Matthew 19:13-28
The Little Children and Jesus
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[d] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Psalm 31:1-5
1 In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, LORD, my faithful God.
Reflection
There is something very challenging about today’s reading. Jesus seems to come to us as one who commands obedience to the law. In fact, some of you might be asking yourself, “what about the God of grace that we hear so much about in church?”
The simple answer to the question is that the God who declares, “your sins have been forgiven” is also the same God who declares, “but many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
In the beginning of our passage today, Jesus is brought little children to bless. Seeing this, Jesus’s disciples try to stop people from bringing little children to Jesus. Jesus responses by saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
During the day of Jesus, little children where some of the most disrespected groups of people in the world because they could not take care of themselves. For this reason, they were thought to be annoying and burdensome. This is why Jesus’s disciples try to stop people from bringing him children; they thought they the children were being a burden to Jesus.
This is why Jesus’s response is so amazing, because Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is for those who are disrespected, who might be a burden, those who have to rely on others.
The next character that we meet in Matthew is a “Rich Man.” Unlike children, the rich held high honor in the society that Jesus lived in, much like today. People thought that God or gods must have blessed them because they were rich.
This Rich Man comes to Jesus and asks, “What good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus responds, “Why do you ask me about what is good?” “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
At first it seems like Jesus is saying that to enter into eternal life, one must obey the commandments. Yet, at second glance, we can see that Jesus is simply answering the man’s question, “what good thing must I do?”
This is why the commands that Jesus points out are focused external aspects of one’s relationships to God and humanity, not the internal aspects.
Jesus then pushes more when the man has seemed to keep all of the commands by stating, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Ouch! Jesus cuts right to the heart of this man, right to the thing that he honors and places his hope in.
As the Rich Man walks away, Jesus’s disciples are in shock that a man of such great ‘blessing’ cannot even get into heaven.
This is where the gospel comes in, “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
God gives us the ability to achieve the impossible, to get into heaven through his grace!
This does not mean that we necessarily have to ‘sell everything’ or ‘leave everything’ to follow Jesus. What this means is that our actions of ‘selling everything’ or ‘leaving everything’ are a response to God’s amazing grace. When we follow God, we say thank you to God, and tell the world of the grace that has transformed us.
Questions
1. Why were children disrespected in Jesus’s time?
2. What does it show us that Jesus wanted the little children to come to him?
3. Why were rich people respected in Jesus’s time?
4. Why does Jesus answer the Rich Man’s question by saying, “keep the commandments”?
5. In what way are you trying to work your way into heaven?
6. Jesus let’s us know that we cannot get to heaven by our own works, but only by what God has done. How has this truth transformed you?
7. What do you still have to leave behind? How do you still have to allow God’s grace to transform you?
8. Pray for each other.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
God: The Furious Force
Psalm 29
A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.
This chapter is the epitome of powerful. If you're anything like me, you actually picture all of these incredible natural phenomena happening at once: God's presence FULLY upon the earth, effecting anything and everything around Him. Trees bend and break, waters foam and froth, skies darken and flash, the sun blazes brighter than ever before. Nature is alive with the presence of the LORD.
I will want to sit down with David one day and discuss this Psalm with him. What was he feeling when he wrote it? Was he terrified of God? In awe? Expectant? All three?
What we certainly do know is that David had a real, tangible understanding of his God. The Father was not far off on a distant ethereal plane, muted by time and space. He was real, present, and alive. David experienced his walk with the LORD, and was not content with simply surviving it.
Are we connected to God the way David is in this chapter? Or do we mentally confine God to the past, assuming his best work was in the 1st Century? I think the challenge of this chapter for us today is this: God is a furious force that joyfully created this world, lovingly bends it to His will, and graciously carries us home when our time in it is over.
"Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness."
Amen.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
A Lent Devotion: The Temptation of Jesus
Today’s Text
Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Psalms 51:1-71
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
Devotion
This Wednesday, February 22nd, we enter into a powerful time in the Church Calendar called Lent. This is a time when some take time to fast, remember the sacrifice that Christ endured on the cross, and prepare for Easter Sunday.
At the heart of Lent is the temptation of Jesus. During the time of Lent, many Christians decide to fast from something that is important to them for the purpose of going through a time of preparation. Just as the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by Satan was a time of preparation for him.
After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on him, and the Father’s voice called out from heaven, “this is my Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Jesus was led into a time of temptation.
During this time of temptation Jesus’s identity was tempted. In Matthew 4:3 and 4:6, the Evil One states, “If you are the Son of God,” do this.
In the final temptation Satan attack’s Jesus’s identity in a different way, by attacking the right of Jesus’ Sonship that as the Son of God Jesus will rule over everything created.
You see, Satan attacks the core of who God says that Jesus is, his Son!
Something that can be hard to remember, but is a true reality, is that the Evil One is constantly trying to attack the core of who God says we are. In 1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
The reality is that all fall into temptation and act outside of the core of who God says we are as his children, but that is where the good news of the gospel comes in! That is the beauty of Psalm 51. In this Psalm, King David cries out to forgiveness after he commitment adultery, murdered a man, and was then called out by his best friend!
The beauty of Lent, after going through a time of denying ourselves, going through a time of temptation, is that we are reminded on Easter Sunday that Jesus overcame the Evil One and Death! Through the death and resurrection of our LORD, we are made sons and daughters of God, we have overcome evil, and that we will be raised to eternal life!
The beauty of the temptation story also provides us with this hope: God can redeem you from temptation today!
Jesus overcomes Satan through the power of God’s Word! God’s Word is a powerful adversary in our battle against the Evil One. The Word of God reminds us who we, it reminds us that we have been redeemed, and it has the power to cast out Satan himself! Just this morning in my personal devotion I was reminded of this fact in Psalm 119, the psalmist states, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
During this time of Lent, I encourage you to be in God’s Word and to trust in his promise that you are redeemed!
Questions
1. How did Satan tempt Jesus? What part of Jesus’ identity did Satan tempt?
2. Why do you think Satan wanted to tempt Jesus in this way?
3. How did Jesus overcome Satan’s temptation?
4. What are some things in your life that try to tell you that you are not God’s son or daughter?
5. How can you rely on God to overcome these things?
6. How can we enter into this time of Lent together as a family?
7. How can we help each other remember who God says we are?
8. Pray together for this time of preparation and possible temptation in your family.
Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Psalms 51:1-71
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
Devotion
This Wednesday, February 22nd, we enter into a powerful time in the Church Calendar called Lent. This is a time when some take time to fast, remember the sacrifice that Christ endured on the cross, and prepare for Easter Sunday.
At the heart of Lent is the temptation of Jesus. During the time of Lent, many Christians decide to fast from something that is important to them for the purpose of going through a time of preparation. Just as the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by Satan was a time of preparation for him.
After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on him, and the Father’s voice called out from heaven, “this is my Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Jesus was led into a time of temptation.
During this time of temptation Jesus’s identity was tempted. In Matthew 4:3 and 4:6, the Evil One states, “If you are the Son of God,” do this.
In the final temptation Satan attack’s Jesus’s identity in a different way, by attacking the right of Jesus’ Sonship that as the Son of God Jesus will rule over everything created.
You see, Satan attacks the core of who God says that Jesus is, his Son!
Something that can be hard to remember, but is a true reality, is that the Evil One is constantly trying to attack the core of who God says we are. In 1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
The reality is that all fall into temptation and act outside of the core of who God says we are as his children, but that is where the good news of the gospel comes in! That is the beauty of Psalm 51. In this Psalm, King David cries out to forgiveness after he commitment adultery, murdered a man, and was then called out by his best friend!
The beauty of Lent, after going through a time of denying ourselves, going through a time of temptation, is that we are reminded on Easter Sunday that Jesus overcame the Evil One and Death! Through the death and resurrection of our LORD, we are made sons and daughters of God, we have overcome evil, and that we will be raised to eternal life!
The beauty of the temptation story also provides us with this hope: God can redeem you from temptation today!
Jesus overcomes Satan through the power of God’s Word! God’s Word is a powerful adversary in our battle against the Evil One. The Word of God reminds us who we, it reminds us that we have been redeemed, and it has the power to cast out Satan himself! Just this morning in my personal devotion I was reminded of this fact in Psalm 119, the psalmist states, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
During this time of Lent, I encourage you to be in God’s Word and to trust in his promise that you are redeemed!
Questions
1. How did Satan tempt Jesus? What part of Jesus’ identity did Satan tempt?
2. Why do you think Satan wanted to tempt Jesus in this way?
3. How did Jesus overcome Satan’s temptation?
4. What are some things in your life that try to tell you that you are not God’s son or daughter?
5. How can you rely on God to overcome these things?
6. How can we enter into this time of Lent together as a family?
7. How can we help each other remember who God says we are?
8. Pray together for this time of preparation and possible temptation in your family.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
2/16/12: Jesus & The Gentile Woman
Matthew 15:21-28
The Faith of a Canaanite
Woman
21 Leaving
that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came
to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is
demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus
did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her
away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He
answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The
woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He
replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the
dogs.”
27 “Yes
it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their
master’s table.”
28 Then
Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is
granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
A lot of us are afraid to ask Jesus
for things. Sure, it’s easy to pray for a good attitude, or for travel mercies,
or even for healing for a sickness or disease. But here we see a woman who,
culturally, had no right even speaking to Jesus ask him for something with no
shame.
When I look at this passage, I see
a woman at the end of her rope. Her daughter is terribly afflicted with demon
possession and this woman has nowhere else to turn. For a woman to approach
Jesus in this fashion was terribly uncouth in this day-and-age, but the
confines of society were cast aside as her desperation took over.
Is Jesus’ response surprising to
anyone else? The first time I read this verse, I was very taken aback by Jesus’
attitude toward the woman. He seems cold, unfeeling, emotionless.
When I studied this passage in
college, it seemed to be a strong example of Jesus’ kenosis. (How Jesus emptied
himself to become a servant, as described in Philippians 2) His first reaction
to her is to ignore her in favor of paying attention to the nation of Israel,
of which she was not. But as his interaction with her plays out, Jesus seems to
change his mind based on her display of faith. She calls him, “master.” This
was not normal behavior for non-Israelites. He heals her daughter on the spot.
I believe that the Holy Spirit,
which descended on Jesus during his baptism, prompted Him to heal the woman’s
daughter. Part of Jesus emptying himself (kenosis) was his severing the
connection between himself and the rest of the Godhead; this means that he
relied on daily meditative time with his Abba Father for spiritual nourishment.
Where Jesus may have kept walking, the Holy Spirit urged him to heal the
woman’s daughter; we may have felt this same urging while passing by a begging
homeless person. Your plan is to continue walking, but you feel the draw and
call of Christ’s compassion pulling you back to them.
So how can this apply to us?
1)
This verse is a
beautiful reminder of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives and the results of
listening to it. When you feel the prompting of the Spirit in your life, is it
your first instinct to ignore it and move on with your previously set plans?
Are you more concerned with your day going “as planned,” or are you willing and
open for God to take you where He will at any given moment?
2)
This woman is an
example to us all these years later. This speaks two things to us:
a. The power of stepping out in faith can be an inspiration to
millions of people, even if you never hear about your impact on them. By being
bold in your faith, you benefit not only yourself but potentially many others.
b. Our God is not a small God, nor is He one who is “bothered”
by requests made by those who love Him. How often are we asking Jesus for good
things? What holds us back? Afraid He will say “no?” If He does, Scripture says
He is trustworthy, and that means His “no” is also trustworthy. God is honored
and pleased when we ask for things in His name.
i. Side point: Try asking for something sinful or selfish in
God’s name sometime. No simple task, and for good reason. Asking for a million
dollars in God’s name because you really want a million dollars for yourself is
not a request God is likely to honor. Asking for wealth so you can bless others
is the kind of request God loves.
Reflection Questions:
1)
Read through Matthew
15:21-28 again.
2)
What stands out to you
in this verse?
3)
Do you find yourself
more like the disciples, Jesus, or the gentile woman?
4)
Are you afraid to ask
God for good things sometimes? Why or why not?
5)
Are you open to the
prompting of the Spirit in your daily life, or do you find yourself ignoring it
in favor of your previous plans?
6)
Pray for something
good, for the good of others in your life. (Bonus points: make it something
only God could do!)
Monday, February 13, 2012
God Provides Through His People
Kick Off Questions
1. Where did you see God at work today?
2. How do you need God today?
Psalms 22:25-31
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Genesis 41:28-40
28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God? 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
Matthew 14:15-24
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Reflection
The idea of God as provider has always been an idea that I have struggled with as a Christian. I can look at the world and see so much need and hurt; I have to wonder where God is at in the midst of all this hurt.
One day while I was reflecting on scriptures like these, praying, and talking with some friends, an idea hit me. God wants to provide through His people.
If you look at the text in Matthew and in Genesis, God uses Joseph (and then his Only Son) to provide for those in need. The revelation that God gives Joseph ends up helping providing food for not only the nation of Egypt, but for many within the Ancient Near East. God even provides for his own as Joseph’s own family comes to Egypt to find food and safety in a time of famine.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is teaching a group of people. His disciples see that the crowd is hungry, so they encourage Jesus to send them home so that they can find food. Jesus turns this idea on its head and says to the disciples, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
Looking to the Psalms verse, you see an amazing statement in verse 26: “The poor will eat and be satisfied.” We would expect the verse to say something like, the poor need food to be satisfied, but it does not. Why? Because in the Kingdom of God, even the poor are satisfied!
In Matthew, Jesus is demonstrating the fact that, in the Kingdom of God, he does not send anyone way without being satisfied. On top of that, there is even more food! The blessings of God never run out!
This brings us to Psalms 22:29: “All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive.” Even those who are rich on earth cannot keep themselves alive. When they come face-to-face with God they are brought to their knees in worship.
As those who are probably richer than 2/3rds of the rest of the world, God wants to use us to care for those in need! When we provide for those in need, God’s Kingdom is made manifest in this world. Through us, God works as provider to care for those in need. So the next time you ask why God does not care for those in need, turn around and ask yourself, why you have not responded to God’s call to use you to care for those in need?
Family Questions
1. How does God provide in Genesis 47 for the nation of Egypt?
2. How does God provide in Matthew 14 for the crowd?
3. Look at Psalm 22, what causes the “poor” and the “rich” to “proclaim his righteous”?
4. How does God want to provide for those in need?
5. Why do you think God wants to work through his people?
6. What are ways that we as a family can be used by God to care for those in need?
7. Set up some concrete ways your family can care for those in need and add them to your schedule or lifestyle.
8. Pray for each other.
1. Where did you see God at work today?
2. How do you need God today?
Psalms 22:25-31
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Genesis 41:28-40
28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God? 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
Matthew 14:15-24
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Reflection
The idea of God as provider has always been an idea that I have struggled with as a Christian. I can look at the world and see so much need and hurt; I have to wonder where God is at in the midst of all this hurt.
One day while I was reflecting on scriptures like these, praying, and talking with some friends, an idea hit me. God wants to provide through His people.
If you look at the text in Matthew and in Genesis, God uses Joseph (and then his Only Son) to provide for those in need. The revelation that God gives Joseph ends up helping providing food for not only the nation of Egypt, but for many within the Ancient Near East. God even provides for his own as Joseph’s own family comes to Egypt to find food and safety in a time of famine.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is teaching a group of people. His disciples see that the crowd is hungry, so they encourage Jesus to send them home so that they can find food. Jesus turns this idea on its head and says to the disciples, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
Looking to the Psalms verse, you see an amazing statement in verse 26: “The poor will eat and be satisfied.” We would expect the verse to say something like, the poor need food to be satisfied, but it does not. Why? Because in the Kingdom of God, even the poor are satisfied!
In Matthew, Jesus is demonstrating the fact that, in the Kingdom of God, he does not send anyone way without being satisfied. On top of that, there is even more food! The blessings of God never run out!
This brings us to Psalms 22:29: “All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive.” Even those who are rich on earth cannot keep themselves alive. When they come face-to-face with God they are brought to their knees in worship.
As those who are probably richer than 2/3rds of the rest of the world, God wants to use us to care for those in need! When we provide for those in need, God’s Kingdom is made manifest in this world. Through us, God works as provider to care for those in need. So the next time you ask why God does not care for those in need, turn around and ask yourself, why you have not responded to God’s call to use you to care for those in need?
Family Questions
1. How does God provide in Genesis 47 for the nation of Egypt?
2. How does God provide in Matthew 14 for the crowd?
3. Look at Psalm 22, what causes the “poor” and the “rich” to “proclaim his righteous”?
4. How does God want to provide for those in need?
5. Why do you think God wants to work through his people?
6. What are ways that we as a family can be used by God to care for those in need?
7. Set up some concrete ways your family can care for those in need and add them to your schedule or lifestyle.
8. Pray for each other.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
2/11/12: "Bring me the head of John The Baptist."
Matthew 14
John the Baptist Beheaded
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
***
I heard a great quote the other day; one of those quotes that forever makes you see the world differently.
"Everyone is the hero of their own story."
Now this might sound like fluffy, philsophical nonsense, but what It means is this: Most people believe they live good, right lives. When they do wrong and are able to admit it, they typically have a personal justification for what they've done. (The justification is almost always circumstantial: "Someone else was doing it too!" "But I had a really hard day at work today!" "But you never let me _____!")
This is a natural occurrence; most people dont want to go through life constantly beating themselves up mentally when they've done something that might hurt someone else. (No hero is constantly told they make wrong choices, right?) So instead, most people will blame their action, or lack of action, on external circumstances, thereby justifying it in their own eyes.
In this way, most people tend to see their actions as either 1) outright good or 2) necessary & justifiable in the moment.
In this passage we see something very fascinating: a snippet of Herod's life.
Herod was trying to pass Jesus off as the resurrected John The Baptist to explain away his miracles. Herod already had John in prison because Herod had wanted to sleep with his sister-in-law and John had to tell him, "That's wrong."
Herod inadvertently promises his sister-in-law the head of John The Baptist. Whether she wants him dead because she wants to be with Herod too, we don't know; we do know that Herod has him killed in prison and the rest of the body is given over to John's disciples. They mourn.
So, what's Herod's reaction to a sin he commits? He justifies it because the woman he wants to sleep with asked for it.
He is the hero of his own story.
Inversely in verse 13 & 14, you see Jesus, even though he wants to be alone and mourn John, healing the sick of the people who interrupt his personal time. Jesus could've easily been the hero of his own story right there: "Well CLEARLY I'm praying right now, so go away and maybe I'll deal with you later." "No, I'm busy!"
But he doesn't. Because he is not the hero of his own story: The Father is. Scripture speaks clearly to Jesus' relationship with the Father and that he was in clear & obvious submission to Him. This is our model for our own lives. The Father is pleased when His people live submitted lives for Him.
Thoughts for reflection:
- As a family, are we constantly blaming each other for our own actions?
- Would Jesus want us to take responsibility for what we do? Why?
- Am I, as a member of this family and the Body of Christ, submitting myself to the Lord regularly?
- Are there other members of this family that are younger than me whom I can set a better example for?
- Do I need to apologize to any other member of this family today?
- Pray together as a family to keep God at the center of your family's story and not yourselves (or each other).
Monday, February 6, 2012
Jacob Wrestles With God
Jacob Wrestles With God (Gen. 32:22-32)
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with human beings and have overcome.”
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.
Jacob Returns to Bethel (Gen. 35:1- 15)
1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.
9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.
11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.
14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.
A Reflection
Previous to coming to these texts there is a little back-story. When Jacob’s father was on his deathbed, Jacob conned his older brother, Esau, out of his birthright. This did not make Esau very happy. Years later, after both now have families of their own, they are about to come face-to-face once again. To say that Jacob is a little scared that Esau will be looking for revenge might be an understatement.
Jacob, the conman, decides to send all of his possessions and family to meet his brother Esau before Jacob arrives. Jacob must be hoping that somehow this will appease Esau’s anger. That once Esau sees Jacob’s family that somehow his heart will go out to Jacob, that Esau will not take out his revenge on Jacob.
This now brings us to the first part of the story in Genesis 32:22-32. Jacob is alone at night, when a man whom we only know as “a man” wrestles with Jacob all night long. Finally, the two come to a stand still and the man asks Jacob to let him go. Jacob refuses to let the man go saying, “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
At this point, the reader should be reminded of how Jacob stole his brother’s birthright. Jacob, who followed his brother out of his mother’s womb by holding onto his heel, stole the birthright that he believed should have been his. This act is why Jacob was given his name, for in Hebrew “Jacob” means, “the heel.”
Again, Jacob fights for a blessing. The man finally gives in and blesses Jacob, saying, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with human beings and have overcome.”
Have you ever wrestled with God?
When I was growing up as a teenager I was told that I could not wrestle with God. That God was someone that I just had to trust in, no matter what life brought. This story flies right in the face of that false idea.
It is okay to wrestle with God because when you do, you are transformed.
Something that modern day readers might miss when reading this story is the power of “naming.” In the Ancient Near East, a name was a person’s identity, who a person was. So when the “man” changes Jacob’s name, the man literally changes Jacob’s identity!
Jacob goes from being “the heel” (Jacob in Hebrew), the man who conned his brother out of his birthright, to being “the one who wrestles with God” (Israel in Hebrew).
Not only is Jacob’s identity changed from this encounter with God, but God gives Jacob a permanent reminder of their encounter; Jacob now must live the rest of his life with a limp.
That is the harder part about wrestling with God: sometimes we are left with a permanent reminder of the encounter. Trust me when I say that it is all worth it; it is better to live life with a limp then to live life out of a false identity.
This brings us to Genesis 35:1-15. After Jacob’s encounter with Esau, God brings Jacob back to the place where they wrestled. In a way God reminds Jacob of his new identity, of what God has done.
This brings Jacob to worship God. As a sign of worship, Jacob builds an altar and purges all other gods from he and his family’s lives. Jacob and his family come together to worship the God that had transformed them.
Once Jacob does this, God then reminds Jacob of who he has become. He is no longer Jacob, but Israel. God reminds Israel of the promise God made to his fathers Abraham and Isaac, a promise that is retold to Jacob because he wrestled with God.
We have a promise given to us by God because we are his Children. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, through faith, we are given eternal life and our identity is now found in who we are as children of God.
In life, there will certainly be times where you will wrestle with God. My prayer is that as you wrestle with God, you will be transformed.
Reflection Questions
1. What stands out to you in this story? Why does this stand out?
2. Have you ever wrestled with God? Tell everyone about your experience.
3. How were you changed by your experience?
4. Why do you think wrestling with God helps to transform us?
5. How are you currently wrestling with God? What are the big questions you are asking God right now?
6. What is the promise(s) of God that you have to remember in this point of your life?
7. Pray for each other and the ways you are wrestling with God.
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with human beings and have overcome.”
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.
Jacob Returns to Bethel (Gen. 35:1- 15)
1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.
9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.
11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.
14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.
A Reflection
Previous to coming to these texts there is a little back-story. When Jacob’s father was on his deathbed, Jacob conned his older brother, Esau, out of his birthright. This did not make Esau very happy. Years later, after both now have families of their own, they are about to come face-to-face once again. To say that Jacob is a little scared that Esau will be looking for revenge might be an understatement.
Jacob, the conman, decides to send all of his possessions and family to meet his brother Esau before Jacob arrives. Jacob must be hoping that somehow this will appease Esau’s anger. That once Esau sees Jacob’s family that somehow his heart will go out to Jacob, that Esau will not take out his revenge on Jacob.
This now brings us to the first part of the story in Genesis 32:22-32. Jacob is alone at night, when a man whom we only know as “a man” wrestles with Jacob all night long. Finally, the two come to a stand still and the man asks Jacob to let him go. Jacob refuses to let the man go saying, “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
At this point, the reader should be reminded of how Jacob stole his brother’s birthright. Jacob, who followed his brother out of his mother’s womb by holding onto his heel, stole the birthright that he believed should have been his. This act is why Jacob was given his name, for in Hebrew “Jacob” means, “the heel.”
Again, Jacob fights for a blessing. The man finally gives in and blesses Jacob, saying, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with human beings and have overcome.”
Have you ever wrestled with God?
When I was growing up as a teenager I was told that I could not wrestle with God. That God was someone that I just had to trust in, no matter what life brought. This story flies right in the face of that false idea.
It is okay to wrestle with God because when you do, you are transformed.
Something that modern day readers might miss when reading this story is the power of “naming.” In the Ancient Near East, a name was a person’s identity, who a person was. So when the “man” changes Jacob’s name, the man literally changes Jacob’s identity!
Jacob goes from being “the heel” (Jacob in Hebrew), the man who conned his brother out of his birthright, to being “the one who wrestles with God” (Israel in Hebrew).
Not only is Jacob’s identity changed from this encounter with God, but God gives Jacob a permanent reminder of their encounter; Jacob now must live the rest of his life with a limp.
That is the harder part about wrestling with God: sometimes we are left with a permanent reminder of the encounter. Trust me when I say that it is all worth it; it is better to live life with a limp then to live life out of a false identity.
This brings us to Genesis 35:1-15. After Jacob’s encounter with Esau, God brings Jacob back to the place where they wrestled. In a way God reminds Jacob of his new identity, of what God has done.
This brings Jacob to worship God. As a sign of worship, Jacob builds an altar and purges all other gods from he and his family’s lives. Jacob and his family come together to worship the God that had transformed them.
Once Jacob does this, God then reminds Jacob of who he has become. He is no longer Jacob, but Israel. God reminds Israel of the promise God made to his fathers Abraham and Isaac, a promise that is retold to Jacob because he wrestled with God.
We have a promise given to us by God because we are his Children. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, through faith, we are given eternal life and our identity is now found in who we are as children of God.
In life, there will certainly be times where you will wrestle with God. My prayer is that as you wrestle with God, you will be transformed.
Reflection Questions
1. What stands out to you in this story? Why does this stand out?
2. Have you ever wrestled with God? Tell everyone about your experience.
3. How were you changed by your experience?
4. Why do you think wrestling with God helps to transform us?
5. How are you currently wrestling with God? What are the big questions you are asking God right now?
6. What is the promise(s) of God that you have to remember in this point of your life?
7. Pray for each other and the ways you are wrestling with God.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Feb. 2nd, 2012: Conflict
Psalm 18:37-45
New International Version (NIV)
37 I pursued my enemies and overtookthem;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they couldnot rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn theirbacks in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but therewas no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblowndust;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from theattacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreignerscower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they couldnot rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn theirbacks in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but therewas no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblowndust;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from theattacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreignerscower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
Genesis 32:1-21
New InternationalVersion (NIV)
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels ofGod met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the campof God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
3 Jacob sent messengersahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them:“This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I havebeen staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle anddonkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending thismessage to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”
6 When the messengersreturned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he iscoming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
7 In great fear anddistress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks andherds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esaucomes and attacks one group,the group that is left mayescape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed, “OGod of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, LORD, you who said to me, ‘Goback to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of allthe kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staffwhen I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, fromthe hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, andalso the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘Iwill surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand ofthe sea, which cannot be counted.’”
13 He spent the nightthere, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred femalegoats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camelswith their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and tenmale donkeys. 16 He put them in thecare of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go aheadof me, and keep some space between the herds.”
17 He instructed the onein the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to,and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18then you are to say,‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, andhe is coming behind us.’”
19 He also instructed thesecond, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to saythe same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say,‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify himwith these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he willreceive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts wenton ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.
Matthew 12:9-21
New InternationalVersion (NIV)
9 Going on from thatplace, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for areason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal onthe Sabbath?”
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and itfalls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Thereforeit is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to theman, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it wascompletely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might killJesus.
God’s Chosen Servant
15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Alarge crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned themnot to tell others about him. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through theprophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servantwhom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name thenations will put their hope.”
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name thenations will put their hope.”
***
Thesethree passages all seem to carry one central theme: Conflict.
Conflictcan be a scary thing for people (OK, most people.) Some thrive off of it, butmost people try to avoid it by either not causing it or running away from itonce it is caused by someone else. We may be at odds with someone in our home,our school, our workplace, or all three at once! Conflict can be overwhelmingand exhausting.
Inthe first passage, we see David speaking about his righteous retributionagainst his attackers and how God has delivered him up from a place of weaknessto a place of power and strength. It’s clear, in the context of the passage,that this action is not only justified in God’s eyes, but is fueled andsupplied by Him (v. 39-40). If you’re the kind of person that faces conflicthead on, like David in this passage, is that action a holy one? Are yourepresenting & reflecting Christ in your head-on approach toward conflict?
Inthe second passage, we see Jacob attempting to make amends with his brotherEsau for taking their father Isaac’s blessing deceitfully. Esau was so angrythat Jacob stole their father’s blessing that he had plotted to kill Jacob(Gen. 27:41). If you have time, read this entire story; it’s reallyfascinating! In terms of conflict, Jacob confesses where he has been hidingfrom his brother (the land of Laban) and offers him a sacrifice as a truce.Esau is angry and Jacob knows he is in the wrong. Jacob displays wisdom andhumility in this passage. How does humility play into the way you deal withconflict? Do you automatically approach every situation assuming you are rightand everyone else is wrong? Are you open to different perspectives, thoughts,and ideas? Is it easy to admit your faults to someone else, or does pride getin the way?
Inthe third and final passage for today, Jesus has a verbal confrontation withthe religious leaders about the letter of the Law vs. the spirit of the Law.Jesus did three things here: He spoke truth, he acted in love, and he exercisedwisdom. Sometimes the best way to deal with conflict, when you know you’re inGod’s will, is to lovingly disagree with the person and leave it at that. Godmay have something for the person to learn, and it may not be yours to teachthem. Acting in love towards someone, even if it causes conflict, may be thebest option sometimes.
Sowhat can we take away from these three passages?
1. Howdo I typically deal with conflict?
2. IsGod honored in my actions and attitude when conflict arises?
3. Isthere anyone I need to humble myself before?
4. Isthere any holy action I need to take?
5. Prayfor God’s guidance in the area of conflict this week.
God bless you and your time in the Word this week!
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