Words Of Christ Devotions

[nChrist]

April 27

The Work of God

Joh_6:22-29

When you consider the answers Jesus gives, you must begin by finding the nature of the hearers.  This is a rather low bunch.

We have a fondness for the idea that seeing one miracle would make us instantly into super-saints.  This is not the case (think how much the ancient Israelites saw, and how little they believed), and here is another example.  This group has seen the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, so they follow Jesus around — but not for the miracle, or the hope of another miracle.  They like being fed.

Like so many of us, they are seeking the tame god.  The tame god is a very popular one.  He sits in your closet until you have a problem—then you take him out, he solves your problem, soothes your fears and quietly goes back into the closet, demanding nothing further of you.  A very useful god, that.  The only problem is that this is not the one true God.  It is this idea that Jesus is attempting to correct.

He begins with a concept they understand:  work.  It's perfectly reasonable in their minds that the tame god would want them to do something in return;  in fact, it's common to try to bargain with him.  The usual bargain runs something like, "I'll give up this or that bad habit if you'll do ."  So Christ takes as his starting point the idea that God wants you to work.  They think so, and so does Jesus.  But their conception of that work is very different.

You can see their conception in their question:  "what must.."  They are looking for a list of good deeds to perform.

Christ takes them back a step:  why are you working at all, if the rewards are not eternal?

Then he makes the breathtaking leap:  the work of God is to believe.

To believe, of course, is not merely intellectual assent.  It is trust.  Whom should you trust?  The one God has sent, the one on whom he has put his seal of approval—Jesus, the Christ.

The utter simplicity of the concept stuns them.  That's it?  No long list of rules and regulations—just trust the One, and act on that trust?  No rabbinical debates about how far we can walk?  St. Augustine rephrased this point by saying:  "Love God—and do as you please."  For if you truly love him, you will please him; you can't help it.  This is the real work of God:  to love, trust and obey the one He sent:  Jesus, the Christ.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

April 28

The Bread of Life

Joh_6:30-36

There is a great difference between what something is, and what it is made of.
Consider, for example, the moon.  Whether it is made of green cheese or basaltic rock peppered by meteorites, such is only a list of its ingredients.  The moon is not basaltic rock;  that's only what it's made of.  If you think not, ask any lover on a warm moonlit night.  You will find it is something entirely different.

Jesus must make that same distinction to the gluttonous crowd here.  Bread is on their minds—they have just been fed with bread and fishes by his miraculous power—so they challenge him with the remembrance of manna in the wilderness.  The challenge is very careful:  "our fathers ate."  The obvious point to avoid is the source of the manna.  But Jesus understands their minds.  He rephrases the question in the form of the answer.  It was not Moses who gave them manna, but God.  God—whom Jesus describes as "My Father."

Manna is a great picture of the bread of God:

Like manna, the bread of God comes only from Heaven, no other source.

Like manna, the bread of God gives life.

Like manna, the bread of God is a gift from God, not something anyone could earn.

Whatever manna was made of, that's not what it is.  Now Jesus tells them that the same bread of God is before them.  Jesus stands before them in physical body—certainly not made of the same ingredients as manna—but he is the bread of God.

We proclaim the same thing every week in communion.  We take a small piece of unleavened bread (recipe unknown and unimportant, except for "unleavened.")  We take it, and in so doing eat the very bread of life itself.  "This is my body" said Jesus, referring to just such bread.

"You are what you eat," goes the old saying.  It is true spiritually at least.  For if you will not eat the bread of life you will not have eternal life.  To do this you must take into yourself the very essence of that bread—what it truly is, not just what it is made of.  If you do this, you will become like that bread.  As you imitate your Lord, Jesus Christ, you become like him.  As you take him in—in meditation, study and prayer—you become like him, and imitate him more.  In so doing, God gives you true life.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 1

Words of Life

Joh_6:60-71

In this deep passage Christ sifts his followers, weeding out those who are not capable of going with him.  He tells us plainly:  no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him.

Some of these were drawn by the show.  Miracles, after all, make a good story to tell your grandchildren.  Some of us today are drawn by the show, also.  The music is lively, the preacher's words alive—we walk out saying, "Good sermon."  Unless the good sermon affects our lives, we are not drawn by the Father but by the show.

Some were drawn by the crowd.  Many of us follow the crowd to the fashionable church.  After all, we might need a place for a wedding or a funeral some day, and how much better that it should be an elegant building, full of fine musicians and excellent speakers.

Some were drawn by what they saw as an opportunity to succeed in life.  Like Simon the sorcerer, they saw the Gospel as a chance to make money.  A place to make all the right contacts for the business, and—after all—it never hurts to have the reputation of being an honest Christian businessman.

All these are sifted out by the hard words of the Gospel, for they were not drawn by the Father.  Note those who remain, however.  Jesus, seeing the many depart, queries those who stay.  They give us the clue we need to see who is really drawn by the Father.

"To whom shall we go?" they ask.  "You have the words of eternal life."  There it is.  Those who were sifted out had their sights set too low—the show, the crowd, the opportunity.  These men had their sights set on God himself, and they understood the price of that quest.  It does not matter if it costs you everything you have, including your physical life—if you gain eternal life.

There is only one source for that life.  Peter knows it, and puts it in the form of a question:  "to whom shall we go?"  The question answers itself:  there is no one else.  It's better to take the hard, slow road to the right place than the easy road to anywhere else.

Jesus, with the foreknowledge of God, knew who was who—but still suffered at their departure.  It was their choice.  We have the same choice today.  Do not let the show, the crowd, or the opportunity blind you to the call of Christ.  Allow the Father to draw you to the living Christ, the source of eternal life.  The way may be hard—but there is no other.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 2

Wash Your Hands

Mar_7:1-13

Tradition, it has been said, is the vote of those who do not happen to be walking around on the surface of the planet.  To the extent that tradition represents wisdom, or the solution to a problem, it is good.  The apprentice must learn the trade, and he does so in tradition.

But like any good thing, it can become the enemy of the best thing.  This is what has happened here.  The Pharisees are a long way from home;  they came from Jerusalem to the north of Galilee to challenge this Jesus.  But they have learned not to be careless in their charges;  note that they refer to the "tradition of the elders," not the Law of Moses.

This tradition has indeed become a terrible thing.  It is common in our day for adult children to take on the care of an aging parent.  Often, this care consists of taking the estate of the father and using it for the benefit of his widow.  This was true in their day too.  Most commonly it would be a son caring for his mother.  But the pious sons were deceived by the Pharisees.  They were told that their late father's estate would be much better given to God (and, of course, received by the Pharisees) than used to support mother.  The devout son (and probably mother) saw her poverty as holy.  It is in this sense that Jesus accuses the Pharisees of "devouring widow's houses."  For in those days a widow with a son still living would be under his masculine dominion.

Jesus opposes their tradition with Scripture.  It is worth noting that the New Testament confirms the Old Testament in this matter;  parents are to be cared for.  It was a matter of great concern in the early church, giving rise to the first instance of the appointment of deacons.

The Pharisees have forgotten the warning of Moses (in Deuteronomy 12:32) that they are neither to add to nor take away from the Law.  A similar warning is found in Revelation 22:18-19.  This is one reason we are told to search the Scriptures;  so that we might not make the same mistake.  "God said it, therefore I believe it" is not at all the same thing as "I believe it, therefore God said it."

It is wise for us to examine ourselves, just as we must occasionally make a full audit of our books.  Are there beliefs in your mind which are not justified by the Scripture?  How would you ever know?  The answer is given here by Jesus:  the Scriptures themselves.  If you study them diligently, the Spirit will bring these things to mind—if you will hear.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 3

In and Out

Mar_7:14-23

My wife's first visit to a prison was a memorable one.  I had often visited prisoners before, but it was a new experience for her.  As we were leaving the prison she was very quiet.  Leaving a prison is done in layers;  first one checkpoint, then another, then another.  Each one carries with it the slight fear that someone will accuse you of being an escaping prisoner.  The atmosphere is tense, and with good reason.

Her silence was very unusual.  As we passed the last checkpoint, she still said nothing.  Finally, we got into the car and drove off the prison grounds.  As we were out on the public highway she spoke for the first time:  "I want to go back to the motel, take off all my clothes and burn them, and take a shower."

What makes a man unclean?  What is it that makes us see some as being morally filthy and others as clean?  Sometimes we can get that impression from our laws, as my wife did.  The security system conveyed the underlying message:  you're probably just like the people in prison, otherwise, why would you be here?  You're just like them.

The Law is like that.  It deals with the externals, for it has no power to deal with the human heart.  When the Law scowls, you want purification.  But the intent of the Law is to affect the internal—to change the human heart.  The Christian knows that only the Spirit can change the human heart.

We are so affected by external things that we sometimes miss that point.  Our Lord ended his explanation here with, "He who has ears, let him hear."  (Not found in all versions).  In other words, He said it was obvious.

But his disciples ask him to explain this "parable" to them.  He sees them as dull witted in asking this;  he was speaking rather plainly.

There are two dangers in dealing with the externals.  One is that you will feel dirty and cleanse only the externals;  the other is that you will cleanse the externals and convince yourself that you are clean.  Jesus clearly separates the internal and external, but we see from the disciples  how difficult this is to accept.  How often we invent our own rules, proclaim them to be God's rules, and then—since we can keep those—we feel clean.  Our feelings are not the issue, for God is stronger than our feelings.  Our forgiveness is the issue, and that is available only through grace.  Throw the rulebook away, and seek His grace.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 5

A Sign From Heaven

Mat_16:1-4

Have you ever seen a bear ride a bicycle at a circus?  It is quite amazing that someone could train a bear to perform so unnatural a feat.  That's why they put such an act in the circus.

There is a sense of circus about the challenge the Pharisees put forward here.  In a sense, they are saying to Jesus, "If you're so great, let's see you make the bear (meaning nature) ride the bicycle (do something unnatural, or miraculous)."

There is something profoundly wrong with that.  When we go to a circus, we pay to see the performances.  If the performances aren't good, we don't go; we don't pay; the circus goes broke.  So we the public determine what a circus shows, and what it doesn't.  We are "in charge" because they are selling to us.

God is not a circus.  We are not God's customers.  We are in no sense "in charge" of what God does.  Indeed, it is just the opposite.  Without God as Creator (for example) we would not even exist.  It is important that we know who He is and who we are.  This is why the Old Testament tells us, "Do not test the Lord your God."  To demand of God that he perform tricks at our command is the highest form of insolence.  And that is just what the Pharisees are doing here.

Ostensibly they are asking so that they may truly know if Jesus is indeed the Christ.  The Christ would be known by certain signs.  Jesus simply turns the matter back to them;  they know that there are certain signs—so look for them.  The example he gives them is that of predicting weather.  So look at the signs:
Some are the signs of his coming in power at the Day of Judgment, when he will judge the living and the dead.

But others are the signs of his coming to seek the lost.  The sign they will see is that "of Jonah" - meaning his death, burial and resurrection on the third day.

There are lessons in this for us, too.  Most obviously, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus tell us clearly that he is indeed the Christ, the Son of God.  But we may take a further lesson too.  In the New Testament (and indeed in the Old Testament) are the signs of his return.  You look at the clouds and say it's going to rain.   Should you not also look at the times, to see if his return is imminent?  Examine the signs.  If his return is soon, then the question comes immediately:  what should I be doing to prepare for it?  An umbrella for rain, repentance for his return.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 7

Blind Man

Mar_8:22-26

Many Christians have wondered:  why did it take Jesus two attempts to restore this man's sight?  Perhaps the answer can be found in the location:  Bethsaida.
Bethsaida is the home town of Philip, Andrew and Peter—and evidently when they left almost all the faith in God went with them.  Note the sequence of events:
Some people from the town bring the blind man to Jesus.  They beg Jesus to touch him, for they have heard that his touch will heal miraculously.

Jesus does not heal the man immediately.  Instead, he leads him away from those who brought him, and takes him out of town.

Jesus' first attempt produces sight—but not very acute sight.  See however that Jesus spit on his eyes first.

When the man does not yet see clearly, Jesus puts his hands on his eyes.

This sequence explains the problem:

The reason is quite simple:  lack of faith.  Bethsaida is a town over which Jesus pronounces his woes, telling them that if Tyre and Sidon had seen such miracles, they would have repented long ago (Matthew 11:21)

By removing him from town, he removes him from that faithlessness.  But he himself is still afflicted with it.

Once he begins to see, however, his faith is increased—and the touch of Jesus heals him.

It is interesting that Jesus starts with spit—coming from the mouth, the symbol of words—and ends with the hand, the symbol of work.  We may preach as we please, but if the work is not there, neither is the harvest.

His last instructions—typically ignored by the hearers—are to return, but tell no one.  Since his sight will be a little hard to disguise, one might ask why.  It may have been a lesson to the disciples:  when you work your miracles, do not seek popular favor but rather the will of God.  More likely, though, it was to keep this man from being attacked.  His faith was weak, and Jesus did not want it to be ridiculed by his neighbors—who had probably given him alms for years.  So should our good works go without acclaim, and for the same good reasons.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 8

The Messiah

Mat_16:13-20

This passage has caused much grief to the church, for it has been used as the "proof text" of papal supremacy and infallibility.  It therefore has often been ignored in Protestant circles.  This should not be, for this is a very rich passage.

Consider, first, why Christ has taken these men away.  Is it not to keep them from the opinions of the Pharisees?  He is revealing the ultimate truth to them, and he does it in private.  What he whispers we are to shout.

The opinion of the people is interesting.  Unlike the Pharisees—who see a demon from hell—the people see a prophet.  That's because he has performed miracles, and in their mind they see miracles connected with the prophets.  But which prophet?

Elijah—for Elijah never died, and therefore could come back from heaven.
Jeremiah—for Jesus is ready to pronounce woes.

John the Baptist—that's King Herod's opinion.  A result of guilt, one suspects, as Herod beheaded John.

But Peter, at least, is clear.  He makes the classic pronouncement of whom Jesus is:

He is the Christ—the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, promised for over a thousand years to be the salvation of the people.

He is also the Son of God—of the very same essence as God the Father.

Christ then tells Peter he is blessed.  Why?  Because God the Father has revealed this to him.  Think of it:  if God the Father revealed something to you—something of ultimate importance—would you not feel that you had been blessed?  The Father has revealed the Son, just as the Son reveals the Father.

To make the point clearer, Jesus refers to Peter as "Son of Jonah."  Jonah (or in some places John) is Peter's earthly father;  Christ is making the comparison.  But to such as Peter are given the keys of the kingdom.

The early church authors are clear on this:  this is not the authority of the Pope, but the authority of the church.  But hear this:  the church has such authority.  All who believe constitute the church;  they, and they alone, are those who are saved.  The matter is one of authority, and all authority is given to one—Jesus the  Christ.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 9

Giving Advice to God

Mat_16:21-23

It is just after the great confession that Peter makes.  So many of us think that if we have that mountain top experience, we will be free from sin.  Satan knows better;  he knows that the mountain top experience is exactly the time to strike—for we think ourselves invulnerable.

Perhaps that partially explains Peter's words here.  The remark is incredibly presumptuous.  Peter has just acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God, and now he presumes to give him some good advice.  He is not the last disciple to make that mistake.  How often have we told God just exactly how to settle things?

In this instance, however, Peter explicitly tells Jesus that he's wrong.  It's a sure bet that this is not true.  But why then did Peter do it?

It comes from Peter's love for Jesus—just as our advice to God comes from our love for those around us.

It comes from Peter's awe of Jesus—it is not fitting that he should suffer so.  Sometimes we forget that God's dignity is often served in humility.

It comes by judging things from earthly standards.  We see by the things of earth, and estimate God accordingly.  But who can put limits upon God?

The primary reason is this:  the Holy Spirit has not yet been given.  Without this, it is impossible to truly discern the things of God—for these things appear foolish to those without the Spirit.

So it is that Peter is rebuked:

He is called a "stumbling block" - the phrase resounds in the Old Testament as a prophecy of Christ.  He is a stone to trip over;  small—but deadly if not dealt with.

He is called Satan.  It is always good to recognize the enemy.

There is a lesson for us in all this.  So often, when we go to prayer, we are full of good advice for God.  We tell him who should be healed;  who should be rebuked or embarrassed; and who should be saved.  In all this we are presumptuous.  We should rather tell him our pain that someone suffers (for we should suffer with them); the terrible damage of sin in another's life (and our misery at seeing it) and ask his help in bringing others to salvation.  He is God;  it is well to remember that fact.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 10

Paradox

Mat_16:24-26

Peter has just been rebuked for telling his Lord to take the easy way out.  His Lord will now give him the right way.

The saying seems hard;  but note that our Lord uses no compulsion—"if anyone."  If you can't see the blessing, why would you do this?  So let us consider first the price.

Deny himself

The phrase might best be turned around to "self-denial."  But that really doesn't capture the meaning.  Consider what it is to deny someone else.  Suppose your child is arrested, again, for drunk driving.  He appeals to you to bail him out of jail.  You refuse;  in so doing, you deny him.  The test here is the same:  will you refuse to take the easy way out of suffering for the cause of Christ?

It may also mean to push down your pride;  to be humiliated for the cause.  It is essentially a negative thing:  a "don't."

Take up his cross

If "deny" is negative, "take" is positive.  It means that you will do more than "put up with."  You will actively do things which are painful, even to death.

To "take up" the cross starts with carrying it to the place of execution.  By this Christ means that we are actively to work for his kingdom, at our own expense, life long.

But the cross ends in death, and if need be, we should be willing to die for the kingdom of God.

The Greek word used here carries with it the idea of take up the cross "at once, immediately."  We are not to delay.
Follow me

The Greek in this case does not carry the idea of "immediately" but of "continuously."  Anyone can suffer for their own sins and stupidity;  we are to face suffering and death for the cause of Christ.
Why?

If you've ever been in the army, you know that the training is tough—because in combat, you will need that training.  It is no kindness to train combat soldiers to be soft and lazy.  Our Lord tells us the same here:  to live in pride and ease—in what Paul calls the "carnal nature" - is not wisdom, but foolishness.  The choice is our pride and comfort versus his kingdom;  that same choice is life in this world alone versus life eternal.  The choice is entirely voluntary.  The choice is yours.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 15

Afraid to Ask

Luk_9:44-45

Some years ago my wife was scheduled to have major surgery.  The subject was a delicate one, and I was not entirely convinced of the merits.  We therefore asked the doctors for a second opinion from a specialist.  This doctor replied, in the jargon of the medical profession, that "this particular surgery is indicated as mandatory."  That phrase was supposed to relieve my anxieties, but it didn't.  Surgery is a friendly attack with a knife, and major surgery should not be performed at the doctor's whim.

The solution was provided by my own doctor.  I went to him for a routine examination.  He was an extremely polite and proper individual, gifted with the ability to deal with a delicate situation.

"I perceive that you are having some difficulty in accepting your wife's surgery.  May I ask what is troubling you?"

"Well, doc, I'd just like to have someone explain to me, in plain English and not medical talk, why we're doing this."

"Ah!  It is simple.  If we don't, some day she'll bleed to death."

That put the matter in a different perspective.  Once I knew why it was necessary, I had no further objections.

The disciples, I expect, had the same problem here.  They knew, as we do, that the burden of the future is lighter if you know what is going to happen and why.  Here Christ tries to explain it to them—including his betrayal as well as his death—but the Scripture tells us that the meaning was hidden from them.  And just as I had a socially trained reluctance to inquire about the surgery, so they had a reluctance to inquire about death.

The matter was hidden from them, I suspect, so that they would not bear any guilt in the matter.  Had they known who would betray Jesus, it would have burdened their consciences later.

There is good news in this too.  If the foreknowledge of dangerous and grim things lightens them, then what about the foreknowledge of great and glorious things?  Does it not also change the way we should think?  Should we not view our sufferings now with a lighter heart, knowing what great things are to come? We know that some day our Lord will return, and at his return the dead shall rise from the grave.  We know that at his return to judge the living and the dead the righteous shall receive what is their due, and that we shall live and reign with him.  What a glorious hope!

Therefore, in the meanwhile, let us not worry about tomorrow's pains and sufferings, but keep our eyes on our Lord, working until he returns in glory.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 20

Lost Sheep

Mat_18:12-14

Please remember that Jesus' enemies produced two charges against him:  first, that he claimed to be the Son of God (which to them was blasphemy) and second, that he lived, ate and drank with the wrong kind of people.  It is the second charge that Jesus addresses here.  There are two reactions we can have to the sinner, especially the repentant one:

We may look down on him, knowing what he has done, and treat him as dirt.  He deserves it.

But that doesn't mean we are privileged to do it.  We could also look on him with compassion.

That's what Jesus does.  He sees the sinner with compassion, and to make the point to his hearers, he begins with, "will he not."  It is an appeal to the common feelings of mankind.  If we'd do that for a sheep, what should he do for a lost soul?

See, too, how this search is conducted:

The search is single minded.  The shepherd does not stop to participate in anything else.

The search is all absorbing.  The shepherd thinks of nothing else.

The shepherd searches for the sheep where it might be found—which might not be the most pleasant of places.

The search is an active one;  the shepherd doesn't just think about searching, he goes.

The search is a personal one.  He doesn't send someone; he goes himself.

The shepherd is persevering—the shepherd does not quit until he has found the sheep.

Why all this compulsive behavior?  After all, it's just one sheep, right?  We could here the shepherd answer:  "Yeah, but it's my sheep."

We are his sheep;  we are bought with the price of his precious blood, and he will seek us single-mindedly.  We, as those he has appointed to take the Gospel to the world, should imitate our Lord and put his cause first in our lives.  Is there a lost sheep in your life that your Lord has tasked you to find?  Then be diligent and sincere about it.  And when that sheep is found, imitate your Lord by showing compassion and joy.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 21

Church Discipline

Mat_18:15-17

In the context of not allowing his little ones to be led into sin, Jesus now gives us instructions for church discipline.  First, he says, we should go privately:

If for no other reason that this:  if we're wrong, we won't be nearly so embarrassed.

By the same token, if he's wrong, we will not have stirred up his pride, and made things worse.

Consider too:  if you have been wounded by him, and he doesn't know it, should you not prevent the next shot?

Why don't we do this?

Because we are afraid that our brother will be mad at us.  But recall that perfect love casts out fear.

It may also be that our own sins are sufficient to haunt us.  We do not go as judges, but as physicians—and the greater our sins, the more sincere our warning.

Is there any real harm in just letting it alone?

If we do, do we not condone the sin implicitly?

And do we not allow a bad situation to become worse?

Is it not possible that we are not the only victims—just the only known victims?
Would you not have mercy on those unknown brothers?

If we fail to do this, does this not show a lack of love for our Christian brother—and thus for our Lord?

Warning:  we are not to

Start by telling others.  It says "just between the two.."

Criticize.  We are here to heal, not destroy.

Go in self-love ("I'm so hurt") but in love of our brother.

You are to show your brother his fault .  Not his sinfulness;  his fault.  The sin is to be exposed, the sinner to be loved.  Does this sound fishy?  How would you like it done if you were on the receiving end?  Then go and do likewise.

Even if we need to escalate to other brothers, or even the whole church, the object is the same:  the repentance (and forgiveness) of our Christian brother.  Jesus did not say this was easy.  He did say it is required.  Better sooner than later, better one than a crowd, better a sinner restored than an outcast.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 24

Timing

Joh_7:2-10

So many Christians seek magic instead of faith.  They want a god they can command, one that will perform tricks at their whim, rather than the Living God.

The brothers here are like that.

They presume upon their family relationship.  Since they are kinsmen, they assume Jesus has to take their advice.

They are looking for Jesus to become a "circus lion" - a famous performer of miracles, a tame lion at their command.

Why?  Because they don't really believe.  "Show us another trick" has been the cry of the unbeliever since the time of Moses.

Christ's gentle reply

Jesus could have sharply rebuked them, but he did not.  He enlightens them instead.

By saying it is not the right time—the Greek might also be translated as saying it is not the proper occasion—Christ honors God.  He waits for his time and occasion.  Passover, not Tabernacles, is the right time.

The world cannot hate them.  They belong to the world's system.  They imagine Jesus does too.  They cannot understand, therefore, why he won't just "get along and go along."

The reason is simple:  when the light goes on, the cockroaches run.  When righteousness appears, evil responds with hatred.

Secretly

Christ waits some time and then goes up, after they have gone.  It is a lesson for us:

First, that we must learn to await God's timing—his appointed occasions in our lives.  And then to be content with them.

Next, to remember that the purposes of God are not brought about by magnificent show, but in humility.

And that we need not take our direction from the world at large, but from God the Father.  Our "brothers" may think they have a better idea;  we should be listening to God.

Good timing is essential in comedy, car engines and football.  God's timing is essential in Christian life.  Learn from your Lord to live on God's time.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

May 25

Fire From Heaven

Luk_9:51-56

Background

To understand this passage we need a little background first.

In this culture, to refuse hospitality was considered a rude insult.  There were no hotels;  travelers stayed with whom they could.  It was considered an honor for the traveler to choose your home.

But these were Samaritans, and the racial hatred between them and the Jews was intense.

This account occurs only in Luke's Gospel.  Luke wrote specifically to the Gentiles, which is why we see it here.

The Apostle of Love

If you ask most Christians about the Apostle John, and what he wrote, you will find two answers.  One is Revelation;  the other is love, for John is known as the Apostle of Love.  Why, then, does he propose to bring down fire from heaven?

He is zealous for the Lord.  Perhaps he remembers that it was very near this town that Elijah called down fire from heaven upon the messengers of the King of Israel.

Perhaps this is nothing but a beginner's mistake.  He is zealous, but like many beginners he has trouble balancing his thoughts, knowing when to condemn and when to be patient.

Most likely, however, we are seeing the difference the Resurrection makes in the life of the true Christian.  Before the Resurrection, the thunder of the Old Testament is heard.  After the Resurrection, the sweet song of grace.

Reaction of Christ

Some older versions carry the phrase, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."  It is probably not in the original, but it expresses Christ's view clearly.  He did not come to pass judgment on the world, but to save the world from its sins.  Therefore, he will bring fire down on no one.

The key is found in one word:  "steadfastly."  Jesus had a mission to perform.  He had to go to Jerusalem, to suffer and die for the sins of the world, and be raised from the dead, first fruits of the resurrection to come.  All he did was for that end.  Thus he will not condemn to the fire those for whom he is about to die.  We are the recipients—and ambassadors—of that grace.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________