How Great the Darkness

Reading in Matt 6.23 this morning, "But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness...how great is that darkness."

The eye is such a crucial organ, we walk by it, we depend on it in 100's of ways that we don't even realize (think of peripheral vision and how it is passive until we sense a threat, then the brain takes it active instantaneously with really no effort on our own part). If the eye is giving us bad information then we will act on bad information. If the eye is evil then we will act and live on evil. This causes, as Christ points out, great darkness in a moral sense. Christ is not speaking of the physical eye here, he is using the eye as a metaphorical representative of our moral life.

John Calvin: "The light is said to be turned into darkness, not only when men permit the wicked lusts of the flesh to overwhelm the judgment of their reason, but also when they give up their minds to wicked thoughts, and thus degenerate into beasts."

The Least of These

Every time I read Christ's words in Matt 25.45, I'm haunted in a good way; in a challenging way. Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me (KJV), Christ says. In other words, "If you do not serve those who are naked and poor and hungry and in prison, you do not serve me, AND YOU ARE NOT A FOLLOWER OF MINE." Sobering words, indeed.

I'm challenged each time I read through this passage (twice a year) that I need to better live up to what Christ calls me here. Before reading Tim Keller's excellent book on what mercy ministry looks like, I was inclined to be too judgmental and overly critical of those in need of mercy. Thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit through Tim, I'm beginning to overcome that judgmental approach and take a much more grace-driven approach.

So I've felt free to buy a homeless guy breakfast in Los Angeles, and a different one lunch. Now I'm starting to want to hear their story if they're willing to tell it. Do we need to be discerning in mercy ministry? Sure. I STILL don't just hand out cash to the homeless, lest they spend it on their addictions. However, a grace-filled approach allows me to better see them as individuals and better serve them as a follower of Christ. I'm not where I should be yet, but I'm moving in the right direction.

Astonished at His Majesty

Luke uses a curious choice of words at the end of the section in which Christ casts a demon out of an epileptic boy (Luke 9.43). Luke says that Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. Then he follows with his comment about the reaction of the crowd. All were astonished at the majesty of God. Matthew and Mark who record this same incident do not include this comment. I'm wondering why the crowd was astonished at the majesty of God when the boy was healed? It seems like a more natural comment would be to say that the crowd was astonished at the power of God to heal, or maybe the crowd was astonished that God did heal. Why majesty?

Luke must be trying to tell us something here. BDAG defines μεγαλειότης as quality or state of experiencing high esteem because of awesome performance, impressiveness. Louw-Nida further defines it as: : a manifestation of great power—‘mighty power, mighty act.’ which Luke seems to want to communicate that those who witnessed Christ's actions and words understood that they were not witnessing the ordinary here. They were witnessing the extraordinary. Christ could not be a man with a penchant to heal. He was something beyond that, and his commanding an evil spirit out of the boy demonstrated the fact.

When Christ Marveled

Christ marveled at two people in the gospels—at least that is all that the writers of the gospels recorded. He marveled at the faith of a Gentile—the centurion with the sick servant (Matt 8.5-13), and he marveled at the unbelief of some Jews (Mark 6.6). Christ was astonished or astounded or marveled at the unbelief in his hometown. They should have seen enough in order to believe in him. By his words and by his works, he was demonstrating that he was God's son, come in the flesh. However, they refused to believe because he was just the son of a carpenter; they knew him; they had seen him grow up. They missed their opportunity for salvation.

The Contrast Between the Pharisees and Judas

Matthew 27 is a fascinating chapter, it is chock full of characters, good and bad, surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. One could write multiple sermons just on the people surrounding Christ's death on the cross. What struck me this morning was the contrast between Judas, and the Pharisees and elders of the people. The Pharisees, knowing that Christ was innocent, had him killed anyway because they hated him. Judas, on the other hand, after betraying Christ and knowing that he was innocent, killed himself, presumably due to remorse. Through the entire crucifixion story the Jewish leaders show no such remorse, nor even any introspection or hesitation at crucifying an innocent man. They hate him. They want him dead. They accomplish their—make that God's—purpose.

And that is the fascinating fact in all of this. The Jewish leaders, making their own ghastly choices, fully comply with God's preordained plan. How did that happen? The Scriptures don't see the need to explain this conundrum, they are content to simply lay out the facts.

Flattery Will Get You Nowhere

The Pharisees and Herodians use flattery on Christ in Matt 22.16; they get nowhere. Kent Hughes defines flattery as "saying something to someone's face that you would never say behind their back," just so. While Christ's opponents speak truthfully, they do not believe a word of what they say, it is flattery for the sake of entrapment.

What I find fascinating is that they inadvertently reveal to history Christ's true character. They list four aspects of Christ's character which are all true: You are true. You teach the way of God truthfully. You do not care about people's opinions of you. You are not swayed by appearances. Since Christ is our example of how to live the faith, our aim ought to be to emulate Christ in these four characteristics.

Hit 'Em!

Ouch! That's all I can say about Christ's interaction with the chief priests and elders in the temple in Matt 21.31-32. What a slap in the face it is to them when Christ says that tax-collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before them!?! It would be roughly similar to Christ coming to our church and standing up and saying that Democrats and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before the people in the church. We would be outraged! I assume the chief priests and the elders were outraged. So outraged that they never asked themselves if what Christ said was true; never wondered if perhaps their own hearts were not right. The essence of what Christ is saying here is that "you religious leaders (he emphasizes "you" again and again in these verses) think that you are the most religious, the most faithful, but in reality you are furthest from the kingdom of God.

A couple of lessons here for us. First, we always have to be assessing the state of our hearts so that we do not end up in the place that the chief priests ended in. Second, the message of the gospel is always and ever meant to be applied to our own hearts first. If we are sitting in the pew thinking, "I hope that Mr. X is listening to this message," then we've missed the point because always! the gospel applies to us first.

Revealed by the Father

In Matthew 16.16,17, this morning. When Peter declares you are the Christ, the son of the Living God. Jesus tells him that this knowledge did not come from men, it was revealed by my Father who is in heaven.

Quite a profound statement here. I take from this that, if we are to reach people with the gospel, the drawing back of the curtain that leaves them in darkness must come from God the Father. We have no power in ourselves for people to understand this because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. O that we would beseech God the Father to open the eyes of the blind to see the truth!

Grace Bears Us

In contrast to the Mosaic law which was, as Peter said, A yoke neither we, nor our fathers could bear; Christ's yoke is easy and his burden is light. This is because the construction material of Christ's yoke is grace.

As an anonymous commentator on Matt 12.30 put it so well, We do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but rather grace has been given to aid us.

Which recalls to mind lyrics from one of Derek Webb's songs, Awake My Soul: This grace gives me fear, and this grace draws me near, and all that it asks it provides.

I'd say he got that right.

Vain Repetition? Bad. Persistence? Good

Thinking about prayer this morning in Matt 6.7. Christ tells his hearers not to use vain repetition (babbling is the Greek word) like the Gentiles do (when they pray to their false gods) mistakenly thinking that they will receive what they want because they use so many words. This is in stark contrast to praying persistently. The first is concerned with quantity. The second is a heart that is concerned.

John Calvin: The grace of God is not obtained by an unmeaning flow of words; but, on the contrary, a devout heart throws out its affections, like arrows, to pierce heaven.

Growing Slowly, Permeating All

My summation of Matt 13.33. The lesson of this parable is essentially the same as the parable that immediately precedes it. The kingdom of heaven will grow slowly and permeate the world and affect all that it touches. Like leaven, its effect will be obvious when it is mixed into the world.

What does this mean for us? Chiefly, I believe it means patience. If we do not see the gospel taking root in lives immediately, we turn to this parable for hope. The gospel's effects, like leaven, are many times not obvious.

Rebuking the Wind and Sea

Matthew 8.26 this morning. Normal people do not rebuke the wind and sea. They can and sometimes do curse at the wind and sea, but normal people do not talk to nature as if it were a little child that needed correction. This is just the way that Christ addresses nature, as if he were it's father and they were in subjection to him, which he was and they are.

Listen and Obey.

In Matthew 7.25 this morning. Listen! It behooves us to listen when Christ speaks that the one who hears and heeds! his words is like a wise man. I take several things from the point that Christ makes here. First, it is possible to hear and know all Christian dogma and not heed it. Second, Christ assumes that rain and floods will come into one's life, not if, but when. Third, Christ assumes that if my life is founded on the rock (of hearing and heeding Christ's words) then I can be assured that when difficulties come, my house (my life) will not fall. I take this as a promise from Christ. Fourth, any person who makes the claim Christ makes here is either the biggest egomaniac in history, or speaking the truth. Once again an absolutely stunning and mind-boggling claim from Christ...unless it's true.

God and...

While Christ uses the example of God and money in Matt 6.24, when he says "No one can serve two masters," the principle stated obviously applies to all things. You cannot serve God and...anything. In the life of faith it is never God and [insert anything] it is always God alone, God first, last, and always. Christ gives the warning here because he understands that we are prone to make our lives "God and..."

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Augustine commenting at Matt 5.8: Whatever we do, whatever good deeds we perform, whatever we strive to accomplish, whatever we laudably yearn for, whatever we blamelessly desire, we shall no longer be seeking any of those things when we reach the vision of God. Indeed, what would one search for when one has God before one’s eyes? Or what would satisfy one who would not be satisfied with God?

Worship Might Cost You Something

Reading through Matthew in my devotions and I came across Matt 2.11. The wise men saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. A couple of thoughts here. First, the wise men had come a long and difficult way. They could have used any number of excuses why they should not come to find Christ. "It's too far." "It's too dangerous." "I'm too old." They were willing to travel, to risk being put upon by thieves, to come and worship Messiah.
Second, when they had the opportunity, they worshiped!

Worship might (and often does) cost us something. No barrier was too great for these wise men to come and worship Messiah. No barrier should be too great for us. Also, we need to heed these traveler's examples, when we have the opportunity to worship, we should (must!) worship.