September 22, 2014 No Tax

No Tax

Matthew 17:24-28 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 “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 sons or from others?” 26 “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not offend them, 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.”

GOD established a temple tax in the time of the Exodus (Exodus 30:13-17) for the purpose of caring for the Tent of Meeting. Each man, regardless of income was to give the same amount. In Jesus’ time it was 2 drachmas. The purpose of the tax was for the service of the Tent of Meeting (later the Temple) so there would be a continual place for people to remember God’s deliverance and to make atonement for their sins.

     Jesus’ conversation with Peter allows for the “old testament” of the Law to continue while Jesus is preparing to introduce the “new testament” of grace. Jesus knew the temple tax would no longer be necessary after his resurrection because each believer would become the temple of the Holy Spirit. He would be the atonement of our sins. But until that day, Jesus obeyed the Law. After all, He was the Word of God made flesh.

     As Jesus instructs Peter to get the money from a fish, it is another illustration that he alone is the source of salvation.

LIFE Link: Jesus’ atoning blood requires no tax.

September 21, 2014 The Resurrection

The Resurrection

Matthew 17:21-23 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

THE first time Jesus said this, Peter rebuked Jesus (Matt 16:22), refusing to believe Jesus would suffer and die. But this time “the disciples were filled with grief”. What had happened between the first time—refusing to submit to God’s plan—and the second time—accepting the awful truth of God’s plan?

     The Transfiguration had happened. Peter witnessed the Glory of the Lord. He saw the Light of the World. He heard the voice of the Father say, “This is my Son whom I love. With him I am well please. Listen to him!” (Matt 17:5)

     With absolutely no barrier between themselves and the Holy God, Peter, James and John experienced God’s incomparable presence. Just as surely as Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with absolute confidence in God’s power to rule, the three disciples knew with the utmost certainty they must listen to Jesus, to believe every word he said.

      Thus, Jesus repeated his destiny, and they all grieved. Now they know for sure his words would absolutely come to pass. Yes, they grieved because they focused on Jesus’ death. They had yet to understand, “he will be raised to life”.

     We all mourn the passing of loved ones, don’t we? We hate death and grieve the incomparable loss of people we love. I simply want to leave you with this: focus on “he will be raised to life”.

LIFE Link: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” (John 11:25)

September 13, 2014 Faith Seeds

Faith Seeds

Matthew 17:19-20 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

WHAT is in a seed? A seed contains all the genetic information necessary to produce a specific plant that will bear fruit, flowers, grains, etc. This fullness of a seed’s potential is the meaning of Jesus’ teaching.

     A faith that will “move mountains” even though it is mustard seed small is a faith that contains all the wisdom, knowledge and power necessary to perform the purpose of God on earth. Jesus certainly didn’t displace mountains. Imagine the havoc that would have caused! But he did displace the mountainous obstacles that come from sin. Sin is the reason for all that’s wrong in the world. Salvation is the counterpoint to sin. It is the reason for all that is right in the world.

     Thus, when the disciples wondered why they were not effective against the demon, Jesus urged them to pursue a greater faith. They would need to stay on their journey to know more of Jesus to complete the work he had for them. Their faith would, indeed, grow to contain all they needed to plant Kingdom truths into the world. And when their knowledge was complete they would drive out demons. (Acts 5:16)

     Faith comes with knowing, experiencing and trusting those truths to renew our minds to salvation’s life. Growing more and more into Christ, you will only need small seeds of faith containing all you need to move “the mountains” out of your life.  

LIFE Link: Faithful pursuit of Jesus.

September 19, 2014 Faith Community

Faith Community

Matthew 17:14-18 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

THE father was desperate. His son lived with repetitive, uncontrolled seizures. What could he do? In faith, the father took his son to the 9 disciples who were not with Jesus at the transfiguration. But nothing changed. Yet, faith was stirring in the father’s heart. He wasn’t giving up. When Jesus returned, he faithfully spoke his son’s condition to Jesus.

     Jesus’ response sounds harsh. He seemed to call his disciples “unbelieving and perverse”, but Jesus spoke to the disciples, to the people there and to the Jews that they would know two faith truths. First, Jesus affirms he will stay only a short time among them. Second, he tells them that they must be a people to faithfully seek him.       

     The father came with some faith. But it seems the disciples and the people around them did not expect anything to happen without Jesus. It’s true that God will sometimes work into areas where there is no faith. But in many circumstances, God responds to people when they begin to faithfully go to him in prayer.

     Jesus urged his people to faithfully prepare for the time he is no longer with them.

LIFE Link: Faithful prayer will heal a broken community.

September 17, 2014 Intentional

Intentional

Matthew 17:8-12 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” 10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”

AS Jesus, Peter, James and John leave the transfiguration site, points his disciples to God’s intentional salvation plan.

     First, Jesus encourages them to tell no one in order to protect the other disciples from confusion about their role. They are anticipating he will be an earthly king, and he must point them to the cross. Jesus tells the three to wait until “the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

     That creates an opportunity to help his disciples see God’s eternal plan. When the disciples ask why the teachers say, “Elijah must come first.” they are referring to Malachi 4:5 “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.”

     They have just seen Elijah and the “day of the Lord”, the final resurrection hasn’t come. God’s Word seems out of order.

     Jesus affirms that Elijah did come as he refers to John the Baptist’s life. (See Luke 1:17) Jesus’ fate will be the same as John’s.

     Jesus’ teaching has shown the three disciples that the Father has an intentional plan to resurrect all of his own to eternal life.

LIFE Link: God’s intention is salvation.