Tag: Jesus

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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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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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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What Compassion Tastes Like – Matthew 14:1-21

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 14:1-21 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

From Retreat To Mission Trip

Jesus had just heard the news that his fellow minister, John the Baptist, has died. Jesus was planning on taking some time alone to be with God and possibly mourn. The crowd heard Jesus was going away and followed him on foot!

Personally, I would be annoyed if I was trying to get away and people kept following me. But Jesus had a different response.

“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14

Jesus had compassion, which literally means “to have pity.” Jesus felt the needs of the crowd and gave up his comfort and rest for their sake. He proceeded to heal the sick among them and spend the day with them. Here’s the principle…

Compassion Fuels Loving Action

Jesus’ love was demonstrated again after a long day of healing as the disciples recommended the people go back to the village and get some food. But Jesus was not ready to send them away yet. Earlier that day Jesus was headed to be alone; now he couldn’t get enough of these people!

Opportunity To Teach 

Jesus was a master at taking opportunities to teach his disciples while meeting needs of people. Instead of telling them what he was going to do he said, “You feed them.”  The disciples must have been shocked, because they only had five loves and two fish!

Jesus then said, “Bring them here.” He prayed and asked the disciples to distribute the food. Miraculously, he was able to feed all 5,000 of the men and many other women and children. Everyone ate all they wanted and there was 12 baskets of leftovers!

In this exchange, Jesus showed his disciples what compassion looks like, demonstrated his power, tested their faith, and involved them in the process of meeting needs!  

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Jesus Was Loving Not Legalistic – Matthew 12:1-23

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 12:1-23 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Jesus was a perfect example of what it looks like to show mercy and love to people instead of being chained down by legalism.

Legalism is basically the belief that a strict adherence to rules is required for entrance into Heaven and to gain favor with God.

Lord of the Sabbath

The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day who were known for their legalism. Not only were they vigalent with the Scriptural commands, but they developed extra rules on top of that and looked down on those who didn’t follow them.

They gave Jesus and his disciples a hard time for picking grain on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was and is a big deal for the Jewish people. God has commanded us to rest one day out of the week, but the Jewish people have taken that rule and added many extra rules surrounding it.

Sabbath Elevator 

When I was visiting Jerusalem, I encountered one way they are still trying to keep this law that demonstrates  legalism. We were in a hotel and one of the elevators stopped at every floor, because pushing a button on the Sabbath would be considered working! The Jews of the day didn’t have elevators, but they had many similar laws about the Sabbath so they were anxious to see what Jesus would do.

Basically, Jesus tells them that they are missing the point of the law!

“And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:7–8

God values mercy over sacrifice. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and set an example to not be chained by man’s extra rules while still obeying the clear commands of the Bible.

Love is Greater Than Legalism

Jesus then had a chance to demonstrate how love was better than legalism. There was a man with a deformed hand in the synagogue and the Pharisees tried to set Jesus up by asking if it was permitted to heal on the Sabbath. I love his response!

“He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:11–12

Jesus then healed the man’s hand! This made the legalistic Pharisees mad. To Jesus, people were the priority over following man-made rules! PEOPLE ARE THE PRIORITY!

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6 Principles for Effective Short Term Missions – Matt 10:1-20

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Reflection from my reading in Matt 10:1-20 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

We can learn some valuable principles for how to do short-term trips from Jesus’ instructions. These are NOT commands for all Christians but specific instructions from which we can learn principles.

1. Go To A Specific People Group

“These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 10:5–6

Jesus told them specifically to go to the Jews, not the Samaritans or Gentiles. We should love everyone we come across but focus on reaching those we are sent to reach!

2. Preach the Kingdom

” And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 10:7

Preaching is still the best way to share the good news! Don’t be afraid to share the good news. Besides, you are only there for a short time so why not be bold?!

3. Meet Practical Needs

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.” Matthew 10:8

Generously meet the needs of the area. Pray for the sick to be healed and meet other practical needs of the area.  This will draw positive attention to you and open doors for your message.

4. Trust God to Meet Your Needs

“Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.” Matthew 10:9–10

Where God guides, God provides. Don’t let money stop you from going where God called you. Remember, these are specific commands that applied to the 12, but the principle is that we should expect God to provide if we are serving him.

5. Find A Worthy Host

 “And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.” Matthew 10:11–13

If you find someone willing to host you, stay there! Don’t be too proud to accept hospitality. This will open up relational doors to the network of the host and will establish you as a legitimate person in the community. This summer in Germany, our students stayed with host students, loved it and were able to influence more people that way!

6. Harvest The Ripe

“And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” Matthew 10:14

Move with the movers. And if no one is moving… move on! Don’t pressure people that are not interested in hearing! Move on and find those who are ripe for the good news. One thing that I like to do is to pray that we could find the ripe people to talk to. Imagine a farmer yanking all the fruit off the tree before it’s ripe; that would be silly. As you go, God will bring you some who are ready to hear your message, focus on them!

I love short term trips and hope that more will follow these principles and bring many more to faith in Jesus!

Harvesters Wanted – Matt 9:18-38

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 Reflection from my reading in Matthew 9:18-38 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Compassion Fuels Passion

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:35–36

If you notice here, Jesus’ compassion was the driving force behind his effort. It wasn’t his desire for a big ministry or to look good for others. His compassion fueled his passion!

Without Jesus People Are…

Harassed – People are confused and troubled by worry, depression, lies and attacks from the enemy.

Helpless – This term in the original greek can also mean to be thrown down. Picture a fight when a small child or woman is thrown down violently on the ground by a larger man. The result is someone dejected and alone lying on the ground with no hope. This is what people are like without Jesus.

Like Sheep Without A Shepherd –  Without Jesus, people are like a sheep without a shepherd lost in the middle of the wilderness. They don’t have any purpose or direction for their lives. They are vulnerable to any attack. Ultimately, they are doomed without the protection of the Shepherd.

Jesus did something about it! 

This should motivate us to do something to be a part of God’s harvest. I love that before the description of Jesus’ compassion it actually shows us the example of Jesus actively traveling around preaching the good news, healing, and giving people hope. Along with doing our part in spreading the good news, Jesus gives us something we all can do to be a part of this great harvest! 

How to Get More Harvesters  

“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37–38

Here’s the principle, The problem is not the lack of harvest but lack of harvesters! 

Jesus’ solution to this problem is to pray earnestly, or to literally beg or plead with God to send more workers into the field. And when you pray this, be ready to be an answer to your own prayers and harvest yourself!

Imagine all the harassed, helpless people who would be saved if we all took a few moments a day and prayed that God would raise up more workers for his great harvest?

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Jesus Partied With A Purpose – Matt 9:1-17

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 Reflection from my reading in Matt 9:1-17 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

From Traitor To Gospel Writer

 “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.  Matthew 9:9 

Jesus was criticized for the company he kept. Tax collectors were known as traitors because they not only worked for the Roman oppressors, but they also charged extra and kept money for themselves. But Jesus asked one of the tax collectors, named Matthew, to follow him.

Matthew later became a gospel writer! Jesus looked at Matthew and saw him for what he could be instead of what he was. Jesus gave him a second chance and Matthew took it!

Chill’n With Jesus

 “And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.” Matthew 9:10 

I love the picture of Jesus reclining with the most notorious sinners of the day. Very often when someone comes to Christ, there are good opportunities for them to reach out to their friends. I believe one reason Jesus was able to have access to the tax collectors and sinners was because they were Matthew’s friends! Jesus used natural connections in order to reach his friend’s group.

In order to reach people, we have to be around them. When was the last time you just hung out with non-believers?

It Doesn’t Look Good…

 “And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  Matthew 9:11 

Jesus was criticized by the religious leaders of the day. Jesus was willing to let his reputation suffer for the sake of loving those people and showing them mercy.

A Hospital for Sinners 

 “But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Matthew 9:12–13 

Jesus preferred spending time with those who knew they needed him over those who thought they were perfect. Jesus came to heal the spiritually sick. Jesus showed us that mercy is greater than sacrifice. As a church, I believe we must follow Jesus’ example of spending time with people who need God and provide a safe place for sinners to come receive the healing in our services. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes of what the Church should be,

“The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” – Abigail Van Buren

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Excuses for Not Following Jesus – Matt 8:18-34

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 Reflection from my reading in Matt 8:18-34 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Comfort 

“And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”  Matthew 8:19–20 

Comfort is an idol for many people, especially in western society. Everything is easy, fast, and convenient. The problem with our passion for comfort is that we make it a higher priority than Jesus did. Jesus warned the religious teacher that He didn’t have the comfort of a permeant home. The bottom line is…

 If we are going to follow Jesus, we must to be willing to be uncomfortable. 

Having comfort is a blessing. I love sitting in my reclining coach, but sometimes if I sit too long it is hard for me to get up. The same is true of our lives. If we make comfort too high of a priority then we will not be willing to fully obey what Jesus is telling us to do.

 Now, not everyone is called to be nomadic like Jesus or go live in a hut in Africa, but we all are called to be willing to do whatever God is leading us to.

The crazy thing is that often the most fruit comes when we embrace the least comfortable situations. People in sales know that the uncomfortable moment of asking for the sale is the most fruitful. Often when God gets us out of our comfort zone is when we see Him use us most and we feel most alive!

Family First or Jesus First?

 “Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”  Matthew 8:21–22 

“Family first” is a popular phrase. But even family can become an idol if it is put in front of God. Don’t get me wrong, I think family should be the number one priority after God, but if you put your family before your relationship with God it creates all kinds of problems.

I believe many people who are called to be missionaries don’t go for this reason. I have seen first hand the pressures parents often put on students whom I have ministered who have decided to go on mission trips or even decide to be missionaries full time. Putting family before Jesus will actually hurt them in the long run. Here’s the truth,

 The best thing you can do for your family is to lead them to follow Jesus above all! 

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What Amazed Jesus – Matthew 8:1-17

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Reflection from my reading in Matt 8:1-17 the One Year Bible New Testament. 

Under Authority

A Roman officer asked Jesus to heal his servant that was suffering terribly. Jesus was very willing to come to his home and heal him. Here’s what the centurion said,

“But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  Matthew 8:8–9 

The officer understood that those in authority have it regardless of proximity. He had faith that Jesus had authority over his servant’s sickness.  The officer’s faith was in the authority of Jesus, not in some magic formula.

When you pray, are you depending on a formula or are you trusting the power of Jesus? 

Jesus Marveled

“When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Matthew 8:10 

Jesus was amazed at the Gentile (non-Jewish) officer’s faith. It’s amazing to me that the Son of God was amazed! He had not seen faith this strong in all his travels amongst the people of Israel, which were God’s chosen people!

All Over the World

 “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 8:11 

In this statement, Jesus is commending the officer, but at the same time he is using it as a lesson that non-Jewish people can have faith too! Indeed, people all over the world are coming to faith in Jesus and will celebrate in the Kingdom of Heaven! And ironically, many Jewish people will reject Jesus as their Messiah, and instead of feasting in God’s Kingdom will experience separation from God in Hell. Jesus then said to the officer in Matt 8:13,

                            “Go, let it be done for you as you have believed.”

Jesus was not bound by location but healed the servant instantly because of the officer’s faith. I wonder how much Jesus would do in our lives if we had faith like that officer. I am encouraged to believe in Jesus’ power to do anything and pray big prayers knowing Jesus has the authority to answer them if he chooses!

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