“You need to clean yourself up before coming to Jesus.”
“God only likes you if you are good person.”
These are popular thoughts. This belief even makes its way into the church — that God only wants you if you are acting nice. Clean yourself up. Act respectable. Then, and only then, can you get close to God.
But Jesus says the opposite. He did not come to congratulate the righteous. He came to save the sinners!
In other words, Jesus does not come for those who are acting good. He came those who realize that they need Him. For those who know that they can’t save themselves.
Jesus showed that the He has power over sin. He is God, and therefore He can forgive the broken man as easily as He can heal his body. Nothing is too great for Him!
And then, Jesus demonstrated the type of people whom He would call. Walking by the Sea of Galilee, He came to one of the most hated of all people, a tax gatherer. This was a local Jewish merchant who had contracted out to the oppressing Romans to gather their taxes for them. As part of his job, the tax gatherer was allowed to increase the required taxes, and even to invent new taxes as he wanted. These men were renowned for being liars and cheats. This tax gatherer, Matthew, had set up his office at the seaside, taxing the fishermen, their boats, and their fish.
Jesus passed by Matthew’s tax booth and simply says, “Follow me.” Matthew immediately left everything behind to follow Jesus Christ!
Matthew then threw a great feast at his house, giving a chance for his fellow tax collectors to meet the Lord. But not all are happy. The religious leaders, the Pharisees were indignant that this teacher would associate with such wicked people!
But Jesus has already shown that a holy lifestyle is not what is important to Him (see here). Instead, He came to show mercy to those who truly need Him. It is the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy.
Even John the Baptist’s disciples questioned His behavior. Doesn’t He know that this is the time of fasting? Jesus answered that there will be a time for fasting, but He has come to bring in the new kingdom. The old rituals are not compatible with the new kingdom in the same way that you cannot put a new patch on old clothes, or new wine into old wineskins. It is time for something new!
Matthew 9:9-17 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
I often wonder what life was like during some of the great moments in history. What were they thinking when these big events were going on? What was it like for Washington’s soldiers at Yorktown, at the end of American Revolution, to see British General Cornwallis surrender? What was it like for the Civil War soldiers at Appomattox, to see General Lee surrender to Grant?
Other moments must have been terrible. September 17, 1862 is known as the bloodiest day in American History, where over 22,000 men were killed or wounded at Antietam. And that was only one battle! Many of the atrocities of history, such as the Medieval tortures in Europe, the African slave trade, and the Nazi concentration camps, are horrible to even think about. Even Jesus Himself burst into tears when He foresaw the Romans destroying Jerusalem (see here and here).
Other events seem minor at the time, and it is only when you look back through history that you can fully appreciate their significance. In 1492, the king and queen of newly-united Spain agreed to support an ambitious explorer, hoping to establish a trade route with China by sailing west. Thus began the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, and opened up the age of exploration, conquest, and genocide in the New World. On March 10, 1876, an inventor used a new device to actually send his voice, through electrical wires, and summon his assistant. Thus began the first telephone call by inventor Alexander Graham Bell.
Matthew’s gospel account tells of a very significant event in the life of Jesus Christ. No one knew that this day would be significant as they hurried to hear this new teacher in town. It was winter,a and Jesus was staying with Peter and Andrew, teaching out of His house, and attracting massive crowds.b
All members of the social strata came to hear Him that day. The curious ones came to listen to His words. The poor came to hear the good news. The sick came to be healed. The educated and religious came to learn more about this new teacher. How did He know so much about the Holy Scriptures? Was He speaking the truth? Should they support Him or oppose Him?c Soon, the house was full. Listeners crowded into the central room, gathered into the entryway, and even spilled out into the street.
But as Jesus was teaching, dust begin to fall from the ceiling. Everyone in the crowded room could hear the rumbling from the roof above as they to look up. Suddenly, four hands pulled the roof tiles away, filling the room with bright sunlight. Before anyone could react, these four men sent a stretcher down through the hole in the roof. There, directly in front of Jesus, they lowered their paralyzed friend.
After the initial shock, the murmurs began across the room. How could these men interrupt their teacher like this! How would they repair the damage to the house? What would Jesus do?
But there were even more sinister comments in the room. Why bother the teacher with this hopeless case? This man was paralyzed, so God must really be punishing him! He must have been especially wicked! Didn’t they know he was getting what he deserved? How dare they interrupt this important teaching from God’s word!
But Jesus took interest in the man and his four friends from above. As Jesus approached the stretcher, the crowd anxiously watched for how Jesus would heal him. Would He touch the man, or simply speak a word? Hopefully, He would heal him quickly so that He could get back to their own questions.
But instead, Jesus simply walked up to the paralyzed man and said, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” No healing. Just words.
The crowd gasped, stunned. How could Jesus say that! He healed people — that made Him interesting. But to say that He could forgive sins — only God could do that!
The educated scribes knew exactly what was going on. Jesus had just claimed God’s authority! This was blasphemy!
Jesus looked at the stunned crowd, with their mouths gaping. He knew how scandalous this statement was to them. But Jesus could forgive sins because He was God! He was bringing in the new kingdom of Heaven. In His kingdom, He will heal the sick and the broken (see here), He is greater than nature’s might (see here), and He is greater than the supernatural (see here)!
And even more than the horrible effects of nature, Jesus can heal the horrible effects of sin. We are all broken and separated from God. We have just as much ability to fix our sins as the paralyzed man had to get up and walk away!
And to prove that Jesus had that ability to forgive sins, he told the man to do exactly that — to get up and and go home. The paralyzed man was suddenly well! He got up out of the stretcher and walked away!
Matthew 9:1-8 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Sometimes, the most difficult lessons are when you think that you are finally safe. You come through a valley of trouble and emerge on the other side, bruised, but glad to be still alive. But then, few things are tougher than that moment when you realize — the battle isn’t over yet!
We don’t know what Jesus and His disciples were thinking, but they had just finished a very long day. Jesus was teaching the crowds, facing opposition from the religious leaders, and enduring rejection from the people. Once night fell, He and His followers set sail across the Sea of Galilee. Exhausted, Jesus went to the back of the boat and fell asleep, only to be suddenly awakened by the frantic disciples. A sudden storm was overwhelming the boat and they were sinking! Jesus stood up, rebuked the storm, and then scolded His faithless disciples. The storm stopped, and He showed that He is king over anything nature can throw at him! (see here).
It is now late into the night as they pull onto the opposite shore.a But the quiet stillness of the evening seashore is shattered by the screams of men running at them. The two men are insane and very violent, with superhuman strength. Their naked bodies are covered with scars from where they cut themselves, and they may have been dragging broken chains from where the townspeople tried to subdue them.
I can’t even imagine the shock and terror from the disciples as they come to this scene! They have already survived the storm in order to get here, but now Jesus has another lesson from them. He was greater than the storm, and He is about to show them that He is also greater than the supernatural forces coming at him!
Matthew 8:28-34 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
I went for a walk this afternoon, hoping to finish all of today’s exercise before the expected storm would hit. The weather forecast predicted severe thunderstorms with a chance of a tornado. The streets are quiet as everyone is inside, getting ready for the weather that will come upon us.
One of my favorite movies used to be The Perfect Storm. The movie tells about the perfect convergence of a tropical hurricane with a Canadian system, leading to the devastating storm above the North Atlantic ocean. The story follows fishermen who chose to brave the storm in order to fill their hold with the needed catch. The movie ends with the total destruction of the ship and its crew.
We live safely inland. But even here, over 100 miles from the coast, there is nothing like a storm to show how powerless we are. With all of our great technology, we are totally at the mercy of a passing hurricane, tornado, or thunderstorm.
Most people know of the scene in the life of Jesus Christ where He and His disciples face a devastating storm. After a long day of teaching, Jesus set out across the Sea of Galilee with his twelve disciples. At least four of the men in the boat are seasoned fishermen, having been raised on this lake. But that night a sudden storm blew in off the mountains, nearly submerging the boat and leaving its crew expecting to die.
Where was Jesus? He was in the stern of the boat, asleep on a cushion. His followers frantically woke him up, expecting Him to do something before they all die. We don’t know what they expected Jesus to do, but they certainly did not dream what He would do next.
“Silence!” Jesus said, “Be still!” At that command, the storm stopped and the water was immediately still. He then turned to His awestruck disciples, saying, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Matthew shows these scenes as part of his portrait of the King of Kings. He has already shown that Jesus is king over sickness and injury, and He will help all who come to Him (see here). This section of Matthew’s Gospel account shows more about Jesus Christ. He also rules over nature; the storm and the seas obey Him. He is beyond our expectations. Jesus is king, and He expects His people to follow Him with total commitment and complete trust.
Matthew 8:18-27 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
It must have been exciting to see Jesus perform His miracles!
With one touch, He would heal the sick, restore the handicapped, cause the blind to see, and raise the dead!
Jesus did His miracles to show that He was God. But also, He used His miracles to give a preview of His kingdom!
Jesus has just finished teaching about His kingdom, and now it is time to demonstrate.
He already taught that happiness is not for the wealthy, but for the destitute (see here). Now, he demonstrates with the lowest, most destitute of society — a leper. This man has been an outcast, unable to feel the touch of a loved one, nor to join them in worshipping their God.
But this lowly leper came to Jesus in simple trust and He left him completely clean!
Jesus already taught that the Jewish law is really a relationship with God (see here). Now, he uses a foreigner to demonstrate the importance of that relationship. The Roman soldier came to Jesus on behalf of his injured servant, showing a greater trust in Him than any of the native Jews!
This soldier knew that he was not worthy of Jesus’ presence, but he also knew that Jesus has total command over sickness and injury. He need only speak the word and his servant will be healed!
Jesus already taught to not be anxious about the things of this life, but to trust totally in God our Father (see here). Now, he demonstrates why you can trust Him as he heals those come to Him, starting with the Peter’s mother-in-law.
These people are not the top of society. These are the outcasts. The foreigners. The invisible. The ones without a voice.
But Jesus does not turn away any who come to Him. All who come to Him are healed.
Matthew 8:1-17 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too 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, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
I grew up with Joe. We went to the same church and were involved in the same activities. We had the same children’s Bible Club leaders, the same Sunday School teachers, and the same youth leaders. But as we went through high school, something changed. Joe’s parents stopped making him go to church, so he stopped coming. Joe went on with his life, but Christianity was a thing of the past for him.
Laura was an active member of our college fellowship group. She was energetic, outgoing, and always telling everyone about Jesus. I lost touch with Laura after graduation and it was not until many years later that I found her on social media. She was no longer interested in the things of God and had chosen instead to live a lifestyle of active rebellion against Him.
Craig was a nice guy. We would see Craig and his family at church regularly and he always knew the right words to challenge and encourage you. But it was not until his marriage started to fall apart that we realized that it was all an act. Craig knew how to act one way at church on Sundays and another way with his family and friends.
We encounter people like Joe, Laura, and Craig all the time. We may be like them ourselves. We may be like Joe, where Christianity has been forced on us and we have no desire to know God for ourselves. We may be like Laura, full of excitement for God but lacking in enough depth to weather great temptations in her life. Or finally, we may be like Craig, where Christianity has become a comfortable lifestyle, but there is no desire to obey God if things do not go our way.
What does Jesus have to say to people like these? What does He have to say to people like us, when we only let Him in on our surface and refuse for Him to change our hearts?
Jesus concludes His great Sermon on the Mount with a call for action. He has been showing His disciples what it means to truly follow Him, and to be part of the Kingdom of God! He has shown that our happiness is not in what we have but in how poor we are in His sight (see here). He has shown what it really means to keep the law on God’s terms (see here). He has shown God’s true standards for anger, purity, marriage, honesty, and revenge. He has shown what true worship looks like (with good deeds and prayer) and what it means to really trust Him with both our valuables and our anxiety. He has shown how we need to confront each other and yet guard ourselves (see here).
But it is one thing to talk like you are part of God’s kingdom, it is another thing to act like you are part of the God’s kingdom. It is the difference between a true disciple of Jesus Christ and one who only pretends to be His disciple. And it is the difference between life and death.
Jesus ends with warnings. Beware!
Beware the easy way that leads to death!
Beware the false teachers who would mislead you!
Beware of fooling yourself, and not knowing Him!
Beware of the destruction that will come if you refuse to obey Him!
Matthew 7:13-27 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
This is a popular saying in our culture, and it is frequently used to defend a person’s actions, decisions, or lifestyle against criticism. Practically any type of verbal criticism is considered to be “judging”:
Gossip against a neighbor for guilty-looking behavior
Guessing a person’s motivation for their actions
Preaching against a specific sin
Declaring a lifestyle as wrong
Many people who are familiar with Scripture may even refer to Jesus’ words here, in Matthew 7:1, where He says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Therefore, shouldn’t we be silent, and not speak against things that we see to be wrong?
Or, should we do as many well-meaning teachers do, and try to explain away Jesus’ words until it no longer applies to us?
Or to put this in another perspective, how can we answer real problems in this world and yet still obey Jesus’ command not to judge?
Jesus calls us to a life that transcends the failures of one another.
Matthew 7:1-12 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
It is the epidemic of our day. It affects men and women, the young and the old, the rich and the poor.
Workers worry about their job. Parents worry about their children. Children worry about the future. Worry can cause sickness, depression, and broken relationships. In its severe forms, worry can cause panic attacks or require medication.
It is personally difficult for me to write a blog post about worry. I would never want to present myself as someone who has no anxiety and has it all figured out. I am benefiting no one if I only come up with “pat answers” that never address real problems.
I have close friends who have struggled greatly with worry and anxiety. Some have been frozen by panic and others have needed medication to manage stress. I have personally experienced the struggle with depression and anxiety for the last several years. I am not here to offer some glib retort about how I am so much better than everyone else.
But Jesus himself taught about worry, and not in sensitive and reassuring terms. Three times He repeats the command, “Don’t be anxious!” This is not a comforting pat on the back, this is a direct command for those who are worrying – stop it! Stop worrying about your food and where it will come from! Stop worrying about your clothes and what you look like to others! Stop worrying about the necessities of life!
There are very few of us who are so destitute that we have no food to eat and literally no clothes to wear. But we have our own anxieties that we all worry about. Will I pass this test? Can I provide for my family? How will I pay the bills? Will my children be safe? Is my sickness serious?
“The truth is, the believer is not immune to worry just because he’s been vaccinated by saving grace.” – Stephen Davey 6
Jesus uses examples from nature in the Sermon on the Mount to address the issue of anxiety. For both of these examples, he reiterates same two lessons: First, remember that God is our father and he will take care of us! Second, we are disobeying God when we don’t trust him!
Jesus repeats the command three times: “Do not be anxious!”
Anyone who is old enough to remember the 1990’s remembers the Beanie Baby craze. The popular toys were small stuffed animals of different kinds and styles. Each Beanie Baby came with its own special name on a heavily protected tag. New styles were released and retired, causing an investment frenzy. Investors predicted that the rarest styles would be worth thousands in only a few years. Some people lost fortunes when the market crashed. Now, Beanie Babies are worth no more than a few cents at a local yard sale.
It is hard to talk about money. The very mention of money causes our mind to follow familiar mental paths: How much do I have? How can I get more? Why does someone else have more than me? Why does someone else have less than me? What can I spend? What should I save?
It is even harder to talk about money when studying the Bible. We have all heard about greedy preachers who used God’s word as a way to make themselves rich. But there are also preachers who have the opposite problem, who refuse to talk about money for fear of offending their listeners.
But Jesus teaches about money, and He is neither greedy nor apologetic. When He addressed this subject during the Sermon on the Mount, he taught about more than money, he taught about treasures.
Your treasure is more than the size of your bank account, your income, or your investments. Jesus does not mention numbers at all! Instead, the issue is what is important to you?
Once again, it is about your treasure.
How secure are your valuables?
Where do you spend your life? What is important to you?
What do you look for in life? Do you lose sight of Jesus Christ?
How important is the dollar? What rules you?
Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
It was late in 1944, during World War II, that the allied troops were pushing their way back through Europe toward Germany. Their efforts were delayed by winter storms, much to the anger of the commander, General George S. Patton. In one of his famous moments, the frustrated general summoned an army chaplain and ordered him to produce a prayer for good weather.
The chaplain finally wrote the prayer and it was distributed to the troops. The weather immediately cleared and Patton gave the chaplain a medal (see here for details).
In that story, General Patton’s brashness is almost comical. But if we look at ourselves, that is often what we think about prayer. We live our lives. We bow our heads in church, and perhaps before meals. But we don’t seriously consider prayer until life stops working and we need help from a higher power.
Lots of people talk about prayer. It has become ingrained in our culture. Even in the Christian church, the very word, “prayer” brings up a host of mental images:
The venerable older woman praying before her bedside
The pastor delivering a lengthy prayer before his Sunday sermon
A quick prayer before a family meal
The classic picture of Jesus praying in the garden (see here).
Even outside of Christianity, many world religions have incorporated prayer as part of their rites. There are the Buddhist prayer wheels, the Hindu mantras, the Muslim prayer beads, and the Jewish Wailing Wall. Even the Catholic Church has candles and the rosary.
It is still common to see someone in a movie or on television attempt to pray when they are really scared. We still occasionally see a popular athlete pray on the sidelines after a game. All of these images bring together some popular thoughts about prayer:
It matters most that you pray, not necessarily to whom you are praying.
Prayer is for the weak.
You pray as a last resort.
Those who pray in public are putting on a religious show.
You need to say a lot of prayers before God will listen to you.
Don’t expect any real answer from God.
How many of these thoughts about prayer are true? What does Jesus say about prayer?
In his novel, David Copperfield, Charles Dickens describes a man who was a perpetual actor. James Steerforth was wealthy, articulate, handsome, and cheerful to everyone he met. But he secretly used his good looks and charm in order manipulate everyone around him. People were only valuable to him for what he could get out of them. In the story, Steerforth ended in complete disaster.
When we look at the New Testament, the Greek word for actor is hypokritēs (ὑποκριτής). The actors in the ancient Greek world would cover their faces with masks, intended to express the feelings and the attitudes of their characters.
But far beyond the direct definition, hypokritēs was also used to describe a person who would go through life as an actor, pretending to like what was popular and not showing their real self. This term for an actor quickly became known in religious circles as one who only pretended to be devout, yet had no real commitment.
We know these actors today by the same word: hypocrites.
Jesus describes hypocrites in His Sermon on the Mount when teaching about good deeds. 15 It is disturbing to read through His warnings about hypocrites. They are not overtly terrible — rather, when we look closely, they can look a lot like us!
“Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue” – John MacArthur 5
Using common examples in in righteous living, Jesus shows how easy it is for us to forget about our good deeds, and to start thinking about ourselves.
Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
After teaching about the law (see here), Jesus next teaches about good deeds. We are expected to do good works when we know Jesus Christ and are following Him (see here). Jesus has already taught that we should let people see our good works so that they can glorify God the Father (see here): 13
Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
But when our goal is to build up ourselves in front of others, or to look extra good or spiritual, then something is wrong. God will not reward us for putting on a religious show. Instead, we show ourselves to be hypocrites.
Jesus uses three examples of upright living. These are three activities that we should be doing in our lives, that will either bring us closer to God when done right, or reduce us to worthless hypocrites when done as a show for others.
The three activities that Jesus uses as examples are giving, praying, and fasting, or as one author put it, “What I do with others, what I do with God, and what I do with myself.” 12
Matthew 4 tells the beginning of Jesus Christ‘s ministry on earth. He had been waiting for 30 years, until he learned that John was baptizing in the Jordan River. He then came to be baptized, launching His three and a half year ministry (see here). In a dramatic showing, the Holy Spirit descended on him after His baptism and God the Father audibly accepted Jesus as His son.
Jesus was then taken immediately by the Holy Spirit after His baptism. He was brought to the wilderness where, after an extended fast, He was severely tempted by the devil (see here). Jesus started his ministry with a challenge from the enemy.
Now, almost a year has passed. John’s Gospel accounts tells us about this year that followed the temptation, when Jesus had stayed in the south country of Judea, gathering disciples (see John 1-4) . It was there that He met Andrew, Peter, John, Phillip, and the Nathanael (see here). It was also during this time that He threw out the corrupt businessmen from the temple (see here), and shortly afterward had a lengthy discussion with one of the top teachers of Israel, Nicodemus (see here).
Jesus also had taken a brief visit to Galilee during that year. John’s gospel account tells of how He came up to Cana for a wedding feast, and where he performed His first miracle (see here). It was also during this visit to Galilee that Jesus relocated his family from his hometown of Nazareth to the town of Capernaum, by the sea of Galilee (John 2:12).
It was about a year since Jesus‘ baptism when John the Baptist was arrested by Herod Antipas. John had been preaching in the North (Galilee) while Jesus was was in the South (Judea, John 3:22-24). Yet, when Jesus heard the news that John was arrested he knew that the time has come for him to head north. The opposition was mounting against Him and the time was growing short.
Jesus’ message was the same as John – repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The king was here, and He was getting ready to set up his kingdom. It was now time to prepare yourself for the kingdom, starting with getting right with God!
He also gathered followers as he went through Galilee. He had already known Peter, Andrew, James, and John from His time in Judea, but he now called them to leave their professions and follow him, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. When they heard Him, they left their fishing and immediately followed Him.
Many pastors have preached on this passage, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men“. It is a well-known quote from the gospels and it is often applied toward missions or evangelism. I have heard one popular pastor use this passage as a launching point to explain why we need to strategize and determine how to reach the world with the gospel. This is a good sentiment and is true to Scripture. However, that is not what Jesus is saying here. He gave a command and the promise. The promise is that Jesus will do the making. He will make us into fishers of men. It is not a job that we take on upon ourselves.
What is our job? Our job is to follow Him. That was Jesus’ command to Peter, to the other disciples, and therefore to all of us who believe in Him. We are to follow Him! The last scene in the four gospels is when Jesus appeared again, to Peter, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had risen from the dead and had come to restore and commission His broken disciples. His final message to Peter was the same as at the beginning, “Follow me!“ (See here).
What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ? Just like the disciples of old, we spend our time with Him, and hang out with Him. Jesus Christ consumes our thoughts and our focus. He becomes our role model.
We cannot imitate Jesus’ every action on earth, so that cannot be what it means to follow him. We cannot heal the sick like Jesus did. We cannot raise the dead. We better not say that we are God, and I trust that we will never have the opportunity to be crucified!
But this passage in Matthew shows us how we are to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit as he went to his temptation (Luke 4:1). Luke again highlights the fact that Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee (Luke 4:14). This is the key to Jesus‘ ministry, and this is how we are to follow him. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit in the same way that Jesus did. He is to direct our every move, so that we work through His power.
It is through the Holy Spirit that Jesus began His ministry in Galilee:
He was a light in the darkness
John was in prison but the need was as great as ever. This land of Galilee was historically dark because the people of that region had turned away from God, and were terribly abused by conquering nations. Isaiah predicted that “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:1-2). The persecuted, wicked people of Galilee would have the first light of the Messiah — He would bring them truth and life.
Isaiah lived over 700 years before Jesus Christ. But the people was just as dark in the time of Jesus. The people were consumed by their self-seeking ways and needed to turn back to God.
We also need to be a light to the darkness. Matthew says that Jesus went out preaching the good news about the kingdom. Our message about the kingdom may be different from Jesus (we are not the king, nor are we preaching the message of an imminent physical kingdom), but we need to be a light in darkness, bringing the good news about Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him.
He called others to follow Him
Jesus called his disciples to come and follow Him. He promised that He would make them fishers of men.
We need to call others to Jesus, but we also need to remember that we are fishers of men. The first four disciples — Andrew, Peter, James, and John — all lived different lives and had radically different ministries, yet God uses each of them to being people to Him.
We need to follow Him. He does the transforming.
“Jesus never commanded the disciples to catch fish. He commanded them to follow him and He would make them fishermen.” – Stephen Davey 6
He taught, preached, and healed
Jesus went throughout the land of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the message of the kingdom, and healing many. His fame became so great that people from the surrounding areas all came to see Him. Even the people from Judea, whom He had left to return to Galilee, followed Him north!
We will not have a ministry like Jesus, but this example shows what can happen when we are led by the Holy Spirit. God will more than fill up what we leave behind!
As a final thought, it would be good to remember what happened to the first four fishers of men. Jesus had called each of them, and promised that He would use them.
Andrew is the most noted for bringing others to meet Jesus. He first brought his brother Peter to see Him (John 1:40-41, see here). Andrew was the one to bring the boy to Jesus when He fed the 5,000 (John 6:8-9, see here), and the Greeks went through Andrew when they wanted to see Jesus in Jerusalem (John 12:20-22, see here). Church tradition holds that Andrew traveled north to preach the gospel in what is now eastern Europe and Russia.
Peter was typical example that we think of when we hear of the term, “fisher of men”. We see him leading the church in Acts, and preaching to thousands (Acts 2:38-41). Jesus predicted that Peter would die a martyr’s death and tradition says that he was crucified upside-down by the Romans.
James was always known in the gospels as accompanying his brother John, through the good and the bad. James was the first Apostle to be killed, being murdered by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12:1-2.
John was the disciple who lived the longest. He referred to himself in the fourth gospel as “The disciples whom Jesus loved” (e.g. John 13:23). His only claim to fame was that Jesus chose to love him. John was the writer of five books of the New Testament, including the fourth gospel and the final book of the Bible, Revelation.
These were four disciples with for different lives and four different ministries. Jesus does not tell us how we will become fishers of men, he only says that we are to follow him.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could stop doing things wrong? If our lives were perfect and we never disobeyed God?
Unfortunately, it does not take long to find out that that is not the case.
Even when we belong to God, we still doubt Him and try to get what we want without Him.
We still challenge God, asking Him to meet our agenda, as if we are more important than the God of the universe!
We still look for shortcuts to meet our needs, ignoring God’s plan.
Life is a never-ending battle with temptation. And sadly, we often lose.
The Bible opens with Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, falling to temptation. They disobeyed God’s law, and the entire world descended into chaos (see here).
David, the greatest king over Israel, is well known for his fall into temptation. It only took a short walk on the roof with his wandering eyes, and we next find out that he was guilty of adultery, murder, and lies to cover up his actions (see here).
But there are also notable victories over temptation. Joseph chose to run away naked when his master’s wife tried to seduce him (see here). Daniel was taken away from his home, yet he chose to follow God and not get caught up in the idol worship of his peers (see here).
But by far, the greatest example of victory over temptation was Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus had just finished an incredible start to His ministry. He was baptized by John the Baptist, the greatest prophet in history! The Holy Spirit came visibly down upon Him, and God the Father Himself spoke from heaven to announce the Son of God!
But then the Holy Spirit took him immediately into the desert. Jesus was there for 40 days with the burning sun and the barren rocks, and with absolutely no food to eat. But He was not alone. Satan dogged His every step, trying to get Him to turn away from God.
The Bible shows Satan’s strategy for tempting people to turn away from God. They are small in number and very predictable, but extremely effective:
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life —is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Satan’s three ways to tempt us are:
The desires of the flesh — what makes us feel better?
The desires of the eyes — what looks good to us?
The pride of life — what gives us importance?
There in the desert, he used all three of these weapons against Jesus Christ.
First, he challenged Jesus personally. Jesus had not eaten for 40 days and was very hungry and physically weak. But He was the Son of God — why not do a miracle to feed Himself? This temptation was akin to the desires of the flesh — suggesting that Jesus answer His own needs for hunger.
Eating bread is an innocent activity, but the message from Satan was much more insidious. He was saying to Jesus, “Since you are the Son of God, you should be able to take care of yourself now. You no longer need to rely on the Father, and you can feed yourself!”
Jesus responded by quoting scripture back to Satan. Deuteronomy 8:3 says that, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We need to depend on God, not only for our food, but for our very existence!
Satan’s next attack was at Jesus’ role as the Messiah, the King of the Jews. He took Jesus to the rooftop of the temple overlooking the steep valley below. Satan himself then quoted scripture (Psalm 91:11-12), showing that God would never let the Son of God get injured. Instead, Jesus would descend safely down to the worshippers below, and be hailed as their king. This temptation was akin to the pride of life — Satan was attempting to get Jesus to turn away from God and seek glory on His own.
Jesus had defeated Satan in the first temptation by totally trusting in God. This time, Satan used His trust in God to try and get Him to force a miracle.
Jesus responded again with a quote from Deuteronomy, this time Deuteronomy 6:16, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test”. We trust totally on God for our needs as we do His will. But we are testing God when we create a crisis of our own design and then demand that God get us out.
Satan was not easily overcome. He next took Jesus to a high mountain for a final challenge. Showing Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world, he offered them to Him. All Jesus needed to do was to bow down to Satan — once! This temptation was akin to the desires of the eyes — he was trying to tempt Jesus by what looked good to Him.
Satan offered Jesus a shortcut to glory. No longer would He need the three-plus years of ministry, concluded by the suffering on the cross. He could have the worship of the entire world immediately!
This is also the boldest of Satan’s temptations. He no longer couched his suggestions with “since your are the Son of God…” Now, he directly insisted that Jesus bow down to him.
Jesus’ response to Satan was decisive and direct. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:10, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”It was wrong for Jesus to try and shortcut God’s plans, but it was especially wrong to ever bow down to Satan!
Jesus also finally commands Satan to leave him, “Be gone, Satan! ” Satan then left Jesus for a more opportune time.
Jesus was attacked in every way by Satan’s temptations, but he emerged victorious! Jesus never disobeyed God, and when challenged, he always answered His challenges with God’s word.
What can Jesus’ example teach us about temptation?
Expect temptation to come!
Temptation is a part of our life when we belong to Jesus Christ. The closer we get to Him, the more Satan will attempt to pull us back.
But we need to anticipate the temptations, knowing that we can win. Defend yourself when you are weak, and be ready to answer back when temptation comes.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
Answer temptation with God’s Word!
Jesus relied totally on God’s word when confronted by Satan. Immerse yourself in God’s word, keeping Him on your mind and heart for when the tempter comes.
Psalms 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Resist the devil!
Jesus sent away Satan after the attack. We have the same promise that he will flee from us when we resist him. Note, however, that it is not enough to simply stand up against the devil. We need to first submit to God. We need to let God fill the place in our life that was formerly taken over by the devil.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Pray!
Jesus went through the same temptations as us, so He understands when we are tempted. We need to make it a habit to first come to God when temptation comes. Stay close to Him and ask Him for the grace and the strength to get through it.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
I remember many of my children’s books that I had when I was younger. There were colorful Bible Story books, showing scenes and characters from popular events.
But there was one character that I always loved to see. They always pictured him in a faraway place, holding a long staff and wearing strange clothes. He had to be the strangest man that could ever think of:
He lived in the desert!
He dressed in camel hair (my picture books always showed him wearing some strange, hairy toga)!
He always had a big beard (in all my picture books)!
HE ATE BUGS!!
My Bible Story books showed people coming from far and wide to hear him. They would go into the desert to listen to this strange man preach. He would then lead them into the Jordan River where he would baptize them.
As I grew older, I saw many movies which dramatized the life of this man in the desert. He was no longer just a picture in a book, but a live person walking through my TV screen. It seemed like all the movies depicted this person, John the Baptist, as a very angry man. He was always shouting at people, trying if he could to scare them into repentance.
As we look at the Bible says, the picture of John the Baptist emerges as a very important man. Jesus would later describe John as the greatest man who ever lived (Matthew 11:11)!
Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews, was about to arrive. John’s message had the following parts:
First, the king is coming! The long-awaited Messiah was about to be here! He would come and set up His kingdom on earth as the prophets foretold.
Second, the people were not ready. They needed to repent!
Finally, if their repentance was true, then they needed to come into the Jordan River with John. They would put their heads under the water and demonstrate to the world that they were now ready for the kingdom.
What does it mean to repent? It is much more than simply being sorry for disobeying God. Repentance involves both the knowledge and the sorrow that you have violated the law of a Holy God. It then involves a conscious act to turn away from your disobedience and to turn to God.
“Repentance means that the natural man takes God’s side against himself.” – H.A. Ironside 6
This was John’s message, but he had opposition. The religious leaders came to see why he was upsetting the status quo. John compared them to deadly snakes and urged them to flee from the fires of God’s judgement.
These religious leaders were caught up in their own imaginations about what it meant to be right with God. They believed that they were safe from God’s judgement because of their family relations — they were descendants of Abraham! They also believed that God would look favorably on them because they worked so hard to keep the law. But John said that all of these things — the family connections, their own good deeds — they all were worthless to God. They needed to come back to Him.
There was no longer any time for middle ground. You need to either repent and join the king, or be swept away in God’s wrath.
The people were impressed by John, but he always deflected their praise (see also here). He was not the king, he was simply the announcer for the king. When the king comes, John did not consider himself worthy to wash his feet!
Remember!
Most of us have head of John the Baptist before this. The story of his life may not give you any new information. However, don’t forget some of the things that God is showing us through his life:
If you have not turned to God, then the time is now! Repent and join Him! You may not have another chance!
If you already belong to God but are not obeying Him, then you too need to repent. Don’t let this day go by before you get right with God!
Don’t stop at the inward steps of repentance, but show it in your life. If you really have turned from your disobedience and turned to God, then there will be real, tangible changes in your life.
Don’t let your pride or preconceptions stand in the way of getting right with God. Very few of the religious leaders believed John because they thought they knew better.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Matthew’s second chapter continues his account of the promised King.
Who was this king? Who is this person that Matthew was writing about?
Matthew’s first chapter told of the heritage and birth of the new king. He has the heritage and the rights of the great dynasty of Israel, going back to King David himself. His birth was a miracle, born to a poor unmarried woman and her betrothed husband.
But why should we care? Why should our modern world care about an ancient Jewish king?
Because He is much more than that. He is not simply some distant story. He was God Himself, come to mankind!
Matthew’s account is clear: He was born to a human mother among a human family. He was very much human (see here).
But His father was God (see here, here, and here). Therefore he was also very much God.
And He came for a purpose. Matthew stated His purpose in his first chapter, “you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). He will save His people from their sins. He was the promised one that the Jews had been waiting for, their Messiah!
But Matthew then showed that Jesus did not only come for the Jews. He was born to a Jewish family, but some of His first attendants were outsiders, or Gentiles.
Jesus was still a young child — probably only a few months old — when He was visited by dignitaries from far away. These visitors, or Magi, had learned of the new king and come to worship Him.
Even at the start, Jesus’ own people didn’t care for Him (see here). The religious leaders knew exactly where He would be. They even gave directions for the Magi but they never came.
The king over the Jews saw Him as a threat. King Herod knew that this was the long-awaited Messiah, and he tried to kill him. At first he tried to use deception to find the baby. When that failed, he resorted to massacre. He sent his soldiers to murder all the young boys in Bethlehem!
But it was these outsiders, the ones who should have never cared, who came to worship Jesus the Messiah. The Magi used their own resources to travel a long and dangerous road, carrying priceless gifts, unsure of the final destination.
God had given them a glimpse of His glory, in the form of a bright light, in their home country of Babylon. That vision caused them to come to Jerusalem, seeking the new king of the Jews. They were then directed to the nearby village of Bethlehem, where they again encountered God’s light. They found the new king and worshipped Him, giving their gifts.
Remember!
Most of us have heard about the “wise men” as part of the Christmas story. It can seem distant, exotic, and very removed from our present lives. But we should take time to remember some of the lessons from these wise men (or Magi):
The Magi knew very little about God, but they followed what they knew. They didn’t know His location but they came gladly to worship!
You don’t need a Jewish heritage to worship Jesus Christ. You only need to follow Him.
God does not look for those who are especially powerful, religious or smart. The educated priests ignored Jesus Christ and the powerful king wanted to kill Him!
God will protect His own! He directed Joseph to take Jesus and Mary away to Egypt when Herod wanted to kill him, and then back to Israel when it was safe to return.
If you were to tell the story of a great king, what would you tell about his beginning?
Most stories have the king born amidst splendor, with the great people of his day. Others may tell a great “rags to riches” story, how the great king emerged from such a humble start.
But for the King of Kings, the truth is greater than any fiction that we could imagine! Jesus Christ Himself came to earth, born of a poor village girl, in the middle of a terrible scandal.
His mother, Mary, became pregnant out of wedlock. She had had no relations with a man — there was no human father. The baby was a miracle from God Himself.
Mary was away for several months, visiting her cousin Elizabeth. She returned to her conservative, religious small town of Nazareth, showing that she was obviously pregnant. Nobody believed her.
Her own husband didn’t believe her. She was betrothed to Joseph, anticipating the great celebration where they would fulfill the ceremony and become man and wife. But all Joseph could see was that his wife was unfaithful to him. He cared enough for Mary to not make a public scene, but he could never marry her after what she had done. He opted for a quiet divorce.
This was the beginning of the life of the King of Kings. Born to a scandalized mother and a heartbroken father.
But Matthew’s account is not about Mary, nor is it really about Joseph. This was about the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit created the embryo in Mary’s womb. He also sent an angel to direct Joseph. There were things that Joseph needed to know about the child, and things Joseph needed to do.
Joseph needed to complete the marriage. Mary was not unfaithful and she was his wife.
The child was the work of the Holy Spirit. God was directly intervening with mankind, and the result was the baby who was growing in Mary’s womb.
Joseph was to name the child Jesus, meaning, “Jehovah is Savior”.
This baby has a special purpose. He will save his people from their sins. He will be the long awaited Messiah!
Matthew shared the beginning of the life of Jesus Christ on earth, showing a sharp contrast between what the world sees as opposed to but God sees.
The world saw Mary as an adulteress, who had a baby without a husband. God saw her as a pure woman who was willing to follow and obey Him regardless of the cost (see here).
The world saw Joseph as a poor carpenter who was either complicit or the cause of Mary’s adultery. God saw him as a man willing to follow Him in protecting and caring for the young Messiah.
The world saw Jesus as an illegitimate child. God knew that he was a miracle of the Holy Spirit, and the One who would be the Saviour of the world.
The apostle Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians that the wisdom of God is seen as foolish to the world, yet the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. It is so easy to see ourselves and others as what the world sees us. We need to look at people the way God sees them.
Finally, we should never go to Matthew’s gospel account without being challenged to renew our appreciation for Jesus Christ. He is the King of Kings; He is the long awaited Messiah to the Jews; He is the one who will save the world from the curse of sin!
The New Testament opens with a message for the Jewish people. It is a message that they will not accept, given by one of the most hated people.
The Romans in the first century relied upon a hierarchy of publicani, or tax gatherers, in order to collect taxes for the empire. Local merchants would pay for the privilege to collect from their countrymen. These local tax gatherers would often add on a large percentage of taxes for themselves, thus becoming both very wealthy and very hated by the local people.
The tax gatherers were considered the worst of society. They were often used in the gospels to illustrate bad people, with the synonymous term, “tax gatherers and sinners” (e.g. Matthew 9:11, Mark 2:16).
Matthew (also known as Levi) was such a tax gatherer who left his business to follow Jesus (see the passages here). Matthew turned from his old life to become one of Jesus’ twelve apostles (see here).
Matthew’s message to the Jewish people is that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the long-awaited king who has come to save His people (see here).
Matthew’s gospel account begins by showing that Jesus deserves the title of king. Jesus is the descendent of David and heir to the throne over all Israel.
The first part of Matthew’s gospel account traces Jesus’ family tree back to Abraham. This family tree dates back for 2,000 years and includes many heroes of Old Testament history, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, and many of the kings of Judah. This list includes some of the greatest men to have ever lived.
This list included some very evil men. Rehoboam was the foolish king who divided his father’s kingdom. Manasseh was so wicked and violent that God promised to remove the kingdom because of him. Jeconiah was cursed to never have a descendent to sit on the throne of Israel (see Jeremiah 22:30).
This list included scandals. Judah fathered Perez because his daughter-in-law disguised herself as a prostitute. David took Bathsheba as wife after adultery and murder. Jehoshaphat married his son Jehoram to the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, setting up two generations of family murder and intrigue.
This list included foreigners and women. Rahab was the Canaanite prostitute who rescued the Israelite spies and turned to follow their God. Ruth was the Moabite widow who chose to remain faithful to her destitute mother-in-law.
The list ends with Joseph, who would be the legal guardian of Jesus the Messiah.
What is the point of this history lesson? Is it simply a chance to reflect on history, with perhaps a chance to walk down memory lane?
Of the many lessons that we can gather from this passage, remember the following:
God can use broken people!
The family history of Jesus Christ is full of fallible humans. Even among the great figures in history:
Abraham lied and tried to build his family through a slave girl
Isaac was partial to one son over the other
Jacob was a liar and a deceiver
David was an adulterer and a murderer
Solomon was a polygamist
Asa would not trust God
Jehoshaphat befriended the evil kings of Israel
Uzziah tried to become a priest
Hezekiah bargained with God for his life
Josiah had three wicked sons
If God was able to use broken people in past, He is just as able to use you and me, despite our failures.
God’s plan is not broken by evil people!
The bloodline of Jesus Christ was never broken!
Even when Jehoram was murdering his brothers and Athaliah was murdering her grandchildren, God’s plan never failed.
Even when Manasseh was searching Jerusalem so that he could murder anyone who was faithful to God, His plan never failed.
Even when the Babylonian army was burning the temple and taking the people into exile, God’s plan was never broken.
If God’s plan never failed through the worst of ancient history, He is fully able to keep his plans today, despite anyone who rises to oppose Him.
Jesus is king!
Jesus is the king, not only over ancient Israel, but over the world today. He has all authority over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18).
Jesus still has just as much authority today as He did 2,000 years ago. We can know that, through all of our uncertainties, He is still king!
Sapphire Sky 