When reading the last portion of John’s gospel, and specifically the
event where the disciples go out fishing (John 21:1-14), we can find an interesting
picture of how God often shows up to work miracles. The way this event
happened probably was not the way the disciples would have wanted it to
go, but it was the best way for it to have gone looking back on it. The event begins in the evening, and several of the disciples decide
to join Peter who had just gotten the urge to go fishing. Perhaps Peter
has doubts on whether or not Jesus would appear to them or whether Jesus
would even accept Him back after his denials just weeks (maybe even
days) before. Or Peter may have just been filling time while waiting for
Jesus to arrive. Whatever the reason, the disciples push out into the lake to catch
fish – but their night could only be classified as unsuccessful: No fish
and no Jesus showing up with them on the lake. It is not a stretch to
imagine these disciples were feeling just a little disappointed. In our own lives, often we face periods of disappointment, and
times when things keep turning up empty. These times we may feel as
though God has abandoned us or that He is not interested. But this is not the reason for the empty night at all. When the sun started peaking up over the horizon, the disciples spot a
person on the shore, and this person tells them to throw their nets on
the other side of the boat after learning that they had caught nothing.
While this sounds like a ridiculous request, the disciples obey, and
they land the biggest catch they could have imagined. It often is only after the periods of disappointment that we are
truly ready to receive God’s blessing. This is not God making up for
lost time with a gift of interest, but a growing experience for all
those present. If the disciples had caught fish during the night, they would have
attributed their catch with their own fishing ability, but the only
possible conclusion we can reach following this event is that God
provided the fish. In a subtle way, Jesus says to these
disciples that even if they chose to go back to a life of fishing, they
will only be successful if He is with them. In a similar way,
regardless of what we choose to do in life, the only way we can truly be
successful in the roles we choose is if Jesus/God allows it. The growth that comes is a growth that teaches us our need to
depend on God. We often are tempted to depend on our own ability, but
eventually, our abilities will fail us and we will need outside help. God wants to help us and to bless us, but He doesn’t want His
blessings to pull us away from Him. God wants to bless us in
extravagant ways, but He doesn’t want His gifts to affect our
relationship with Him. Too often, this is only learned after we face
times of disappointment that can remind us of our need. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV) “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.In vain you rise early and stay up late,toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.” (Psalm 127:1-2 NIV) “Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’” (Mark 2:27-28 NIV) When you think of 9-5, or even 8-4, most people will immediately think of a typical 8 hour work day, often for 5 days a week. However, let’s flip this notion on its head. What would happen if we kept 9-5 and applied it to all 7 days instead of just five? What would happen if we swapped the “a” and the “p” on those times and swapped work for rest? This means we intentionally structure our daily routine so that we are in bed and falling asleep by 9pm and that our alarms are set for 5am. If you can pull off an 8p-4a schedule, that’s even better. (I aim for 8-4, but end up with something closer to 8:30-4:30.) Going to bed a little earlier and waking up earlier has amazing advantages. Waking up early offers you more time to get ready for each day, more time to spend with God in prayer/study, and/or more time to shower. 🙂 If you commute to work, perhaps you can leave a little earlier and not feel as rushed while driving through traffic. While everyone’s schedules are different, consider testing a 9-5 rest cycle in your life. I’ve held onto this schedule for over a decade and it has been amazing what it has allowed me to accomplish! One of my favorite passages in the Bible is easily overlooked. This passage is the one from Psalms that I quoted above. While it is a short psalm, it has stood out to me ever since I read it. This psalm reminds me that God does not expect me to be a workaholic. Instead, He wants me to strategically work when it is time to work and rest when it is time to rest. While many people think of the Sabbath day when thinking about times to rest, don’t neglect the rest (sleep) portion of each day. Solomon, the author of this psalm, reminds us that God is in control, that He can be trusted, and that one of His most significant gifts to us is rest (sleep). As we enter a weekend together, let’s remember the rest that God offers and sleep soundly knowing that He holds our world in His trustworthy hands! 🙏 📖 ✝️ 👍
The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is one of the most famous of Jesus’
parables, but there is a part of it that I have never heard anyone
address: The Father’s role in what happens. Many scholars and teachers will point out that this parable is more
about the Father’s role than it is about either of the two sons. I
agree, but one thing bothers me about this parable when looking at it
with God representing the “father” character: God orchestrates the entire course of events. What I mean by this is that the younger son comes home, and the last
thing he is looking for is a party. He was more hoping to be one of the
servants. The older son would have completely agreed with the younger
one. But the Father character flips the tables. He honors the son that was
not seeking honor, and he knows that this will bother the older
brother. This entire situation is orchestrated by the Father. God uses this as
one additional example of those who seek honor being humbled, and those
who humble themselves being honored. There are ample examples of Jesus’
sharing this truth in all four gospels. Why does this bother me? I’m not sure, but perhaps it is because I
can understand the older brother’s perspective. If I had stayed faithful
to God, and it looked like He had displaced me for someone who had
fallen away, I could easily understand having annoyed feelings. If I
were in the older brother’s shoes, I would have been offended at the
idea of the younger brother being given a feast of honor. But the truth is that God wants the older brother, and all of
us, to understand something deeper about Him – and His character. He is
focused on the moment, and this moment holds the return of His lost
son. In any moment with this event, would you expect a loving father to
react any less? This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
During Jesus’ first commission to His disciple, He shares a brief
idea about how spiritual loyalty works. On the surface, this idea sounds
obvious, but even with all its obvious characteristics, this idea is
often ignored. In His first message directly to His group of twelve
followers after bringing them together as a group, Jesus includes the
following big idea: “Those who declare publicly that they belong
to me, I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven. But
those who reject me publicly, I will reject before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33 GNT) There are several layers of this truth that are worth paying
attention to. The first is that this concept relates to public
declarations. This is significant because while what we do in private
for God is important, what we live, say, and do for God is even more
important. If we live completely for God in private, but then live
completely counter to God’s will in public, then we have missed the
truth about discipleship. Declaring our allegiance to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in public
is rarely ever popular, but it is what Jesus says is important. This
does not mean that we stand on a street corner with a bull horn
declaring to everyone who is within earshot that we belong to Jesus, but
instead that we don’t shy away from living our beliefs and siding with
God’s plan for our lives even if others around us choose to live
differently. Declaring publicly means that we let people know that Jesus
is the reason for us living the way we do, whether this declaration is
to a stadium full of people or to one or two friends we are with away
from the crowds. But if we have messed up and rejected Jesus publicly, have we closed the door to Jesus ever accepting us again? Not at all! Jesus’ star disciple, Peter, is known for speaking before thinking,
and this character trait got Peter in trouble more than the other
disciples. Throughout all the gospels, Peter is the disciple who is
known as the one who publicly rejected Jesus, not just once, but three
times on the night of Jesus’ arrest. In this event, Peter is our example
for what happens when someone who has followed Jesus chooses to
publicly reject Him. Following Jesus’ resurrection, we learn the answer: Jesus invites Peter to be His disciple again. (John 21:19 GNT) For those who have messed up or fallen away from God and
Jesus, the invitation is open to come back to Him. This invitation won’t
always be open, because Jesus may return before we take the chance or
our lives may end before we have made the decision. While the invitation
is open, we would be wise to take Jesus up on it. When we publicly
declare that we belong to Jesus, He will draw us to God and we will be
saved for eternity. This declaration comes with a wiping away of our
past sins, and it marks the beginning (or restart) of our live with God! This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
During Jesus’ last conversation with His disciples before being
arrested and crucified, He shares with them a big picture idea that can
help us frame God’s perspective on our world. When trying to help the
disciples see past what was about to happen, Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A
woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but
when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a
child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief,
but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away
your joy.” (John 16:20-22 NIV) The idea I find very interesting in this is while the world is
rejoicing, Jesus’ disciples and followers will be mourning. This tells
me that the world had a different goal than Jesus’ or God did – or did
it? While Jesus was in the grave, part of me wonders what was happening in heaven.
Was heaven filled with joy over Jesus’ completion of His salvation
sacrifice, or was heaven filled with sadness over Jesus’ death on the
cross? While the world was rejoicing over Jesus’ death and the disciples
were sad, was heaven rejoicing with the world, or shedding tears with
the disciples? I am inclined to believe that both joy and sadness were present in
heaven on that Sabbath that Jesus rested in the grave. I think that day
was a day with mixed emotions unlike heaven had ever experienced up to
that point. But the perspective Jesus shares here in these words to His
disciples is a much bigger, broader perspective then the immediate
moment. Jesus tells His followers that the world looks at
the immediate moment for its emotions, but they are to give equal or
greater weight to the perspective that looks at the ultimate end. This
means that whatever comes our way, whether we experience things that
cause us joy or events that bring tears, we can find joy when looking at
the big, big picture that reminds us that Jesus returns, and when
history has ended, Jesus will stand victorious! This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” (Matthew 17:24-27 NIV) In a unique-to-Matthew passage, we discover a powerful secondary gospel, which I humorously call the Fish Gospel. Most of us are aware of the big gospel message (that Jesus died on the cross for our sins). However, the Fish Gospel is often overlooked. One time when Jesus was in Capernaum, some leaders come asking about whether Jesus pays the Temple Tax. Presumably because Jesus had already gone inside the house, or perhaps because the leaders wanted to catch Peter off guard as a way to incriminate Jesus, they ask Peter about the tax rather than Jesus. While Peter brushes them off in the simplest way he can think of, he appears to have given the wrong answer. When going inside, Jesus knew what happened and challenged Peter about it. However, the Fish Gospel is what comes next. In a way that only Jesus could do, He gives Peter a set of instructions for paying the tax Peter had verbally promised. However, where did the money come from for this tax? A fish—specifically the FIRST fish Peter would catch when casting his line. 🎣 This means that either Peter was the best fisherman who ever lived, or God miraculously created the situation needed for the right fish to find Peter’s line. While Peter was not “off the hook” for paying what he promised (he still had to catch the fish and deliver the coin), God provided the money that paid this temple tax for both Peter and Jesus. Just like Jesus stepped into history to make a way for us to be saved from sin through the cross, through the Fish Gospel, God can also help us out of the impossible-to-solve situations we place ourselves in. When we lean on Jesus, life doesn’t immediately become easier, but it does become better as we walk with God away from sin and towards eternity! ✝️ The Cross Gospel: Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. This gospel assures us of eternal life with God. 🐟 The Fish Gospel: God paid the temple tax through Peter’s fish. This gospel assures us that God wants to help our lives today, as we move through life with Him!
20th Sunday of Ordinary Time - 08/15/2024 - Religious Ed for All Ages The Wisdom of the Word Have you ever said to yourself, "I don't understand any of this religious stuff." Have you ever tried to read the bible and stopped, because you can't understand it? The first and second reading for this week explains how to understand everything: *Proverbs 9:1-6 (NIV)* 1. Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. 2. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3. She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city, 4. “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, 5. “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. 6. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.” Ephesians 5:15-20 New International Version 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The readings describe Wisdom as a woman who has prepared a meal, more of a party as it were, for those "who are simple" and "have no sense." Does she (God) mean stupid, silly, ignorant? No. More likely - humble, small, children. To become wise we have to have the virtues of Humility, love, hope, and faith. Also - We need to use our time wisely, and not be foolish, in order to understand the Lord's will for us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nccvDyjvdps As Jordan Peterson notes, the consequences of wasting time, or not living wisely, or not asking God for Wisdom of heart, are serious and may lead to consequences you don't even know exist. How many of you spend time watching reels on your phone for hours. What's the cost of that? 4 million dollars, five million dollars, your soul? Only you can answer that. The Catholic Church teaches Virtues as Theological VirtuesTheological Virtues These virtues are considered gifts from God and are infused into the souls of the faithful. 1. *Faith*: Belief in God and all that He has revealed. It implies trust and reliance on God's promises. 2. *Hope*: A confident expectation and desire for the graces of God and eternal life. It sustains one in times of difficulty and keeps one's focus on Heaven. 3. *Charity (Love)*: Love of God above all things and love of neighbor as oneself for the love of God. It is the greatest of the theological virtues. and Cardinal VirtuesCardinal Virtues These virtues are seen as pivotal or essential for living a moral life and are considered the foundation of good character. 1. *Prudence*: The ability to discern the appropriate course of action to be taken in any given situation at the appropriate time. It is often referred to as practical wisdom. 2. *Justice*: Fairness and giving each person their due. It involves consideration of the rights of others and acting in accordance with what is right. 3. *Fortitude (Courage)*: Strength and determination in facing trials and difficulties. It enables one to stand firm and act rightly even in the face of adversity. 4. *Temperance*: The virtue of self-control, moderation, and balance. It helps one to avoid excess and to manage desires and appetites properly. You won't remember any of these, but you already know them innately. If we hold these virtues in our hearts, and practice them in our lives, we get closer to gaining the wisdom necessary to understand God's word and call in our lives. Wisdom is asked for repeatedly in the Bible, perhaps most famously by King Solomon in this reading: ### 1 Kings 3:5-12 (NIV) 5. At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 6. Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7. “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10. The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12. I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” Solomon became king of Israel after his Father David's rule ended. As he says here, he is "only a little child." Indicating he is very young, but we don't know exactly how old. He asks God for a "discerning heart" or for Wisdom and "The lord was pleased that Solomon asked for this." Another reading in the Bible that discusses Wisdom is: ### James 1:5 (NIV) 5. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. So - if you're reading the Bible, or listening at Church, or just at all interested in this "religious stuff," stop, close your eyes, and ask God to help you understand it. Then, according to James, understanding, "will be given to you." This is the greatest thing about belief in God. You ask, and it's just "given to you." Perhaps you don't believe in miracles or might say you've never witnessed one. That's not true, asking for Wisdom and receiving it is a miracle, and it can happen to you every day if you just ask. Remember also that just because you're a child means nothing. In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 18: 1 - 5 "Jesus called a little child to stand among them and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." You have more wisdom than any adult, and the kingdom of heaven is yours. How many times have you gone 0-10 at the plate in baseball and asked your parents, "what am I doing wrong?" Maybe you go get a hitting coach because he'll have the answers. How many times have you failed a math test and said, "I need a tutor." So - you go see some person who advertises they can fix it for money. Have you ever been bullied and have no idea how to respond or what to say, so again, you ask your parents and maybe they say, "ignore it," or "fight back." We've all done this. But - how many times have you asked God for the Wisdom to know what to do. "Dear God, I hate not hitting, it sucks, it makes baseball no fun, I'm letting the team down, give me the Wisdom to hit that stupid, silly ball. " I bet it happens. "Dear God, I don't understand math, what's more, I hate it. Give me the Wisdom to keep working at it and to figure out how 9 times the root of 6 equals X over S or whatever." I bet you get a better grade next time. "Dear God, this kid at school is driving me nuts, he won't leave me alone, I don't even want to go to school, and I don't know how to make it stop, give me the Wisdom to make it stop." I bet it stops within the week. You might think, "you don't know any of those things, or that God would do any of those things." You're wrong. Yes I do. Because I believe in God, and his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, more than I believe in anything in the world. And because I believe this, I believe that miracles can happen whether that be in baseball, math, with idiot bullies, or in life in general. If you don't want to believe that, fine. I'd quote Michael Jordan from the documentary The Last Dance. "If you don't want to play that way, don't play that way." See how it works out for you. The Gospel for this week is from the same chapter, John 6, we have been reading in this church cycle for several weeks. John 6:51-58 New International Version 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” "I don't want to go to church. It's boring." Ever said that? Why do you need to go to church? Very simply, because of this reading. If you don't eat his flesh (that's communion) and drink his blood (that's the wine you drink) then "you have no life in you." What more is there to say? Do you want to live a life in which you have no life in you and you have no hope of living eternal life? Really? And you would do that ,why? Because you think Jesus is joking here? No. You don't go to church because you don't really believe it. Well believe this, if you don't eat the living bread which is the host you're offered at Mass and drink his blood which is the cup of wine you are offered, you have nothing. Nothing is given to you without Him. I want to live forever, with Him eternally, so I'm gonna do the bare minimum of 50 minutes a week to make that happen, you should consider getting in the car next week when your parents ask you. Or, if you are the parent, get in the car and go. But, I'm not very eloquent, and if my rant above isn't for you, Bishop Barron will tell you everything you need to know about this reading here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZMw7CejKUY&list=PLg6k5UmSDlch2fGz14xMMvAEMjejv1b0o
During Jesus’ response to a challenge some Jewish leaders brought Him
regarding something He did on the Sabbath, we find a fascinating way
that Jesus frames the scriptures. The scriptures Jesus was referring to
was the Old Testament, because that is what had been written at that
time. Many of us living today would also bring the New Testament under
the heading of scriptures because we can see evidence of how God has
preserved these writings throughout history like He has preserved the
Old Testament writings. We could even broaden the term scripture to mean anything that God
(i.e. The Holy Spirit) has inspired a person to write regardless of
whether it was included in the Bible. The way Jesus frames this term can
equally be applied to all these different ways of understanding what
people have written that was inspired, but in the context of the
statement, only the Old Testament was considered Scripture to those
present. Jesus challenges these Jewish leaders by saying, “You study
the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have
eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet
you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40 NIV) The idea Jesus is sharing with these leaders is that knowledge does
not lead to life. Knowledge can only direct someone to where they can
receive life. Words written on a page are at the most basic level sets
of marks that mean something to those who can understand them. The words
themselves only have the power we let them have. If we don’t
internalize the message a group of words shares enough to change our
lives, then the words are really useless. At some level, this is the same with the words that make up the
Bible. If someone chooses to read them and they don’t impact his/her
life, then the words are not worth anything. Knowledge that is not
applied is not worth much. The Jewish leaders had placed a heavy emphasis on studying and
knowing the scriptures, but they had missed the point of what was being
said. The goal of the scriptures was to point to Jesus. According to Jesus, reading the Bible does not lead one to
eternal life. Only those who come to Jesus and choose to believe in Him,
which is another way of saying having faith in Him, trusting Him, and
following His leadership and direction ultimately gain this reward. When
we believe, follow, and obey Jesus, then we are walking along the path
the scriptures have pointed us towards – and when this is the case, the
scriptures have fulfilled their intended task. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
Often, when reading though the gospels, I come across a passage I had
never really paid much attention to before, but something in it jumps
out and shows me something new about Jesus. As I read this journal entry’s passage, which is one I had often
skimmed over before, I found a great reminder of how Jesus was
intentionally counter cultural – and this realization is directly
related to a faulty assumption that Jesus’ own siblings make about who
He is. In verse 4, in the middle of Jesus’ brothers scolding Him for avoiding the spotlight, they give away their motives: “For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” (John 7:4 NASB95) The first incorrect assumption Jesus’ brothers make is that Jesus is
seeking to be known publicly. By this point in Jesus’ ministry, He has
been gaining popularity, but His brothers incorrectly assume that fame
is the goal. They reveal their motives in this request: they want to
ride on Jesus’ momentum and be famous alongside Him as His brothers. Nowhere in the gospels do I see Jesus seeking fame or attention onto
Himself. He is repeatedly tempted to do so, but He never caves into the
temptation. The second incorrect assumption Jesus’ brothers make is that Jesus’
desire is to show Himself to the world. While in one sense, this is
Jesus’ purpose in life, the context is completely different. Jesus’
brothers want Jesus to declare Himself as the Savior of the world when
He is popular, and in a position of strength. Jesus’ purpose is instead
to reveal Himself to the world when He is hated, rejected, and in a
position of weakness. Jesus disciples assume Jesus has pride in His heart. Pride desires
attention and people’s focus. Jesus’ brothers want the status and
attention, but Jesus isn’t interested. Everything Jesus did while on
earth focused on helping the individual person, showing God’s love to
those who society had rejected, and to give glory to the Father. Jesus reveals this contrast in His response to His brothers, “My
time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. The world
cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds
are evil.” (John 7:6b-7 NASB95) Jesus came to reveal how big the gap is between God and us. He came
to show us that even when we are at our best, we are still not able to
return to God. Jesus’ life and ministry speaks out against a world that
says we can make it on our own. His ministry, from start to finish,
reveals how we need God’s help, and how He came to meet that need. But even with Jesus knowing His key role, He wants the fame
to go to the Father. Jesus ministry was designed to make God famous.
Everything in His ministry was focused on this one point. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 NASB) Of all the challenges Jesus gives throughout His ministry, these three verses are among the strongest, sobering challenges He ever shares. In this set of verses, Jesus describes a group of people who think they are safe—one could even say they feel they are on “the right side of eternity”—but they end up being turned away. Let’s look closely at the details: First, those who get rejected are “close enough”, or perhaps knowledgeable enough, to “prophesy in Jesus’ name, to “cast out demons”, and to “perform miracles”. This list may tempt me to say that since I have done none of these things, I must be “safe”. However, I suspect this short list simply represents all the great things we can do for Jesus: Hypothetically, if I were the world’s most famous evangelist, doing great things for God every day of my life, I still could be lost according to this passage. In this passage, Jesus gives three characteristics of those who are lost: 1. They did not DO the will of God the Father. Jesus states God’s will in John 6:29 - “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” Many people think that simply believing Jesus existed, died, and was raised is good enough. However, Satan knows this truth and he isn’t saved. Instead, believing in Jesus means taking the step past simply having knowledge—this step points letting the knowledge of Jesus transform your life. 2. Jesus doesn’t know them. This tiny phrase might be the most important of the entire truth. If we are not actively, regularly spending time focused on growing towards Jesus (spending time with Him in prayer, Bible study, and living life with Him), we risk Jesus not knowing us. While Jesus technically knows the number of hairs on our head, He wants a relationship with us that is much closer than an occasional acquaintance. Those who aren’t interested in a relationship with God in this life risk not being able to have a relationship with Him in the life to come. 3. They practiced lawlessness. The Bible challenges us in plenty of places to keep, remember, and observe God’s law. Those who know the law, or who have willfully not bothered to look, and who choose to go culture’s way, risk being excluded from God’s kingdom. 👉 Instead of being worried about facing a closed door, focus on growing so close to Jesus that even if we end up on the opposite side of the door, He will quickly open it for us when we knock because He knows us! 🙏 📖 ✝️ 👍
Of all the things Jesus told the crowds while He was alive, probably
the craziest of them all would be statements that can really only be
thought of as cannibalistic. According to John’s gospel, during a
conversation Jesus has with a group of people who traveled a significant
distance to find Him, Jesus says the following crazy and challenging
statement, “I tell you the truth, you must eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink his blood. Otherwise, you won’t have real life in
you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I
will raise them up on the last day. My flesh is true food, and my blood
is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and
I live in them. The living Father sent me, and I live because of the
Father. So whoever eats me will live because of me. I am not like the
bread your ancestors ate. They ate that bread and still died. I am the
bread that came down from heaven, and whoever eats this bread will live
forever.” (John 6:53-58 NCV) While most people, myself included, believe Jesus to be symbolically
pointing forward to the bread and wine within the Last Supper, without
this context that comes at the close of Jesus’ ministry, there are not
many other ways to understand Jesus words outside of the surface-level
cannibalistic approach. However, to set this statement up, John gives us a key detail that we
might miss if we are not paying close attention. Immediately before
Jesus shared these words, John tells us “Then the evil people began to argue among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’” (John 6:52 NCV) John describes those who were only looking at the surface level of
Jesus’ statement as evil. In reality, the cannibalistic angle on these
words was all they could see. Nowhere else in this passage are those who
were present described as evil, and this distinction is important for
us to pay attention to. Throughout this entire conversation, Jesus wants to lead those
present into putting their faith, trust, and belief onto Him – and for
their belief in Him to be stronger than simply because He multiplied
their meal the day before. Throughout this conversation, those present
were being divided into two groups. One group was being drawn towards
Jesus and they would ultimately put their faith in Him. The other group
is the group that John describes as evil. However, in setting up this challenging statement, John also shares something else that is interesting: the evil people argue among themselves.
None of these people actually ask Jesus to clarify what He means. By
arguing among themselves, this group moves further away from Jesus
instead of humbly asking for clarification. While I don’t fully understand what Jesus meant with these strong
words, I do know that they were spoken to a group of people who had
closed their hearts and minds off towards Jesus and God. Perhaps Jesus
was trying to wake them up to the food metaphor, and He may have been
trying to teach them the spiritual significance of the miracle of the
food from the day before. However, their minds were closed and their
hearts were evil, and they ultimately walk away instead of keeping the
conversation going with more questions. I don’t believe Jesus would have turned away an honest
question from someone who wanted to understand better what He was
saying. I just wish there was someone like this present in the crowd
that day. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
Of all the gospel writers to include Jesus’ trial, John’s perspective
on these events is more unique from the other three gospel writers. In
John’s gospel, we get to peek into Jesus’ conversation with Pilate that
happened behind closed doors, and we also get a glimpse of the actual
charge the religious leaders give to Pilate for their demands of death. Part way through the trial, John tells us that the religious leaders
give their real reason for demanding Jesus’ death. After Pilate restates
that he found no fault in Jesus, the Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law. That law says he must die. He claimed to be the Son of God.” (John 19:7 NIRV) When Pilate heard this, John says that he was even more afraid. He brings Jesus back into the palace and asks Him, “Where do you come from?” (John 19:9 NIRV) But Jesus remains silent, which both confuses and angers Pilate. Pilate continues with another question, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you understand? I have the power to set you free or to nail you to a cross.” (John 19:10 NIRV) It is then that Jesus gave an answer, and His answer is amazing given the circumstances. Jesus replied, “You
were given power from heaven. If you weren’t, you would have no power
over me. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater
sin.” (John 19:11 NIRV) Jesus reminds Pilate of something that Pilate already knows, but
Jesus frames it in a different way. Jesus essentially reminds Pilate
that everything he has been given as governor of Judea is because of
God. Pilate may believe in the Roman collection of gods, but the same
truth is present: Pilate is in the position he is in because he gained favor from a higher authority. In this response, Jesus acknowledges Pilate’s position, but He frames
it as not being number one. Jesus frames the Highest Authority in
heaven as giving Pilate the power to decide Jesus’ fate. While Pilate
initially claimed to have the power, Jesus reminded him that the power
he is referring to is really a gift from God. But Jesus subtly minimizes Pilate’s role in how He concludes. Jesus
tells Pilate that because of the power given to him from Heaven for this
event and decision, he will be guilty of sin for this, but “the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” (John 19:11 NIRV) Pilate was one of the few people who really got the picture of who
Jesus was, and it scared him. Jesus was different from all the others
that he had sentenced to death. It was like Jesus expected it, even
though nothing said that He deserved it. Perhaps this is because Jesus
kept His focus on what would happen after the cross and after His death –
and maybe on even what His death would ultimately accomplish. Jesus faced death knowing that it meant opening the way for
our salvation. Those who judged Jesus as guilty were themselves guilty
of sin, but Jesus was willing to look past their actions to what their
actions would accomplish. When we ultimately face death, we too can look
past it and see the future life Jesus has accomplished for each of us! This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
I have often wondered about a phrase that we find in this journal
entry’s passage. In the last paragraph and specifically in the last two
verses, Jesus clearly states, “Ask me, and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father. I will do whatever you ask me to do.” (John 14:13-14 CEV) This phrase seems like a blank check that Jesus promises to each of
us as His followers. On the surface, this seems like a
no-strings-attached offer. Like many of Jesus’ teachings, these two verses have often been used
to paint Jesus (and God) as a genie in a bottle, here to grant whatever
you wish for – though since God is better than a genie, there is no
limit to the number of wishes we get. However, on the other side, there are those who push back against
this idea saying that this is not a limitless offer. Instead, we must
ask for things off of a predetermined list of “God-approved” actions.
“After all,” those using this argument say, “God wouldn’t murder someone
if you asked Him to, and He has yet to answer your request for winning
the lottery.” There are big problems with both the genie view, as well as the list
view. The genie view paints God as being impersonal, and subject to our
will. Seeing God with genie-glasses makes God out to be lower than us,
and that He simply exists to do our bidding. The list view also has
problems, because it limits Jesus’ words. There is nothing Jesus says in
this passage to even imply a limit to what He would do for us. But there is one key ingredient that Jesus does give immediately
before saying these words. Verses 11 and 12 have one big central theme: “Have
faith in me when I say that the Father is one with me and that I am one
with the Father. Or else have faith in me simply because of the things I
do. I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do
the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now
that I am going back to the Father.” (John 14:11-12 CEV) Three times in these two verses, Jesus says the phrase, “Have faith
in Me”. Looking back to the very beginning of this passage, we also see
the idea of faith being shared: “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me.” (John 14:1b CEV) In this context, faith doesn’t mean a religion or set of doctrines.
In this case, it simply means “complete trust or confidence in someone
or something”, and in this case, that Someone is Jesus, who is one with
God. So then what does Jesus’ promise to us mean? Sandwiched in the middle of Jesus’ promise to us is the reason behind His promise. Jesus says that His actions “will bring honor to the Father”. This tells me that the goal of everything Jesus does is to bring honor to the Father. There is no limit to what we ask of Jesus, but Jesus will always answer us in a way that brings honor to the Father. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
In all the commotion surrounding Jesus’ arrest in the garden, every
gospel writer shares something unique during this key point in Jesus’
night before His crucifixion. However, out of all the gospel writers,
Mark shares with us a detail that is incredibly unique. This detail actually is even more interesting because it is one of
the very, very few places that Mark shares something that at least one
of the other gospel writers don’t. At the very end of Mark’s version of this event, we read, “Then
all his disciples deserted him and ran away. One young man following
behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to
grab him, he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.” (Mark 14:50-52 NLT) While all the gospel writers include the disciples fleeing the scene,
only Mark includes a detail about a young man barely escaping – only
able to do so naked. Some people believe this detail to be from Mark
himself, who was the author of this gospel. If this is the case, then
with Jesus at the garden may have been more followers than just the
twelve disciples. However, Mark the gospel writer may have included this detail about one of the lesser famous members of Jesus group of twelve. What this detail tells me about Jesus is that His promise and
statement was true. Mark includes the closest that any of the mob came
to arresting one of Jesus’ followers, and even then, they were not
successful. In this odd detail for Mark to include, my faith in God’s
protection is strengthened. Sure, our enemies may get the shirt off my
back, but Jesus has promised to keep me safe for eternity! And this is a
promise that means way more than a piece of clothing that can be
replaced! This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
In chapter twelve of the Exodus story, God gave instructions to Moses and Aaron that set out a specific structure of time during which the Hebrews were to observe and complete precise tasks leading up to their Exodus from Egypt. If you read that chapter, you can see that the day numbers given by God have the same structure as significant days in the feminine reproductive cycle. The feminine theme does not stop with the Exodus, but continues with the newly developing nation spending forty years in the desert which parallels forty weeks of full-term pregnancy. When the Hebrews march on Jericho, Rahab hangs out a scarlet cord from her window. Scarlet thread was used by midwives to mark the eldest in the birth of twins. The promised land is described as a land flowing with milk and honey. Milk comes in after birth. As far as I know, mankind was not able to accurately sort out the invisible internal timing and physiology of a woman's body until the 1700s. Who in the ancient world could have known how to embed those numbers into the story of the birth of a nation when they had no idea what the significance of those days were? This seems to be a miracle of the text reserved for modern discovery. That intimate knowledge and precise structure is nothing less than stunning. Apparently I have to add to the word count to post. Who is like God? St. Michael, pray for us. Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
If you have ever been used as an illustration in someone’s
sermon/presentation, or if you feel as though someone based their sermon
on something you did or something you said, you are not alone. Prior to studying this entry’s passage, I had not ever noticed verse 9, which sets up this entire teaching: “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable”. (Luke 18:9 NIV) I wonder if those in the audience did something that prompted Jesus
to conclude this, or if this was simply another time when the Holy
Spirit shared people’s thoughts with Jesus. We may never know, but we do
know that this verse clearly sets up the theme and foundation for
Jesus’ upcoming parable. Jesus parable has two characters: one who represented a person who
was overly confident in his righteousness, and one who was humble and
who acknowledged his need for forgiveness. The opening verse clearly draws a parallel between the confident
people in the crowd and the confident man praying in the temple within
the parable. Without saying it directly, Jesus pulls back the curtain on
how God views our actions and what He thinks of our attitude. When I read this verse, the idea of “confidence” challenges me. I
don’t think confidence in itself is the problem. After all, we can be
confident in many positive things. What I think is the root problem is these people’s attitude: they
believe they have arrived and have achieved a “God-like” righteousness,
and they look down on all those who haven’t made it here. These two ideas stand in contrast with each other because God doesn’t “look down” – He steps down.
The confident people in the crowd may have been really close to
“God-like” standard, but without the love necessary in their lives to
step down to help those in need, they failed. However, God’s goal for us is not to live to the standard. History
has made it very clear that this is impossible for a sinful race.
Instead, God sent Jesus to live that life for us, but that brings with
it a second challenge – we must accept God’s gift by acknowledging that
we need Jesus’ life to replace ours. The second man who prayed – the one who humbled himself and asked God
for forgiveness and help – received the approval He asked for. This leads to Jesus’ big idea in verse 14: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14 NIV) This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
The gospel of John is an interesting gospel. Not only does it give us
a unique perspective on Jesus’ life, John seems to paint a picture for
us about who Jesus is, instead of who He was. The other gospel writers
dig into an assortment of events that give us an overview of Jesus’
life, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection, but John
strategically pulls events together to paint a picture of Jesus as not
just a prophet or famous person, but as the Messiah who God had sent. Luke opens his gospel by sharing that his gospel is a collection of
interviews with people who were eyewitnesses. Mark may have been one of
Jesus’ followers who was not part of the group of 12 disciples, so his
gospel is likely put together by talking with Jesus’ disciples
themselves. Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, and he paints
his gospel around how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy. But in the events surrounding Jesus’ death, while Matthew is probably
the most detailed writer at the moment Jesus died, it is John who draws
our attention to a set of prophecies that Matthew missed or chose to
not include. In John, following Jesus taking His last breath, the Jewish
leaders convince Pilate to expedite the men’s deaths by breaking their
legs. However, because Jesus was already dead, they skip breaking His legs,
and instead thrust a spear into His side to confirm His death. John
tells us the significance of these two details of Jesus death: “This
happened so that the Scripture would come true: ‘None of his bones will
be broken.’ Another Scripture passage says, ‘They will look at the
person whom they have stabbed.’” (John 19:36-37 GW) This is one of the very few places where a gospel writer includes a
prophetic detail of Jesus’ life that Matthew does not include. Perhaps
this was because John was the only eyewitness who connected these dots,
or maybe Matthew didn’t include it because He was not present for it. What this tells me most importantly about the four gospels is
that all four gospels are important and each of the four gospels has a
place in helping us understand who Jesus was, who He is, and who He came
to be. All four gospels can teach us something distinct about Jesus,
and by including all four gospels, we can see a much better picture of
Jesus the Messiah. This post first appeared on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Leave your thoughts below.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18 NASB) When thinking about what motivates people to serve God, I suspect we could summarize all potential motivations under two groups: Love and Fear. Some might call this the Carrot vs. Stick approach, or perhaps the Reward vs. Punishment approach. When serving God, are we focused on what He will give us as a reward, or on the punishment we are avoiding? Does our motivation when serving God matter? Is God most interested in having people serve Him regardless of their motivation to do so? Or is serving God the goal, regardless of the motivation behind the service? If we compare marriages based on each motivation, a marriage based on fear would be called abusive, while a marriage based on love would be called healthy. Abusive marriages ideally end for the sake of both parties involved, while healthy marriages last decades. In a group discussion I was involved in some time ago, someone commented, somewhat rhetorically, about these two competing motivations. Their thought stood out in my mind, along with the simple follow-up question: Which motivating force lasts longer? This fear/love contrast also stuck in my head because of another post I saw recently. This post presented a case that if God did not act in a certain way (a way that might appear to some as harsh), this author would not take God seriously. At various points in the past, well-meaning people have stressed obedience towards God based on a fear of punishment approach. However, if we view eternity like a marriage, a fear-based approach leads towards an abusive situation, rather than a loving one. If God is leaning on both a carrot and a stick, then heaven will be filled with a mix of people, some out of fear, others out of love. However, which motivation lasts longer: Fear or Love? According to the verse above, perfect love drives out fear. If God filled heaven with people who are ONLY there because they “fear” God, then God’s love will drive them out. Just like doing something kind for your enemy will confuse them, God showing love towards those who fear Him will push them away. In eternity, pushing someone away risks another rebellion, and that is something God doesn’t want to do. God has promised an end to sin, along with punishment and judgment. However, God’s judgment does not require God to scare people into serving Him. God’s judgment does not need to contain torture or torment for it to be effective. God’s judgment simply needs to prepare the world for recreation as Christ’s marriage with His Church steps together into eternity. Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) 🙏 📖 ✝️ 👍