Read: Matthew 18:21-35
Jesus once told a parable that expressed his feelings about patience, a virtue which is called "longsuffering" in the King James Version of the Bible. He told the story after Peter questioned him about the number of times you must forgive a sinful relative who offends you. Guessing the answer, Peter said, "Up to seven times?" Stating the guess was wrong, Jesus suggested this figure needed to be multiplied by eleven.
To illustrate the point, Jesus spoke about a ruler setting aside the debts of a subject. This man owed the ruler a fortune, but he was unable to repay the huge sum of money. In order to get some return on his investment, the ruler decided to sell both the man and his family into slavery and to liquidate all of his assets. The man begged the ruler to be patient and to allow him a bit more time to repay what he owed.
No doubt this large debtor hoped, instead of being angry or anxious to get his money back, the ruler might agree to wait just a little while longer. After all, the ruler had already been carrying the financial burden for some time. However, rather than being patient and allowing the man more time to repay the loan, the ruler chose not to seek any money whatsoever. He did this out of compassion for the large debtor.
After gaining his freedom, Jesus said, this large debtor went to a third person who owed him a small amount of money. He grabbed the small debtor by the throat and demanded his money back. This man asked his colleague to adopt a patient attitude, reassuring him the money would be repaid. Unwilling to comply with the request, the large debtor had the small debtor imprisoned, refusing to let him out until the loan was repaid in full.
Jesus said there were some other servants who had seen what had happened. He told of how they all went to the ruler and told him what the large debtor had done to the small debtor. According to the Lord, the ruler then had the large debtor brought before him and he was fierce in his criticism of the behaviour of this man. Not only was the large debtor imprisoned, but he was tortured until his loan was repaid, said Jesus.
The lesson here is interesting. Lenders and debtors are longsuffering because it takes a lengthy period of time for a loan to be repaid. In the same way, it takes a large amount of effort to forgive others when you are sinned against, but this must be done. In fact, if you don't forgive those who trespass against you, then God will not forgive you. As a result you risk being condemned for eternity to a tortuous life in the worst prison imaginable.
Pray: Jesus. Forgive my trespasses and help me to patiently forgive those who trespass against me. Amen.
Monday 27 August 2012
Monday 20 August 2012
Week 6 : Debauchery : A vice to avoid
Read: Matthew 14:1-27
Jesus didn't speak about debauchery, but he did long for some privacy in order to pray after debauchery led to the death of John the Baptist. This happened when the daughter of Herodias, the wife of Herod, danced at his birthday party. Mark said, "She pleased Herod and his dinner guests." As a reward, he offered the girl whatever she wanted. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John, a man who was considered to be a prophet of God.
There can be no doubt that this barbaric beheading shocked Jesus to the core. He dearly wanted to mourn the loss of John, his own dear cousin, by praying in private. Unfortunately this proved to be impossible because when he went off by himself, according to Matthew, "crowds followed him on foot." Putting aside his own needs, he responded compassionately and began healing those who were ill. Then, as the day drew to a close, he miraculously fed all of them with the scant resources at hand.
So busy was Jesus, he had no opportunity to comment on the debauchery that had led to the death of John the Baptist. Yet his reaction suggests he was appalled that the execution resulted from the indulgence of sensual pleasures of Herod and his cronies, who were the living out totally wanton fantasies, which were pleasing yet offensive at the same time. He might have also been concerned that innocence of the young woman had been corrupted when her mother led her into debauchery.
In the same way, people today are offended when they hear about young women being forced into prostitution after being trafficked across international borders. This isn't a massive problem in Australia at the moment, but it does happen. There have been a score court cases in Australia were human trafficking has been alleged. As many as a thousand women may be working here as prostitutes under oppressive contracts. Women from Eastern Europe and Asia are the most likely victims.
Really the prepetrators of human trafficking need to realise that introducing someone to debauchery is just plain wrong. It seems as if those who do this have no morals at all. Take Herod and Herodias, for example. They wanted to kill John the Baptist because he condemned their marriage - Herodias had been married to Herod's brother and her daughter wasa product of that marriage. Whereas they were motivated by a lust for power, human traffickers are motivated by a lust for money.
One blogger in the United States noted earlier this year, "There is a lot of money in human sex trafficking, which generates an estimated $32 billion dollars annually. It is the fastest-growing criminal activity in the world today. According to a 2005 International Labor Office (ILO) report, a single female held for sexual exploitation yields an average of $67,200 annually in Western Europe and North America." These figures are just shocking.
Pray: Jesus. Please help the victims debauchery and hinder the perpetrators of debauchery. Amen.
Jesus didn't speak about debauchery, but he did long for some privacy in order to pray after debauchery led to the death of John the Baptist. This happened when the daughter of Herodias, the wife of Herod, danced at his birthday party. Mark said, "She pleased Herod and his dinner guests." As a reward, he offered the girl whatever she wanted. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John, a man who was considered to be a prophet of God.
There can be no doubt that this barbaric beheading shocked Jesus to the core. He dearly wanted to mourn the loss of John, his own dear cousin, by praying in private. Unfortunately this proved to be impossible because when he went off by himself, according to Matthew, "crowds followed him on foot." Putting aside his own needs, he responded compassionately and began healing those who were ill. Then, as the day drew to a close, he miraculously fed all of them with the scant resources at hand.
So busy was Jesus, he had no opportunity to comment on the debauchery that had led to the death of John the Baptist. Yet his reaction suggests he was appalled that the execution resulted from the indulgence of sensual pleasures of Herod and his cronies, who were the living out totally wanton fantasies, which were pleasing yet offensive at the same time. He might have also been concerned that innocence of the young woman had been corrupted when her mother led her into debauchery.
In the same way, people today are offended when they hear about young women being forced into prostitution after being trafficked across international borders. This isn't a massive problem in Australia at the moment, but it does happen. There have been a score court cases in Australia were human trafficking has been alleged. As many as a thousand women may be working here as prostitutes under oppressive contracts. Women from Eastern Europe and Asia are the most likely victims.
Really the prepetrators of human trafficking need to realise that introducing someone to debauchery is just plain wrong. It seems as if those who do this have no morals at all. Take Herod and Herodias, for example. They wanted to kill John the Baptist because he condemned their marriage - Herodias had been married to Herod's brother and her daughter wasa product of that marriage. Whereas they were motivated by a lust for power, human traffickers are motivated by a lust for money.
One blogger in the United States noted earlier this year, "There is a lot of money in human sex trafficking, which generates an estimated $32 billion dollars annually. It is the fastest-growing criminal activity in the world today. According to a 2005 International Labor Office (ILO) report, a single female held for sexual exploitation yields an average of $67,200 annually in Western Europe and North America." These figures are just shocking.
Pray: Jesus. Please help the victims debauchery and hinder the perpetrators of debauchery. Amen.
Monday 13 August 2012
Week 5 : Peace : A virtue to adopt
Read: Luke 7:36-50
One of the titles Isaiah assigned to Jesus in a prophecy was "Prince of Peace" and the heavenly host declared his birth brought "peace to men". Furthermore, peace was central to a promise Jesus made to his disciples. He said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you."
In Greek the word that is translated into English as "peace" is εἰρήνην. Replacing the Greek letters with English letters, its transliteration is "eirenen". This word "describes a condition of health, welfare, prosperity, [or] bliss". Jesus himself said you would remain untroubled and unafraid. The same word is used in Luke 7:50, where Jesus told the sinful woman who anointed him to peacefully move on.
What happened next cannot be said for certain because the sinful woman isn't named, but she might have been Mary Magdalene, who could also be identified as Mary of Bethany. Of course, this is speculation, because the New Testament is hazy on this point. However, if the sinful woman was either or both Marys, then long-term benefits of the peace flowing from Jesus might be known.
John said Mary of Bethany "was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair." This happened at a dinner in Bethany after Lazarus was raised from the dead and before the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. To confuse matters, Luke describes a dinner at the house of a Pharisee at which a sinful woman wiped the feet of Jesus "with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." She did this soon after Jesus raised the son of a widow from the dead in Nain.
The two accounts are similar, anointing at a dinner after a resurrection, yet the locations are different. The map of the Holy Land (below) indicates Bethany was near Jerusalem, whereas Nain was near Nazareth. And Luke places Jesus, after his conversation with the Pharisee, near the Sea of Galilee. So the dinner might have taken place in Magdala, which has a lakeside location, and the woman in question could have been Mary Magdalene.
So if the sinful women was Mary of Bethany and/or Mary Magdalene, her fate can be known. Both Marys were wholly devoted to Jesus. Mary of Bethany sat in awe of him and Mary Magdalene was the first to see him raised from the dead. Both women are portrayed as being healthy and happy.
While true identity of the sinful woman cannot be known for certain, what Jesus said to her is certain. He said to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace." What a blessing! As a reward for being saved by your faith in Jesus, you can know the peace he offers. This peace is a sense of continual blessedness stemming from knowing all your sins have been forgiven.
Prayer: Jesus. You know the identity of the sinful woman you sent away healthy and happy, and you know me too. Please grant the same feeling of peace me. Amen.
One of the titles Isaiah assigned to Jesus in a prophecy was "Prince of Peace" and the heavenly host declared his birth brought "peace to men". Furthermore, peace was central to a promise Jesus made to his disciples. He said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you."
In Greek the word that is translated into English as "peace" is εἰρήνην. Replacing the Greek letters with English letters, its transliteration is "eirenen". This word "describes a condition of health, welfare, prosperity, [or] bliss". Jesus himself said you would remain untroubled and unafraid. The same word is used in Luke 7:50, where Jesus told the sinful woman who anointed him to peacefully move on.
What happened next cannot be said for certain because the sinful woman isn't named, but she might have been Mary Magdalene, who could also be identified as Mary of Bethany. Of course, this is speculation, because the New Testament is hazy on this point. However, if the sinful woman was either or both Marys, then long-term benefits of the peace flowing from Jesus might be known.
John said Mary of Bethany "was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair." This happened at a dinner in Bethany after Lazarus was raised from the dead and before the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. To confuse matters, Luke describes a dinner at the house of a Pharisee at which a sinful woman wiped the feet of Jesus "with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." She did this soon after Jesus raised the son of a widow from the dead in Nain.
The two accounts are similar, anointing at a dinner after a resurrection, yet the locations are different. The map of the Holy Land (below) indicates Bethany was near Jerusalem, whereas Nain was near Nazareth. And Luke places Jesus, after his conversation with the Pharisee, near the Sea of Galilee. So the dinner might have taken place in Magdala, which has a lakeside location, and the woman in question could have been Mary Magdalene.
 |
| Source: http://www.bible-history.com/maps/palestine_nt_times.html |
While true identity of the sinful woman cannot be known for certain, what Jesus said to her is certain. He said to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace." What a blessing! As a reward for being saved by your faith in Jesus, you can know the peace he offers. This peace is a sense of continual blessedness stemming from knowing all your sins have been forgiven.
Prayer: Jesus. You know the identity of the sinful woman you sent away healthy and happy, and you know me too. Please grant the same feeling of peace me. Amen.
Wednesday 8 August 2012
Week 4 : Impurity : A vice to avoid
Read: Revelation 21:9-27
There was, is, and never will be, any impurity in Jesus. Not in the distant past, not now, not ever. From the dawn of creation to the last days. You can be sure about this because the Bible states that one day, at the end of time, both he and God the Father will be stations of worship in a perfect city. This Holy City will be the purest place ever made. "Nothing impure will ever enter it."
This means that if you plan to spend eternity with Jesus, which is the hope of all Christians, then you need to be as pure as you can be right now, today. After all, if you're impure when you die, you'll not be able to enter the Holy City. Therefore, you need to make every effort to be pure, at this very time. Don't delay. You never know when death will claim your soul, when you'll be taken up to heaven to be with the Lord.
So, how can you be pure? Well, it's not as hard has you might think. Paul the Apostle succinctly said what needs to be done. He wrote, "God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." How simple is that? Holiness overcomes impurity. How can you be holy? That's easy - to be holy is to be like Jesus because he is holy. In other word, the key is being Him, which this blog will help you to do.
Mind you, as long as you remain in this world, you'll never be 100% pure. Sin will always tarnish you, even if you are the best Christian, the most blessed, in the world. For complete perfection isn't possible here. None other than Paul the Apostle knew this was so. He said your imperfection means you might only be able to change a little bit during your present life, but you will become totally perfect in Heaven.
With the help of God, the ancient Jews came up with a solution to this problem of impurity. The Law included prohibitions that helped the people to be pure. Some medical conditions and bodily emissions were said to cause impurity. Also a woman became impure if she had sex with a man who wasn't her husband. And you were unable to eat three-day-old meat, which is sensible given the lack of refrigeration.
Things changed after Jesus came to Earth. In the New Testament, Peter was horrified by the thought of being exposed to impurity, but God told him that which had been unclean in the past had been purified. Peter came to realise this meant he need to minister to those who weren't Jews. Hence, the Church was opened to Gentiles, such as you and I. As a result, all of us know impurity needs to be done away with.
Prayer: Jesus. Please help me to overcome impurity so I can be as pure as you are, if not in this life then in the one to come. Amen.
There was, is, and never will be, any impurity in Jesus. Not in the distant past, not now, not ever. From the dawn of creation to the last days. You can be sure about this because the Bible states that one day, at the end of time, both he and God the Father will be stations of worship in a perfect city. This Holy City will be the purest place ever made. "Nothing impure will ever enter it."
This means that if you plan to spend eternity with Jesus, which is the hope of all Christians, then you need to be as pure as you can be right now, today. After all, if you're impure when you die, you'll not be able to enter the Holy City. Therefore, you need to make every effort to be pure, at this very time. Don't delay. You never know when death will claim your soul, when you'll be taken up to heaven to be with the Lord.
So, how can you be pure? Well, it's not as hard has you might think. Paul the Apostle succinctly said what needs to be done. He wrote, "God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." How simple is that? Holiness overcomes impurity. How can you be holy? That's easy - to be holy is to be like Jesus because he is holy. In other word, the key is being Him, which this blog will help you to do.
Mind you, as long as you remain in this world, you'll never be 100% pure. Sin will always tarnish you, even if you are the best Christian, the most blessed, in the world. For complete perfection isn't possible here. None other than Paul the Apostle knew this was so. He said your imperfection means you might only be able to change a little bit during your present life, but you will become totally perfect in Heaven.
With the help of God, the ancient Jews came up with a solution to this problem of impurity. The Law included prohibitions that helped the people to be pure. Some medical conditions and bodily emissions were said to cause impurity. Also a woman became impure if she had sex with a man who wasn't her husband. And you were unable to eat three-day-old meat, which is sensible given the lack of refrigeration.
Things changed after Jesus came to Earth. In the New Testament, Peter was horrified by the thought of being exposed to impurity, but God told him that which had been unclean in the past had been purified. Peter came to realise this meant he need to minister to those who weren't Jews. Hence, the Church was opened to Gentiles, such as you and I. As a result, all of us know impurity needs to be done away with.
Prayer: Jesus. Please help me to overcome impurity so I can be as pure as you are, if not in this life then in the one to come. Amen.
Wednesday 1 August 2012
Week 3 : Joy : A virtue to adopt
Read: Luke 10:1-23
Joy is a strong emotion. It is a feeling of intense happiness or pleasure that occurs when something good happens. Such joyous feelings can easily be felt when your actions lead to favourable outcomes. Joy isn't so common when the going is tough. At such times you can seem to experience more bad than good. As a result you find many, many reasons for not being joyful. One episode from the life of Jesus illustrates this point.
When Jesus knew his death was immanent, he proceeded to Jerusalem, passing through Samaritan villages along the way. To let the residents of these hamlets know he was coming, some of his followers were sent ahead. On at least one occasion the locals indicated they did not want to show him and his followers any hospitality whatsoever as Jesus happened to be going to Jerusalem. You see, the Jews and the Samaritans did not get along well together for historical reasons.
Disgusted, two of the disciples - John and James - offered to pray fervently for the destruction of the town by heavenly flames. (Barbecued Samaritan, nice). Twisting towards the pair, Jesus reprimanded the men for making the naughty comment. Instead, the group moved on to a different place. And as they passing through the countryside, someone approached Jesus and offered to become a follower. In reply, Jesus spoke about being homelessness, emphasising he was nothing more than a couch surfer.
Sometimes Jesus spotted potential followers and asked these people to come with him. A few did, but most made excuses. One said he had to arrange a funeral for his dad. A different person said he wanted to say farewell to his relatives first. Yet despite these negative responses, more than seventy were commissioned by Jesus to go ahead of him into villages. But acknowledging there were not many of them, he asked to group to pray for more workers before they left.
The messengers were told to pick a house at random after arriving in a town. They had to offer the head of the house a blessing of peace and accept any food or drink he might offer them. In return, the men were required to cure those who were ill and to tell the locals, "God's kingdom soon comes." In fact, even if they weren't welcomed, they still had to preach the same message in the streets. In at least three towns - Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum - the resident didn't repent.
When the messengers returned to Jesus, they were joyful because even demons had been overcome. Jesus was pleased with the result. However, he reminded them to be joyous not because they had received the power exorcism, but because their identity was known to God. Jesus himself rejoiced. His joy, though, was spiritual rather than emotional for he knew his hard times on the road had led to a revelation of the Fatherhood of God. Such is a lesson all of us can learn - perserverance pays off.
Prayer: Jesus. When the road we travel along is long and hard, help us to presevere, so we might eventualy come to know both emotional and spiritual joy. Amen.
Joy is a strong emotion. It is a feeling of intense happiness or pleasure that occurs when something good happens. Such joyous feelings can easily be felt when your actions lead to favourable outcomes. Joy isn't so common when the going is tough. At such times you can seem to experience more bad than good. As a result you find many, many reasons for not being joyful. One episode from the life of Jesus illustrates this point.
When Jesus knew his death was immanent, he proceeded to Jerusalem, passing through Samaritan villages along the way. To let the residents of these hamlets know he was coming, some of his followers were sent ahead. On at least one occasion the locals indicated they did not want to show him and his followers any hospitality whatsoever as Jesus happened to be going to Jerusalem. You see, the Jews and the Samaritans did not get along well together for historical reasons.
Disgusted, two of the disciples - John and James - offered to pray fervently for the destruction of the town by heavenly flames. (Barbecued Samaritan, nice). Twisting towards the pair, Jesus reprimanded the men for making the naughty comment. Instead, the group moved on to a different place. And as they passing through the countryside, someone approached Jesus and offered to become a follower. In reply, Jesus spoke about being homelessness, emphasising he was nothing more than a couch surfer.
Sometimes Jesus spotted potential followers and asked these people to come with him. A few did, but most made excuses. One said he had to arrange a funeral for his dad. A different person said he wanted to say farewell to his relatives first. Yet despite these negative responses, more than seventy were commissioned by Jesus to go ahead of him into villages. But acknowledging there were not many of them, he asked to group to pray for more workers before they left.
The messengers were told to pick a house at random after arriving in a town. They had to offer the head of the house a blessing of peace and accept any food or drink he might offer them. In return, the men were required to cure those who were ill and to tell the locals, "God's kingdom soon comes." In fact, even if they weren't welcomed, they still had to preach the same message in the streets. In at least three towns - Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum - the resident didn't repent.
When the messengers returned to Jesus, they were joyful because even demons had been overcome. Jesus was pleased with the result. However, he reminded them to be joyous not because they had received the power exorcism, but because their identity was known to God. Jesus himself rejoiced. His joy, though, was spiritual rather than emotional for he knew his hard times on the road had led to a revelation of the Fatherhood of God. Such is a lesson all of us can learn - perserverance pays off.
Prayer: Jesus. When the road we travel along is long and hard, help us to presevere, so we might eventualy come to know both emotional and spiritual joy. Amen.
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