Dec 15 - Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus said,

Enter through the narrow gate;

for the gate is wide and

the road is easy that

leads to destruction, and

there are many who take it.

For the gate is narrow

and the road is hard

that leads to life, and

there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

What is the "road ... that leads to life"? What is "the way," "the mechanism," that creates for us the conditions to be saved?

You know the story. God is holy. We are sinful. We don't deserve to even approach his presence. On our own, as it says in Ephesians 2:1, we are "dead, doomed forever because of our many sins." On our own that is our fate – death.

Fortunately, we don’t have to rely on ourselves or earn our way to God (and impossibility) on our own. Rather, we have a Savior!

Christ paid our penalty.

And to all who believe (really, for all who accept Christ's gift) he takes our sin upon himself and puts his righteousness onto us. He is, thus, "the way" (the only way) to being made right with God. He is the "mechanism" by which we are saved.

He is ... as it says in today's verse ... the only correct gate to go through to receive eternal life.

Yes, there are plenty of other gates, Jesus clearly implies. And they are wide, and they have big bright neon signs over them proclaiming the lie that you can go through them in an easy and convenient way.

But don’t mock God! Jesus says there is truly only one way to the Savior and into his salvation.

And it is a narrow way.

One way. Therefore, Jesus says, "enter through the narrow gate that leads to life."

In Christ's Love,

a guy who recently spent

several days with his dad

making a gate

(in life Jesus makes the gate

and if we let him, he installs it

-- installs his righteousness

on us – by himself)

Dec 14 - Matthew 7:12

Jesus said,

In everything do to others

as you would have them do to you;

for this is the law and the prophets.

Matthew 7:12

I am inherently selfish. That's my natural nature. 

That's all of our native natures. Because babies are so cute, we forget to analyze their true motives – which are basically ugly. For infants, it's all about ME. Feed ME. Hold ME. Change ME. Pay attention to ... ME, ME, ME. And when ME isn't happy, that little ME will whine and cry until ME gets its way. 

Sure, you can call it instinct or self-preservation. Sure, they might be more diplomatic if they had better language skills. But if you want to truly comprehend the level of unpleasant self-absorption, try these tactics in your workplace! It's cute on a baby. It's repulsive in an adult. 

Our natural nature is selfish. Think about it: We don't have to train a two-year-old to be selfish. We have to teach them to share! We have to coach them to be patient. We have to teach forgiveness. 

The confession that I grew up with in the old red Lutheran worship Service Book and Hymnal started each service with these confessional words: "I confess that I am by nature sinful and unclean." It might as well have read, "I confess that I am by nature selfish, self-centered, and self-absorbed."

One of the most important moments of my life came when I was about 8. Lying in my bed one night, I was angry and pouting, thinking about why I wasn't getting my way, and pondering the injustice of others (including classmates and little brothers) occasionally getting their way. And all of a sudden something occurred to me: "Maybe others feel things as deeply as I do."

I know. I'm slow. Selfish, self-absorbed, and slow. That's my natural nature. 

But, you know, maybe I'm not much different than the rest of the world. If our natural nature was altruism, Jesus wouldn't have had to teach the Golden Rule. And it wouldn't have seemed so profound that history labeled this short sentence as Golden unless it was so contrary to the ME within you and ME. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to be golden

(and a golden selflessness

will last longer than gold and money)

Dec 12-13 - Matthew 7:9-11

Jesus said,

Is there anyone among you who,

if your child asks for bread,

will give a stone? Or if the child

asks for a fish, will give a snake?

If you then, who are evil, know how

to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your

Father in heaven give good things

to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:9-11

I love my kids!

And today's passage encourages me to think back to when they were little. Those were hallowed days, playing football in the yard and reading Hardy Boys before bed!

How horrifying to think of thrusting a scorpion at them. Rather than "giving my kids a snake," I would have dived in front of a speeding bus to push them out of the way.

That's what Ed-"who-is-evil" would have done ... in theory. That's what Jesus-who-is-just did ... in fact. He dived in front of a bus to save my little boys. He died on a cross to save Ed-"who-is-evil."

When I read today's passage, it's immediately about the generosity of God. He gives ... more and better ... than we do. He loves ... more and better ... than we do.

But we need to sink a level deeper than the immediate. God IS ... more and better ... than me and we. Indeed, one sin stains me. It breaks me. It makes me evil.

The point of this story is little if we just say, "God is more generous than us, so trust him to answer your prayers."

No. The point is this. You and I are sinful. We roll in the mud and muck. We gossip and stab others in the back. We lie and deceive. We cheat and steal. We are NOT God, nor good by comparison. The point isn't that God is a little ... more and better. The point is that God is a million times ... more and better.

And if you love your kids and answer their requests generously, imagine how much ... more and better ... God gives to you.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who yearns for the day

when my Father in Heaven

reads Hardy Boys to me

(and I'd even allow him to substitute

a reading that's ... more and better)

Dec 11 - Matthew 7:8

Jesus said,

For everyone who asks receives,

and everyone who searches finds,

and for everyone who knocks,

the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:8

God is not your personal genie. "Everyone who asks receives" is not a call to go make a Christmas wish list that God must fulfill.

And yet ... God is generous!

Let's look at the other two verbs -- "knock" and "seek" -- before going back to "ask."

There's a famous picture of Jesus knocking on a door. In the painting clear that the handle is on the inside. As Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, he joyfully takes the initiative -- "behold I stand at the door and knock." But the handle is on our side of the door and we must still respond if we want Jesus' in our lives -- "if anyone opens the door, I will come into them."

Does Matthew 7 reverse this image? Yes, Jesus tells us to knock. But Jesus has still taken the initiative. He came from heaven to earth -- his initiative. And the door is still our barrier between us and God. He's here. We must respond.

And so this passage -- "for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened" -- effectively means: "for everyone who responds to God's presence on their threshold (door), the barriers will fall and God will come in!"

Isn't that what it means when Jesus says, "everyone who seeks finds"? The door / the barrier is ours. God is standing right there. He wants to be found. But the barriers are our pride, our anger, our guilt, our grief. What stands between us and finding God is our pseudo-intellectualism, our selfishness, and our carnal desires. When we seek beyond the world's ways and our own hurts and wants, we finally find the God who's been standing there all along.

Be clear, it's his initiative. The great God of heaven is not obligated to do anything with little me or you! He comes. He calls. He beckons. He stirs our hearts even while we're broken and rebellious. It's his gracious initiative. All we have to do is respond by pushing past ourselves -- our lostness and selfishness.

And so we circle back to "for whoever asks receives." In this context, can you now conceive of this being about anything so petty and temporary as material possessions that the great genie in the sky is obligated to give us if we ask?

God is generous.

But mainly, he is generous with himself! And when "we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" -- Jesus' words from eight verses earlier -- then we truly gain everything! And this includes a perspective on what on this earth really matters. And that's what truly makes us rich!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who knocked for a while

(knocked his head, seeking

the wrong things) until life

-- and humbling --

knocked some sense into me;

then I knocked on the right door

and my barriers came tumbling down

Dec 10 - Matthew 7:7

Jesus said,

Ask, and it will be given you;

seek, and you will find;

knock, and the door

will be opened for you.

Matthew 7:7

Today, a simple grammar lesson.

In English translations, "ask," "seek," and "knock" are simple verbs.

In English, they are translated as simple commands. Jesus says "you should ask," "you must seek," "you ought to knock." "Do this and this and this," says Jesus. "If you want your prayers to be answered and your faith to grow, you ought to do these three things."

That's a good way to read this passage!

But in the original Greek, Jesus' words will bless our prayer and our faith even more.

"Ask," "seek," and "knock" are not just ordinary present tense verbs. In Greek they are in the present-imperative tense. Most accurately they mean "ask ... and keep on asking," "seek ... and keep on seeking," "knock ... and keep on knocking"! Do you feel the urgency in this more accurate translation?!

Imagine the growth in prayer if your most heartfelt requests were not just one-time arrows aimed at heaven, "God,  help Marge" or "God, heal my marriage." Those are good. God hears even one time requests. The amount and volume of our prayers does not necessarily increase their efficacy. Nevertheless, Jesus promises a powerful fruit when we invest in a continually passionate dialogue with Father-Provider!!!

Verse 8 -- a hint at tomorrow's passage -- promises that "everyone who seeks (and keeps on seeking) will  find." Often we will find the precise answer we were hoping for. More often we will find God's more gracious provision. And always, always, always, the persistent, urgent, trust asker, seeker, knocker will find a deeper relationship. Indeed "the door will be opened."

In Christ's Love,

a guy who likes Charles Spurgeon's

summary of today's verse:

Faith asks,

hope seeks,

and

love knocks

Dec 9 - Matthew 7:6

Jesus said,

Do not give what is holy to dogs; and

do not throw your pearls before swine,

or they will trample them under foot

and turn and maul you.

Matthew 7:6

 

The pearl that Jesus talks about in our verse for today is "the Gospel." 

 

We are all called to proclaim the Gospel in word and in deed. But why does the Lord -- who loves everyone -- call those who are unreceptive to the Gospel "dogs" and "swine"?!

 

Let me pair this passage with another passage (from Luke 10:1-12) and then suggest a meaning ...

 

[Jesus] appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs ... He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few ..." See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves ... Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. ... But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’"

 

So ... in this context, what does today's passage from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount mean?

 

First, it is a wisdom passage. Almost a parable. Jesus is saying that the time is short -- indeed, "the kingdom of God has come near." Some will receive the Gospel joyfully; therefore, invest heavily in them! Feed them pearls! Bless them with your time and energy. "Say ‘Peace to this house!’ And [let] your peace ... rest on that person." Some, however, will reject the Gospel. Therefore, since time is short, love them, be kind to them, plant an occasional seed ... but be wise with your time! Invest more heavily in those who are more receptive!

 

It's a wisdom passage. 

 

It's God's job -- not your job -- to save people. Therefore, in kicking off the dust and moving on, you're not abandoning them! Read that again! In kicking off the dust and moving on, you're not abandoning them! Rather, you're entrusting their care back to God! 

 

You are simply, and at Christ's command, moving to a part of the field where the harvest is more plentiful, and where hearts are more ready. And … you are choosing (at Christ's command) to invest there. 

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy whose best summers

as a kid included time on

my grandfather's and uncles' farms

(It time to make a new best season of the year --

spending more time on my Father's farm)

Dec 8 - Matthew 7:4-5

Jesus said,

Or how can you say to your neighbor,

'Let me take the speck out of your eye,'

while the log is in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the

log out of your own eye, and then

you will see clearly to take the

speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

Matthew 7:4-5

The context of this passage is judging others. People love to use Matthew 7:1 as a weapon to silence moral debate -- "The Bible says, 'do not judge.'"

As we showed a few days ago, that's not what this passage really says or means. We are, indeed, called to discern right from wrong. 

In fact, today's passage actually tells us to "take the speck out of your neighbor's eye"!

Yes, of course, there are powerful caveats in these words from Jesus ...

 

·         We dare not be hypocritical. 

·         We must instead be loving, gracious, and forgiving rather than harsh and judgmental. 

·         In any discussion on behavior, we must attend first to our own sins -- which are plenty -- rather than pointing accusing fingers at others.

Most of history has been lived in legalistic culture -- sadly, often, a legalistic religious culture. Therefore, Jesus' call for compassion and forgiveness to trump judgment and condemnation have made this one of most quoted and most loved passages in history!

But most of us don't live today in a legalistic culture. We live in a politically correct culture. We've been cowed into not calling right "right" or wrong "wrong." "Judging" and "intolerance" (which should more accurately be called "discerning") have been labeled the worst of sins. 

And yet, Jesus says "take the speck out of your neighbor's eye."

Now, that's not a license to be rude! And Jesus demands that you not be hypocritical -- indeed, he reminds us that hypocrisy is a worse sin than almost every other sin. Nevertheless, we are called to stand up for truth and proclaim what is right. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to

be a logger (in his own eye)

and a duster (removing the specks

from a musty, dusty world)

 

 

Dec 7 - Matthew 7:1-2

Jesus said,

Do not judge, so that

you may not be judged.

For with the judgment you

make you will be judged,

and the measure you give

will be the measure you get.

Matthew 7:1-2

 

Do you know what the worst punishment is?

 

Often, it’s getting back what we've been giving out.

 

·         We gossip, but we don’t like to be gossiped about.

·         We bully, but we don’t like being bullied ourselves.

·         We lie, but we hate when people deceive us.

 

The world’s worst punishment is, often and indeed, getting back what we've been giving out. As Jesus said – in the context of recompense – “the measure you give will be the measure you get.”

 

Now, we could probably focus on this in eternal terms. After all, Jesus often did, saying things like, “forgive us our sins to the same degree as we forgive those who trespass against us” … and “with the judgment you make you will be judged.” Yes, we could surely focus this in an eternal way.

 

But let’s just focus temporally – right here and right now.

 

·         Why do people bully? Because they’re either angry or insecure. Getting a surly comeuppance will either reinforce that our world is cruel (further hardening our soul) or will knock us down a few pegs (which will further feed that deepening insecurity).

·         Why do people gossip? Same reasons. It’s cruelty … or more often insecurity. We make ourselves feel bigger by making others appear smaller. It’s a painful pill for the insecure gossip to have people gossip about them, tearing their insecurity down even farther. (And if it’s for callous cruelness that a person gossips, every false witness causes them to be less and less human.)

·         And why do people lie? Most of the time, it’s because of fear and shame. We can’t openly approach others (as Scripture recommends in Genesis 2) “naked and unashamed,” so we cover our deceit and shame with half-truths and lies. (The other half of the time that we lie it’s because of rebelliousness, and every act of rebellion isolates us further from those who love us most.)

 

Those are just three examples. But one reason we give (and then get back) a harsh measure is because we’re fearful, ashamed, and insecure, and what we reap (get back) usually makes us feel more isolated and insecure. The second reason we give (and then get back) a harsh measure is because we’re simply cruel and rebellious, but the satisfaction we hope to reap from being selfish just leaves us more and more hard and empty. Indeed, “the measure you give will be the measure you get.”

 

But what happens if we sow love and give encouragement? What happens when instead of being driven by insecurity, we see us as God sees us (as loved, forgiven, adopted, and redeemed), and learn to see others as valuable too? What happens when our human weakness is replaced with God’s strength, and our fears are replaced with God’s assurance? What happens when arrogance gives way to humility and our ingratitude is replaced by a generous spirit?

 

What happens?

 

Good news: “the measure you give will be the measure you get.”

 

Those who love and encourage, get back more love, more encouragement, surer worth, hope instead of fears, a grateful heart, and greater peace.

 

What are you sowing?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who keeps

sowing the Word.

(And what is the measure

I’m getting back? Greater

truth, hope, and peace.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We gossip, but gossiping is a form of pridefulness, and we don't like to be gossiped about, when someone is challenging our sense of superiority. 

We bully, but bullying usually comes from an insecurity, and when we’re bullied back, someone is making us feel smaller … which is what we were trying to avoid in the first place.

 

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Sent from my iPhone

Dec 5-6 - Matthew 7:1

Jesus said,

Do not judge, or

you too will be judged.

Matthew 7:1

 

This is one of the most quoted – and misquoted (misused) – verses in scripture.

 

How many people have you heard say, “The Bible says that we’re not supposed to judge”? They may even say this, quoting the exact words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1.

 

But … it’s possible to quote this verse with technical accuracy, while totally missing the point.

 

And it all depends on what “judging” means.

 

Throughout scripture, judgment is a term that is consistently used to talk about our final destination. At the end of our days, all people (even good Christians) will face the final judgment. We will all be found guilty. But … for those who believe in Christ Jesus, his sacrifice on the cross will be imputed to us as righteousness, and the gates will open!

 

Wait … read that again.

 

Who judges?

 

God!

 

Not me. Or you. But God!

 

To judge – at least where someone is going to spend all eternity – is to stand in God’s place!  (Whoa. You can try to stand in God’s place. But I’m not fond of being a lightning rod. And I’m certainly not courting a judgment from God as promised by Jesus in this verse.)

 

Now … notice what is not said here about judgment. Did Jesus say, “Don’t discern (nor help others discern) what’s morally right and what’s morally wrong”? That’s how most people interpret this passage – “I’m not allowed to talk the morals of others, because that would be judging them.”  

 

No! We are called to discern (and help others discern) right and wrong. And that requires discernment … even judgment (in a temporal rather than eternal sense). But we must do it.

 

Now, we ought to be tactful. Winsome. Warm. And forgiving. We don’t have to be blunt blowhards. I have a duty to speak into the lives of those closest to me. But it’s utterly tactless to walk up to a mere acquaintance and tell them that how they’re living is wrong.

 

My general rule is to be humble. Yes, we can talk about sin … but not about people. And when we talk about sin, we ought to be actively confessing our own sin. For example, I break the ten commandments every day. I haven’t taken out a gun and murdered anybody, but I often kill people with my words. That’s a pretty serious commandment that I’m breaking. And there’s a more serious commandment that I break more than that: I put all kinds of things before God throughout my days, breaking the first commandment almost constantly.

 

We must judge – read “discern,” if you like that word better between right and wrong, life and death. But … I don’t have the right to “condemn anyone to hell,” because I don’t know the fullness of their heart. Only God does. (Do you?)

 

In Christ’s Love,

a discerner …

not a judge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 4 - Matthew 6:34

Jesus said,

Therefore do not worry

about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will

worry about itself.

Each day has enough

trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34

 

One of the great secrets of life is focusing on today.

 

Focusing too far forward or too far in the past often paralyzes people.

 

Have you seen it?

 

·         Focusing-negatively-on-future-scenarios is what we call worry. The “what if’s” that rob too many of us of too much joy. (This is what Jesus has been warning us about for a dozen verses – including today’s verse. And our Lord is blunt: “do not worry.”)

 

·         Focusing-negatively-on-past-events is (among other things) post-traumatic stress. How many people do you know who have had negative life experiences – abuse, accidents, trauma, war, divorce, job loss, failure – and as a result, they can’t enjoy today because they’re still defined by the trials of the past?

 

Focusing negatively – forward or back – can obviously steal our present-tense joy. But even looking positively forward or back can cripple us too.

 

·         Focusing-positively-on-past-events is called nostalgia. I hope your past was positive. But do you know anyone who longs so desperately for the good old days that they can’t enjoy today?

 

·         Focusing-positively-on-future-events is dreaming. Though generally good, do you know anyone who is so focused on a better tomorrow that they also can’t enjoy today?

 

I hope you have some wonderful, nostalgic memories! (Grandpa’s farm is my nostalgic spot.) And I hope you have grand dreams and great aspirations. (It’s a delight to point toward something fun.) But one of the great secrets to life is focusing on today – not yesterday or tomorrow.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy whose making today

the good old days

Dec 3 - Matthew 6:31-33

Jesus said,

So do not worry, saying,

‘What shall we eat?’ or

‘What shall we drink?’ or

‘What shall we wear?’

For the pagans run after

all these things, and

your heavenly Father knows

that you need them.

But seek first his kingdom

and his righteousness,

and all these things will be

given to you as well.

Matthew 6:31-33

 

We sing the song, seek ye first the kingdom of God.

 

These are obviously Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount. And the context is worry. We worry about what we’ll eat … and how we’ll pay for it. We worry about what we’ll wear … and how we’ll pay for it. We worry about where we’ll live … and how we’ll pay for it.

 

No, we may not worry as much as poor folks throughout history (and still around the globe). But most of us are still anxious about many daily concerns.

 

In essence … we focus downward … on the things of this earth.

 

Jesus is saying that that, however, is just the recipe for more worry and stife.

 

“Look up!” he says. “Seek first God’s kingdom. Follow first his ways, along that path of righteousness.”

 

Why?

 

Is this a physical guarantee? I Jesus saying that if you and I focus on righteousness and heaven, God is duty bound to provide food and clothing and earthly riches? Of course not!

 

What Jesus is saying is that when focus heavenward and live righteously, we are placing our lives fully, trustingly, in the Father’s hands. And when we do, we will progressively see more and more of God’s generous provision – not as a guarantee of what God must provide, but in terms of a spirit of thankfulness as seen through the eyes of gratefulness.

 

By seeking God’s kingdom and God’s ways first …

 

·         we begin to prioritize what is truly important.   

·         we begin to be satisfied with what we have rather than always (and selfishly) wanting more.

·         we understand what “all these things shall be added unto to you” really means – that what is truly “added” is eyes to see as God sees and a heart that is thankful for little blessings.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy with new glasses

… they have UV protection, but

I wonder if they have a KF correction

(KF = Kingdom First)

 

 

How can we pray this December?

December prayer time is this Saturday.

How can we pray for you?

Dec 2 - Matthew 6:28-30

Jesus said,

“And why worry

about your clothing?

Look at the lilies of the field

and how they grow.

They don’t work or make their clothing,

yet Solomon in all his glory was not

dressed as beautifully as they are.

And if God cares so wonderfully

for wildflowers that are here today

and thrown into the fire tomorrow,

he will certainly care for you.

Why do you have so little faith?

Matthew 6:28-30

 

Three key lines:

 

·         God cares so wonderfully.

·         He will certainly care for you.

·         So … why do you have so little faith?

 

Ouch.

 

But … wait.

 

Notice that Jesus didn’t say that worry equaled “no faith.” No faith equals eternal judgment. But little faith equals two things. One: Any faith at all equals heaven! (Eventually.) But at the moment little faith equals littler hope, littler encouragement, littler peace. Indeed, when our faith is small, our joy is incomplete.

 

It’s been said that the closest a believer will ever be to hell is right here on earth. And whenever we’re consumed by the cares of the world – worrying rather than trusting -- that’s when we experience … pain rather than peace … discouragement rather than hope … and hellish days rather than heaven’s present joys.

 

Faith claims God’s gift. This current gift – God’s present present to us – is the truthful assurance that God cares wonderfully for humans, in general … and that he certainly, uniquely, and personally cares for you.

 

Indeed, if the Masterful Creator cares about a wildflower in the back corner of an overgrown field, are you trusting that he certainly cares for you?!

 

Yes, he cares about your physical bumps and bruises. He cares about your bruised heart and bumped ego. He cares about your family … and your country … and your finances … and, well, everything!

 

So read those three things again …

 

·         God cares so wonderfully.

·         He will certainly care for you.

·         So … why not have a little a more confidence?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to

grow a mustard seed

(and move mountains)