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!

 

Find Us Ready

I’ve never been much of a procrastinator. Of course, every so often, I would push finishing a homework assignment, studying for a test, or scheduling an appointment off until a little later than I was comfortable with, but rarely would I wait until the absolute last moment to do something.

Granted, I’m also that girl who feels late when she arrives less than ten minutes early to an appointment or commitment. What can I say… I like to feel prepared!

Sometimes, I wonder if I am this way only because the tasks and responsibilities that I dislike putting off, as well as the commitments I’m always early for, are immediate and visible. Because sometimes, I catch myself feeling that heaven is so far away that I can wait until a few more years to figure a certain area of my life out or begin doing such and such activity as a part of my faith walk.

The truth is, we have no idea when the Lord will return.

In today’s reading, we see three separate, yet similar, parables about people who were surprised by the return of their master… and we’re not talking about a “surprise party” kind of surprise, but more like a  “wow, I wasn’t prepared at all for this yet” kind of surprise.

In the first parable in Matthew 25, foolish virgins did not prepare enough for the bridegroom’s coming to have enough oil in their lamps. In the second, several servants handled the blessings their master entrusted to them much differently, and some even squandered what he had given them. The third parable looks ahead to the day all will stand before God to be judged, when the Lord will separate the sheep from the goats.

Verse 34 is encouraging to me as I prepare my heart for the day my Lord returns:

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

We can certainly learn and take something from each of these three parables; undoubtedly, specific lessons within each one will speak to different parts of our hearts. Yet the common theme throughout each of these parables is this: I’m not ready yet. In each parable, the people were caught totally off guard by the return on the one they were waiting for. They thought they had more time to get their act together, per se.

However, they didn’t have the time they thought they did. Verse 13 tells us,

13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Friends, today is a wonderful chance to begin preparing for the Lord’s return again. It is so easy to become distracted by the world and the schedule of life and forget that we are waiting on the return of our King. Let us never grow weary in waiting and forget to prepare.

I challenge you to take some time today to consider what you have been pushing off in preparing for the return of Jesus. Is it a conversation with a non-believing friend you’ve been wanting to have? Is it asking for forgiveness from someone you deeply hurt? Is it changing your habits or actions in a certain area of your life? Today is the perfect chance to realize, yet again, that THE day could come at any point. When He comes, let Him find us ready.

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.

Upside-Down

     When my kids were little, they used to love to try to stand on their heads.  They couldn’t, of course, because they were only toddlers at the time – but they sure loved to try.  I think they enjoyed looking at their little world from a different vantage point:  upside-down.  This idea of looking at life from an upside-down perspective is what I first thought of when I read chapter 23 of Matthew, our scripture for today.   

In this chapter, Jesus speaks plainly to the scribes and to the Pharisees.  These men were known to be the most religious group of people in the land at the time.  But instead of praising them for their devotion, Jesus calls them out for their hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy occurs when a person does not behave according to the moral code that they say they believe in.  Many times, hypocrisy looks like living an upside-down life:  focusing on the non-important while ignoring the essential.  Let’s take a look at an example from Matthew 23.

First, Jesus tells these religious men that they are actually being impediments to God’s kingdom, and that several of their behaviors are holding other people back from becoming followers of Christ.  For example, He says, they are more concerned with their outer appearance than they are with the condition of their hearts (Matthew 23:25 and Matthew 23:28).  Jesus tells them clearly to, “First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean” (Matthew 23:26).

Jesus also told the scribes and the Pharisees that they were guilty of ignoring some of the basic tenets of Christianity, such as justice and mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23) and focusing instead on tithing to the exact penny.  Indeed, He tells them, tithing and keeping accurate financial records is important – but, “the basics are required” (Matthew 23, verse 24, The Message).

These religious people, then, were living upside-down lives.  They were professing to believe one way, yet behaving in a way that directly opposed those beliefs.  They were like my kids standing on their heads, really – looking at life from the wrong perspective.  Eventually, my toddlers tired of being in this position and stood back up, a little dizzy but none the worse for wear.  The scribes and Pharisees, though, were adults who were held responsible for leading others in spiritual matters, which is why Jesus called out their upside-down behavior – their hypocrisy – in no uncertain terms.  The thing about hypocrisy, though?  Those around you, and those around me, are usually able to see right through it.

I love how Jesus’ reprimand is recorded in The Message version:  “Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?”  (Matthew 23, verse 24b, The Message).  Maybe it is because I’m a writer, but verse 24 really spoke to me.  Am I, are we, focusing on the wrong things?  Are we focusing on the punctuation rules, and not the telling of the story, His story?  I know that I am certainly guilty of this!  And so I’m thankful to read that Jesus also offers hope, saying that He wanted to bring the people of Jerusalem to Him as “a hen gathers her brood under her wings” (Matthew 23:37).  He only asks that we be willing to change our behavior and turn back to Him.  This repentance, this turning back, begins not in the posture of a toddler’s headstand, but in a posture of prayer.  Join me?

Who Wore the Warm-up suit to the Wedding

Today’s Reading: Matthew 22

Hello again, this is Lynden and I am excited again to be here. Today’s reading of Matthew has several interesting points that are very intriguing: The parable of the wedding, paying taxes to Caesar, the lady with seven husbands (who all were brothers), the great commandment, one that states “Who’s your daddy?” I have been reading over these and there is one that really has been calling me: “Who wore the warm-up suit to the wedding?”

Matthew 22: 1-14

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

22 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants [a] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘the wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” 

This week, Jillian and I have been doing some deep cleaning of material items in the house and we have uncovered many pictures and special items from our wedding and the newlywed days. I have taken a couple of moments to sit down and reflect on those precious days. It seems as if the wedding day was yesterday, but it has been over 8 years. I can still remember the morning routine that I did that day. I still remember the cool morning of July 12, and the anticipation of the day. I still remember the first time that I saw her under the tree in the churchyard. It is one of most, if not my most memorable days of my life. Jillian and I had an engagement of about a year, but had dated for 5 years. I still remember when we sent out the “Save the Dates” several months in advance of the wedding and waited in anticipation of RSVP. There was a lot of preparation that had went into the special day and I would have been distraught if NO ONE SHOWED UP.

As I have been reflecting on the story this week I was somewhat sadden to see that the king had prepared such an awesome feast for the wedding and the invited guest didn’t show, then the close friends who didn’t get an invite declined, but then he has everyone in the city and highways be summoned and brought in and had the feast. At this point, I feel warm and fuzzy, then the kings is welcoming everyone and finds someone that is not properly dressed and then throws him out. This is so strange to me, “ Hey come into a bountiful feast, oops you have on sweats, I’m sorry you must go”. So I had to do some research and understand what is the rationale.

In biblical Jewish times the marriage of couple was several months or years at length. There are three stages: Contract, Consummation, and Celebration. The contract would be the “ketubbah” which the wife would chose her husband and then the father of the bride would sign the legal document stating the daughter is technically and religiously married. This is how Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ parents were married.   The second is the “chuppah” which is the consummation. The period between the Ketubbah and the Chuppah can be as long as 7 years; there is not a prescribed amount of time. During this time the bridegroom is preparing for his bride. This could be building a house, making enough money to provide for the bride, or something similar. Once the preparations are met then the consummation happens, and then there is feast or celebration that last for days or even for weeks.

So this is the big celebration that everyone has been preparing to witness for several months up to several years. There has been a lot of sacrifice and waiting and the time has finally come that we can part-take of the goodness of the family and the couple. So, as I research I can see that this is not just one day of merriment, but can be several weeks. This is not the first time that the people of the kingdom have heard about this upcoming celebration; this has been the rumor for quite some time.

I have to think about this as one of fairytales where everyone in the kingdom hears that there is a ball, like in Cinderella, everyone prepares for the ball, just in case they are called and invited. This is the “ONE” that everyone is waiting for and expecting. Just when you think it is all over, the king’s men come and say “Come you have been chosen to come to the celebration”. You have to go right then. So you grab your finest clothes that you have prepared for just this occasion. You have to be ready at the moment’s notice.

I can now understand the king’s actions at the end of the parable. Everyone knew the day of the feast would come, not everyone thought they would be called or invited, but everyone came anyway. You have to be ready when the king calls you; His Son is preparing a special place for His bride, and when He is ready, will you have your best suit ready or in sweats?

Prayer: Lord, allow us to be ready and properly dressed to come to your feast. We are excited and wait in anticipation. We pray you use us to help others prepare for the celebration. Amen

Cleanse My Heart

It’s amazing what happens when one dives into a chapter of Scripture.  For the past few years I have been diligent at reading short daily devotionals and feeling satisfied that I at least attempted to connect with Jesus.  I would walk away with a good thought or something to ponder.  But, I am amazed at what happens when one sits down with the Bible in hand and actually studies a full chapter for a week!  It has been a while since I have figured out for myself what a passage means and not used somebody else’s interpretation of the Word to inspire me.  This week I have been awestruck at the amount of information in Matthew 21 and all the lessons that stem from these 46 verses.

I want to focus on Matthew 21:12&13                                                     The Cleansing of the Temple

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice.  He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.  He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer, ‘ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

A market had been established in part of the temple, the Court of the Gentiles. The merchants set up shop in the temple court for the convenience of those who came from all regions to celebrate Passover and any other celebrations. Foreign Jews could exchange money and purchase sacrifices. What had begun as a service and convenience for visitors from other lands soon turned into a profitable business. The merchants were “robbing” the customers by charging high prices.  The focus of the believers had turned to “making a deal” and away from a “house of prayer” and Jesus was angry. Jesus invaded the temple to restore it to its purpose.

The temple was to be called a “house of prayer.”
The word house refers to a way of life, not necessarily a structure. A house is the place where we live with our families and those we love. We return to our homes on a daily basis (after school, work, appointments, or running errands), it is not a place where we temporarily visit or pass through. I consider myself a home-body. I love to be at home with my husband and three children.  My home is what I know, it is mine.  I can’t imaging if I spent as much time with Jesus in His Word as I do just being in my home! He wants us to be home with him…to make him our house where we live day in and day out.

Prayer is to ask for favor, to urge, or to request something. Prayer humbles us because we have to ask for help and guidance. Prayer invites God into our daily lives, needs and struggles.

To be a House of Prayer, then we need to be at “home” with Jesus, living with him, asking Him for all that we need every day.

The reference “den of thieves” comes from Jeremiah 7:11. A den is where thieves would hide to plot their next adventure and hide from whomever they robbed.  In Jeremiah, the people were hiding in the Temple to cover up their sins.

If Jesus invaded my heart-What would He find? Would He be angry? Would He find I am filling it with worldly finds to try and find peace, fulfillment, and happiness? Would He find that I am more suitable to a den of thieves or a House of Prayer?

Just as 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be a house of prayer. To live and reside in constant communion with Jesus. Jesus wants to cleanse us of all the BUSINESS that is going on in our heart and restore us to a house of prayer. I want to cleanse my heart daily and not get caught up in the business of life that overshadows his call for me to be a house of prayer.

Mercy

Today’s reading:  Matthew 20

Yesterday, we witnessed the transfer of power from the 44th President of the United States to the 45th President of the United States.  Like many Presidents who have gone before, our 44th President exercised his authority to grant a variety of pardons and commutations before he left office – 212 pardons and 1,715 commutations to be exact.  These are a big deal, as they release offenders from all future consequences that would have otherwise accompanied their conviction(s).  Did you know granting pardons is a unilateral power of the President of the United States?  This means the decisions aren’t reviewed, and cannot be overturned by the court, Congress or even the incoming President.  With one act, an offender’s conviction is wiped away and freedom is granted.  What a powerful illustration of mercy.

  • Mercy – compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power.
  • Forbearance – a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due.

(Miriam Webster)

Our text today in Matthew 20 covers the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.  In this story, the landowner hired laborers to work in his vineyard throughout the course of the day.  When it came time to pay them, he used a last-in/first-out method, paying those who had worked the shortest time first and those who had worked all day last.  The issue was, he paid them all the same amount, regardless of how long they had worked.  Those hired in the morning were mad.  While the landowner kept his promise and paid them the amount on which they had agreed, these workers felt shortchanged.  They believed their longer hours should have earned them more money than the others.

Do you see the lesson? This was not a parable about hard work, equality or justice.  It was about mercy.  The landowner showed compassion to workers hired later in the day.  He paid them a full day’s wage instead of just paying them what they had earned.  In the same way, God chooses to bestow mercy on those who follow him.  He doesn’t make us suffer the consequences of our sins.  Rather through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he wipes away our conviction and grants us freedom.  He offers each of us a pardon.  We have not earned it, and we certainly don’t deserve it.

  • For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
  • For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
  • For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

In preparation for my post this week, I was reminded of two very humbling lessons about God’s grace and mercy Jesus taught through this parable:

  • When you decide to put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are entitled to all the rights and benefits he promises, regardless of how early or late in life you made the decision – (Ephesians 1:13-14).
  • If you think you deserve more in God’s Kingdom because you worked harder or lived a better life than someone else, you’ve forgotten how you got in. By his grace and mercy, God saved you from sin and death. You certainly didn’t earn or deserve it – (Ephesians 2:8).

(gracethrufaith.com)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).

I am humbled, and eternally grateful for God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Good Enough?

One of the many things I love about writing for Bible Journal is that it causes me to constantly look for God’s will, plan, and orchestration in daily experiences. This week, I was in a conversation with a person who shared “I believe in God… I believe life is all about being a good person“. Jesus gives a great response to this “good person” philosophy in today’s reading in the story of “The Rich Young Man”…

And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17)

Today’s reading link: Matthew 19

Striving to be a good person is an excellent goal, except the problem is that there is no measuring stick to tell us how good is good enough. Perhaps you think I’m a good person for writing this blog, or that I’m a good dad, so does that mean I’ll inherit eternal life? Was I a good person when I had mean thoughts about someone, when I cursed (no one but God heard me), or when I was blatantly selfish, all today? There is only one who is good, and that is God. Jesus doesn’t tell the rich young man (nor anyone, ever) that to inherit eternal life they must be a good person. In this story, Jesus tells the man, to be perfect (or complete) he must sell his possessions, give to the poor, and to follow him:

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

Perhaps we’re not all called to sell everything, but for this next part I’m going to focus on our possessions or the things we strive to possess. My wife and I have been talking a lot lately about minimalism; specifically relating to letting go of the stuff we don’t need nor want, as well as refraining from buying things that we don’t need. In today’s world of free two-day shipping and online stores selling millions of different products, it is easy to fall into temptation to keep buying and buying things and piling them up. Even if those things we’re purchasing are bought with the best intentions, it is without a doubt that no matter how much we think we need something, often times we are trying to fill a void that will never be filled in this lifetime.

Jesus offers eternal life because life here is flawed. No matter how much money, how many houses, how many devices to make coffee (I have several devices to make coffee and I want more, more, more…), or whatever else, unless we set our sights and hearts on placing our treasure in heaven, it will never be enough. The things of this world weigh us down, even when they’re “good”, so while Jesus’ teaching is heavenly focused, it is also perfect instruction for us here today.

The Freeing Power of Forgivness

I (Luke) just got married this past June to my beautiful wife Caitlin. We have a little apartment that we call home and are truly content with the little we have. I have always been someone who learns from others. Growing up, I looked up to my dad and learned as much as I could by watching. As I have grown into adulthood, I’ve started to learn from people in my field of work. I enjoy hearing their story and really talking to them about life and work.

“What’s your goal?” you might ask. My goal is to get ahead of the curve. I don’t want to hit the speed bumps that others have hit because I am a firm believer in learning from mistakes, even if I didn’t make the mistakes myself.

Now, let’s talk about marriage. I don’t think I had any way to fully prepare for the refining process that marriage truly brings into your life. In the past 7 months, I have learned so much about how broken I am as a human being. Before marriage, I was a big shot; I was confident and people knew it. There was no one in my life to keep me in line, and as I went through adulthood, I started to create these habits that stuck with me. Some were good, but most were bad. As the first few months of marriage went by, those “habits” came out in plain sight, and boy was that not fun. I felt “dirty.” The great news was that my wife showed me grace and forgave me countless times. Jesus has done that too throughout my life, but it’s now just becoming more visible to me.

Matthew 18 has a parable in it that talks about forgiveness. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant reads:

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.[g] 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.[h] 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant[i] fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,[j] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,[k] until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

This parable shows the power of forgiveness that we can have in each of our daily lives, and especially in our marriages.

Carefully read this story. The servant pleads for mercy from the king, and the king finds it in his heart to forgive the servant of all of his debt and his baggage. Everything he owes to the king is gone in an INSTANT!

You might be able to relate to this better.  Think about if someone came to you and paid your house off or even your car off. How would that feel? No more mortgage payments… no more car payments.

You’d feel free, right?

Now, think of that from a spiritual aspect. In your life, what is your baggage and what are the things you are holding on to? God is ready to take those from you; all you need to do is ask. Ask for forgiveness for your sins, and I promise you, God will be happy to take that baggage from you.

Remember, this street goes both ways. You need to remember whose baggage you can take in your life. Who have you been holding back from forgiving? Who has done that one hateful deed that you just can’t seem to forgive? It’s in THOSE times you need to remember that our Holy Father chooses to forgive us of all our hateful or sinful actions. Why can’t we do the same for our brother or sister?

Forgiveness is freeing. Remember that as you go about your Thursday!