Offering rest

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

OFFERING REST

Matt 13:31-32

31 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." 

NIV

This parable can be taken in two different, yet somewhat the same ways. First we could see this as the church or Christianity as a whole. That is it started out with Jesus bringing the twelve into the saving knowledge of his salvation. Then it began to grow and grow to such a large tree, a large universal church that many people can come and perch in its branches.  Because the church in general, regardless of denominational divides sits on every other street corner in plain view for many to just stop in for a peek as to what is offered. It has become in past years the largest of trees. However, as we have seen a great multitude deceived by Satan, Christianity may no longer be the largest tree in the garden. So then this view may not be the single most accepted one. The second way, and perhaps the true meaning of this parable has to do the growth within the personal believer. When we come to Christ, the very first time, it might be due to an emotional event, or we come with our emotions. We might also first come to Jesus in order to escape hell, or desire to go to heaven. Our only knowledge is truly the simple message of the gospel. In years past many witnesses for Jesus used what has been called Romans road. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God”, 3:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” 6:23. “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” 6:9-10. This is all we know. Other than these few verses we hear, we have little to know understanding of the whole of God’s word. But being in his garden now, and he, through the power of the Holy Spirit, tends to our growth. We grow into someone who has great understanding and in fact offer rest to others. But that is not the conclusion in itself, for as a plant or largest tree, we also bear fruit to be offered to those who are hungry. Mustard plants, as they grow, flower at a certain time, then begin to sprout pods of mustard seeds, providing both a crop of which we obtain mustard for our foods, and food for birds before it is harvested. Yet the ultimate reason is so others can find rest in our branches. They can find Jesus. So our Lord’s plan for us it to grow and grow and to continue to grow all the while offering his rest to the people of this world. It is not all about us, but about being who Jesus wants us to be, branches of the vine, himself, and offering his rest. 

Wheat or weed

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

WHEAT OR WEED

Matt 13:24-30

24 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 28 "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' 29 "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" 

NIV

It might be easy to see the good seeds and the weeds as believers and non-believers, but that would not be what this parable is about. First we need to consider this is a parable about the kingdom of heaven. Non-believers, and as long as they remain non-believers, are not and never will be part of the kingdom of heaven. This is a parable about believers. Now it is true there were in the time of Jesus the Pharisees who for all practical purposes were the weeds among the good seed sown in the field of the disciples. Both were believers in God, but surely not in the same sense. The disciples were accepting Jesus as the Christ and the Pharisees were all about trying to kill him. If we were to render any parallel to the church today, we might see this parable at work in somewhat a different sense. There are Christians who for all practical purposes are the weeds. These are the hypocrites, the deceivers who pretend to be believers. There also are the deceived who live among the Christian church. These weeds sown discord or some other form of false teaching. However it would not do the church as a whole to bring them to the forefront, or expel them from the church. This would harm Christianity as a whole. It would not honor God, not his principles. Such Christians, who for the sake of either self-aggrandizement or the lure of wealth, or perhaps both, have caused enough harm already. Yet for the church to expose them publicly only brings dishonor to the church. We have seen this in our day with some of the televangelists. It is bad enough the world even sees their hypocrisy, but for the church to disown them would only harm the church even more. On a much smaller scale we might also have individuals who are members of small congregations who would fit in the category of weeds. These are the false believers, a sort of oxymoron. But this is what Jesus is talking about. They seem to be believers, but they have been deceived by the ways of the world, the devil into believing the can live in both, one as a believer, and two as a worldly person.  Trying to partner with other believers, while also partnering with the world. We cannot be yoked to both, it either has to be one or the other. Yet we cannot call them out, expel them as it were either. There is always hope the word of God will overtake the weeds and choke it out, bringing them into the full truth of the Gospel. But the truth of the matter is there are going to be people who are living among the church who will not enter into his rest. When the harvest time comes, they will be gathered and thrown into the lake of burning sulfur. This should serve us as a warning to make sure we are not a weed, but in fact a good seed. This warning brings us right to the very core of our lives. What do we truly desire the most? Do we truly seek first his kingdom? Do we put Jesus first in our lives? Do we actually live accordingly?  Do we just give God lip service, but in reality live to please our own desires? Do we say we trust God, but live as if we do not, and thus look to our own abilities? Do we bring this type of Christianity into the church influencing others with this kind of thinking? Then we would be the weeds. But we cannot allow that to be a part of our lives. We need to remain faithful to the whole truth of the Gospel. This should serve as a warning for self-examination, making sure we remain a good seed. This would mean, as the parable states, we do not judge who might be the weeds. We allow them to live among us. We grow together, although they are growing not as we do and God will be the one who harvests the crop. He decides which is wheat and which is weed.

Just one

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

JUST ONE

Matt 13:18-23

18 "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." 

NIV     

                

As we have been knowing this explanation all while we have been working our way through the complete narrative piece by piece, we are now at its conclusion. Jesus explains the meaning to his disciples and thus also to us. Certainly, as we stated previously we are not those who the evil one has snatched the word from our heart. We are also not the ones who have no root and fell away when some form of adversity came our way. However the one who allows the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth may give us a moment to pause and consider if we get caught up in this situation more than we want to admit. We want to be the good soil, but do we look more like this type of seed then that of good soil? Yet is there a possibility we could be a combination of the two. We can love the Lord our God with all our heart but it is possible to get distracted by the cares of this life. It is doubtful we would be deceived by wealth, yet it seems some believers might. This is troubling to consider we might allow the worries of life to infiltrate our lives. Should we not trust our Lord completely? Should we not be completely at peace in every situation life brings us? It is difficult at times to ignore some of the cares or concerns and those do include our financial condition. We are more than aware we should not store up wealth. But life brings those moments when we would like more than we have. So then can we be the good soil and that which get choked out at the same time? Do we vacillate between the two? That just should not be. We need to settle into being the good soil producing more than what was sown into our hearts. As we already considered that can be in several different ways. Having the truth of God multiply within our heart as well as sharing our faith and bringing others, or introducing others to Jesus. Yes, it comes down to being completely sold out fully trusting Jesus with every aspect of our lives. Nothing, not a single thing will every take away one little bit of our trust and faith in Jesus. We reject being choked out, we reject the cares of the world, we reject the deceitfulness of wealth and we take our stand against any of the attempts of the evil one to distract our life plan of trusting God for all we are, all we have, and all we do. We are the good soil.

Open heart open mind

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

OPEN HEART, OPEN MIND

Matt 13:10-17

10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'   16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

NIV

We are in the middle of this narrative on the discussion between Jesus and his disciples. We already were with the parable as he voiced it to the crowd of people on the shore, from the boat he was in. Now his disciples ask why he speaks in this manner using parables. Here he explains why he does, and after which we will see next, he explains the parable to them. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah making the point that some people just are never going to understand. What we should understand in this prophetic message is God does not shut the eyes and ears of people, but that the prophet is foretelling what is going to happen when people hear the message of the kingdom of God. There are people in the world who hear the words about Jesus, but it rolls off their ears like water on a ducks back. Certain people love the darkness, they simply do not want to come into the light. Their minds are shut off to the truth. They are so opposed to God, they say they do not believe in God, or that there is a God and therefor there is no God and what we believe is his words, they believe not. We know it is God’s desire that all men be saved,

John 12:32-33

32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

NIV

1 Tim 2:2-4

 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

NIV

So we know it is not God who shuts their eyes and ears, but he knows who will. We have been blessed to have opened our eyes and ears so that we can see the truth and hear the truth about the kingdom of God. In conjunction with the parable, we are the good soil. Jesus quoting Isaiah was demonstrating the truth of the parable. Those who are not the good soil, the other three types are those who did not see nor hear the truth or thought they heard it but it did not take hold in their hearts. Jesus also tell them that it was many years before him that men were looking, longing for him to come, but never saw the fulfillment of their longing, yet the disciples, and us for that matter, have seen him. True they were with him in the flesh and heard his voice with their ears, but we too have seen him because of the word of God. It reveals Jesus to us, the fullness of his person as one of the trinity, the divine Son of God, the Savior of the world. It does not require a high degree of intelligence to see and hear. It does not require special training or education to be able to see and hear. It does not require any form of human ability. God will do it all, if we but have an open heart and open mind. 

Good soil

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

GOOD SOIL

Matt 13:1-9

13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear." 

NIV

We are at one of the more familiar parables that preachers have had a heyday with over the years. After he said this, his disciples are going to ask why he speaks like this. The reason we need to know this is because he tells them they know the secrets of the kingdom, but the people do not. This will be a great lesson for us when we get there, but for now let us consider the fact that as believers we too have been given the secrets of the kingdom. So the truth of this parable has not been hidden from us. Here we have four types of people as they relate to the truth of the gospel. When people hear the truth about Jesus. When they hear that in order to have eternal life, in order to go to heaven, in order to gain entrance into the kingdom of God, they must accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, becoming born again, each responds in one of these four ways. We all see this, and it seems so plain and without need of reiterating. The only response which we should draw our attention to is ours. How did we respond to the message of salvation? Surely we did not have it plucked away before it bloomed in our hearts. Surely we did not get all excited about being born again and then as soon as we faced a little adversity, we let all that excitement disappear and went back to our former life. Surely we did not let all the ways of the world choke out the excitement of about having eternal life. But have we produced a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown in our hearts? Surely we consider ourselves the good soil. We have maintained our faith throughout our life since we accepted Jesus. We have had adversities and not wavered in our faith. We have had the opportunity to look to the world for our sustenance, or our own abilities, which if we adopted any of those outlooks we might in the category of the seed among the thorns, having our faith choked out by the world. But that is not the case, we are the good soil, but yet have we multiplied? That can be seen in two ways. First have we grown more believers? Have we shared our faith, shared the message and brought forth other believers. Sure we cannot save them, but we can plant the seed, or water one that has already been planted, or harvest one that was planted and watered by someone else. Yes, it is the Spirit who convicts, but it is us who bring the word to life for those who are convicted. The other way we could look at being the good soil that produces a crop a hundred fold is within our own heart and life. When we become a believer, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when we were born again, did we grow? Has the word of God grown a hundred fold in our lives? Has it produced more than just being saved? Are we doing something with the seed planted in us? Have we gained both wisdom and understanding? Have we moved past that first year? Hopefully we do not have one year’s experience ten, twenty, thirty or forty years, knowing and living based on what we learned in the first year. Have we matured, not just grown older, but actually grown in our wisdom and understanding? Have we grown in our walk with Jesus, being more and more like him? Has the seed sown within us produced that hundred fold return, or even sixty or thirty? What kind of tree are we? How much fruit do we bear? What kind of good soil are we? 

Family

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

FAMILY

Matt 12:46-50

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."   48 He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"  49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." 

NIV

There is much discussion among the scholars as to who is identified as his mother and brothers. Who is meant by those titles? From further text, even in Matthew's record we find it is indeed Mary the wife of Joseph the carpenter, Jesus’s mother, and other sons born to them some time after Jesus, along with at least one sister, but perhaps more than one.

Matt 13:53-57

 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. 55 "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" 57 And they took offense at him.

NIV

This was a slam on Jesus and on the rest of his family. So from this text it gives us a valid reason to believe those who stood outside wanting to speak to him were in fact his mother and brothers. From other accounts it is surmised the reason they were there wanting to speak to him was they were concerned he had gone over the deep end, lost his mind, as it were.

Mark 3:20-21

20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

NIV

Certainly at least at this time in the life of Jesus, his immediate family had not come to the realization he was the Christ. That is somewhat difficult to understand, especially his mother, who had a visitation from an angel and she became pregnant while still being a virgin. She had to be more then aware he was the Son of God. Yet from this record in Mark, she thought Jesus was going too far with this being the Christ. When he hears they are outside he makes an astonishing statement. Is he rebuking his mother and brothers? It is understood he was in a courtyard setting and they could see him and he them, as well as hear his words. But it is a teaching that stands the test of time and fits together with the rest of the gospel message.

John 1:12-13

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

NIV

Jesus was looking at his disciples, perhaps even waving is hand as to identify those men and said they were his mother and brothers, they were his family, they were the children of God. This would translate to us today as well. Because we have received him. Because we believe in his name. He gave us the right to become children of God and therefore brothers and sisters of Jesus.

Phil 2:14-16

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life

NIV

There are some results in our life by becoming the children of God. What does it mean to follow Jesus as his disciples did? It is nearly likened to a soldier who is following his commanding officer. The soldier has but the duty to obey and not complain about it or argue with his commander. We too need to obey our Lord without complaining or argument. When we live like that we are in fact the children of God and as such we are blameless and pure, at least in the eyes of God, which is really all we need. However as children of God, as the immediate family of Jesus, we are also without fault, but in crooked and depraved generation we live in, we are supposed to shine like stars in the universe, as we hold out the word of life. The Greek there means to hold on to, to retain, to pay attention to. This all fits so well with those words of Jesus as he said, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."  Therefore being this shining light on a lamppost rather than hiding under a bushel is the will of God. If we are to be included as the family of Jesus, as children of God then if behooves us to do the will of the Father. This is more the being a servant in church. This is more than filling some needed role or position in the body of Christ. This means we need to live our faith out loud, shining out in the crooked and depraved generation we live in, so some might see the light, and come to the realization of the truth of the gospel message and become born again into the family of Jesus, being children of God. Therefor let us live fully as children of God. Let us live as Jesus's family. 

No turning back

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

NO TURNING BACK

Matt 12:43-45

43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." 

NIV

Jesus continues with this conclusion of his retort or response to the charge the Pharisees had made about him curing the blind and mute man by the power of Satan. Here is confronts the very hearts of those who accuse him. It is certainly confirmed that Jesus drives out demons. It also confirms the Pharisees and teachers of the law did not have the Spirit of God in them. When Jesus is encountered, the demons must flee. The demons cannot occupy a house that is occupied by the Spirit of God. Jesus was explaining to them when demons are called out of a person they roam around without rest, they are not meant to be alone on their own, they seek a place to rest and that place is only within the soul of a person. Demons are not satisfied unless they occupy the soul of a person. So having been swept clean the soul is then empty, so to speak. This is the most vulnerable time in a person’s life.  A choice has to be made, to accept Jesus into the heart, or remain empty. Remaining empty only brings one to the place where not only one demon, but multiple demons come to occupy that person. Therefor after encountering Jesus, and refusing to accept him into their heart, they are going to be far worse off than before. We can be thankful we have the Spirit of God dwelling within us thus we have no concern about any demon taking possession of our faculties. However, that does not mean we are without sin. It is not necessary to be possessed by a demon to commit sin. God has told us that our hearts are deceitfully wicked. We can, all by ourselves, commit attitudes and acts of sin. This does not mean we have a demon, but that we fail in our commitment to the Lord. He is there with us, in us, yet we fall short of being perfect. That is not our desire, but it simply happens because there is a war that wages within. Just as the Apostle Paul, we too do that which we wish we did not do and do not do that which we what to do.

Rom 7:14-25

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do , I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do ; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do , it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

NIV

This is the complete argument we each must face on a daily basis, however just as the Apostle Paul, we are not occupied or under the influence of demons. However those who are occupied by them, are the wicked generation who live against God. When people are so vehemently opposed to the idea of God, refusing to acknowledge he is real, they certainly are influenced by demonic powers. Whether they are demon possessed, it is not for us to say, although through the power of the gift of discernment, we should be able to detect the presence of a demon. What Jesus was telling the Pharisees was they once had the presence of God with them, as a nation, but they have rejected the truth of God, Jesus and thus they will be worse off than before. If they who once knew God, now reject him for their own brand of religion, even if it is based on the law of God, which has been perverted by their evil hearts, their lives are far worse than they ever were. This should give us pause to consider we need to be ever faithful to our Lord. To never return to our former way of thinking, to never clean our heart of his presence. This would imply it is possible for a person who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior to kick him out, turn back to the former life. This is more then simply back-sliding, to use a Christianese term. This is complete rejection of Christ. In doing this a person will be overpowered by the forces of evil and may never be able to survive the onslaught. Death is emanate. As the song writer penned this words, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back. So it is with us. No turning back.