August 27, 2014 Honor Your Parents

Honor Your Parents

Matthew 15:3-6 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’  5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”  

“HONOR” is to give value to and to hold in high esteem. God’s command to, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12) speaks of the incredible responsibility children have to their parents. Inferred, also, in this command is that God honors those who honor their parents. He will reward them with a long and blessed life. Parents are precious to God.

     That’s why Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for neglecting their parents. He chastises them for saying to their parents, “Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God.” The Pharisees give no money to parents in need. They have dishonored God’s command as they claim they are honoring God.

     There is no exception to, “Honor your father and your mother.” Tradition distanced the Pharisees from God. Self-image was worshiped, and God’s image grew dim in the Pharisees’ hearts.

     Keep your light shining on God’s commands. Put them above your self-focused preferences. Honor God. Honor your parents. God commands it. God blesses it.  

LIFE Link: Honor God’s commands.

    

    

August 25, 2014 Clean Heart

Clean Heart

Matthew 15:1-2 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”  

THE Jewish ruling council begins to get involved in Jesus’ ministry. Other Pharisees and teachers have questioned and challenged Jesus. Now the leaders from Jerusalem come to see the miracle-working rabbi, and they don’t like what they see.

     Their first objection seems to make sense, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” But they are not asking, “Don’t you follow proper hygiene rules, Jesus?”

     Their question, instead, was about the Pharisees view of godliness. There is nothing in the Law of God that says a person must wash before he eats. But over the generations, the “elders” had added this regulation as if it were a command from God. Thus, they equated what the “elders” had commanded with what God had commanded.

     Man-made laws have a regular habit of getting in the way of true obedience to God’s truths. For example, we form certain habits in our worship out of our own preferences. We establish certain forms of music, particular liturgies and even length of service to such a point we begin to think these habits are God’s requirements. We go through the motions because we think the motions make us holy.

     But our motions of obeying God’s gracious truths must be from habits of clean heart-love. Jesus knew his disciples’ and his people’s hearts not hands needed washing as he pointed them to God’s first command: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

LIFE Link: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

August 24, 2014 Eternal Miracle

Eternal Miracle

Matthew 14:34-36 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.  

JESUS had just displayed to his disciples the sovereign authority over the natural realm as he had fed thousands of people from a little bread and several fish; furthermore, had walked on water and called his disciples to faith.

     Now they land on the shore in Gennesaret. This location is important to know because it is the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. Three towns in this region are Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Bethsaida was the home of Peter, Andrew and Philip. Capernaum was the home of the disciple Nathan.

     I say this to help you understand that a great deal of Jesus’ ministry was done in this region, not in Jerusalem. Jesus worked in a region that was not officially a part of Israel any longer. But the Jews still live there and taught God’s Law in the synagogues. As people swarmed to Jesus, he rewarded their faith to heal with the mere touch on his cloak.

     See in this God’s great passion to heal and release his people from the “prison” of disease. He has fed them with morsels. He has healed them with a touch. What more could he do if they truly believe he is the Savior of the world?

     He could save them not for temporary healing but into eternal life. Would they respond to Jesus’ Lordship over their souls as they responded to his lordship over their disease?

LIFE Link: Touch Jesus.

August 24, 2014 Faith Seeds

Faith Seeds

Matthew 14:31-33 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

PETER had taken some big faith steps as he stepped onto the water. For a moment, he had a glimpse of what it means to walk faithfully with Jesus. We walk into fear. We walk into hope. We walk with our eyes focused on the Master. He is the One who controls all elements of the universe he created, especially the hearts of men.  

       But Peter’s fear quickly overwhelmed his faith. And as Jesus saved him from drowning, Jesus spoke words that seem judgmental and perhaps a bit harsh, “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” But perhaps they are words, instead, of hope and encouragement.

     You’ve done that, haven’t you? You removed the training wheels on the bike, but your child was too afraid. “Don’t you trust me?” you asked. “I’m here to watch you, to catch you and to keep you going straight. I’m your parent. You can trust me. Please do not doubt my love for you.”

     I think Jesus often spoke that way to his disciples. Yes, there were times he admonished them to correct their fears and lack of knowledge, but purposefully Jesus used different emotions and methods to grow his disciples’ faith. This entire experience on the lake is a place Jesus plants faith seeds, and they begin to grow into his disciples’ minds.

     As the dawn breaks into the darkness, a new faith light begins to break into the disciples’ hearts, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

LIFE Link: Truly, Jesus says, “Be of faith.”

August 23, 2014 Courageous Faith

Courageous Faith

Matthew 14:28-30 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”  

THE teachings from this passage usually point to Peter’s inability to keep his eyes focused on Jesus. When Peter stop focusing on Jesus and looked at the threatening wind, he sunk. The point is: Keep your eyes on Jesus.

     Of course, that’s true. But I’d like to credit Peter’s faith. After all, he was the only disciple who had a big enough faith strong enough to step onto the swirling waters in the first place. Consider that Peter couldn’t swim, and he knew full well the dangers around him. Think of how much courage it took to put first one foot, then the other over the side of the swaying boat!

     Would you do it? I wouldn’t if I couldn’t swim and if no one could save me. I’m pretty sure that very, very few people in the history of the world would take such an incredibly dangerous step of faith. But Peter did. Peter took those first faith steps toward his Master in the storm.

     We can see why when you look at Peter’s faith to declare to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt 16:16) Jesus revealed then that Peter only knew this because the Spirit had told him. I believe Peter was the only one over the boat that early morning on Galilee because the Spirit said, “Go, Peter, and you will get that much closer to Jesus.”

LIFE Link: Pray you are a courageous faith walker.