The Conception of Jesus

Meditation June 29, 2020

Matthew 1

18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Matthew now gives a straight forward account of the virgin birth of Jesus. He is so matter of fact in recording this event one might suppose it was a common occurrence. I suppose for one who spent three years with Jesus seeing on an almost daily basis marvelous acts of God the idea of a virgin birth was of small note.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ”, which includes His conception, “was on this wise”; i.e., it took place in this way. “Mary was espoused to Joseph….” Jewish espousals or engagements, were as binding as marriage and subject to the same conditions as a marriage for the breaking of the espousal contract; it required a divorce. Moreover, it was common that during the espousal period the bride and groom to be had no direct contact with one another. And as premarital sex was not commonly approved among Jews, Matthew had only to say “before they came together”. Whether he meant prior to marriage or prior to having sex is moot. The one said the same as the other regarding the conception of Jesus. Thus, before Mary and Joseph came together, “Mary was found to be with child of the Holy Ghost.” In short, God created a child in her womb. For some this is just too fantastic for some to accept as if somehow this is beyond the power of God who started with nothing and created all things. Admittedly there is to be some awe and wonder in this. Virgins are rarely pregnant. It is scientifically inexplicable. However, it is, it seems to me, far less a wonderment, as my Grandmother would call it, than the very scientific notion that somehow in eons of time energy was floating about dispersed here and there in space until for unknown reasons or, as the nature of the case would be, for no reason at all, it collapsed on itself with a really big bang and by sheer force of chance, that is by equal reason as its collapse, it brought forth a man child. It would be difficult to give a better example of what is meant by being given over to a reprobate mind. (Ro. 1) But I am chasing rabbits. Back to the text.

Mary apparently told Joseph of her pregnancy. Apparently also he did not accept the explanation for he determined to put her away, i.e. divorce her, privately. Being found with child during her espousal but not with the child of her espoused would have been considered adultery. For that Mary could have been stoned to death. Or Joseph could have divorced her in a public divorce intended to shame her for unfaithfulness. Now, as we have suggested above, creating a child in the womb is a small and not very notable thing for God who created the world from nothing and Adam from dust; however, realizing this to be an unusual event among men, and an event not likely to be believed, God sent an angel to tell Joseph not to be concerned the child was the work of God.

“Joseph, thou son of David….” It is important to note the angel’s address to Joseph as ‘son of David’. Few Jewish men descended from David, I suppose to this very day, failed to understand themselves as to possible progenitor of the Messiah. Prior to the promise to David that the Messiah would be his descendant, there seems to have been the hope of the Messiah with every male child that was born. Such seems to be implied in Eve’s remark regarding Seth, “I have gotten a man from God” or more literally perhaps, “I have gotten a God-man.”. Again, at the birth of Noah we see a similar hope when Lamech said of Noah’s birth “May this one comfort us in the labor and toil of our hands caused by the ground that the LORD has cursed.” Thus, in several instances in the OT we see these hints of messianic hope among the Jewish people. Alas, when Messiah appeared, they missed him and to the present set and empty chair for his when they celebrate Passover. It is a sad thing. I remember an evangelist to the Jews breaking down weeping as he explained the empty chair at the Jewish Seders. “He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.”  (John 1:11) Back to the story.

When the angel addressed Joseph as ‘son of David’ he was conveying to Joseph not only that his taking Mary to be his wife would not be at odds with his being an heir of the hope of the Messiah, but that it would, in fact, be the means by which he would become the father of the Messiah; i.e. the one “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” With this plain announcement, we could wonder how it was possible that Mary and Joseph were so many years coming to an understanding that this child to whom Mary gave birth was the Messiah. The answer lies in the fact that the Messiah God provided and the Messiah the Jews sought were so radically different that Jesus was unrecognizable as that Messiah. That much or the story remains to this day. The Messiah sought by the world and the Messiah provided by God, Jesus the Christ, are diametrically contrary; thus, he is yet rejected. But to Joseph, it was promised, you may take Mary as your wife, she has not been unfaithful, on the contrary, she has been faithful to the will of God and the child she will bear you will name Jesus.

(T)his was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Isa. 7:24) Thus did Messiah come to His own when Jesus “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man….” (Phillipians 2:6ff) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him might be saved. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)  

The Importance of Ancestry

Meditation June 22, 2020

Matthew 1

1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

12And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

It may seem a bit disorganized to start at chapter one after having considered chapters 5-7. I suppose it is, but, after thinking through the Sermon on the Mount, I decided to go through the entire gospel. Chronological order, thought often beneficial, is not mandatory in studying the Bible. Truth is truth regardless of the order in which it is received. That is one of the beauties of truth.

Genealogies have a way of being a bit ho-hum but here we have a genealogy that is quite fascinating as an indication of the providence of God in the affairs of men. God had promised in numerous places in the Old Testament (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5–6); that he would give to David a descendant who would reign on his throne forever. The gospel writers, Matthew and Luke, take the time in the writing of their accounts to show that Jesus was the prophesied King. But Jesus was not a king merely, i.e. a rightful descendant of David to that title, he was Messiah the King and so must necessarily be a blood descendant of David which Paul is careful to note to have been fulfilled in Romans 1:3.

It is the Lord

Meditation June 21, 2020

Matthew 7

28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

We come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount. The sermon itself actually ended with the parable of those building on rock versus those building on sand. The verse, which ends chapter seven if a recording of Matthew’s observation of the reaction of the people to the teaching of Jesus.

He observed that “when Jesus had ended these sayings”, i.e. his teachings the people were astonished. ‘Ended’ or ‘finished’ does not me ended in the sense we often understand which is he stopped, ended, talking or as in he came to the end of the road – unless one’s purpose was to come to the end of the road. The Greek indicates more than that’s that. It indicates a goal has been reached; a purpose has been achieved. In short, we are not to look on the sermon as a hodge-podge of teachings by Jesus during His earthly sojourn that have been thrown together by a recorder. Rather He set out with a purpose and He has fulfilled that purpose. His purpose was to show His followers the path, the narrow way, they were to follow as new creatures. Thus, he describes for them the new character, poor in spirit, mourning sin, hungering and thirsting for righteousness etc. that is theirs if indeed they are truly His. He then instructs them in the way they are to conduct themselves in that new character in relation to both God and man, in the keeping of the two great commandments; i.e. to love God with all their heart their fellow man as themselves. He explains to them what they do and what they do not do as new creatures in Him, warns them of those who will seek to lead them off the narrow way and exhorts them to build on the solid foundation His teaching. Now he has ended, completed, carried out to the full that instruction he set out to give.

And Matthew tells us that when he had finished, the people were astonished. Literally, the word translated amazed, astonished, astounded etc. means to stand or strike out but it is used figuratively in the Greek describe being out of one’s mind, besides oneself. In other words, they were speechless, it made them, as it were, crazy, they could offer no rational explanation for what they had heard. It was unlike anything they had experienced in their lives.

The Scribe, Pharisees, Rabbis to whom they had always gone for religious instruction always taught them from the doctrines, the dogmas of some other, presumably more learned, teacher which was then mixed with their own, more often than not, erroneous interpretations and conclusions. Now Jesus had ended His teaching, He had taught them forthrightly, emphatically, who they were and what they were and were not to do and He had done so without one reference to the Rabbis except to correct them. Rather than citing the Rabbis as authorities, He said to them “You have heard it said….” Where would they have heard that but from the Rabbis? “But I say to you…” and you can hear the gasp of the people listening. He has just tole them the Rabbis are wrong; Listen to me. I speak with authority. I am not wrong.

Jesus appealed to no authority but Himself. The only basis He gave for His teaching was that He had said it. “I say to you….” I speak on my own authority. When the prophets of old spoke they reported to the people “thus says the Lord” ; when Jesus speaks He says thus “I say to you.” Prophets, true prophets, were heard because they spoke by the authority of God; Jesus was saying hear me because I speak by my own authority. There was no missing the implication. He spoke as God.

Many, perhaps most, believers have experienced what the people on the mount listening to Jesus must have felt that was manifestly astonishing. You have had those moments when God Himself drew near and hid you safely in the cleft of the rock until he had passed by. God drew near to answer Job’s complaints and Job said, “I am trifling, I am insignificant, I am despicable, I am vile. I lay my hand over my mouth”. When Thomas suddenly realized who was standing before him, he didn’t reach out his finger or his hand; he gasped ‘my Lord and my God.’ Thus, the reaction of the people who hear Jesus.

That should impress upon us something of our obligation toward the teachings found here. “(T)here is not a discourse to be found that can be compared with it for purity, and truth, and beauty, and dignity. Were there no other evidence of the divine mission of Christ, this alone would be sufficient to prove that he was sent from God. Were these doctrines obeyed and loved, how pure and peaceful would be the world! How would hypocrisy be abashed and confounded! How would impurity hang its head! How would peace reign in every family and nation! How would anger and wrath flee! And how would the race - the lost and benighted tribes of people, the poor, and needy, and sorrowful - bend themselves before their common Father, and seek peace and eternal life at the hands of a merciful and faithful God!” (Albert Barnes)

Oh, No Don't Let the Rain Come Down

Meditation June 20,2020

Matthew &

24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

A note in passing: A few commentators maintain it is impossible that the sermon on the mount is recorded exactly as it was delivered. They suppose it to be an impossible feat of memory. Maybe; maybe not. More to the point, I think, is that this is God’s word, holy men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Whatever may have been the memory of the penmen, I am convinced the Holy Spirit has a remarkable memory. It seems a little strange God could guide prophets to give detailed information, prophesies, about the future but could not do the same for the past. As if the one who could tell the prophets what would happen in the future could not tell the disciples what happened in the past. It seems to me that either someone was not thinking or they did not believe in plenary inspiration. It is possible every syllable Jesus spoke on the mount is not recorded. He did, and we can assume said, many things that are not recorded. (John 21:24,25) We can rest assured, however, that all that is needed for our salvation and growth in righteousness, sanctification, has been recorded and preserved for us.

“Therefore”…because there is a right way and a wrong way, a wide gate and a narrow gate leading to a broad way or  a narrow way and false as well as true followers and teachers “whoever hears these sayings of mine” all that Jesus teaches in the sermon and elsewhere, is “liken unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock.” This doesn’t require a lot of explanation. Most of us are aware that houses are built on a solid foundation. If there is no rock to build on, we provide the rock by pouring a concrete foundation. Those who fail to do so have sown the wind.(Hosea 8:7) and when the trials, the vicissitudes  of life and the false teachers come,  when the rain comes from above, the floods from below and the winds from every side, the house will fall. It is a foolish man who builds his house on the sand, i. e., without a solid foundation.

One commentator, Ellicot, says the “sand” answers to the shifting, uncertain feelings which are with some men (the “foolish” ones of the parable) the only ground on which they act—love of praise, respect for custom, and the like. The “wind,” the “rain,” the “floods” hardly admit, unless by an unreal minuteness, of individual interpretation, but represent collectively the violence of persecution, of suffering, of temptations from without, beneath which all but the life which rests on the true foundation necessarily gives way.” He makes a good point but I think he completely misses the cause of the house fallen into shambles when he attaches it to the “feelings” of the “’foolish one of the parable….” It is not about their feelings but about their having bought false doctrine, false teaching.  And because the foundation of our spiritual houses, the foundation of our faith depends upon the doctrines, “all truth” into which the Holy Spirit leads us, we are advised of the care we must take to search the scriptures to determine if that which we are being taught, that which we have come to believe, is consistent with the teaching which we find in the word of God.

But take heed. It is not those who have just heard and believed true doctrine whose house stands but it is those who hear and do, put into practice true teachings. One may admire, even purchase for himself ground, a foundation ever so solid but if he does not build on it…. Such are those who say Lord, Lord but do not the will of the Father. Again, Jesus tells us it is not just what we build, what we do, but why, on what foundation. “No one can lay any foundation other than that already laid, which is Christ Jesus.” (! Cor. 3:11) But suppose we have said yes to that foundation when we build nothing on it is to deceive ourselves. Even the demons, James tells us has even the demons have that ‘faith’. As there is no salvation by works, neither is there any salvation without works.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10Therefore, my brothers and sisters, ^a make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Thus Jesus closes His sermon by sermon gathering into a parable  We are made new creatures, given the character described in the beatitudes that we may both hear and do His good will. It was not just to hear sound teaching, it must also be obeyed, put into practice. Those who love Him, keep his commandments, they build their house upon a rock. (James 1:22ff

I Don't Know You

Meditation June 18, 2020

Matthew 7

21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The immediate reference, I think, is to the false prophets about whom Jesus was just speaking. That seems to be indicated in Jesus saying they ‘will say to me in that day, Lore, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? It would be a mistake, however, to suppose it applies only to ‘false prophets’; i.e. those who are teachers by vocation. Jesus is declaring a principle and applying it here to false prophets. He is stating a principle, nonetheless, applies to all who profess themselves to be followers of Christ and one we should take as a warning to make our profession of faith fast and one that we can hold without wavering. (Heb. 10:23)

“Not every one that says to me…” clearly indicates there are some who suppose themselves to be teachers and professors of faith in Christ who in fact are not so. Jesus with this warning reiterates the connection between faith and works He has just set before His hearers; i.e. ‘you will know them by their fruit.” This is a sore subject in many theological circles but I set before you that which it seems clear to me Jesus is setting before His hearers on the mount and that is that true faith produces a change in values, attitude and consequently conduct and if your faith has not produced a change you need to ask yourself some serious questions about your salvation for Jesus is very clear that “not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven….”

Did you notice how calmly, with fanfare and trumpets, Jesus with authority just announced Himself to be the Judge? “Not every one who says to ME, Lord, Lord….” To all those, then and now, who may mistake Jesus to only an outstanding teacher of morality, an example of holiness after which we should pattern our lives, Jesus here early in His ministry calmly declares it is He who will judge whether or not they or you or I will enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. And not all who say to Him, “Lord, Lord….” Many call Him Lord when to them He is only a Savior, a hope of avoiding hell. They never intended that he should be Lord, that He should set the boundaries of their conduct. If they at all accept the law Jesus said He came not to destroy but to fulfill, they declare that since Jesus came, we are under no obligating to keep any but such as they approve. We are no longer under the law, they say, meaning not that indicated by the Bible but that we are no longer obligated to the law to obey it, or if they still hold some biblical law to be applicable to us it must be necessarily adjusted to comport with the accepted moral standards of the day. If it doesn’t fit contemporary morals standards, then it was, they claim, a cultural ethic of the time. To all these Jesus says, they “will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father…” That will God gives in the Scripture. He has not left us in ignorance. He has given us the Spirit of truth. (Jhn. 17:26) who sanctifies us, sets us apart as belonging to God by the word of God which is the truth. (Jhn. 17:17) So it is written “to the law and to the testimony and if they speak not according to this there is no light in them. (Isa. 8:20) That is the work of the Spirit He gives to us and if we have not that Spirit, we are not His. (Ro. 8:9) Now, we must keep in mind that throughout the sermon Jesus is calling us to the inward man, to the intents of the heart. He knows well we cannot perfectly keep the law, his being among us in the flesh was due to that,  but the intent of the heart is to be obedient to every word and failure brings the lowliness of spirit and the mourning which leads to repentance and the hungering and thirsting after righteousness of which he spoke. If on the other hand that is not the heart’s desire but having our conduct dictated by the desires of the flesh rather than the desire for the holiness of God as clearly set forth in the Scripture, then such are among those to whom He will say, “I never knew you.”

But lest we fall on the other side of false-righteousness, there are those who hold a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. They are all correct doctrine, every theological I is dotted and every theological t is crossed but works suitable to righteousness are missing. It is a dead faith. (James 2:14-17) It is amazing the number of ways I have heard this teaching of James vacated. But listen carefully, it is what Jesus is teaching here (you will know them by their fruits) Paul teaches the same (we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works that we should walk in them – Eph. 2:10) Correct doctrine that does not bring us to conform our hearts and conduct to the will of God, to love one another, to seek justice, care for the poor, defend the widow and orphan etc.  is as much an outward show as standing in a place of prominence to pray loudly I thank God I am not like that Publican.

On that day, on the day men would enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus will profess to all such men, “I never knew you, depart from me you that work iniquity.” This is spoken not to those who stumble and wander along the narrow path, but to those who have never entered on it. Workers of iniquity as KJV and others is literally those practicing lawlessness; i.e. those denying, disobeying, making of no effect the law of God., the word of God. Many are those who will be familiar acquaintances of Jesus, who will say to Him in that day, “’We ate and drank with your and you taught in our streets.’ And He will answer, ‘I tell you; I don’t know where you are from. Depart from me.;”

Vernon McGee observed “I hear many people talk about believing in Jesus, then they live like the Devil and seem to be serving him. My friend, saving faith makes you obedient to Jesus Christ.” That is just the thing Jesus is impressing throughout this sermon. To love Him is to keep His commandments (John 14:15); to call Him Lord, Lord is to say give to Him obedience, keep His commandments and if we do not do so, if we seek a savior but will be our own lords, the in that day we will hear “I never knew you.”

“Obedience to the faith is very important to God. God saves us by faith, not by works; but after He has saved us, He wants to talk to us about our works, about our obedience.” Vernon McGee.

Has Anyone Seen Ralph?

Meditation June 17, 2020

Matthew 7

15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

The connect between these verses and the rest of the sermon, as with other verses in Jesus concluding remarks, is not stated but easily discovered. How was all that Jesus has been teaching them to be found? Who was to show them the narrow gate and lead them in the narrow way? Many would come pretending to do so who would instead lead men astray. The Jews were familiar with false prophets. They had seen many in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel such that the Lord came to them and had them  prophesy against the false prophets .  “The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts, ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’…’” (Ezek.1ff) Much of the ministry of Jesus would be to point out these false prophets. It seems wherever the gospel goes a false gospel follows. Its prophets join themselves to the church of God and wreak havoc among God’s flock *(see Eze. 36)

“Thus, Jesus warns Beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing” – Sheep are not the sharpest of animals. Sheep is given as an epitome of innocence and harmlessness. To come in sheep's clothing is to assume the appearance of sanctity and innocence, when the heart is evil. I had such an instructor of religion in college. He made no great pretense of being an instructor in Christianity particularly but made a great point of letting his students know he was, at least in his estimation, a very learned instructor in religion which encompassed and surpassed Christianity. Someone in class one day, very early in the year – I think it may have been the first week of class -  asked a question about something said in the Bible to which the professor replied a bit brusquely , “God would never say a thing like that.” Without realizing I was violating an established rule, I responded, “I think we should be careful about expressing what God would or would not say.” That was not a welcome addition to the class discussion. I was told in no uncertain terms in as threatening a voice as a college professor can muster, “We will not tolerate superstition in this class.” Being older by 10 or more years than the average college student, not easily intimidated and having read at some length those much wiser than I in such questions, I replied, “That was my point.” As expected, Herr professor retorted, “You will have to explain that.” And so I did: “It seems to me, I said, that if we do not accept the Bible as the absolute, which I think is what you are saying or you would not have expressed the view that God would not have said something the Bible records Him as saying, we are left only with opinions, things that are not absolute. In that case, to make absolute statements about what God would or would not say, if not superstition, must surely lead the way to superstition.” He recovered his position as learned professor nicely by saying he saw my point and had overstated his point inconsequence of having had Bible thumpers in his classes in the past. I may have been old enough to be brash but I was also old enough to know when I had pushed things far enough. I had made my point, he had made his, we let it rest and much like Sam the sheepdog and Ralph the wolf cartoon fame, we got on quite nicely for the next two years. He was careful thereafter to be clear he was offering his opinion and not divine revelation. To be sure, he made it clear his opinion was the result of years of concentrated study in religion, but that is consistent with what Jesus says here about sheep’s clothing. The professor came somewhat clothed as a believer. In truth, there was little about Jesus he believed except that at some point in history there lived a man called Jesus who was mistakenly believed by His followers to be the Son of God, nonetheless, he came as learned teacher of religion who embraced Jesus as a real historical person. In that, he was very little different from the Pharisees whom Jesus likely had in mind when he gave this warning to his disciples there on the mount.

Sadly, we have many such prophets in the church today. They proclaim Jesus as a great teacher and moral example, perhaps even one who because of His righteous life was adopted as a son of God, but as the Son of God who was born of a virgin and came back from the dead? The Bible says those things but really, does any rational modern person believe those things? Among the Jews it is said, "There are some men,  who appear to be humble, and fear God in a deceitful and hypocritical way, but inwardly lay wait: this humility our wise men call…‘wolfish humility’.'' Such are the wolves in sheep’s clothing. They look harmless and they sound harmless, they make a great display of innocence and helpfulness but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Their goal is to win you to their religion; not the religion of Jesus; not to the gospel of the Bible but to another gospel which is not good news at all. (Gal. 1:6)

To be able to identify such teachers before they do us harm is obviously to our benefit therefore Jesus tells us how we can know them. “By their fruits you will know them….” That raises the question, What the fruits of the true prophets? Some think it is a reference to their lives, the way in which they conduct themselves. I am inclined to think it is something more. Few in any age have ever conducted themselves more righteously by outward appearance than the Pharisees but surely Jesus was not directing attention to the Pharisees as true prophets or teachers. Others think the fruits are a reference to the “works meet to (matching) repentance.” (Acts 26:20)  In other words, true prophets bring forth the fruits of the Spirit which we find given in Galatians 5:22-23 which are love, joy peace etc.. I am persuaded the good fruit is the same fruit as Jesus brings. He is the vine; we are the branches; we can expect then the branches will bring forth the same fruit as the vine. One does not gather grapes from thorn bushes but each tree bears its on fruit. Jesus brought the fruits of the Spirit, Jesus brought the fruits of righteousness not merely in outward display but in “giving to them every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”(Matt. 4:4) Thus, as He is about to leave His disciples, in His high priestly prayer He says to the Father, “I have given then Your word…sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have also sent them into the world….” As you sent me into the world bearing the word of truth, I also send them into the world bearing the word of truth. How will we know the true prophets from the false prophets? “ There is a way that seems right to man…” and he may point you to it with a great display of outward religion, “…but the end is the way of death.” (Prov. 14:12)  “To the law and to the testimony and if they speak not according to this it is because there is no light in them. (Isa. 8:20)

I Need to Shed Some Luggage

Meditation June 16, 2020

Matthew 7

13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

As some have noted, when we come to this verse, we find Jesus expressing a teaching that violates the greatest of liberal commandments; i.e. thou shalt not be narrow-minded. Jesus says clearly, without hesitation, that there is a narrow way and a broad way; a narrow gate and a broad gate. One gate and way leads to destruction and the other gate and way leads to life. You cannot get to life by the broad way and you cannot get to destruction by the narrow way. This is, I think, the leading thought of the sermon, i.e.; that there are two ways and two kinds of people. There are those born from above who are created new creatures that go one way and there are those who have not been born from above who go another way. The one cannot go in the way of the other.

Jesus may have been pointing or alluding to a nearby city that was in view, for the walled cities has various size gates, gate to accommodate travelers and gates to accommodate merchant caravans. Or he may have been alluding to measures for roads and gates established by Jewish canons with which his listeners would have been aware if only by observation. size of roads and gates opening to them. The smallest of these were private roads; i.e. for single persons with any baggage they may have been carrying. These private gates, the smallest of the main roads or paths from city to city were four cubits wide as established by the Jewish canons. There also were the gates Jesus referred to as the eye of the needle. They were small enough a camel could not enter without stripping any cargo it was carrying and that done the camel would have to stoop to enter. Whether Jesus was referring to the smaller gates, the needle’s eye or a “private gate” is not clear. In any case, the smaller gates were of such small size as to give access yet be easily defended; in other words, too small for a crowd to enter. That is the point Jesus is making. Whatever the gate and way to which he alluded, those to whom he was speaking would have been familiar that there were gates and ways by which crowds entered, exited and traveled between cities and there were gates and ways that simply would not accommodate a crowd. To put it in more contemporary terms, Jesus was saying that if you are running with the crowd, if you can’t tell the difference between yourself and the rest of the world, you are on the road to destruction. He has told them this (see beatitudes) is your new character, he followed that with this is the new behavior, the new conduct, that is consistent with your new character; the things you now do and the things you now avoid. Now he is making it abundantly clear they can’t have it both ways. This idea of a narrow way, though it may have been lost to the people by the time of Jesus, was not a new concept. Isaiah had written seven centuries earlier “and there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it; only those who walk in that Way – and fools will not stray onto it. “ (35:8).

Jesus says to his disciples, “go in through the narrow (stenos from which we get stenosis) gate….” The gate, the door, the entrance through which you passed determined the path that you would take and the path you take determines where your journey will end. Wide gate led to wide roads and narrow gates led to narrow roads. Now, Jesus is using this as an analogy. In reality, at the time of Jesus roads, broad or narrow led from city to city. Never push analogies beyond the point they are making. Jesus envisions not cities but ultimate destinations of life; i.e., to put it plainly, heaven or hell. He is saying there is a way that leads to hell, the broad way, and there is a way that leads to heaven which is the narrow way and the road you travel is going to be determined by the gate through which you pass to begin your journey. He is not talking about the way in which a man goes to get from one city to the next but the way in which a man goes to find salvation and eternal life. To get onto that way, to find the path to eternal life, you must enter the narrow gate. “I am the door…” Jesus says in John 10:9. Jesus teaches neither the heretical doctrine of universalism nor the heretical doctrine there are many ways to God. Rather He teaches that the entrance to life, the entrance to salvation is limited to Himself. I am it, he says, and if you suppose you have gotten onto the path to eternal life by any other door, you are deceived.

John Gill  observes that by the narrow gate “is meant Christ Himself; who elsewhere (see John 10 above – HTM) calls Himself the door, as he is into the church below and into all the ordinances and priviliges of it; as also to the Father…He is the gate of heaven. Thus Jesus say “enter at the narrow gate: or as Luke records it, “strive (struggle, agonizethe is the Greek and you will notice we get the English agonize for that) to enter by the narrow gate. In Numbers 22 we read of the encounter of Baalim’s ass with the angel of God. He fist met Baalim on the road. Seeing the angel the donkey ran off the road into the brush and Baalim had to beat him back onto the road. Then the angel of the Lord cut him off in a narrow pass and the donkey crushed Baalim’s foot against the rock attempting to squeeze past the angel. That is a picture of striving, agonizing to enter the narrow gate. It is as if the gate is such that one alone must struggle to squeeze himself through to get onto a similar path. It is the gate of self-sacrifice to the way of self-sacrifice.  A couple of years back my daughter, her husband and I hiked a slot canyon. We were quickly introduced to some idea of what lay ahead when discovered the entrance was by way of scrambling over an 8 ft. rock. You didn't take luggage, backpacks and toys with you; only water needed for survival. It was so close that at points the path was too narrow for the width of a man’s foot and one got through by walking on the walls of the canyon. There was sun and rock that had been baking all day in the sun. It was near as hot as one might imagine hell itself. Pleasant is not an adjective you would use to describe the experience and if you did use that anyone with a similar experience would question your whether it was your sanity, your veracity or both that should be held in question. Well, that is the picture of the way Jesus is here saying we must go. The difference is this: at the end of Little Wild Horse Canyon, the only reward was having survived it and whatever reward may come from now being able to say, “I have done that,”  at the end of the narrow way Jesus would have you follow lies the heavenly city, life eternal and the marriage feast of the Lamb. It is that important. Either you squeeze in or you don’t get in. It takes self-sacrifice. If we have been paying attention throughout the sermon, we realize it has been about self-sacrifice all along, the giving up of the natural man to the new man, and the new man exercising his new character in sacrifice, in organizing his priorities as God, his fellow man and then himself. 

 

Struggle to enter by the narrow gate for having entered you will find an ever-present help in time of trouble as you navigate the narrow way. (Psalm 45:1) For Jesus has promised He would not leave us alone but that He would send a Helper (John 14:16).  

 

What Should I Do?

Meditation June 15, 2020

Matthew 7

12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

We have here, in this brief verse, a summation of the whole of all that Scripture has to say about the second table of the law and its application in life. Here in overwhelming simplicity and brevity Jesus answers every question regarding how we are to keep the second of the two great commandments; i.e. that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. It is quite impressive the number of ways we can interpolate that to our advantage. Knowing where we would go with that, with this verse, Jesus heads us off at the pass with a simple rule that forever closes to us the option of twisting love of others to our own advantage. “Therefore…: he says.

“Therefore…” means ‘in consequence of what has been stated, let me say this’, something of that sort; it points to a summary or conclusion. ‘Therefore’ always calls us to give attention to what has been said previously. It either applies to the immediately forgoing or to all foregoing. Commentators are divided on which v12 has as its reference. Does it refer only to what Jesus has just now said about judging or does it refer to all He has said in the sermon to this point?

Verse 12, it seems to me, marks the beginning of the conclusion or epilogue to Jesus sermon, the first of His concluding remarks. That which is said in this verse speaks to us not only respecting “the exhortation about judging and reproving; but every duty that is ours as new creatures in Christ toward man our; it is a summary, I believe, of all those duties given in the sermon. Having the agreement of John Gill and others regarding this I have some confidence in this conclusion.  Likewise, Martin Luther on this verse notes that “with those words (v12 HTM) He concludes the instructions contained in those three chapters (Matt. 5-7 HTM), and gathers them all into one little bundle.”

Living as we ought toward our fellow man is no easy task nor is it a task in which any but believers may succeed. Such is our responsibility among men in society. If we expect it of those who are not followers of Christ, we deceive ourselves. If they expect it of us, they should, and it matters not whether they do the same or not. Calling them hypocrites for pointing us out as Christians who do not practice Christian virtue toward other is not only untrue but a classic case of the very thing on our part as well as theirs that Jesus had in mind when he told us not to judge. If we are not practicing Christian virtue toward our fellowman as we ought, we should thank those who correct us regardless of the quarter from which it comes. If we are living as we ought among men, we may let it be known to them (be certain it is true) commend them for being concerned and exhort them that they too live in a similar manner. The casting about back and forth and accusations between believers and unbelievers, I feel quite certain, has more than a little justified guilt behind it.

But what does it mean to live toward others as we ought? Wherever a question may arise about how we being new creatures in Christ are to conduct ourselves toward others it may be answered by this principle: That doesn’t mean, I give approval to everything every other person wants to do. Some who cast accusations against us as not acting as Jesus would act have no idea what Jesus would do. Anyone who has ever raised or cared for a child knows you do not give approval, permission or wink at just whatever their little minds contrive to do. The same is true of adults. If I am living in a manner that is going to bring the displeasure of God down upon me; I want someone to point that out and seek to correct me. That is how would I have them treat me? That is how I should conduct myself with regard to them. We are not to deal with others, no, not even the wicked, in the way that they deal with us. Returning evil for evil is completely alien to the mind of Him turned His other cheek and when reviled did not revile in return. We are not to deal with others as they deal with us but as we would have them deal with us. If you are in error, believing a lie, would you have someone correct you? Then do so to others. If content in your error, would you prefer to be left alone in it? Then, trust me, others will quickly let you know they have no interest in the same moral standard. Do for them as you would have them do for you if you didn’t want to hear it and leave them alone.  Don’t toss holy things to the dogs.

It is not difficult to avoid contention with others on this matter. Be quiet, brush the dust off your sandals, and depart amicably. There may yet be another day. It is natural to us as new creatures to desire that all come to a saving knowledge of Christ, but it is not our calling to save them. Ours is to speak the truth, God’s word, in love. When we have done that we may rest assured we have done all that God has called us to do and that His word that we have given will not return to Him without accomplishing that to which He has sent it. If we act thus, we have done to them as we would have them do to us. The golden rule, as this has been called, here requires both that we speak and that we know when to be quiet.

J C Ryle comments that in "In this part of the sermon on the mount (Mt 7:12-20) our Lord begins to draw His discourse to a conclusion. The lessons He here enforces on our notice, are broad, general, and full of the deepest wisdom. Let us mark them in succession. He lays down a general principle for our guidance in all doubtful questions between man and man. We are ‘to do to others as we would have others do to us.’ We are not to deal with others as others deal with us. This is mere selfishness and heathenism. We are to deal with others as we would like others to deal with us. This is real Christianity. This is a golden rule indeed! It does not merely forbid all petty malice and revenge, all cheating and over-reaching. It does much more. It settles a hundred difficult points, which in a world like this are continually arising between man and man. It prevents the necessity of laying down endless little rules for our conduct in specific cases. It sweeps the whole debatable ground with one mighty principle. It shows us a balance and measure, by which every one may see at once what is his duty. Is there a thing we would not like our neighbor to do to us? Then let us always remember, that this is the thing we ought not to do to him. Is there a thing we would like him to do to us? Then this is the very thing we ought to do to him. How many intricate questions would be decided at once, if this rule were honestly used!” (J. C. Ryle. Expository Thoughts)

When Jesus sums up His teaching regarding our duties toward man with this short verse, He gives us a rule or proverb that is at once authoritative and versatile and provides a powerful means to help us decide the moral direction we should take in the myriad of issues we face. And it not only provides a rule at once absolute and flexible but it should impress upon us the reality that in Christ, having now a new character, a new me, as He has shown us in the beatitudes,  we are now able, being in Him, vine and branch, to make the right decisions; to not sin. We too often forget that and excuse ourselves saying: We are but men, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak etc. With this rule Christ reminds us that we are not just men; we are men indwelt by the Holy Spirit. God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit lives now in this temple of flesh. We are not yet not able to sin but in Christ we already able not to sin; thus Christ may give us this absolute rule flexible for every situation we face in relation to our fellow man, “in everything whatsoever you do,do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is not a rule for the ungodly whose moral statutes are necessarily without rational support. It belongs only to believers and finds its rational support in the law and the prophets, the word of God, Jesus came fulfill; not destroy. (Matt. 5:17 It is a rule for only those who meditate in God’s law day and night (Psa. 1) and who hunger and thirst after righteousness; not just any righteousness, not righteousness as they suppose righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ.

It is the same rule as God gives again by His servant Paul when He teaches us not to act out of selfish ambition; “Rather, in humility, esteem others above yourself.” Most of the difficulties we are now facing would fade away like the flowers of the field if we but followed this rule. If you go to the bottom of all those calamities that bring men to discord, injustice, wars etc., you will find selfishness in some form. Selfishness always demands too much of others and too little of self. Quite the opposite of this law that Jesus gives to us as His redeemed, adopted to be His brothers and sisters, the law of selfishness by which the world lives ‘naturally’ that rule of life that expects much of others and little of self and says, as it were, give me much, lift me up; this rule that Jesus lays down for His followers says, let me help you as I would like for you to help me, let me lift you up.

“In everything, as you would have others do for you, you do for them.”

Heip!

Meditation June 13, 2020

Matthew 7

When we read the words, “ask,” “seek,” “knock,” we are immediately aware some need has been recognized. There is concern, an apprehension or disquiet indicated. There is something more here than a simple request to “Pass the butter, please.” There is the urgency such as one has upon the sudden discovery they have a missing credit card or their cell phone has been misplaced. There is a bit of desperation on the edge of this prayer. 

Ask, seek, knock implies an earnest prayer, a prayer that is humble, persistent and expectant. I don’t think we go astray to say that is implied in the words Jesus choose. One asks always in some humility. Asking is what beggars do if they expect to obtain that which they need or desire. Seeking, implies a more persistent asking, a pleading and striving after, a determination to obtain that which is desired. A hungry man may ask for food, a starving man seeks it. A knock expects an answer. One does not go to the door of a house where it is known there is no one home and knock at the door. One knock only when he expects an answer.

Spurgeon makes an interesting observation regarding this verse. He says that until God made this promise, ask and receive, seek and find; knock and it will be opened, “It was at His (God’s) own option whether to hear our prayer or not. (But now, if it is true prayer offered through Jesus Christ, His truth binds Him to hear it.” (2 Cor. 1:20) This is a thought to take one’s breath. The God who is in the heavens, the creator and sustainer of all this vast mysterious world that science has hardly scratched the surface to understand, God whom we have massively offended by our sin and disobedience has yet out of his great love for us condescended to bind Himself to hear our prayers. But here it is from the Son Himself who came to teach us all the Father told Him: Come to me poor in spirit, humble, asking, seeking as the persistent neighbor (Lk. 11:5ff), expecting Me to keep my promise, believing what I say is true (Matt. 21:22) and whatever you ask according to my will, I will give you. (John 5:14-15)

There is some question about the sudden change of subject to prayer. There is no stated connection to what has gone before. Yet it is not, as many commentators indicate, so far off the subject it was surely added by someone and was not part of the sermon at all but a teaching of Jesus from some other point in time that was included here. That is a possibility but one of little consequence. If it is a teaching of Jesus, it’s truth remains regardless of when He taught it. There is also the possibility that Matthew’s record of the sermon is a condensed version and there may well have been exchanges between the teacher and the followers that were not recorded. We must remember Jesus is giving instruction to people who have found themselves suddenly to be new creatures, quite literally two people, an old man and a new man in a war within attempting to learn from the instruction Jesus is giving how the new may overcome the old and live to the glory of God. Now he has told them do not judge but judge; judge not but don’t cast pearls to hogs. We can reasonably assume someone, no doubt many, among his listeners asked “How can we do this? We are but men and weak, how?” Whether is was asked aloud of Jesus but just not recorded by Matthew is of no consequence. Jesus knows our thoughts (Psa. 139:ff, Matt. 9:4; Lk. 11:17) and surely such thoughts were going through their minds as they go through our minds. And if one does not have those thoughts at this point in Jesus sermon, they simply have not been listening.

“From Mt 5:20, onwards, Christ had presented a standard of moral excellence which is utterly unattainable by mere flesh and blood. He had inculcated one requirement after another, which it lies not in the power of fallen human nature to meet. He had forbidden an opprobrious word, a malignant wish, an impure desire, a revengeful thought. He had enjoined the most unsparing mortification of our dearest members (Mt 5:29, 5:30). He had commanded the loving of our enemies, the blessing of those who curse us, the doing good unto those who hate us, and the praying for those who despitefully use and persecute us (Mt 5:44). In view of which the Christian may well exclaim, “Who is sufficient for these things?” Such demands of holiness are beyond my feeble strength: yet the Lord has made them—what then am I to do? Divine assistance is imperative if we are to meet the Divine requirements”. (A. W. Pink)

 

We, as surely those who sat on the mount with Jesus, hear these teaching and realize we are called to that which is beyond our strength and ability. Christ was as truly man as He is truly God. He knows our weaknesses and needs, He knows the cries of “How?” going through our minds as we ponder that to which we are called and gives us that which is both an invitation and a command: God for the strength we need for the wisdom, ask, seek, knock and it will be given.

 

We must keep this in context. This text is famously, or infamously to be more correct, is taken out of context and used by the name and claim it crowd as a carte blanche promise for whatever our hearts may desire. God has promised no such thing. God acts toward us out of His great love for us. He gives us only such as is good for us. For as long as we are in the flesh, this flesh, we are going to encounter evil, dogs and hogs, and we will have to be discerning, we will have to make judgements and the temptation will always be to censorious judgments. There will always be the temptation to see those we judge as not quite so ‘right’ as we. Somehow, we have a talent for seeing their specks larger than our logs. It is no easy task to which God has called us. “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12) Without persistent, expectant prayer, we will never succeed.

 

Father, how? With God all things are possible. Ask, seek, knock and it will be given. The labor of prayer never fails. "One may be a truly industrious man, and yet poor in temporal things; but one cannot be a truly praying man, and yet poor in spiritual things" (John Broadus).