November 21 - Acts 13-14: Paul and Barnabas vs. God's (Previous) Chosen People and Greek-god Worshipers

Today’s Reading: Acts 13-14

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Paul and Barnabas had to go against people who did not understand religion.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

The Holy Spirit told the disciples in Antioch to send Barnabas and Saul to teach the nations.
At Paphos, Saul, aka Paul, blinded Bar-Jesus for obstructing the Truth. The Roman governor believed.
John Mark returned home mid-trip.
Paul was invited to speak at a synagogue. Gentiles were grateful to receive God's Word; the Jewish leaders argued with Paul.
After healing a man, Paul and Barnabas persuaded the Lyconians to worship the Creator.
Jews following them forced them out of several towns.
They strengthened the new believers and appointed leaders. Then they returned to Antioch to report on God's Work.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Paul and Barnabas left with the Holy Spirit's and the Antiochian Christians' approval.

God wanted to have more relationships set right, so He sent Paul and Barnabas to the nations around Antioch. The Disciples joined in and commissioned them to go. Don't do mission work alone. Have the Holy Spirit's direction and a group of Christians commission your work. This does two things—it gives you a group to provide support and accountability and a group that you can return and tell your story to.

The story of Bar-Jesus may have explained Saul's name change to Paul.

It is possible (and a complete guess) that the governor of Paphos, Sergius Paulus, gave Saul his name to give cache and an air of protection around Saul. This may have helped give Paul comfort as he was being chased out of town after town.

The Jews in Antioch in Pisidia repeated the irony of Israel.

The Jews were very interested in Jesus—when He was for them only. The moment the entire city showed up to hear Paul teach about Jesus they could no longer listen. They had to keep God for themselves—forgetting the real purpose of religion. This set up the most ironic moment in the entire book: God's Chosen People, who invited one of their own to tell them about Jesus, argued vociferously with their guests in public, ran them out of town on a rail, then followed along causing trouble from town to town while non-Chosen People accepted the Truth about Jesus and became His Disciples. No doubt it reminded the first Christians about Jesus' interactions with the Roman Centurion and His interactions with the Pharisees. God's Chosen People can be the second-greatest enemy to God setting things right on the earth.
What can we get from this today? Before we consider ourselves the Gentiles accepting the Message, we need to remember this problem is a generational one, not a racial or ethnic one. Yesterday we read how God no longer used race or ethnicity to limit His Chosen People. A similar story was when Joshua circumcised the Jewish males before attacking Canaan. We are often the Jews arguing minute theological details with people trying to set things right. I have a friend who grew up gangbanging in the ghetto. After bouts with addiction and other issues, God and he set their relationship right. He now works for a charity helping homeless people overcome their problems. His congregation is currently embroiled in a controversy over musical instruments to worship. He told me, "I don’t care if they worship with instruments or not. All I want to do is praise God for saving my life from the streets." To argue with him is to do the very thing the Jews were doing in Antioch of Pisidia. Reflecting on the philosophy of Gamaliel, we should allow people to speak to find out if the Spirit is guiding them or not.

The Gentiles "could hardly believe their good fortune" (13:48, The Message).

Not everything went wrong in Antioch of Pisidia. Many non-Chosen People realized that they could become God's Chosen People because He opened the door and entered their lives. They trusted in God because many in the world wanted to worship God if they only had the chance.

The Lyconians were so anxious to worship something that they almost did not listen to Paul and Barnabas explain that they were not gods.

It is a very strange thing when people become so excited to worship something that they have to be shocked into realizing the object or person they want to worship does not want their worship. Paul and Barnabas barely stopped them from offering sacrifices on their behalf. Paul and Barnabas were more diplomatic than Isaiah, though.

Paul and Barnabas appointed local leaders on their way back to Antioch.

These leaders were not multi-generational believers who had advanced training. They were people fully convinced that God was setting things right on the earth and were wholly for Him. Leaders should be fully-dedicated to setting things right, not advanced training, a long track record of coming to worship services, and the ability to lead meetings.

Do you praise with your missionaries when they return to tell all the great things happening to set things right?

November 4 - Matthew 22; Mark 12: Futile Questions on a Futile Quest to Trap the Son of Man

Today’s Reading: Matthew 22; Mark 12

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Jesus shows both the Pharisees and the Sadducees that they miss Scripture by focusing on minute details.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Jesus continued storytelling, "A king opened his banquet to anyone. One improperly-dressed person was removed.
"Vineyard workers beat and killed their master's servants and his son. They were executed and replaced."
Pharisees sprung a trap, "Should we pay taxes to Caesar?"
Jesus responded, "Give to both Caesar and God."
Sadducees questioned marriage at the resurrection.
Jesus responded, "Marriage is not needed then."
Pharisees asked, "What is the greatest commandment?"
"Love the Lord your god with everything and your neighbor as yourself."
"Beware religious scholars who do not set things right."
A poor widow gave more than anyone by giving all.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Jesus splits the middle between Caesar and God.

The question about paying taxes to Caesar was not a softball question. Caesars were considered gods after their deaths and eventually called themselves gods and demanded worship. The Jews had rebelled against Rome in the past (the history is written in the Apocrypha). The question about paying taxes was about contributing to emperor worship or rebelling against Rome. If Jesus had answered "yes" He would have approved of emperor worship. If He answered "no" He would become a revolutionary. The answer the Pharisees got was the answer the least expected, "Respect Caesar as your leader, worship God as your Creator." Respect government officials, but only worship God.

Marriage is unnecessary when we are with God.

Marriage was meant to populate the world and provide a companion. When we are with God, we neither need to populate the Earth nor need companionship. God will be our Companion for eternity.

The greatest commands provide the foundation for every command given by God.

"Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence." This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: "Love others as well as you love yourself." These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them. (Matthew 22:37-40, The Message)

Every command falls into one of these two areas. The question we should ask when we see any command given by God is does it help love God or love my neighbor? Any command given beyond what is in Scripture should also be based on one of the two.

Jesus shows the futility of trapping Him in a theological quandary by proposing His own.

In this reading, Jesus was faced with three major questions which were futile attempts at trapping Him in theological quicksand. Jesus wanted to show how silly they were in asking these questions by posing His own. The answer is unimportant—it doesn't help people love God or love their neighbor as themselves. However, since the Pharisees cared more for the words of Scripture instead of its meaning, the question could not be answered. They did not understand that some things do not make sense because our rules are man-made, not God-given. Beware deep, theological discussions about minute details in Scripture. They may prevent you from seeing the meaning of the text.

Beware "scholars" who do not set things right.

The religious leaders complained that only "ignorant" people accepted Jesus. "Scholars" knew better than to obey Jesus, even though He did all of the things necessary for them to believe. Their issue wasn't Jesus at all. They did not care for setting things right. They wanted to keep their education posts. They did not have time to set things right. Jesus wanted everyone to beware of their teachings—they were not being followed.
As a seminary student, I had courses which I did not understand why they were important—at least in how they were taught. Religious training must walk a fine line between equipping for setting things right and setting up an elite class of "academics" who look down on others trying to obey God's Word. Although I realize most of the issues about this come from the students taking their training in the wrong way, we must keep a firm grasp on teaching students to obey God's Word along with understanding God's Word.

Giving is accepted based on mindset not amount.

Jesus was not discounting the gifts rich people brought. He was praising the widow for giving everything. She gave more than everyone else because she was willing to put more faith in God to provide for her future. By giving more we put more faith in God to provide for our needs.

Love the Lord Your god with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.

October 23 - John 7-8: Jesus Passes Light to the World, Except Those who Reject Him

Today’s Reading: John 7-8

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

The Pharisees try to find every little thing they can to discredit Jesus.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Jesus showed the world their evil hearts. They wanted Him dead.
The Jews were impressed by Jesus' Wisdom. Jesus told them, "Anyone can understand what I teach except those who refuse to set things right." Many people believed.
On the last day of the feast, Jesus openly called for followers. The police refused to arrest Him. Nicodemus stood up for Him.
An adulteress was brought to Jesus but let go for lack of an executioner with perfect morals.
The Pharisees failed to see Jesus as the Light because they missed God. This prevented them from understanding Jesus' Ways and Teachings.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

The world wants to destroy Jesus because He sheds light on their evil hearts.

Jesus tells us, in exact terms, why the world wanted to destroy Him: He was a threat to keeping their evil intentions hidden. He had to be destroyed.

The Jews and Pharisees wanted to discredit Jesus on technicalities.

One of the parts of Jesus' Ministry I love is His dedication to the larger picture without losing the details, and vice-versa. Jesus understood the Real Story of life but made sure all of the prophecies were completed. Because the Jews and Pharisees could not defeat Him by finding fault in His teachings, they resorted to picking at Him—His hometown, His healing on the Sabbath, a lack of corroborating witnesses, His Father's identity, His identity, and their freedom and lineage. They wanted to discredit Jesus so much they were willing to do any and everything to get rid of Him.

The "religious scholars" rejected Jesus. The "religiously ignorant" accepted Him.

Before we discuss education and training for God's Chosen People, we must first remember that Jesus was not rejected by people who knew the Law. He was rejected by those who had studied the Law since birth. People ignorant of the Bible may be the ones who accept Jesus easiest.
It is this reason that I find the fact that Americans are growing less and less knowledgeable about the Bible to be a two-sided coin. On the one hand, they will not know what Jesus did because He is unknown to them. On the other hand, Jesus' teachings can be taught fresh because they do not have the baggage which prevents many from accepting them.

Nicodemus defended Jesus.

Jesus had friends in high places.

Jesus realized the adulteress was brought to Him to test Him, not because the crowd wanted justice done.

We do not know if this story is really in the Bible or not. Either way, what is important to see is that the Pharisees and Jews did not want Jesus to bring justice upon this woman. They wanted to put Him in a lose-lose situation. When he not only refused to execute her but also condemned them, they had no recourse but to walk away. Beware moral traps meant to snare a quick win and not a substantial dialogue on how to set things right.

Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.

It is a difficult statement which is essential for us to understand. Stay away from sin! It will make you a slave!

Jesus provides plenty of Light to free the world from its slavery.

We are to be lighthouses for the nations. We do this not by originating light but by reflecting the Light that comes from God through Jesus. Jesus' Light frees the nations from their bondage in sin because His Way is the Truth, meaning His Way is the right way to live.

Do you live in the Light or are a slave to sin?