Bite the Wax Tadpole (W.o.W. Rewind)

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Matthew 13:31-33 

We live in a global age. Nowadays most large companies have adjusted to this fact and are sensitive to cultural and linguistic differences that may arise in their global marketing campaigns. This wasn't always the case though. Many companies made big mistakes when they first went abroad because they didn't pay attention to the little things. As the old adage goes, "The little things can make a big difference." Here's one example. When Coca-Cola first entered the Chinese market it chose a series of characters which rendered a sound similar to Coca-Cola. Literally it sounded like Ke-ke-ken-la. It wasn't until after they had already printed thousands of signs that the executives at Coke discovered that the literal rendering of the characters meant "bite the wax tadpole" in one Chinese dialect. Needless to say this probably didn't help sales. Coke later changed it's Chinese brand name to Ko-kou-ko-le which means "happiness in the mouth."

Little things really do make a big difference! This pretty well sums up what Jesus meant by his parable of the mustard seed. It's easy for us to think about Christianity (or as Jesus liked to call it "the kingdom of God") from a 21st century perspective and forget that it was ever small. It's easy for us to forget that the kingdom must have seemed insignificant back then. It consisted of mainly a carpenter turned preacher and his ragtag group of uneducated disciples. We look back over the centuries and see the millions of believers, all the great thinkers and theologians, the famous sermons, and the great revivals. But Jesus spoke these words sometime around 30AD. Christ is going around and teaching people that the kingdom of God is at hand. It could arrive anytime now. Be ready! Watch! But people expected a glorious king to arrive in pomp and splendor and by comparison Jesus may have seemed a little disappointing. He couldn't even keep all of His followers (John 6:60-71).

Christ reminds his contemporaries about the properties of the mustard seed. Though it was the smallest of their seeds, when planted and given time it grew into a tree which was large enough for birds to nest in its branches. So too is the kingdom. God chose to start small but over time it has gown larger than anyone could have imagined. This is a helpful reminder for me because there are days when what I have to offer God doesn't seem much bigger than a mustard seed. There are days when the work I am doing for the kingdom seems insignificant. On those days, it is helpful to be reminded that we serve a God who uses the small things.  A God who oftentimes starts with what little we have to offer and then multiplies it by the power of His Spirit to do great things. (John 6:1-15).

So if you are feeling like what you have to offer God is a little insignificant today, remember that we serve the guy who bragged on a widow for offering a mite! (Mark 12:41-44) So stop worrying about the fact that you aren't the next Billy Graham. Simply do what God has called and gifted you to do and trust Him to use it for His glory. If you work the security team at your church do it to His glory. If you keep babies in the nursery, do it for His glory. If you serve on the Finance Committee do it for His glory and trust Him to take your small offering and make a big impact. But don't use this as an excuse. You may feel like you are insignificant in the kingdom because you legitimately aren't doing anything. You aren't serving the Lord in any way. You aren't speaking to your neighbors or your friends about salvation. You aren't serving your church or even going to church at all. If so, then remember that the small things make a big difference in your life too. Start doing the little things you know should. Go to church. Pray. Read your Bible. Tell someone else about Jesus; plant a seed in their life. Start small and surrender yourself to God to do the rest over time. Remember the kingdom starts small and small things can make a big difference. 

For further reading...

John 6 (especially 6:1-15 & 6:60-71) - Can you see the kingdom?

Mark 12:41-44 - The widow's mite.

Bringing Increase by Decreasing (W.o.W. Rewind)

An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” 

To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”

John 3:25-30

You can almost hear the panic in the voices of John's disciples. They're concerned that John (the prophet and teacher to whom they have dedicated their lives) is losing his influence. By reading between the lines a little, you even sense a small amount of disdain toward Jesus and His ministry. "The one you testified about," they say. You were so gracious to Him. You honored and exalted Him and now He is encroaching on your turf! He is baptizing and people are going to Him instead of you. This, of course, presents a real problem for John the Baptist. He is kind of pigeon-holed into a certain type of ministry now. He is called John the Baptist after all.

John's response to his disciple's is truly remarkable. Like Job he acknowledges that all he has in life comes from God and ultimately will return to God. John points out that the same is true for Jesus. "If Jesus is receiving influence as mine is waning, then it is because God has chosen to take it away from me and give it to Him," John says. He continues with a wedding metaphor. "Jesus is the groom," he says. "I'm the best man." Does it make sense for the best man to be angry and jealous that the groom is getting married? No! The best man should rejoice and be happy for his friend. So too, John says, "That joy is mine, and it is now complete."

John knows that this isn't his story. He isn't the main character, but he can find joy in playing his part well. He dares not try to steal the lead role from Jesus. "He must become greater; I must become less," John says. In other words, "It's not about me!" What John wanted more than anything was for God's kingdom to advance in this world. Everything else in life was secondary to that goal, even his own personal fulfillment and social standing. His disciples had momentarily lost sight of that.

We sometimes do as well. We work so hard to get ahead at work, to build a life for our family, to build a program or Bible study at church that before we know it we get caught in the trap of thinking that life is about us or our ministries. We make the mistake of thinking that these things are the end goal themselves. They are not. They are merely a means to the end of bringing glory to God and advancing the gospel. Sometimes the gospel advances when you are transferred to a lower paying position or when your hopes for your family are thwarted or even when your church doesn't keep pace with the growth of the church down the street. In those moments how will you respond? Are you willing to decrease so that Jesus might increase? Will you continue to serve Him faithfully even when things aren't going your way? Do you serve God to advance the cause of Christ simply because God deserves your faithful service or are you just trying to make a name for yourself?

Drawing nearer to God almost always requires some form of self-denial. It requires taking up our cross and dying to our selfish desires so that He might use us more effectively for His glory. Are you willing to decrease so that Jesus might increase in your family, office, or church?

For further reading...

• Job 1:1-2:10- Job understood his place in relation to God.
• Mark 12:28-30- The greatest commandment requires that God hold first importance in our lives.

*A version of this post was originally published on this blog under the title "What is Your Life About?" on 12/14/11.

Our Story

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Colossians 1:21-23

Let me tell you a story about our family, the human family. This story belongs to all of us, because this story tells what is true about all of us.

Once upon a time you were an enemy of God. You were born into a family of rebels who long ago broke away from God. They hated Him and had a proud history going back many centuries of opposing His leadership in their lives. But by your own actions many times over you proved that you rejected God's way of life and His right to rule over you just as vehemently as any other human ever has. (And some of you still do.)

But God, it turns out, is a King like no other. Instead of squashing this feeble rebellion, which He could have easily done, God's heart reached out in love to reclaim His rebellious subjects. He sent His Son to die for them and through the death of His Son, He has brought back to the former state of loving harmony those who believe on His Son's name.

Now God has a plan for these repentant rebels, these prodigals. At the end of time when He presides in judgment for good or ill over all His creation, He will present those whom He reconciled by His Son as trophies for His glory. He will keep them unblemished by this world. Their holiness will be above suspicion. They will showcase His great love and grace towards those who previously rebelled against Him, if they persevere in their reconciled state. You see, if they are to fulfill God's purpose for them, then these redeemed ones must continue established and immovable in their faith in the Son. They must not trade in the hope they have found in Him for some other supposed means of reconciliation to God.

This is the battle that those who accept the Son face, to stay true to their faith even as they live in a world that constantly tries to tear them away from Him. They face temptation on every side. Temptation to embrace evil and temptation to move their hope from Jesus to some other counterfeit option. If they are to bring glory to His name on that last day, then by His power at work in them they must persevere in the faith. The true mark of  genuine salvation has always been that it perseveres to the end.

***

Where do you see yourself in this story? Are you still opposed to God, hating and opposing His leadership over your life? If so, then look closely at the loving sacrifice of Jesus and allow it to change your view of this God (John 19). Are you one of the prodigals reconciled by the blood of the Lamb? If so, be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith to the end, so that your faith will not have been in vain, so that you may be found blameless on that final day. Cling to the cross of Jesus. Hold fast to the gospel of grace for in it alone lies your salvation and no one can snatch you out of His hand (John 10:27-30).

For further reading...

• John 19- Read the crucifixion story and be reminded of the price of your salvation. 
• Matt 10:22, Matt 13:20-21, Matt 24:12-14, John 10:27-30, 2 Tim 2:11-13, & Heb 6:4-8- Check out these passages which speak of true salvation enduring to the end. Admittedly this biblical teaching can be confusing, however I do not understand these passages to teach that a true believer can lose their salvation. Rather I understand them to teach that true salvation is proven true by the fact that it perseveres to the end. As always I stand before God and His Word ready to be corrected if I am wrong.

The In Between

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:14

"To draw to one's self, to rescue, to deliver" (blueletterbible.org on Col. 1:14). The word "rescued" in this verse tells us much more than that the Christian is delivered from the dominion and power of sin in her life. It tells us that she is delivered for nearness to the Lord. God's rescue plan for us in Jesus is all about drawing us to Himself. Verse 14 goes on to make this abundantly clear in that it next says that we have not only been rescued from the dominion of darkness but God also brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. The word "brought" has among its meanings "to remove from one place to another, to depart from life, to die." This is a very interesting word choice because the Christian's transfer from the life of sin to the kingdom of God is a final one. It involves us taking up our crosses and dying to ourselves daily (Luke 9:23). There is no in between when it comes to the Christian life. You are either still in the dominion of darkness or you are a member of the kingdom of the Son.

Yet, as I look around I see so many Christians who appear to be in between. Their lives reflect the glory of the Lord...a little. They obey God's commands...when they want to. They bear fruit and are growing in the Lord... well, they're better than most people anyway. This is not the full measure of the Christian life! Either these men and women have not entered the kingdom of God at all and they simply play at being a Christian, or (shame upon shame!) though delivered from the dominion of darkness they have not yet been delivered from their love for it and they play at being an unbeliever. Whichever explanation fits their situation, they should reconsider the gospel. 

In verse six of this chapter the Bible says, "In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace." The gospel bears fruit and grows us up in the Lord. Paul says the gospel has done this all over the world. It's what the gospel is doing in the Colossians' lives. It is what the gospel continues to do today. If you are merely playing at being a Christian the gospel of Jesus' death is what you need to hear! If you are a Christian who is playing at being an unbeliever then you also need to hear the gospel. You need to be reminded of the greatness of the gift you have been given to be allowed into the kingdom of the Son, so that you will not despise the gift any longer. So ask yourself today...have I left the dominion of darkness behind? Is the gospel bearing fruit in me? Am I growing nearer to the Lord? Do I need to be reminded of how amazing the gift I have been given in Jesus is so that I will walk in a manner worthy of it?

For further reading....
The Gospel in a nutshell: If you are unfamiliar with what the gospel is, here it is in a shortened form. We are all sinners. Every one of us has sinned against God. We have rejected His way and gone our own way. We have all rebelled against the one true King. Our sin deserves punishment. In fact, so great a sin against so great a God deserves Hell. But God, because of His great love for us, wanted to offer us forgiving grace. For God to be just, our sin had to be punished though. So God in His wisdom took the punishment for our sin on Himself in Jesus. Jesus died to pay the price for your sins and mine and then He rose from the dead beating the power of sin over us. He ascended into heaven to prepare a place for those who believe in Him. So that now those who place their faith in Him can be forgiven and spend eternity in Heaven with their Savior. If you would like to do that today, here is what you need to do.

• A- Admit that you are a sinner and in need of God's grace (Romans 3:10 and 3:23).
• B- Believe that Jesus is God's Son, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, and that He was raised from the dead (Romans 6:23 and 5:8).
• C- Confess Jesus as Lord of your life. Turn from sin (from living life your way) and commit to live your life for God (Romans 10:9).

Here are some blog posts that explain the gospel in more detail:

• What Does Jesus' Death Have to do With Me?
• Time to Get Real: Be Different
• Jesus Follows a Pattern
• Night Light

The Dragnet of God's Justice

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:47-50

Dragnet is one of the most well-known and endearing TV shows and radio programs in American history. Jack Webb (who also produced the program) was the star from start to finish as the very straight-laced and no-nonsense Sgt. Joe Friday. Webb’s character was so endearing and cast such a positive light on the Los Angeles Police Department that when he died of a sudden heart attack in 1982, the L.A.P.D. retired his badge number 714 and city offices flew their flags at half-staff. You may not know this but a dragnet is an actual police term. It is “any system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Examples are road barricades, traffic stops, DNA tests, and general increased police alertness.”* It seems that Sgt Friday wanted to cast his dragnet over the entire city of Los Angeles and (using whatever legal means possible) haul in all the criminals, suspects and vagrants and sort out just what justice demanded for them later. The parable of the dragnet shares more than just a phrase with the TV show. It tells of a time when God will cast His dragnet over not merely Los Angeles but over all of creation and haul everyone in. And at that time he will sort them all out according to what His justice demands be done for each one. 

Jesus refers to a type of fishing that was very familiar to his disciples many of whom were fisherman. This type of fishing used a net which might have been stretched between two boats and then drug through the water and up onto the shore. As the net was dragged through the water it gathered any and every fish in its path. The fishermen would then pull the net to shore and sort out their catch.** The Old Testament Jewish law had very specific ways of classifying fish as either clean (fish which the Jews could eat) (cf. Lev. 11:9) or unclean (fish which they could not eat) (cf. Lev. 11:10-12). The good fish were gathered in baskets while the bad fish were either thrown back in the water or cast onto the beach to rot and die. Jesus says that this is a picture of the final judgment. God’s angels will cast His dragnet over all creation and pull in the good with the bad. Then the wicked will be separated from the righteous to go to their just destination, a place Jesus calls the fiery furnace, a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. A place we call Hell. 

In the wake of the bombing of the Boston Marathon earlier this week, this parable is a reminder for patience. Now in this world we must remember that we are not separate from the wicked. Evil has overrun this world and for now God has chosen in His goodness to cause his sun to rise on the righteous and the wicked alike (Matthew 5:43-48). There are times when like the psalmist Asaph we want to cry out and ask God why the wicked prosper (Psalm 73). Evil (whether it be impersonal forces or very personal people) will not be dealt with decisively until the judgment day. But even now as we suffer at the hands of wicked men and women and an imperfect world, we must remember that there will come a day when justice will be done. Until then we suffer patiently.

It also reminds us that it is only the Lord who has the right to sort or judge men. The parable presents God's angels performing this at His bidding, other places in Scripture clarify that Jesus Himself will sit in judgment. (Matt 25:31-46, Rom. 2:16, & II Tim. 4:1) The question the parable begs is this, "Will you be found to be wicked or righteous?" Most of us consider ourselves to be good, but then we think that God is going to rate us as good or wicked based on a comparison to other people. He is not. God will judge us based on how we compare to His own righteousness and goodness. If we are less righteous than He is then we will be cast into that place which was prepared for the devil and his demons (Matt 25:41). But the Bible also tells us that we all, everyone one of us without exception, are wicked (Romans 3:10 and 23). Only those who look to Jesus for salvation and who have been clothed in his righteousness are considered good. So what are you? If you haven’t surrendered your life to Jesus then you will be found to be wicked and will be cast into Hell. If this is you, then repent and believe in Jesus today! 

For further reading...

• Psalm 73- See what the Lord teaches Asaph when he almost began to envy the wicked.
• Matthew 5:43-48- Consider God's common grace.
• Matt 25:31-46, Rom. 2:16, & II Tim. 4:1- Jesus will be your judge.

*Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragnet_(series)

** I read about this in a number of biblical commentaries. All of which agreed on the basic details. 

Repent...day-by-day

Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits...They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Mark 6:7, 12-13

The disciples choose their message wisely. They are preaching on the cusp of the coming of the kingdom of God, so fittingly their message is one of preparation to receive what God is about to do in Jesus. And what is the preparation they admonish? Repentance. We stand on the other side of the cross looking back over two thousand years at the content of their preaching and yet their message stills rings true. Even now repentance is required of those who would receive the Lord Jesus. Turning to a new life in Jesus is inextricably linked to turning away from your old life apart from Him. Asking Jesus for forgiveness cannot be done apart from an acknowledgement that you are a sinner who has sinned not in a general sense but against God Himself and are therefore in need of His forgiveness. Rejoicing in the righteous standing you now have before the Father in Christ does not happen apart from mourning over the depraved condition you were in prior to Christ. There is no salvation apart from repentance! (Isaiah 30:15, Jeremiah 18:8, Ezekiel 18:32, Ezekiel 33:12, Acts 2:37-39, II Corinthians 7:10, et al) It has always been and even now remains the necessary preparation for right standing with God.

Is this all there is to repentance though? Is it merely a moment of grief prior to salvation that is then left on the trash heap of forgotten spiritual gleanings for the rest of the Christian life? Certainly not. Repentance is a necessary part of the everyday life of Christians which we must persist in if we are to be conformed into the image of Christ. It is repentance day-by-day in the life of the believer which opens the door to freedom from sin and victory over the enemy.

Few are the men and women who have repented of alcoholism a single time and upon setting down the bottle never pick it up again. The same could be said of many sins, because the habitual practice of sin and the power which it gives sin over our lives is rarely overcome in a moment. Although there are times when the Lord provides us with a supernatural leap forward in our process of sanctification, more often than not we win the war against the sin in our lives one day at a time, one battle at a time. The Christian woman does not miraculously learn to take every thought captive unless she first realizes that she has allowed the enemy into her head, repents and begins to fight her sin in the mighty power of the Spirit. The Christian man does not stand victorious over the power of lust, pornography and masturbation in his life unless he first perceives the exceeding sinfulness of his sin and weeps over it, then upon repenting of it seeks God's power which is more than capable of setting him free. 

Each day there must be a rejection of the love you have for that sin. Each day the faithful believer must take the shame that weighs him down and the thoughts of helplessness and inadequacy and unburden himself of these at the foot of the cross. We must remind ourselves that our sin has been paid for. The charges against us were nailed to that cross and no longer have any merit (Colossians 2:13-15). And then...oh how important this next step is and how often we forget it...then we must remember the resurrection. We must remind ourselves daily that Jesus beat the power of sin when He conquered death.  And because we know that it was by the mighty Spirit of God that Jesus was raised from the dead, and because we know that this same Spirit now dwells in us who believe, we then have every confidence that no sin, no shame, no condemnation, no force (supernatural or otherwise) can claim ultimate power over us. By the power of the Spirit, sin no longer has power over me any longer! I still need to learn how to walk in the freedom of the Spirit, but every sin and every addiction that I struggle with has already been beaten at the cross; I am already victorious in Christ. I must simply learn to apply that freedom to my life and walk in that victory over my sin here and now.

For further reading...

• Matthew 3:1-2- John the Baptist preached the same message.
• Matthew 4:17- Jesus did too!
• Acts 2:37-39- Repentance was fundamental in the sermon preached at Pentecost.
• Acts 11:18- This is a "repentance that leads to life."
• Revelation 2- Consider how many times Jesus admonishes the seven churches to repent in his letters to them.

A Moth Eaten Heart

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." For the longest time when I read that closing line I only saw half the point. I saw the more obvious half. The passage aims to convince us to spend our time and energy building spiritual wealth instead of physical wealth- wealth that will be there to greet us in heaven instead of wealth we must leave behind us as we pass through the portal of death. It reminds us that earthly treasure can be stolen (by thieves) or destroyed (as by moths or rust). It stands to reason that if I set my heart on earthly goods and they are stolen or destroyed, then my heart will be grieved and I will have suffered a great loss. This is the obvious half of Jesus' point. 

What I only just realized the other day is that there is another implication here that I have missed all along. If my heart is with my treasure and the treasure is stolen, then my heart is stolen also. If my heart is with my treasure when it is eaten up and destroyed by moths or rust, then my heart likewise has been eaten up and destroyed. When we set our hearts on the things of this world, we run the risk not only of losing our treasured possessions but of losing our very hearts. I am speaking of course not of the organ pumping blood in your chest but of that part of you that goes to the very core of who you are. When you choose to treasure, love, and put your hopes in the things of this world you become corrupt in your very nature. Riches, the approval of men, fame, sex, and power- these things (and all the others that our world has to offer) have a way of eating away at a person's soul just like moths or rust eat away at a fine garment or a precious metal. Little by little, what we set our heart on changes us. We serve the things which we love most, and when we bend the knee to the gods of this world, they corrupt and destroy who God intended us to be: worshipers of Him alone.

If the threat of suffering such great loss isn't enough to motivate you, then consider this. The Bible reveals to us that this world is not our home. We are merely pilgrims passing through on our way to eternity. The great heroes of the faith are described as understanding this well. 

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

In the same vane I Peter 2:11 says, 

"Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul."

So imagine for example a family who lives in destitute poverty. Their house is in shambles. It does not keep them safe from criminals nor does it keep them warm in the winter. Year round they struggle to survive, scrimping and saving so that one week out of the year they can take an extravagant vacation. They fly off to some exotic location and are waited on hand and foot by the best attendants money can buy. For seven days they live in the lap of luxury only to return home and live in poverty again for another 358 days until the next vacation.

Doubtless there are those in our world that do choose to live their lives this way. There are certainly those who order their spiritual lives like this. We choose to live in luxury while on this journey toward eternity, spending all our time and energy on fleeting pleasures that we can enjoy while on the trip, only to step out into eternity in destitute poverty. Choose the better way. Heed the Lord's advice. Spend your time, money, and energy wisely storing up treasure in heaven and in so doing protect your own heart.

For further reading...

• I John 2:15- These two loves are mutually exclusive.
• Acts 5:1-10 (especially verse 3)- Ananias and Sapphira.
• Proverbs 4:23- The wellspring of life. 
• Ecclesiastes 5:10- This too is meaningless.
• Handling Money God's Way- A Word on Wednesdays guest post from October 2012

Jesus the Robber?

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

Mark 3:22-30

In Romans 1:18-19 Paul tells us that what can be known about God is plain to us by His creation (and now by his revelation through Jesus and the Bible) but we have a tendency to "suppress the truth" about God. We willingly reject Him, because He doesn't conform to what we want Him to be. This is exactly what we find the teachers of the law doing in this passage. Jesus has been working miracles that clearly show His divine nature. He has regularly healed the sick and even now He is casting out demons, but they are set on rejecting Him. So they justify their rejection by claiming that Jesus is possessed by the Devil. More specifically they claim that it is the Devil in Jesus that is driving demons out of others.

Jesus responds with a simple parable. Can a house divided against itself stand? Certainly, many of us have experienced this ourselves. When spouses begin to make war with one another, more often than not, their marriage fails. When parents and children consistently tear one another down, the family falls apart. So too Jesus says, "Why would Satan attack his own strongholds?" Wouldn't it be great if Satan were to turn against his own kingdom and suddenly begin to set free all the people he has enslaved and deceived? But that isn't what is happening. In fact, Jesus seems to say that it is an absurd idea.

Then Jesus offers a true explanation of His ministry. His power is from the Lord, yet the works which He is working now (namely casting out demons) is not ultimately what He has come to do. It is simply the necessary prelude and preparation for His true ministry. His true ministry is to reclaim from the power of Satan all of creation along with those people in it who are willing to follow Him. This creation is currently under the control of Satan (Matthew 4:8-11 and I John 5:19) because humanity chose sin over obedience to God on that day in the Garden of Eden and every day since. We have all bowed the knee in service to the enemy. Since we have been given dominion over creation (Genesis 1:28-29) and we gave dominion of ourselves to the Devil (John 8:34 and Romans 6:16), He now has many strongholds in the world. So in preparation for His great reclamation and redemption of His creation, Jesus is first "binding the strong man." He is systematically showing His superiority over Satan and is breaking down his strongholds on the earth.

What parts of your life does the Devil still have dominion over? Is your heart a heart divided against itself? I know this pain. Rest assured that Jesus will set you free if you are willing. Certainly none of us experiences complete perfection right after salvation. Once we give our hearts to the Lord, He begins the slow process of working through all of the sin in them. Slowly tearing down stronghold after stronghold in our hearts. Conforming us more and more into the image of Christ, and setting us free from the power of sin a little more each day. But sometimes we stall this process out ourselves. We turn back to sin and begin to cling to it again. Work with the Lord today. Expose the sin and the strongholds in your heart to the Great Healer and Redeemer. Ask Him to bind the "strong man" in the darkest corners of your life.

For further reading...

• Matthew 4:8-11 and I John 5:19- The whole world is under Satan's control right now, but one day we know Jesus will return and then the kingdom of God will come in power! 
• Romans 1:18-32- We willfully reject God.
• Romans 6- A whole passage on slavery to sin and slavery to righteousness.

The Messy, Inconvenient, Self-sacrificing Ministry of Loving People

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. 

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Mark 3:13-15, 20-21

Sometimes being in youth ministry is painful. Oh, I don't mean the kind of pain that I feel the day after I try to keep up with a bunch of fifteen year olds playing basketball. No, I mean a much more selfish kind of pain. What I am talking about is the pain that I feel when that one teenager talks my ear off after Wednesday night church. He doesn't realize that Wednesday is my longest day of the week or that I'm tired and just want to go home. All he knows is someone is finally listening to him, loving him, and showing him the attention he so desperately craves. So he soaks it up as long as he possibly can. While I, selfishly, stand there wishing he would catch a hint and let me go home. This is the problem with people though. They don't fit neatly on my "To Do" list, and they don't stay within my schedule preferences. Yep...investing in people, really ministering to them (which we all do whether we are pastors or not), is messy and self-sacrificial. It requires putting their needs above our own and acknowledging that our agenda really has no place. We follow God's agenda to help that individual move farther down the maturity path that God has prepared for them. 

I find it amazing that Jesus chose to do ministry exactly this way. Think about it! He could have come to earth in the 20th century and used the internet and air travel to communicate His message to the whole world, but He didn't. In fact, even by the standards of His own day, He didn't travel that far or preach to that many people. Paul very likely took the gospel to more people than Jesus did and definitely traveled a lot farther. Jesus chose a different strategy. He chose to invest in people. We see this in two ways in this passage.

First, He chooses twelve disciples to pour His life into. These twelve men lived with Jesus and were given greater access to Him and His teaching. These disciples are Jesus' grand outreach plan. Jesus Himself will not take the good news of the kingdom to the nations. Rather, He will sacrificially invest in the lives of these twelve men, and they will take the gospel to the nations. How interesting that God chose this way of all ways to spread His message. How could anyone share the message better than Jesus!? But God knew best. These twelve ordinary men received a most precious and rare gift. Jesus dedicated His short life on earth investing in them. What a privilege!

But Jesus didn't shut everyone else out. This passage also reveals that Jesus gave of Himself sacrificially to the crowds even to the point that He didn't have time to eat. His family said He was out of His mind! They thought Jesus was taking it too far. But Jesus knew He would one day take it even farther than this. He knew that one day, one of those twelve men He had poured so much into would betray Him and He would give His all for the people He so loved. 

In what ways do you need to make time in your schedule to invest in people? Do you need to make time for your children? For your spouse? That annoying co-worker who clearly needs love and a listening ear, but no one really wants to listen to? This week choose to invest in people. Choose to invest in the messy, inconvenient, self-sacrificing ministry of loving people.

For further reading...

• Matthew 26:14-50- How hurtful must this have been for Jesus?!
• Acts 1:1-8- Jesus' outreach plan in action. It wasn't until after He had returned to Heaven, that they would be sent out in power.
• Philippians 2:1-11- (See especially verses three and four.) Follow Jesus' example by considering others above yourselves.

A Withered Hand Enters into Sabbath Rest

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

 

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

 

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Mark 3:1-6

 

 

It is clear from verses three to five that Jesus knew healing this man on the Sabbath would displease the Pharisees. Indeed, in the full council of Scripture it appears that their frustration with Jesus’ breach of their understanding of Sabbath rest was one of the major contributing factors to his crucifixion. The pragmatist might say “Jesus should wait a day. He can still heal the man tomorrow without causing dissension.” But Jesus does not wait. Jesus does the right thing even when he knows it will be unpopular. This is hard to do. The Book of Proverbs says, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act" (Proverbs 3:27). So too with us, when we know what the right thing to do is, we ought to do it immediately. For Scripture also says, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them” (James 4:17).

 

Look at the faith of the man who is to be healed. Jesus calls him up in front of the whole synagogue and asks him to stretch out his hand. Scripture records no hesitation. The man extended in full view of all those present that most loathsome part of himself which he probably worked hard to keep hidden his whole life. What faith! This man must have had faith that Jesus had good things in store him…that his weakness would not be exposed for no reason. So too with us, it takes faith to expose our sin before God and others. It takes faith to acknowledge that we need salvation, but there is no other path to healing or salvation than this reaching out in faith.

 

How fitting it is that this man’s hand should be healed on the Sabbath. This man’s hand had been bound by the marring effects of sin for we do not know how many years. What better day than the Sabbath for his hand to enter into the Sabbath rest of God. Are you bound by sin? Turn to the Lord for salvation today. Jesus is still setting captives free no matter what day it is. Scripture says, “Today is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). But even Christians continue to struggle to live out the freedom we have received in Christ. If you have allowed some part of your life to slip back under the crippling control of sin, do not hesitate. Extend that part of your life to Jesus even now for healing. Jesus may not solve all your problems. (Surely, this man’s only trouble in life wasn’t his hand!) Yet, in His goodness He may give you a little taste of the kingdom of God (that is heaven). For this man that meant a restored hand. For you it may mean a restored marriage or relationship with your child. It could mean a restored desire to know Him. Reach out in faith today. Extend those parts of yourself that are bound up by sin to Him and receive healing. And remember that His grace is always sufficient to help us bear those burdens which He does not take away. (II Corinthians 12:1-10).

 

For further reading…

• II Corinthians 12:1-10- In His sovereignty, the Lord doesn't always tell us why He chooses to leave us with some burdens, but we choose to trust Him.
• Ephesians 5:21-33- A little help for Christian marriages. Remember your marriage and your happiness aren't the end goals. Marriage is a training ground for glory. It is a symbol or picture of our relationship with God in Christ.

Great Expectations

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Mark 2:18-22

A thread runs through these first two chapters of Mark that I have yet to point out, and that is that Jesus was offensive to many in His day, especially those of the religious elite. Since verse twenty-one of chapter one, Mark has been piling up one on top of the other, almost without a break, all of the offensive things Jesus has been doing. Allow me to give a quick summary. In 1:21-31, Jesus casts out a demon on the Sabbath in the synagogue and then follows it up by healing Simon Peter's mother-in-law later that afternoon (healing on the Sabbath would soon become a serious point of contention between Jesus and the Pharisees, see Mark 3:1-6.) In 1:41 He touches a man with leprosy. Then in chapter two, He claims to have the power to forgive sins (2:10), calls a tax collector as one of His twelve disciples (2:14), is found to be consorting and eating with sinners and tax collectors (2:15), and now it is discovered that His disciples are not fasting as often as the other religious men are.

It seems that Jesus didn't live up to the expectations of those in His day. How can it be then that the church teaches that Jesus was perfect? Simple. Jesus always lived up to God's expectations. He didn't always live up to man's expectations. You see God only required the Israelites to fast one time a year on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:1-34), but the Pharisees had taken to fasting Monday and Thursday of every week.* This was a man made tradition. (Interestingly enough Lane posits that John's disciples may have been fasting as "an expression of repentance designed specifically to hasten the coming of the time of redemption" or the Messiah.) It is obvious then, that Jesus and His disciples had no reason to fast, especially if the fasts were designed to hasten the coming of the Messiah. That would be like fasting at a wedding feast, Jesus says. The Messiah has come! This should be a time of rejoicing, not of mourning.

From the beginning of Mark, Jesus' message has been that "The time has come; the kingdom of God has come near." This new situation in the world calls for a new ordering of our lives. The old traditions cannot contain this new and amazing thing that God is doing in Christ. Jesus likens it to putting a patch made of new cloth on a garment made of old cloth. The old cloth has already shrunk, but the cloth in the patch, being new, has not. Therefore, when the garment is laundered the patch will shrink and create a worse tear in the garment than was there originally. Similarly, Jesus says that you don't put new wine in old wineskins. As the grape juice in wine ferments it expands. New wineskins are elastic enough to expand with the wine, but old skins have already expanded once and are no longer elastic. If you put new wine in an old skin, the wine will expand beyond the ability of the skin and burst it. So too, Jesus is telling His contemporaries that their old ways of thinking about God and His kingdom are not big enough to contain all that God is doing now. They need a new paradigm...a new way of thinking about God's work in the world and His redemption of fallen man.

This passage is a good reminder that sometimes (only sometimes) when we don't live up to the expectations of the people around us, that says more about their expectations than it does about us. It is also a good warning against placing a higher priority on our traditions than on the Word of God? What personal preferences do you place a higher priority on than what the Bible actually says? Do you need to ask God to change your way of thinking so that you can better understand all that He is doing in our world now? Lord, make us new that we might be able to expand with Your work in this world as it ever expands to the ends of the earth and the coming of the age!

For further reading...

• John 12:42-43- Some of the saddest words in all the Bible! Whose expectations are you trying to meet?
• Matthew 15:1-9- Jesus points out a tradition of men that they were placing above the Bible. I have often wondered in what ways we do the same in our own day. 

*Lane, William L., The Gospel of Mark. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids, MI. 1974. 

A Startling Encounter with Jesus

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 2:1-12

Again right at the beginning of this passage we are reminded that Jesus' priority in life is to be about His Father's business. As the people find that Jesus has returned home and the crowds gather hoping for a chance to encounter the popular healer and teacher, what do we find Jesus doing? Taking up an offering? Enlisting an army to lead a revolution and make Him king? No, He is preaching the Word of God., proclaiming His truth, announcing His coming kingdom, and expanding His glory. May our hearts be set so singularly on God's purposes as well! 

Into this typical scene (i.e. Jesus teaching a crowd) comes a disruption. Four men make an opening in the roof of the house and lower their paralyzed friend through it. Their determination to get their friend to Jesus reveals their faith in His ability to bring healing. Their faith is even noted by Christ and in some way accounted for in His decision to heal the paralytic. May we show the same determination to bring our friends to Christ for the healing they need!

As surprising as this interruption must have been, Jesus' response had to be even more surprising. He says to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Jesus' statement must have seemed "inappropriate and even irrelevant to the immediate situation" (Lane, p.94). This man has come for healing not for forgiveness. Please understand that Jesus is not saying that this man's paralysis is God's punishment for some specific sin he has committed. (Jesus clarifies that not all health issues can be traced back to specific sins in John 9:1-7.) Rather, he is making the point that all health issues are symptomatic of sin's general stain on creation. So it is because of sin that this man is paralyzed. If there was no sin in our world then he would not have been paralyzed. However, it is not necessarily because of his own sin that he is paralyzed. Again Lane is helpful. "Sickness, disease, and death are the consequence of the sinful condition of all men. Consequently every healing is a driving back of death and an invasion of the province of sin" by the advancing kingdom of God. 

Not only is Jesus' audience startled by His response but it becomes a source of conflict. Believing that Jesus is merely a man, the scribes accuse Him in their hearts of blasphemy. But Jesus corrects them in a most astonishing way. He proves His power to forgive sins by healing the man on the spot. The same paralytic that was lowered into the room through the roof walks out of it carrying his mattress under his arm. And the Bible says that all of them (presumably even the scribes) were amazed and praised God because of Jesus' great work. May the kingdom of God advance in us in miraculous ways that bring startling change to our lives and drive people to praise God! 

For further reading...

• Romans 2:16, II Timothy 4:1, & Acts 10:41-42- Jesus has the power to forgive sin not only because of His death on the cross, but also because He is the final judge of the living and the dead. One day we will all stand before Jesus and have to give an account for how we lived our lives. 
• John 9:1-7- Although sickness and disease is the result of sin, it is not always causally related to specific sins in the life of the ailing. In other words, sickness is not always God's punishment on people for their sin. Sometimes sickness is simply a symptom of living in a fallen world. 
• Mark 14:61-64- It is the same charge, i.e. blasphemy, which sends Jesus to the cross later in His ministry. 

*Lane, William L., The Gospel of Mark. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids, MI. 1974. 

Be Thankful: Serve!

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

Mark 1:23-25, 29-31

In the above passage, Jesus shows His hearers, in very tangible ways, that the kingdom of God has truly come. He does this by driving demons out of those they possess and healing illnesses. Though I wouldn't quite call activities such as these routine, they were a quite common part of Jesus' ministry. The reason for this is quite simple. The Bible tells us what the kingdom of God will be like (Isaiah 29:18, 35:5-6, 53:4-5, 61). It's the world as it should be. In the kingdom no one is demon possessed, sick, lame, blind, or deaf. So one way that Jesus can prove that the kingdom of God has truly come in Him is by driving out demons and healing the sick. So this is exactly what he does! And Jesus is able to do this because He has the authority to do so. Jesus is God incarnate, God in human form, the God/man, Immanuel (God with us). He has authority over demons and over disease and so He goes about setting His children free from these shackles that sin has placed on them. 

I love that the Bible records the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, because in such an understated way she shows us how we should react to this shackle-removing work of Christ. Once Jesus heals her, what does she do? She immediately sets out to serve Him and His disciples. Our response to Christ's work really is that simple. When Christ sets us free from what entangles us, whether that be sin, illness, demon possession, or something else, the appropriate response of a thankful heart is faithful service. Thus, in Peter's mother-in-law we have an excellent picture of what all of us as Christians should be doing. Are you thankful for what Jesus has done for you? If so, have you found your place of service in the kingdom? Since Jesus is no longer on this earth, the best way we can serve Him now is by serving His bride the church, and through that service to aid the church in bringing more and more people to a saving knowledge of Him. Are you showing your thankfulness by serving the people of God?

For further reading...

• Luke 10:9, 11:20- Notice the close connection between the healing of the sick and the driving out of demons with the acknowledgment that the kingdom of God has come near.
• Matthew 11:2-6- Notice what proof Jesus gives to John the Baptist's disciples that He truly is the Messiah.
• Isaiah 29:18, 35:5-6, 53:4-5, 61- Read some Old Testament Passages about what kind of kingdom the Messiah would bring with Him.