Author: David Worcester

Lead Pastor of Compass Church http://CompassChurchSD.com #Jesus, #Family #ChurchPlanting #CollegeMinistry. #Missions http://GospelAppointments.com @collegiatecoll

The Key To Greatness – Matthew 20:17-34

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 20:17-34 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Come on Mom!

I love the funny details of the Bible. Like a soccer mom asking the coach for more playing time for her son, the mother of James and John asked Jesus to let her precious babies to sit at the right and left hand side of Jesus in heaven. Here’s Jesus’ response:

“Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” Matthew 20:22

If James and John really knew what suffering they were signing up for, they may not have been so confident. Then Jesus responded,

“He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” Matthew 20:23

Jesus basically told them that he couldn’t reserve them a place, but God the Father decides that.

Pride Divides

The result of their effort to exalt themselves caused division among the disciples.

“And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.” Matthew 20:24

Pride divides even the closest of friends. Being in a home of brothers we loved to compete, but when the competition became a source of pride it led to jealous feelings and division. Jesus said leading through pride is the way the world works.

“But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.” Matthew 20:25

The way that the world defines greatness is by how many/much you rule over. Position and authority is the world’s key to greatness. Prideful leaders will “lord over” others in order to get what they want. This type of leadership is not the kind Jesus modeled for us.

You’ve Got Served

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26–28

There are several insights from this powerful statement.

1. We should be different from the world.

Christians are to lead by serving and to differentiate themselves from the way the people of the world promote themselves.

2. Leaders must be servants.

If you want to lead, you must be willing to serve. Even Spiderman knows “with great power comes great responsibility.”

Our motivation for leadership should not be to promote ourselves but to serve others.

3. Jesus is our ultimate example

 Jesus, the Lord of the universe came to serve, not to be served. His motivation was others-centered. His entire life was one of service through healing the sick, feeding the hungry and preaching to the helpless. Greater than these things, Christ’s death paid the penalty (or ransom) for our sins, and that is the ultimate service!

True service is costly; Jesus’ death proves that! 

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Why Grace Isn’t Fair – Matthew 20:1-16

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 20:1-16 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Grace Isn’t Fair

Jesus told us a powerful story about God’s grace.

There was a master who needed to hire workers in his vineyard. Early in the morning he went out and hired some workers for a day’s wages. At 9am, he found more people and hired them. At noon, 3pm and 5pm he hired people and told them he would pay them what was fair.

At the end of the day it was time to pay the workers. The men who were hired at 5pm were paid a full day’s wage. When the men who had been working tirelessly all day since morning went to get their pay it was the same as the men who had been working ONLY an hour! No matter how much each one worked, they all got the same day’s wage.

These men complained because it was not fair. Then the master responded,

” Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.  Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.” Matthew 20:14–16

There are a few lessons to be learned from this powerful story.

1.  None Of Us Deserve Grace

The fact that the master generously hired any of those men was his choice. Those of us who have been Christians a long time have a tendency to think that we have some how earned God’s grace by faithfully attending church, but nothing is farther from the truth.

2. We Should Not Compare 

If the men minded their own business and appreciated the money they received, they would have been thankful. When we focus too much on how God is blessing others we sometimes forget his grace toward us. Comparing either leads to pride or depression. Like the men in the story, often when you start comparing you start complaining. 

3. Grace By Definition is Unfair

Grace means unmerited favor. People who come to Christ after a life of crime and sin don’t deserve grace and people who grew up in Church and checked all the religious boxes don’t deserve grace! None of us do. That is what is so radical about it. The murderer and human trafficker has access to the same grace as kid who grew up in Sunday school. All we have to do is receive it.

Will you receive God’s unfair Grace? 

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What Did Jesus Say About Divorce? – Matthew 19

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 19 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Divorce is a Touchy Subject

If you personally have not been directly affected by it, many of your close friends have been. It was a touchy subject back in Jesus’ day as well. The religious leaders wanted to get Jesus to say something controversial, so they ask him,

“Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” Matthew 19:3

Divorce is Not What God Intended 

 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?  So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:4–6

Jesus’ appeal to creation is showing us what God originally intended for us before sin entered the world and messed everything up! God created man and wife to live their lives holding fast to each other.

God’s design is for two to become one flesh, and once they are made one then they are not to separate. When two things are glued together with super glue the only way to speaparte them is breaking both. Unfortunately, this is exactly what divorce does; it breaks the hearts of all involved: husband, wife, and kids.

What About the Old Testament Command That Allowed It?

“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

The law in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 was regulating an already widespread practice of divorce in the Old Testament era. Jesus said it was put in place because of “your hardness of heart.”

The purpose of the law was not to promote divorce but to guard people against taking it lightly and paint divorce in a negative light. Again, Jesus again refers back to God’s design with creation by saying “from the beginning it was not so.”

The Biblical Grounds for Divorce

“And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” Matthew 19:9

Marriage is a permeant physical and spiritual bond where two become one flesh. The only way to break that bond is through a physical act of sexual immorality. Jesus is saying that sexual immorality is a legitimate grounds for divorce, but he is not saying that it has to end the marriage.

When adultery happens, sometimes the damage is virtually unrepairable. Though if both parties decide to make it work it can be healed by God. Reconciliation and forgiveness is still the ideal.

The other Biblical grounds for divorce is found in the case of an unbeliever separating from a believer.

“But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. ” 1 Corinthians 7:15

In the case of an unbeliever leaving a believer, then the believer is not bound to that commitment and can remarry.

Jesus Forgives

If you are reading this and you or your parents have been in an unbiblical divorce, then know that Jesus forgives. No one is perfect and the only kind of people he accepts are those willing to admit they are sinners.

If you or a loved one has divorced and remarried unbibically, don’t live in shame; confess your sin to God and make it a priority to honor the marriage you are currently in. Jesus loves us in the midst of our failure and sin; this is the heart of the gospel.

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At What Point Do You Stop Forgiving Someone? – Matthew 18:21-35

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 18:21-35 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

At what point do we stop forgiving someone?

Peter came up to Jesus and asked him this.

“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21–22

Peter was likely trying to impress Jesus with how generous he was willing to forgive someone by saying seven times. Jesus did not mean literally 70 x 7 (or 490 times) and once you get to 491, sorry no more forgiveness. Jesus made it clear that we should NEVER stop forgiving! Jesus then told a story that I will summarize.

God’s Radical Forgiveness

 There was a many who owed a huge sum of money to a King, 10,000 talents, which is equivalent 150,000 year’s wages (1 Talent = 15 years of wages)! In other words that would be something that he could NEVER REPAY! Even at the world’s average income of $7,000 a year, it would be over a BILLION dollars! 

He knew he would be enslaved and in debt forever, so he begged the king to have mercy on him. Out of pity, the master forgave the whole amount!

We are like the servant in this story. God has forgiven us this much!  We can never pay God back the debt we owe him. But in his mercy, he forgives those of us who humble ourselves and ask for it.

Forgive As You Have Been Forgiven

This same servant who had been forgiven so much found someone who owed him a mere 100 denarii (only 100 days wages, which factoring the average current wage would be less than $2,000 USD!). Someone who was forgiven over a BILLION dollars would not forgive someone who owed him less than two thousand dollars!

When we refuse to show others the mercy, we are acting like this servant. We have been forgiven so much, we have NO RIGHT to withhold forgiveness from others. The king was very angry with the servant and asked him this,

“And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” Matthew 18:33

We must forgive as we have been forgiven. 

“At what point do you stop forgiving someone?” 

NEVER!

We must forgive as we have been forgiven, unconditionally and radically. 

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How To Be Great – Matthew 18:1-20

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 18:1-20 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Jesus’ view of greatness is different from the worlds. The disciples asked Jesus, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Here is Jesus’ response!

Humble Like A Kid 

“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 18:2–4

Jesus pulled a kid in to their conversation and used him or her as an object lesson. He said that even to enter God’s kingdom we must become humble like a child.

Humility is the gate to greatness.

A child is unashamed to be totally dependent upon their parents. In the same way, we should be comfortable depending completely on Jesus.

Children not only rely on their parents but they trust their parents’ advice. Children are often willing and eager learners. 

Grow up and act like a kid!

The problem with many of us grown-ups is that we think we know it all! The lesson we can learn from children is to admit that we don’t have it all together or have all the answers. God will not bless you if you are proud and don’t admit your need for him. If you want to be great, you must humbly come to Jesus!

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What Was the Purpose of The Transfiguration? – Matthew 17

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 17 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

The “transfiguration” is one of those cool stories in the gospels, but what was it’s purpose?  These three reasons are my best guess as to why the transfiguration happened. Of course we can not fully know the mind of God and why he does things, but from the text I think these are logical reasons.

1. To Show the Majesty and Glory of Jesus

“And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” Matthew 17:2

The phrase “He was transfigured” is literally the word metamorphoo (like the english word metamorphosis) which means ‘to be changed or transformed.’ Warren Wiersbe put it elegantly,

“A metamorphosis is a change on the outside that comes from the inside. When a caterpillar builds a cocoon and later emerges as a butterfly, it is due to the process of metamorphosis. Our Lord’s glory was not reflected but radiated from within. There was a change on the outside that came from within as He allowed His essential glory to shine forth.”

Jesus was giving Peter, James and John a glimpse of his true glory.

2. To Show Jesus in the Context of the Old Testament

“And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.” Matthew 17:3

I’m not sure how the disciples knew it was Moses and Elijah, but seeing them with Jesus puts him in the context of those men who paved the way for his coming.

Moses and Elijah could represent the “law and the prophets.” Wiersbe said, “All of the Law and Prophets point to Christ and are fulfilled in Christ.” Seeing Jesus with them underlines the fact that he is one with the God of the Old Testament.

3. To Show the Father’s Pleasure with Jesus

“He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Matthew 17:5

The Father took this opportunity to give Jesus the ultimate endorsement. Peter in his second letter wrote of his experience as a proof of Jesus’ divinity.

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.” 2 Peter 1:16–18

He is the Son of God and everything he does please the Father. We would be wise to listen to him!

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What Does “On This Rock I Will Build My Church” Mean? – Matthew 16

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 16 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

I had a chance to visit the ancient city of Ceasarea Philippi, and the city sits under a hug rock (see picture above).  Jesus went here with his disciples and asked them who people said he was. They told him John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked the question that all of us who have heard of Jesus must answer one way or another .

 “But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:15–16

Simon’s answer is one that we all must come to in order to receive eternal life. When someone comes to Christ, it is not because they are so smart but because God has opened their eyes. In the same way, Simon was inspired by God to respond this way to Jesus’ question. Here’s what Jesus told him:

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 16:17

His response was from God and Jesus used the opportunity to share with him how he will use Simon in the future.

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

Peter showed great faith in Jesus in this exchange. Jesus changes his name to Peter, which means “rock.” There is debate on what Jesus meant by “on this rock I will build my church.” Interestingly, Peter in greek is “Petros” which means small rock, and on this rock is the word “Petra” which means bedrock or large rock. Because of this usage of different greek works there have been a variety of interpretations.

The “Rock” could be referring to one of the following things.

  1. “Peter” as the leader of the apostles and their foundational work of building the church. We see them doing this in Acts.
  2. Some say “rock” in this case refers to Jesus himself as the foundation of the church. They argue that Jesus is the “Petra” or large rock that the church is built on. We see the illustration of Jesus as the foundation of the church elsewhere in the Bible.
  3. Some say the “rock” refers the confession Peter made that “Jesus is Christ” and that saving faith is the foundation of the church.
  4. Catholics use this verse to legitimize the Papal tradition. They say that because Peter was the rock and put in charge of the keys of the kingdom that Christ’s blessing continues through the spiritual line of Peter.

My best interpretation is that he is referring to Peter specifically, and that Peter himself will be instrumental in building the church. But I do not believe that there is a papal succession because there is nothing in this passage that implies anything about a passing down of Peter’s authority.

I Will Build My Church 

It is important to note that Jesus himself will build the church. Whether or not the “Rock” he is referring to in this passage is Peter or Jesus himself, the truth is God uses people to advance HIS church! Church leaders can rest assured that ultimately Jesus is the one building his church as they are being used by him. 

The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against It

The Church is not a fortress but an offensive force storming the gates of hell. Jesus and his Church will win. The Church should be on the offense going to the lost and rescuing them from hell!

The Keys To The Kingdom

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Peter was given a stewardship in the kingdom. In his expository outline Warren Wiersbe says,

“These are not the keys to the church, but the keys of the kingdom. They are not the keys to death or eternity, for Christ holds those (Rev. 1:18). In the Bible, “keys” stand for authority and stewardship (Isa. 22:22; Luke 11:52). Peter used these keys when he “opened the door of faith” (Acts 14:27) to the Jews (Acts 2), the Samaritans (Acts 8), and the Gentiles (Acts 10). This is stewardship, not lordship.”

Peter played a significant role in the early church and is an example for us today, though not the ultimate example. Jesus himself is our ultimate “cornerstone” and leader of the church, and we should follow his example.

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How To Have Dogged Determination And Faith – Matthew 15:1-20

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 15:1-20 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Jesus and his disciples when North to the region of Tyre and Sidon to possibly get away from the crowds and the religious leaders. Then a Canaanite woman asked him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Historically, the Canannite people were enemies with the Jews and generally worshiped false gods. Here’s what she said,

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” Matthew 15:22

Jesus ignored this at first. This caused the disciples to tell Jesus to send her away. By ignoring her, he was testing her faith. She called him the Jewish term “Son of David.” This term was used for the promised Jewish Messiah. The commentaries argue that he didn’t respond because she was trying to come to him on Jewish terms. Jesus then said, 

“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24

Jesus used this as an opportunity to share that his ministry focus was indeed the Israelites. (Something we learn from this is that it is okay to have a target group of people that you are trying to reach in your church or ministry, but you still must love and accept everyone.) This response tested her faith even further, but she would not give up!

“But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”  And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Matthew 15:25–26

She then called him “Lord,” which shows her faith in him and does not have the same Jewish ties as “Son of David.” But Jesus again says that he needs to focus his work on feeding his Jewish children and not the Gentiles, or “dogs.”  Jesus is not being harsh with this woman but using a normal term to illustrate how his ministry is directed toward Israel. Even hearing this, she still won’t give up!

“She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.” Matthew 15:27–28 

Jesus called this woman’s faith GREAT! We can learn a lot from this woman to not give up asking Jesus for what we want. Jesus was pleased with her and granted her request. Eventually, after Jesus ministers to the Jews, the good news indeed would be opened up to all people!

This woman’s faith and dogged determination inspire me to ask God and not to give up on my requests. I am grateful that I (as a Gentile) get to eat the crumbs of God’s grace because his crumbs are better than our lobster dinner!

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The Danger of Religious Traditions And Extra Rules – Matthew 15:1-20

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 15:1-20 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Tradition! Tradition! Tradition!

 The religious leaders  came to test Jesus, attempting to get him in trouble for not following the traditions of the day. The tradition in question was the ceremonial washing of the hands before eating. They equated following human traditions with spiritual maturity. Basically they had elevated human traditions to the same level as God’s commands!

Tools Vs Rules

“He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” Matthew 15:3

Jesus reprimanded them for focusing so much on human traditions that they we’re actually not obeying the simplest command to “Honor your father and mother.”

Traditions often start as helpful tools to help you follow God. The problems come when we elevate the tools to the same level as the actual rules.

When tools become rules, we become fools!

When the focus shifts to outward conformity, instead of inward transformation, legalism happens.

“ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” Matthew 15:8–9

Legalism happens when the commands of men become as important as the commands of God.

No One Likes A Fake

Not only do those enslaved in legalism suffer under the unrealistic burdens, but non-believers look in and say, “If that is Christianity, I want no part of it!” The truth is that even those who pretend they are measuring up are just pretending. People can smell someone who is fake a mile away, and will stay away!

The Heart of the Matter

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matthew 15:17–20

Jesus cares most about the heart, because that is what really controls you. The good news is that Jesus offers us a new heart when we choose to repent of our sin, believe in his sacrificial death, and choose to follow him. Stick to the clear commands of scripture and don’t add or subtract from them. Focus on following Jesus with a pure heart instead of following human tradition.

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3 Excuses for Not Praying – Matthew 14:22-36

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 14:22-36 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

The Priority of Prayer

Jesus originally crossed the lake to get time alone with God, but then was mobbed by people. He ministered to them all day and even miraculously fed them, but once it was night he sent them away and finally got to go pray!

“And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,” Matthew 14:23

Jesus Made Time For Prayer

After an exhausting day, Jesus was going to spend his night time hours in prayer. It probably would have been more convenient for him to go with the disciples in the boat but he made a sacrifice to get time with God. When was the last time you made a sacrifice like this to spend time with God? 

3 Common Excuses For Not Praying

1. “I’m Too tired”

 Jesus was fully human and must have been tired from a full days work ministering to the masses, but he still prayed.

2. “I’m Too busy”

Jesus had crowds of needy people clamoring for his attention and he still made time to be alone with God.  The truth is that we have so much to do that we need God’s help! We are too busy NOT to pray!

3. “It’s Not Convenient”

Spending the night up on a cold hill after working hard all day does not sound convenient. Walking on water to where his disciples were sailing to does not sound convenient. Jesus’ relationship with the Father was so great that he was willing to sacrifice convenience to spend time alone with him.

A Time and A Place

Jesus intentionally would go up to the hills or into the wilderness  in order to pray. I wonder if those of us who live in cities and never get out alone amidst God’s creation miss something. If Jesus made it a point to get alone physically then we would be wise to follow his example in finding some time and an inspiring place for prayer!

I am inspired by Jesus’ commitment to prayer and hope that I can make it more of a priority in my life.

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