Get Ready! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 25:11-13,

"Later the others [five foolish virgins] also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' But he [the bridegroom] replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

This comes from the parable of the ten virgins. If you recall the story, there were ten virgins who went out to meet a bridegroom they expected some time during the night. Five were wise with lamps filled with oil and five were foolish having no oil in their lamps. At midnight when the bridegroom was near, the five foolish asked for oil from the wise. The wise pointed out they couldn't give any because there might not be enough to go around. They told the foolish ones to go buy some.

The bridegroom arrived before the foolish virgins could return with oil filled lamps. The door was shut behind the bridegroom and the five wise virgins and the foolish ones were refused entry.

Interpretations for this parable are all over the board. Some believe all ten virgins represent believers in the parable. Some believe the five wise were believers and the five foolish were unbelievers, unprepared for the Lord's coming. Some believe the oil represents the Holy Spirit, some believe this or that about why all ten were asleep. One of the fascinating things to me is to watch how so many seek to find relevance and meaning over every last little bit of detail. I'm not sure that is the best way to approach our understanding of Jesus' parables.

The very clear conclusion Jesus sought for us to glean from this parable is that he is going to return and we all best be ready and prepared for his coming!

Get ready!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Of Times And Seasons - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 24:33,

"Even so, when you see all these things [signs at the end of the age], you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I [Jesus] tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

At the end of his earthly ministry, just before his crucifixion, Jesus was in Jerusalem and as he was leaving the temple area, his disciples came to him and asked him two questions of timing: when will the destruction of the temple take place and when will the end of the age come when Jesus comes again.

The answer to both questions are interwoven in this chapter. The destruction of the temple came in 70 AD, and, of course, the end of the age is something we still await. In addition to some signs to watch for as that day approaches, Jesus made two interesting observations.

His first observation is that no one knows the timing of his return, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Verses 36-39.

If anyone tells you they know when the Lord is coming, ignore them. They don't know what they are talking about. Some so-called "Christian" groups have had their beginnings, at least partially, on the basis they thought they knew the date the Lord would be coming. As an example, the Seventh Day Adventists had their (the Millerites) beginnings based on such foolishness in the 19th century.

The other observation, conversely, is that we, as believers, should know the season. "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things [signs Jesus gave to watch for], you know that it [the Son of Man coming] is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Verses 32-35.

I have two of my own observations. It seems there have always been those in every generation who thought the Lord was coming in their lifetime. The other is, many generations never realized or had a full appreciation for the historical significance of the times they were living in.

Matthew 24 is a chapter we should all be well-educated in.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Insufferable Religious Leaders - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 23:5-7,

"Everything they [religious leaders] do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by others."

Jesus warned people about the religious leaders of the day, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. He pointed out their hypocrisy just prior to pronouncing seven devastating woes on them.

In pointing these things out, he identifies their insincerity and fake piety. Here he points out their arrogance and pomposity through pretensions. Do we have that today?

I think we have many wonderful and sincere folks in full time ministry today, as well as many who are engaged in other occupations. However, I think I won't get much push-back when I say I also think there are others who appear quite like the leaders in Jesus' day that he castigated.

It seems to be easy to ferret out if someone has the affliction Jesus describes above. Challenge them on something, even if you agree with them on it! It doesn't even have to be something you feel strongly about, just something they do. How they respond will tell you all you need to know - which leads me to me.

When someone might confront me on something I have said or a point I have made, how do I feel? Threatened? Defensive? A need to lash back? Or, on the other hand, do I have a desire to help the other one see what it is I am seeing for their ultimate good? Do I care about bringing them along out of concern for their own best interests?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Leaving the Experts Speechless! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 22:45,

"If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"

I find Matthew 22 to be fascinating! It begins with a parable, the Wedding Banquet, that follows on the heels of the last parable in the preceding chapter, the Parable of the Tenants.

In the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus announced that, although initially offered to the nation of Israel, the administration of the kingdom of God was now going to be taken from them and given to others (the Gentiles), "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." Matthew 20:43.

 As I say, the next parable at the beginning of this chapter is the Wedding Banquet, in which Jesus tells the story of guests invited to a wedding (the offer of the kingdom of heaven to the nation of Israel) who refused to come and mistreated the servants (the prophets) sent out to call the guests when the time had come. The same point in the previous parable is made: after destroying the refusing guests, the king of the banquet invited others. In this parable, however, we learn that just because an invitation has gone out does not mean automatic entry. In the parable one of the new guests was found without wedding clothes and so was cast out of the banquet. "'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:13-14. This being a reference that entrance into the kingdom of God is going to require a standing of righteousness before God as represented by clothing. (That standing before God comes through faith in him.)

It is what follows this parable in the chapter that really catches my attention this morning. Accounts are given of the religious leaders trying to trap Jesus with three "trick" questions, followed by Jesus responding with his own question that shut them down, "No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions." Verse 46.

The religious leaders questions had to do with paying tax to Caesar, marriage in the resurrection and what the greatest commandment might be. The questions they asked really were well thought out and designed to delegitimize Jesus. However, no man is a match for the Son of God. As I say, he crushed them with his answers.

And then, to finish them off, he asked them a question, from Psalm 110:1, about how David could call a descendant of his "Lord". "If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" They were all left speechless! This is a must read!

If you are looking for something beyond fascinating, look no further!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

When God Walks Out the Door... - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 21:38-44,

"'"This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance." So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?' 'He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,' they replied, 'and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.' Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the Scriptures:

"The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes"?

'Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.'"

The above passage is from Jesus' parable of the tenants. I will leave the reading of it to you, found in Matthew 21:33-46.

The parable is a momentous announcement to the nation of Israel, the leaders of the Jews, and the world as a whole that the kingdom of heaven, at first offered to Israel, will shortly be taken from Israel as a nation and be given to others. In this parable Jesus explains what will take place, why this is to take place, and what the outcome will be, "kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." Verse 43. All these things have taken place exactly as Jesus explained them through this parable and his explanation of it.

Although oblivious to spiritual things, the chief priests  and Pharisees knew this was spoken against them, "When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them." Verse 45. What is so fascinating to me about how Jesus couched this parable, is that he led them to proclaim God's need to do it! (Of course without them realizing they were proclaiming the appropriateness of God doing such a thing to them, "'He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,' they replied, 'and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.'" Verse 41.)

This is a very significant passage, and together with other Scriptures, such as Romans 11, etc. we can learn clearly what God has done and will be doing with the church in the hands of Gentiles, and what is to become of the nation of Israel.

Just a fascinating passage!! You've got to read it!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

God Rewards! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 20:20-23,

"Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 'What is it you want?' he asked. She said, 'Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.' 'You don't know what you are asking,' Jesus said to them. 'Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?' 'We can,' they answered. Jesus said to them, 'You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.'"

 The mother of Zebedee's sons was Salome, a disciple of the Lord, and her sons were James and John. Together with Peter, James and John formed what we might view as Jesus' "inner circle" (as seen on the mount of transfiguration, etc.). As might be expected, the other ten were somewhat resentful of this bold or brash (depending on your reading of it) request. Somehow or another, I suspect Peter might have had something to say. 

While she might be viewed with a bit of distain (again, depending on your reading of it) for such a request, she was certainly fully invested in Jesus' kingdom as a great woman of faith, and carried the love of a mother for her sons. I suspect this was not some kind of attempt to seize places of honor in the kingdom for some nefarious reason, as it was done within the knowledge of all and that Salome was a true disciple that followed the Lord all the way, as seen by her presence at Jesus crucifixion, Mark 15:40, and who accompanied Mary Magdalene in going to Jesus' tomb with spices having an angelic encounter there, Mark 16:1-8 as they were told of his resurrection.

In any event, we learn from the episode (without a lot of certainty) that at this point Salome may still have had the impression that Jesus' kingdom would be an earthly kingdom to be established forthwith. 

We also learn from Jesus' response that positions in the kingdom of heaven (at least some) are appointed by God the Father, who has prepared certain ones for such roles. And, given Jesus' question of Salome's sons, if they could "drink the cup I am going to drink", those appointments by the Father might reflect some sacrificial devotion the Father may call such persons to.

The take away for me is that God rewards those he calls upon no matter the difficulty he calls them to.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

All About the Heart - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 19:8,

"Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning."

God gave Israel his law through Moses. When he did so, Israel entered into a covenant with God, and Moses' successor reminded the nation to keep the law. "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it." Joshua 1:8.

Astonishingly, the nation had drifted so far from God over years that they lost the law. In the days of King Josiah, when an effort was begun to refurbish the temple, the high priest discovered it in the temple.

By the time Jesus appeared, following horrific action by God six centuries earlier when he had Jerusalem destroyed together with the temple, and a small remnant deported into captivity, Israel finally embraced the law and even built a "fence" around it (the traditions of the elders), so that if the traditions were kept, one would keep himself from coming close to breaking the law.

However, they failed to understand that the law was a tool God was using to draw the Israelites to himself. In reality they could not keep the law. No one can. Therefore Paul wrote, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." Romans 3:20. The law proves we are sinners, incapable of living our lives on a godly standard (the law), and so those who wish eternal life must throw themselves at God's mercy, found at the foot of the cross - to embrace his payment for our sins.

The impossibility of keeping the law was a key message of Jesus' sermon on the mount. All a man had to do was to look at a woman and the stirrings of lust crossed the threshold of adultery. If one got angry, that was grounds for a conviction of murder.

What becomes clear is that Jesus' message was a message about the heart. It is seen in this chapter of Matthew in three ways. Pharisees came to challenge him on the legalities of marriage and divorce and Jesus spoke of the heart in the above passage. The disciples rebuked people bringing children to Jesus for his blessing and he rebuked his disciples pointing to the importance of anyone coming to him to have the heart of a child. A rich man looking for his ticket into heaven by being a do-gooder is told by Jesus to have compassion on the poor by giving his possessions to them.

This morning I am again reminded that it is all about the heart. Approaching God as if he were approachable on the basis of rules and regulations comes short of the matter. It is those rules and regulations that should help us find our heart's condition to prepare us for his mercy.

After all, if a man is doing quite nicely, thank you very much, why does he need mercy? Why does he need someone paying for his sins?

It is all about the heart. 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.