Today’s reading is Matthew 23:1-24:51.

“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:9-12).

I understand these are not absolutes. As a description of a role in the family or in learning, being called a father, an instructor, or a teacher is not wrong. Jesus isn’t talking about using these terms as descriptives of roles, but in the since of greatness. Don’t set anyone on a pedestal. We are all brethren. None of us is a Father. Only God is the Father. None of us is the teacher, only Christ is the teacher.

But this struck me differently today and I needed to hear it. Too often, I want to be seen as “THE TEACHER.” I want folks to praise me for my skills and abilities. I want others to set me apart as if I’m special because of my gifts and abilities. Not only must I not call others Father, Instructor, Teacher, I should not seek that kind of honor. This isn’t about me. It is about Jesus. It isn’t about me. It is about the Father. The more I strive to be exalted, the more I will be humbled.

Today, I need to exalt God. May He be praised. Look to Him for guidance, not me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:23.

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor” (1 Corinthians 3:5-8).

I needed to hear that. How easy it is as a preacher to get caught up in competing with other preachers, especially if we have worked with the same congregation at some time. We each may want to be the favored. We may get upset if someone likes another preacher better. We may get jealous based on the results of each man’s labor. But we are all just servants. We are each doing our own work. And the work we are doing is what the Lord has given opportunity for.

Paul laid a foundation. Apollos was building on it. But neither of them were better than the other because neither of them could actually cause growth anyway. Only God causes growth. Instead of competing with other workers in the vineyard, today I must simply pursue the opportunities God has given me. That’s my job. His job is growth and I’ll leave that up to Him.

Why compete? God is the one who does the hard work. I’ll just pray for opportunities to glorify him today in my life and in the life of my fellow workers.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 17:1-18:28.

“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak, boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:24-26).

Being eloquent doesn’t mean I’m always right. Just because I can put words together well and make my position sound good, doesn’t mean I’m right. Just because I’m competent in the Scriptures, doesn’t mean I’m always right. Just because I’ve received good teaching doesn’t mean I’m always right. Just because I’m fervent doesn’t mean I’m always right. Just because I’m right some of the time doesn’t mean I’m always right.

I hope I can take the correction of those who know the will of God on some issue better than me as well as Apollos did. But it is so easy to get defensive if someone questions whether or not I’m right. I don’t know if Apollos was defensive at all, but it appears in the end, he came around to the truth on this baptism issue. I hope I do so well when someone corrects me with truth.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS: What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:20.

Today, Paul said I need to be like a nursing mother. In I Thessalonians 2:7-8, Paul said, “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

I am much more attuned to 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12, “For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God…” I think I get the being like a father who coaches, teaches, tells and even directs. But being like a nursing mother, gentle, affectionate, sharing not only the gospel but sharing myself? That is not something I’m really up on. That sounds kind of girly.

I don’t have a tendency to want to share myself with others. I want to tell them what to do and send them on their way. But watch a mother with her nursing child. It is a slice out of the day. It is a burden. It is tiring. Yet, for love of the child a mother nurses her infant, accepting the burden, the sacrifice, the labor, giving herself to the child, not just giving direction and then shooing away.

If I will walk in the footsteps of Paul as a teacher, I will learn that my job is not merely that of the father, exhorting and directing, but also that of the mother, caring, nurturing, sacrificing, sharing.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Romans 1:1-2:29.

I feel like I’ve been kicked in the teeth by today’s reading. Paul said, “You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” (Romans 2:21). In the previous verse he talked about how some want to be seen as teachers of children. 

I guess today gets to be confession time. I’ve made a realization. Over the past years I’ve been trying to teach my children how to get along. I’m always stopping them from yelling at each other, being sarcastic with each other, picking at each other. I rebuke them for making demands, instead of asking nicely. I discipline them for acting like they don’t want the others around or acting like their friends are better than their siblings.

I finally figured out where all that came from. I wish I could say, “Their mother.” Regrettably, that isn’t the case. Or if she’s involved in it too, that is for their mother to confess on her own. The truth of the matter is, they have seen all those things in me. They have heard me talk to them in those ways when I’m angry. I justify it with, “I’m the father, I’m supposed to be like this.” But the reality is these attitudes aren’t healthy in any relationship whatsoever. They have heard me talk like this to their mother. That is really sad. 

How can I do that? It’s easy. I can spend most of my time thinking my job is to teach everyone else. My job is to teach you. My job is to teach my kids. My job is to teach my wife. When I spend most of my time thinking my job is to teach everyone else, I can ignore me and think I’m doing pretty well. What I need to remember is that first and foremost my job is not to teach you. My job is to teach me.

So, here goes. “Edwin, quit yelling so much. Ask, don’t demand. Be pleasant. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Stop being sarcastic and making fun of people.” I hope I can learn my lesson.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is John 7:1-8:59.

Once again, the Scripture humbles me and plots a correction course for me. Jesus said, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood” (John 7:16-18).

I love to preach. I love to teach. I love teaching classes. I love teaching one on one. I love to write. I enjoy this blog, my personal blog, and the blog for the congregation with which I work. I love to write articles when asked. I love writing books or participating in the books others are putting together. The problem is with all this teaching, whether verbal or written, there is a huge temptation. I want to say something new. I want to say something profound. I want to say something for which others will look at me and say, “Wow, Edwin, you are amazing.” Jesus explains that when my motivation is glorifying me, I’m not helping anyone. When I’m glorifying God, I avoid falsehood. 

Today’s reading reminds me of my job in Christ’s kingdom. It is not my job to be a profound preacher, a witty writer, a talented teacher. My job is to learn God’s will and pass it on. Why? Because God’s way works and mine doesn’t.

Please forgive me for the arrogant pride that sometimes creeps in as I try to be of help. Hold me accountable and let’s work together to glorify God instead of ourselves.

***Question: What do you do to get rid of pride and instead glorify God?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:23.

I hear a lot of people make a huge deal out of 1 Corinthians 2:2. “For I decided to know nothing among you except jesus Christ and him crucified.” They then go on to rebuke preachers for talking about all kinds of topics other than just the crucifixion of Jesus as if the only thing a real preacher who proclaims the gospel will talk about is Jesus’ crucifixion.

Here is my question. Do we think Paul changed his mind by the time he wrote his letter to them? While he was present did He decide to only know “Jesus Christ and him crucified” but in his letter decide to know a bunch of other stuff?

Let’s consider some of the topics Paul taught the Corinthians about while he decided to know only “Jesus Christ and him crucified.” He rebuked them for their division. He talked to them about evangelism. He commented on immorality and church discipline. He taught about brothers going to law. He discussed marriage and divorce. He talked about eating food offered to idols. He spoke against idolatry. He taught about head coverings. He corrected them regarding the Lord’s Supper. He governed the use of miraculous spiritual gifts. Then he even talked about Jesus Christ and him resurrected. Finally, he added some information about the church taking up a collection.

Please, don’t take 1 Corinthians 2:2 out of its context and use it to bludgeon preachers who haven’t preached specifically about the crucifixion in a few weeks. When Paul knew only Jesus Christ and him crucified, it led him to teach on any number of topics. If we are going to teach like he did, we’ll do the same thing.

***Question: What topics do you think need to be preached about more?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Luke 23:1-24:53.

I just can’t help but be drawn to one of the issues about which I think people today make way too big of a deal. In the earnest desire to make eating a major aspect of Christian work, folks have looked for any straw they can grasp to make eating together more important.

Don’t misunderstand, I do believe Christians should spend time together in social settings (cf. Acts 2:46). However, this story about Jesus meeting the men on the road to Emmaus is not about the Lord’s Supper and it is not intended to make eating together the central act of Christianity.

It is true that when Jesus broke the bread and blessed it, their eyes were opened, and they saw Jesus for who He really was. However, that is not trying to make the breaking of bread some significant act. That was merely the moment at which Jesus finally revealed Himself to these two disciples. This was not a re-enactment of the Lord’s Supper for these men. They were not of the 12 who had participated in that feast. In fact, when they realized they had seen Jesus, they went back to find the 11 (Luke 24:33). They had no baseline to remember the moment when Christ broke the bread and instituted the Supper, so this would not be a reminder to them of that. It is just the moment when Jesus finally opened their eyes.

Further, this is not saying that in eating together Christians meet Jesus. How can we forget what Paul said in Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” With verses like this, why do we try to elevate eating to the status of some amazing spiritual act?

Having said all this, did you notice the response of the two on the road to Emmaus? “They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’” (Luke 24:32). 

There is the key. There response was not, “Oh, look how important eating is.” There response was rather, “Why didn’t we get it while He was explaining the Scriptures?” They saw what was important. They understood that their hearts burned while they heard the truth of God expounded from God’s word. 

We really need to grasp that today. Sure, Christians should spend time together. We should eat together. It is absolutely true that the Lord’s Supper is an important part of our submission. However, we need to know that this passage is not elevating eating as the highest act of Christian work. It is actually elevating hearing, knowing, and teaching the Scriptures accurately. That is were we need to spend our time.

***Question: How have the Scriptures helped you serve God better?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Just a quick note today because Titus 2:1-10 has a very subtle point I think every young man, especially preachers and teachers need to note.

In this text, Paul told Titus what to teach older men, what to teach younger men, what to teach older women and what to teach slaves. Interestingly, when it came to the younger women, he told Titus to teach the older women what to teach them. 

Why the shift? Why not tell Titus what to teach the young women? 

Isn’t the reason a bit obvious. Titus has no business getting involved in the lives of the young women. He doesn’t need to be in any situation where he might be alone with a young woman teaching her anything. 

This just demonstrates exactly how insightful God is and how practical the word really is. Even in this subtle statement we see God’s understanding of practical ways for us to stay pure. I realize there can be all kinds of temptations even in the other relationships mentioned. But one of the most natural places to stray even while intending to be pure is when men start hanging out with younger women trying to support and educate them in anything.

Guys, don’t do it. Teach the older women to teach the younger women and protect yourself from this temptation.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Sometimes it seems the only rule for today is don’t offend people. Of course, this rule isn’t applied to offending people because our language is crude. It doesn’t apply to offending people because we are being vulgar. It doesn’t apply to offending people because we are being sexually explicit. No, the only rule guiding society today is we are not allowed to offend someone by suggesting something they are doing religiously is wrong. After all, we are told, Jesus would never be offensive. He came down just to let everyone know how much He loved us all.

Yet, look again at Matthew 15:10-14:

“And he called the people to him and said to them, ‘Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.’ Then the disciples came and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’ He answered, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind both will fall into a pit” (ESV).

Oh…wait…maybe Jesus wasn’t as PC as modern folk want to claim. However, note that Jesus’ offense was not because of carelessness or lack of concern. He was merely going to teach the truth no matter what anyone thought about it. If if offended them, so be it.

We need to keep this in mind. As Christians, we should not be carelessly and recklessly offensive. Offending because we don’t care about people and therefore we mock them or treat them sarcastically should not be known among us. However, we need to come to grips with the fact that lots of people just won’t like the truth. Whether they like it or not, we have to teach it just like Jesus did. 

I think the key is to check our motivation. When we speak, are we speaking the truth in love? Or are we merely trying to put someone with whom we disagree in their place? Are we trying to help someone? Or are we trying to make them look foolish?

If someone is offended because we are being careless, reckless and sarcastic, then we need to repent and make amends. If someone is offended because they simply won’t accept the truth revealed in God’s word, then we should recognize them for the blind guides they are. 

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC