1 / 600,000. Matthew 18.

I've read different opinions on the value of talents and denarii, the money Jesus used in His Kingdom parable recorded in Matthew 18:23-35. The large amount owed by the first servant is an impossibly large amount, and the amount owed to the first servant is about 100 days wages. The figure that seemed most authoritative was that the first servant owed 600,000 times as much as he was owed. Or as Jesus put it, the first servant wouldn't forgive an amount that was 1/600,000th of the amount he had been forgiven.

Why not?

That's really the question Jesus presents to His followers and to us. When you step into His Kingdom, you've been forgiven an impossibly large amount. Gratitude alone ought to guide your thoughts and actions. Mercy and forgiveness are the pathway into the Kingdom, and the tell-tale signs you live in His Kingdom.

Why couldn't they do it? Matthew 17.

I've been thinking quite a bit about what Jesus has to say in Matthew 17:20 - He told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.” This saying is a challenge to my own understanding of my faith, and continues what Jesus had to say earlier in phrases like "keep on asking and you'll receive." Whenever I think I have a handle on the meaning of Jesus' statements about prayer and faith, I'm brought up short by verses such as this one, as I encounter them again.

What I'd like to do today, is take you through the process that I've gone through in trying to discover the meaning of Jesus' saying. Especially since it may not match your idea, and certainly runs against the grain of a lot of the teaching I hear in Christian media.

First, let's take care of the literal/figurative thing. The language in this saying of Jesus is clearly a parable in the sense that I wrote about earlier this week. In this case, it's a couple of metaphors put together, and I would loosely paraphrase it as, "if you have any faith at all, impossible looking tasks are possible."

Next, let me disclose some things about me and the text. When I'm reading the New Testament, I start from this viewpoint: I'm probably not really getting it. That is, I want to be very cautious about what I think it means, and aggressively dig into the text, the language, and the culture, to make sure I bridge the gap between 1st century Palestine and today.

I also know that over time, there are certain theological points of view that seem evident to me, and I will tend to read a text from that point of view. Realizing that I do this, is also cautionary. It's important not to let our assumptions color the text, but to let the text inform our understanding. (This is one of the theological viewpoints that I hold, so in making the statement, I'm paradoxically contradicting the statement.) My "theology" isn't systematic in any sense, and within it I have some beliefs that are seemingly contradictory, but I hold in tension with one another. For example, I believe that both these statements are true: God's will is sovereign and He is all-knowing; humans make free will choices. Sometimes I may spend time thinking through the implications of these statements, especially in discussion or argumentation with others. But most of the time I'm content to let those statements stand on their own, confident that the Bible teaches both of these truths, and that I don't need to resolve them.

One of my theological viewpoints is that the Bible does not teach what I'll call a "health and wealth" gospel. Characteristics of this false gospel include: poverty is a sin; levels of faith are needed for levels of blessing (can't ask for a $10K item with a one dollar faith); we were healed not just spiritually, but physically on the cross and we just have to receive that healing by faith.

Because of that viewpoint, passages such as Matthew 17:20 are particularly important for me to understand. I don't want the pre-judging of my viewpoint to get in the way of really understanding what Jesus is saying. So, as I said at the outset, I've been doing a lot of thinking about this passage.

Let me add a third disclosure and then move onto some sort of understanding of what Jesus has to say about faith. I hold an opinion that as American Evangelicals our faith is influenced by this "health and wealth" gospel and also the culture of America which includes some myths and some realities from the American experience, perhaps best expressed by the term "the American Dream." In part, this is why I begin with the assumption that in my first reading of a passage, I'm really not getting it. I'm a part of that American experience.

It's this last opinion that has informed my thinking about Matthew 17:20 this time around. Going back to the context of the passage, it seems pretty clear that Jesus is talking to His disciples about accomplishing the tasks and mission He commissioned them to do. It has nothing to do with getting stuff, or even with miracles. It's about how they are to approach the mission they have been given. In faith. Think back to all the instructions Jesus gave these men in chapter 10: He gave them authority; they were to take nothing with them but to be dependent on God working through the hospitality of people; give freely as they were given to; remember they may be persecuted; be innocent but shrewd; spread the message quickly, lingering in the places where you are welcomed; heal, raise, cleanse, cast out; and most of all announce that the Kingdom has arrived. It's all about the advancement of the Kingdom message.

They've returned, and even after doing miraculous things during their mission, they seem to be unable to do it one more time. Maybe it's because they're trying to do it, not (as it says in Mark) relying on God to do it. Maybe it's because once they returned from their mission, they were unclear about whether they still had this authority. Maybe it's because when they encountered difficulty, instead of persisting like the Canaanite woman, they were overcome by doubt -- unbelief. Jesus says to them, 'it doesn't take much faith guys, and God will give you the ability to do what He asks you to do.' (My paraphrase.)

... 'to do what He asks you to do'. I like that. Our problem is that we want to turn that around and make it 'to do what we ask Him to do.' This is not to say we're not encouraged to ask God for His favor and mercy, for our daily bread. We are. But the lesson here is that if God calls us to something, He can do it, and we can put our confidence in this.

I used the google to see what others teach about this passage, curious to know whether or not this cultural influence is simply in my mind. The results were interesting, and the sampling is based on google ranking, not chosen for agreement to my opinion.

• A devotion from "Our Daily Bread" - concentrated on the object of our faith, not on faith itself. (hook says, "Nicely done, and nicely devotional.")
  
• Sermon - made the distinction between faith and unbelief; had this to say when applying the passage - "There are many mountains in life: problems, trials, difficulties, disabilities, disease, heart-aches, worries, money problems, fights and quarrels, and the like. (hook says, "I see this as evidence of that subtle coloring from our culture.")
• Antique Jewelers - "Celebrate your precious faith with this vintage mustard seed charm, circa 1960's, which features the bible verse from Matthew 17:20 engraved on the back and an encased mustard seed on the front." (hook says, "No comment.")
• Teaching - Take the first step of trusting, God will honor and faith will grow; we are able to release more of our life to God; He will do things humans consider impossible. (hook says, "I think these are truths, but this seems to combine other teachings with the one from this passage.")
• Teaching - "If your problems are stacked up like a mountain before you, with faith that mountain can be moved." (hook says, "Cultural influence.")

I removed the particulars of who said what above, and if something isn't quoted, then it's my summary of what they said. I need to add that I don't think that any of these teachings are completely wrong, or even unhelpful. But I thought it was interesting to read what Matthew Henry had to say in his commentary on this passage written sometime between 1705 and 1710.

"The faith here required, is that which had for its object that particular revelation by which Christ gave his disciples power to work miracles in his name, for the confirmation of the doctrine they preached. It was a faith in this revelation that they were defective in; either doubting the validity of their commission, or fearing that it expired with their first mission, and was not to continue when they were returning to their Master; or that it was some way or other forfeited or withdrawn."

Henry doesn't provide an application of this sort: 'what about me and my life?' in his extended commentary, although there is this application: we need to pray hard in our opposition to the power of Satan. I think this is a bit of an indication of the change in the church over the last 300 years, and the church in America in particular.

In re-reading this post, I realized that my conclusions about the passage are somewhat similar to Matthew Henry's. Cool... I'll take that as validation that I'm not totally off base.

Pivot points and hard truths. Matthew 16.

The pivot point of each of the first three gospels is Peter's confession of Jesus' identity - "you are the Messiah." From that moment on, Jesus changes the nature and content of His teaching to include what will happen to Him, and sets His face toward Jerusalem. "From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." (Matthew 16:21 NET)

That's a hard truth to comprehend, and Peter doesn't. Almost immediately after his confession that Jesus is Messiah, Peter demonstrates his total misunderstanding of what that means, by denying Jesus' authority when He describes what will take place. Peter is unable to put aside his own conception of what the Messiah is supposed to be, and listen to the guy who is Messiah. Couple that with his love of Jesus, and it makes sense that this was a hard truth that he wanted to deny. Who wouldn't?

Jesus then teaches another hard truth -- following Him means putting aside our own ambitions and picking up a cross to follow. To any person of the time, the cross means humiliation, shame, agony, and death. Jesus explains how this truth works by adding: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." At least that is somewhat promising.

Jesus' next words are a continued explanation of what He has been saying, but I want to treat them as a separate hard truth. "For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?"

While these words come from Jesus, the truth contained in them isn't particularly tied to being a Christian or following Him. They are a hard truth of life. We see this truth demonstrated every day in the broken lives of celebrity, in the bitter divorce of people who were committed to values outside their marriage, in the relentless pursuit of more toys, in the faces of drivers in the morning commute.

The recognition of the reality of this hard truth is a pivot point too. When the moment arrives in which a person has to look really hard at the sum of their life, they are most open to understanding the message of Messiah, to recognizing who Jesus really is. He understood this truth. He knew of the emptiness in a life lived for self only. He taught it. In the midst of any crisis, we need to remember this truth, too. Whether it's so we can share it with someone else, or be reminded that we have given our lives to the greatest cause, the greatest One.

Peace.

Fed. Matthew 15.

Imagine a three-day healing and teaching meeting in the hills by the sea. People gathering from the small villages in the area, excitedly seeking the Master, the healer, maybe even the Expected One. After three days 4,000 men are there, and it's likely that well over 10,000 people in all have gathered. Imagine the joy celebrated in the healings, the thinking and talking about the teachings they heard. Is it any wonder that, "they praised the God of Israel"? Imagine a group of people so hungry for God's blessing that they ignored their physical hunger for 3 days.

It's intriguing to think about the possibility that the 4,000, who were fed included Gentiles. According to Mark's account, it's likely that Jesus was in an area of mixed Jews and Gentiles. He was returning from an encounter with a Canaanite woman in the region of Tyre and Sidon, who was absolutely a Gentile. During that encounter, the woman demonstrates her faith, by asking only for the crumbs from the family table. That is, even though Jesus has come on a mission to the children of Israel who are the family, she, a Gentile, was willing to take whatever was left. Some interpret this exchange as Jesus' way of revealing and encouraging the faith of this woman, before performing the healing she asked for.

But it's possible that her entreaties changed something in Jesus' understanding of His mission, and that when the 4,000 show up, both Jews and Gentiles, His compassion is more quickly engaged. We can't know for sure, except that we always know He did the will of God. But one difference between the two feedings, is that in the case of the 5,000 it's the disciples who come to Jesus with the problem of feeding them, and in the case of the 4,000 it's Jesus who initiates the feeding out of compassion.

Something else we do know is that even if there are no Gentiles involved in the actual feeding of the 4,000, the sequence of incidents and where they take place as described in Matthew, hint of an enlarged mission that will ultimately reach the Gentiles, even if Jesus' part of delivering the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven was largely restricted to the children of Israel.

And so... we were fed.

Object lesson. Matthew 14.

This will be short, so you can read yesterday's post which was very late. Something that struck me this morning is how Herod is forced to do something he really doesn't want to do (kill John the Baptist) because of the oaths he made. Remember Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5 about oaths?

Eeek! Parables! Matthew 13.

For anyone teaching the life of Jesus, the parables are one of the expected moments of challenge. For some people parables are tricky. Maybe that's true for most people. While they may not understand what Jesus means in a particular parable, they do understand when Jesus says, "You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend." (Matt. 13:14 NET) I should probably change this from third person to first person -- there are parables that I find tricky to understand.

In thinking about why this is the case, I'm aware of several reasons we wrestle with parables. One reason is that we have been taught inconsistent or misleading definitions about what a parable is. A second reason we wrestle is that parables are closely tied to their context -- both the immediate context in which the parable is told, and the more general context of life in first century Palestine. That context is a long way off from us in space and time. A third reason we wrestle is that parables are intended to be wrestled with. When a parable is told to make a point, not to illustrate a point already made, the listeners have to extract the message from the story, and it may be concealed even as Jesus said.

We need to start with a clear understanding of what a parable is and is not. Here are two common definitions which I think are inadequate:

• A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
• A parable is a short, fictitious story that teaches a moral or religious principle.

One of the problems with those definitions is that in some cases what Jesus calls a parable isn't really a story. A second problem is that we may not be able to narrow down a parable to a single meaning or principle. (I say this, even though in the past I have taught to search for one meaning per parable.)

Let's build a definition of a parable. First there is the definition of the Greek word - parabole - which carries with it the idea of placing things beside one another for the purpose of "comparison". In our language, as well as Greek, the two most common forms of comparison are a simile and a metaphor. In a simile the comparison is explicitly stated while in a metaphor it is implied. By way of example, Shakespeare wrote this metaphor, "All the world's a stage." If he'd written it as a simile it would have been phrased this way, "The world is like a stage." We can string together or expand similes and this form is called a similitude. Stringing together metaphors creates an allegory. We're still just talking about various forms of comparison and their labels. Another term of comparison is analogy, which is probably the best understanding of the Greek use of parabole. As classical Greeks we would have said that a parable is usually an analogy used in an illustrative way.

This is a good starting point, but let's add the Hebrew understanding of parables, since Jesus was a Hebrew. The Old Testament equivalent is the Hebrew word mashal. This word is defined as "to represent" or "to be like" and is usually translated as proverb or parable, and also as riddle, story, and allegory.

We should add to our understanding of parables the idea that they are memorable. The description "good Samaritan" is still understood to this day to mean someone who helps out a stranger, even for people who don't realize that this story and concept comes from Jesus' teaching, let alone that being a Samaritan is not what makes someone good.

Finally, we need to look again at the idea of parables as illustration. Jesus explicitly said that sometimes when He spoke in parables it would have precisely the opposite effect. Therefore, not every parable is an illustration. As I noted earlier, I like to distinguish between a parable when it's told to illustrate something said earlier, and when the parable is told as the actual teaching, which may or may not be explained later. In the latter case, the parable may ultimately be illustrative, but it usually takes some work on the part of the listener to get it, or some further explanation from the speaker. For example, the parable of the sower told in Matthew 13:3-9, is not an illustration as it's told. After Jesus explains it to His disciples (and us), then we are able to see it as an illustration.

With all that in mind, let's take another stab at a fairly loose definition. A parable is a form of teaching that uses one of several forms of comparison to make the teaching memorable, rich, and incisive. These forms of comparison include: proverbs, similes, metaphors, and similitudes, as well as story parables and allegories.

The category of story parables is the one that we typically think of when considering Jesus' parables, and that's the form of the first couple of parables in Matthew 13. The distinction between a story parable and a story allegory is whether every element of the story should be interpreted symbolically or not. Some parables have allegorical elements in them, but there are only one or two parables of Jesus that are (possibly) complete allegories. If the distinction between parable and allegory is unclear, take a look at how Augustine interpreted the parable of The Good Samaritan. He treated the story as an allegory which meant every part of the story had some metaphoric meaning. Thus the man going down to Jericho was interpreted as Adam, the man's wounds were sins, two denarii meant knowledge of the Father and Son, and so forth. Treating the story as having allegorical elements instead of as an actual allegory, means that we recognize that Jesus was making a point by casting the priests and Levites as the bad guys, and the Samaritan as a good guy. These characters are representative or symbolic of the category of people they are, but not a symbol of some metaphoric meaning. (Augustine thought of them as representing, respectively, the Law, the Prophets, and Christ.)

My thinking about parables has changed somewhat over time. Some of the change is due to the fact that I'm not particularly adept or comfortable with this form of teaching, although I do like it quite a bit. Some of the change is due to a broader reading of other teachers about parables. Most of the change is due to the increased amount of experience I have reading and then discussing the parables. If parables are still tricky for you, then just keep at it, it'll get better.

I'll write more about parables in another chapter, but for now, let's take a look at what is a parable of the similitude form, in Matthew 13:31,32. In this extended simile, Jesus compares the kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed, which is small when planted, but huge as a grown plant. There's nothing particularly trick about this parable except to remember that the comparison isn't between the kingdom of Heaven and a mustard seed. The comparison is to the whole concept -- a small seed planted and growing into a very large, bushy bush. So it is, that the kingdom of Heaven (where Christ reigns) began humbly in Jesus' teaching over 3 years, and the training of the 12. Out of that a mighty realm would be established, which we see in the worldwide church, keeping in mind that the church is all those who are Christians.

Which parable did you like?

Week of Devotions (5). Matthew 12.

Latest post ever!

If you've followed along this week, you have seen all the steps for doing a devotional study of a passage from the Bible. The techniques that you've learned are useful for any kind of Bible study, because every study should lead to some reaction to what you've studied. They help you to answer the question, "so what?" I used the word reaction instead of application, after reading about this step in Dr. Ray Lubeck's book, Read the Bible for a Change. He makes this distinction from what we usually call the application stage of study, to make the point that application is so often expressed as things to do, or outward actions to take. By using response, we enlarge the scope of the "so what?" to include inward attitudes, not just outward actions. In today's reading, for example, Jesus quotes the Old Testament a second time in verse 7, "If you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent." He's talking about an inward attitude, that of desiring mercy, that leads to an outward behavior. Later in the chapter Jesus teaches precisely the linkage between inward attitude and outward behavior, "For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart."

With that in mind, let's review the steps in doing the study, and then look at a a simple format for recording everything during your devotional study. Later this weekend I'll post a PDF that you can print and use if you'd like. Here are the steps.

1. Prepare (find a time and pray)
2. Select (note initial ideas, themes, interesting verses, narrowing focus to a verse or two)
3. Meditate (record what surfaces in your deep thinking on the passage)
4. Respond (personal, practical, possible, provable)
5. Cement (write a prayer, memorize a verse)

(Note that I've changed step four from "apply" to "respond" to reflect the thoughts at the beginning of this post.)

Based on those steps, here's a format you can use to record what happens at each step. You can use the PDF form, or just section of a piece of paper. Across the top, put a date, and the full passage you're studying. Below the date, put a check box with a label that says Prepare, as a reminder to start your study in prayer. Here's how your page might look so far:

Date: April 20, 2007 Reading: Matthew 12:

1. Prepare [ ] (check after praying)

Next, we need a space for jotting down the thoughts we come up with during the selection step, including which verse(s) to concentrate on. Under the check box, then, add step 2, "Select", perhaps with some hints about what goes in this area (see step #2 above). Leave room to write, and then add step #3, "Meditate," again with room to write, and any hints to help you out in this step. Next you need space to write your response/application -- #4, "Respond" Finally, add #5, "Cement," where you can write a prayer and the verse(s) you want to memorize. And here, instead of writing just the reference to the verse, like Matt. 12:50, write out the verse: Matt. 12:50 - "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Well, this isn't complicated is it? Click on the picture on the left for a larger view of this really simple layout. The PDF file will have a few more hints and helps on it, but once you've done this kind of study a few times, you shouldn't need those helps.

Here's my study for Matthew 12.

Date: April 20, 2007. Passage: Matthew 12.

1. Prepare [ X ]
2. Select Verse: Matt. 12:46-50.
v.1-12 J. does "work" on the Sabbath - confronted by Pharisees. Another fulfillment in v. 15,16 - Is. 42:1+. J. accused of healing by power of Beelzebub. Not sure about v.33-37 - judgment by works? Big passage... come back again another time, but focus on family stuff at end. Big theme -- doing God's will?

3. Meditate
Sitting in the midst of the crowd I hear Jesus treat His family rather callously. And then He says that we can be His family. If we do the will of the Father. Was His family doing the will of the Father? Maybe not, and that's why Jesus did what He did. Shock value? Okay... I need to stay focused on Jesus' point, which He makes very clear by His actions. He wants those around Him, and me, to remember what He's saying. I can be, and am, His brother, when I do the will of the Father. I'm in the family, but do the will. As I write those words, I want to keep in mind that this isn't a conditional and temporary condition -- in a moment when I goof up, I'm not out of the family.

4. Respond
Today I want to remember that I have given my life to Jesus, as the most important step of the Father's will, and that I'm in the family. Throughout the day, I will stop for a moment, and remember who my big brother is, and see if what I'm doing right at that moment is the Father's will.

5. Cement
God, help me to remember I'm a part of your family, and as I interact with my human family today, to remember all my brothers and sisters, and aunts, and especially Jesus.

Memorize: Matthew 12:50 (NLT) "Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"

Week of Devotions (4). Matthew 11.

One of the distinctive characteristics of Matthew is that he places a heavy emphasis on Jesus' teaching. About 60% of the verses in this gospel contain the words of Jesus. Practically speaking this means we have an opportunity to really get to know Him. To do so however, we have to wrestle with the teachings of a first century Jewish rabbi. (The question about whether Jesus was an official rabbi or not is unimportant, because He certainly teaches like one.) Not just any rabbi, either, but the One who knew the Father perfectly, and taught with authority.

In Matthew then, any given chapter is likely to contain many lessons we can use as the basis of a devotional study. In picking one teaching, we may or may not capture the theme or essence of the chapter, because there are many teachings. That's okay to do, and you can always come back and mine the chapter for more nuggets. But it's a good idea to at least think about the big picture, to see if there's one overarching idea that ties everything together in the chapter.

This morning, the big picture remains pretty hazy for me, and one teaching jumped out above the many teachings in the chapter. Here's what Jesus said in v.11:28-31 -

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV)

There are two reasons these verses stood out for me. One is that the idea of a light burden appeals to me right now. The other is that what I read in this passage seems to contradict what we just read yesterday about picking up a cross and following. Does this mean it's a cross, but a light one? Well... crosses only meant one thing in Jesus' time, and that was very heavy. I've bumped into the rabbi again, and I know that I need to spend some time studying these two ideas -- the cross and the easy yoke.

Before doing so, let's look at the last step in doing a devotional study. Here's what we've covered so far: prepare, select, meditate, and apply. I'm going to call the last step "Cement". In this step, you develop a prayer that helps focus everything you've thought about and written down up to this point in your study. And then you pray it, seeking God's help in applying His truth to your life. Keep it short, and you can pray it as often as you need to while you're doing the application. For example, if you're working today on temper because of your reading in James 1, and have been doing so ever since we read it two weeks ago, then you may still be praying the same prayer today, and multiple times during the day.

There's something else you can do during this step, and that is to memorize a verse from the passage. Memorizing verses is a really good idea. Think about how often you could continue to meditate on what you read for your study if you can call the key verse to mind anywhere and any time. Using our previous example, think about what it would mean standing in a long line at the DMV, realizing that you're going to be stuck well beyond your allocated time, noticing that everyone in front of you doesn't seem to have the right papers, or doesn't understand what they're being asked, or has some complicated transaction to complete and all you want to do is pay your forty bucks and get new tags. In your mind, maybe even under your breath, you recite, "James 1:19 and 20 -- Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:19 and 20. God help me in the moments when I sense anger rising in me to calm down and to desire the same righteous life you desire."

There it is, cemented in place. A prayer and a memorized passage. You did the study, and now you're applying it in every day situations. God will use this to continue the process of life transformation that Paul talks about in Romans 12. The reason you might not memorize a verse or passage every time you do a devotional study is that you're still working on some other passage. You can continue to study devotionally every day, even while you're still concentrating on a previous teaching, and if that means you're still repeating an old memory verse from that study, no problem. Just make sure you're adding to the collection of verses or passages you have memorized.

This last step is simple to describe, but depending on your own abilities and how much recent practice you have, may seem difficult to actually do. It's pretty much a guarantee that if you can go stand in line at the DMV, you can memorize Scripture. Perhaps another time we can look at techniques to help, but you can start by cementing your devotional study by writing down a short prayer to pray, and the text of the verse(s) you want to memorize.

I'm going to wrestle with my passage for the day for a while, and will add to this post later today. But I'll post what I've written so far so that you have this final step of a devotional study in place. Enjoy Matthew 11.
========== UPDATE ==========
Here's a two-minute devotional. I don't care at the moment about the seeming differences between taking up a cross and taking up Jesus' yoke. What counts is that He has promised a light burden, and that's what I desire today. While it appears that this light burden may simply be relief from the constraints of the Law and the extra bits added on by the religious leaders, I'll take that. The rules, at least are simple to understand, if not follow, and since I'll be yoked to Jesus, I'll ask Him to help when it gets tough.

Prayer: Help me to stay yoked to you Jesus, and to be gentle and humble in my heart.

Memorize: Matt. 11:29,30 (NLTse) - "Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."

Week of Devotions (3). Matthew 10.

There are two ideas that I didn't emphasize yesterday about meditating on your chosen devotional verse(s). I'm going to rework that post so they're there, but let me begin by stating them here.

• You don't need to use all the different techniques described to help you meditate. Just one will usually suffice, and it should be the one that helps you the most. There are two ways a given technique can help. One way is that it fits your way of thinking. For example, if you're an experiential thinker then visualizing yourself in the scene may work well for you. The second way is that the technique is appropriate for the passage you're reading. For example, if you're in the middle of the letter to the Romans and engaging Paul's logic, the previous visualization technique won't work as well as one of the others.
• The second point about meditation is that the techniques provided are really there to get you started. Remember that meditation is about deep thinking on the truths contained in a particular passage of the text. If you have some other way of going about that, then use it.

The next step in developing a devotional study is to write out an application of your insights. Up to this point you may have been just jotting down information. In this step, you do need to organize your thinking in such a way that you have something very concrete to apply.

Typically, if you asked the nine questions, like "is there a command to follow," in the previous step, then your application is contained the answers you jotted down. If you didn't ask the questions, and you haven't developed a concrete application for the Scripture, then now would be a good time to go back and ask those questions of the passage.

In today's reading of Matthew 10, there are lots of sections we could concentrate on to develop a sound devotional study. There is the really hard truth in v.10:38, where Jesus says that to be worthy of Him, we must take up our cross and follow. There is the hard truth just ahead of that in v.10:34-37, where Jesus says that He came to bring not peace, but a sword. It will be expressed even in hatred between family members. But I want to focus on these few words from v.10:25 -- "It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master." In context, Jesus is providing advice to His disciples about what to expect as they go out on their own, under His authority. It includes this idea of not expecting they'll be treated any better than their teacher.

But in meditating on this sentence, I see a powerful challenge to meet, stated so simply. It's enough to become the like the teacher. Enough? Absolutely. But is it achievable? Apparently Jesus wants us to do so. After further reflection, I've reached the stage where I'm ready to write down a practical way to apply this. Before doing so, let me just say that this verse is so rich that I could meditate on it for a lifetime. But we're going to look at just a small piece of the impact this verse has on me. Here are four facets of practical application that Rick Warren talks about in Dynamic Bible Study.

1. Your application should be personal. Write it in first person singular.
2. Your application should be practical. Plan what you're going to do, create a project, make the application as specific as possible.
3. Your application should be possible. It has to be something you can accomplish.
4. Your application should be provable. Take some measurements, add a time line, so you know you've accomplished it.

Let's apply these facets to the idea of becoming like the teacher. To do that, I need to think more about the teacher. What does the teacher look like? Where don't I look like Him? It could be that my first step is simply to know more about Jesus than I currently do. Not all application is "action" per se. It may be knowledge, it may be attitude, it may be practice. In the New Faith Ministry at BCC we call this "know, do, be", a self-fueling cycle of growth. But if my choice is to learn more about Jesus, then I need to make this a concrete plan. One way to do that would be to write 10 traits of Jesus that I do know, and then commit to read the gospels over the next 3 months and discover 5 more traits. That would be a personal, practical, possible, provable plan.

In a devotional study, we may be looking for something to work on just for the day or the week. This is how most "daily" devotionals work, which is why they're called daily devotionals. They give you something to focus on for that day. The hope is that they will build on one another, transforming you over time. Since Biblical truths are repeated throughout Scripture, and we need to apply them in different ways at different times in our lives this approach should work over time. But in the case described above, once you've built out your big project, you need to focus on it. And you can do so, by applying this devotional technique we've been learning about to your reading of the gospels. You may wind up with smaller applications within your larger goal.

And so it goes. This is how life works, isn't it? Certainly our faith life. We are here to know, love, and serve the Lord. That's a life project. Within it, there will be days when just managing to focus on joy for the day, for example, will be task enough. The advantage of building your own devotional study is that it's unique to you, not imposed from the outside. With that in mind, let's finish today.

"It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master." For Jim, for today, I need to act confidently that God cares more for me than the sparrows. Here we go.

1. Personal: I need to act confidently...
2. Practical: I need to act confidently by shifting my focus from how am I going to earn money, to how is God going to provide for our family.
3. Possible: When faced with anxiety, I'll turn my attention to this reminder to "become like the teacher."
4. Provable: For the rest of this week, every time I'm anxious over material issues, I'll act confidently like the master, by remembering His confidence in God's provision, instead of worrying. I'll keep a count for the day of when this happens.

Your own response to this could be radically different, which is the point, isn't it? Tomorrow, we'll add one more step, and then on Friday, I'll give you format you can use to organize your study. God willing.

Week of Devotions (2). Matthew 9.

You're ready for the next step in writing your own devotion. Just to review, I'm going to summarize the first four practices into two steps.

1. Prepare
   a. Set aside time
   b. Pray
2. Select
   a. Read the big passage (noting where you might want to study)
   b. Think and write (context, themes, reason for interest, initial impressions)

The next step I'm going to call meditation. Are you ready to fold your legs up into a knot, and sit silently, trying to empty your mind? Me neither. Biblical meditation is an active process, not passive. It's more of a filling of the mind, instead of an emptying. Donald Whitney defines meditation as "deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer." In Joshua 1:8, we read this guideline from God for Joshua as he assumes responsibility for the children of Israel: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8 NIV). This is not only a great verse on meditation, but a great verse to meditate on.

Here are three quick thoughts on what God says to Joshua:

• Be reciting God's Word, memorizing it, repeating it.
• Be thinking or meditating on God's Word. (This is intimately tied to the first thought, in that the Hebrew word translated as meditate, is more like mumble under your breath.)
• Obey God's Word.

In other words, the process of keeping what you read in the Book of the Law on your mind and on your lips, is intended to lead to obedience -- careful obedience because you do know the Word.

So, how do you do this? Here are some tips that may help. As always, write down what surfaces to the top in this process. My devotional study from Matthew 9 is from verses 9-13, which is the calling of Matthew.

1. Put yourself in the scene. How would I feel if I was Matthew? Or one of the outsiders? Or one of those invited to the banquet after Matthew heeds Jesus' call? What might that banquet have looked like? How would Matthew's relationship to the world change? What did Peter, John, and the others think about adding a tax collector to the group?
   
2. Repeat the verse(s), emphasizing different words. In this passage, the particular verse I'm concentrating on is verse 9, and the second sentence, which reads: "'Follow me,' he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him." Here are a instances of changing the emphasis. Notice how the meaning shifts subtly with the change in emphasis.
   "'Follow me,' he told him ...
   "'Follow me,' he told him ...
   "'Follow me,' he told him ...
   "'Follow me,' he told him ...
   
3. Rewrite the passage in your own words.
4. Pray through the text. This is very straightforward to do, and involves taking the text and personalizing it. Two ways to personalize it are to name names (especially yours), and to apply it to your life. For verse 9, I might pray, "Jesus you called Matthew to follow you, and he did, right then. You called me, Jim, too, and I have. But not always, and not always well. Help me today to clearly hear your voice in every situation I'm in today. Let the call to follow you sound loudly and distinctly, and help me to know how to best follow you, and then to do it. As Matthew did, let me get up and follow."
5. Look for applications of the text. This is the goal of any Bible study, but especially a devotional study. Be sure to write one or two of these down, because this will lead to the next step, which we'll cover tomorrow. Here are nine questions from Howard Hendricks that you can ask and then answer from the text that help in finding ways to apply the passage to your life. In a short, devotional study like this, you can quit after finding a couple of applications, unless you're inspired to spend more time as result of your reading.
1. Is there an example to follow?
2. Is there a sin to avoid?
3. Is there a promise to claim?
4. Is there a prayer to repeat?
5. Is there a command to obey?
6. Is there a condition to meet?
7. Is there a verse to memorize?
8. Is there an error to mark?
9. Is there a challenge to face?
   

At the end of my passage for the day, Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus finishes His teaching about what it means to be His disciple, that is to follow Him. For my meditation time, I could easily write down this command to follow: "go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'" And then I might note that verse 13 would be a good one to memorize.

Collecting my thoughts thus far, and polishing them a little bit, I write this.

Among other ideas, Matthew 9 is about the kind of faith that Jesus taught we should have, and the consequences of that faith. God wants us to have a trusting faith, remembering that He's in control, and can take care of anything, including disease and death. Jesus is the embodiment and perfect example of that faith, which expresses itself in love and mercy. The new way to demonstrate our faith in God, is to follow Jesus, like Matthew did. He desires an immediate and unqualified response, which affects the way we live and the way we think about life. The old way included rules to follow. The new way is to follow Him.

More tomorrow.

Week of Devotions (1). Matthew 8.

The links to the right of this post take you to the Bible Gateway so you can view each day's reading online. If you look at that website, you may notice that it's a part of Gospel Communications, and on the About Bible Gateway page, there's a short history of the Bible Gateway and links to the parent organization's website, Gospelcom.net. The site has grown into a feature-rich resource for those who want to use the internet to spread the gospel.

While normally I don't spend time on the parent site, this morning I wanted to see what resources they had that might apply to an idea I had for this week's blog entries on devotional study. Much to my surprise, I discovered that they have a page of links to 30 online devotionals. Thirty! Talk about information overload. The featured devotional for the day was Our Daily Bread. Many of you may receive this devotional each month in its familiar CD-sized booklet. I read the Bible passage and devotional thought for the day this morning, and without spending a lot of time on it, it took about 3 minutes. Then I did the math. 30 devotionals at 3 minutes each is an hour and a half. Now, 90 minutes with the Lord would be time well spent. But that time would be better spent in a more cohesive manner, not pursuing 30 different ideas for the day.
Plus, you should be reading this blog, which is sometimes devotional, so that makes 31 thoughts for the day.

The idea behind devotionals is a noble one. Reading or listening to the thoughts of someone who has spent time on a particular Bible passage, and written with eloquence, thoughtfulness, and inspiration is a way to put God's Word to use in our life every day. My hope is that on some days what you read here will encourage you, give you hope for the day, or provoke thoughtful reflection on the passage we're reading together. This week, I want to concentrate on the best devotional ever written. It's the one that you'll write each day. Let's get started.

We're going to take this in very small chunks. The first thing you need is some time. We're now more than three months into our read through, and so you've probably found a small block of time in your day, which is a really cool thing to have done, especially if it's new to you. If you're just at the five minute mark, you'll probably need a second block of five minutes to do this. If you're reading some other devotional, then put a hold on it for this week. Also, since a part of this time is spent "meditating", that's something you can do at idle moments, like waiting in line at the bank. (Does anyone do that any more, or is it the drive through ATM?)

The first step, which should be a part of your reading already, is to spend some time in prayer. I like to keep it really simple. My prayer might be no more than 30 seconds before starting my reading, just enough time to slow down. The heart of that prayer might be something like this, "Lord, take away all distractions, and be here illuminating my time in your Word today." Then do the reading. Have some paper and pen or pencil handy, or computer if you're able to use it for these kinds of tasks. (Some days I can use the computer, other days I need to just do some chicken scratches in a notebook because the computer tends to make the writing too formal at this stage.)

As you read, if you come across any parts of the passage that really interest you, make a note of the verse(s). Try to get through the chapter in one coherent read, without worrying about any rabbit trails, unpronounceable words, difficulties, or other distractions, until you've finished reading the entire chapter.

Done? Take a deep breath. Now you need to think about what you read, and make a few additional notes. What's the big picture or main thought from the chapter? How does it relate to what you've read over the last few days? If there's not one primary thought, then what was interesting that you noted earlier? Once you've jotted down a few impressions from the passage, you're ready for the next step, which we'll talk about tomorrow.

Here's the beginning of my devotional thought for the day from Matthew 8. I'll develop it a little further than what we've talked about so far in this post. The story of the centurion in verses 5-13 really stood out for me today. The centurion's understanding of authority, and the way in which Jesus' commends his faith and contrasts it with the faith of many in Israel were even bigger to me than Jesus' calming the storm. The previous chapter ended with the people's reaction to Jesus' teaching: "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." (Matt. 7:28-29 NIV)

Jesus not only taught with authority, but in Matthew 8, we learn that His authority extended over disease and sickness, over the forces of nature, and over the spiritual forces of evil. Recognition of His authority is a key component of faith. As I go through the day, are there areas of my life where I'm more like the guys in the boat in the storm, than I am like the centurion who knows what authority is really about? I want to see those areas clearly today, write them down, and ask for help in rooting them out of my understanding of the way things work. I want to be reminded of the centurion's words: "just say the word and ..."

Reviewing what we covered today:

• Set aside a block of time
• Pray
• Read (jotting down significant verses only)
• Think and write (big picture, initial impressions)
  

Keep on truckin'. Matthew 7.

I don't know if you've noticed it or not, but some days the posts on this blog are personal reflections on the reading for the day. At other times I spend more time providing information that I hope is useful in understanding what we're reading. Hopefully, even in those circumstances, you leave with a devotional thought or two, or with a challenge to think devotionally on your own.

This morning I want to do the latter, exploring the meaning of Matthew 7:7-11, especially verse 7, to make sure there's no misunderstanding about what Jesus meant. I say that because I've heard some bad theology (in my opinion) attached to these verses. That said, if your understanding of these verses is different then what you're about to read, I encourage you to respond in the comments so we can talk about it together. Here's the passage, this time from the New Living Translation, which I'm using because I think it better reflects the Greek use of tenses for the verbs: ask, seek, knock.

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

"You parents -- if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." (Matthew 7:7-11 NLTse)

Let's talk about the verbs first. Notice that the translators for the NLT chose to translate them into a continuous action, not a one time deal. They did this because it better reflects the present tense in the Greek. The NASB mentions this usage as a note to the text, as does the .NET translation we've been quoting most of the time. So one of the first things we can say about this passage is that Jesus' teaching on prayer is that we should keep at it. Keep on truckin', so to speak.

That's not such a big deal, so where is the bad theology? It's in our understanding of what Jesus meant when He said we will receive, find and have opened to us. Without some thought, our understanding might be, "we get everything." Most of us immediately put a halt to that way of thinking, saying, "well, there are some things that it's unreasonable to ask for, but if we really need something then He'll provide it." And that's true, but tricky. Because the question is, who decides if we really need it0? And even those who have the right answer to that question, God does, may mix that up with other principles about God treated as absolutes. For example, God wants the best for us, and He created us to be healthy.

In real life, you may be dealing with a painful situation and along comes a Christian brother or sister who says, "You can be free of this situation, you can be healed of your physical problems, just claim Matthew 7:7. Because it says, keep on asking and you'll receive." And you do ask, but you don't receive. Must be something wrong with your faith. No, it's something wrong in the theology.

Let's begin by looking at what Jesus said from a logical point of view. If what He said was ask for anything and you'll receive it, seek any outcome, and it shall be so, open any doors and they will be, then that means you could, for example, ask that an enemy be trounced, or that you could walk through the doors of Las Vegas and be a winner at the pull of a handle. Or something even more evil. Logically, we recognize that God won't grant things that are against His nature. So we understand that what we seek needs to be in keeping with God's will and ways. In other words, we understand just through a moment's reflection that what Jesus was saying was not a universal promise that we get everything we ask for, since some of what we ask for will go against God. This logical consequence is borne out in Jesus earlier teaching on prayer in Matthew 5. There He says that before we begin asking for what we need, our daily bread, we need to align ourselves with God's will, asking that the Father's kingdom come, His will be done.

Most of us also have some experiential understanding that there are limitations in how God answers our prayers. Have you ever really wanted a certain circumstance to occur, was sure God did too, prayed fervently for it, only to have something else happen? You knocked asking for an open door, but it was slammed in your face? And if not you, then someone you know? But looking back from your present perspective you realize that God closed that door for very good reasons, and in essence, He gave you a loaf of bread when you were asking for a stone. Give Him thanks for answering your request the way it needed to be answered.

What then was Jesus saying about prayer in this passage? Two things for sure. The first we already mentioned. God wants us to keep at it in prayer. Effective prayer is ongoing. God uses time and waiting to grow us. That's our side of prayer. The other thing Jesus teaches is that God is not arbitrary, capricious, unfaithful, mean-spirited, or absent. We can have confidence that our prayers will be answered by a loving Father. We have an idea of what that is like by looking at how parents handle the requests of children, but God will do it perfectly. He may say "no," He may say "yes," He may say, "here's what you really need," and He may say, "be patient, but keep on asking from time to time," but He is there and He will answer. Cool. I'll just keep on truckin'.

I'm going to add a third thought, which might provide some guidance in determining what best to ask for, seek after, and knock on. First, though, remember that you can ask for anything. Anything. This isn't in opposition to what we've just discovered in Jesus' teaching -- we can ask. The teaching is that there are limits on the getting, not the asking. If you're in doubt about whether God wants to hear something on your mind, why wouldn't you let God answer you? I say that because sometimes in our desire to be in God's will, we might hesitate to ask for certain outcomes in our life, or to express doubts and concerns to Him. Just do it. He knows them already as Jesus also taught in chapter 5.

With that caveat in mind, let me add this to the mix. Our prayer life does change as we grow and mature in Christ. We do begin to understand that some requests are more in line with God's will. Better said, that as we grow, our will tends to align itself more closely to God's will, which changes what we really want from God. Jesus said it this way, "seek first the things of God's kingdom..." My suggestion then, is that we look at the context of this particular teaching of Jesus on prayer -- all three chapters which contain this extended instruction to His disciples. What are the characteristics of kingdom dwellers? Humility, mercy, peacemaking, people who are salt and light, who live in accordance to the deeper intent of the law, who extend their love to their enemies, who put their faith into action, who don't seek human approval for their interaction with God, who put their trust in the Father, who love God, not money, who look at their own faults ahead of judging others, who know the narrow way into God's kingdom, and who desire to be like the rabbi, Jesus, His true disciples. And much, much more. These are the traits, characteristics, understandings, and actions that we can be assured we will receive if we ask, find if we seek, and have opened to us when we knock.

Keep on praying.

Drinking from a fire hose. Matthew 6.

Matthew 6 is the middle chapter of what we usually call the Sermon on the Mount. Sermon is how we label it, but a teaching or instruction is more accurate. There was a large crowd (v.5:1), so Jesus chose a natural amphitheater-like location, up a hillside, to teach them. This morning, as I was reading this chapter, I wondered what it would be like to be there, and how I might respond to this "sermon". The first thought that came to mind was, "how many pages of sermon notes would I need?" My second thought was that, "there are so many teachings from Jesus, how many PowerPoint slides would He need to make all those points?" And maybe we could have a song or two before He began, just to get us ready to receive God's Word.

We really do have a lot of "stuff" wrapped into our worship services, don't we? If you remember from the beginning of Acts, the content of our worship service is modeled after the early church -- teaching, communion, fellowship, and prayer as described in Acts 2:42, adding praise in v.2:47. And for the culture of our day, using PowerPoint and taking notes makes sense.

Personally, I take more notes on Sundays then I ever did in school. Which is what started me thinking about listening to the rabbi teach on that hillside, in the first place. How could one take in all that Jesus teaches in these three chapters? I have a book on my shelf by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, that is a collection of 30 sermons he delivered from Matthew 5, and 30 sermons he delivered from Matthew 6 and 7. More than a year's worth of sermons from this one time of teaching by Jesus!

It's likely that Jesus repeated these teachings many times to make sure His disciples understood what He was saying. I can imagine Jesus telling about kingdom living in different ways, with different examples, mixing and changing how He taught based on the audience and the circumstances. John said at the end of his gospel, "There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (John 21:25)

For each one of us reading through the New Testament a chapter a day, taking in this "sermon" of Jesus contained in these three chapters, is a lot like drinking from a fire hose. This phrase was originally used to describe what an education at M.I.T. is like and for a long time was the darling of techno-geeks. But it's such a perfect picture for any situation that leads to information overload, that it's commonplace now. So much information to process, so many life-forming thoughts, what to pay attention to? I hope you are able to settle on one or two teachings from chapter 6, and really absorb their meaning and impact into your life.

For me, I stuck a straw into the rush of water, and drew this small bit of teaching from Jesus. It's really self-explanatory in the reading, a lot tougher in the living out, so without further comment:

So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34 NET)

Today's reading is one from which it's easy to grab an idea to think about for a while. Pick one of the "blessed are" verses (5:3-11) and take it apart and put it back together. Or consider what it means to be salt and light to the world. Or take a look at how Jesus extends the meaning and understanding of the commandments by getting to the heart of them -- helping us understand that intent is as important as action. Here's what I want to look at.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48 NET)

This is one of Jesus' teachings about intention. He extends the idea of how we're supposed to act beyond the neighborhood, into enemy territory. Act in a loving manner toward everyone, even the enemy. Be like the Father. Be perfect like the Father. Be perfect like the Father? Huh? As I read those words, I want to answer back, "Jesus, you ask too much of me." If you've seen the Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, then imagine me saying that in a whiny voice like Luke Skywalker's answer to Yoda, when he's unable to lift his X-wing fighter out of the swamp on Degobah. "You ask the impossible."

In fact, this whole chapter is about how much Jesus expects of us. And verse 48 is the summary of what He has said in verses 21-47. We need to keep that in mind. It's the summary. You've heard it said... but I say... In other words, it's not that we will be perfect, but that in our carrying out of what God asks of us, we will do it the way He does. So, just as God causes the rain to fall on all, be loving to all. God has set the example, we are to do our best to follow it. Don't have murderous thoughts and adulterous hearts. Don't look for retaliation, but be forgiving instead. Be a person of integrity, whose word is trustworthy. These are all characteristics of God, be like Him. Don't try to conform to a lesser standard, but conform to God's standard.

It is a high expectation isn't it? Fortunately we have God's help in fulfilling it. It's also helpful to realize that the word translated as "perfect" is from a Greek word that carries with it the idea of end-point, or maturity, or outcome and fulfillment. (See the Word of the Day.) In other words, there's the idea of process in Jesus' statement, a goal to aim for. If we can keep this endpoint in mind, if we remember what Jesus did for His enemies, we have a chance of living as Jesus is describing in this chapter. No doubt we need His help. But look at the blessings awaiting us described at the beginning of the chapter.

A wilderness experience. Matthew 4.

Sometimes Christians are a funny group of people. Take our language. Suppose I were to use the words of the title of this post, "a wilderness experience," like this. "You are about to undergo a wilderness experience." What is your immediate reaction about what's coming next? Positive or negative? Are you getting your backpack out of storage, dusting off the tent, and waxing your hiking boots? Or are you girding your loins with power verses from the Psalms, making a list of prayer partners to call on, and maybe even going back and reading about Jesus' temptations in the wilderness? Last year I did a google search on the phrase "wilderness experience", and the first hits included places like "Ruggedy Range"and "Yukon Mountain Retreat." But as Christians, when we hear those words, we're inclined to expect a time of testing. Like this one:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:1-4 NET)

No sooner did the Spirit of God descend on Jesus at His baptism, then that same Spirit led Him into the desert to be tested. If you've never noticed that before, it's a stunning idea -- the Spirit led Jesus to the testing. In fact, even if you have noticed it before, it's still one of those thoughts that can stop you cold.

Reading on, the word famished really jumps off the page. Jesus is really, really hungry. It's only at that point that the tempter shows up. To me that means that the temptation, whatever it is exactly, is a very real as it relates to hunger. Jesus was so hungry He could turn stones into bread.

What I typically see next is what I'll call "The Big Lesson for Facing Temptation". It's the lesson I've heard preached a lot. Probably you too. It's the lesson I've even taught. Jesus foils the tempter using Scripture, so it's important that we know the Bible. (Hear those last three words in an ominous voice-over -- know the Bible.) Well, okay, that's true, but really, what if I don't have a perfect Scripture handy? Am I going down to defeat? And why did that particular verse foil Satan? And what was the actual temptation Jesus was facing?

For years, the power of the big lesson overwhelmed those questions. I didn't even think to ask them, let alone answer them. This was the message I heard (not necessarily the one spoken): Jesus was tempted; even though He was tempted, He didn't give in; His knowledge of God's Word rescued Him from the temptation. And we can overcome temptation too, by knowing what God wants us to know, to be, and to do, which means we need to "be in the Word". (That's another one of those funny language things.)

And all of the big lesson is absolutely true. But what was the temptation for Jesus? He was the Son of God, right? Was the temptation that even though He could do it and could really use the bread, that He shouldn't do it because the devil suggested it to Him? That sounds right, but somehow incomplete. If it is incomplete, how would you fully answer the question of the exact temptation Jesus faced? And what the significance of His answer was? And what about the other two temptations? Same questions.

What do you think? No, really, I'm asking, what do you think? Instead of my answers I want yours, so add your comments to this post.

Wild man of the desert. Matthew 3.

I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this post, but let's go together. This weekend I happened to see this book at my oldest daughter's house. The book is patterned after the "Where's Waldo?" books, and is big enough that all the details in this picture are clearly identifiable. (Click on the pic for more information about the book.) Right under the purple banner, "Introducing Your Child to the Gospel," you might be able to see a wooden cart. You can't see the details in this picture, but the cart has a canopy, so that it looks like a vending cart. It's full of bags of locusts and jars of honey, and has the words, "Wild honey", and "Fresh Roasted Locusts" painted on the side. There's desert in the background, and you can see John from behind with his long, wild hair, and brown, camel's hair cloak.

Who was this wild man of the desert, washing Jews, and insulting the religious leaders of the day? Why were so many there to see him? Matthew says people from "all Judea and all the region around the Jordan" went out to see him. The answer that both Matthew and Mark give to the question of who he was, is found in the book of Isaiah, "The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

So there John was, shouting in the wilderness, and preparing the way for Jesus by letting the people know that just being Jewish, children of Abraham, wasn't sufficient as far as God was concerned. After all, God could make children out of rocks if He wanted to. But God doesn't want rocks for His children. So John said, straighten up, turn away from your current path, repent. Get dipped to show your changed heart. (Just to make it clear, in John and Jesus' day, we're pretty sure baptism was practiced, but as a symbolic washing for those who wanted to become Jews, not the Jews themselves, so what John was doing was huge.)

I have this sense that the people of Jerusalem and Judea were looking for the "next big thing." Under oppression, aware that God promised deliverance some day, they may have flocked to anyone who had a certain charisma or powerful message. We have records of a few of these individuals and movements, which were often revolutionary and violent, each of which died out when the leader died. Was John just the next big thing? Was Jesus?

In considering Matthew 3, what strikes me as unique about John, is that he didn't say follow me. He said, get ready for what's to come. Rather, for who's to come. In essence, he was saying, "I'm not the next big thing, but the next big thing is coming." And it happened. With a big surprise even for John, Jesus came to him to be baptized, to fulfill righteousness. And the movement didn't die out when John was killed, because he had already passed on God's mantle to Jesus. And that movement didn't die out with Jesus' death, as we were able to attest to in our celebration yesterday.

As a society, though, and as individuals, often even as Christian individuals, we still seem to want to pursue the next big thing. Who will be the next American idol? What show will be the next American Idol? Pick from this list: O.J., Jon Benet, Anna Nicole. Or this list: Dr. Atkins, the Zone, L.A., Weight Watchers. Or this one: IM, Tivo, MySpace, blogs. (Oops, better stop now.) In Christian circles, we might have this list: church growth, purpose driven, prayer of Jabez, emergent, Velvet Elvis, Dominionism, house church, Lucado, Warren, LaHaye and Jenkins, Blackaby, Wilkinson, etc.

Recognizing this tendency to look for the next big thing, what can we take away from the picture presented in Matthew 3? Can you find the wild man of the desert in the picture painted by Matthew? What did he say? Can you find Jesus? In the picture above, He's the One in the rays of sunlight, so the kids can't miss Him. In Matthew's picture, He's the one Who when baptized, was blessed by God. What next big thing could we possibly be looking for? Listen to the wild man, and look at Who he pointed to. There's no need to keep looking for something else. The only big thing after His coming will be His coming again.

Destiny. Matthew 2.

My quiet time this morning was interrupted by one of the loudest train whistles I can remember. Oh yeah, the window's open. Looking out, the tree next to our house is bursting with color. It's spring. It's almost Easter. And there I was, reading the Christmas story. You too, sometime today.

Life is seasonal. While civilization tends to divorce us from the rhythms and cycles of the earth, we are creatures of God, made for this planet, and we respond to those cycles. Our language is filled with imagery of spring as new life, rebirth. It's how the bunny and the egg get mixed up in the Easter celebration.

But today, our reading is about the birth of Jesus, a different season entirely. There's no reason for that to be the case. Today is as good a day as any to read about Jesus' birth and the visit of the Magi, the flight to Egypt, and the return to Nazareth. In fact, it's a better day than most. We don't have to worry about the rush of the season, when we have to work extra hard to even stay focused on Jesus. We don't have to put aside all the trappings that come at Christmas, which have nothing to do with the Christ child. There are no Santas around right now. (You may have to ignore the giant bunny in front of the car dealer when you drive by.) You have extra time to think about the atmosphere and circumstance of Jesus' birth. In a desert place, where palm and fig and date trees are the norm. Can you come before the Christ child this morning, bowing down in your heart, as those astrologers did when they entered His presence? Are you prepared to offer Him your most valued gifts today?

This is a great day to read about Jesus' entry into this world, because His destiny was always to reach today -- to be tried, beaten, scorned, condemned, and crucified. It was His inevitable and necessary fate, from the moment Eve and Adam succumbed to temptation, His reason for being born. Today is the day we remember Jesus' crucifixion. His destiny. We also need to remember that it was our destiny -- death and separation -- and that He chose it as His destiny, for our sake.

I hope you are each able to spend some part of the day in reflection and remembrance. And you are always encouraged to share you thoughts in the comments.

Lineage. Matthew 1.

Did you read them all? Did you force yourself to try and pronounce every one of that long list of names? Or did your eyes glaze over, and your brain decide to just skim that part? Jeconiah, Shealtiel, and Zerubbabel... I'd better stop so you don't skim this post. Good for you if you slowed down, and tried to read each name. Understandable if you didn't. I've certainly done both.

This list of names at the very start of the gospel of Matthew tells us quite a bit about Jesus. It also tells us something about Matthew, and what his intentions are in writing this gospel. Here are a few random facts from the list. Jesus, like all other Hebrews, is descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. No mention is made of Esau, Jacob's brother, and yet two lines later, two sons of Judah, Perez and Zerah, and their mother Tamar are all mentioned. (And if you're curious, you can read about them in Genesis 38.) There are several women mentioned. Even if you don't know the stories of all these people, right in the list is one reminder that their lives were not all squeaky clean. ("David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife...") The middle section, David to Jeconiah, were all kings. This is the lineage of Joseph, descended from David, which is the reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem (which we don't learn about in this gospel, but in Luke).

The second half of the book is also about Jesus' lineage. Direct descendant of God the Father, conceived in a miraculous way through the power of the Holy Spirit. It's the more royal lineage, to put it in terms like the writer of Hebrews. The lineage that counts.

In starting his gospel with Jesus' lineage, Matthew lets us know that his perspective is that of the Jewish people who will hear Jesus' story. The pattern is similar to the book of Genesis. Lineage matters. It also establishes Jesus' Jewish credentials as a descendant of David. It authenticates one part of the story of Messiah.

More of the authentication will come from fulfilled prophecy. And we see that in this very first chapter of Matthew, too. In verses 22 and 23, Matthew writes: This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”

Lineage counted for the Jewish readers and it counts for us today. We too can count Abraham as our ancestor, and heirs to the promises given to him. Remember how Paul put it in his letter to the Galatians?

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise. (Gal. 3:26-29 NET)

Even more important than being children of Abraham, we are children of God because of our faith in Jesus.

Prayer: a younger perspective. James 5.

Today we finish the book of James. Pointed, pithy, practical. Frank discussion of some practical considerations concerning the ethic of Christ. I was struck by three similarities between what James had to say, and what is contained in the letters to the Hebrews and Galatians. I'm going to add them as a comment to this post, because I have a special treat for you.

I asked two members of our class, James and Ellen, to comment on James' words about prayer recorded in James 5:16-18.

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." (James 5:16-18 NIV)

Here's what our classmate James has to say about what Jesus' brother James wrote:

"Prayer is talking to God one on one. You know that he can hear you because you are praying to him which makes you feel better because you know he is listening. God can do anything. This shows one of the amazing things God did when someone prayed to him."

I want you to stop for a minute and consider both sets of words -- from James and from James. Good stuff, huh? Now I'm going to add some more good stuff to this by adding Ellen's comments on this passage:

"‘Elijah was a man just like us.’ He wasn’t so much different from us, and yet he prayed and it didn’t rain for three and a half years! God can do so much more when we pray than we realize. In The Message version, verse 16 says, “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.” Elijah was living right with God, and God blessed his prayers. This encourages us as Christians that if we are living as God calls us to, we will experience powerfully answered prayer."

Okay, stop again, and consider what Ellen has added to our thoughts about prayer. This is exactly the kind of interaction we should have with God's Word as we read through it. I'm confident that you are all doing that, but I thought you would be encouraged by these thoughts from these younger members of our class.

I sure am.

God willing. James 4.

In 1530 the emperor Charles V attempted put the lid back on the reformation process that began in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses against the practice of indulgences on the Catholic Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Charles called a meeting, or Diet, in Augsburg, hoping the leaders of the Lutheran revolt would issue a statement clarifying their beliefs, possibly resolving the controversy, so that a political unification of the German princes would help in the defense of his territories. It didn't work, and the result of the meeting was "The Augsburg Confession", which cemented the split between the Catholic and Protestant churches. To this day it is the primary confessional document of the Lutheran faith.

The last sentence of the document reads, "If there is anything that any one might desire in this Confession, we are ready, God willing, to present ampler information according to the Scriptures."

The phrase, "God willing," or "the Lord willing," used to be a common qualifier in the language of Christians. Listen to some of our oldest saints, and you still can hear it today. But it's usage has dwindled in the last 50 years, until it now sounds quaint to our ears.

Using this phrase is one way of making sure we understand how the universe works. As James says in verses 4:13-17, it's a conceit of people to think they know how life will turn out from day to day, month to month, and year to year. The only reason we can even think this way, is the same reason we shouldn't -- God is in control, and He is consistent. Think of how much we depend on His consistency -- in the laws of the natural world, in the understanding of one another as human beings, made in God's image, in His mercy and care. The reality is, He is in control. And James says simply, we ought to remember that. In our attitude, and in our speech, and in our plans.

What gem did you mine out of James 4 today?

Figurative language. James 3.

There are times for me when a passage of the Bible becomes so familiar that I have a hard time really reading exactly what it says. When that happens I need to slow down, and spend a while observing the text, maybe even re-writing what it says in my own words to make sure I'm seeing it clearly. This chapter of James has that quality, and maybe it does for you too. The first verse, however, always draws me up short, and so when that happens, I just need to make sure I slow down for the rest of the chapter. (Verse 1 is about teachers, and I take it very seriously.)

What I noticed this time through is how easily I'm able to ignore the literal words of James and understand his meaning through his figurative use of the word tongue. Here's some of what he says:

3:5 "So too the tongue is a small part of the body,yet it has great pretensions."
3:6 "And the tongue is a fire! ...The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence..."
3:8 "But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

I don't know about you, but my tongue isn't any of those things. The American Heritage Dictionary says this:

The fleshy, movable, muscular organ, attached in most vertebrates to the floor of the mouth, that is the principal organ of taste, an aid in chewing and swallowing, and, in humans, an important organ of speech.

And yet, at the same time I understand what my tongue is, I also understand perfectly what James is saying. And I'm confident you do too. The tongue is an organ of speech, working with our lungs, vocal chords, mouth, teeth, and nose, under control of our mind (or brain if you prefer) to produce speech. James is talking about the content of that speech, the words we use, and the person we show ourselves to be when we speak.

The reason I bring this up, is to remind you of something we said in class. When we interpret the meaning of a Bible passage, one of the principles to use is to take the passage literally. And when there is figurative language in a passage, then taking the passage literally means that we recognize the language being used is figurative, and take that into account when determining the meaning. Even if that last sentence sounds confusing, this passage in James makes the point nicely. It also shows that, generally speaking, we are able to treat figurative speech as figurative, even if we don't immediately recognize it as such. We go ahead make the translation of tongue = speech. By using figurative speech, James makes what he has to say memorable. The idea that our tongue is a fire, or that it pollutes the entire body, is striking in its picture of what our speech can do. The idea of a bit in our mouths, like a horse, even more so.

(I did a quick search of how commentators talk about James 3. It's interesting that many of them make only one reference or no reference to our speech, and then just casually talk about the tongue in the rest of their commentary. That's so interesting to me that I'm going to post a comment to this post with some quotes of what others say about this passage. But I want to continue below, with a finishing thought on language.)

When does that figurative language flip or slip into literal teaching? James makes a bold statement in verse two, that if we never stumbled (sinned) in our speech, we would be perfect. How is that true? At first I thought that it was true because we would never have perfect speech, unless we were perfect. In other words, our speech reflects who we are. I still think that is true. And that's taking what James says in a figurative kind of way. Thinking about it some more, I realized that James also had in mind the literal sense of what he said. If we exercise control over what we say, we will affect and change who we are.

The kind of control needed over what we say is not simply repression. It does no good to have an angry thought and express it. Likewise, it does no good to have that same angry thought and merely repress it, although James would say that's a good start, because we stop any further damage from occurring. It's a start if we do as James said, and look on the other person as "someone made in God's image." But we need to examine where the anger came from, and do so in light of the principles we have from God. Some ideas here would include reflection and meditation: on the gift of life Jesus has given us, on the exemplary life He led, on His command to love one another, and other instructions God has given us in the Scriptures. We can ask for the Spirit's help in changing what we say. By taking control of our speech, we pay attention to it, and look for the causes reflected in that speech. Done right, our exercising control over our speech, will allow God to reshape who we are. Done wrong, we can end up a neurotic bundle of repressed speech, waiting to explode on some unsuspecting someone, or being eaten away from the inside. Done not all, and we poison ourselves and the world around us.

Jesus put it this way: "There is nothing outside of a person that can defile him by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles him."