relationships (Matthew 9:9) Hungry For More

(Matthew 9:9)

9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

First of all, no one LIKES to pay taxes, but the tax collector in Israel, in those days, were extra hated, because these Israelites were working for the Romans, and collecting taxes which went mostly to Rome.  AND, these tax collectors would raise the amounts in order to skim off the top, so, they also got super rich from cheating their fellow citizens.  Therefore, they may have been rich, but they would have been very lonely:  not fitting in with the Romans, and not fitting in with their own people.  And, let's just add to that the guilt they would have felt for stealing.  

Let's go over this again.  This man, Matthew, was being used by the enemy, and hated by his people.  He would have felt lonely and guilt-ridden, as well as empty... because when you are just living for money and yourself, it'll never be enough!  So, what other diabolical strategies were floating around in his mind as to how to get more?  How long until he started wondering if this was really worth it?  How much was he thinking that there must be more to life, and there must be a better way?

Now, Jesus comes along!  Jesus already knows what is in Matthew's heart and mind, and sees his empty, hungry soul!  Jesus knows that Matthew is ready!  And, all Jesus has to say is, "Follow Me!"  And Matthew gets up immediately to follow!  There wasn't any, "Wait, first let me earn just a little bit more money", or "Let me think about this..."  Matthew was willing to leave it all behind.  

Since Jesus was staying in Capernaum for the most part, we can be very sure that Matthew knew a lot about Jesus already.  Maybe Matthew frequently saw Jesus and His disciples walk past him.  Perhaps Matthew had watched as Jesus taught and healed others.  Nonetheless, at some point Matthew might have realized that this is God in flesh.  At the very least, he would have recognized that there was something very different about Him, and he wanted to know more.

While Matthew didn't fully know Jesus yet, he dropped everything to follow Jesus, to pursue a personal relationship with Him, as His disciple, student, friend, servant...  How willing are we, us believers who say that we love others because we love God, and know so much about the Lord already?  When God calls us to serve in some way, or talk to someone who is ready, are we willing and ready to drop everything?

Imagine if someone were sitting on the side of the road, starving, holding up a sign saying that they need something to eat, and we, feeling filled, have a bit of food with us - are we just going to keep walking?  This is a lesson for me, for sure.  God sees and knows those who have hungry souls, so when He asks us to talk to someone about Jesus and the good news, imagine that they are starving, and we have the spiritual food that will fill them, satisfy them, and nourish them for all eternity!

Could someone reject this food when we offer it to them?  Sure.  Just like a person who is physically hungry.  There are times people will turn down food, because of pride and not wanting to be seen accepting charity.  There are times people will turn down food, because they're hoping for something they think is tastier.  

There's that saying, beggars can't be choosers, yet people will still feel so entitled... UNTIL they are truly, truly hungry!  So, even if we offer a hungry person spiritual food, and they turn this down - maybe they even persecute us - but perhaps over time they will remember this offering that was graciously presented to them with God's love, and they accept Jesus into their hearts!  We don't know who is that hungry, or who will be that hungry in the future, but the Lord does!  So again, when God calls us to follow, are we - not just willing - but are we excited to do so!!!???

relationships (Matthew 9:1-8) Making an Impact

(Matthew 9:1-8)

Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to His own city.

2 And they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” 4 And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” 7 And he got up and went home. 8 But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

People tend to value a life that is long and healthy.  Then, based on their expectations, if and when anything happens to them or someone else that impacts their length or quality of life, they deem it "unfair".  So, from an atheist's viewpoint, a life of value is only when a person is able to contribute to society, and/or they are needed or wanted by society.  Also from an atheist's viewpoint, they only consider life going from point B to C, and then there is nothing.  After all, they believe in evolution, which says that we are all just meaningless accidents anyway.

As believers, we have to know that life is from point A (conception), to B (birth), to C (physical death) and D (is all eternity)!  Therefore, even if our life here on earth is cut short or it is hampered with diseases or other forms of suffering, realize that in the continuum of eternity, this is such a very short - short - time.  Our focus and decision should be about where we want to spend all of eternity and with whom.

The only way we can go to heaven to be with the God of love, is to humbly go to the Lord God, Himself, and repent and believe in Him.  He forgives all our sins, past, present and future.  Therefore, just like this paralyzed man, we can take courage, whether the Lord chooses to physically heal us or not - we - are going to heaven where there will be no more diseases or suffering!!!  Meanwhile, here on earth, within our personal relationship with the Lord, He will faithfully help us through whatever it is we are going through.  

AND, the Lord values us so much, He came to earth in flesh to accomplish His work on the cross, to provide the way to having a personal relationship with Him!  And He values us so much that He wants to do life with us, and use us in carrying out His purpose here on earth, all in His strength, love and wisdom, all to His glory... even if we are paralyzed!  As the Lord needs us, He will equip us as He sees fit.

I was so greatly impacted by a young man who spoke in our church.  He came out in a wheelchair with the assistance of a loved one.  And he told us that he had been an unbeliever when the car he was driving was hit by a drunk driver, leaving him a quadriplegic.  Then he said, this was the best thing that had ever happened to him in his entire lifetime, because this is how he found and accepted the Lord Jesus into his heart and life!  And now, God was using him and his testimony to make a great impact in the Lord's kingdom!  And it all begins with the Lord!

relationships (Matthew 8:28-34) Fairly Assessing and Judging

(Matthew 8:28-34)

28 And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men confronted Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, “What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them. 31 And the demons begged Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32 And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the pigs; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

Here we can see the power that demons have, and that they have quite a bit of knowledge, but just from this passage, we can also see that they are not all-powerful, all-knowing or everywhere-present... only God is sovereign!  Demons hate and want us to live in fear.  God is love and wants us to live in peace.  Demons only have evil intentions.  God is holy, righteous and good!  Demons are working to keep us away from God.  God wants to have a personal relationship with us!  And we see here that demons recognize Jesus, and know that He is judge, and that one day they'll be sent to hell, the place that God has prepared for them (Matthew 25:41).  

Hell is a place that God doesn't want to send anyone, because He desires that all come to know Him - personally - as their Lord and Savior.  But, because He is love, He will not force anyone to love Him back.  And even for those who choose to love Him back, He will never force us to be obedient.  Everything is up to us - our choice.

Now, back to this passage.  In this particular location, since pigs were deemed unclean by Jews, the majority of people living here would have been pagans.  And these particular pagans did not care who Jesus was, except that they were afraid of Him.  They didn't even care to find out how He could help them.  All they assumed was that He had already caused them economic loss.  And they wanted Him gone!

What the people chose to overlook was the fact that Jesus had removed the threat of violence, making that area safe.  As well, they chose to overlook the fact that it was really the demons who had cost them economically.  But people don't always put the blame on the appropriate cause.  And especially when someone is resisting something that is good, they will look for the bad, and figure out how that might connect to the thing that is good, and use that as an excuse to avoid what they don't understand, or don't care to understand.

We must be careful not to judge God according to what people do or say.  And we most definitely must be careful not to judge God according to the evil that happens around us or to us.  Remember, because God is love, He will never force anyone to love Him back or be obedient.  Therefore, to "judge" the Lord and see that He is good, just, merciful, gracious and patient, we have to get to know Him!  The Bible (His word) gives us great insight!  And of course, in knowing the Lord personally, we will experience His goodness!  The closer we grow to Him, the more evidence there will be in our lives!  And we can KNOW that, we not only have eternal protection, and treasures in heaven, but He will see to our needs here on earth.  

Most importantly, the value that He brings to us is immeasurable!  He values us, because He has created us in His image!!!  He took our place on the cross to prepare a way to Him, so that when we believe, He saves us and reconciles us to Himself.  Only the Lord can adopt us in order for us to become a child of God.  Only He can forgive our sins and change us from the inside out.  Only He can complete, fulfill and satisfy us.  Only He can fill us with His spiritual peace, love, joy, certain hope, confidence, strength, wisdom...  He equips, guides and helps us!  He wants the best for us, and gives us purpose.

The Lord judges us fairly!  How much time do we take to get to know Him in order to fairly assess and "judge" Him?  The Lord values us immensely, sacrificially and unconditionally!  How much do we value the Lord?!  And the Lord is able to work all things out for good to those who love Him.  So, why would we not want Him to be involved in every aspect of our lives?!

relationships (Matthew 8:23-27) More Faith and Confidence

(Matthew 8:23-27)

23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, a violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

These disciples still did not really know Jesus well... yet.  If they did, they would not have been afraid.  Once we realize that Jesus is the sovereign Lord God, who has more power than all other powers put together, and that He is the Creator, and God of love, who cares so very deeply, enough to come in flesh to give His own life as a ransom for our souls... when we put our faith and trust in Him, as children of God, we do not have to worry or be afraid of anyone or anything!

And FYI:  after His resurrection, having victory over sin and death, Jesus ascended and sits at the righthand side of God!  And in our salvation, we have received His indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we can never lose our salvation, and so that He will continue to work for us, in us and through us.  We must know, the Lord is always with us, He is eternal, He never changes, and He never sleeps.  Therefore, the more and the better we get to know Him, the more our faith will grow, and the more we will experience His strength, courage and confidence!

relationships (Matthew 8:18-22) Love, Honor and Willingness

(Matthew 8:18-22)

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19 Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21 And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

Besides the twelve disciples that Jesus would pick, there were many other people who were following after Him as disciples (students), who saw Him as a rabbi (the Jewish term for teacher.)  Besides learning their master's ways, the students would also serve these teachers in practical ways that had to do with their school and work (much like a TA - teacher's assistant in college or university).

Here, the first person who approached Jesus was a scribe.  They were professional writers, and therefore used as recorders, secretaries, town-clerks, public servants... and their influence would vary from state to state.  As a Jew, these scribes were people who had access to the scriptures, and were the ones who made EXACT copies of the scriptures.  

These scribes were people who had already studied and knew the Mosaic law, as well as the sacred writings, and so, were looked up to as interpreters and teachers in their own right, and were sought out for clarity and advice, much like lawyers, especially on the more difficult and subtle questions of the law.  BUT - in having this position - they found (wrongful) power to distort God's words in order to manipulate and accommodate various kinds of desires and worldview-thinking.

From Jesus' response to this scribe, we can safely assume that this man's motive in seeking out Jesus as a teacher to follow was not pure, but coming from a position of power and pride, with a desire to obtain greater power and recognition.  Now, Jesus did not say anything all that radical.  In that society, there were, for example, Greek philosophers, as well as Jewish sects (such as the Essenes), who would test wanna-be disciples with extreme demands, such as giving up all of their properties and personal possessions!  Even king David warned prospective followers about the conditions that they would all have to endure and suffer through.  So whenever Jesus called someone to follow Him, the choice was a voluntary decision that had to come with a willingness to live a sacrificial lifestyle.

But - consider the honor to be asked to follow Jesus as a disciple!!!  Because in that society, men would seek out their own teachers, desiring to learn from them, so that they could be just like them.  Meanwhile, God desires that all come to know Him, personally.  So, Jesus reaches out to us, EVEN WOMEN!  He chooses us to follow Him, not just to learn, but to BE like Him, while He helps us, and guides and equips us with His wisdom, strength and love!  It is He who changes us from the inside out.

Then, in verse 21, we see someone who has most likely become a believer and follower, but rethinks this big decision of having a sacrificial lifestyle.  His excuse to Jesus is that he wants to carry out his obligations as the oldest son, regarding his father.  At the very least, it would have been a year's delay, given the ritual and process that happened after someone died.  And perhaps, the father was still alive, and the son did not want to be seen as dishonoring him, by neglecting to take care of him in his older age.  Back then, in Jewish society, they saw that honoring one's parents was one of the greatest commandments!

We are to honor our parents, but God needs to come first in our lives!  Following Jesus and embracing our personal relationship with Him, is the most important relationship we can have!  If we do not have a healthy relationship with the Lord, we cannot have a healthy relationship with others!

Just as Jesus answers this question put forth by a "lawyer" - a scribe - who thought they knew scripture better than Jesus, and wanted to test Him.  Hmmmm... who do you think knows scriptures the best?  A mere mortal, or the Lord God who is from the beginning, who is with the Word, and who is the Word, and who is the omniscient God who wrote the Book!!!  (John 1:1-14, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21, and 1 Thessalonians 2:13)

(Matthew 22:36-40)  But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him: 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

relationships (Matthew 8:14-17) This is Love

(Matthew 8:14-17)

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. 16 Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. 17 This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “He Himself took our illnesses and carried away our diseases.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

This is love!  There are times Jesus answers prayers that have not yet been prayed!  And there are so many times Jesus heals us, without us giving it a second thought or a thank You!  And even when we don't receive the healing that we think we should have, Jesus is always there to help us get through that, in His will, comfort, peace, joy and strength.  These are typically the times when and where we draw especially closer to the Lord in our personal relationship with Him, because we don't have anyone or anything else to trust in and rely on.  The Lord is faithful and cares!

This is love reciprocated.  Peter's mother-in-law could have continued languishing in bed thinking, "I was just very sick, I need to take it easy, pace myself, and get a little bit of 'me-time'."  But no!  She immediately got up and started serving the Lord.

The Lord is able to heal us physically, but the most important healing that He does is spiritual.  When anyone goes to Him with humble hearts to repent, He forgives us of all our sins and chooses to remember them no more!  In this spiritual healing we are changed from the inside out, and we receive His indwelling Holy Spirit who continues to convict, guide, equip, strengthen and help us.  And once we are in heaven, we will be completely healed, receiving glorified bodies, which will never again struggle with diseases or temptations!  And in our love and thankfulness, we will all be serving the Lord and those around us, for all eternity, to His glory!  This is love!!!

relationships (Matthew 8:5-13) Full Respect

(Matthew 8:5-13)

5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him, 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.” 7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

This Roman centurion (a captain of one hundred men) had somehow heard of Jesus and knew - believed - that He was a Man of great authority who was able to heal from a distance.  We're not told that he was indeed a believer, but his actions and words seem to indicate this.  First of all, he actually cared about his servant and was willing to go out of his way to seek out a solution.

This centurion was most likely originally a Syrian who became a Roman citizen.  The people of Israel already saw Rome as their enemy for invading their homeland, but centurions and soldiers were known for their abusive behavior, and therefore, the people hated these men.  Yet, this centurion called Jesus "LORD", which often was used as a term of respect, much like "sir".  But verse 5 says that he came to Jesus to beg.  From the original Greek word, one could also say he went to Jesus to beseech, intreat, implore and/or pray .  Therefore, it would seem that his respect for Jesus was much more than just social.

Jesus' statement about going to the gentile's home to heal the servant inferred that He was willing to cross cultural boundaries, which would have been socially unacceptable among pious Jews, since most gentiles were pagans.  But then Jesus amps up His message to demonstrate His willingness to associate with gentiles, by saying that many from all over the world will one day recline and eat at HIs table (in the Millennial kingdom as well as in heaven).  This statement would also indicate that the centurion was probably a believer.  

After all, God created ALL of mankind, and came in flesh to die for ALL the world, because of His great love and desire that ALL come to know Him!  The only way anyone reclines and eats at the Lord's table of such intimate fellowship, is to have a personal relationship with Him, through His salvation.  To believe in the Lord is to trust that everything He says is truth, and to strive in obedience to live in His will and righteousness, while fully depending on Him for our healing, comfort, strength, guidance, wisdom, peace, joy, hope...  

The heavenly Father of this family table of love invites everyone to come - to be part of the family - to be born again and become a child of God for all eternity!  To repent of one's sins in order to receive His forgiveness and indwelling Holy Spirit who changes us from the inside out.  This is for everyone, and God asks us to NOT be prejudiced, but help spread that good news of this invitation.  And God asks us to have faith in knowing that He is able to do all things, even things that are "distant".  To understand all of this should cause us to have the utmost respect for the Lord!