This Blog is Now Closed

With the beginning of the New Year I have decided to close this blog and shift it across to my website. All the history has been moved to the new blog which can be found at the following link.

The Bible As I See It

If you choose you can subscribe to that blog and/or pick up the RSS feeds on that new site.

I will be continuing these studies, but wanted to better tie the information back to my site.

I hope you will continue to read and follow this information and I wish you all the best.

Who was John the Baptist?

(Matthew 11:7-15)

 

Jesus described John the Baptist saying, "...among those born of women there has risen no-one greater than John the Baptist." (Vs. 11) This is high praise indeed coming from the Son of God, especially when we consider what John must have appeared like to the common man.

 

John the Baptist lived in the wilderness and not in the towns or cities. He wore rough clothes made of camel hair and he ate nothing but locusts and wild honey and drank only water. A sparse and rather unusual diet indeed. Had he lived today he would have been called an eccentric, or possibly a nutter given what his appearance looked like and his way of life. And yet Jesus said of this rather rough and wild looking man that there was no-one greater than he amongst all of mankind.

 

In spite of his obvious eccentricities John the Baptist had a message that he preached and that message was from God. He taught the people about the ways of repentance and to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord. And the people went out into the wilderness to hear what he had to say and to be baptised for repentance in the Jordan. The people recognised that the power of God was with John and so they went out of their way to go to him and hear the words of God. Even the Pharisees came to him to hear and be baptised, and John showed up their hypocrisy as Jesus later did too.

 

The message of John the Baptist about repentance is as important today as it was then. All who come to God must be repentant as this is the very first step of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Repentance from sins is one of the six key foundation teachings of the New Covenant as defined in Hebrews 6:1-2. It is by repenting that we are made ready to receive the truth of the New Covenant and to accept Jesus. Jesus said of John that, "This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.'" (Vs. 10) The words John spoke to the people about repentance and baptism were to prepare them for the coming of Jesus and the ministry that was to follow.

 

Jesus also asked the people why they went out into the wilderness. Was it just to see the sights? That is, did they go to see, "A reed shaken by the wind?" (Vs. 7) No, they went to see and hear the words of John the Baptist. Now as mentioned already, he must have looked a rather odd person, and so the insight we can gain from that is that the word of God can come from anyone or anywhere. When Jesus said in verse 8, "Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses," what he was showing here is that it is not necessary to wear fancy suits and to dress to the nines to get or to receive the word of God. In fact those who "dress to impress" are not doing so for the Lord but for man or for vanity.

 

Fancy clothes, fine jewellery and so on do not impress God and neither should we be. God is concerned only with the condition of our heart and our faith in his son Jesus Christ. Just because a minister dresses well does not guarantee that his teachings will be any better than one who does not. Ultimately we must look past the man and listen to the words, for this is what God does and what we must do too.

 

Finally we see that Jesus said in verse 13, "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John..." In this statement Jesus is defining the end of a period of time. He said, "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John," and thus he showed that the end of the Old Covenant period ended with John. From that point on when Jesus began his ministry we saw the coming of the new age of the New Covenant period. And it came violently and with violence, for the New Covenant did not come into force until the violent death of Jesus Christ when he was sacrificed for our sins and raised for our justification.

John the Baptist Seeks Proof that Jesus is the Christ

(Matthew 11:1-6)

 

By this time John the Baptist had been imprisoned by Herod and was at the point of being executed. However, even John needed to know whether or not Jesus was the saviour to come. It is clear that Jesus had become well known for the many mighty works that he had done, and before him John was well known for his preaching to the people about a Christ who was to come. The word, Christ, means an anointed one.

 

The primary reason why John the Baptist arose was to bear testimony to the Christ who was to come and he needed to know for certain whether Jesus was the Christ or if there was another.

 

Now Jesus said that in the last days there would be many false prophets and false teachers who would claim to be the Christ. In Mark 13:5-6 he said, "And Jesus began to say to them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray." Now in the situation with John Jesus needed to provide proof of who he was and not simply tell John and his disciples that, "I am he" lest he be perceived to be one of these false ones.

 

So instead Jesus told John's disciples to observe what he was doing. He said, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offence at me." (Verses 4-6) The proof he provided was not in his words but in his actions and deeds.

 

We see in other places when he talks of those who go about teaching and preaching that you will know them by their fruits. In Matthew 7:15-18 he said, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." Using this analogy we see a good tree, or a good teacher, will not give bad fruit or bad teaching. But a bad tree or a false teacher can only bear bad fruit or evil teachings.

 

It is by what they do that you can assess whether the person and their teachings are good or not. What we saw when John's disciples came to him was Jesus applying this same principle to himself. If they saw good being done and the good word being taught they could be confident that he was the Christ. But if they perceived his actions to be of evil intent then they should report back to John that he was not the Christ.

 

This shows great wisdom and insight by the Lord for he used his own test that he gave us to determine good teaching from evil on himself. Needless to say the disciples reported back to John what they had seen Jesus do and teach and John was fully convinced that Jesus was the Christ. We see elsewhere that in this knowledge of Jesus as the Christ, John said that Jesus would grow while John would fade as he had done what he was meant to do. His words were, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) And increase he did as he brought about the New Covenant by which all of mankind has the opportunity to be saved.

Representatives and Rewards from God

(Matthew 10:40-42)

 

We must be careful how we treat people and especially the people of God. Jesus shows in this section that we should consider whenever we are dealing with the people of God that we are dealing with the Father himself. He says in verse 40, ""He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me." So if we receive a brother or sister in the Lord, it is as if we are receiving Christ himself, and if Christ then it is as if we are receiving and dealing with the Father directly.

 

All who represent Christ represent the Father for Christ himself represented the Father. Jesus said to the disciples that, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9) As we are being changed into the image of the Father through Christ Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit, Jesus showed that He was already in the image of the Father.  In John 10:30 Jesus also says, "I and the Father are one." He is not saying they are the same person, but in their thinking and decision-making, in their attitudes and nature and in the way they do, judge and behave in all things they are the same. This is what it means to be in the image of one another. They are one and united in all things as if they are mirror images and reflections of each other's nature.

 

Now as to the rewards in this section of scripture, we see that Jesus says that if any person receives a prophet or a righteous man or a disciple and provides for them in some way, they will receive a reward. God will reward those who provide for his people but the person receiving these followers of the Lord will also receive the rewards from the people they are assisting. What is the reward of a prophet? It is prophecy and teaching and the understanding of God's ways. What is the reward of a righteous man? It is the understanding of righteousness and the peace that comes through the knowledge of the righteousness that comes from God.

 

Jesus stated that if anyone gives a disciple even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, he would not go without reward. There are two things to consider here too. Firstly, a disciple can be a person who is young in the Lord and still with much to learn. They may have only just come to the Lord and begun their walk with Christ and are not advanced in the word of God. Yet God still sees them as very important and will reward anyone who aids them or assists them. Secondly, even if the assistance is as minimal as giving them a cup of cold water, which is such a small thing to do, they will still receive their reward.

 

To be rewarded by the Lord does not require big things or great gestures. You do not have to go out and build churches or schools or communities. You do not have to go to the wild places of the world and set up missions. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but you do not have to do any of these things to receive the rewards of God. All you need to do is to receive God's people and if they need only a cup of cold water, to provide it. It is the small things that God sees as well as the big things. And often it is the small things that make all the difference. A cup of cold water to an extremely thirsty man may be a small thing to the giver, but to the receiver it could be the most precious gift of all.

 

Jesus showed the importance of this point and the significance of assisting his people in the parable of separating the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 26:31-46) In this parable we see the Lord separating those who were his and who had assisted him in a time of need from those who did not help him when they could have. In both cases the people said, (and I paraphrase) "When did we see you in need of help and minister to your needs?" Jesus replied that whenever the person saw someone in need and either assisted or didn't assist him or her they were doing it to Jesus. The rewards they received for assisting these people and thus Jesus were entry to God's kingdom. But those who failed to help when needed were cast out.

 

Do not underestimate the good that is done and can be done in the small things you do for people. Do not think that you are not doing much in the name of the Lord or not serving him. For whenever you assist one of his people with something they cannot do themselves, you are serving not just them, but them as the representatives of Christ, and Christ as the representative of the Father. Everything you do for the Lord's people you do for God. And you will be rewarded by God for the things you do.

Not Peace but a Sword

(Matthew 10:34-39)

 

Here is a fascinating scripture, especially at this time of the year when people have been celebrating Christmas. At Christmas we see people saying, "Peace on earth and goodwill to men." One of the challenges we find in the Bible is that every now and then there are scriptures that seem to contradict each other. This requires a deeper study of the word to unravel the mystery hidden in the words, for God does not contradict himself, and nor does the scripture. When there seem to be contradictions, it generally means either we do not understand what the Lord is driving at, or there may be an issue with the translation of the text.

 

We are fortunate today there have been a great many texts of the New Testament uncovered, including some of great age going back to the time when the letters and gospels were first written. Thus the translators of the more modern Bibles have more ancient texts to work with, which helps overcome the confusion when there are only a few documents and they conflict. Most of the errors of the old documents are transcription errors for the letters and gospels were hand-written and then copied by hand to distribute them. With each copy, and subsequent generations of copies, errors could creep in. Thus the older the text the more likely it is to be accurate.

 

There is a difficulty in Luke 2:14 where some of the old manuscripts have been translated as, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." (KJV) However since the King James bible was written in 1611, many more ancient manuscripts have been located making for better and more accurate translations. With the addition of more ancient manuscripts, the translators of the more modern bibles read (in some form or other) Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" The key here is that peace is towards those, "...with whom he is pleased." This is the way this scripture is translated in the NIV, Amplified Bible, New Living Translation, ASV, RSV, The Message, ESV, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version and the Common English Bible. Indeed all of the more modern texts of the New Testament use a translation similar to this. The older translations, such as Young's and Darby's Bibles did not have the benefit of the more ancient manuscripts and are typically like the KJV for that same reason.

 

Now this is quite a different rendering of this popular Christmas quote. When we see that there is peace and good will to those, "...with whom he is pleased," we see a quite different picture emerge. Among those with whom he is NOT pleased there is no peace or goodwill. Rather for those who choose to do evil and to do the opposite of what God requires there is judgement.

 

In this section when Jesus said, "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword," we see there are two aspects to this statement. First, for those who choose to do evil and oppose what is good, there is the sword of judgement. They will be given every opportunity to repent and turn to God, but if they persist in their evil ways, they will suffer judgement and will not receive the eternal life and peace offered to those who please Him. Secondly, there is a polarising effect in following the word of God and Jesus. There is a sword of division that will divide all those who choose the path of righteousness in Jesus and separate them from those who do not.

 

Thus in a family, we will see divisions between family members where it is those who follow God separated from those who do not. And Jesus shows this saying he will set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and in-laws against each other and the basis of this separation is those who follow Christ will be separated from those who do not.

 

He also shows in verse 37 that this is a serious matter. Nothing and nobody must get between us and the love of Christ Jesus. Our walk with him is what will determine whether we receive the reward or not. In these verses he says, "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." He is not saying we should not love and care for our family, but that we must keep things in perspective. Our first duty is to follow the Lord and then everything else comes after that. As mentioned above, there will be a sword of division in families, and those who are not of the Lord will put pressure on those who are following Christ. They will try to pull them away from Christ and put obstacles in the way of the followers of Jesus. So the point Jesus is making here is we must not allow their attempts to pull us away to succeed. We must make our faith and following the Lord the first priority and when a conflict arises, choose the Lord...always.

 

Will we suffer doing this? Yes! Jesus said also in verses 38-39, "...he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it." Using the analogy of taking up the cross Jesus is saying whoever is not prepared to suffer for the sake of their Christian walk and following Jesus will be considered unworthy. When he adds that, "...whoever finds his life will lose it," he is saying that if we seek the life and living of this world we will lose our eternal life if we are not prepared to give up all for his sake. The converse applies too, in that if we lose everything in this life for the sake of the Lord, we will find our life into eternity with him.

 

The essence of this section is that we must put our walk with Christ above all other things. It's that important. Everything else pales into insignificance compared to the worth of knowing Jesus and following his ways. For in him we have hope and the promise of a better life both here and now, and in the future a life into eternity with him.

There is Hope in God for He Cares for Us

(Matthew 10:26-35)

 

Do you have hope for the future? Do you worry about tomorrow and what it may bring? If you are in Christ there is no need to fear about tomorrow for the Father himself cares for you. There is hope in God for he cares for us. It is not even possible to begin to understand how much he cares until we give it some perspective.

 

Some time ago I was sent a presentation showing the respective sizes of the earth with the planets in the solar system. Then it showed these against the sun, then the sun against other stars, then the stars against the Milky Way and then the Milky Way against the rest of the known cosmos. What it was saying was that in the total scheme of things the earth is barely a speck of dust and how insignificant are we compared to the breadth, depth and size of the creation. Taking this down another level it showed there are some six billion people on the earth, all with their own problems, anxieties and difficulties. The point was that our individual problems are so insignificant that we should consider for a moment and try to put our life into perspective.

 

However I got a different message from this presentation. When I saw the vastness of the creation and the respective size of all things created, it filled me with a sense of wonder and humility. For the one who created all of this, who brought all things into being and who put man on this earth said he cares about me as an individual. In the total scheme of things we are just a speck of dust. But to God we are the most important things in all of his creation. Look at what the scripture says in this section in verses 29-33:

 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will.
30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32 So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven;
33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."

 

In spite of the size and the magnificence of His creation, and our insignificance in it, he has even gone to the trouble to say each individual hair on our head is numbered. Not even man can think in those terms and at that level of detail. And as he also says, not a single sparrow will fall to the earth and die unless and until it is the will of the Father, and we who follow Christ are of inestimable more value than many sparrows.

 

How great is His love for us and how magnificent are his promises for our security, both now and for the future? Man cannot calculate these. So knowing this we can take hope and we should live in the hope of the tremendous salvation he has given us in Christ Jesus. For Jesus says that if we acknowledge him, he will acknowledge us before the Father who is the master of all. Even Jesus said that he did not begin to compare himself to the Father, so how great is the acknowledgement we might receive to be acknowledged by Jesus before the Father? we can take hope, comfort and encouragement from these words.

 

When you consider the enormity of the creation, how is it possible that anything can be hidden from him? Jesus says not to fear what men may do to us for the worst they can do is to take our physical life, and they would be punished for that anyway. Rather we need to fear and respect God who can destroy our immortal soul and not just the physical body. Men will try all manner of things. They will do evil, they will lie and cheat and seek their own ends while trying to cover up what they are doing, but the Lord said,  "...nothing is covered that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known." (vs. 26) Similarly when we do good it will be known for you cannot hide good deeds. All things will be known so we need to focus on following Christ and doing what is good in the sight of God. Then we will receive the due reward from him at his return.

 

There is hope in God for he cares for us and will reward those who follow the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Suffering for Jesus Sake

(Matthew 10:24-26)

It goes without saying that no man can be greater than Jesus who is Lord and the Son of God. However every person can aspire to be like Jesus. One of the reasons for his appearing was to provide us with many examples of how we are to live in this world. He modelled the attitudes and behaviours that we are to copy and learn from so that we can learn to be like him.

However, as we saw in his life, he was maligned and opposed by the authorities and religious leaders of the time. He is preparing his people who choose to follow his path in this section of scripture so that they are not surprised when people turn to attack them. The apostle Peter also wrote that we should, "...not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you." (1 Peter 4:12) The apostle Paul also wrote that, "...all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived." (2 Timothy 3:12-13)

It is clear that those who choose to follow Christ will be opposed. Why is that so? There is a puzzle in this situation, but it is a fact that this does and will occur. When we consider that the intent of the followers of Christ is to live a good and peaceful life, it makes you wonder why Christians suffer such opposition. Jesus gave us the answer to this puzzle in John 3:20, "For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." They oppose those who want to do what is good and right because they themselves are evil. The nature of man is not to do good but to do evil. Most people are restrained from doing evil because they fear retribution from the authorities, but even that is not always a deterrent. The person who wants to do the right thing and stands against those who choose evil is maligned. They are called names, opposed, attacked verbally and sometimes physically and all because they have exposed the evil of these other people. Those who are evil are exposed for their evil and suffer guilt in the presence of those who do good. They feel as if they are being attacked, when in truth their own consciences are attacking them with guilt, and so they attack those who have exposed them.

In my opinion, this is the reason why Christians are opposed and maligned. It is because they choose to do good and not go along with the evil desires of the world. What makes it even harder for the Christian is that they are choosing to be like Jesus, and many in this world will oppose them for this reason alone. As the Lord said in verse 24, "If they have called the master of the house Be-el'zebul, how much more will they malign those of his household." If they called Jesus a devil, which is who Be-el'zebul was, then they will also call those who follow Jesus all manner of evil things.

But as Jesus says, we need have no fear of them. Their ends will correspond to their deeds, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:15. We need not be worried about them or take offence at them when they do oppose us. Who knows, in time they may see the errors of their ways and turn in repentance and come to Jesus themselves. I always take the optimistic view that if someone who so utterly opposed the Lord as the apostle Paul did before his conversion on the Damascus road could come to the Lord, then so can anyone else.

The best advice and action we can take is to do as Jesus instructed in Matthew 5:44-45, "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven." We do not know the hearts of these people or when, where or how the Lord may choose to prick their conscience in the hope they may turn to him for forgiveness.

Sheep in the midst of Wolves

(Matthew 10:16-23)

 

Jesus told his disciples when he sent them out to preach and teach that they were going into a dangerous situation. The imagery of sheep in the midst of wolves conveys a picture of warning and danger. He made no promises here that when you teach the word of God all would be sweetness and light. Rather he showed that teaching the word of God would be a tough assignment. People would stand opposed to them, they would be widely condemned, flogged and persecuted, treated shamefully and even some would be put to death for preaching the word of God. Jesus made no illusions about how difficult it would be for these disciples he was sending out to preach.

 

But who were the persecutors that were going to treat the disciples so badly? Jesus said for them to "Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles." (vs. 17-18) The men who were going to cause them this grief and do all these evil things were those who were in power, especially the religious powers of the day. It is they who had access to the power of the councils and who ran the synagogues and who had access to the kings court that would be the most vehemently opposed to the teachings of Christ that his disciples would be preaching.

 

Why would they be so opposed to this new teaching? Because it is the religious leaders of the day who were being threatened by these new teachings and who stood to lose their power base, so they would be the most opposed to these New Covenant teachings. As people moved away from the old teachings, these religious leaders began to lose their hold over the people. And with it they lost their positions of power, prestige and esteem amongst the people. In the teachings of the New Covenant all the forms of worship were changed and there was no place for the old teachings that these religious leaders taught. No longer could they lord it over the people as intermediaries between man and God, for now all men had direct access to God through Jesus Christ. And the leaders did not want this to happen for they did not want things to change.

 

And so the imagery of sheep in the midst of wolves is quite apt. The sheep for the most part are peaceful, passive creatures that have need of a shepherd to protect them. But wolves are vicious, cunning and destructive. They hunt in packs and when they capture prey they rip and tear it apart doing great damage. Christians are the sheep and we have in Jesus a shepherd who can and will protect us from these religious, fanatical wolves. They may take some and force them to give account, but the true Shepherd of the Sheep, Jesus Christ, has promised that if and when that occurs, he will provide the words. He says in verses 19-20, "When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

 

The promise here is that the people of God would receive the words to say when opposed and called to account. The Holy Spirit would speak through them and so they need not be anxious when they were led before councils, synagogues and governors for the sake of the word of God. We saw the power of this statement fulfilled in the martyrdom of Stephen who spoke strongly and boldly, convincing many of the truth of the gospel even though it cost him his life. But the reward for standing firm in Christ is eternal life with Christ and Stephen was well aware of this fact.

 

We as Christians are in the same position today. Jesus said we would be hated by all for his name's sake, and who among Christians has not been the subject of ridicule, derision and contempt of those who are not followers of Christ? When you make a stand for Christ you immediately stand opposed to the things of this world. In Christ you expose the falseness, lies and deceit of this world. In Christ you are saying that you do not accept the madness, folly, hate and evil of this world but rather are seeking peace and the divine love that comes only from God. And the world does not like that and will oppose you. But Christ's reward is for freedom and peace now, and there is true freedom and peace in him now, and later there is eternal life free from sin, evil, sickness, death, despair and all of the things that are wrong with this world today. It is a far better opportunity and reward than the fleeting pleasures offered by the wolves of this world.

The Disciples Commission

(Matthew 10:5-15)

After Jesus had selected the twelve who were commissioned to be his initial disciples, he gave them authority to do many works. They were to go out amongst the people and to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons and most importantly to preach the good news of the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Amongst his instructions he told them to take no money, food or additional clothing for they would be provided as they went along preaching. He made the comment that, "...the labourer deserves his food." (vs. 10) And he also pre-empted that statement by saying, "You received without paying, give without pay." (vs. 8) The disciples who were working in the preaching and teaching of the word were entitled to receive their food and other bodily requirements. These would be provided as they moved amongst the people from thus who had the resources to provide. When the disciples were to enter any town, they were to find out who was worthy and stay with them for the duration of their stay in the town.

Now there are several things we can learn from this that conflict with the way the churches often operate today.

1. Many churches today take tithes from the people to pay for the ministers and ministry of the church. Jesus did not tell his disciples to take tithes when he first sent them out, on the contrary he said that they received without paying and so should give without paying. Nowhere else in the New Covenant were the ministers instructed to take a tithe from the people for tithing is not a part of the New Covenant but of the old.

2. The disciples were meant to receive the requirements necessary to sustain themselves. They were to receive food and lodging and perhaps clothing if needed, and this would be provided. They were not in the business of collecting significant sums such that they became wealthy at the expense of the people they were preaching to. In essence they were not to be a burden on the people but to provide a service. They were to be as Jesus was, servants not the ones who are served.

3. Jesus did not tell the disciples to go from house to house, staying first with one and then another, but rather to find out who was worthy and that they would provide their needs. There are some churches today however who do go from door to door seeking contributions towards their ministry.

Is it OK to receive your living from preaching the word? Yes it is, but it should never be a pathway to riches as we see in some ministries today. Even in the times of the apostolic church we saw that some were preaching for base gain and financial reward. Paul talks of such men saying, "...they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for base gain what they have no right to teach," (Titus 1:11), and also in 1 Timothy 6:5-10, "...wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs."

There is no doubt that the pursuit of money is a great temptation in the church today. Western society is awash with the lust for money and it is difficult even for men of God to stand against such desires. The deception is that they say the money is for the expansion of the ministry and how many more people can be helped with the additional income. So they squeeze their supporters and those in their care to give till it hurts through tithes and offerings, but how much goes into the hands of those who need it? How many of the people in these churches need help, not just in physical ways, but also in financial as well? I must say at this point that not all ministries are like this, but when you see ministers of the church driving expensive cars and wearing expensive, tailored, imported suits and jewellery... you have to ask whether they are following the Lord's instructions to his disciples in Matthew 10:8-11 or if they are following their own desires.

The processes of tithing and seeking offerings as were laid down in the Old Testament law do not belong in the Christian New Covenant church today. Not only is it morally wrong, it is scripturally wrong. If you wish to understand more on this matter I have written a paper on this subject, which can be found at here.

Power and Authority

(Matthew 10:1-4)

 

There is a marked distinction between power and authority. You can have the power to do something, but without the authority you are not able to do it. Similarly you may have the authority to do something but not the power. In order to be truly effective at anything you must have both power and authority.

 

Throughout the book of Matthew up to this point we see that the thing that separated Jesus from the scribes, Pharisees and religious leaders of his day was authority. At the end of the sermon on the mount we saw the people astonished because he, "...taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." (Matthew 7:29) The disciples too were amazed at him for he commanded the wind and waves with authority and they said, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him." (Matthew 8:27).

 

Jesus himself marvelled at the faith of the centurion who came to have his servant healed, not because he believed that Jesus had the power to heal him, but because the centurion recognised Jesus authority to heal without having to be physically present. The centurion understood authority for he said, "...I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one 'Go,' and he goes, and to another 'Come,' and he comes." (Matthew 8:9) The centurion recognised that Jesus had authority over diseases and only had to say the word and it would be done even though he were not physically present with the sick person. Finally we see that the evil spirits in the demoniacs in the country of the Gadarenes recognised Jesus had the authority to cast them out for they too were subject to his command. (Matthew 28-34)

 

And here at the beginning of chapter 10 we see Jesus about to send out the twelve disciples, and he gave them the authority to cast out unclean spirits and to heal every disease and infirmity. They already had the power to do this work, for Jesus said of the twelve that the Holy Spirit was with them and would be in them (John 14:17). It is the Holy Spirit that gives the power to do these miracles and healings. Jesus could do nothing until he received the Holy Spirit after he was baptised by John the Baptist, as he did not have the power. He further testified that, "I can do nothing on my own authority..." for his authority came from God the Father and he could do only what the Father permitted. (John 5:26-30)

 

Today we see some of the leaders in the churches seeking the power of God to do miracles. They believe that if they had the power to do miracles that the world would be turned upside down as it was in Jesus time and in the period of the first disciples. These men today have missed the point for the real power that God gives is the power to become the children of God (John 1:12) and that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. As to the working of miracles and healing, that is a question of having the authority of God to do those works. Men today receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as they did all those years ago and so they have the power to do miracles, but not the authority.

 

It is my opinion, and I stress it is only an opinion, that the reason men do not have the authority to do miracles today is because of three main reasons.

 

1. The purpose of miracles was to confirm the truth of the message of God (Mark 16:20) and at present that message is not fully established in the churches.
2. It is my opinion that Jesus cannot yet trust man with this authority for it would go to a man's head. In Acts we saw a man who wanted to buy the authority of God so he could do the miraculous works the apostles were doing, and he was condemned for his desires. He wanted this power and authority for proud purposes to set himself up as being someone of importance and his heart was not right. (Acts 8:18-24). Until a man or a church reaches the level of maturity in Christ that the apostles held they cannot be trusted to wield the power nor have the authority to do the mighty works of God.
3. Finally, I believe the time is not yet right, for the Lord said at the end there would be a great invitation sent out and many would turn to him before the coming of the Lord. (Matthew 22:1-10)

 

Today we need to seek the power of God to become the children of God through faith, for to do this is to seek the love of God. Love will last into eternity, but the miracles will cease. When the Lord returns and his kingdom is established there will be no death, no sickness, no disease and no evil. The very purpose of miraculous healing will no longer exist, but love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

Sheep Without a Shepherd

(Matthew 9:27-38)

 

In the previous post we saw Jesus showing that faith was a key requirement for the people to receive healing. On several occasions he made the point that the healings they received was done according to their faith. We see now in this section that as Jesus continued his work he began to get opposition from the Pharisees and he made the point that the people were not being cared for as they were like sheep without a shepherd.

 

In the first section of this scripture (verses 27-31) we again see the position taken by Jesus that faith is a key to healing. Two blind men came crying aloud after him saying, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When Jesus went into the house where he was staying he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" to which the men answered, "Yes, Lord." Jesus then touched their eyes and they received their sight.

 

Now the key in this section is that the men first confessed their faith and that they had the faith to be made well. It was evident they knew who Jesus was for they referred to him as the Son of David. They had no doubt heard of the miracles he had previously done, and so believed that Jesus was able to heal them of their blindness.

 

Jesus was not looking for glory from all the healings he was doing. He was not seeking fame or self-glorification or the praise of men, for after doing this healing he charged the men sternly to tell no-one. Jesus did this a number of times, but it was impossible to hide these wondrous things. For when these men went back to their homes and families and could now see, the people would immediately ask and wonder how such a miraculous thing could occur. And in this case the men went away and spread his fame throughout all the district. Jesus on other occasions instead said for the people to give the glory to God and that si what we should do too when we receive his gifts today.

 

There is a twist too that we see in the next part of this scripture. A dumb demoniac was brought to him and Jesus cast out the dumb demon and the man spoke. The people marvelled at such a thing having never seen anything like it before. But what we see also is that the Pharisees become jealous of his growing fame and reputation and they begin to stand against and accuse him. What they do not realise is that they commit the unpardonable sin in their comments saying, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons." The one sin that will not be forgiven is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit as Jesus showed in Matthew 12:31-32. What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? In this case it is calling the wondrous works of the Holy Spirit or attributing the work of the Spirit to the devil. These Pharisees were saying is that Jesus was casting out demons, not by the power of the Holy Spirit but by the power of Satan...and this is blasphemy. In Matthew 12 this topic will be covered in more depth for the scriptures there are more revealing and we can begin to understand why this is the unforgivable sin.

 

In the final paragraph of this text we see Jesus moving about the villages amongst the people, preaching and teaching the word of God and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The truth and the power of his words were confirmed by the signs attending him as he healed all sicknesses, diseases and infirmities. Matthew wrote that Jesus had great compassion for the people for they were like sheep without a shepherd and he said to his disciples to pray that the Lord would send out people to minister to the people.

 

Is this any different today? There is today still a great need for the Lord to send out ministers to preach and teach the truth of the gospel. There have been many people today hurt by the church and those who should have been helping and protecting the flock, but instead used then for their own gain. There are preachers today who distort the words of God and the Bible to justify their own ends and to seek advantage over others. This should not be so and the Lord will judge those people accordingly. Are all the teachers and preachers today like that? No they are not, but it is often difficult to tell the good from the bad. For as the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."

 

If Satan disguises himself to look good, so do his people. Jesus said you would know them by their fruits and so it is important not to blindly accept what anyone says purely at face value. We must study and learn the words of God in the Bible and ask for the Holy Spirit to come to us and teach us so that we can discern truth from error and see deceitful men for what they are. If we come to the Lord in humility and ask him to lead us, he will do so and will expose impostors and take us to where his people can be nurtured in the truth. As Jesus promised, "Seek and you WILL find."

Your Faith has Made You Well

(Matthew 9:18-26)

 

At this point in the book of Matthew we begin to see Jesus teaching on the power of faith. In the next few scriptures Jesus performed several healings and miracles, and in each case pointed out that it was through the person's faith that they were made well.

 

The first of these was when the woman suffering a haemorrhage came and touched the fringe of his garment. She believed and had faith that the power of Jesus was such that if she only touched him she would be made well. In another version of this section (Mark 5:25-34) we see that Jesus was not even aware who the woman was when she had touched his garment. He perceived that power had gone forth from him to do a healing, but did not know who it went forth to and asked, "Who touched me?" When the woman realised she could not hide she fell at his feet in fear and trembling, explaining her situation before him. Jesus again said, "Your faith has made you well," showing that it was on the basis of her belief that she received this healing.

 

Likewise in this same scripture we see Jairus who was one of the rulers of the synagogue of the Jews who in desperation came to Jesus to heal his dying daughter. Now Jairus was taking quite a risk for the Jews had agreed that if anyone should confess that Jesus was the Christ they were to be put out of the synagogue (John 9:22). And yet here we see this ruler of the synagogue showing his faith in Jesus to be able to heal his daughter. It is evident from this and other scriptures that there were rulers of the synagogue who did believe Jesus in spite of the general opposition from the Pharisees and rulers (Note that Nicodemus in John 3:1-2 was also a ruler of the Jews and a Pharisee, but he too came to Jesus and confessed his faith to Jesus). Jairus' daughter died and while others told him not to bother Jesus any further, Jesus said to Jairus to only have faith. When he had come to the house of Jairus he went into the girls room where she lay dead, and taking her hand he raised her back to life. Again this healing was performed because the father of the child had faith and called on the Lord to help.

 

Faith is fundamental to come to Jesus for anything, whether it be healing, learning or life. Without faith we cannot receive any of God's gifts for they are all based upon faith. In order to receive anything from the Lord we must first believe and then go to him convinced that he can do what we desire. As it says in Hebrews 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." If we do not believe, how can we receive? The whole of that chapter in Hebrews 11 is devoted to the many men and women of God who through faith in God did and received many wonderful things. Faith is the key to coming to God as it was truly said by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that we, "Walk by faith, not by sight"

Fasting in the New Covenant

(Matthew 9:14-17)

 

Jesus is approached by the disciples of John the Baptist and asked why his disciples did not fast like they and the Pharisees did. Jesus then used this teaching to show that the New Covenant was a new teaching and fasting under the New Covenant was quite a different matter to the Old Covenant.

 

Fasting in the Old Covenant was a process employed for many reasons. There were four appointed fasts under the law of Moses that were strictly applied as well as a fifth fast that was less strictly applied. Typically fasting was a form of abstinence, usually from food or drink, for a period of time. Fasting was also not an end in itself, but was a purpose or means to an end. Often fasting was seen in the Old Testament as a mechanism for a person to draw near to God for a specific purpose. As an example we saw King David fast to come before God in the hope that God would heal his child and prevent his death. (2 Samuel 12:13-23) Esther also proclaimed a three day fast among the Jewish people to come before the Lord on her behalf before she went in to approach the King on behalf of the Jews. (Esther 4:10-17) There are other examples, but the key to these fasts, both individual and of the whole community, were that the fasts were targeted towards a specific purpose and to seek out God.

 

In addition to the appointed fasts, there was also a practice of personal fasting when an individual would abstain from food or some other pleasure so as to come before God. They would fast and bring their prayers to the Lord during the period of fasting. The practice of fasting twice a week arose and became a custom although there was no scriptural basis for this practice in either the Old or New Covenants.

 

Fasting in the New Covenant is only occasionally mentioned and does not appear to be a strict condition or requirement under the New Covenant, unlike the appointed fasts ordained in the law under the Old Covenant. A problem had arisen in the practice of fasting in the New Covenant period as Jesus mentioned this in several of his teachings. We see in Matthew 6:16-18 that some people would disfigure their faces and look dismal when they fasted so that people would see their situation and perhaps commend their abstinence or look upon them as being pious. Rather, Jesus counselled that they should clean themselves up when fasting so no-one knew of their fast so that when they brought their petition before God they would receive their commendation from Him and hopefully gain the answer to their prayers. We see Jesus also upbraided the Pharisees who saw themselves as better than other people for they fasted twice a week (Luke 18:9-14). But in this case the Pharisees were fasting as an end in itself. They fasted so that they could look good before others rather than trying to draw closer to God. Indeed the Pharisees on numerous occasions were upbraided by Jesus for doing the works of the law without applying the wisdom, justice, mercy and truth of the law. Their fasts were not to come closer to God but were done to look pious or religious in front of the people. It was a mark of their pride, arrogance and hypocrisy which Jesus disdained.

 

Now in this teaching back in Matthew 9:14-17 we see also that Jesus was showing that these were new teachings he was giving. Indeed he was teaching the New Covenant although at that time few would have been aware of this matter. And he showed that there was a challenge in giving this teaching for it involved a significant change. Humans as a species typically resist change because it requires effort and leads to the unknown. He gave two examples saying that you don't put a new patch of unshrunk cloth into a garment that is already washed and old, and you don't put new wine into old wineskins. In both cases if you do, more damage is done to both parts of the change. The wineskins are destroyed and the wine is lost and the patch shrinks and tears making a worse hole in the garment that was being repaired.

 

The old wineskins and the old garment in his examples are the people who have received the Old Covenant teachings. They are comfortable with the teachings and accepting of what they understand. The new wine and the new cloth patch represent the New Covenant teachings that Jesus was teaching the people. He was saying that to try and put these New Covenant teachings into the old people would be difficult and could even be damaging to them. The apostle Paul in his letters shows the anguish and heartache he went through in his walk as he had to reject the old Pharisee teachings he was steeped in from a young age, so that he could accept the New Covenant teaching he was receiving from Christ through the Holy Spirit. So it is possible to replace the old teachings, but Jesus was showing it would not be without difficulty and in some cases loss. In many cases it is better to leave the old people with their teachings and to seek new people to learn the new.

 

And so with fasting in the New Covenant, Jesus was saying that this is a new teaching too. Although it was mandated in the Old Covenant it is not as important in the New Covenant. The purpose of fasting in the Old Covenant was to come before God, but in the New Covenant we have direct access to God in Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said that he would be with us until the end of the age and we have access to him even today. The Holy Spirit he has given us has direct access to the Father to petition on our behalf, so we do not have the same need for fasting today as in former times.

 

The true fast that God sought from man was not an abstinence from food but rather to abstain from evil and to do good as shown in Isaiah 58:1-9. The fasts the Pharisees held were a sham but the true fast is consistent with the teachings that Jesus gave. There are times in the New Covenant where people did fast, however whether these are necessary now is questionable as we now have access to God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit directly. I would not suggest they either are or are not necessary and for the most part it is an individual matter. However they are not mandated in the New Covenant as they were under the Old Covenant.

Jesus Came to Call the Sinners

(Matthew 9:9-13)

 

In this section of Matthew we begin to see a further expansion of Jesus' work where he begins working not with just healing the sick, but teaching and healing sinners. When Jesus had begun his ministry he was called to account for his actions on many occasions by the scribes, Pharisees and the religious people of the day. They judged Jesus for the way he conducted himself and the things he did. On each occasion Jesus pointed out to them why he did what he did, and at the same time it showed up their hypocrisy, which is in part why they both hated and feared him.

 

On this occasion we see the call of Matthew who was a tax collector. Tax collectors of the day were a much disliked people for often they extorted and defrauded the people taking more than they should have. And nobody likes to pay taxes...even today. But Jesus did the contrary thing by going with the tax collectors and eating with them and other sinners. He often kept company with these kinds of people who were considered sinners and thus looked down upon by the religious people of the time.

 

But when questioned about this Jesus made the point saying, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." These people were "sick" but not from illness and diseases, but from sin. They were not necessarily physically ill, but were suffering the effects of sin in their lives. Jesus was teaching that they needed to be "healed" of their sin as he had previously healed those who had physical ailments and infirmities. So in his response to the Pharisees he was saying that in order to heal and release the sinners, he needed to be with the sinners. He needed to go to the sinners so that they could hear his words and learn what was needed so they could be released from their sin. As an example, you cannot catch fish if you don't go to the water, you cannot buy food if you don't go to a shop or a market, and Jesus could not heal the sinners unless he went to them and they could receive his healing words.

 

The Pharisees on the other hand had no desire to even associate with the sinners. They felt they were a cut above the sinners and that the sinners were a low-class citizen, unworthy of their attention or presence. Their attitudes showed prejudice and pride, whereas Jesus showed no bias and humility. Yet these same Pharisees who were the keepers of the laws of God and responsible for teaching the law given to Moses, rejected that same law in their actions and attitudes. Thus they were so often called hypocrites by Jesus for in their hypocrisy they denied the very teachings and attention the sinners needed to be lifted up from their sins. They chose rather to condemn than to build up. They used the law as a weapon against the people rather than a tool of education so that the people could learn and understand the wisdom of the laws of God.

 

Jesus did the opposite to the Pharisees. He came and taught the people words of truth, and gave them an even better way forward than existed in the law. For Jesus did not just teach the people about the law, but taught them about repentance and the ways that would lead to life and God's kingdom. And as he said, Jesus came to call not the righteous, but to call the sinners. His purpose was not to just come and spend time with those who were already righteous, but to seek out those who had need of righteousness and who were burdened with sin so that he could proclaim release and take away their burdens.

 

Finally Jesus pointed to the Pharisees the way they needed to go forward saying, "Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Under the law the Pharisees condemned the people for their sin. There was forgiveness of sin under the law through the process of the sacrificial offerings, but Jesus was saying that this was not what he nor God were seeking. Instead they were seeking mercy and came to give mercy to the people so they could be released from sin. God did not want burnt offerings continually from the people as a means of seeking forgiveness from sin. He wanted the people not to sin. He wanted the people to learn to live lives free from sin and to worship God. He wanted them to live with humility towards each other and in harmony with one another doing what was good and right. He did not want them to think they could do as they pleased and then come and offer their sacrifices and sin offerings as tokens of forgiveness. No, he wanted them to live "right" lives in full observance of all that is good, honourable and pleasing to God and not to please themselves.

 

Jesus came amongst other things to proclaim and teach the process of mercy. The Pharisees were teaching condemnation and damning the people under the law. But mercy overlooks the faults of others and recognises that as they have faults, so too do we. Mercy does not stand above people, overbearing and condemning, but it encourages and teaches people about what is good and right and true. Mercy is compassionate and loving. Condemnation is judgemental and places barriers between people. Jesus came to take away the barriers of condemnation through giving us his mercy by the grace of God, and it is only in God's merciful grace that we can stand.

Jesus' Power to Forgive Sin

(Matthew 9:1-8)

 

In the previous chapter of Matthew we saw that Jesus showed he had the power over all physical ailments, demon possession and the elements of this world. Now we begin to see the spiritual power he has to enable us to conquer and overcome the passions and weaknesses in our lives.

 

In this first section of chapter nine we see that a paralytic is brought to Jesus for healing. Previously we saw Jesus heal the sick and lame and so there is no question that he would have the power from God to do this healing as well. But we see now that Jesus takes a different approach to this healing than he had previously.

 

Instead of just saying to the man, "Rise and walk," Jesus says to him, "Your sins are forgiven." This is an unusual statement given that the man has come to be healed. But the lesson here is quite profound. The scribes who were there at the time said that Jesus was blaspheming by saying that the mans sins are forgiven. Their position was that only God can forgive sins, and to a degree they were correct. But they still did not understand that Jesus is both the Son of God and he IS God. So when Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven" he was within his rights to do so and was not blaspheming at all.

 

He then upbraided the scribes for thinking such evil of him. It is clear that no man on earth, and certainly not a sinner or blasphemer can say to a paralytic to rise and walk. Man does not have the spiritual authority let alone the healing power to do such a thing and the scribes as well as the people at the time knew this too. So Jesus used the power of healing in this case to prove that he had the authority to forgive sin. He said to them, "Which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk?'" (vs.5) He knew that they knew no man could say to a paralytic "Rise and walk" and see the man healed. So using this knowledge he then said to them, "But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And the man rose and went home, fully healed of the paralysis that had kept him bedridden.

 

The healing was done in this case to prove to the people that Jesus could forgive sins. The healing was not for the sake of the healing alone, but to prove Jesus had AUTHORITY to forgive sins. The testimony of John the Baptist when he bore witness to Jesus was, ""Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) And in this section of Matthew we see Jesus proving he had the authority to do exactly that. In this healing he showed he could and would be able to take away the sins of mankind. This is an important point for without the removal of sin we cannot enter the Kingdom of God. No sinner will enter God's Kingdom, but in Jesus our sins can be taken away for he has both the power and authority to do so. This matter will be discussed in greater detail in future posts or can be studied further on the website www.freegiftfromgod.com.

The Power of Jesus Conquers All Things

(Matthew 8:28-34)

 

When Jesus took a boat across the water he came to the district of the Gadarenes where he met the demoniacs living amongst the tombs. When these demoniacs saw him it is evident that the demons in the two men recognised who Jesus was and understood his power over them, for they were subject to him.

 

There were many demons afflicting these men. In the other gospel versions of this section the demons called themselves "Legion" indicating not so much a name but a number. The structure of the ancient Roman army was made up of a number of legions of soldiers. A legion was essentially a complete army which included cooks, armour bearers, smiths and tradesmen to maintain and repair equipment as well as soldiers. It was effectively and army in its own right along with all the necessary service and support personnel necessary to wage war. Typically a legion comprised of up to about six thousand men. So when the demons possessing the men Jesus met called themselves "Legion" they were most likely referring to the number of demons possessing the men, which may have been as many as six thousand evil spirits.

 

These demons recognised Jesus as the Son of God and were afraid. It is evident also from other scriptures that when a demon is cast out of a man it is most unpleasant for them. Matthew 12:43 says, "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest..." So when the demon is cast out it is like wandering through a hot, dry and hostile desert for them and they suffer much torment as a result.

 

Now the demons in this case, having been commanded to depart from the men, did not wish to be tormented and so they begged Jesus to be allowed to enter the herd of swine. Jesus gave them leave to do so, but their wish was short-lived as the herd immediately rushed down to the sea and drowned and the demons would have to wander the waterless places anyway.

 

James wrote in his epistle that, "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder." (James 2:19) We see here in Matthew that they had good reason to believe and shudder for they knew they would receive no mercy for their evil ways and would be cast into a place of despair. Nor should they receive mercy as in this case they had tormented these men they possessed and caused them much suffering and harm. The end judgement of these demons was a just punishment for their actions.

 

The last few verses are interesting too. The people who came out to see him from the town nearby were greatly afraid at what they heard and saw. They were so afraid that they asked him to go away. Jesus did not attempt to force himself on them and nor does he force himself on anyone today. He did as they asked and got into the boat and left. It is interesting that even though a great sign had been performed among them, they did not want any part of what he was doing. There are many people today who say, "Show me a sign and then I'll believe." In reality if the do not believe without the sign, the sign may not make much impact. Jesus showed this same principle in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). For after the rich man died and went to Hades he asked that Lazarus be sent back to warn his brothers. But he was told that the brothers had the teachings of Moses and the prophets that they needed to listen to. But the rich man said, "...if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'" Then he was told that, "'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"

 

A miracle means nothing to one who has no belief. The miracles Jesus did confirmed the truth of the message he taught, but it is the message that is most important, not the miracle. We must listen to the message and not get dazzled by the miracle for the message of Christ is what will lead us to life.

 

In the whole of Matthew chapter 8 we see that Jesus has power over all things. He healed the sick, calmed the storms and cast out demons all to show that his is the power from God. We who believe in him should take comfort from the knowledge that he cares for and protects us. And he also showed that no issue was too small or too great for him to handle if we only have faith and believe in Jesus.

Trust in Jesus in all Situations

(Matthew 8:18-27)

 

Here we see that as the crowds began to press upon him as his fame grew and word of mouth got around that miracles were being performed. After seeing these things the people began to press around him wanting to be close to him and seeking more. Under such circumstances he was unable to rest and nor would the people be able to rest.

 

He showed this when a scribe said to him that he would follow Jesus wherever he went. This is not unlike high profile people today who are hounded by the paparazzi and constantly being followed. Jesus made this point in vs. 20 saying,"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." There was no place he could go at that time where he would not be followed and thus not be able to get a break from the people. We must remember that although he was the Son of God, he was here as a man and suffered all the issues a man suffers including being tired and exhausted.

 

Jesus needed to move on & he needed to get some rest. He said to his disciples to get into a boat to go across the water. As they went a great storm arose and he boat was being swamped, but Jesus was so tired he slept through it all. The disciples with him though were in great fear thinking they would perish. They still had not the faith to know that they had the Son of God with them and he would protect them from all dangers. When you consider for a moment that he could raise people from the dead it becomes evident that a storm should have been of little concern to the disciples.

 

At this stage though they did not have that faith for it was still early in Jesus ministry and they were young in Christianity. They had not learned they needed to trust in the Lord and know that he is watching over them and us. So fearing disaster they woke him up saying, "Save, Lord, we are perishing." His response was simple and showed their lack of faith, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" This was a simple enough position. They had seen the miraculous works he had just done, but their faith was still not strong enough to recognise that Jesus was God and could do anything. So he spoke to the storm and rebuked the wind and waves and it became calm. He showed them his power is unlimited. The disciples were shocked and amazed because it was unheard of that anyone could speak to the weather and change it by a word.

 

Through these proofs he showed the disciples that there is no need to fear the storms of the world, nor the storms of life. Whether physical matters, such as sickness, spiritual matters, like demon possession, or other things that may cause us to be afraid as they feared the storms, there is nothing that Jesus cannot and will not bring under control when the time is right.

 

We need not fear these things either for the Lord showed in all these scriptures that he protects and he will control these things. When we do have issues though, as the disciples feared being swamped, we need to call out to the Lord for help and he will save us. As we go through the storms of life we need to remember that we can call on him for help and that He has the power to save us from any and every situation.

The Unlimited Power of Jesus

(Matthew 8:14-17)
In first part of this section (vs.14-15) Jesus goes to Peter's house and
seeing Peter's mother-in-law lying sick with a fever he heals her. There are a
couple of interesting points here in this small section. Firstly this woman
was Peter's mother-in-law which shows that he had a wife and thus was married.
This was further indicated by Paul who likewise showed that Peter was married
in 1 Corinthians 9:5. Some have thought that Peter was celibate but this was
clearly not the case.
The second thing we see in this small section is that Peter's mother-in-law
had a fever. Most fevers are associated with infection of some kind and
usually not too much to worry about. We don't know how serious this fever was
or the underlying condition causing the fever. It may well have been
associated with something quite minor such as a common cold or could have been
something more serious. The point here though is that if this was a minor
condition it shows that Jesus was concerned not with just major health issues,
which were the "big" miracles, but he was also concerned with the small
infirmities as well. God is not just God of the big stuff but of the small
stuff too. And there is no problem too large or too small that we cannot take
to him, even a minor fever from the common cold.
In the next verse (vs. 16) we see many people were brought to him for healing
and to have demons exorcised and he healed all of these people. There were no
questions, no requirements to be healed, no offerings given or requested. It
was a matter as simple as, they came, they were sick and he healed them. All
who came were healed. None were too difficult and no case was a bother to him.
Matthew then wrote in the final verse in this section (vs. 17) that Jesus was
fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah who said, "He took our infirmities and bore
our diseases." So we see from this and my previous posts that there were many
purposes to these miracles and healings. They were a sign to confirm the
message he preached, they were to fulfil Old Testament prophecies and of
course they were to show the power of God.

Why Jesus Healed the Sick

(Matthew 8:1-13)

 

At the end of chapter seven of Matthew we see Jesus finishes his sermon on the mount. The people having heard his words were astonished at his teachings for he taught as one who had authority. He spoke powerfully and boldly to the people all the words of life and what would be the keys to entry into God's kingdom.

 

Then as evidence of this authority he had, he confirmed all of the words through the acts that he did. This is one of the reasons he did many of the miracles including healing the sick and infirm. We see over in Mark 16:20 saying, "And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it." The signs the disciples were given to practice included healing the sick and the purpose of these signs was to back up the ministry. Likewise when Jesus preached, his ministry and words were confirmed by the signs. No man could do the miracles he did unless the power of God was with him to do it, and so it was evidence that the words He spoke were the words of God.

 

Now after finishing the sermon on the mount Jesus went forth and healed many who were ill which confirmed the message he had just given. But there are other teachings in this message as well. We see in the first section of Matthew 8:1-5 where Jesus cleansed the leper. Under the Mosaic law there were explicit teachings as to what needed to be done if ever a leper were cured of leprosy. There were offerings to be made over a period of time and they needed to be pronounced cleansed by the priests at the temple and various other practices. At the time of Jesus there was no New Covenant in effect because it did not commence until Jesus died, so the people were still under the law. Also Jesus could not be seen to be breaking the law and he would not, for he came to fulfil the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). So in accordance with the law he instructed the leper now healed to go and make the offerings and show himself to the priests in accordance with the ordinances on the cleansing of leprosy.

 

Jesus was not making a great song and dance about this healing either. He was not doing the healings so that people would come to him and look upon how great and marvellous he was. On the contrary he typically told the people who were healed not to tell anyone but go and do as he instructed them. The point of the healings was not personal edification or gain but to confirm the message of the Kingdom of God.

 

We then see a second healing in this section on the servant of a centurion in Matthew 8:5-13. This healing is different in several ways. Firstly, Jesus was prepared to go to the sick man and heal him, but the centurion said it was unnecessary to do that. The centurion recognised the power of Jesus and that if he would just say the word it would be done. He knew that the power of God was everywhere and that it did not require the Lord to be physically present for his healing power to go forth. Jesus marvelled at this centurion for Jesus saw that the man's faith was great. This man had an understanding that many others did not. He had faith and so the Lord did the healing as the man requested and his servant was healed instantly.

 

Although there were many healings done by Jesus and many miraculous things occurred, they were done for a purpose. They showed the power of God and were a wonder and blessing to those who received them, but the main purpose of the healings was to back up the words that Jesus spoke. It is the ministry that is important for the ministry and teachings are what will lead a person to life. Eventually all of the miracles will cease for they will not be required. In God's kingdom there will be no sickness or death and so healings will not be needed. But the teachings of life are eternal. It is these that are more important and must be noted.

 

Some Christians and some churches today are seeking miracles once again. It is more important to seek the kingdom. We should rather seek the truth and find the faith that will lead us into the kingdom of God as this is everlasting. Miracles and healings are temporary and of this world only, but the truth lasts forever. Focus on finding the truth that leads to God through Jesus Christ instead.

Build Your House Upon The Rock

(Matthew 7:24-29)

In this final section of the sermon on the mount Jesus gives the last warning to the people and to us today. When he speaks of building your house upon the rock he is talking about your life. And again in this section he is giving us the key to life and living a stable and solid life.

Whenever a builder constructs a house, the first thing they do is to dig a foundation. They dig down until they strike bedrock and build the foundation and structure of the home so that it is anchored on this bedrock. This is to ensure that the building can withstand the forces of nature through wind and rain and so on, and be able to stand firm. If the builder were not to do this and just build the house on the surface of the ground, then movements in the soil caused by the elements would cause it to collapse.

Jesus likens life to this same principle of the building of a house. The key to life is to build your life on the solid foundation of his words and do them. The key is in doing what he says. It is not enough to just hear or read the words of Jesus, but you must then also follow up on them and live your life in accordance with his words. This is akin to building upon the rock. jesus' words are wisdom, based upon the wisdom of God, and it is His words that will lead us to eternal life in the future as well as a stable and solid life in the here and now. His words provide guidance, insight, knowledge and wisdom about all matters pertaining to this life and the future with God. If you take his words to heart, learn them and apply them in your life, then you will find the pathway to truth and life that exists only through faith in Christ Jesus. This is the solid foundation on the rock of Jesus.

The alternative is like a house not just built on the ground but on sand. If a house built without a foundation on soil will not stand, then how much less if it were built on sand. Sand shifts so readily having no binding properties that it is almost liquid. It takes very little wind or water to move sand and so anything built upon it will simply not stand, but very quickly collapse. There is no anchor on sand and no solid base on which to anchor any kind of a structure.

If you were to hear the words of Jesus and do nothing else, it would be the same. You have nothing to anchor to and hold you fast when the winds and rain of trouble, temptation and ordeal come upon you. What is there to hold onto to anchor you against the days of adversity? This is why when we see disaster strike people in the world they fall apart and are perplexed, not knowing which way to turn. They are without hope in the world and as such are at the mercy of the problems, troubles and issues that befall all in the world. But in Jesus there is hope for he provides guidance in his words that will answer these days of adversity. And in him there is protection.

If you would have life and peace in this world then you need to listen to the words of Jesus and then act upon them. You need to take his words to heart and live by them and they will give you light and life.

Who will go into God's Kingdom?

(Matthew 7:21-23)

 

Jesus tells us in this section of scripture that not everyone will go into God's Kingdom. There are many who appear to be righteous that will miss out.

 

It is not enough to call on the name of the Lord to gain entry into God's Kingdom. Jesus says here that not everyone who does so will gain entry. And we see that some of these people who will miss out did many mighty or significant works in the name of Jesus. Yet still they did not gain entry into the Kingdom of God. The question that obviously arises is why? There are many in today's churches who are seeking to do magnificent works that may miss out too. We see many who set up ministries, who go out into missionary works, who preach and prophesy and exercise the power of the Spirit but still may miss out.

 

The key to entry into God's Kingdom though is not in the mighty works. It is not in saying great words or preaching the word or prophesying or missionary work or building churches, schools, hospitals or any of the other works that can and are being done. No, the key to entry into God's Kingdom is by doing the will of the Father.

 

What is the will of the Father? It is to believe in Jesus whom he sent to be our saviour. Paul wrote in Romans 1:17, "He who through faith is righteous shall live." It is by faith or by believing in God and Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour that we shall live and gain entry into God's Kingdom. The apostle John made it even more clear that faith in Jesus was the key saying in John 6:40, "For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

 

So the key is through faith in Jesus Christ. All the works that a man may do will come to nothing if he does not have faith. It is the condition of the heart and the faith that a person has that is the key. The question will be whether they are truly doing these works for the Lord or for their own benefit. There may be people who believe they can buy or even bribe their way into heaven; that by building churches or setting up ministries of different sorts they can gain forgiveness for their sins or make atonement for their evil ways. Likewise some years ago there used to be talk that by going to church and donating to the church was like putting savings or credits into a "spiritual bank account." That these things would offset any sins that a person may have committed or would do in the future. There is no spiritual bank account. God does not weigh up a measure of sin and a measure of good deeds to see which pile is the larger to decide whether a person has life or not. Those who believe such things are blind and have been led astray by false teaching and lies. These things are of no consequence for the forgiveness of sin cannot be bought and God cannot be bribed. Forgiveness is freely available to all, but only through faith in Christ Jesus and through repentance.

 

The works of God are not like the works of man. Jesus was asked about this matter in John 6:28-29 which says, "Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So the works of God are about faith in Jesus Christ, and without faith there is no entry into God's Kingdom. No person will be accepted on the basis of works of the law as Paul wrote in Romans 3:20, "For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." He added in Galatians 2:16, "...a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified."

 

Do you want to go into God's Kingdom? Then learn what it means to be doing the will of God. Learn what it is to have faith in Jesus Christ and what to believe, for that is the pathway to life.

Beware of False Prophets and False Teachers

(Matthew Chapter 7, Verses 15-20)

One of the greatest challenges all Christians face when trying to seek out the truth is...who do you believe. Jesus warned us in this section about being careful to spot and avoid false prophets or false teachers. If we choose to follow the wrong teachings from one of these people then we may be taking in information that is not aligned with the truth or even put ourselves in a position where we are being taken advantage of by unscrupulous people ministering lies for profit.

Many people have been hurt by false teachers and false prophets through accepting false teaching. I recall an instance where at a church one time a speaker made an altar call at the end of the service for people to come up who had been hurt in some way by the church. With the exception of just a handful of people, the whole church of several hundred people stood and went forward. Such a situation is an absolute travesty and speaks much about the extent of corruption that can exist in Christianity today through false teaching and false prophets.

But what can you do about it? Well Jesus also provided some good information in this section of scripture on how to spot these frauds and what to do.

Firstly we need to understand that they may be hard to see. He talks of wolves in sheep's clothing, meaning that these false prophets will look as if they are good and will be well disguised and camouflaged. They will have all the appearances of being good teachers and doing what is right. But like all liars, they will not be able to hold onto their lies and evidence will begin to show up that shows them for what they truly are. In order to perpetrate a lie, a liar must tell more lies to cover the original lie. They must then continue this path and weave a web that they will eventually be caught in as inconsistencies arise. Jesus said, you will know them by their fruit. The fruit is the teachings and the things they do. Fruit does not immediately appear on a tree but must go through a process of pollination, germination and growth before it is ripe and ready for picking. So too these people will take time to show their true colours.

Next we see that Jesus shows that they will not be able to help going down this path for the evil will bear evil fruit, but good people will do good. It's like the old saying that a leopard can't change it's spots. These false teachers or false prophets are exactly the same.

Finally it is important that when you come into contact with Christians you need to do two main things. Firstly, you must have an understanding of the truth in the Bible and weigh up all that they say or do against that knowledge. And secondly, you need to spend time to watch these people and see what they do over time, for Jesus says when their fruit ripens you will know them by their fruits. Over time there will be a pattern from these people. If the pattern is to help, assist, speak good things aligned with Bible truth and respecting others, then they may be true prophets teaching truth. But if their words and actions are self-serving, seeking to get gain from those around them and using people to get advantage, especially when falsely using the teachings in the Bible to get power over others, then their fruits can be considered bad.

These are the wolves Jesus is talking about. They feed their own appetites and do nothing unless it is to their own gain or advantage. They are proud and arrogant, but at the same time will disguise themselves well with cunning and deception. As individuals we need to learn from the Bible, seek the truth, and ask Jesus to give us understanding so that we can spot these false teachers when they come along. For as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, they will come. There are many people who see Christianity as a means of gain and will use it to further their own devices and designs. While there is gain through Christianity in godliness, as the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:3-6, the gain comes through contentment, not material gain. And these false prophets are not seeking contentment but rather are seeking material gain or power. This is not of God and as Jesus said, we must beware.

In due course they will be seen for what they are, and even if their disguises are very good, they will be cut down by the Lord. He will protect his church from these people, but it is important for us to likewise recognise them and take action so that we are not hindered through false teaching.

Enter by the Narrow Gate

(Matthew Chapter 7, Verses 13-14)

One of the disciples once asked the Lord, "Will those who are saved be few?" (Luke 13:23) The Lord responded saying, "Strive to enter by the narrow door," and here in this section we see that same teaching being repeated in a slightly different manner. Here the Lord is saying we need to "Enter by the narrow gate." He says that there will be many who take the wide and easy path that leads to destruction, but the gate and the path that leads to life are narrow and hard. Finally he says that those who even find it will be few, let alone those who enter by the narrow gate.

Locating this narrow gate will be hard for not many will even find it let alone be able to enter. Earlier in the sermon on the mount Jesus made the following points. "Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened." These three aspects of finding things out and searching for the truth all had a promise that the searching would not be in vain. The fact that he said this three ways suggests the level of importance there is in making the effort to search out the way.

Then in this scripture we see that it will be hard to find and the way will be difficult to walk that leads to life. Too many people may not be prepared to walk the hard road and will be lost through taking the easy way out. The easy way is a life of compromise and half measures, of listening to what others say and accepting it without verifying the truth of a matter. But as Christ has taught us, we must do the work. We must ask, seek and knock if we are to even find this narrow gate, let alone enter it.

Will the road to life be hard? The truth is that it will be hard in some ways, for there will be the need to subjugate everything for the sake of walking the path to life. It will require a complete change and sometimes a full reversal of human nature, while being bombarded daily by temptation through the weaknesses and passions of the flesh as well as the attacks from the devil and his hosts. But we must also weigh this with other scriptures where the Lord says to, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30) We need to balance these seemingly two opposing positions to try to understand what is happening.

When we come to the Lord he does teach us. We see also that there are many levels of teaching and understanding in the Lord, which Paul described in 1 Corinthians 3:11-12, "For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw." There is no other foundation by which we may have life than following Jesus Christ. But there are many levels of teaching that are built on that foundation. Consider all the many Christian denominations and non-denominational churches that exist today. All of them have the foundation of a belief in Christ, but then their teachings range from what could be considered rubbish like chaff and sticks, up to precious gold and silver. The analogy Paul makes also ties in with the Lords teaching about how hard the narrow gate will be to find, for it is easy to find chaff and grass for hay, but it is increasingly difficult to find gold and silver. To find the more precious things requires hard toil, searching and great effort. Finding the narrow path will be the same.

Now Paul makes the point that all who have the foundation of Christ may be saved, but they will be tested with the fires of adversity. And fire which will destroy wood, hay and chaff actually has the opposite effect on gold and silver, for they are refined and purified even further through fire as the dross is melted and burned off.

It is my opinion that the reason Jesus said there will be few who find the narrow path is that he was talking about those who find the path in this age. Ultimately everyone who seeks the Lord will need to be made perfect if they are to eventually live with the Father, but there will not be many who reach that standard in this time on earth. Jesus talks of two flocks one of which he calls the little flock (Luke 12:32). He describes the little flock in John 10:1-16 and how they follow the shepherd (Jesus) wherever he goes and listen to his voice. In the last verse he then mentions a second flock that is not of this same group that must be brought in also to make one large flock. Now when we go into Revelation we see there is a group called the 144,000 who fit the description of this little flock in John 10, for they are with the Lamb and follow Jesus everywhere he goes (Rev 14:4). These 144,000 are those who achieve perfection in this age and they go into heaven with Christ singing. These are the ones I believe who found and entered the narrow gate and who found the gold teaching that Paul alluded to.

But we also see a second group in Revelation referred to as a, "...great multitude that no man can number." (Rev 7:9-17) They also go into heaven but in a much different way. For the 144,000 went into heaven following Jesus singing and with much joy, but this second group we see had suffered on this earth. For it says they were hungry and thirsty and beaten down by the sun and scorching heat. They had need of shepherding and teaching  and they were in tears for the Lord will wipe every tear from their eyes. They were in torment while on this earth because they lacked the teachings and the guidance necessary to overcome the issues in this life. They had not found peace nor perfection, but they followed Christ to the best of their ability. They are those who had the foundation, but the building on that foundation could not withstand the fire of testing.

The aim for all of us is to aspire to find and by enter the narrow gate and to aspire to the standard of the 144,000. Naturally not everyone will achieve that level in this time otherwise there would not be only 144,000. But the closer we can get to that place through prayer, study and searching for the truth, the less we will suffer in this age and the less tears will need wiping from our eyes when the Lord sets up his kingdom.