October 30 - Luke 17:11-18:14: The Kingdom of God, Jesus' Return, and P.U.S.H.

Today’s Reading: Luke 17:11-18:14

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

I'm glad I'm not like the people who say they are glad they are not like the Pharisee who said he was glad not to be like the tax collector.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Jesus healed 10 lepers. Only the Samaritan thanked Jesus.
Jesus told the Pharisees God's Kingdom was already here. To His Disciples He added, "Someday, don't fall for desperate attempts to see Me! I will arrive like lightning—like Noah's day or the demise of Sodom and Gomorrah—quick and sudden."
Jesus taught a parable about a woman bothering a judge until he answered her. "Continually pray to God and He will hear you."
He also compared a Pharisee's pompous chest-beating prayers to a tax collector's humble request for mercy. "The tax collector had his relationship made right, not the Pharisee."

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

The Samaritan leper and the other nine illustrated Israel's problem with God.

Israel was taken out of Egypt and brought into a new land. They were given a stable kingdom and lived in ease. Instead of becoming a lighthouse to the nations they became self-righteous and treated God as just another god. Eventually they rejected Jesus because He was not like them. The Samaritans (half-blooded Jews and outsiders) were willing to listen to Jesus. They obeyed Him and wanted Him to stay around. Just like the Samaritan leper thanked Jesus while the other nine ignored Him, Non-Chosen People bless God while His Chosen People cannot find the time to praise Him.
This should seem somewhat familiar to Chosen People today. We struggle with accepting Jesus as our Lord. We want Him as our Savior to wash our sins away, but we struggle with obeying Him. There are many outside God's Chosen People who bless God. We must be willing to see their praises for what they are and join them.

Jesus' Disciples would one day long to be with Him.

Jesus realized the Apostles and Disciples would have the world's worst case of nostalgia after He left. He knew they would desperately seek to be with Him again. This is why He warned them not to fall into a trap and believe when people said Jesus was right around the corner or hiding in a back alley. Do not listen to anyone saying they are (or have seen) the Return of Jesus. His Return will be so obvious there will be no confusion. Unfortunately, this message has been lost throughout the years when many people have thought themselves the reincarnation of Jesus (or the sibling of Jesus).

The Kingdom of God existed even before Jesus died.

We are left with a large question—what is the Kingdom of God? I have a semi-educated guess. I believe the Kingdom of God consists of any person willing to set things right under God's direction. This is why Jesus told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God has already arrived. Some people were willing to set things right because they believed in Jesus and were willing to obey Him. Today, we spread the Kingdom of God not by claiming land for Him or by baptizing people in nations all over the earth. We spread the Kingdom of God by making Disciples of people around the world and help them obey Jesus.

P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens) is not a trite cliché.

I have a confession to make: I do not like acronyms or other silly language tricks. I especially can't stand ones that are religious (F.R.O.G – Fully Rely On God or the infamous W.W.J.D. – What Would Jesus Do). However, P.U.S.H. is quite biblical. In fact, it quite succinctly summarizes Jesus' parable of the widow nagging the judge until he protected her. Continue to cry out for justice. God will hear you and act.

We must not think too much on the story of the Pharisee vs. the tax collector or we risk becoming the Pharisee.

Jesus wanted to make sure that His Disciples understood that God did not need to hear how wonderful they were. They would not set right their relationship with God if they acted like they were greater than everyone else. Only humility is acceptable to God when we pray. Prayer requires humility—we cannot get what we need on our own. Highlighting your strengths or successes to God does no good.
There is a funny story of a person teaching this story to a group. At the end of the class the teacher exclaimed in an excited voice, "Aren't we glad we aren't like this Pharisee?" In reality, many in the Restoration Movement have almost done this very thing. It is not limited to the Restoration Movement, either. Many Chosen People have thought "God is so lucky to have me (us) as His Chosen Person (People)." We must be ourselves—not too proud but remembering that we are God's Chosen People. If we humble ourselves and allow God to mold us, He will turn us into more than we could be alone.

How is god molding your life?

October 22 - Matthew 18: Jesus On Forgiveness and Arrogance

Today’s Reading: Matthew 18

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Jesus wants forgiveness to rule—both in seeking it and giving it.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

The Apostles asked about rank. Jesus responded, "Childlike people rank highest. Treat them well. It's better to be handicapped and God's than whole and the Devil's. Watch your arrogance.
"A shepherd searches for lost sheep. So will God. Seek lost Siblings: first alone, then with a small group, and finally with everyone. If no resolution, treat them as an outsider who needs God. All spoken words are binding."
Peter asked how often to forgive. Jesus spoke a parable, "A servant, forgiven a huge amount, was greatly punished for not forgiving a small amount. God forgives those who forgive others."

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

Childlike people are the highest in the Kingdom. Treat them well.

I never realized these verses went together. I had always thought the "children are first in the kingdom" scripture was separate from the "chop off your hand if it offends you" scripture. Jesus wanted them to go together. He understood the heavy cost of discouraging a young, childlike Chosen Person.
How many times do we see a person new to His Chosen People want to do something or set things right with an undesirable group be rejected by a "mature" person who "knows better". We need to heed Jesus' warning,

Watch that you don’t treat a single one of these childlike believers arrogantly. You realize, don’t you, that their personal angels are constantly in touch with my Father in heaven? (v. 10, The Message)

Jesus wanted conflicts to end with friendship, not bitter partings.

All my life I thought Jesus meant if the person would not listen to the church you should throw them out. However, reading this time alongside Jesus' discussion of the 99 vs. the 1 I realized He does not want people to throw their hurtful Siblings out the door. He wants them to continue seeking a way into the person's heart but treat them as a person who lives an open life of sin. Jesus dined with sinners and called them to repentance. So should we.

Everything a person says is heard and heeded by God.

In an interesting ending to the discourse on regaining a Sibling Jesus says the following,

Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there. (vv. 18-20)

Jesus wants to make sure we know not to go and tear a person down around others, even if they hurt us. This saying both encourages and terrifies. It encourages us because no person is insignificant to God. God hears all. That, on the other hand, terrifies us, God listens to everything we say. Be careful what comes out your mouth.

God's Forgiveness is conditional on our forgiveness of others.

One of the few conditional parts of God is forgiveness. God's Love is boundless. His Compassion knows no end. But His Forgiveness will be taken away if we hold on to our bitterness and do not forgive others. This is a hard saying.

Do you need to forgive someone?

October 14 - Matthew 13; Luke 8: Jesus Unearths Kingdom Truths through Parables

Today’s Reading: Matthew 13; Luke 8

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Jesus tells parables to demonstrate the Kingdom to those who are not ready for the straight truth.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Jesus used stories to unearthed truths about the Kingdom.
The disciples asked why Jesus used parables. "They do not know how the Kingdom works. The stories prepare them to accept the truths. A well-trained student can describe them to Kingdom-seekers."
Jesus' storytelling fulfilled prophecy.
Nazareth was puzzled by Jesus—the carpenter's son who now possessed great wisdom.
Jesus calmed a storm.
At the Gerasenes, Jesus excised the demons torturing a man. Locals asked that He leave.
Jairus begged Jesus to heal his daughter. On the way a woman touched Jesus and was healed. Jesus raised Jairus' daughter from the dead.

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

Jesus used stories to prepare people for the hard truths of the Kingdom.

Jesus understood that some people wanted to set things right but may have had something in their life blocking the truth of the Kingdom from their hearts. He used stories to soften their hearts to receive the truth. Once they could accept the truths, they would exponentially grow. In essence, what Jesus is doing, using the language from the parable of the soils, is tilling the roadside, removing the stones, and weeding the ground to help the difficult soil produce more grain. Some people need preparation for understanding the truths about setting things right.
When we try to pass on the truths about the Kingdom, we must also remember some need preparation before they can hear the straight truths. This is another reason we should model the Kingdom in our lives. They must see the Kingdom at work before they hear about the Kingdom.

God allows evil people to live among His Chosen People to protect His Chosen People.

This should answer the question of why evil people are blessed. God does not want to destroy His Chosen People as collateral.

The Kingdom is worth selling out.

God's Reign is worthy of giving up everything else to join.

Jesus brought everything into the open.

Jesus wanted His disciples to share the truth about the Kingdom to the world because doing so would encourage them to set things right. When God's Chosen People only share the Good News with few, only few will accept the Good News.

Jesus' Work is hindered only by those who fail to trust Him.

No one should blame the Apostles for being scared on the lake. Many people died there. Their fears were real. The problem was their fears outweighed their trust in Jesus. When our fears outweigh our trust in God, God's Work is hindered.

The Gerasenes were afraid of too much change.

The demon-possessed man was a scourge on their land. When he was suddenly and dramatically healed they were unprepared for the great power and great change that came. So Jesus left the man to give the message to them. When people are scared of too much change, let the Message pass through people who are insiders. They can have better success.

Are you willing to take a risk in trusting God?