Matthew 12:1-8 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

The sabbath or day of rest, was instituted at Creation by our God. He created in six days and rested on the seventh. It is this reasoning that is used to justify a day of rest in the Law (Ex.20:11) for God’s creatures. Unfortunately, such a precious gift from our Creator was taken and misused in such a way that it no longer served the needs of the people. Instead, it became a furious master enslaving those it was supposed to serve. Many rules and regulations were developed later to define what it meant to “work.” Jesus’ disciples were hungry and plucked some heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees protested that they were doing something unlawful on the sabbath. What did they do wrong? The Law made provision for the poor by requiring field owners not to harvest their fields all the way to the edge but to leave the edges for those in need (Lev.23:22). It allowed the hungry person to pluck grain and eat from his neighbor’s field (Deut.23:25). The hungry person was not allowed to steal, but to satisfy his hunger. It was not the picking of grain from your neighbor that was unlawful. But according to the Pharisees, it was the picking of grain itself that was unlawful because it was “work.”

Jesus cites two cases from the Old Testament to explain why what his disciples have done is acceptable. The first case is David and his men ate of the Bread of the Presence (1Sam.21). After David was anointed king, Saul persecuted him to try to kill him. While fleeing from Saul, David came to Ahimelec the priest and asked for food. Ahimelec offered the bread of the Presence that was meant as an offering to the Lord and to be eaten by the priests only in a holy place. An exception was made for David and his men because he was the anointed king of Israel and had kept himself from women (ceremonially clean). The second case Jesus cites is the priests themselves working in the temple on the sabbath day. The priests are an exception because they are called to work on the sabbath day with God’s approval. Jesus explicitly states: “something greater than the temple is here,” but he is implying much more: he is not only greater than David, but he is greater than the priesthood. He is in fact the Lord of the Sabbath.

In the days of Hosea (6:6) and Micah (6:6-8), the people of Israel were indicted by the prophets for performing flawless rituals with rotten hearts. God stated to the people that he was not interested in such performances by using the phrase “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” The Pharisees were guilty of the same sin and condemned quickly Jesus and his disciple’s actions. Mercy is readiness to help those who are in need. And Scripture makes compassion the force that moves the doing of mercy (Luke 10:30-37). Am I so wrapped up in the performance of rituals (i.e going to church, fasting, praying, etc) that I can’t see the need of my neighbor? Worse, am I so busy performing what I think is expected of me that I don’t have time to do mercy? Even worse, am I so comfortable in the performance of my duties that I refuse to be moved by compassion into doing mercy missing out on the presence of the Lord himself right before me? To follow Jesus is to submit to his Lordship my whole life by learning to prefer mercy over sacrifice.

Jesus, I surrender all my life to you. Help me see you as the Lord of my whole life. Rescue me from vain rituals and performances that leave compassion and mercy outside. Teach me to love mercy over sacrifice.

Psalm 27 Whom Shall I Fear?

The just shall live by his faith, not by his fear. There are many things in life that can be a source of fear. It can be financial, social, even political. But whether enemies surround my life, or I lose everything I own, or   people persecute me for whatever reasons, I can trust in the Lord all the days of my life. Let's examine some of the things David says about God that should move me to trust him.

The Lord is my light... In the darkest hours of persecution, ridicule, slander, etc. God remains as the source of light for my life. It is a light that shines within. It is not external. I may look down the tunnel of life, filled with darkness, with no light in sight, but I have a God who promises to be with me and provide the light I need. The light at the end of the tunnel may help me see the path, but the Lord illuminates one step at a time. Faith is not to fret because I can't see the path. It is to overcome the paralysis and take one step at a time with the light God provides.

The Lord is my salvation... If my life had been all safe and secure, I would have no need of saving. But the truth is that my life is in danger. I was lost, in sin, estranged from God. But God rescued me and continues to rescue me day by day. The perils of life cannot take my confidence in God away because he saves me. Many times I think that this rescue is from the dangers against my physical life, but the truth is that there are many more threats against my soul. God saves me from losing my faith in him.

The Lord is the stronghold of my life... When enemies assail me, I can run to the arms of my God. He is my refuge. A stronghold is a place that has been fortified to resist enemy attacks. When I am bombarded by ungodly thoughts, I can run to God's presence. When temptation seems to overcome my will, I can seek God's face. It is not necessarily a physical place. It is a soul place. It is to engage the mind, the emotions, and the will to connect with God through all the resources he has given us: his word, prayer, etc.

The one thing David asked God was to dwell in his house all the days of his life. That prayer has been answered through Jesus Christ. Through the Spirit of God, I can enjoy God's presence every day without having to visit a building made by human hands. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit thanks to the work of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He fills my life with his light. He rescues me day by day from the perils of life that assail my faith. He becomes a stronghold for me when I need to take refuge from the attacks of the enemy.

Father, help me live by faith and not by fear. Fill my heart with your light. Rescue me from the world, self, and sin. May I run to you when I feel faint under the attacks of life. Amen.

Psalm 11 Confidence in Crisis

My natural tendency in moments of crisis is to deny it, flee from it, and create a bubble for myself that will make me feel comfortable isolating myself from the people who can counsel me and keep me accountable. I flee like a bird to my own mountain. Is this the way I should behave when there is crisis? Of course not! Even in the face of pain, suffering, and injustice, God wants us to flee to HIS mountain and not ours. He wants us to know that he is still in his holy temple, that he sees what goes on, and that he tests his people through the circumstances of life.

Our confidence in crisis is in a God who is always on his throne ready to hear the plea of his people. Our confidence in crisis is in a God who has given purpose to everything that happens in life, even the most insignificant of events. Our confidence in crisis is in a God who tests his people through those crises to groom and grow our souls for the glory of his name. The Lord is in his holy temple!

Without a doubt, God's holy temple is in the heavens. He is enthroned above all of his creation. In addition to the reality that God is over all his creation, we have the perspective of the new covenant in which we are the holy temple of God. God is enthroned in our hearts and reigns in our individual lives. My confidence is multiplied 100x when I understand that I serve a God who is not only reigning over all creation, but he reigns over my insignificant life every day of my life. I am the holy temple of God!

The promise for those who follow after righteousness, even in the midst of the most intense crisis, is that they will behold God's face - an expression that highlights the intimacy we can have with God in the midst of a crisis. When I feel like I am fainting in a crisis, God wants me to run to his throne and seek his help. Since I am the temple of God, I can do this anywhere at anytime. God promises to allow me to contemplate his being and benefit from the power of his presence. Hallelujah!

Father, may I flee to your throne when crisis strikes my life. May I find you there and behold your face. Amen.

Acts 10:34-48 Gentiles Hear the Good News

Judaism, the religion of the Jews, have different categories to classify the Gentiles (non-Jews) even today. There are those who are "righteous" Gentiles - ethical monotheists, no matter what religion they practice. They are bound by Noah's seven commandments, but these Gentiles are not part of the Jewish "society." Then there are those "righteous" Gentiles who desire to join the Jewish society. These Gentiles go to their court and promise to live by the Jewish Law (613 commandments). The last category is comprised of those Gentiles who are idolaters. They don't care about entering Jewish society and don't care about becoming ethical monotheists. Jews stay away from them and avoid mixing with them.

In Jesus' day, when the Temple was functional, Gentiles were not allowed to worship together with Jews. They had to gather in a different courtyard altogether. There were different areas of worship and the further away from the ark of the covenant (holy of holies), the less important. The first area was designated for the priests. The second area was for Israel. The third courtyard was for women. And the last and furthest one surrounding all others, was for the Gentiles to worship. The Gentiles were treated like second class citizens even if they converted to Judaism.

Peter's message to Cornelius and his family is that God shows no partiality! That's the message of the Gospel. He explains that the Jesus the Jews killed was the one God sent to preach the good news of the Gospel and God raised him from the dead calling them to continue to preach the good news. This Jesus is the one that the prophets proclaimed. And without exception, everyone who believes in his name is granted forgiveness of sins. And to seal the truth of Peter's preaching, the Holy Spirit fell upon the believers in Cornelius' home causing them to speak in tongues and praise God. The fact that Gentiles enjoyed the same gifts from God was evidence enough to understand that God shows no partiality. Jew and Gentile are to be treated with equality.

In a world filled with prejudice and racism, we make distinctions by ethnicity, skin color, nose size, height, education, socio-economic status, political views, theological views, etc, etc, etc. This is contrary to the Gospel! God is calling people from all nations to come to him and worship him as one, bringing down the barriers that divide us. The Church should strive to be a place of integration for believers coming from all kinds of different backgrounds. There is no room for partiality in the kingdom! The Gospel calls us to renounce prejudice and racism. In the kingdom of God there is no white, black, yellow or brown church. There is only one Church!

I must learn to love my brothers and sisters from all countries around the world as well as my brothers and sisters from around Chicagoland. I should not judge them for their looks or for their past life. Ex-gangsters, ex-addicts, ex-prostitutes as well as the homeless and the poor, no matter their country of origin, should be viewed as brothers and sisters in the family of God.

Father, teach me to love all people. Break down the barriers in my heart that hold me back from loving as you love. Fill me with your Spirit and pour your love in my heart free from prejudice and racism. Amen.

Matthew 24:1-14 Signs of the Close of the Age

The disciples wanted to know when the destruction of the temple was going to take place and what was the sign for Jesus' return. A sign is an indicator of what is to come. It is important to realize that the conversation has two very distinct events in view: the destruction of the temple and the return of Christ. But Christ does not make a clear distinction between these events in his timetable. It is my conviction that the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (AD70) are the characteristic events that will lead us to Christ's return.

What are those events? In short, they are: false prophets, wars, famines, persecution, and apostasy. The appearance of false doctrines and prophets is as common as wars and famines around the world. The Church is being persecuted today more than ever before. We had more martyrs for the faith in the 20th c. than all the previous centuries combined and it is going to get worse. As a result of persecution there will be a great apostasy - people denying and abandoning the faith. These events led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple and will continue to lead this age to its close.

One important and determining factor for Christ's return is the proclamation of this gospel of the kingdom into all the world as a testimony to all nations. All other sings are out of my control, but this one is in my hands. If I work to ensure the proclamation of the gospel around the world, I am in fact working to ensure the return of Christ is sooner rather than later. I must have a sense of urgency about missions. It means the end of this age filled with evil and suffering to welcome a new age filled with joy and peace. I want to go home...

Unfortunately, another sign that has to do with me as a believer more than the world, is cold-growing love.  Is my love for Christ and for others growing cold? Am I afraid of persecutions and want to play it safe? A love that grows cold is a hindrance to the proclamation of the gospel and therefore to the prompt return of Christ. A cold love will make me worry about my local church but not care for world missions. The promise of salvation is for those who persevere until the end. I must persevere in the teachings of Christ. I must persevere in love. I must persevere in the proclamation of the Gospel.

Lord, help me be alert to the signs of the end of the age. Grant me courage so that I will not be intimidated by persecution. Fill me with a sense of urgency to preach the Gospel around the world to speed your return. Revive my love for you and the world; don't let it grow cold. Give me strength to persevere until the end.

Matthew 21:12-17 Jesus Cleanses the Temple

It is difficult for me to picture Jesus angry and probably for most people. But anger is an emotion that every human being experiences. Anger in itself is not a problem. The problem is what I do with my anger. If I lash out at people and hurt them in my anger then I have a problem. The term "anger management" tends to depersonalize anger making it an object outside myself that I have to control by mastering certain skills. The truth is that what I do with my anger comes from within, the heart, and cannot be depersonalized that easily. What I really need is an inner transformation that will help me manage my heart not just my anger. I most certainly don't oppose acquiring skills to cope with anger, but don't want to ignore my need for inner change. 

What made Jesus so angry? For sure, the buying and selling of animals for sacrifices and the money exchanging activities were part of temple life. People came from all over the surrounding nations to worship. It was necessary to have a market for animals and change of currency available. Notice that Jesus' accusation is that the temple has become a den of robbers. The robbers were the people selling and exchanging. Instead of providing a fair price for their sales and exchanges, they had attached a heavy tax for the local government as well as a cut for themselves ripping off people. That's what angered Jesus.

What does he do with his anger? He goes into the temple and drives people and animals out  of the temple. He definitely made a scene by overturning tables and probably raised his voice to call the attention of those present. He certainly has a flare for drama, but for a good reason. It is his Father's house and he is consumed by the lack of respect shown by others. He is the Son with all the rights in the world to correct something so blatantly wrong as robbing in the temple courts. Instead of prayer, robbery was taking place.

Am I that zealous for God's business? Would I display my anger when I see God's purposes perverted? I pray God will give me the strength to do so. It is so easy to fall prey to the practical and the easy. For example, at church, why would I stand in the lobby or the hallway when everybody else is worshipping God? Why would I sit in the lobby to chat with someone else when the Word of God is being preached? Do I come to church to meet my friends or to meet God first? Understanding that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, why would I give my body to uses that insult God, like sexual immorality, overeating, drug abuse, etc...

Lord, may your holy anger move me to make changes in my life to please you. Help me overcome that which perverts your purposes in my life. May I drive out all that stands in the way of genuine worship and adoration to you.