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Today’s reading is Matthew 19:1-20:34.

“They said to him, ‘Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?’ He said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so’ ” (Matthew 19:7-8).

This reminds me how easy it is to twist what is written to get what I want to out of it. Notice the Pharisees asked, “Why did Moses command…” and Jesus responded, “…Moses allowed…” Do you see the difference? Moses did not command Jewish husbands to give their wives certificates of divorce and send them away. Rather, Moses commanded that if they were going to put their wives away they needed to give a certificate of divorce. He also gave some other restrictions about this divorce. That is not God commanding divorce. Rather, it is allowing it and governing it when it did happen.

How easy it is to shore up our own positions and ideas by using various colors and shades of words to subtly shift meanings. How easily we can make ourselves look good by shading our words with various meanings. How easily we can justify what we want to do by twisting the intent and meaning of God’s Word.

This just reminds me that today I need to be careful to understand God’s Word and use it accurately. I must not twist it to produce a command that isn’t there or find permission that isn’t granted or condemn something that is authorized. I need to be completely, utterly, and 100% honest with the text and just let that govern my teaching.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

Matthew 17-18 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 17:1-18:35.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4).

That’s the same question I keep asking today. “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Oo, Oo, is it me? Is it me?” How do I get to be the greatest in the kingdom? Do I need to write the best blog? Preach the best sermon? Give the most money? Sacrifice the most fun? Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.

Wait! What?

Be humble? Like a child? What’s the point of that. I don’t want to be humble. I want to be great. I want everyone to know how great I am. I want everyone to see that I’m the smartest, I’m the holiest, I’m the brightest, I’m the best, I’m the greatest.

The amazing thing is the greatest among us will have no knowledge of being the greatest. In fact, the greatest among us won’t even care about being the greatest. The greatest among us simply aren’t concerned about being the greatest among us.

I guess today I need to quit being so focused on being the greatest among us.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 15-16 (ESB) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 15:1-16:28.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it’ ” (Matthew 16:24-25).

Perhaps this more than anything other than simple unbelief keeps folks from becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. I mean, let’s face it, the picture of a cross carrier is not exactly the first idea on our list of marketing logos for anything we are persuading others to do. Carrying a cross is hard work. It is sacrifice. It is painful. It means giving up control of our lives. Jesus said it means losing our lives. Again, that probably isn’t going to make it on to the top ten list of any marketing company’s suggestions for how to get folks to follow you. Yet, there it is.

Carrying a cross. Losing a life. That’s tough. That means I need to start giving up stuff.

I need to give up my goals, my desires, my plans, my day, my control, my pride, my rights. I need to pursue Jesus’ goals, desires, plan, day, control, humility, responsibilities. That is tough. I can absolutely see why many folks just refuse outright to do this. It’s a tough sell. But I can tell you from experience that when I have actually pulled that off, Jesus has always provided better for me than what I was providing for myself. I don’t mean that in a monetary sense. I mean that in a fulfillment, meaning, happiness, joy sense.

Yes, I absolutely get why many folks don’t want to pick up a cross. To them it looks like death. But on this side of picking it up, I can tell you without equivocation, carrying a cross looks like death on the one side. On this side, it looks like life. I have days of cross-bearing and I have days when I put the cross down. I can tell you without a fear of ever being successfully contradicted, I’ll take my worst day of cross-bearing over my best day of being out in the world on my own any day.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 13-14 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 13:1-14:36.

“He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” So the servants said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he said, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn’ ” ‘ ” (Matthew 13:24-30).

I think there is something here I need to learn. I recognize that I’ve spent too much time trying to do what God says even the angels shouldn’t. I recognize of course that there is a biblical principle which Christians and churches must uphold regarding discipline within the local body of Christ (cf. I Corinthians 5:1-13). Yet, too often I’ve seen it as my personal mission to clean up God’s church. It is too easy to go on a witch hunt of McCarthy proportions (is that too cliché to say?). Too often I see it as my job to hunt down all the weeds that have somehow made their way into the church and root them out.

Perhaps this parable teaches something different. Certainly, I am to teach the truth. Certainly, congregational discipline must be practiced. Certainly, I must not equivocate on the teaching of Christ. But, is it really my job to try to figure out who all isn’t completely toeing the line? Is it really my job to try to ferret out every potential error someone, somewhere might have? Is it really my job to figure out who all the weeds are and try to get rid of them? The Master said to back off and let Him deal with it at the end.

I admit, I’m not sure where the boundaries of congregational discipline are valid versus this witch-hunt mentality, but I see that somewhere I have to back off and say that it’s just not my job to figure out who all the weeds are and instead, just get busy planting more seeds.

What do you think?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a Comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 11-12 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 11:1-12:50.

“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Matthew 11:18-19).

Look at how different John and Jesus were.  John’s service to God was marked by asceticism. He was a minimalist. He wore a camel’s-hair garment and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey. He spent the majority of his time in the wilderness. Jesus on the other hand was what we might call more normal. His service was marked by freedom. He ate normal food and drank normal drink. While he spent some time in the wilderness, most of his time was spent in town. He went to parties and banquets. He accepted invitations into folks’ homes. He was not guilty of the excesses of which He was accused. But at the same time, he didn’t view the potential accusations as reasons to back off of His normal freedoms.

One was more ascetic; one was more free. Which one was more spiritual? Neither. There was room in God’s plan for both. They didn’t have to compete, which is what often happens today.

I’ll give two practical examples of how I’ve seen this competition in play.

First, clothes in the assembly. In time past, our society was more formal in dress at every occasion. About the only place that has lingered for some is with the church’s assemblies. Some of us still view the assembly as a place to dress up in order to show respect to God. That isn’t a biblical command, but in the context of our culture, it makes sense. Others, having recognized it is not a command of God are becoming more lax. They even can come up with some good biblical reasons like not attracting attention to themselves based on wealth (cf. I Timothy 2:9-10). Sadly, both look down on the other as less spiritual. One is more ascetic; one is more free. Which is more spiritual? Neither. There is room for both.

Another example is music. Some Christians hold it as a badge of honor that they only ever listen to spiritual music and the Bible on cd. They brag about the cds they have in their car and how they use their drive time to just listen to sermons. They would never listen to any secular music. Others brag about their freedom in Christ to enjoy wholesome, but secular things. One is more ascetic; one is more free. Which is more spiritual? Neither. There is room for both.

Jesus and John were both part of God’s plan. They didn’t have to compete. They didn’t have to compare. They didn’t have to one-up each other. Why would we? There is room for both kinds of servants.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 9-10 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 9:1-10:42.

“And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened…” (Matthew 9:27-30).

I have lots of things I want Jesus to do in my life. I have lots of struggles I want Him to overcome. I have lots of work I want Him to accomplish in me. I have lots of desires for the local congregation that I want Him to grant.

What if He said to me, “According to your faith be it done to you”? What would happen in that case? I recognize Jesus doesn’t have to have my faith to get things done. At the same time, I can’t help but see that Jesus most often works through and based on the faith of the people He is dealing with. So, with all these things I’m wanting from Jesus if He only works based on my faith what would He be able to get done?

No doubt, I need to say, like the man in Mark 9:24, “I believe; help my unbelief!” But I also need to work on my faith. A lot of times how much I believe God will determine how much work I’m willing to do. After all, the reason these men kept following Jesus was because of their faith. If they hadn’t had that kind of faith, they wouldn’t have followed Him and then come to the house where He was, they would have just let Him pass on by.

Today, I need to think about my faith. What do I believe about Jesus? How much do I believe? Do I really believe He is able to do what I want and need? How is that impacting the way I live?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 7:1-8:34.

“And the demons begged him, saying ‘If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.’ And he said to them, ‘Go.’ So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region” (Matthew 8:31-34).

My buddy Clay Gentry pointed this out to me once, I think based on a lesson from John Maxwell.

How on earth could these people ask Jesus to leave their country? He had just demonstrated amazing power. He had saved the lives of these two demon-possessed men. He had cleansed them. What could be better? Think of all the good Jesus could do in their community. If He could cast out these demons, He could help so many people.

But in helping them, He had destroyed their pigs. I’m not sure I fully know all the nuances of this story. But I do know for sure that these folks had totally misplaced priorities. Instead of seeing the great work that Jesus had done for these two men. All the neighbors could think about was the pigs.

Sure, we want Jesus to destroy our demons, but do we want Him to do it on our terms? Do we want Him to save our pigs in the process? Are we willing to let Jesus stay with us even if it means destroying our pigs too?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.