Harmony #61: Satan’s Divided Kingdom (Matthew 12:22-37, 43-45; Mark 3:22-27; Luke 11:14-22, 24-27)

Then they brought to Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus healed him so that he could speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?”

But the Pharisees, the experts in the law who came down from Jerusalem, said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul. He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!” (Because, they said, he had an unclean spirit). Now when Jesus realized what they were thinking, he called them and spoke to them in parables.

“How can Satan cast out Satan? Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed[1], and no town or house divided against itself will stand. So if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? I ask you this because you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.

“Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God (the finger of God- Luke), then the kingdom of God has unexpectedly overtaken you.

 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are safe and no one is able to enter his house and steal his property. But when a stronger man attacks, ties him up and conquers him, he takes away the first man’s armor on which the man relied. Then he can thoroughly plunder his house and divide up his plunder.

As he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever keeps on speaking against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age about to come.

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your account/words you will be acquitted, and by your account/words you will be condemned.”

* * * * * *

I found today’s passage to be one of the most challenging I have covered in this series.

1. It mentions what is often called the Unforgiveable Sin: blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It turns out that there is a wide range of opinions on what to do with this.

• Having an Unforgivable Sin seems counterintuitive to the overwhelming testimony of Scripture that God forgives all sins, so many theologians add *unless they repent in their commentary.

• Others claim it was a sin that could only be committed by eyewitnesses to Jesus, while God was embodied in front of them.

• Others define it simply as the rejection of the testimony of the Holy Spirit to the divinity of Jesus at any time.

2. Jesus seems to say, “You can blaspheme me, and that will be forgiven, but not the Holy Spirit.” The implication is that there is only one member of the Trinity against whom one can commit the Unpardonable Sin – which seems…odd to me, considering our Trinitarian theology. Those three persons have one essence. God doesn't exist in parts. The Trinity isn’t separable.[2] Jesus says things like, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father (John 14:9.” It’s a package deal. So whatever reading we have here can’t undermine the Trinity.

3. In the Jewish community, exorcisms were done, but the more I read, the more I suspect that the Pharisee’s sons were not accomplishing what they thought they were (more on this later). Maybe that’s one of the reasons Jesus elsewhere tells the Pharisees they are making disciples of hades (Matthew 23:15).

4. Is “will not be forgiven” the same as “will be damned?” Does it mean something like, “The consequences cannot be avoided while you are sinning,” or more like, “They can never recover from it?” What did Jesus’ original audience think when they heard this? Is there something from the Old Testament or Jewish culture that can help us understand what Jesus audience heard him teach here.

5. What is ‘this age and the age to come’? There is clearly something profoundly serious being communicated here about the nature of the sin, but it’s a surprisingly tricky phrase to translate for a variety of reasons that we will cover.

With those questions in mind, I offer a commentary/translation that is packed full of all kinds of Scriptural and cultural insight and context from 1st century Judaism. There are soooo many footnotes and endnotes to this - including opinions that differ from mine, because I want to be clear I am offering my understanding of this passage, and I could be misunderstanding it. There is no Message+ today, so perhaps our discussion this week can be in the company of church voices throughout history.

There is lots of commentary to ‘flesh out’ the what Jesus is saying about blasphemy and its penalty because it lands pretty hard but…I won’t revisit it. Read the notes. After we (hopefully) clarify the passage, I have one main point to make today about the clash between two kingdoms competing for our souls.

* * * * * *

Then they brought to Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus healed him so that he could speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?”

 The Pharisees, the experts in the law who came down from Jerusalem, said, “He is possessed by demons from Beelzebul.[3] He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!” Now when Jesus realized what they were thinking, he called them over and spoke to them in parables.

“I have a question for you. Do you think Satan casts out Satan? If Satan casts out Satan, he would be divided against himself, destroying his own Kingdom. Is that what you are claiming?  Some of your sons – your disciples - claim to cast out demons, right?

Eleazar claimed to use a signet ring and a root to draw out a demon through the nostrils of a possessed man; Tobias claimed to cast out a demon by forcing it to smell a fish’s liver and heart. Your disciples follow them in the Solomon’s tradition, with incantations and relics and fish guts. [4]  

So, are they and all the others you have trained in this tradition also casting demons out by the power of God or Beelzebul? Ah, I see some of your disciples are here with us today. I will let them judge your opinions on the matter.”

As the Pharisees and their disciples began a heated conversation, Jesus turned to the crowd.  “You know this passage from the Torah about the plagues in Egypt: ‘When the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not…the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.”

The Testament of Levi (18:12)[5] says of the awaited Messiah, “And Beliar [Satan] shall be bound by him. And he shall grant to his children the authority to trample on wicked spirits.”

This I have done. I cast out demons not with rings or roots or fish guts, but by the spirit of God, with the finger of God Himself.[6] The King over Beelzebul and all his demons is here. The kingdom of God has arrived,[7] and even the powers hiding behind the gates of Hades will not prevail.[8]

When a Strong Man like Beelzebul, fully armed with his demons, guards his own spiritual palace behind the gates of Hades, his possessions – literally, the people he possesses - are safe from being stolen, and no one is able to enter his house and steal his property.

But when a stronger man attacks, ties him up and conquers him, he takes away the demonic armor on which the Strong Man relied. Then he can thoroughly plunder his palace and re-home the people Beelzebul once possessed.[9]

I have plundered the Strong Man’s Kingdom. I am taking those he has possessed away from him. And when I set someone free, and my Spirit remains on them, they remain free. However, if someone attempts to do this with any other power, what looks like deliverance is not.

When an unclean spirit goes out of a person and can’t find another home, it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’  When it returns, it finds the house ready for habitation. So it fills this home with spirits more evil than itself. When this happens, that person is worse off than they were before.

That’s not just true for people. It’s what is happening right now, in this generation of Israel.[10] The Pharisees are like whitewashed tombs, looking righteously beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”[11] The Pharisees think they are cleaning out the evil among you; instead, all the devils are moving back in.”[12]

As he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out to him, “Your mother is the most fortunate of women to have you as her son. Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!”

 But he replied, “Blessed rather are those who not only claim to be teacher of the Law, but who hear the word of God and obey it! Whoever does not join with me and gather others into this Kingdom with me scatters them into other kingdoms.” 

He turned to the Pharisees. “This is why you must speak carefully. You dare not scatter the children of God into other kingdoms by misleading them. You know what the Law says about insulting or showing contempt to God.[13]

 ‘Because he has despised the Lord’s message and has broken his commandment, that person must be completely cut off from among his people.[14] His iniquity will be on him.’ (Numbers 15:30-3)

Like a little yeast spreads through the whole loaf of bread, so contempt for God spreads through a community.[15] The Kingdom of God cannot be divided against itself; those who show contempt for the presence, the power, and the path of God must be sent away.

You Pharisees have seen, through me, the Spirit of God at work over and over again; you have persisted in settled hostility, denying and insulting the Spirit’s obvious work.

 And so I tell you, according to the Torah, those who those who bring the leaven of heard-hearted mockery against the Spirit of God [16] and poison the spiritual life of the whole community of the Kingdom will be disfellowshipped from God’s Kingdom community[17]  both now, in this age[18] of the Torah, and in the coming age[19]of the Messiah.” [20] 

 “When a tree is good, its fruit will be good; when a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. The quality of a tree is recognized by the quality of its fruit.[21] It’s the same with people.” David reminded us that the righteous are like trees that bring forth good fruit. The book of Proverbs calls Lady Wisdom and the righteous, ‘trees of life.’[22]  

Here Jesus turned to the Pharisees. “You are like poisonous snakes, poisoning all that you touch. How can you who evil say anything good? You speak blasphemy, and what you speak is a reflection of what fills your heart.  Speak carefully: everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for even the most empty and careless words they have spoken. It is by the testimony of your own words that we will see what kind of tree you are.”

* * * * *

I think the key focus of this passage is more on the clash of Kingdoms than it is about the response of the Pharisees (though that is important too). I say this because the theme of conquering Satan’s Kingdom has been ongoing:

• the 70 disciples returned from a mission in which they cast out demons while telling people the Kingdom was coming.

• Jesus responded, “I was watching Satan fall from Heaven.”

• Then, when he demonstrates how to pray, he includes, “Deliver us from the Evil One.”

• Then, Jesus Himself ‘binds the Strong Man’

There are two Kingdoms competing for your allegiance. This is not some mystical battle. This is every day, in every way.

One kingdom is characterized by chaos, degradation, fear, manipulation, evil, injustice, hatred, exploitation, abuse, greed, mockery, lies, selfishness, meanness, unforgiveness, revenge, pride, and self-destruction. It’s path leads to destruction, and the payout is death.

The other Kingdom is characterized by order, growth, hope, persuasiveness, goodness, justice, love, stewardship, gentleness, generosity, encouragement, truth, community, kindness, forgiveness, and human flourishing for all. It’s path leads to righteousness, and it’s payout is Life.

The two opposing spirits we see in today’s events give us a clear snapshot.

The spirits of the Evil One -  - the demonic spirits – at times actually possess in order to control us to our destruction. In contrast, the Spirit of God indwells in order to help us flourish as the image bearers God made us to be.

Those who make disciples of Hades – the blasphemers as described in this story – are also in the control of the Kingdom of Satan, though it’s more subtle. This isn’t those on a genuine spiritual journeys to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling.”[23] There is generous space for those who are questioning, deconstructing bad theology and  reconstructing good theology as a foundation for their faith. This is about (in today’s terms?):  

• the manipulative charlatan who uses the Kingdom of Heaven as a cover for sin

• the mocking accuser who makes everyone around them cynical about the power of God even when it’s obviously at work

• the person so hardened in their prideful arrogance that they refuse to acknowledge that God is working through others.  

• It’s spiritual wolves in the clothing of sheep

Someone living in allegiance to the ways of the Kingdom of Satan may actually do more damage than someone possessed by the minions of the Kingdom. It’s easy to look at possession and say, “No thanks.” It’s a lot harder to look at what appears to be successful, polished spiritual leaders and see through the deception and chaos that is their fruit.

* * * * *

It’s possible to think too much about the spiritual war being wages for our souls. It’s also possible to think too little about it. It is important for us to be aware and engaged without living in fear.

• Is there a Strong Man? Yes. Remember this. Then, remember that we worship the one who binds him and plunders His kingdom.

• Are there demons? Yes. Remember this. Then remember that we worship the one who casts them out and fills up that space with the Holy Spirit that brought us the freedom.

Last week, we were reminded of how Jesus told us to pray: “Deliver us from the Evil One.” May that be our consistent prayer, followed by meditation on the kingdom, the power and the glory of our King

 ______________________________________________________________________________________

Here’s some commentary that I am including to give you an idea of the kind of discussion swirling around today’s passage.

·      “St. John Chrysostom teaches that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it. Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness “evil,” and are beyond repentance by their own choice.” (Orthodox Study Bible)

·      “The immediate meaning of that refers to something only those who saw Jesus in person could do: to see a miracle from Christ and attribute it to Satan. In the most literal sense, that's a sin which no one today can commit.” (bibleref.com)

·      “The only ‘unpardonable sin’ occurs when a person consciously and willfully rejects the operation of the Spirit bearing witness to the reality of Jesus as the Savior and rejects the convicting power of the Spirit in his or her life. (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament)

·      “It is a contrast between slandering "the Son of man" in His veiled condition and unfinished work—which might be done "ignorantly, in unbelief" (1Ti 1:13).. To blaspheme Christ in the former condition—when even the apostles stumbled at many things—left them still open to conviction on fuller light: but to blaspheme Him in the latter condition would be to hate the light the clearer it became, and resolutely to shut it out; which, of course, precludes salvation.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

·      “By rejecting the Spirit’s revelation about the person and work of Jesus, one cuts himself off from the very source of salvation.” (NKJV Evangelical Study Bible)

·      “As for the Jewish leadership, Jesus says that they have taken a route that ends in this irreversible state. All that they can produce is bad fruit, such as attributing Jesus’ deeds to Beelzebub. Their words are so poisonous that he calls them a brood of vipers. Their poison will kill those touched by it, unless proper treatment is given. Such leaders are doing a great disservice to the kingdom of heaven, and will be judged for it.”  Africa Bible Commentary

·      “To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is a sin for which there is no forgiveness in this age or in the millennial age to come. When Jesus said in this age, He was speaking of the days of His public ministry on earth. There is reasonable doubt whether the unpardonable sin can be committed today, because He is not bodily present performing miracles.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

·      “The Hebrew word olam (age) means ‘in the far distance’. When looking off in the far distance it is difficult to make out any details and what is beyond that horizon cannot be seen. This word is frequently translated as ‘eternity’ or ‘forever,’ but in the English language it is misunderstood to mean a continual span of time that never ends. In the Hebrew mind it is simply what is at or beyond the horizon, a very distant time. A common phrase in the Hebrew is "l'olam va'ed" and is usually translated as "forever and ever" but in the Hebrew it means "to the distant horizon and again" meaning "a very distant time and even further" and is used to express the idea of a very ancient or future time.”  http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/27_eternity.html

·      “The Hebrew word olam… in contexts where it is traditionally translated ‘forever,’ means, in itself, no more than ‘for an indefinitely long period.’ … In the New Testament, aion is used as the equivalent of olam.”  (Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible)

·      There exists considerable ambiguity about the meaning of the phrase olam haba (the age to come). Did it refer to the final state of man or to the one intermediate between the life of this world and the disposition of his soul in…the eternal abode after the last judgment… or Gehenna, the miserable dwelling place of the wicked.” (Jewish Virtual Library)

·      “The word aion originally meant ‘vital force,’ ‘life;’ then ‘age,’ ‘lifetime.’ It is, however also used generally of a (limited or unlimited) long space of time …” (The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible)

·      In a discussion on Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange, one writer noted, “The word ‘age’ is the Greek word, "aion" which is directly transliterated into the English "eon," a period of time with a beginning and an ending. We are in the "current evil eon" (Galatians 1:3-5); that is ‘this age’ in our critical phrase. ‘The eon to come’ is Christ's Millennial Kingdom. The final eon which follows  is the eon of the New Heaven and Earth. In this eon and in the next, this sin will not be forgiven.”

FOOTNOTES

[1] Perhaps a reference to the division of the Jewish nation under the reign of Jereboam?

[2] In 1 John, the disciple John will say that those who deny that Jesus is the Christ are the antichrist (2:22-23) Yikes. That doesn’t seem less serious, and yet they can be forgiven. Hmmmm.

[3] Beelzebub, or Baal, whom Jesus associates with Satan, was the prince of “the dung heap” or lord of “the flies”—a god worshipped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2–16).

[4] “Exorcisms were well known among the Jews. Josephus recorded Solomon developing the art of incantations for healing and exorcism. He wrote about Eleazar, a Jewish exorcist of his day as read in my commentary. Tobias is found in the book of Tobit (Tobit 8:1–3).” (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament)

[5] A popular extra-biblical Jewish writing.

[6] Exodus 8:19 chronicles the miracles Moses did that the court magicians could not repeat. It makes we wonder if the “children” Jesus references here are actually casting out demons or if they were frauds like the magicians.

[7] Many Jews believed that the Spirit, which had been quenched after the OT prophets, would be poured out again in the end time. Jesus presents his activity by the Spirit as evidence that the end-time kingdom had come. (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[8] Jesus said this another time (Matthew 16:18), but he’s making the same point.

[9] The binding of Satan was a symbol of the messianic age in Jewish apocalyptic literature. (ESV Reformation Study Bible)  Testament of Levi 18:12 quote found in Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament.

[10] “Jesus implies that… he was driving out demons; “this wicked generation” was welcoming them back in!” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[11] Matthew 23:27-28

[12] That last sentence is how The Message concludes the paragraph.

[13] “What Is Blasphemy? - Biblical Meaning, Definition and Examples.” https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-blasphemy-meaning-definition.html

[14] A popular book called The Book of Jubilees said of this kind of sin, “And there is therefore for them no forgiveness or pardon so that they might be pardoned and forgiven from all of the sins of this eternal error.” (15:34)

[15] Paul’s insight in Galatians 5:9.

[16] “It is not thought that this was a blasphemy which under no circumstances could be forgiven if right repentance followed it.” (Augustine) “Many at least of those who said these words believed afterward, and all was forgiven them. What is it then Christ was implying? That this sin is above all things inexcusable.” (Chrysostom)

[17] I think an example of this in the early church is when Paul told the church in Corinth what to do with a man living in blatant, destructive sin: “hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 5:5)

[18] An age - in the Old Testament Hebrew, olam; in the New Testament Greek, aion - could be a person’s lifespan, an indefinite period of time, or a future without an end in sight.

[19] A list found at hebrew4christians.com chronicles the 5 ages that the Jewish people of Jesus’ day believed covered history: :[19] the Age of Tohu (desolation) from Adam to Abraham; the Age of Torah (instruction) between then and the coming of the messiah; the Age of the Messiah; the Age of Souls as we await resurrection; and the Age of Resurrection.  

[20] “I am fully satisfied the meaning of the words is this: neither in this dispensation, (the Jewish,) nor in that which is to come (the Christian). Olam Ha-ba, the age to come, is a constant phrase for the times of the Messiah in the Jewish writers. ” (Adam Clarke) 

[21] If the ‘sons’ of the Pharisees are their fruit, this makes me think their ‘sons’ were not actually casting out demons like they thought they were.

[22] Proverbs 3:18; 11:30

[23] Philippians 2:12

Harmony #60: “The Lord’s Prayer” (Luke 11:1-13; Matthew 6:9-15, 7:7-11; Mark 11:25)

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” So he said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, may your name be hallowed/ honored;  may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  

 Give us today the bread (of life?), and forgive us our transgressions/debts, for we also forgive everyone who has transgressions/debts against us. And do not lead us into trials, but deliver us from the evil one. 

 “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him. For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.”

Jesus offered this prayer to his disciples as sort of a model. There’s nothing magical in the recitation of it, but in it we see foundational principles in how to pray, and why.

Our Father In Heaven…

“Our Father” starts us off with good theology. God is not a deistic God, aloof and uncaring. God is not a pantheistic God that is just part of nature. God is not the Force. God is personal,[1]relational, immediate, accessible. With this opening, we not only acknowledge God, we exercise faith that God will, indeed, relate to us as a perfectly good and loving Father relates to His children.

“Our Father” reminds us that he’s our father. Not just mine; ours. We cannot forget when we pray this that we are raised from death into new life in a family, a Christian community. In this, we are recognizing that while God is for us, He is for all of us. I cannot be content to simply think of God in terms of “me and God.” It’s “us and God.”

“This at once takes away hatred, quells pride, casts out envy and brings in the mother of all good things, charity…It shows [the equality of] the king and the poor person in all those matters that are most indispensible and of greatest weight.” - Chrysostom

“Our Father” reminds us of our status as Christians. It reminds us whose we are. We are meant to  approach God as a child approaches her father. 

 Galatians 4:6 “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father!’” 

Romans 8:15, 16 “You received the spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Think of “Abba” as the word children say before they can fully pronounce the word.[2] It’s the best expression of a deep, gut-level, unrestrained cry of joy when daddy walks into the room; it’s the instinctive wail of his title when a child in pain believes only daddy will make it better. It’s a word that is used only in a relationship of safety, trust, and love.

“Our Father” reminds us that God cares for us. God will guide and discipline us for our growth into maturity, but he does so because of His love. So just in this opening, we establish a theology of God, our status with Him, and our place within the Christian community.

May Your Name Be Hallowed/Honored…

“Hallowed be your name” is a plea, not a statement of fact. It’s saying, “Please, make your name revered or holy.” It’s asking for God to start the process in a world full of people – including the one praying – who takes the name of Jesus too casually. It’s asking that God’s character and nature be recognized as great by all who dismiss, insult or ignore it. This should humble us, because that includes us.[3]

It’s also a plea of both humility and hope. “Help me not to take your name lightly. Help me to appreciate the majesty of God. May the entirety of my life reflect that great weight and value I give to you; with your help, all I think, say and do will offer an accurate representation of you. ”   

“The prayer to hallow God’s name corresponds with what Jesus has previously taught: ‘Let you light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven…’ In effect he is saying, ‘Enable us to live so purely that through us all may glorify you’ It points us again to mature self-control, that we may present to all a life so irreprehensible that every one of those who observe may offer to the Lord the praise due him for this.” - Chrysostom

May Your Kingdom Come, May Your Will be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven

This is another phrase of hope and humility. Robert Law writes,

"Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting [our] will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done.”

Whenever we pray for justice, mercy, hope, and love, truth, and holiness, we are praying with hope that we will see these heavenly realities part now what we will see fully in the life to come.

It’s humbling in that we are asking God to reign in our lives in ways He does not now - emotions, desires, thoughts and commitments.

We want His desire to be our desires; His will to be our will; His loves to be our loves; His holiness to be ours. It’s also a reminder that, at the end of the day, we want God’s will to be done, not ours.

It’s not always easy to tell if we are within God’s will, or if we are selfishly motivated. It’s not possible for us to see all that God sees, so in many situations our best prayer is one where we ask God for life to unfold in a way that makes complete sense to us – but it might not be in the will of a God who has faultless wisdom, love and power. Even Jesus prayed:

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22)

This is another part of praying in God’s name. Praying in his name means praying in tune with God’s nature and character, and therefore praying for something to happen as God would have it happen.

In prayer we call on him to work out his purpose, not simply to gratify our whims.   (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary[4])

It’s also challenging. This part of the prayer reminds us that others are praying this too. If we are excited to see God’s will for ourselves or the earth accomplished through the Holy Spirit and the people of God – well then, people of God, buckle up. What if I am the thing God uses in answer to someone else’s prayer?

• When the poor pray for finances, will I be willing to help?

• When the lonely pray for a friend, am I available?

• When the desperate pray for help, am I ready?

Give Us Today The Bread (of life) …

Literally, “that which is sufficient for our life.”  In ancient literature, this word is only found in the Bible and only twice, so there is uncertainty about how to translate it. It almost looks like Jesus coined a new word to make his point. It can convey everything from bread today, to bread tomorrow, to the bread of heaven that will sustain us for eternity.[5] Jerome called it “bread that is above all substances and surpasses all creatures.”[6]

This is a prayer about trusting God to provide what we need. We can take for granted that we can take care of ourselves. If that fails, our family, church or government will provide. This part of the prayer reminds us that our blessings find their source in him. For that reason, we thank God ultimately for supplying for our needs. It’s a constant reminder that life is saturated with the presence and work of God, and even in our greatest accomplishments or in the most generous deeds of others it is God who sustains and provides.

 There is a future hope here as well. We are trusting that God will sustain us into and through eternity, which will require the true “bread of life,” Jesus Christ.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Jesus, in John 6:51

And Forgive Us Our Transgressions/Debts, For We Also Forgive Everyone Who Has Transgressions/Debts Against Us.

Apollonius of Tyana was a Greek philosopher, a contemporary of Jesus whom a number of scholars have compared with Jesus. They shouldn’t. He once prayed, “Give me that which is my due—pay me, ye gods, the debts ye owe to me.” This is not the prayer of one who understands Jesus or the Christian faith.

Here is the first acknowledgment: We have all sinned, broken God’s law and harmed ourselves and others as we have stepped out of the path of Life. We are in desperate need of someone to free us from the wages of sin. This is a plea for God, in His mercy, to cover the cost of our sins and repair that which has been broken by us or in us.

The second acknowledgment is that we must forgive those who sin against us. This is much tougher than praying that God forgives us of our sins. We must forgive those who have sinned against us: our spouse, our parents, cruel people at work or school. This list includes users and abusers, manipulators and liars. We all have sinned; we all are in desperate needs of God’s forgiveness. We want God to forgive us; as representatives bearing His name, we must offer forgiveness as well.

This portion of the prayer is what Augustine called “a terrible petition.” If we pray these words this while harboring unforgiveness, we are actually asking God not to forgive us. We would be saying, “I haven’t forgiven my friend/spouse/neighbor yet, so please don’t forgive me.” John and Charles Wesley wrote of this passage that, if we pray this while harboring unforgiveness, it is as if we were saying, “Do not forgive us at all…We pray that you will keep our sins in remembrance, and that your wrath may abide upon us.”

Scripture teaches that God forgives even when we don’t deserve it (Isaiah 43-44 is a powerful passage on this note). I don’t think this is a demand that we perfectly remember all the ways we need to extend forgiveness, because we aren’t perfect. I think this is about a crucial spiritual marker of an ongoing commitment to purposeful and sincere forgiveness, which will say something about the sincerity of our ongoing surrender and discipleship.

“God sees His own image reflected in His forgiving children; to ask God for what we ourselves refuse to men, is to insult Him.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

We must be committed to being deliberately and habitually forgiving.[7] 

And here I must note something. So far, this prayer is full of excellent requests: “Make you Kingdom come alive in me; provide for my physical and spiritual needs every day.” But here it’s different: here we are asking God to mirror our commitment to life in the Kingdom. Some commentators call this a ‘covenantal’ part of the prayer. I’d like to suggest that this is the line in the prayer that does two things:

• Reminds us we aren't passive participants in the Kingdom

• Highlights the heart of the Kingdom: forgiveness

We’ve been asking so far for God to give us incredible gifts: He hallows his name; He brings His Kingdom into reality in our hearts; He nourishes us with what we need for this life and the next.  So, what do we do with all this provision He has provided?  It turns out that God is equipping us to do the thing that is central to the character and nature of God: forgive. As Chrysostom noted,

“Nothing makes us so like God as our readiness to forgive the wicked and the wrongdoer.”

And do not lead us into trials,[8] but deliver us from the evil one.

• Trial: “trouble sent by God and serving to test or prove one's faith, holiness, character.” 

• Temptation: “an enticement to sin, arising from outward circumstances, within, or from Satan” (Luke 8:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:12; 1 Timothy 6:9; Luke 4:13).[9]

The commentaries I have been reading note that “lead us not into temptation” is better understood as “lead us not into trials/testing.” Wuest’s Translation says:

“Do not bring us into the place of testing where the circumstances in which we are tested lead us on to the place where we are solicited to do evil.”

So this is once again humble and hopeful. It’s humbling in that we acknowledge we are people in need of the refining result that trials can bring. This prayer asks for us to be able to mature without trials (wouldn’t that be great???). Please, dear God, if at all possible, let this cup pass from me. Jesus prayed it; we can too.  But if a trial is what it takes, keep us from giving into the temptation from the Evil One (Luke 4:13; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8) and from from the lusts within ourselves that undermine us (James 1:14; 4:1-4). It’s a prayer to save us from moral failure within and the ravages of moral evil all around.[10]

It is so easy for a maturing test to push us away from God instead of toward God. Deliver us, Lord, from the Evil One, who would turn what you plan to use to bring us spiritual life into something that brings spiritual death.

But there is the hopeful reminder in this request: we know that God is a Deliverer. The Old Testament shows us that, time after time, God faithfully guides his people through trials and delivers his people from the snares of sin and power of temptation.

For Yours Is The Kingdom, And The Power, And The Glory Forever, Amen.

This phrase is not in the earliest manuscripts, but it was written in the margins beside this prayer so often that the early church added it relatively quickly – think of it as a doxology, a short closing song. After focusing on our needs, our troubles, our frailty, we return to the glory of God.  N.T. Wright says,

“If the church isn't prepared to subvert the kingdoms of the world with the kingdom of God, the only honest thing would be to give up praying this prayer altogether, especially its final doxology.”

All kingdoms answer to God. All power comes from God. All glory belongs to God. In a world where kingdoms rise and fall, and power corrupts, and glory is tarnished and fleeting, it’s a reminder that God is uncorrupted, lasting, powerful and good, and true glory is found only in him.

* * * * * * * * * *

So, “Lord, help us to: Never forget your holiness and majesty; pray for your will and reign, not ours; trust for daily and eternal provision; constantly forgive others; mature through trials without giving in to evil.” 

That’s a lot. It’s a high bar. I’ve said several times that it’s hopeful and humbling. Here’s where I add, “This sounds almost impossible.” But…Jesus isn’t done with this teaching. I believe the next thing he says addresses that fact that when God calls us, God equips us. Don’t think of what I am about to read as the next ‘episode.’ This all flows together. 

Luke 11:10-13; Matthew 7:7-11

“So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

What father among you, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? Or if he asks for bread, will give him a stone? 

If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the good gift of the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! 

There it is. The solution. The equipment for the life to which we have been called. The Spirit of God himself resides within us. God has not left us to our own devices to live the way he has designed us to live. He is personally helping us flourish as image bearers of God, as children of God, as ambassadors for God.

________________________________________________________________________________________

[1] http://www.biblesociety.org.au/news/god-is-a-person-but-what-does-this-mean

[2] I first heard this point made by Tim Keller in a sermon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqxXABgRhVo

[3] I pulled some ideas about the radical nature of the Lord’s Prayer from this excellent article: “The Lord’s Prayer Advert Has Been Banned For Being Offensive - Which It Is.” http://thinktheology.co.uk/blog/article/the_lords_prayer_advert_has_been_banned_for_being_offensive_which_it_is\

[4] “The prayer of Gethsemane—“If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done,” should teach what prayer in the name and spirit of Christ means.” (Ellicot’s Commentary)

“ ’In My name’ corresponds to “according to My character” and thus is parallel to other texts that require us to leave room for God’s will to overrule ours.” (The Apologetics Study Bible)

[5] From Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers: “The form of the word admits of the meanings, (1) bread sufficient for the day now coming; (2) sufficient for the morrow; (3) sufficient for existence; (4) over and above material substance… I find myself constrained to say that the last meaning seems to me the truest. Let us remember: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4… I think, to see that He meant His disciples… we mean not common food, but the “Bread from heaven, which giveth life unto the world.”

[6] I believe all the quotes from the early church fathers comes from the commentary in the series Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture.

[7] “The parables of the Two Debtors (Luke 7:41) and of the Unforgiving Creditor whose own debt had been forgiven (Matthew 18:23-35) were but expansions of the thought which we find in its germ in this clause of the Lord’s Prayer.” (Elliot’s Commentary For English Readers)

[8] I lean toward “trials” as being the best way to translate the word. However, Tertullian (an early church father) represented what it looks like to read it as “temptations.” He reads Jesus as saying, “Do not allow us to be led by the Tempter.”

[9] Both these words use the same root word; translations will differ on the usage at times. (http://biblehub.com/greek/3986.htm). 

[10] How does God  answer this prayer and deliver us? His Word. (Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 6:20-24); Prayer (Matthew 26:41; Luke 22:40); The Armor of God (Ephesians 6); Wise Boundaries (1 Corinthians 7:5; Proverbs 5-7); Resistance and flight (1 Timothy 6; James 4:7; Matthew 18:8-9; Proverbs 1:10-15; Genesis 39:7-10; Daniel 1:8).

Harmony #59: Loving Your Neighbor: The Good Samaritan (Luke10:25-37)

This passage continues the theme of the presence of the kingdom:

• the sending of the seventy (“The Kingdom is coming.”) (10:1-16)

• the announcement of Satan’s fall (10:17-20)

• praise for God’s revelation in the Son incarnated (10:21-24)

The question that prompts the Parable of the Good Samaritan is a teacher of the Law basically asking, “How do I participate in this Kingdom?”[1] Before we get into the story, let’s set the background for why it matters that the hero of the parable is a Samaritan.

Samaritans and Jews had notoriously bad relations. The following Jewish texts give just a few examples.

• Sirach 50:25-26: “Two nations my soul detests, and the third is not even a people: Those who live in Seir, and the Philistines, and the foolish people that live in Shechem (Samaria).”

• Testament of Levi 7.2: “Shechem shall be called ‘City of the Senseless,’ because as one might scoff at a fool, so we scoffed at them.”

• Rabbi Eliezer used to say: “He that eats the bread of the Samaritans is like to one that eats the flesh of swine.”[2]

Their intense disliked played out in practical ways.

• At the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BC), the Samaritans denied being related to the Jews and renamed their temple a temple of Zeus to avoid persecution.[3]

• Josephus records that at one point Jewish people destroyed the city with the temple down to rubble. Meanwhile, the Samaritans desecrated the Jerusalem Temple by scattering bones in it one night during Passover (shortly before 9 A.D. which would have been close to the Jesus, as a 12-year-old, was hanging out at the temple as recorded in Luke 2).

This brings us to the text.

Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?”

The expert answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as if your neighbor were yourself.” Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side.

So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them.

Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.’

“Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The expert in religious law said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” So Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Let’s talk about the Priest and Levite first.

At the time of Jesus' ministry in Palestine, Roman military occupation was causing breakdown in local law enforcement. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notoriously dangerous, with robbers often setting set ambushes for people travelling the road. Finding a dude beaten near to death and robbed meant bandits were close by. The first two men might have hurried on because they thought the guy was already dead and they feared being attacked. They may have thought the whole thing was a trap, like Loki’s “Get help!” in Thor:Ragnarok.

Also, priests were prohibited from having contact with corpses except those of close relatives,[4]and this exception was not allowed to the high priest[5] or a Nazarite.[6] Since you could be defiled just by being in contaminated air, the rabbis established a ‘six feet of distance minimum’ rule.[7]

I can imagine the early audience nodding along at this point. Of course. These were holy men. They couldn’t afford to get defiled; if it was a potential trap, they were just being wise.

However…. Let’s say the Priest and Levite thought he was dead. Jewish people were commanded to bury a neglected corpse, as were priests and Nazarites.

Second, for most Jews, saving a life was far more important than ritual uncleanness. Whether the priest and the Levite thought he was dead or alive is unclear, but in either case they had the obligation to help, either to bury the corpse despite defilement or to assist the man in need.[8]

So, now maybe think of Jesus’ audience nodding along: “Yep. This is a “real world” tension on that road. We understand their fear and desire for purity, but they really should have stopped.” Of all people, the teacher of the law should have been tracking.[9]

But…let’s add another layer. The Jewish people thought of their responsibilities as a series of concentric circles: family first, then those of Jewish descent, then those not ancestrally Jewish who followed the Law and lived in Jewish community. The closer one was to the center, the more one deserved help. To those outside – Gentiles, foreigners, strangers - there was no obligation. But…. a debate raged about these lines.[10] Some people loved the lines; others didn’t.

• Tobit: “Place your bread on the grave of the righteous, but give none to sinners.”

• “Give to the devout, but do not help the sinner. Do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly…”

• Rabbi Nathan: “If he acts as thy people do, thou shalt love him; but if not, thou shalt not love him.”

However, some of the Jewish people thought those lines were a bad idea:

• Josephus, Contra Apionem: “He who refuses to a suppliant the aid which he has power to give is accountable to justice.”

• Testament of Issachar: “I acted in piety and truth all my days. The Lord I loved with all my strength; likewise, I loved every human being as I love my children.”

• There was a popular story of rabbi Bar Kappara helping a shipwrecked Roman proconsul by taking him home and giving him food, drink, and money.[11]

So here we are in the tension again. The lawyer’s question implies that there is such a thing as a non-neighbor. Traditionally, “neighbor” would refer to a fellow Jew, so his viewpoint is not that unusual. But there were plenty of Jewish people who pushed back on that notion and believed there were no non-neighbors.[12] 

This is a profoundly weighty question. Jesus is not going to settle them with his answer; he’s going to unsettle them. Let’s see if we can join them J

* * * * *

1. With the parable, Jesus’ audience surely remembered Leviticus 19:33-34.

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

Love does not permit us to merely love those who are “our kind.” No one is a non-neighbor. Disciples of Jesus should refuse to stop expanding the circle that defines “neighbor” and instead continue drawing bigger circles until they surround everyone, even their enemies, and the line becomes pointless. It’s hard – it might feel like carrying a cross - but no alternative is allowed for followers of Jesus.[13]

2. When we truly experience the love of the truly Good Samaritan (Jesus), we will “go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). We love our enemies because Jesus loved us first. We offer merciful help to those who are troubled – i.e. everyone - because Jesus showed us mercy first. The word used in the original Greek means the Samaritan had “pity from the deepest part of the soul.” The original Greek says that the Samaritan showed the kind of care that is “shown by parents and nurses to children.”

Do you want to have the heart of the Good Samaritan as you interact with others? Get to know the heart of the Ultimate Good Samaritan: Jesus found us; saved us; washed us in the baptism of water, the Holy Spirit, and the Blood of Jesus; and set us in the ‘inn’ of a local church congregation for ongoing ministry and safety.[14] Let’s go and do likewise  by imitating the heart of God for others.

3. Jesus does not specify the identity of the victim. This establishes what some call “the universal neighborhood of mankind.” Even if someone is not a brother or sister in Christ, they are a neighbor to whom we should show love and mercy. The Samaritan treated the wounds with oil and wine he could have sold or used for himself. He may have torn up his own clothes to bind the wounds. He walks, and put the man on his donkey. I think this is what the now hotly debated “He gets us” foot-washing commercial was trying to convey – the “universal neighborhood of mankind” as described and lived by Jesus. Maybe they should have done this quick parable instead. This idea is now copyrighted J

4. If the Good Samaritan is a model for us, so is the innkeeper.  The Good Samaritan helped in the moment; the innkeeper helped long term. Maybe think of the inn as either church life in general or a long-term relationship we have with someone who has been beaten up evil, sin, or just life. We have no idea what followed in the parable: how long it took for the man to recover; whether there were more bills to pay; if the man ever did recover.[15] Turns out there are two merciful people in this story,[16] and where to draw the line on extending mercy and generosity remains open-ended at the end of the parable.[17]

5. I wonder who the controversial hero and anonymous victim would be in the United States today? They would have to be someone from a people group who scares or angers us; a group whose worship we think is terribly misguided; a group with whom the Christian community may have a combative history; a group we cannot envision God ever using in a meaningful way; a group in which we think people have no idea how to do good. Then, we would have to change the Levite and priest to respected members of our church or community or political party. Adam Clarke, say more!

“Remember, this kindness is for any person, of whatever nation, religion, or kindred, whom he finds in necessity. [The language] signifies one who is near, [or] next, [which]makes any person our neighbor whom we know; and, if in distress, an object of our most compassionate regards. If a man came from the most distant part of the earth, the moment he is near you he has a claim upon your mercy and kindness, as you would have on his, were your dwelling-place transferred to his native country…. Any person whom you know, who dwells hard by, or who passes near you, is your neighbor while within your reach.”(Adam Clarke)

The possibilities for new Samaritans and victims are nearly endless, but the characters need to shock us as much as it did Jesus’ audience. Remember, Jesus said to the teacher, “Do this and live (the life of the Kingdom),” implying that Samaritan was doing just that. Jesus chose someone they assumed was sooooo far from God and demonstrated that person understood the Law better than they did, and thus lived more in tune with the heart of God. So for us, maybe this story is (hat tip to Tyler Watson for this list)…

The Parable of the Good Atheist. The Good Religious Right Christian. The Parable Good Progressive Christian. The Good Drug Addict. The Good Oil Tycoon. The Good Homeless Man. The Good NRA Member. The Good Black Lives Matter Activist. The Good Blue Lives Matter Advocate. The Good Communist. The Good Capitalist. The Good Undocumented Immigrant. The Good Border Patrol Officer. The Good Joe Biden Voter. The Good Donald Trump Supporter.

Find the one that makes you the most uncomfortable, and you’ll know you’re on the right track.[18]

Or….maybe that’s the list of victims on the side of the road. Maybe that’s all the people who, when they are in distress, all that matters is their distress. We are a church in the evangelical tradition, so let’s call this the Parable of the Good Evangelical. When we see those battered and bruised by life, do we ask if they deserve our help? Do we need to know if they are they Christian or Atheist, Religious Right or Left, Citizen or non-citizen, rich or poor, activist on the Right or Left, Communist or Capitalist, Biden or Trump supporter? Why would it matter?

“Love should not be limited by its object; its extent and quality are in the control of its subject.”[19]

When we can bring practical healing and introduce people to the Great Physician, we should do it. When we can bring practical hope and offer Gospel hope, we should bring them. When we can lead people to a place where they can find practical and spiritual rest, we should do that. And in all of this, we demonstrate the heart of Jesus in order to point to Jesus.

6. After the parable, Jesus asks his own question: Which of these was a neighbor?  “Who is my neighbor?” is not the right question. The right question is, “Am I a good neighbor?” Being a good neighbor is now a moral goal for us, not a label for others. We should stop asking whom we must care for and just care for people. We should be State Farm.[20] Jesus didn’t close with, “Now think differently;” he said, “Go and do likewise.” The more merciful we are in tangible ways, the more we know we are moving toward that goal.

7. The parable, like most of Scripture, is concerned with identity. The teacher asks Jesus, “What do I have to do?” Jesus basically responds, “What kind of person are you?”

This is not a question of mere belief, but of what we are, particularly in relation to God and what motivates us and controls our being. Who we are cannot be separated from what we do. Or life with God in Christ is intended to be a relation of love that establishes an identity that we live out in our families and communities (1 John 4:10-11). The ‘doing’ that follows ‘being’ is not about earning salvation; it’s about being who we already are in Christ. [21]

 
_____________________________________________________________________________________

[1] Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus, by Klyne R. Snodgrass

[2] Stories with Intent, by Klyne R. Snodgrass

[3] Heyoh! I didn’t realize this last week when I floated the idea that, when the 70 went to Samaritan territory and cast out demons, “I saw Satan fall from heaven” might have referred to Zeus and Olympus.

[4] Leviticus 21:1-4; 22:4-7; Ezekiel 44:25-27

[5] Leviticus 21:11

[6] Numbers 6:6-12

[7] Interesting side note about this distance. During the bubonic plague in the 1300s, when Catholic churches were closed, the priests would administer mass to parishioners by going door-to-door, handing the elements to them on a six-foot pole. Today, when we worry about spreading airborne disease (like Covid), the recommended distance to keep is still six feet. #fortrivianight

[8] Stories with Intent, by Klyne R. Snodgrass

[9] My discussion so far is built on the insights from “The Foolish Samaritan,” by Frances Coppola. 

[10] The early church would continue to teach all-encompassing mercy:

·  Didache 1:2: “The Way of Life is this: First, thou shalt love the God who made thee, secondly, thy neighbour as thyself. . . .”

·  Barnabus 19:2, 5: “Thou shalt love thy maker. . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbour more than thy own life.”

[11] Stories with Intent, by Klyne R. Snodgrass

[12] Thanks to “Going Deeper in the Parable of the Good Samaritan,” by Michelle Barnewall for an insightful foundation on which I built.

[13] Stories with Intent, by Klyne R. Snodgrass

[14] “The bandages, oil, and wine are sacramental images for (1) the garment of baptism, which delivers us from the wounds of sin; (2) the oil of chrismation, which gives us new life in the Holy Spirit; and (3) the communion of the divine Blood, which leads to eternal life…the inn reveals the Church in which Christ's care is received.” (Orthodox Study Bible) This was the primary view of the Early Church Fathers.

[15] “The Parable Of The Good Samaritan’s Deeper Meaning,” by Candice Lucey

[16] “The Foolish Samaritan,” by Frances Coppola 

[17] Which, I suspect, led to a LOT of conversation afterward.

[18] Rereading the Parable of the Good Samaritan, by Tyler Watson

[19] Expositor’s Bible Commentary

[20] “Every one… to whom the circumstances analogous to the instance of the Samaritan direct thee to exercise helpful love in order thereby to become his neighbour, thou hast to regard as thy neighbour.” (Myer’s New Testament Commentary)

[21] I am summarizing some marvelous thoughts from Rereading the Parable of the Good Samaritan, by Tyler Watson.

Harmony #58: Return of the 70 (Luke 10:13-22; Matthew 11:25-30)

We have to back up a little bit to give us context for some of the things Jesus is going to say in today’s passage. When Jesus sent out the 72, he said this about three cities:

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.

 I mentioned this last week, but remember that “woe” is not pronouncing a curse. It’s an expression of sadness about what is going to happen, not an orchestration of what is going to happen.

It’s interesting to note that it’s about cities. We don’t see elsewhere in Scripture where cities face some kind of eternal judgment anymore than they get an eternal reward, so I suspect this “day of judgment’ has something to do with the trajectory of these cities, how they will “sow and reap” in the world, and how the wages of their arrogance and sin will be the death of their culture. Historically, they all were eventually “judged” out of existence; all that remains is ruins, literally. More on this in a bit.

Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” So he said to them, “I was watching The Adversary[1], Satan, fall like lightning from heaven[2]. Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.”

There seems to be an almost child-like wonder: ”No way! Even supernatural evil has to submit to us in you name!” I’m not sure if they were excited about the power, amazed at what invoking the power of Jesus’ name could do, or a little of both. And depending on how you read that, you get a couple different ways of understanding what Jesus meant when he said, “I was watching the Satan fall from Heaven like lightning.”

·  If they are amazed at their own power, Jesus is warning them: “Listen, Satan loved power, and I watched him get cast out of heaven. Don’t fall in love with power.”

·  If they are amazed at Jesus’ power, he confirms it: “Yes, I was watching the power of the Prince of the Air[3] - Beelzebub[4], ruler of demons[5] - crumble even as you were at work. You can crush these  these snakes and scorpions through my power, and I will protect you from them.”

·  There is an interesting argument to be made that ‘heaven’ is Olympus, since the word here was sometimes used in antiquity to mean “the seat of the gods, the portion of Zeus.”[6] Zeus was a big deal to the Gentile audience. In Acts 14, Peter and Paul get confused with Zeus and Hermes at one point. In Revelation 2, Pergamum is identified as a place where Satan has this throne – perhaps the massive statue of Zeus, and where the people referred to him as “Zeus the Savior.” Keep in mind that the Gospel accounts were some of the last NT books written, so the authors had plenty of time to “read the room” and see what kind of details from the life of Jesus were important to know.  If so, here’s Luke writing to a predominantly Greek audience, associating the demonic realm with the Greek Pantheon (which even the Greeks had begun to believe at that point), and singling out Zeus with his lightning and all to highlight that Jesus as the Lord over them all.

And here is another interesting thing from this comment. This is the only recorded instance when Jesus told His disciples not to rejoice in something good.[7] Hmmmm. There may be a message here about here about what we are to truly value in the Kingdom. Obviously, freeing someone from demonic possession is a good thing (!), but Jesus is quick to redirect their enthusiasm.

“Jesus implies two sets of contrast: (1) Disciples should focus on their status before Christ instead of on their own power since it is only in the name of Christ that victory can be achieved (vv. 19, 22). (2) Disciples should focus on what happens “in heaven” rather than on their performance on earth.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

Following Jesus starts with “being” – in Christ, a child of God, a citizen of the Kingdom, a living stone building the temple. It starts with a new identity. This is the most important thing. From that ‘being’ flows our ‘doing’ with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. That’s everything from being good parents to stewarding our money wisely to casting out demons.

Jesus takes their eyes of the thing they did that impressed themselves and moves their eyes to the impressive thing God has done for them. This is always meant to be the greatest source of our joy.

At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.[8]

This reason for rejoicing may sound odd to us, but it was a common expression among the Jewish people of Jesus time.

·  A first century Rabbi named Jochanan said, “From the time in which the temple was destroyed, wisdom was taken away from the prophets, and give a to fools and children.” (Bava Bathra, in the Babyonian Talmud)

·  A second century Rabbi named Shimon bar Yochai, wrote, “In the days of the Messiah, every species of wisdom, even the most profound, shall, be revealed; and this even to children." (Synopsis Sozar)[9]

The cities had every chance to welcome Jesus. They deliberately refused him. When they chose blindness, God granted them their request. Fortunately, God will reveal Himself to humble, open hearts. The contrast is between those who are self-sufficient and deem themselves wise and those who are dependent and love to be taught.[10]

 “Those who pride themselves in understanding divine things are judged, whereas those who understand nothing are taught.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

Why was it good that God hid truths from those cities? They weren’t ready for it. It makes me think of the classic line from A Few Good Men:  “You can’t handle the truth.”

How often in church history have we seen the precious news of the Gospel misused in the hands of those who just don’t understand who Jesus is or what he taught? You don’t give that which is holy to those who will use it for destructive purposes.[11]

You know who was ready?  The common folk, the humble, the ones whose religiosity did not get in the way of seeing Jesus for who he was.

This wasn’t Jesus writing off the people in these towns as if they no longer mattered. Remember, he’s grieving their response. He’s just noting it was God’s will that what will eventually be known as the church – the corporate group of Jesus followers – is not going to begin in the halls of power and fame. It’s not going to trickle down from the  homes of the rich, the halls of academia, the chambers of government. It’s going to start with those who:

· know they are sick and need a doctor

· are willing to become like children (in that society, powerless)

· are there to serve, not be served

· ‘esteem others better than themselves’

· have rejected religiosity in favor of genuine love for God and others

I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but the next event is a religious leader asking how to get into the Kingdom, and Jesus responding with the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which ends with the command to be merciful, not so hung up on a tradition that breeds heartless arrogance.

God never intended to entrust the good news of the Gospel to those who love power, prestige, and arrogance. He entrusted it to the poor and powerless, the rejected, the overlooked. He gave it to those who understood their spiritual poverty (#beatitudes). He gave it to those who could understand that the good news of Jesus was, indeed, good news.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.[12] No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.

Jesus came to earth to reveal who God is. We don’t have time to dive into a theology of the Trinity, but I think Jesus is just clarifying that He is God. God the Father’s power is God the Son’s power. God the Father’s rule and reign is God the Son’s rule and reign. What’s true about God the Father is true about God the Son.

The next verse is an open invitation: “Come unto me, all who are weary…” with a promise that Jesus will reveal who God is even more fully.

 “Come to me, all[13] you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.[14] Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is well-fitted[15]and easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

Let’s talk about rest, and yokes.

The yoke is primarily a farming image, In farming, two cattle are yoked together to plow. It was a way that young cattle learned from older, more experienced cattle. It was also a reality for those in poverty, as they would have to move a cart by putting a yoke of sorts on themselves– think of Tevya transporting milk in Fiddler On The Roof.

Jewish teachers spoke of people bearing the yoke of God’s kingdom, which was primarily obeying the Law.

· The Mishna, the first written collection of Jewish oral tradition, says, “Take upon you the yoke of the holy kingdom.”[16]

· A teacher before Jesus’ era said, “Come near me, you who are unlearned … Get wisdom, put your neck under her yoke … Look with your eyes: I have labored only a little and I have found for myself great rest” (Sirach 51:23 – 27).[17]

But what was meant to bring rest had brought burdensome and even oppressive additions of traditions so much that Jesus said the made scribes and Pharisees now ‘bound on heavy burdens’(Matthew 23:4.)[18]Jesus now speaks of his own yolk. Those who turned to God’s ways as revealed through Jesus would find rest for their souls (Jeremiah 6:16).[19]   As Adam Clarke says of this passage (and I am paraphrasing a bit),

·  Sinners, wearied in the ways of sin, are invited to come to Christ and find speedy relief.

·  Penitents, burdened with the guilt of their crimes, may come to the Cross, and find instant pardon.

·  Believers, sorely tempted, and oppressed by the remains of the carnal mind, may come to the blood that cleanses from all unrighteousness; and, purified from sin and strengthened in every temptation, they shall find rest in the Savior.

Songs for Contemplation

·      “O Come To the Altar.”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6oFT53Lrho

·      “Jesus, Strong and Kind.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Y8s-Sz_ac

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[1] “Satan” is a title; it would be more accurate to say “the Satan.”

[2] “It is not clear whether Jesus is speaking of a vision by which he saw something in the spiritual realm or if this is simply a declaration of what has been happening. In either case, Satan’s authority and power over people has been broken. Serpents and scorpions are physical dangers that the disciples will face in their preaching, and also symbols of demonic opposition.  (The ESV Global Study Bible)

“Jewish tradition spoke of Satan’s primeval fall in sin (though the Greek verb tense here might mean that Jesus watched Satan fleeing before them). The language… could also be used figuratively (see v. 15 ; La 2:1). (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

“A second possible interpretation of Jesus’ words is as a warning against pride. It is as if He were saying: ‘Yes, you are quite heady because even the demons have been subject to you. But just remember… it was pride that resulted in Lucifer… being cast out of heaven. See that you avoid this peril.’”  (Believers Bible Commentary)

“This verse falls back on the taunt-song describing the fall of the king of Babylon (Isa 14:4-11).” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

“Similar imagery related to Satan’s defeat appears in John 12:31; Revelation 12:7–17; 20:1–3, 10.”  (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament)

[3] Ephesians 2:2

[4] Matthew 12:24

[5] Matthew 9:34

[6] According to the BDAG (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich, a Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature.

[7] Believers Bible Commentary

[8] “Jesus is not suggesting that God has chosen certain individuals for salvation and others for condemnation. Rather, God has decided that those who choose to place their trust in the wisdom of this world will be blinded to the reality of his kingdom, while those who reject such reliance on worldly wisdom (and depend on God) will receive understanding (vv.25-27).” (Asbury Bible Commentary)

[9] As noted by Adam Clarke in his commentary

[10]  Believer’s Bible Commentary

[11] “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” Matthew 7:6

[12] As in Dan. 7, the Son of Man has received all power and dominion.

[13] “When we read that the Father is revealed only to those whom the Son chooses, we might be tempted to think of an arbitrary selection of a favored few. The following verse guards against such an interpretation. The Lord Jesus issues a universal invitation to all who are weary and heavy laden to come to Him for rest. In other words, the ones to whom He chooses to reveal the Father are those who trust Him as Lord and Savior.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary) 

[14] Remember: he didn’t come to call the healthy, but the sick.

[15] The word Xrestos, transliterated chrestos. It was given as a name to slaves who were ‘useful’ or ‘kindly. A variant spelling is…. Christus J (HELPS Word Studies)

[16] Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

[17] NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

[18] Adam Clarke Commentary

[19] “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls…’” 

Harmony #57: The Sending Of the 70/72[1] (Luke 10:1-16)

In the last installment, we read about the response of three potential followers of Jesus, all of whom had something that got in the way. Today, we will see the obedient response of 70 of Jesus’ followers (Luke 9:57-62).This is not the first time Jesus sent a group of his disciples on a focused mission. 

In the chapter just before this one, Luke records Jesus sending out 12 disciples, the number of tribes in Israel, to Jewish towns. Most commentators see this as symbolically reaching all of Israel with the good news of God’s coming Kingdom.

Today, Jesus sends out 70 disciples to Gentile towns. Why 70? Genesis 10 gives a list of the descendants of Noah’s children: "from these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.” Guess how many nations? J[2]  This, then, is an inauguration of what will be a call to all of us to spread the Gospel to all the nations of the earth.[3]

* * * * *

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town and place where he himself was about to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. Go! I am sending you out like lambs surrounded by wolves.

“Do not carry a money bag, a traveler’s bag filled with extra coats, or extra sandals,[4] and don’t get distracted by lengthy, time-consuming greeting with people you meet on the road.[5]

Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘May peace be on this house!’ And if a peace-loving person is there, your peace will remain on him, but if not, it will return to you.  Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, for the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from house to house.

“Whenever you enter a town and the people welcome you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in that town and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come upon you!’  But whenever you enter a town and the people do not welcome you, go into its streets and say,  ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come.’

 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,1 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’  I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

 “Woe/alas[6] to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida![7] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you[8].  And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades[9].

“The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

Today, we have a smorgasbord of points. Fill up your plates as you wish.

1. The 70 R US.  Some commentators point out that in Exodus 24, Moses chose 70 elders who went up Mt. Sinai with Moses and were filled with Spirit such that they prophesied (think ‘spoke inspired truth’). They became leaders of God’s people pointing them toward truth. Jesus now sets up the priestly/prophetic role of those who will bring the good news to all the nations – which will be all of us, not just those 70.  

“You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation… that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:5,9)

2. We should ‘pray’ and ‘go’ into the field.[10] Notice we pray and go. Prayer is not the equivalent of washing our hands of responsibility or engagement. ”Thoughts and prayers” for a harvest is not enough. We must go.

Where is the harvest field? Everywhere. All the time. Even the smallest moments are opportunities.[11] Just remember: We don’t save people. Free yourself from that pressure. But we do introduce people to the one who does. We plant truth; then we nurture the environment into which truth has been planted.

3. Dear sheep: expect the wolves. There should be no expectation that conditions will be safer or easier for us than it was for them.  They, like us, ought not expect to be liked, admired, or supported; rather, we should expect to be ignored, mocked, persecuted and even killed. We have to embrace the reality that in this world, there will be trouble, and some of it is because we are faithful witnesses.

This is not all the time, of course. The early church exploded because so many people liked the message and the messengers of Christianity. But that was always mixed in with trials and persecution.

I read too many news stories where Christians in the United States are shocked and scared when something happens that makes life hard because they are Christian.

· My Bible Study club at school got cancelled.

· That social media platform is censoring me.

· My workplace won’t let me put up Christian symbols.

· When I post Bible verses people mock me.

· I’m called all kinds of phobic just because I want to be faithful to biblical teaching.”

What did we expect?

Outrage is not the righteous response. Remember, the disciples wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan town that rejected them. Now Jesus is sending them to that town (among others). The response to trials is meant to be outreach. We are meant to invite even the wolves to meet the transformational power of Jesus so the sheep multiply.

4. Jesus deliberately ensured community. The 70 didn’t have money, extra clothes to keep them warm at night, or food. They could not live in isolation. This forced them into community.There may be an added element here of letting go of the need to be comfortable (or avoiding the appearance of displaying wealth), but I’m leaning toward the idea it was primarily to make community inescapable.

I wonder what it looks like to organize our lives and priorities such that we make life in Christian community such a priority that we can’t  imagine doing life without it. I’m not entirely sure what that looks like in our setting, but it seems important. If we take nothing else away from this, just remember that we are designed to rely on each other.

5. Kingdom-minded people have generous hospitality of mind, heart, and resources.[12]  We see clearly how this looked in the early church. The first followers of Jesus took this very seriously – and literally.

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all.  There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. (Acts 4:32-34)

This ties back in to the community focus. Clearly, they lived in a rhythm of asking for help and giving help. This isn’t some woke Marxist utopia; this is Kingdom generosity. “They shared everything they had…there were no needy people among them”!  

6. We are to prioritize the mission. The Middle Eastern custom of greeting honored others, but prophets on mission were given an exemption in the Old Testament. he 70 had a narrow window of time for their particular mission, so they were laser focused.

I think it is a reminder to never forget that we are on a mission, and it needs to be prioritized. We just saw potential disciples give excuses about why they had to postpone the mission (“I have to bury my father; I need to say goodbye.”) As Dr. Seuss would say, “The time has come, the time is now, Marvin K. Mooney will you please go now!”

For the 70, this was a short window of time. Almost certainly they went back to long greetings when appropriate. It’s not that the greetings were bad. It’s about having the wisdom to prioritize the rhythm of the Kingdom in favor of the mission of the Kingdom.

7. The response to inhospitality is loving witness. Jesus told the 70 that if they go into a town and are welcomed, they should a) take care of their practical needs on God’s behalf (cure the sick miraculously) and b) tell them the Kingdom has come near. It’s not either/or; it’s both/and. 

But if they were not welcomed, they were to wipe the dust off your feet and leave - but still tell those who were hostile that the Kingdom has come near.  How were the 70 to respond to rejection and hostility? With witness!

If you experience rejection or hostility for being a follower of Jesus, don’t pray that God rains down fire. The door to the Kingdom is still open for all, and we should remind people of that no matter what they think of us or our message, God invites them into His Kingdom.

8. Honor people. They were not to move. This might characterize them as those who are shopping for the most luxurious accommodations when they should live simply and gratefully. This levels the socio-economic playing field. The disciples aren’t jockeying for the tastiest food and softest beds or wittiest company. They aren’t going to curry favor while in a town so they become upwardly mobile in society. They might get bread and water when they could be getting caviar and Verners somewhere else, but they will be content.

This seems really relevant. We are not called to continue to seek the bigger stage, the brighter lights, the trendier audience, the cooler venues, the more powerful and beautiful peers. It’s a trap. It’s a distraction. It’s also turns the people with whom we started into stepping stones on our way to “something greater,” which is almost always greater by Empire standards, not Kingdom standards.  

Sometimes, ministries grow organically. I’m not talking about that. I mean, if the disciples were staying in a house with someone who was just about to move into a much nicer place, it’s not like they couldn’t move with them J Sometimes, there are righteous reasons for moving to a different place of ministry. I don’t mean to imply that moving on is inherently wrong. But there is a difference between chasing bigger and better from a bad heart vs. stewarding what God gives us to steward.

Jesus is clear in this instruction: don’t chase comfort or status. As a picture on our wall said when I was a kid, “Bloom where you are planted.”

9. Accept what you are given. A joyful acceptance of hospitality, no matter how small or bland or unusual, goes a long way toward building relational bridges - especially if what someone offered was modest. The disciples’ response really mattered. Likely, the humble host is already self-conscious that Billy and Sarah up the street could give them smoked brisket instead of spam. How the disciples responded to their hospitality mattered a ton for the sake of the Kingdom.

10. Do the work of a missionary: heal and proclaim. In Luke 9, Jesus sent the twelve out to “proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal.”  In Luke 10, he sent the seventy out to “cure the sick…and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” At this stage of his ministry,  Jesus’ disciples do the same things they have seen Jesus doing: healing people and telling them about the Kingdom.  

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matt. 4:23)

Later on, after his death and resurrection, he will give them further instructions, but for now this was enough: heal people; do it as a sign that God’s kingdom is on its way into the world.[13]

For us, I think that bringing healing to people is a both/and: both prayers for supernatural healing (which shows the care and power of God in a supernatural way) and doing the work of bringing medical, emotional, relational and financial healing to all places of sickness in the world (which shows the care of God and the power of the church’s presence).

Friends oversees have told me that their church planting in new towns started with a year of establishing things like drug rehab clinics and orphanages. They healed the sick. When they proclaimed “The Kingdom of heaven is here,” the people had already seen what it would look like in a very practical sense.

I worry that we can overlook the importance of practical care as a sign of God’s love and provision. Helping the needy/sick/poor is not wokeness or a distracting social gospel; it’s a lifestyle that ought to be embedded in the DNA of the Christian.[14]

We can learn a lot from the “show and tell” we did in school. We don’t just show; we don’t just tell. It’s both J

11. Remember the message: The kingdom of God has come.   The “kingdom of God” in this present age is the rule and reign of God in people’s hearts and lives. In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus said,

“The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed (like Rome), nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”[15]

In other words, God is here. Now. Meanwhile, the Jewish people were expecting the Kingdom of God to do the following:

· bring peace by ruling the world (through the Zealot’s warrior/political messiah)

· bring righteousness by restoring the glory of the Temple (the Sadducees’ Torah/Temple Messiah)

· bring about socio-economic justice by ‘turning stones into bread’ (the Pharisee’s People’s Messiah)

Jesus addressed peace, righteousness and justice, but not like they expected.

· The Kingdom brings peace between us and God (through salvation and reconciliation) and peace with others (#newhumanity #nobarriers[16]) through Jesus.

· The Kingdom brings righteousness by cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds, and healing our souls.

· The Kingdom brings justice (just living) as God’s people bring a full range of provision and healing to the world as a demonstration of God’s care for “the least of these.”

This is the Kingdom, and it is here. Let’s ‘show and tell’ everybody.

____________________________________________________________________________________

[1] It’s a Hebrew/Greek thing, like 666 vs. 606 in Revelation. When the Hebrew was translated into Greek, 70 was translated as 72.  In both cases, Jesus sent out as many disciples as there were nations in the ancient world.

[2] Some commentators point out that in Exodus 24, Moses chose 70 elders who went up Mt. Sinai with Moses and were filled with Spirit such that they prophesied (think ‘spoke inspired truth’). The Numbers 11 account notes two additional men besides the 70 were with Moses, Eldad and Medad, who also received the spirit and prophesied as the other elders did. So were there 70 (on the basis of being on Mt. Sinai with Moses), or 72?

[3] “The 12 and the 70,” biblehub.com

[4] Extras denoted wealth. Also, this meant they had to stay at a house, because they would be too cold to sleep outside. It forced relationship and community.

[5] “Greetings were socially mandatory, except on an urgent prophetic errand or mission as in 2Ki 4:29.”  (NIV Cultural Background Study Bible)

[6] A “woe” is an exclamation of grief, similar to what is expressed by the word alas. 

[7] “The condemnation of these towns would be based on the revelation they’d received. Capernaum, in particular, had witnessed many of Jesus’s miraculous works (see 4:31-41; 7:1-10), yet the majority of the city’s inhabitants rejected him.” (“Ministry on the way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51–19:27)”, biblestudytools.com)

[8] “Chorazin and Bethsaida have been so thoroughly destroyed that their exact location is not definitely known today.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

[9] An allusion to the fall of Babylon noted in Isa 14:13, 15.

[10] Bonus point: Governments/institutions/systems take a position either for or against the Kingdom. This is what we mean when we talk about “systemic” problems. Sometimes, it’s more than individuals who oppose God’s Kingdom. It’s entire structures of society. We talk about corporations that we support (or don’t support, perhaps) because they have corporate policies that we believe promote virtue or vice. It happens in countries where religious freedom is more or less allowed. I offer this to note that “all of creation groans” as it awaits redemption. The fallenness of individuals will manifest in the things those individuals build. It’s important to “pray and go” to both individuals and the cities/countries/industries/businesses in which they live. Everything needs Jesus.

[11] “My (Paul’s) job was to plant the seed, and Apollos was called to water it. Any growth comes from God, so the ones who water and plant have nothing to brag about. God, who causes the growth, is the only One who matters.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

[12] You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. ”For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. 2 Corinthians 9:7-12 NLT 

[13] This list is a combination of lists found at “On The Road With Jesus: The Mission Of The Seventy,” goodfaithmedia.org. and a list at Believer’s Bible Commentary.

[14] I think that’s what the foot-washing ad during the Superbowl was trying to convey.

[15] I believe that’s the best translation.

[16] Ephesians 2:14-15

CLG's Vision - And The Core Values That Get Us There

“Our vision is that we become a thriving community of individuals transformed by the life of Christ and conformed into the image of Christ for our good, God’s glory, and the good of our community as we share the good news of the gospel with the world.”

We have Core Values that guide us as we purse the fulfillment of this vision.

CORE VALUES

Be Real (authenticity): The amazing grace of God draws us into a life of honesty, reflection, transparency, and confession, free of hiddenness and shame before God and others.

This is a call to truth, honesty and transparency with God, ourselves and each other about who we were without Christ, who we are in Christ, and who we can become.

 Look at the witness of Scripture. It is full of stories of those whose lives are broken - Noah, David, Rahab, Gideon, the disciples, the woman at the well, Paul. God thought it was important that everybody else knew their story. Yes, they were deeply flawed. We all are. The beauty of repentance and forgiveness story can only be understood when the story can be see in its entirety.

 If someone says, “Because of Christ, I’m not who I was,” that awesome. But…who were you? The glory and hope of Christ is clearly seen when His work in us is clearly seen, and that happens when all of it is seen. Then it's more than words on paper, or just a good idea. It’s truth that transforms. This is why we try to be transparent from the pulpit, and put you through series like “The Emotionally Healthy Church,” and encourage small groups…

Belong (community): The amazing love of God draws us to participate in a seemingly impossible community, inaugurated by Jesus, where we work toward fully knowing and fully loving each other, a community where we are grounded on biblical instruction, prayer, friendship, and a lifestyle of surrendered worship.

 This has to do with our strengths, weaknesses, gifts, talents, struggles, personalities, preferences, backgrounds, current situations, preferences. This is a call to be part of a community where we are fully known and fully loved.  

To be fully known and fully loved? Can we do it with each other? We are trying. That’s why we stress honesty and repentance with God and others. That’s also why we preach forgiveness and grace and love, because we are going to need that in this kind of community! 

Become (transformation): The amazing power of God empowers us to practice and grow in Christ-like maturity and righteousness by the power of the Holy Spirit in the context of authentic community life.

Genuine Kingdom transformation happens through the work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  That begins with salvation and continues as we continuously commit and re-surrender our lives to Christ.  He loves us as we are - and too much to leaves us in our brokenness and sin. The ongoing transformation in our lives is a change of four things: HEART, SOUL, MIND, and STRENGTH.

• Our Heart (passions)  - the things we love. We need to understand what God loves and what breaks His heart, study to understand why, and seek to match our heart with God’s.

• Our Soul (imagination) -  the things that give us a sense of wonder or awe. Is our wonder and curiosity directed toward the right things?

• Our Mind (intelligence) – that which informs us and how we think about the world. We need to be committed to truth! –

• Our Strength (actions)  - joyful obedience to Christ, not because we believe our actions save us, but because we are offering our lives as a “living sacrifice” to the only One who deserves our allegiance.

 Be Called (destiny): The amazing goodness of God leads us to discover our unique, God-given potential to effectively serve Him and others as we engage in the Great Co-Mission to expand the Kingdom of God beginning in this community and spreading into the world.

We are called to enter into the rhythms of life together with others as much as we can without compromise, both as friends and as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. This begins in our homes and moves into our church, and then into the community and the world. We volunteer in church, engage in evangelism, meet practical needs, and simply live bold and humble lives as unashamed ambassadors of Jesus.

What happens when this kind of church community exists?

It becomes a place where the wounded, the weak, the guilty, the broken, the overlooked, the shamed, the questioning, the hopeless, can find a biblically transformational home in the presence of God and in the midst of God’s people. It’s what the Old Testament called a City of Refuge, a place for safety and renewal, a place to refresh before traveling once again through a hard and lonely world.

• What if, in Traverse City, when someone had given up hope, they thought of our church, and our Savior?

• What if, when someone thought, “No one understands me. No one will take me as I am,” they thought of us, and of our Christ?

• What if someone who carried the weight of a sin they have never told anyone thought this was the place they could finally find a non-shaming community in which to repent and find the forgiveness of God and the love of others?

• What if someone thought, “I just want a church where people are real! I want them to be honest about how hard life is and hopeful that pain and evil don’t get the last word!” And they thought of us.

• What if someone who thinks, “If anyone knows my story, they will reject me,” finds a place here where people will listen, and laugh, and cry, and pray, and walk with them ever closer to Christ?

So we think Living God is called to be this kind of church, but that’s not where our core values stop. We are meant to go out and make more and better disciples of Christ. So how do we expand the impact of CLG in the world around us?

SEASONAL VISION 2024

I’m not offering a roll-out of new programs and initiatives. We’re not planning a big advertising campaign. Were not hiring new preachers or musicians or office staff or SS teachers or small group leaders. We’re not planning any new additions. There is nothing to roll out this morning that hasn’t been hinted at or done already.  It’s just a reminder that we believe Jesus has placed us in this community as a place of refuge, healing and hope for sake of His Kingdom and for the glory of Christ, and from that community we are called to go and represent Christ and spread the good news of the gospel in word and deed.

Our current seasonal vision focus is Witness (“the good of our community as we share the good news of the gospel with the world.”)

The Bible is clear that that our Christ-oriented love for each other (1 Peter 4:8) and our unity as the body of Christ (Colossians 3:14) is a mark that we are transformed children of God and a witness as Jesus’ ambassadors to the world (Romans 15:6). One of the ways in which this will be ‘lived out’ is when we are a) a light in darkness, declaring and living the transforming truth of Jesus and His Gospel, and b) the salt of the earth, a presence that preserve those things that are Kingdom values in a decaying culture.

This is not a seasonal vision that is intended to stop us from our previous focus, which focused heavily on the first three parts of our core values. When COVID and a divisive election landed heavy on us in 2020,  it didn’t take long to realize we needed to focus on becoming healthy by Kingdom standards as individuals and as a church body. I think that focus has paid off.

We haven’t arrived (!), but I believe that God has graciously and patiently built a depth and maturity in our church family that has borne good fruit.  WE DON’T WANT TO MOVE PAST THAT AS IF WE HAVE NAILED IT. It was a good reminder that sowing faithful obedience, humble lifestyles of worship, and a commitment to learning how to love more like Jesus yields a good harvest.

On our website, under the category “Serve,” we have noted this:

We believe it is crucial that church attenders are involved in the life of their local church body and in the community in which the church is placed. This is God’s design for the flourishing of the church as a body and for individuals in whom acts of service are part of God’s plan for refinement and maturity. Not all are called in the same way and in the same degree, but all are called!

I want to show you ways in which you can be involved in maintaining our foundation while looking to engage purposefully in our focus on witness. But the bottom line is that I encourage all of you, as you are able and as God calls you, to think about what it looks like to actively become a part of something bigger than yourself in this church, in the community, or in the world.

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OPPORTUNITIES IN CHURCH LIFE AT CLG

Kids/Youth/Adult Ministries

1. Nursery/AWANA/Children’s Church (Adam and Amber Metiva; Amy Gordon; Esther Krueger)

·      We need safe and caring people to join the team of nursery workers on Sunday mornings.  You will work one Sunday every 5 or 6 weeks with another team member. 

·      We provide the teaching time on Sunday morning for ages 4 to 12 and need helpers during the first hour and second hour serving snacks and helping with games and crafts. 

·      Awana is Wednesday night and our great need is to have one person listen to a group of 3-4 children recite their Bible verses.  You could choose one Wednesday a month to be your Wednesday and be a great help!  (7:30 to 8:00p.m.).

2.    Youth Group (Corban Shaw; William Krueger; Kristin and Dakota Bolton) Wednesday nights are covered, but there are other ways to be involved, including helping with a Sunday morning class.

3.    Small Groups (Anthony Weber)

4.    Women’s/Men’s Group (no current leaders – talk to Anthony)

Sunday Morning Building Team

Greeter/Security/Coffee (Pete Thiel)

·      Greeters: two couples every Sunday to welcome people as they come through the doors and answer questions for any newcomers.

·      Security. Being a watchdog for our children. We have a security team to ensure that our children are safe from any intruders. The more eyes the better.

·      Coffee: making coffee before the service

Sunday Morning Service Team

1.    Audio/Visual (Adam Metiva)

2.    Musicians/singers/worship team (Tom Childs)

3.    Prayer Team (Julie Eickenroth)

4.    Library upkeep

5.    Holiday decorating

SUPPORTED OPPORTUNITIES LOCALLY 

Ministries By Our Congregation

1.    Touching Hearts (Marilyn Dear and Pam Kritcher – see “TC Touching Hearts” on Facebook)

2.    Thomas Judd Care Clinic (Emily Slater)

3.    Prison Ministry (Gary and Pat Hambleton)

4.    Meals (Karen Windorfer)

5.    Helps Ministry (Deacons – contact Adam Metiva)

6.    Building Projects (Pete Thiel) Projects would range anywhere from vacuuming and cleaning to ground's maintenance or construction projects that we may have.

7.    Operation Christmas Child (Amy Gordon)

8.    The Church Newsletter (Katie Schlomer)

9.    The Church Directory (Marji Shev)

Ministries From Within Our Congregation

1.    Freedom Farm (Julie Eickenroth – freedomfarmgt.com)

2.    Affirm Ministries (Susan Hoekstra – susanhoekstra.com)

3.    Peace Ranch (Jackie Kaschel – peaceranchtc.com)

4.    His House (Patrick Hill – His House at NMC on Facebook)

Ministries in the Community That We Support

1.    Single MOMM (singlemomm.org)

2.    Thrive Medical Clinic (thrivemedicalclinic.org)

3.    Goodwill Inn (goodwillnmi.org)

SUPPORTED MISSIONS/MISSIONARIES OVERSEAS (Esther Krueger)

1.    VidaNet (vidamissions.com)

2.    Esperanza (Esperanza1513 on Facebook)

3.    The Sanchez family (borderlandsinternational.org)

Harmony #56: The Cost of Following Jesus (Luke 9:51-62; Matthew 8:19-22)

Now when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely (“set his face”) to go to Jerusalem.

In both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel, this incident is placed on the heels of Jesus doing the kind of miraculous things that drew a large crowd (even though the incidents are different). In Matthew’s gospel, he is trying to get away from large crowds when this incident happens.

It’s no surprise, then, that these three conversation reflect a Jesus who wasn’t interested in people following him because he was popular, or because they thought it was cool, or believed they could follow Jesus when it was convenient. Jesus demonstrated over and over that he wasn’t interested in numbers for numbers’ sake. He didn’t want Himself or His Kingdom to be trendy.

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus had just finished talking to his disciples about his upcoming death. Consider the grim circumstances as we see Jesus’ response to three potential followers. He knows what’s coming; he knows what his disciples are going to go through. They have no idea that he is literally going to be taking up a cross, and that they will follow him to Golgotha. The metaphors are about to become reality.

  He sent messengers on ahead of him. As they went along, they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance for him, but the villagers refused to welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem.[1]

Now when his disciples James and John[2] saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you belong to. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them,” and they went on to another village.

There was a reason Jesus had not sent the 12 to Samaritan villages yet. They weren’t ready. First, they took this insult way too personally. It wasn’t a secret that Samaritans did NOT worship in Jerusalem. This was part of the animosity between Jews and Samaritans. When the Samaritans found out Jesus was going to the Temple in Jerusalem, of course they weren’t going to help. To them, that was enabling false worship. Their response should not have been a surprise.

The disciples could have said, “Well, we tried. The worst they could do was say no.” Instead, they decided the best response would be to kill everyone – without having to get their hands dirty. Could God do it for them? Did God feel the same way about these Samaritans as they did?

The answer is, of course, no. “You do not know what kind of Spirit you belong to.” That was not the heart of God for the Samaritans. Don’t forget, this is right after all this teaching on forgiveness. Yikes. Tough crowd.

“Whatever…errors may be in religion, we must never persecute [those who believe them]. Let us, if needful, argue with them, reason with them, and try to show them a more excellent way. But let us never take up the "carnal" weapon to promote the spread of truth. Let us never be tempted, directly or indirectly, to persecute anyone, under pretense of the glory of Christ and the good of the Church. Let us rather remember, that the religion [professed] from fear of death, or dread of penalties, is worth nothing at all, and that if we swell our ranks by fear and threatening, in reality we gain no strength… The appeals that we make must be to…consciences and wills.”      - JC Ryle

Let’s pick up from there.

As they were walking along the road, an expert in the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Jesus said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”[3]

Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

* * * * * *

The first man seems to be sincerely eager to be a part of what Jesus is doing. After all, he just saw some amazing things. Who wouldn’t want to be closer to that? I think Jesus’ response is similar to the response Jesus gave the Rich Young Ruler who also wanted to follow him.[4] Jesus said to that ruler, “Go get rid of all your money.” Jesus identified the idol that had to go.

To this man, Jesus uses an image from nature to point out that there is no expectation of comfort. I mean, they had just been denied access to town to spend the night. They were on their way to Jerusalem where Jesus would be killed and his disciples scattered.

My sense is that Jesus jumps straight to his vulnerability, his idol: the desire for comfort, maybe even popularity. “People won’t like you. They will reject you. You may even be denied ordinary, normal things by those who reject you. Follow me, and you might become deeply unpopular, despised, rejected, even unable to have the material comforts others enjoy.”

We should expect to be made uncomfortable as followers of Jesus. And our response should not be longing for God to judge them, but to save them.

* * * * *

The second man makes what seems to be a reasonable request (burying his father), but there is more going on here than first appears. Several options have been offered.[5] I think one stands out, but you will see the others in commentaries, so let’s take a look at them.

The first option is that the guy’s father had died and Jesus was telling him not to go help bury him. This is the least likely. In Judaism, someone who died had to be buried the same day.[6]There was no way that man would have been hanging out with Jesus. It was a really big deal to honor your parents with a proper burial. It’s also likely the father was not sick and close to dying, or the man would have asked Jesus to heal him.

The second option is that this was an expression meaning that he had to stay with his father as long as his father was alive. G. Campbell Morgan refers to a traveler in the Middle East who was trying to enlist a young Arab man as his guide. The man replied that he could not go because he had to bury his father. When the traveler expressed his sympathy, he learned that the young man’s father had not died; he was waiting to be a guide until he no longer had to take care of his father. So perhaps this man was saying, “After my father is gone, I will follow You.”[7]

[Another layer: the man would likely receive his inheritance when his father died. Leaving him might cause him to lose out on his share of his father’s estate.[8]]

The third option is that the man is waiting for the time a year after the body was first buried when the bones of the deceased were placed in an ossuary box and interred with other deceased relatives.[9]

Depending on which option is correct, it will change how you view what Jesus meant when he said, “let the dead bury the dead.”

Options #1 and #2 implies,

• “Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead; let those not yet alive to the claims of the kingdom bury the naturally dead.” [10]

• Some wonder if this is about the vespillones, the corpse-bearers who carried out the bodies of the poor at night; in Hebrew phraseology, they were “the men of the dead.”[11]

Option #3 would read more like, “Let the already dead (the ancestors) take care of their own.”[12] After all, the man’s father had been honored in the burial already; the second step was tradition, and it was not an insult to his father not to observe it. I favor this reading.

“Jesus was saying in essence, “Look, you have already honored your father by giving him a proper burial in the family burial cave. Instead of waiting for the flesh to decompose, go preach the kingdom of God and tell the people that faith alone in Christ is the only true means of atonement.” (“Let The Dead Bury Their Dead - Meaning.” Alice Anacioco. biblical-christianity.com)

* * * * *

The third man’s request also seems reasonable – he’s going to follow, but he needs to say his goodbyes. This is not unprecedented in Jewish teaching.

Earlier in Luke 9, Jesus had already been connected with Elijah several times. Near the end of Elijah's ministry, God told him to call Elisha to take his place. Elijah found Elisha plowing a field with twelve yoke of oxen and placed his cloak on the younger man's shoulders. Elisha knew what this meant and asked permission to say goodbye to his parents, which Elijah allowed. Only then did Elisha follow Elijah (1 Kings 19:19–21).  So far so good. Reasonable request. But….

“’To bid farewell’ signifies to set apart or assign, as a soldier to his post or an official to his office, and later to detach soldiers. Hence to dismiss one with orders...the man desiring to return home, not merely to take formal leave, but also to give his final instructions to his friends and servants.” Vincent's Word Studies

In other words, it sure looks like the man has a back up plan. Whatever happens to him while following Jesus, Plan B is waiting for him if necessary. Jesus responds by playing off this same Old Testament text, since Elisha was plowing in his family’s field when Elijah met him:

“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

I like the careful wording of this verse in Meyer’s NT Commentary:

“No one who has offered to labor in my service, and, withal, still attaches his interest to his earlier relations is well fitted/adapted to labor for the kingdom of the Messiah.” 

The farmer must keep looking forward in order to plow a straight furrow. Likewise, a disciple constantly distracted by past associations cannot provide effective service for the kingdom of God.[13]

* * * * *

Jesus tells these three would-be disciples that a true disciple…

1.    Risks rejection by the world (57-58). Disciples do not put attach their hearts to earthly material comforts: wealth, comfort, reputation, tradition. “Don’t pity Jesus for having no place to rest his head. Pity the man so chained to his mortgage that he can’t respond to the call of Christ. Don’t pity Jesus for sleeping by the campfire. Pity the woman so sold to her career that she cannot follow Christ to a foreign land. Don’t pity the disciples who are called the “scum of the earth.” Pity those who are enslaved to the opinions of the world.“[14]

2.    Makes proclamation a priority (59-60) In the OT, only prophets were permitted to neglect funeral customs in order to reveal God’s revelation. So, Jesus’ call to ignore funeral customs signals that an important period of time has arrived on the divine calendar.“Nothing should delay or stop us from spreading the good news that the Kingdom is here, not even good obligations and attachments.” (Daniel l. Sonnenberg)

3.    Leaves the old life behind (61-62) It is not an emotional, spur-of-the moment decision. It is not a decision that can be postponed till later. It is not a phase we go through while we keep our options open. Following Jesus means signing away the rights to your own life. You sign on the bottom line and let him fill in the details. It means Jesus first. No conditions. No delays. No buts. No excuses. A disciple cannot trust Jesus halfway. “Christ must reign in the heart without a rival. All other loves and all other loyalties must be secondary.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

* * * * *

So, how do we summarize the lesson today?

I wonder: what is really first in your life? Are we saying to Jesus, “I will follow you,” but adding our qualification, our disclaimer under our breath, perhaps hoping Jesus won’t hear? God first…but really being successful first, career first, financial well-being first. God first…but really being a good citizen, or being nice and well-liked first. God first…but really comfort and safety and security first.

When God calls you, and you say yes to following Jesus, what are the “buts” that are on the tip of your tongue, or muttered under your breath, or the truth you really mean instead? How do you finish this sentence to Jesus, “I will follow you, but first let me…” what?

Jesus tries to convey to us a sense of urgency. The good news doesn’t have time to wait. The world needs the message of Jesus right now. Look around. Look at the news. Look at the headlines. Look at our nation. Look at our community. Look at our congregation. Look at your own life.

We need the message of Jesus, the news about God’s reign on earth, the good news of God’s grace and favor and God’s way that rejects the ways of greed and selfishness and oppression and we need it now. And so Jesus needs disciples, messengers of the good news right now. People who are ready to say “But first you God, and then everything else can come next.”

 – Beth Quick, bethquick.com

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[1] The Samaritans probably rejected the messengers because Samaritans did not accept Jerusalem as the place of worship (see John 4:20)

[2] James eventually gave his life as a martyr; John became known as the Apostle of Love.

[4] Mark 10:17-27

[5] I’ll add here in the footnotes that it is possible that Jesus, who is about to take a Nazarite vow, is giving this man a heads up: if he truly follows the example of Jesus, he would not be able to bury his father when it was time.‘All the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person. He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.” (Numbers 6:6-8)

[6] “In Jesus’ culture, the obligation to bury one’s father took precedence even over saying the Shema (The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is by N.T. Wright)? So how could Jesus tell His disciples not to go bury their fathers?According to first-century Jewish burial customs, when a person died, they were normally buried immediately (usually on the same day) in the family burial cave that had been hewn out of bedrock. This custom is based on the injunction found in the Mosaic Law not to leave the corpse of an executed person on the tree overnight (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).” (Let The Dead Bury Their Dead – Meaning,” Alice Anacioco, biblical-christianity.com)

[7] As cited by Steven Cole at preceptaustin.com

[8] “He wanted to make sure he received his inheritance. Then, when his circumstances were secure, he’d be equipped to be a disciple.” (Tony Evans Study Bible)

[9] “After the body was placed in a burial cave and is left to decompose, the family will separate itself and mourn for seven days. This initial mourning period is called shivah which is followed by a less intense 30-day period of mourning called shloshim. However, the entire mourning period was not fully over. The final act of mourning is when the family would return after a year to gather all the bones and place them with the bones of other family members on another shelf or the floor. This is now the secondary burial, also referred to as ossilegium. In the Jerusalem Talmud, it says, “When the flesh had wasted away, the bones were collected and placed in chests (ossuaries). On that day (the son) mourned, but the following day he was glad because his forebears rested from judgment” (Moed Qatan 1:5). (“Let The Dead Bury Their Dead” Meaning. Alice Anacioco.) biblical-christianity.com)

[10] Blessed Theophylact gives a concise explanation: “He is saying, “Let your dead relatives, that is, those who do not believe, take care of your unbelieving father in his old age until death.” To bury means here to bestow care on him even to the grave. Even in common parlance we say, “So and so buried his father,” which means not only that he placed him in the ground when he died, but that he also did every other good thing for him that was necessary, caring for him until his end and his burial.” (Let The Dead Bury Their Dead,” Fr. John Whiteford, OrthoChristian.com)

[11] Expositor's Greek Testament

[12] “The phrase “own dead” indicates the inclusion of the fathers among the dead.
“He's essentially making a joke, saying, "Your dad's bones aren't going anywhere. They are safe in the family tomb with all your other ancestors. I'm sure they'll keep him company"; in other words, "Let the dead (your other ancestors in the family tomb) take care of your father's bones until someone else in the family shows up to bury them." (“Let The Dead Bury Their Own Dead,” http://unamsanctamcatholicam.blogspot.com/2018/07/let-dead-bury-their-own-dead.html)

[13] Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament

[14] The Three Rookies: Christ Speaks to the Problem of Convenient Excuses.” Ray Pritchard

Harmony 55: Enough Faith To Forgive (Luke 17:1-10)

I am sometimes surprised where my study takes me. Today’s passage is one of those days.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.”

We covered this several weeks ago. I’m just giving us the context leading up to today’s passage. Don’t cause God’s children to stumble out of their faith. Jesus wasn’t suggesting the millstone as a punishment; he was referencing a thing the Romans did to the worst of traitors to make a point about how serious this is. Next, he gives an example on how not to make them stumble.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” The disciples said to the Lord, “Increase our faith (increase your gift of faith to us).”[1]

The apostles recognized this kind of forgiveness was not something they were doing; in fact, they didn’t think they could. It’s an incredibly challenging teaching. “Um, Jesus, we are going to need more faith if you want us to do this kind of forgiving.” Jesus responded with an analogy similar to one we’ve heard before, then told them a parable to make an important point – and here’s where I was surprised where my study led.

I had always thought of this as a prayer I ought to pray. In the context of Jesus’ response, I don’t think it is. Jesus basically responds to their request by saying, “You don’t need more faith. You need to use the faith God has already given you.” Here’s the text, then I will explain my conclusion and its implications for us. 

So the Lord replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you can say to this black mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.[2]

“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?  So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants;[3]we have only done our duty.’”

Does that sound a little harsh or maybe even demeaning? Is that how God will speak to His servants – His children?

First, let’s note that this perspective on being a servant would not have been new information to the disciples. Similar teachings about humility and service to God appear in Jewish writings.

• Rabbi ben Zakkai (contemporary of Jesus) is cited in the Mishnah as saying, “If you have wrought much in the Law claim not merit for yourself, for to this end you were created.”

• Antigonus of Soko (3rd century BCE) said, "Be not like servants who serve their master for the sake of reward; rather, be like servants who do not serve their master for the sake of reward, and let the awe of Heaven be upon you.”[4]

The circumstances of service and duty that Jesus describes here between the servants and the master were not demeaning; they were normal in that society, and Jewish audience would have seen no insult in this.[5]

Second, let’s talk about the ‘unprofitable’ part. I believe this parable affirms something else already taught in Judaism: we cannot increase God’s glory. We can’t add to the treasury of spiritual riches that come from the throne of God.

“Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person benefit him? What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? (Job 22:2-3)

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out. Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

You have derived your being from the infinite fountain of life: you are upheld by the continued energy of the Almighty: his glories are infinite and eternal, and your obedience and services, however excellent in themselves, and profitable to you, have added nothing, and can add nothing, to the absolute excellencies and glories of your God. (Adam Clarke)

If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself, and your righteousness only other people.” ( Job 35:7-8)

Being ‘unprofitable’ reminds us that we don’t add to the greatness of God; therefore, we aren't bargaining with God in the sense that God owes us because we have enriched Him in some fashion. However, our righteous living impacts other people, which brings me to the next point.

Third, let’s look at other places in Scripture that are not parables to see the heart of God toward those who serve Christ and His kingdom.[6]

• “Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a aithful minister of Christ” (1:7)

• Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord” (4:7)

• “Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother” (4:9)

• “When the Lord comes, He will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts; then each one’s declaration of praise will come from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5)?

• “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been shown approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (Jas 1:12).

• “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day” (2 Tim 4:7-8)?

• “Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Heb 13:16)

• “We make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” (2 Cor 5:9)

Clearly, the point of the parable is not that serving God is useless or unworthy of affirmation. Let’s not make this parable carry more weight than it’s intended to bear. Jesus is making a point that has to do with faith.

• According 1 Corinthians 12, faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit who “apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

• Romans 12:3 says, "For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."[7]

Notice that faith is not a thing we make, or drum up by focusing really hard, or earn. It is a gift from God.[8] A prayer to increase faith would be asking God to give a larger measure of faith than God had already given – as if God did not know what He was doing the first time, or wasn’t keeping track of what our needs are.

The disciples seem to be asking, “Give us more faith than what you have given us. There’s no way we can do what you are calling us to do with our current amount of faith.” Jesus basically responds, “You don’t need special merit or favor in your faith. You have what you need. If you are doing that which your faith asks of you, you’re good. The faith I have given you makes you capable of far greater things than you understand.”

I don’t think it was a question of them needing more faith. I think they simply needed to live out the faith God had already given them. And what would this look like? The parable comes back to the theme we’ve been riffing on for weeks now: They should use the faith they have been given in service to God and others.

Faith demonstrates its power when it is put into practice by serving God and others. God uses…

“faith that is pure and simple, that is, faith with integrity. Our faith does not make us powerful authorities but humble servants of God.”[9]

Jesus has equipped us to faithfully do what our faith leads us to do.

Here, I think, is the problem: the disciples wanted an instantaneous abundance of maturity. “Jesus, snap your fingers and makes us spiritually powerful.” I heard a popular preacher once tell an audience that Jesus appeared to him in a dream and told him he (God) was giving him an instant 10 years of spiritual maturity because God didn’t have time to wait for him to get it one day at a time. It may come as no surprise that this man’s ministry crashed and burned.

Jesus told his disciples, “It doesn’t work like that. You have faith. Even the smallest amount of faith has great power. Do the things your faith calls you to do.”[10]

“A small measure of real faith was sufficient to teach them that God would give them strength enough to keep themselves from committing this offense against love and charity of which he warned them so solemnly...”[11]

“The general sense of the parable is clear. It teaches two things to all who would be, then or in the ages to come, his disciples - patience and humility. They were not to look to accomplishing great things by a strong faith given to them in a moment of time, but they were to labor on patiently and bravely, and afterwards, as in the parable-story, they too should eat and drink.”[12]

This is not a glamorous teaching. It turns out that, when we follow Jesus, we not only take up a cross, but we begin what Eugene Peterson called “a long, slow obedience in the same direction” as Jesus.

• How do you hike the Appalachian Trail? One step at a time.

• How do you become Mr. Olympia? One workout at a time.

• How do you get to the stage of the Grand Old Oprey? One gig at a time.

• How do you make a feast? One ingredient at a time.

How does the life-changing power of our faith become real to us in such a way that we experience the transformation into maturity that God intends for us? One act of Holy Spirit - enabled obedience at a time.

I kind of like the cooking analogy. I wish I were a more capable cook than I am. But you know what? I have the ingredients in the house. I have recipes. I have my wife’s presence and wisdom. If she would say, “Why don’t you make Sea Urchin Guacamole Tacos with Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad and Charred Brussels Sprouts With Anchovy Butter,” that would seem like way too much. But what if I have what I need? Maybe I haven’t used anchovies before, but I can now. It’s right there. I have ingredients, and directions, and the presence and help of the one who called me to this task and equipped me for it. I have what I need to do what I have been asked to do. Am I really good at it? Not yet, but I could be if I commit to learning how to use that which I have been given.

I think this is the point of Jesus’ response. God is a good father who knows how to give good gifts to His children. When God gives you a measure of faith, it’s a good and sufficient gift. He has equipped you for that to which He has called you. Peter noted that we can add things to our faith that are good for our maturity and growth, but God has given us the faith He determined we needed.  From 2 Peter 1:1-8.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through themyou may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I wonder if we strengthen the faith we have been given by exercising it like a muscle. When we use it, it becomes stronger. Or to my kitchen analogy, if you want to become proficient with the ingredients you have been given, you have to keep cooking with them. One day we will realize we have the resources and strength from the provision of God’s storehouse to do that which seemed impossible.

• How do you become a person who is known for speaking with grace and truth? By drawing from the faith God has already given you, adding Holy Spirit-enabled knowledge and love, and speaking with grace and truth next time. And then the next time.

• How can you become a person who is known for patience? By drawing from the faith God has already given you, adding Holy Spirit enabled self-control, and being patient next time…and next time…

• How can you become a person who is known for kindness and gentleness? By drawing from the faith God has already given you, adding Holy Spirit enabled goodness and mutual affection, and being kind and gentle next time…

• How can we possible be the kind of person who forgives 70x7 times? By drawing from the faith God has already given you, adding Holy Spirit enabled perseverance and love, and forgiving next time…and next time…

If God calls us, He will equip us. He has called us to follow in his footsteps. God has given us the Holy Spirit to work and move and transform us; He has given us his Word to nourish and guide us; He has given us the church to stabilize, and comfort, and encourage us.

Once again, 1 Corinthians 12 lists faith as a gift of the Holy Spirit who “apportions to each one individually as he wills.” I wonder if what Jesus was intending to convey to his disciples was that the better request is this:

“Lord, thank you for the faith you have given us; increase our trust; increase our servant’s heart; increase our love of God and others; increase our strength to add character to our faith; help us to put the faith you have given us into practice.”

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[1] Faith and belief are not interchangeable in the Bible. God gives us faith; we respond with belief. See this commentary at biblehub.com (https://biblehub.com/greek/4102.htm)

[2] “The passives (verbs) here are probably a circumlocution for God performing the action (the so-called divine passive). The issue is not the amount of faith (which in the example is only very tiny), but its presence, which can accomplish impossible things. To cause a tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea is impossible. The expression is a rhetorical idiom. It is like saying a camel can go through the eye of a needle (Luke 18:25).” – notes from the NET Bible on biblegateway.com

[3] “Ἀχοεῖος is not worthless or of no value; for that servant is not useless who does all that his master orders him. Ἄχρηστος is… of whom there is no need, one to whom God the Master owes no thanks or favor. Human pride is liable to fancy that it has done God a favor by doing well, and that God could not do without men’s services...”(Bengals Gnomen)

[4] Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament

[5] Expositor’s Bible Commentary

[6] Thank you, https://transformingourconforming.com/a-profitable-servant/, for compiling this list.

[7] “Faith (4102/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people…faith for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence)…The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know… the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).” HELPS Word Studies

[8] HELPS Word Studies once again:” Belief and faith are not exactly equivalent terms. When Jesus told people, "Your faith has made you well," faith was still His gift (Eph 2:8,9). Any gift however, once received, becomes the "possession" of the recipient. Faith however is always from God and is purely His work (2 Thes 1:11). Note: The Greek definite article is uniformly used in the expressions "your faith," "their faith" (which occur over 30 times in the Greek NT). This genitive construction with the article refers to "the principle of faith (operating in) you" – not "your faith" in the sense that faith is ever generated by the recipient.”

[9] Africa Bible Commentary

[10] “They had been asking for faith, not only in a measure sufficient for obedience, but as excluding all uncertainty and doubt. They were looking for the crown of labor before their work was done, for the wreath of the conqueror before they had fought the battle.” (Ellicott’s Bible Commentary)

[11] Pulpit Commentary

[12] Pulpit Commentary

Harmony #54: Taking Care Of the Little Ones: Restoration and Forgiveness (Matthew 18:10 – 35)

There is a unifying story arc in Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18. He started by noting that the greatest in the Kingdom are willing to be in the kind of humbled state children had in that society. Second, he noted that we dare not cause the ‘little ones’ to sin or despise the ‘little ones’ in the church. The rest of the chapter, including today’s section, builds on this.

·    Finding the Lost Sheep: believers should, like Jesus, take care of the ‘little ones.’

·    Handling sin in the church (a lost ‘little one’ and the rest of the flock)

·    The parable of the Unmerciful Servant (illustration of prior points).[1]

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost. 

 What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

That is God’s heart for the little ones, the lost and perishing sheep. That’s meant to be the hearts of us, the ‘undershepherds’: to seek and save those who are lost, wondering, and perishing. No mention is made of the rescued responding the right way or not wandering off again. The shepherd simply seeks the lost sheep and restores it to the flock, and we may assume that he does it again and again and again. Now, here’s an illustration of how to go after lost sheep.

“If your brother or sister sins,[2] go and point out their fault,[3] just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.

I had not thought of this before, because this chapter is often chopped up into neat presentations, but I think this is a ‘people’ example to explain the ‘sheep’ example. It’s seeking and saving the lost.  Just like The Shepherd is not willing that any sheep perish, we should not be willing that any of our herd wander away. And we see right away what the goal is: restoration.

[4] But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[5] If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.[6]

 So this was recorded by Matthew, who was a tax collector. Gotta ask: how did Jesus treat pagans and tax collectors? He pursued them as if they were lost sheep. This isn’t about writing people off. It’s likely about not sharing the communion meal with them, which was where the heart of church community took place. You can’t let a sinfully toxic person poison the flock. But you also can’t ignore a lost and wandering sheep. More on that later.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.[7] Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”[8]

This is an image from Old Testament law. Truth was established by the testimony of two to three witnesses. This is the process by which things are ‘bound and loosed’ on earth as it is in heaven. On this process, God gives His stamp of approval (“there I am with them”).

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[9] 

Peter’s like, “Excuse me? What if it’s the same person over and over? And what if it’s against me? What if that little sheep punches me when it starts wandering? Would seven times of forgiveness be enough?” The rabbis only required three times; this probably seemed generous to Peter. But Jesus responds with a number that the disciples had heard before from the story of Lamech (Adam and Eve’s greeaaatt grandson).

One day he said to his wives, “Wives of Lamech, I need to tell you something! I killed a man who struck me. Surely Lamech must be avenged seventy-seven times” (Genesis 4:23–24).

Lamech was bragging that his vengeance would never end. Jesus takes his unending vengeance and converts into unending forgiveness.[10] Then Jesus tells a parable to illustrate the importance of forgiveness.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand[11]talents was brought to him.  

Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.[12]At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 

But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 

 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’[13] In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”[14]

The entire purpose of this parable is to answer Peter’s question, “How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me?” Jesus is making a point about forgiveness in the church, between sisters and brothers in Christ. We have been forgiven much; we must forgive much.[15]He’s making a point (using a common Roman scenario) about the extravagant way in which we are to forgive others[16] – and the stingy way we are not.

We just read a parable in which we only took one part literally/seriously (Jesus doesn’t leave us to go and save the one). We have to be careful that we don’t make parables say more than they are intended to say. I don’t think we are to read this parable as if the King/Master cleanly correlates with God or that other details are meant to represent precise theology. I have several reasons.[17]

·      After just telling his disciples to forgive without end, this King forgives once.

·      God wouldn’t sell family members to appease a debt.

·      The second servant just disappears from the story, apparently languishing in jail. You’d think the king/God would set that right.

·      God doesn’t need people telling him what his people have done wrong.

·      The parable doesn’t offer a “picture” of a repentant worshipper asking for forgiveness. A dude gets caught and tries to panic bargain his way out of it.

Let’s not ask the parable to carry more weight than its main point: those who have been forgiven must forgive.

It might be as specific as addressing the scenario Peter just brought up. If that’s the case, Peter would be the arrogant servant not wanting to forgive someone who has wronged him far less than Peter has wronged others. It reminds me of taking the beam out of our own eye before taking the speck out of others (Matthew 7:5). We all carry beams. We can’t forget that. We can’t forget how often and how much we receive forgiveness.

I also don’t think we should read too much into the ‘torturer’.[18] Jesus’ audience would have known that the Gentiles who could not pay their debt were cast into debtor’s prison. There is a principle of sowing and reaping here. If you do not forgive others, you will be the one in miserable bondage,[19] not them.[20] 

What is clear is that there are consequences to unforgiveness. It cannot go unaddressed. This is necessary to protect those around the one sinning, as well as to get his attention. And those who refuse to forgive will be miserable in their unforgiveness.

“It temporarily delivers a believer to the power of Satan “for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Cor. 5:5). The purpose of this is to bring him to his senses and cause him to confess his sin.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

My final note for unpacking the story: Jesus says that his Father in heaven would do the same thing in the kingdom of heaven. It’s worth asking the question: why does God punish/discipline/prune those who are in the Kingdom?

“If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all… our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.” (Hebrews 12:8-10)

This is what Jesus explained was the point of church discipline – “winning a brother over” is about the restoration that follows repentance.

FIVE POINTS OF APPLICATION

1. The entire purpose of this parable is to answer Peter’s question, “How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me?” Just as there are no limits to the actions we should take in avoiding sin (‘cut out your eye’), so also there should be no limits to the extent of our forgiveness from the heart for others.

“The kingdom comes with limitless grace in the midst of an evil world, but with it comes limitless demand…God searches out those who stray and wills that none be lost, and the community can lay no bounds to its forgiveness or forget that its forgiveness is modeled on God’s forgiveness of its members’ own much larger debt.”[21]

The ability to extend forgiveness is evidence of having truly understood that beauty of the forgiveness God (and others) extend to us.

2. I think there is a human tendency to want to be forgiven much while at the same time forgive little. We want people to ‘take up their cross’ to forgive us, but we don’t want to put that kind of effort into it. We want people to cover a multitude of our significant sins or remarkable flaws with their love and forgiveness, but the minute we are hurt by someone else, the gloves come off and the walls go up. And then, the tendency is to exaggerate what others have done to us and minimize what we have done to them. This parable fundamentally reminds us to do unto others as we would have done to us, to give to others what has been given to us.

3. When the other servants were “greatly distressed,” the word (λυπέω) can refer to emotional/physical pain or “offense” in this context.[22] The king responds when ‘the little ones’ have been hurt, as a good king would.

“The kingdom cannot be present if evil is not being named and defeated…the judgment language is hyperbole…but it assures people there will be a reckoning and that God will vindicate the oppressed.”[23]

The confrontation of sin is not just for the sake of the perpetrator; it’s for the sake of the victim and potential victims. Caring is both/and, not an either/or. Confrontation is care when done with grace and truth.

4. Forgiving “from the heart” needs a scriptural context. Remember the verse, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7)? Notice what the heart is doing – thinking. The word “brain” in never used in the Bible. “Heart” covers both emotions and thoughts. Forgiving someone requires a commitment of the mind. Forgiving from the heart begins as, among other things…

·      deciding to absolve them of the personal debt they owe you

·      deciding to pray for their repentance and restoration

Forgiveness may eventually become a feeling, but it starts as a decision.

5. Restoration. Relational restoration can and often does happen on the other side of genuine repentance and genuine forgiveness. Situational restoration is trickier.

Forgiveness from the heart does not necessarily shield people from the practical consequences of their sin. If someone robs your house, assaults you on the street, hijacks your credit card, or crashes into your car while DUI, you can forgive them from the heart yet still testify against them in court. Like love, forgiveness can cover a multitude of sins. But it doesn't erase them, it doesn’t enable the harmful activity to continue, and it doesn’t mean we should release people to continue their harm.

It is an act of love to forgive from the heart someone who has wronged us. It is also an act of love for everyone around that person to ‘bind and loose’ in such a way that those around them are spared the pain we went through.

Tim Keller gets the final word.

“Most of the wrongs done to us cannot be assessed in purely economic terms. Someone may have robbed you of some happiness, reputation, opportunity, or certain aspects of your freedom. No price tag can be put on such things, yet we still have a sense of violated justice that does not go away when the other person says, ‘I’m really sorry.’  

When we are seriously wronged we have an indelible sense that the perpetrators have incurred a debt that must be dealt with. Once you have been wronged and you realize there is a just debt that can’t simply be dismissed— there are only two things to do.The first option is to seek ways to make the perpetrators suffer for what they have done. 

You can… actively initiate or passively wish for some kind of pain in their lives commensurate to what you experienced. There are many ways to do this. You can viciously confront them, saying things that hurt. You can go around to others to tarnish their reputation. If the perpetrators suffer, you may begin to feel a certain satisfaction, feeling that they are now paying off their debt. 

There are some serious problems with this option, however. You may become harder and colder, more self-pitying, and therefore more self-absorbed. If the wrongdoer was a person of wealth or authority you may instinctively dislike and resist that sort of person for the rest of your life. If it was a person of the opposite sex or another race you might become permanently cynical and prejudiced against whole classes of people.  

In addition, the perpetrator and his friends and family often feel they have the right to respond to your payback in kind. Cycles of reaction and retaliation can go on for years. Evil has been done to you— yes. But when you try to get payment through revenge the evil does not disappear. Instead it spreads, and it spreads most tragically of all into you and your own character. 

There is another option, however. You can forgive. Forgiveness means refusing to [personally] make them pay for what they did. However, to refrain from lashing out at someone when you want to do so with all your being is agony. It is a form of suffering. You not only suffer the original loss of happiness, reputation, and opportunity, but now you forgo the consolation of inflicting the same on them.

You are absorbing the debt, taking the cost of it completely on yourself instead of taking it out of the other person. It hurts terribly. Many people would say it feels like a kind of death. Yes, but it is a death that leads to resurrection instead of the lifelong living death of bitterness and cynicism. 

 As a pastor I have counseled many people about forgiveness, and I have found that if they do this— if they simply refuse to take vengeance on the wrongdoer in action and even in their inner fantasies— the anger slowly begins to subside. You are not giving it any fuel and so the resentment burns lower and lower…  

There are many good reasons that we should want to confront wrongdoers. Wrongdoers have inflicted damage and… it costs something to fix the damage. We should confront wrongdoers— to wake them up to their real character, to move them to repair their relationships, or to at least constrain them and protect others from being harmed by them in the future.  

Notice, however, that all those reasons for confrontation are reasons of love. The best way to love them and the other potential victims around them is to confront them in the hope that they will repent, change, and make things right. The desire for vengeance, however, is motivated not by goodwill but by ill will…

Forgiveness…leads to a new peace, a resurrection. It is the only way to stop the spread of the evil... only when you have lost the need to see the other person hurt will you have any chance of actually bringing about change, reconciliation, and healing. You have to submit to the costly suffering and death of forgiveness if there is going to be any resurrection.”

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[1] Thanks for pointing out this progression, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3987/0a89d9e22b8cb51863d874718b5060bc4472.pdf

[2]  The earliest manuscripts (Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus) lack the addition of “against you”; the later Byzantine manuscripts include it. It was likely added because Peter will soon apply this teaching personally, and adding “against me” at the beginning here would match what he asks later.

[3]  “Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.” (Leviticus 19:17)

[4] “As throughout the NT, the goal of all Christian discipline is restoration and rehabilitation, not retribution.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[5] Follows the guideline in Deut. 19:15.

[6] “ To whom thou art, as a Christian, to owe earnest and persevering good will, and acts of kindness; but have no religious communion with him, till, if he have been convicted, he acknowledge his fault.” (Adam Clarke) 

[7]  “When a congregation acts in accordance with Scripture to promote God’s glory and the good of an erring member, heaven backs up the church.” (Tony Evans Study Bible)

[8]  “It temporarily delivers a believer to the power of Satan “for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Cor. 5:5). The purpose is to bring him to his senses and cause him to confess his sin. Until then, believers should be courteous but should also show by their attitude that they do not condone his sin and cannot have fellowship with him as a fellow believer. The assembly should be prompt to receive him back as soon as there is evidence of godly repentance.” (Believers Bible Commentary)

[9] “Christ’s reply lifts the subject out of the legal sphere (seven times - a hard rule), into the evangelic: times without number, infinite placability.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament) 

[10] Tony Evans Study Bible

[11] The highest number in Greek arithmetic.

[12] There were no prisons in Jewish culture, but there were in the Roman world. “The Roman Constitution, known as the Laws of Twelve Tables (Table III, Laws IV-X), has a series of detailed laws… [debtors] may be taken to court, put in chains, and forced into various arrangements to pay off their debts as slaves…others can come to pay off their debts on their behalf and they can be released from prison. Debts that could not be repaid were to be enslaved by creditors or sold in the slave market.” (“Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.” https://academic-accelerator.com/encyclopedia/parable-of-the-unforgiving-servant)

[13] “"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get" (Matt 7.1-2).” 

[14] “Those who know God’s mercy must operate on the principle of mercy. If they do not show mercy but insist on justice, they will not receive mercy, but justice.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[15] I don’t think it is meant to be read as a teaching on atonement theology or final judgment Klyne Snodgrass’ book Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide To The Parables Of Jesus does an excellent job explaining this.

[16] The parable’s conclusion sounds a lot like a teaching in Sirach 28:2-4 “Forgive your neighbor the wrong he had done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray. Does anyone harbor anger against another, and expect healing from the Lord? If one has no mercy toward another like himself, can he then seek pardon for his own sins?”

[17] “The king in the parable surely does not live up to Jesus’ saying on repeated and unlimited forgiveness. Moreover, when the king in the parable is seen as a metaphor for God (based on Mt 18:35), the picture of God painted in the parable is quite unflattering in that God is pictured as ‘a vindictive person whose mercies are dependent on human behavior.’” https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3987/0a89d9e22b8cb51863d874718b5060bc4472.pdf

[18] “Just as we don’t take [the money figures] literally, neither ought we take literally Jesus threatening torture and jail for withholding forgiveness (the very things he criticized the unforgiving servant for doing)…I hear him using holy hyperbole to say, “God forgave you your debt and you won’t forgive another? How would you like it if God did the same to you – didn’t forgive you, called you wicked, and handed you over to be tortured in a debtor’s prison for 160,000 years?” I think he would answer, “I wouldn’t.” https://readingacts.com/2022/01/19/the-parable-of-the-unmerciful-servant-matthew-1823-35/#

[19] “There are many poor souls who are tortured by their own unforgiveness toward others.” (“Matthew 18 – qualities and attitudes of kingdom citizens.”  enduringword.com)

[20] Shari Abbot, “What is the Meaning of Jesus’ Parable of the Ungrateful Servant? (Matthew 18:23-35).”  reasonsforhopejesus.com

[21] Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide To The Parables Of Jesus, Klyne R. Snodgrass

[22] https://readingacts.com/2022/01/19/the-parable-of-the-unmerciful-servant-matthew-1823-35/#

[23] Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide To The Parables Of Jesus, Klyne R. Snodgrass

Harmony #53: Who Is the Greatest? (Mark 9:33-50; Matthew 18:1-14; Luke 9:46-50; 17:1-3)

They came to Capernaum. When Jesus was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

 He took a little child and had him stand by his side among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, for the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,  for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.”

Jesus said to his disciples, ”Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. Watch yourselves!

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out.

It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna, where “the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.” Everyone will be salted with fire.  Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

* * * * *

Here is the same passage, but with added commentary that provides context and explanation baked into the story. It’s like my version of The Message that will hopefully add clarity.

After a long journey and a private but heated discussion among the disciples, they came to Capernaum. When Jesus joined them in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet, because it was a little embarrassing. On the way they, had argued about who was the greatest.

 Peter had the keys to the gates of Hades given to him; then only Peter, James and John had been on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus while the rest of them were failing to bind and cast out a demon after having been successful before. Then, Jesus rebuked them. So, yeah, there was some posturing going on.

So Jesus sat down like all rabbis did when it was time to teach, and he called the twelve to him. “Fellas, listen carefully. If anyone wants to be first in the Kingdom of heaven – if anyone wants to be the greatest – it’s not going to look like the world’s greatness. The greatest in the Kingdom is the one who serves everyone. Greatness is not defined by power, prestige, or skill; it’s defined by humility and service.”[1]  

 He gestured to one of their host’s children. “You know how children are treated by the Gentiles. They are the least in the family, the ones with the lowest status. They have no privileged position.” He called to one of their hosts’ toddlers to come stand by his side.

 “I tell you the truth, unless you turn your attitude and focus around and are willing to embrace that kind of role, you will never understand life in the kingdom of heaven! Whoever is content to be in a humble station in life like this little child – they are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever takes the time to welcome this child on my behalf – elevating them by your attention, re-enforcing their dignity and worth by treating them as people worthy of honor – well, whoever does that, it’s as if they were welcoming and honoring me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” He watched the child run off to play. “The least among you all is the one who is great.”[2]

Well. That was not how the disciples had expected that conversation to go. John finally broke the awkward silence with some news he hoped would perhaps impress Jesus instead of creating the need for yet another teachable moment.

 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop,[3] because he was not one of us.”[4]

“So, you weren’t able to free people from demons, and he was, and you tried to stop him?” Jesus asked. “Don’t you remember what has been shown to you in the Torah?” And as they talked amongst themselves, they remembered:

“Two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”  But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” [5]

 Seeing that they remembered, Jesus continued. “Were you jealous? Do you think that my Spirit only falls on you? Do you think the good this man did is suspect because he didn’t have your permission? Why are you acting like territorial religious leaders who judge anyone who’s not just like you? You are binding something Heaven has loosed.

Those who do miracle through faith in me are expanding the Kingdom of God. He is clearly not against us; he is helping the mission and ministry of my Kingdom – he’s setting captives free! Anybody who is not against us is for us. Even if all someone does is give you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah, that person – no matter who they are - will be rewarded.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “My heart breaks for the world when people, instead of being the Rock on which I build my church, (*looks pointedly at Peter*) become stumbling blocks (*looks pointedly at Peter*) on the road to Kingdom! No doubt, stumbling blocks are sure to come, but my heart is grieved for the ones through whom they come!”

(The disciples whispered among themselves, “Is he talking about us? I think he’s talking about us.”)

“What you do to a child, you do to me. Remember? This man, whom you want to stop, is a child in my Kingdom. You should be welcoming this spiritual child on my behalf like you should a physical child – elevating him by your attention, re-enforcing his dignity and worth by treating him as someone worthy of honor. Listen: do not let your life be the cause of one of my children stumbling. If your arrogant attitude and corrupted character push people away from me instead of draw people toward me?[6] Well…

You’ve heard how the Romans tie a millstone around the necks of traitors and throw them into the sea, and their bodies are never recovered, right? You know that they believe it's the most dishonorable and terrible kind if death. It would be better for those who cause my children to stumble to have a millstone tied around their necks and to be thrown into the sea.[7] It’s that big of a deal to me. So, watch yourselves!”

“Teacher, we have been taught that it is a curse if the earth does not receive our bodies after we die. Moses wrote of a punishment where ‘carcasses shall be food unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth.’[8] Jeremiah showed us the judgment of King Jehoiakim in which he was buried ‘with the burial of a donkey, cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.’[9] You have told us many times how important it is to feed the hungry and clothe the naked; Tobit teaches that a decent burial even to a stranger ranks with giving bread to the hungry and garments to the naked.”[10] It’s a terrible curse to not be buried with our ancestors, for our soul to wander in Sheol for eternity with no people and no home.”[11]

Jesus nodded. “Indeed.  It would be better for those who cause my children to stumble to have a millstone tied around their necks and to be thrown into the sea.”

“I’m picking up what you’re laying down,” muttered Peter.

“I’m not sure you are,” responded Jesus.“You have been raised by rabbis who taught you that when you sin, you inflict judgment upon yourself.[12] The more severe the sin you sow, the more severe the harvest of judgment you bring upon yourself.[13] With that in mind, if your hand or foot causes you to stumble or become a stumbling block, cut it off.  If your eye causes you to stumble or become a stumbling block, pluck it out. The consequence of causing one of my children to stumble because of your life is…” Here Jesus paused. “Tell me what you know about the Valley of Ben Hinnom.”

“Teacher, it’s the ravine south of Jerusalem where Ahaz and Manasseh sacrificed their “little ones,” the children, to Molek.[14] Jeremiah prophesied it would be renamed the Valley of Slaughter when the Babylonians would discard the unburied bodies of the people of Jerusalem in the very place they had sacrificed their children.[15]

Jesus nodded. “Isaiah described the fate of those who do terrible things to the children of God. He describes a battlefield where those who did great evil have been harvested the death that followed the evil they planted.  “the worms[16] that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.[17] Remind you of anything you have seen?”

“Yes, Teacher. It’s Gehenna. It’s a fate worse than being buried in the sea. The Talmud teaches that death by fire is a dishonorable way to die, and that burning the remains of the dead shows terrible disrespect to their bodies. When one’s remains are burned, the soul cannot leave the body, and they will not be able to participate in the world to come.[18] Burning the dead is the ultimate punishment.”[19]

“That is indeed what you have been taught. And I am telling you that those who do evil to my children will bring upon themselves the wages of their sin – and those wages are terrible. [20]  In fact, it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God maimed, crippled and half blind than to be physically whole and be thrown into a Gehenna of judgment[21] with those who kill and abuse in any way not only children but also the children of the people of God.”[22] 

John broke a sobering silence with the question all of them were thinking, “Lord, This is a hard teaching. The Law never tells us to maim ourselves. That is something others do, but not us. Are you trying to make a point, or is this a command? Or both?”

Jesus replied, “I’m making a point. The millstone and the battlefield full of worms and fire were images to help you understand how seriously you must take this teaching. This is too. Your hand, foot, and eye are what you do, where you go, and what you desire. When any part is corrupted, it corrupts the whole.[23]

This is why everyone must be salted with fire, just like every sacrifice must be salted with salt that never loses its power. Be salt, and be at peace with each other.” Noticing their confusion, he added, “Talk amongst yourselves.”

* * * * * *

Which is what we are going to do J We’ve talked before about how Jesus often taught in a way that was meant to provoke discussion after he was done. No doubt, this teaching did exactly that.

Weston Fields noted that “salted with fire” passage has at least 15 different explanations. Like last week, what I have to offer is an opinion on how to understand what Jesus is trying to convey. I favor the 1 that believes Jesus is referencing Old Testament teaching. It is likely his disciples would have thought of this passage, which was about the ritual cleaning of items in the Tabernacle:

“Every thing that may abide the fire, you shall make go through the fire, and it shall be clean; and all that abides not in the fire, you shall make go through the water.” Numbers 31:23.

Fire purifies. When it’s not obviously literal, it’s often a way of describing what the Word of God does to people through the refining power of truth.

 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions, that stops his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil.” (Isaiah 33:14-15)

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder … If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  their work will be shown for what it is… revealed with fire [that] will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.  If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3: 10-15)[24]

Fire is also used to represent trials that purify us by burning out the wood, hay and straw of our lives.

Just as some sacrifices needed salt to be acceptable (Lev 2:13), so the disciples (perhaps themselves seen as sacrifices, Rom 12:1) will need to be salted with the purifying fire of suffering … if they are to enter the kingdom of heaven. (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)[25]

If fire purifies, salt preserves.

For example, it was added to offering in the Old Testament, I suspect because the food of the offerings fed the priests (and what was left fed the families who brought the sacrifice):

“You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt” (Lev. 2:13).

Salted with fire - followers of Jesus will actually be preserved in the Kingdom by the fire in their lives. This could be the discipline of self-denial that accompanies taking up a cross, which includes how we face trials and tribulations in life. This could be about testing and persecution that follows those who follow closely in the footsteps of Christ. It’s likely both.

The refining fire of cross-bearing is what God uses to make us holy (set apart in the Kingdom); the fire of testing and persecution is what we experience because we are holy. (paraphrase of a quote from the Expositor’s Greek Testament)

BE SALT, AND BE AT PEACE WITH EACH OTHER

Salt was a sign of covenant obligations (Leviticus 2:13; 2 Chronicles 13:5). To eat salt together meant to make peace by (in a sense) entering into covenant intended to preserve us as individuals and as a group.[26] In Matthew’s gospel, this teaching is followed immediately by:

·      the Parable of the Lost Sheep, which focuses on the love, compassion, and faithfulness of God 

·      a teaching on restoring someone who has fallen into deep sin[27]

·      the Parable of the Debtor who owed Ten Thousand Talents, which focuses on forgiveness

This is where that whole section was leading: the importance of being a presence in the world such that we bring holy healing and preservation, not chaos and sinful decay.

The man casting out demons. As salt, the disciples should have valued and validated the work of God in the world wherever they saw it.  Whenever someone truly builds the Kingdom in the name of Jesus – whenever someone ‘binds and loosens’ what has already been planned in Heaven as an outworking of worship – we should be applauding. Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? Those who applaud and support others when they are positively impacting the world for the Kingdom.

But what if their denomination makes me nervous? What if how they do ministry is different from how I would do it? We have to get over ourselves. Just because a denomination (or non-denomination) approach to church fits us, or just because we do ministry in a particular way, doesn’t mean it’s the only way. God’s a big God. We don’t define the parameters how, when, and through whom God will work. God does.

The child . We must preserve and honor the dignity and worth of ‘the least of these’ in our culture and in our church. Caring for the least is what makes us great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus wasn’t telling them this is how you get power and prestige. He’s teaching that a sign of greatness in the Kingdom is investing in the overlooked, the forgotten, the dismissed, the marginalized, the disdained, the used and abused. Jesus never intended those who follow him to pander to the powerful; he intended for us to preserve the powerless.

Jesus is more than clear: We dare not make them stumble. In a church setting, the stumbling seems to be the kind of situation where we run into someone in such a way that our impact in their life pushes them away from wanting to be a follower of Jesus. We can be salt, or we can be a poisonous stumbling block.

·      Hypocrisy is poison; integrity is salt, and brings peace;

·      Rudeness is poison; kindness is salt, and brings peace.

·      Abuse is poison; care is salt, and brings peace.

·      Pride is poison; repentance is salt, and brings peace.

·      Bitterness is poison; forgiveness is salt, and brings peace.

·      Combativeness is poison; peace-making is salt, and brings peace.

·      Arrogance is poison; humility is salt, and brings peace.

·      Cliques are poison; fellowship is salt, and brings peace.

·      Anger is poison; gentleness is salt, and brings peace.

·      Power flexes are poison; meekness is salt, and brings peace.

·      Indifference and hate are poison; love is salt, and brings peace.

·      Lies are poison; truth is salt, and brings peace.

·      ‘Us vs. them’ is poison; ‘us for them’ is salt, and brings peace.

We can be poison, or we can salt. Do we want to be great by Kingdom standards? Then let’s be salt, and live at peace with each other.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

[1] “Jesus is not attacking leadership positions, but showing the way in which such roles should be exercised (i.e., as the ‘last . . . and servant of all’). This principle is exemplified by Jesus Himself who ‘came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[2] “To show kindness to a child—who can offer nothing in return—is to serve God (9:37). Greatness is not achieved through marvelous actions that all see. It’s often achieved through lowly and unseen acts of service toward those who cannot repay.” (CSB Tony Evans Study Bible) “They should care for those who have little status in the world, such as a little child. (ESV Global Study Bible)

[3] “There are some who are so wedded to their own creed, and religious system, that they would rather let sinners perish than suffer those who differ from them to become the instruments of their salvation. Even the good that is done they either deny or suspect, because the person does not follow them. This is an evil disease.” (Adam Clarke)

[4] “Here their self-importance leads them to think that they, like the Pharisees and teachers of the law, can define who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’ of God’s people (cf. Luke 11:52).” NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)  “This phrase does not deny that the man was not a follower of Jesus; he was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Probably what is meant is that he does not recognize the authority of the Twelve.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[5] “Numbers 11:26-29 The reader will observe that Joshua and John were of the same bigoted spirit;Jesus and Moses acted from the spirit of candor and benevolence. (Adam Clarke)

[6] “Derailing the faith of those of little worldly importance through an egotistical use of power calls for the most severe punishment.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[7] Augustus used this method on people he really disliked. He appears to have used this to punish people involved in the insurrection led by Judas of Galilee (a contemporary of Jesus).

[8] Deuteronomy 28:26

[9] Jeremiah 22:19

[10] Tobit 1:17–18. This was a popular Jewish book written in the 2nd century BC.

[11] Read Death and Bereavement in Judaism at the Jewish Virtual Library. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ancient-burial-practices

[12]  https://medium.com/@BrazenChurch/hell-a-biblical-staple-the-bible-never-actually-mentions-c28b18b1aaaa

[13] Galatians 6:7

[14] 2 Kings 16:3; 21:6

[15] Jeremiah 7:30–34; 19:1–15

[16] Isaiah associates worms with death. ‘Your pomp and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you, and worms are your covering.’ (14:11)

[17] In Daniel 12:2, the same word is translated as "contempt". 

[18] “Judaism and Cremation: Overview of Jewish Beliefs on Cremation.” https://www.cremationsocietyofphiladelphia.com/judaism-and-cremation/#Jewish_Law_Forbids_Cremation

[19] https://www.jpost.com/magazine/ask-the-rabbi-why-does-jewish-law-prohibit-cremation-576174

[20] The immediate object of the description of the worm as never dying and the fire as never being quenched, appears to be to mark the destination of those men as a perpetual witness to the consuming judgments of God, and one which all flesh may see. … present the men in question as a perpetual spectacle of shame to all beholders.” (Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges)

[21] “Gehenna’s association with abusing children is grimly appropriate.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[22] Our Bibles often say “Hell” to refer to four distinct words: Sheol (Hebrew), the subterranean world of the dead; Hades (Greek), the abode of the dead; Tartarus (Greek), a place of eternal torment for fallen angels found only in 2 Peter 2:4; and Gehenna (Greek), the valley of Hinnom (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem. Gehenna accounts for 12 of the 13 times we read of Hell in the New Testament.

[23] We see this principle in  James 3:6 “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by Gehenna.”

[24] “No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” (1 Corinthians 3:11–13)

[25]“Perhaps the best interpretation is that believers are being offered to God (compare Rom. 12:1), and the fire with which they will be ‘salted’ is purification by the “fire” of suffering and hardship. (ESV Global Study Bible)  Every true disciple is to be a total sacrifice to God (cf. Ro 12:1); and as salt always accompanied the temple sacrifices, so fire—i.e., persecution, trials, and suffering—will accompany the true disciple's sacrifices (cf. 10:30; 1Pe 1:7; 4:12).” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[26] Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges

[27] An application of binding and losing – still on that theme J