him the best did not believe that he was the Son of God. He empowered his disciples and sent them out to minister and they did it. They healed and ministered to many, but then did not believe that Jesus could feed 5000 from 5 loaves of bread. Jesus performed a miracle right in front of them for them to witness. Then later that night, the same 12 men were so terrified about the storm that was raging around them, that they thought Jesus was a Ghost. If they would have truly believed that he was God’s Son, they would not have been amazed that Jesus could walk on water. The disciples did not transfer the truth they already knew about Jesus to their own lives.

Do we believe?
We read that Jesus walked on the water, and yet we often marvel that he is able to work in our own life. We must not only believe that these miracles really occurred, but we must also transfer the truth to our own life situations.

I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and my sins so that I may have life and have it abundantly. (1 Peter 2;24) I believe that He knew me and all the hairs on my head even before I was born! (Luke 12:7)
I believe the Words the Bible says are true! This being said, I find I am much like the disciples here in Mark 6. They knew Jesus, they saw and experienced His teachings and His miracles. And yet, they did did not believe 100%. They did not believe that Jesus would rescue them from the raging storm they were caught in. I also have Jesus’ teachings at my ready and know Him through his Word and have experienced many blessing and even miracles in my life. If I have the Bible as a resource, a personal relationship with Christ, and memories as proof, why, like the disciples, do I doubt and not believe that God has even the smallest details of my life in His hands??
I challenge us all (especially myself) to put these beliefs into practice in every aspect of our lives! He cares for us and wants us to put 100% faith in Him 100% of the time.

This is why…WE BELIEVE…enjoy this song from the Newsboys that reiterates why WE BELIEVE!

A Risky Proposition?

Today’s reading:  Mark 5

What is your risk perspective? Say you were offered two options – option 1 is a guaranteed payout of a negotiable amount, but option 2 is a payout based on a coin toss.  Thus, you have a 50/50 chance of winning.  If the coin shows heads you receive $100, but it if shows tails you receive nothing.  The option you select in this situation depends on your risk preference:

  • Risk-averse: If you are risk-averse, you will likely select the guaranteed payment. In fact, if you are highly risk averse, you will take the guaranteed payment regardless of the amount.  From your perspective, some money is a better return than no money.  If your risk-aversion is more moderate, you may consider the coin toss, depending on how the amount of the guaranteed payment compares to the $100 at risk.  The smaller the guaranteed payment, the more likely you are to choose the coin toss.
  • Risk-taker: If you are a risk-taker, you are naturally drawn to situations where you could win or lose.  The idea of making it big is appealing, even though you could end up with nothing.
  • Risk-neutral: If you are risk-neutral, you make your decision mathematically. With 50/50 odds, you choose the coin toss if the guaranteed payment is less than $50.  If it is more than $50, you choose the guaranteed payment.

I found our text in Mark 5 to be an interesting study from the perspective of risk preferences.

Verses 1-20 tell the story of Jesus healing a man by casting out demons. At Jesus’ command, the Legion of demons that had possessed this man for years left the man, entered a herd of pigs, immediately rushed into the sea, and then drowned.  Consider these facts –

  • The demons recognized Jesus as “Son of the Most High God”.
  • The demons acknowledged Jesus’ power over them by asking him not to torment them.
  • The crowd saw Jesus heal a man who had been ailing for years.

In spite of these facts, the crowd still asked Jesus to go away and leave them alone.  This is mind-boggling to me.  Why wouldn’t they want more of him?  The crowd was risk averse – they were afraid Jesus might drown their livestock too; they considered the saving power of Jesus Christ less valuable than their money.

Verses 25-34 tell of a woman who had suffered from a bleeding disorder for more than a decade. This condition, according to Old Testament law, made her ritually unclean.  While she believed Jesus could heal her, she knew she would make Jesus unclean if she touched him.  He could potentially turn against her and she would have nothing.  She, however, was a risk taker and touched him anyway.

Again, what is your risk perspective?  Do you consider Jesus a risky proposition?  Do you believe his power to save, and the abundant life you could have when you follow him, to be better than a life focused on yourself and your personal desires?  It could seem like a risky proposition, when in fact it is not.  Jesus guarantees it.

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it (Mark 8:35).

In the 1950’s Jim Elliott was a missionary to the Aucas Indian tribe in Ecuador.  This tribe was uncivilized and had a history of being very dangerous.  In fact, no outsider caught on the tribe’s land had ever survived.  The tribe killed them all.  Despite the danger, Jim and four other missionaries felt called to share Jesus with these unreached people.  Jim Elliott lived by this principle, “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”.  He was a risk taker.  Despite giving his life to the Aucas tribe, who eventually killed him, he gained eternal life.

Storytelling

In a recent conversation with a brilliant leader at a large company, the leader expressed that very few people in the organization understand the value of what his department does – even though his department is crucial to the organization. In summary, this department implements and supports business systems for the entire company with a focus on financial as well as sales systems. He could easily rattle off figures as to how many hours the team worked, the late nights, the number of solutions implemented, and so on.

The aforementioned description might have given you an idea as to what this department does, but the description basically consisted of some facts that few people can relate to, and even if you can relate, you really don’t have a reason to care. I believe that we cannot really relate to these bland facts because we don’t know the story. Further, I believe that the reason we relate to stories is that is how God designed our minds and souls; to relate to stories.

Think about the Bible. It is a series of stories. Hundreds of them, all woven together as part of one big story; God’s story, our story. Our maker, our designer, chose to relate to us through stories.

Today’s reading: Mark 4

With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots. (Mark 4:33-34; MSG)

Jesus, being the son of God knew how to reach the minds and hearts of the people, and therefore did not speak to his disciples without a story.

I did a little research this week on storytelling and wanted to share some of the secret sauce. Think about your own story and how you will use that story to win lost souls for Jesus.

  1. The story must be the right story. Meaning, even a compelling and well crafted story won’t hit the mark unless it is the right story for the situation.
  2. If you’re presenting the story as truth, it must actually be true; it must be authentic, and don’t omit crucial detail. Credibility is everything.
  3. Share the positive stories. Hollywood knows that every story must have a happy ending. It has been proven that when people hear a positive story with a happy ending, the brain emits dopamine which produces a mild sense of euphoria, a good feeling.
  4. Tell the story in a minimalist fashion. Don’t leave the listener stranded or distracted. For example if you’re describing the glorious gift of a beautiful sunrise, don’t distract the listener by talking about how on the same morning the stock market was up by 100 points.
  5. If the idea in the story becomes the listener’s idea, that’s when they become champions of the idea. Consider which one of these is more effective: “repent or you’ll burn in Hell” or “I used to be a lying, cheating, backstabbing wretch, but when I realized the impact of my sin and how much God loves me, how could I not repent and give my all for Him?”. One of these was a mandate, the other was meant to inspire and lead the listener to choose their own action. In my 45 years of life on this planet, I cannot ever recall finding joy in any situation where “mandate” was used.
  6. Contrast the before and after. I once was lost, but now I’m found. A simple phrase, but I believe “Amazing Grace” is one of the most widely recognized hymns of all time. Pretty tough to keep the tears in when we recognize the truth and contrast in this song.

In closing, I challenge our readers to write out your salvation story and consider the six principles above. Practice the story and share your before and after with someone who would benefit from knowing the saving, loving, amazing grace of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

-The photo is of a painting named "The Storyteller" by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo

Prepare the way!

Happy Tuesday everyone ~ Enjoy this wonderful kickoff of Mark 1 shared by one of our awesome guest writers Kris Walker.   Prayers go out to all our readers and writers.

Prepare the Way!

Mark 1 prepares the way for something amazing! It’s a very brief description of some amazing events. I love how the gospels all focus on different things, their writing styles are all so different and where some focus, others don’t. I feel like we just got a cliff note version of some amazing events! There are so many things in this 1 chapter to take in! It really makes you want to reference all the stories in depth! It was a hard decision what to focus on. So, I had to pick a couple.

The first one, I love the stories of healing and cleansing of demons! What an amazing show of our Father’s power!

“21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us,Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.”

I know it seems silly to make such an amazing point on this, but not only did he make the demon come out, but he silenced it!  I have 4 children, NOT demon possessed, and I can’t ever get them to be silent! Our father SHUT THE MOUTH of a demon! Which we know isn’t a big feat for our God, but can you imagine seeing that in person?? This “man” just told a demon to come out, and told him to shut his mouth, and a demon was forced to listen! What a truly all powerful God we have! I can’t imagine being a member of that crowd and actually seeing this! It would be mind blowing!

“27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.”

Clearly it made an impression! But another thing is learned about was his power. It’s a loving power, he healed so many people, and even when he wanted seclusion, he still ended up being called to teach the word, and healed people!

The application for me in this is: What am I doing with my power to help those in need? Not only in our community, but in my own home. Jesus was tired and wanted seclusion, but still did his Father’s work! When I’m tired and want seclusion, I tell everyone to leave me alone and let me rest. I have so much to learn, and have so much growing to do. This really stresses to me that I need to strive more daily to be more Christ like and serve my family more.

My other big take away from this is about John and then Jesus’s first disciples. John prepared the way! His job was to tell about Jesus coming. And he did just that! He did not shrink back. He went forth preaching about Jesus coming and baptized in his name!

“4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.”

He did all this for Jesus and never once questioned it, and always gave honor to the right place!

“8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

What an amazing example. We then get a glimpse of Jesus getting his first disciples, and the immediately follow him. He biggest part of this for me is:

What am I doing to make disciples? It is our calling! It’s what we are meant to do! Who am I helping in my community? Who am I encouraging to follow our God? Am I being a true disciple?

I know there is so much more to get out of this chapter, but those were my main thoughts after reading through Mark 1. It really just makes me want to be a better servant at home, and a better disciple in my community.

Prayerfully,  we can all strive to do the same!

Dear God, we pray for continued wisdom in our writing as we share your words and not our own. We pray that you continue to guide us in this journey, guide and protect our families, and give us courage to share with others the great news of Jesus through these gospels.  We love you, praise you, and thank you for sending your son to be born, live a life on earth, model your ways, die, and conquer death for us for our sins.  Amen

 

Hello Mark

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

 Hello, it’s a Monday and I’m here to welcome you to the gospel of Mark. Are you excited? I’m so excited! This has been such an awesome time of new beginnings. We aren’t reading the Gospel of Mark quite yet today, but instead we’re getting acquainted with our new author. Of course, I’ve done my usual research and uncovered some interesting facts for us. The Gospel of Mark is actually anonymous. In 326 AD, Eusebius, an early church historian, preserved the words of Papias an early church elder. Papias, quoted another elder, probably John, as saying that Mark recorded Peter’s preaching about Jesus but not in order. Therefore, since the first century, Mark was considered the author of this Gospel.

Mark was actually named John Mark and was the son of a widow named Mary. The church of Jerusalem sometimes met at Mary’s house (see Acts 12:12-17). Some sources say that Jesus’ last supper took place in Mary’s house as well…but we don’t really know so we can’t get too excited! Mark and Barnabus were cousins (Col 4:10) and together they traveled with Paul on that first missionary journey. Mark became like a son to the apostle Peter and also became close to Paul. Shortly before Paul’s execution, he asked Timothy to “bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). After Paul’s execution, Mark moved to Egypt and established churches.

Mark wrote his gospel in Rome around the time of Peter’s martyrdom. He wrote primarily for the Roman Gentiles and used Latin terms rather then Greek. Mark’s Gospel is believed by many Bible scholars to be the earliest Gospel written. There is evidence that it served as a source for both Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Mark’s writing begins with John the Baptist preaching and then moves on to Jesus’ public ministry. We see Jesus in action as a servant and then Jesus is revealed to us as the Messiah when he performs several miracles. By the end of Mark’s gospel, we move quickly toward the events of The Last Supper, the betrayal, the crucifixion and the resurrection. What an opportunity we have in these next few weeks to get to know Jesus through Mark. I’m ready for God to move in our life as we follow in His footsteps: serving, sacrificing and saving. I’ll leave you today with four key themes of Mark’s Gospel to consider. I challenge you to write them down and watch for them to come up in our daily study of Mark. I’ll be making notes each day about the words of Christ and how they fit within our personal faith journey.

Jesus Christ:

  • Mark demonstrates that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
  • He overcomes disease, demons and death
  • Jesus chose to die for us

Servant:

  • Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament by coming to earth
  • He came as a servant, not a conquering king
  • By giving his life he performed the ultimate act of service

Miracles:

  • Mark records more of Jesus’ miracles in his Gospel than sermons
  • Mark reveals Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah through accounts of his miracles

Spreading the Gospel:

  • Jesus directed his ministry to the Jews, he was met with opposition
  • Jesus also ministered to the “non-Jewish” world including Roman soldiers, Syrians, and other Gentiles.
  • Many believed the good news and followed him
  • Jesus’ final message to his disciples was to go out to the whole world and preach salvation

 Author’s note: Much of today’s historic information was drawn from a collection of study Bibles. I primarily use the NIV Life Application Study Bible (Zondervan), The HCSB Study Bible (Holman Bible Publishers), The ESV Study Bible (Crossway) and various online sources such as: biblegateway.com, biblestudytools.com and blueletterbible.org. Of course when writing about historic figures, one can only use the collection of data available and then present it in a way that honors the source. I’ve done the best I can to collect facts and share them with you in a digestible Monday morning fashion. There is always lots more Christian literature available to us! If you want more information about the Gospel of Mark or have knowledge you’d like to share, please comment below.

The Great Commission

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

 Today, Matthew 28 documents the life-giving story of Jesus’ resurrection.  He overcame death.  He lives!  Celebrate and worship.  As of this moment, every life has hope.  Our hope comes from the power of the Holy Spirit, now living within us.  Celebrate and worship.  I was just beginning to enjoy the resurrection when Matthew quickly shifts away, confronting me with the next leg of the journey.  Um, wait a minute.  I’m not ready.  Can we go back to the celebration?

Most Christians stop right here, at Jesus resurrection.  We celebrating and worship Jesus for the grace and mercy he gives, claiming eternity as our own.  Other than that, our lives remain unchanged.  We are, however, called to more.  Jesus calls us to become his disciples and make disciples.  What exactly is a disciple?  To describe us as followers is too simple.  Christian discipleship involves becoming like Jesus.  To be one requires our full submission that enables our full transformation to be like him.  Sadly, few Christians move off the celebratory mark set by the resurrection.

Need proof?  In a nationwide poll conducted by the Barna Group, 40% of the people surveyed said, “they were personally committed to Jesus Christ, had confessed their sins, and believed they will go to heaven after they die because of God’s grace provided through Jesus’ death and resurrection.”  That is significant.  However, when directed toward their response to that resurrection, “not one of the adults we interviewed said that their goal in life was to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ or to make disciples.”[i]  Wait, what?  Read that quote again.  It is worth digesting fully.

I am hoping that your engagement with BibleJournal.net implies that you have a goal for spiritual formation.  If that is true, great.  The challenge then becomes one of sharing.  You see, when we truly find Christ and our lives are transformed by his love, we will also be compelled to share him.  Therefore, making disciples is not hard.  It is the natural outpouring of Christ upon the world around us.  We will fully embrace the idea that “the local church is the hope of the world.”  When I think about it this way, Jesus’ command to reach the world, becomes not an impossibility, but a full reality.  A couple of years ago, Bill Hybels presented this vision with such clarity, that I want to share it with you today.  I hope you can find a few spare minutes to hear his message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pmEjAEe9nU

The morning prayer of every believer should be, “Jesus, this new day, I freshly commit myself to the role you have invited me to play as you are building your church in this world.” ~ Bill Hybels

[i] Barna, George (2013-03-06). Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ (Barna Reports) (p. 8). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

The Rest of the Story…

Matthew 27

Think of a time when someone you thought highly of or ‘put on a pedestal’ let you down by doing something you never expected from them. For some of you this person may have been a celebrity, professional athlete, or politician who you thought was ‘really a great guy/lady.’ This person may have even been someone very close to like a boss, mentor, parent, sibling, spouse, or even a pastor where the wounds from this experience are still deep today, even years later.

Have you ever thought about how the disciples and followers of Jesus must have felt when He was arrested, scourged, crucified, and died? They believed Jesus would be their Messiah (Savior) by sitting on an earthly throne and restoring Israel through freeing them from the oppression of the Roman government. This was their mistaken understanding of the Old Testament prophecies of what the Messiah would do (see John 12:16). They must have been certain He would be king because He could do anything…heal the sick, cast out demons, feed large crowds on next to no food, walk on water, and even raise Lazarus from the dead after four days! Think of the ‘pedestal’ He must have been on in their minds!  Imagine how they must have felt when they woke up Saturday morning with the realization that their Messiah who they saw do many miracles and believed was on a mission from God on their behalf was crucified, dead, buried, and would not save them from the tyranny of the Roman government. Talk about a letdown!

As Paul Harvey (ask your parents if you don’t know who that is) would say, we now know “the rest of the story.” We know the great news of the Resurrection that occurred on Easter Sunday! We know that Jesus saved them, and us today, in a way no one else could through freedom from the bondage and condemnation of sin.

What can we learn from this?

  1. The only person we should ever ‘put on a pedestal’ is Jesus. He is the ONLY one that will NEVER let us down. He is the only one without sin.
  2.  If God can take the worst injustice and event in the history of the world, the wrongful execution of the only person to ever live without sin, and turn it into the greatest event in the history of the world, then God can take the challenges and problems you are facing in your life today and will in the future and turn them into something good. The Bible specifically tells us this in Romans 8:31-32.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

Need more assurance? We are told this again in Ephesians 3:20 NIV.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according His power this is at work within us,”

It says that we can’t even imagine what good He can do! Also, did you catch that? It is not our power, but ‘His power’ at work within us….and he made the world and everything in it.

There is a “rest of your story” that He has planned for your life…just like there was for Him and us through His Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

So let us move forward today calm, confident, and courageous because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Why?

What an interesting turn of events in (Matthew 26)!   We have been on a journey through all of Matthew learning about Jesus’ miracles, his teachings through parables, how he shows the disciples to fish for men …. And now we come to the messy part, The End. When Jesus had finished these teachings, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” What do you think the disciples thought? Fear had to strike through each of them. What do you think Jesus was thinking? Did you stop while reading and think about it from his perspective? He knew what was coming. He knew exactly what path God had chosen for him. He kept going and fulfilled what was prophesied.

In today’s chapter, we are reminded of Judas’ betrayal. Drama. He wasn’t in it for the long haul. He wasn’t a good friend. He wanted the money. We all know people like this. It’s all about them; it’s all about getting ahead. He was working his own plan behind the scenes and ruined “a good thing” Jesus and the disciples had going. They were preaching God’s word and gaining followers along the way. Judas rained on the parade. Or did he? Jesus knew what was going to happen and that Judas was going to betray him.

Before the plot really thickens, the disciples celebrate together with Jesus. He gives them very strict instructions on how to prepare for the Festival of the Unleavened Bread. The Last Supper. When all were gathered, Jesus breaks bread for the feast participants. We all have seen many images of the table where bread was broken together. In these pictures, it is hard to determine if they are having a good time and relaxing together? Are they happy to be with friends in an upper chamber away from the crowds that sometimes surround them? They can just be themselves and enjoy their own company. We are lead to believe that is not what was happening. Judas and Jesus most likely were not relaxing. Then, the dinner abruptly ends with these statements:

21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

This scene seems surreal. Jesus knows what is happening. Others do not.  They sing a hymn together and go to the Mount of Olives. Peter confronts him. He is fearful. Jesus admits to being sorrowful. He needs time away and retreats further to Gethsemane to pray. At this point, we have to think Jesus knows what is about to happen to him but may be asking the “Why?” question. Why me, why now, I know it’s your will, but can we change this plan? “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” No, God’s plan is outlined.   He asks for the disciples to stand watch and instead they sleep. Jesus is irritated with them, but while they have been told of what will happen to him, do they really know it’s about to unfold?  He goes back to pray a second time. They sleep. He goes back to pray a third time and again they sleep!

Jesus awakes them from their sleep. “The betrayer is here!” Soldiers arrive. They take Jesus away. The disciples must be saying “Why?”. What is happening? Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. They see him hauled away. I picture myself asking the “Why?” question. I would find this turn of events to be surreal too! Yet, it was written and was being fulfilled.

What can we learn from this chapter? A few takeaways for me. “Why?” – we don’t always know what God has in store for us or why he closes some doors and opens others. Do we pay attention to the open doors or are we like Judas and only interested in the prize? What if you were given a chance to dine with your friends and family before you passed away? Do you treat these types of feasts with friends as a chance to relax and enjoy? We do not know what is coming next for us, right? That is hard to think about, but it is true.

Take each day with family and friends as a gift and pay attention to all that is happening or you may miss something important. Take the opportunity to have good conversation or you may find yourself like Peter. Jesus was hauled away, Peter denied him three times, and then the cock crowed. Peter most likely wished he had those last hours back as he might have acted differently. If we ponder “Why?” for too long, we may miss what’s right in front of us.

Pray. Pray once, twice, three times as Jesus did.

I look forward to the next few chapters, which take this story from The End to The Beginning!

 

Seeing Jesus

Today’s Reading is Matthew 24

To this point in the book of Matthew, the writings have been telling the story of Jesus life and ministry. In Matthew 24 Jesus changes and talks to His friends about the future, more of a prophetic conversation than the practical ones they had been used to. So we start out with Jesus and His friends on the Temple grounds. (I needed some help here deciphering the meaning and the purpose of this writing so I consulted Matthew Henry’s Commentary) As they are leaving the Temple, His friends are pointing out buildings and trying to get Jesus to look at the beauty of the structures and the fact that no cost was spared in its construction or decoration. They are proud of what they feel like was built for Him and want Him to comment on the good work that has been accomplished over the years in His honor. They are excited to get to “show Him around” and He says, “Do you see all these buildings? They will be demolished, not one stone will be left on top of another”. Can you imagine how deflated they must have felt? You mean to tell me that all of this work, beauty and cost is for nothing…we did this for you and you tell us it will all be ruined?

I can relate to Jesus friends hearts more than I like to admit. I miss Jesus so often in my life because I am excited about something new I am getting, an adventure I am planning to take, or I want to show someone I love something I’ve accomplished. I am proud of something I have done and too often I want others to see. The thing is, that I am missing Jesus because I like to make things about me. I want to take credit for the things I have acquired or the ideas I have come up with. The truth is that my stuff and my ideas are less than specks of dust, dirty rags… nothing compared to Jesus. Furthermore, none of “my things” or “ideas” are mine. All I am and all I have is gifted by God. I cannot fill my lungs with air for my next breath without God. How can I get so wrapped up in “stuff” that I miss Him?

So Jesus takes them away from the Temple to a place that is more private and quiet to turn their hearts and minds from their agendas to Him… to tell them His purpose and what is coming, what to expect. The Temple is Him, He will be destroyed, He will be gone from this earth and they will need to continue to tell people all over the world about Him in His absence. It will be hard. Others will claim to be the Messiah, there will be wars, famines and earthquakes. They will be arrested, persecuted and killed, and sin will be rampant in the world. But one day, Jesus will appear in the heavens, coming on the clouds with power and great glory. With the mighty blast of a trumpet, Jesus will gather His chosen ones from all over the world-from the farthest ends of the earth and Heaven.

I want less of my focus to be on me and my stuff. I want to be grateful to Him for what He has gifted me so I can be ready when He comes for me.