Category Archives: jesus’ example

WORRY, WHAT ME WORRY

Leave a reply

Read this article and/or go to the bottom to watch the video.

Remember the old comic book: What Me Worry? It was a publication trying to get its readers to be happier, among other things. What do you worry about? Today, there are so many events, situations, or people who can make us worry. Many times, we worry about things on which don’t make sense. Of course, there are some who have a condition that is a mental or physical that make it extremely difficult not to worry. Those people avoid crowds, tight situations, and some even are unable to leave their home. I have a personal knowledge of this type of more permanent anxiety as an ongoing condition. My daughter has suffered with this essentially all of her life. My wife and I did not know about this condition for many years as it was not widely known about. She was finally able to get some help from a professional in this field but not until she was a teenager. So, we need to differentiate those conditions that are mental and physical from the worry that is written about in Matthew.

       An example of what causes many to worry about temporarily is presented is the story of the nervous airline passenger who was pacing the terminal when bad weather delayed his departure. During his walk he came across a life insurance machine that offered $100,000 in the event of an untimely death aboard his flight. The policy was just three dollars. He looked through the window at the threatening clouds and thought of his family at home. For that price it seemed foolish not to buy a policy, so he took out the coverage. He then looked for a place to eat while he was waiting during the delay, and he found a Chinese restaurant. It was a relaxing meal until he opened his fortune cookie, which read, “Your recent investment will pay big dividends”. (Thanks to Dr. David Jeremiah for this story).

            We may smile at the disconcerted traveler, but we all battle those nagging concerns that disturb our sense of inner peace. Our lives are full of concern, and sometimes these concerns have a way of morphing into monsters of the mind. This is the type of worry about which this article is written to help us. This type of worry can be concern on steroids. It attacks our peace of heart, assaults our faith, ties our intestines in knots, fills our minds with shadows, and sends flaming darts to pierce our emotional wellbeing.

       This is the type of worry and anxiety that the Book of Matthew records from Jesus and provides help to overcome. In Matthew chapter six there are many scripture verses from the Sermon on the Mount which serves as a definitive description from Jesus for our worry, anxiety, and for our daily walk of faith. The complete passage is in Matthew 6:25-34-Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry…So why do you worry…? Do not worry…Do not worry”. What exactly is this troubling attitude? Everyone has their own way of describing it. The dictionary defines worry as a set of thoughts that causes us to feel troubled or uneasy, distressed, anxious, or apprehensive”. The Bible provides a host of more vivid definitions, but many of these sayings are attributed to many various people that reveal a different aspect of their anxious thoughts. The following are a few of these definitions from others:

       “Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.”

        “Worry is the misuse of your God-given imagination”.

        “Worry is putting question marks where God has put periods,”

        “Worry is interest we pay on tomorrow’s troubles”.

        “Worry is a form of atheism because it assumes there is no God watching over us”.

        “Worry is faith in the negative”.

        “Worry is an emotional spasm which occurs when the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go”.

There are many others that may even be more actuate or helpful.

        Much of our worry concerns the future about which we can do nothing about. It is said that “The future is not here, and the future is not ours”. So, this is really saying we can’t control the future nor predict what it will look like. Only God knows the future, so we are letting our minds dealing with something we cannot control. Knowing this can help if we completely put our trust in God. So, let’s attempt to determine the best ways to do this.

        In Matthew 6, the Greek word for worry is “merizo”, which comes from two smaller words which mean to “divide” and “nous” which means “mind”. The idea, I’m told, is “being drawn or pulled in different directions, being torn apart.” So, worrying is like having your spirit pulled apart, having a mind divided between legitimate thoughts and destructive ones. James 1:8 it calls a doubter “a double minded man, unstable in all his ways”. Jesus warned Martha against such double-mindedness. Remember Martha was breezing around the house working and fretting and fusing trying to prepare domestic issues for Jesus and the group there. Jesus said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, But one thing is needed, and Mary was chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

        Lots of us are Martha’s many times. We fly around, worried and troubled about many things. We live in a world that makes it easy to worry. With the news we see and hear today about everyday events, we realize we have a lot of valid reasons to worry about the future. But as Biblical Christians we have better reasons not to worry. When we worry, it is both emotionally and distressing and spiritual detrimental. However, worry can choke the word of God in our lives and render us unfruitful. It can tear our thoughts apart and make us double-minder doubters.

         When Jesus said, “Do not worry”, He was not telling us to forego planning. Jesus did a lot of planning while in the wilderness for 40 days, He planned for the Last Supper, and He planned for the disciples to continue His mission after He was gone. Nor was He telling us to live without concern. Concern is a legitimate emotion that allows us to focus on a problem and resolve it. However, concern mostly requires a clear head to respond to a present need or problem. Worry is an unhealthy response to a future fear. We need not worry about being concerned, but we should be concerned about worrying. This leads us to understand and study the Scripture in Matthew where Jesus helps us better deal with worry.

                                                UNDERSTAND WORRY

When we define worry, which we have done, we can better understand it. As indicated previously Matthew 6:25-32 gives us several things that Jesus wants us to know. Let’s begin with verse 6:25, where we are taught that worry is inconsistent. This verse says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing.” Jesus was telling us, in effect: “Listen carefully, you who worry about necessities of life like food and clothing. The One on whom you are depending, is the One who has given you life. If He has created your very life, don’t you think He can care for the simple things that adorn your life? If your God has the power to create these marvelous organisms, we call our bodies. Isn’t it logical to believe He can provide clothes to put on our bodies, food to put in them, and shelter to put over them? Cannot the One who has done the greater also do the lesser?” (Quote from Dr. David Jeremiah) So, if we believe God is our Creator, we should also believe He is our Sustainer. Otherwise, we are inconsistent in our beliefs.

       Then in verse 6:26, Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” This verse continues the discussion of worry about material provisions. In this verse Jesus tells his followers not to be anxious about food, but to rely on God as the birds, who are worth far less than people, are fully provided for.

       This almost seems like an overly simple illustration. But what is the application? “Are you not of more value than they?” Are you not more important than a bird? The simplicity of it almost goes beyond us. So let me ask you, “Does not God provide for the birds?” “Yes”, you reply. “Are you more important than the birds?” “Yes”. Then the concluding question, “Do you think God will provide for you?” We could use the same illustration with our own children, because they are important to us just as we are important to God. I feed my dog every day. Do you think my children are more important than my dog? Do you think I will feed my dog and let my children go hungry? Are we not the children of God? Does God not love His children? Do you think God is going to feed the birds and let His children go hungry?

       I love these two verses because they teach both sides of the same truth. If God can do the greater (give us life). He can do the lesser (provide for our needs). And if He gladly does the lesser (caring for birds), will He not do the same for the greater (caring for me). Our Lord’s reasoning is logical and flawless.

       There is a little poem, written for little children in the 1800’s, that sometimes appears under the title “Overheard in an Orchard”. It brings our Lord’s point right down to where we live.

              Said the Robin to the Sparrow,

              “I should really like to know

              Why these anxious human beings

              Rush about and worry so”

              Said the Sparrow to the Robin,

              “Friend, I think that it must be

              That they have no Heavenly Father

              Such as cares for you and me”.

      The next point that Jesus makes is in verse 27: 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

       Worry accomplishes nothing. There are two possible translations for this illustration, because the same word can be translated two ways. The word “stature” is used both of height and length of time. It is used to describe Zaccheus who was short in stature, and it is also used to describe adding to one’s life span. A cubit is about eighteen inches. One possible interpretation for this verse is: If you worry, can you add eighteen inches to your height? Obviously not!

       It seems to me that the New American Standard Bible gives the better translation by referring to a “longer” life span. The question is more likely: Can you lengthen your life at all by worry? Medical experts tell us today that worry probably shortens our lives and causes all kinds of physical problems to develop. In speaking of adding a cubit to your life span, Jesus is mixing metaphors as we sometimes do. After a birthday, we sometimes say, “I’ve passed another milestone.” We have not really passed another milestone, because a milestone is a measure of distance. Can you add anything to your road of life by worrying? The basic statement Jesus is making is that worry accomplishes nothing.

       Anxiety is worthless! There is zero value in worry. It does nothing good for us. An average person’s anxiety is focused on: 40% – things that will never happen; 30% – things about the past that can’t be changed; 12% – things about criticism by others, mostly untrue; 10% – about health, which gets worse with stress; 8% – about real problems that will be faced.

        Then in Matthew 6:28-30 Jesus said: 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

       Has there ever been a time when worry has served you well? When you’ve been so glad you spent energy conjuring up a potentially bad outcome…or plowing past better thoughts focused solely on your structured vision of security? Worry can actually weaken us, and yet, we worry still. Hoping all our hand-wringing and hard-working grow a shield of protection from life’s inevitable. God knows we’re made this way. Which is why Jesus teaches us how to handle worry when it comes.

       Freedom from worry is one of so many reasons he arrived in the flesh. He shepherds our anxious hearts. And he gave us these words about the splendor of flowers, so we can learn from them. His words are alive. When we read or repeat them, they can actually renew us. This verse in Matthew calls to me now because where I live, it’s almost blooming time. It has me recalling the many times God has spoken to me in the language of flowers. Or trees, mushrooms, birds, and butterflies. His message of resurrection and renewal is prevalent in all of creation. Waves that ebb and flow, the rhythm of sunrise and sunset, and the return of flowers—are all among many of his mind-blowing “object lessons.”

       God wants us to see not only their beauty, but their lack of worry. He describes it as laboring and spinning. It’s true that Jesus is acknowledging our basic need for clothes, but he is asking us to shed the layer of worry we spin (which was how they made clothing in ancient times). In verse 30, Jesus isn’t saying “don’t work and don’t get dressed.” He is asking us to take in the lesson of creation. To see how even the most fragile among us rely on God’s provision and are dressed in just the way that gives him glory. This is how he designed us to flourish…with a soul rooted in faith and at rest in his plan.

       Matthew 6:31-32 sums it up, saying: “31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

       When we are tempted to worry, then, we should stop long enough to ask, “Who am I anyway? Am I a child of God or am I an unbeliever?” This is telling us to stop to think which may in that action, first of all, take our minds off of the worry. Then we are to think who we really are. This should lead us to put all of our attention on the Lord and at least some of our worry goes to the back of our minds.

        Then in verse 32 Jesus mentions that such anxiety might be natural for the Gentiles, who have no God that provides for them, or who believe in capricious or unpredictable gods. Barclay rephrases this verse as stating that anxiety is impious as it represents doubt in God. To adopt a heart of worry when we are faced with lack is to step into the realm of the unbeliever, for scripture reminds us that in the world system it is the unbelievers; the Gentiles; the pagans that fret over the basics of life and adopt an attitude of anxiety.

       It is a pagan mind-set that has overtaken society today – an intellectual perception which has eliminated the truth that God is our provider – a world view that has excluded God from the equation of life and adopted an attitude of self-sufficiency instead of God-sufficiency. It is when Christ has been placed at the center of our lives and we trust Him to be our all-sufficient savior that faith in Him matures. As trust in Him increases so worry and fear decline. When our heart is trusting Him in all things and Christ is in the center of our lives, we will find that anxiety has no place in our thinking and faith in His Word will increase, despite life’s circumstances, until we come to know Him as our all-sufficient provider as well as our all-sufficient savior.

                              OVERCOMING WORRY

   After defining worry and helping us to understand its nature, Jesus ends His emphasis

in Matthew 6 by telling us how to overcome it. He has a two-fold plan. This is the simplest and most affective antidote to worry ever prescribed. First, Jesus said, you must totally commit your life to Him. Verse 33 “33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Instead of worrying about food, drink, and clothing, Jesus commands us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous. Paul urges us to offer ourselves as a living-sacrifice to God. Put Christ first! Trust Him with your life, with all your needs, with the concerns of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. With all your heart, live for Him who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

       Missionary Hudson Taylor said, “Let us give up our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all, right into His hand, and then, when we have given all over to Him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled bout, or to make trouble about”. As we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He promises to provide for all our needs, saying, “all these things shall be added to you”. This is the first part of our Lord’s plan, committing our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves- everything- totally to Jesus Christ.

          But there is a second step, which is found in the next verse, Matthew 6:34-       

“34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Having committed our lives to Him, we must concentrate our energies on living one day at a time. As Jesus said in verse 34 “Don’t worry about tomorrow- for sufficient for the day is its own trouble”. If verse 33 gives us the long view (committing the whole life to the Lord), verse 34 gives us the short view (living one day at a time for the Lord).

       The British pastor John Shott said it this way: “One day’s trouble is enough for one day or each day has troubles enough of its own. So why anticipate them? If we do, we double them. For if our fear does not materialize, we have worried once for nothing: if it does materialize, we have worried twice instead of once. In both cases it is foolish: worry doubles trouble.” You can be sure your heavenly Father has made provision for your tomorrow, for He has filled your life with tokens of His goodness and faithfulness today. Lamentations 3:23 reminds us that God’s compassions are new every morning. It is like saying: “Trust Me. I will care for you day by day, Seek Me first, and all these things will be added to you”. Don’t worry about yesterday’s sins, God has forgiven them. Don’t worry about yesterday’s successes, God has recorded them. Don’t worry about yesterday’s sorrows, God can heal them and point us forward. We’re to live life on a daily basis.

      Warren Wiersbe has written many books, one about Isaiah which I bought, read, and loved. I even used it for great material when I taught the Book of Isaiah on Wednesday nights for several weeks until the virus caused us to stop meeting. Mr. Wiersbe wrote about worries: “Most Christians are being crucified on a cross between two thieves: yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s worries.” It’s God‘s will that we focus our attention on the present, remembering that He promises to be with us at all times. Recall the Lord’s words at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. When Moses asked God His name, the Lord replied, “I AM WHO I AM? God is the self-existent Creator who dwells in eternity, yet He is always present with us in the now. He is I AM, always “present tense: in our lives.

        What is the meaning of do not worry about tomorrow? This is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. Remember there are two days you should never worry about: yesterday and tomorrow. You can’t live in the past.

        Those struggling with addiction, while in recovery, often cling to a set of guiding statements as they work to stay sober. A common mantra used in those situations is “one day at a time.” There’s no value in that person worrying about whether they will fall to temptation tomorrow. Their addiction must be fought today. Tomorrow’s fight will happen tomorrow. In overcoming addiction effectively, such people are taught to focus on winning today’s battles. This is compatible with the principles found in this command from Jesus. He tells His followers not to worry about tomorrow. As He has already said, worry doesn’t fix anything. Anxiety over things we cannot control, or out of our reach, makes no sense (Matthew 6:27). God loves us and already knows not only what He wants to accomplish, but what we need to make that happen (Matthew 6:33).
       Jesus says, in short, that born-again believers ought to let tomorrow worry about itself. He’s not saying Christians cannot or should not make wise plans. Nor is He saying believers ought to literally ignore anything but the most immediate questions. His context here is about the emotions of fear and anxiety. Those who trust in God shouldn’t allow wallow in useless worry over the future. Tomorrow’s fight will happen tomorrow. The battle to trust God is always happening in the current moment. Today has plenty of trouble with which we need to trust God. Jesus commands His followers to focus on trust for God in a moment-by-moment way. We shouldn’t try to solve all our problems, for all time, all at once. Let God provide what is needed day by day. Peace is God’s supernatural gift for our hearts. He will pilot your life. He will bear the load and grant you peace as you totally commit yourself to Him and live one day for Him.

        (Thanks to Dr. David Jeremiah and the Holy Spirit)

FORGIVE

Leave a reply

To forgive someone who has done something that causes us harm is not easy for humans. Even in the best of relationships, we will hurt or disappoint each other. It’s often easy to forgive a misunderstanding or unintentional mistake, but it’s harder when the person “knows better” and does it anyway. Or it’s a repeated blunder done again and again. And sometimes the hurt done is truly damaging. Some of us become hesitant to forgive, because by doing so, it feels like we’re saying what happened was ok. But just as Jesus forgave us, we are to forgive others. Jesus told a story to His disciples to emphasize the importance forgiveness plays in the lives of those who seek to seek to follow Him. Forgiveness restores and strengthens relationships.

                                   Read Matthew 18:21-22

In the Gospel of Matthew there are five great discourses of Jesus: the Sermon on the Mount (ch. 5-7); the commissioning of the disciples (ch. 10); the parables of the kingdom (ch. 13); life in the church (ch. 18); and the end of the age (ch. 24-25). There are so much in the Gospel of Matthew that shows the power, mercy, love, healing and miracles of our Savior, Jesus.

       The passage for this study on forgiveness is a part of the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18 on life in the church. The chapter begins with a discussion of who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (vv. 1-9), followed by the parable of the lost sheep (vv. 10-14) which underscores the  that truth that in God’s eyes even “one of these little ones” has such immense value that the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep and goes after the one that has wandered off. This is followed by instructions to the church on how to deal with a brother who has sinned (vv. 15-20). It is in this context that Peter asks how often he must forgive an offending brother (vv. 21-22). In answer, Jesus tells the parable of the unmerciful servant (vv. 23-34), followed by a final warning (v. 35).

       Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked. Peter’s question was in response to the statement of Jesus in vv. 15-17 outlining the procedure to follow in restoring an offending Christian back to life in the Christian community.

       Seven times. Jewish tradition limited forgiveness to three times, perhaps based on Amos 1:3, 6, 9 and Job 33:29-30 (note Luke 17:4). Peter thought his willingness to forgive seven times was much more generous than Jewish tradition and thus surpassing the righteousness of Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matthew 5:20). Seventy-seven times. The phrase may also be translated “seventy times seven.” But regardless of the exact translation, it means unlimited. This expression may be a deliberate allusion to Lamech’s revengeful and bitter words in Gen 4:24: “If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” Now in Jesus there is the possibility of a radical reversal from seventy-sevenfold vengeance to seventy-sevenfold forgiveness. Peter’s question indicated that he still wanted to count how many times he should forgive. Jesus was in effect telling him not to count. One commentary I read notes, with the extending of forgiveness to the brother or sister who wrongs the believer, there is the expectation that the offending party will respond in genuine repentance with a corresponding change in behavior.

                               Read Matthew 18:23-27

Again, due to Jesus’ statement, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. When  the king had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But because the debtor couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

       In this parable, the master’s compassionate attitude motivated him to act in mercy. The master released his servant from the sentence of slavery his indebtedness had rightly earned him. The master also forgave the unpayable loan. Paul used the word “forgave” when he wrote of God canceling our infinite debt to Him through our trust in Jesus (Rom. 4:7; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14). God has looked upon our hopeless condition, has felt great compassion, and acted in mercy. Through Jesus’ sacrifice e on the cross, God has released us from the consequences of our sins and forgiven our unpayable debt.

                                Read Matthew 18:28,32-35

        “But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ “So, his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due. When his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him. So, my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

       The lines before the parable itself are similar to Luke. The talent in this parable was worth about 6,000 denarii, so that one debt is 600,000 times as large as the other. More significantly, 10,000 (a myriad) was the highest Greek numeral, and a talent the largest unit of currency, so that 10,000 talents was the largest easily described debt (for comparison, the combined annual tribute of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea around this time was only 600 talents, and one denarius was a day’s wages, so that 10,000 talents would be about 200,000 years’ wages. The setting is the court of some king in another country, where the “servants” could rank as highly as provincial govern.

       MEN in general think themselves sufficiently instructed in morality; but, for the most part, their views of it are very partial and defective. The duty of forgiving injuries is universally acknowledged; but few are aware to what an extent it is required of them. Peter, though a good man, needed much instruction on this head. He thought the limits he assigned to this principle were generous and ample; but our Lord rectified his judgment by an explicit declaration, and pointed out the grounds of his duty in an instructive parable.
       From the words before us we are led to consider the extent, the reasonableness, and the necessity, of Christian forgiveness:

       I.       The extent—
It does not forbid the execution of human laws, since magistrates are appointed of God on purpose to enforce them [Rom_13:4.]: nor does it prohibit the just exercise of authority in parents or masters. But it must extend to all offences, however numerous, however heinous. And proceed from a heart wholly divested of malice or resentment [Pro_24:29.] — — — We need not indeed restore to our favor one who continues unworthy of it [Luke_17:3-4.]; or forbear to punish him while he continues to merit our displeasure. But we must pity the offender while we punish the offence; and seek, in inflicting punishment, both his and the public good. We must feel towards him as an affectionate parent towards an offending child. We must feel disposed to pray for him, and to cover, rather than expose, his faults [Pro_24:17-18.]; and we must earnestly desire to behold in him such a disposition, as may open a way to perfect reconciliation with him.
       II.      The reasonableness—
Every man owes to God a debt that exceeds all calculation. Nor can the debt which any fellow-creature owes to us, bear any proportion to that which we owe to God. Ten thousand talents amount to above four million sterling; whereas a hundred pence are somewhat less than three guineas. Yet we all hope to obtain of God a free remission and forgiveness; yea, provided we believe in Christ, our debt is already cancelled. Should not then a sense of mercy received, incline us to shew mercy? Should we “take a fellow-servant by the throat,” when the great Lord of all has spared us? Should we rigorously exact a few pence, when we have received a remission of ten thousand talents? It would be base indeed not to act towards an offending brother, as God has acted towards us, when we were enemies and rebels [Note: The Jubilee commenced on the day of atonement, to shew that men are then especially bound to exercise mercy, when they themselves have received mercy. (Lev_25:9.).
       III.     The necessity—
There is an intimate connection between the exercise of God’s mercy to us, and ours to others. Though our forgiving of others cannot merit forgiveness from God, yet it will certainly be followed by it. On the other hand, an unmerciful disposition towards others will be the certain means of excluding us from God’s favor [Mat_6:14-15. James_2:13.]. It will cut us off from the enjoyment of the mercy we seemed to have obtained [Note: The parable must not be understood to say, that God revokes mercy, when he has once really pardoned us. Rom_11:29. Heb_8:12.]. In uttering the Lord’s prayer, we shall even seal our own condemnation [Mat_6:12.].

   Let us then, if we desire to find mercy in the day of judgment, forgive others, as we hope to be forgiven. But for those God has forgiven and who forgive others, there is also freedom from the prison of an unforgiving spirit. When we forgive others, we set them free; but also set ourselves free to live in the joy if God’s grace and the loving fellowship of God’s family.

WHY RESURRECTION MATTERS

Leave a reply

         

Based on the increased church attendance in Easter, it is not surprising that two-thirds of Americans believe Jesus rose from the dead. That should sound encouraging, but unfortunately, not all of them believe everything the Bible says about Christ’s resurrection. For many, it is a nice thought they acknowledge once a year without considering the life-changing importance the resurrection has for their daily lives. Because Jesus lives, we can too, and that sure hope impacts how we approach each day. Not all life-changing events should be taken for granted or overlooked especially the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Christ changes everything.

                                Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

Paul now turns from negative (15:11-19) to positive consequences of the resurrection (15:20-28) – the assurance of the resurrection of the body of believers from the dead.

                                     But now Christ is risen from the dead,

       The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is a fact. He is risen indeed! and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Passover was on the fourteenth day of the first month of the Jewish calendar. Jews offered a sacrifice of first-fruits the Sunday after the Sabbath (Saturday) following Passover, the feast of Unleavened Bread (Le 23:10-11). The priest would bring a sheaf of grain and wave it before the Lord. This “first-fruits” was representative of the harvest to follow and the first installment of the harvest to come. It was like a guarantee, or first payment on what was to come. This day Jesus arose. Jesus was the “first-fruits” at the time of His resurrection. The full harvest of the corps of believers was to follow.

      The Jews presented a grain offering to God on Pentecost 50 days later; this was also called “first-fruits” (Le 23:15-17). Thus, the first first-fruits of the Passover was the first of the crops offered later. Jesus is the “first-fruits” and the harvest is yet to come. Paul compared these two first-fruits to Jesus’ resurrection and the resurrection of believers. If God raised Jesus, He will also raise the saints after Him.

      “Those who have fallen asleep” are believers who had died at some point in the past. Christ’s resurrection became the first-fruits to rise from the dead of those who had already died from the Corinthian point of view. Jesus was the first human being resurrected. Jesus resuscitated Lazarus from the dead, but Jesus did not raise him into a resurrection body. Lazarus returned from the dead to the same life only to die again. Jesus rose never to die again.

      For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

     The two representative men in the Bible are Adam and Jesus. Adam represented the death of man because of his sin and Jesus represented salvation of man’s physical body by His resurrection; He makes believers alive for all eternity (Ro 5:12-19). Jesus was the first-fruits of those who would later rise from the dead.

       For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

The resurrection of the believer will be a physical resurrection, not a spiritual resurrection. Just as certainly as Adam died, so those in Christ will have resurrection life. Note the word “all.” “All” in one case is the “all” in another case. Everyone dies without exception in Adam (He 9:27), but everyone who believes in Jesus will rise bodily from the dead without exception.

                    Read 1 Corinthians 15:23-28

Only the just, the righteous, will rise at Christ’s second coming, each in his own order. God will raise the martyred saints to eternal life, but the unjust dead will not be resurrected until the end of this period. If we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us when we die, we will be resurrected through the power of that same Spirit at that time (Romans 8:9, 11, 14). In addition to the dead in Christ, those who are true Christians at His coming will rise in the first resurrection. The Feast of Trumpets celebrates the second coming of Jesus Christ to intervene in world affairs, resurrect the first fruits, and establish God’s Kingdom on earth (Matthew 24:30-31; Revelation 11:15).

Then (v. 24): The word “then” means after this. There is an interval of time between the order of ranks of the resurrection at Jesus’ Second Coming and the establishment of His mediatory Millennial Kingdom. The Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 and 25 gives the signs that precede Jesus’ Second Coming to establish His Millennial Kingdom.

Comes the end, “The end” is the end of time and the ushering in of eternity. This will be 1007 years after the Rapture. There will be seven years of Tribulation, then Jesus will reign in the Millennium for 1000 years (Re 20:7-10).

When He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, Jesus will deliver the Millennial Kingdom to the Father at the end of the Millennium (v.25). When He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power, He puts all His enemies under His feet-Millennium (Re 20:7-10). All things will be what God intended them to be. Sin will not exist, and the Father will reign without challenge.

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death (v.26). Jesus will defeat death so that, from that point forward, there will be no further death. Jesus will destroy the final enemy by the resurrection of the body of the believer. The word “destroyed” is a strong term meaning annihilated. This is the death of death. Universal death will end at this point. Once we pass from death into our resurrection body, we will never die again. Jesus’ victory in time will be the death of death. There will come a time when death will die. Christians will live in their resurrection bodies for eternity.

      If death be an enemy, (as we usually judge), that also must be destroyed; and there is no other way to destroy death, but by the causing of a resurrection from the dead. So that the apostle proves the resurrection from the necessity of Christ’s reigning until all his enemies be destroyed, of which death is one; for it keeps the bodies of the members of Christ from their union with their souls, and with Christ, who is the Head of the whole believer, the body as well as the soul.

       For he hath put all things under his feet (v.27).—1Corinthians 15:26 is a parenthesis, and the “for” with which this verse commences goes back to 1Corinthians 15:25. The connection is, Christ must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. Christ must triumph, for according to the statement in Psalm 8:6 (see also Psalm 110:1), God hath put all things under man, and in a higher sense under the Son of Man. (For a similar application of Old Testament statement regarding man to Christ as the Son of Man, see Matthew 21:16; Hebrews 2:7.) But when God says that all things are put under Him, He evidently is excepted who did put all things under Him. This leads up logically to the complete triumph of God the Father, expressed in the following verse, which is an expansion of 1Corinthians 15:24.

       Son … himself … subject—not as the creatures are, but as a Son voluntarily subordinate to, though co-equal with, the Father (v. 28). In the mediatorial kingdom, the Son had been, in a manner, distinct from the Father. Now, His kingdom shall merge in the Father’s, with whom He is one; not that there is thus any derogation from His honor; for the Father Himself wills “that all should honor the Son, as they honor the Father” (Joh 5:22, 23; Heb 1:6). God … all in all—as Christ is all in all (Col 3:11; compare Zech. 14:9). Then, and not till then, “all things,” without the least infringement of the divine prerogative, shall be subject to the Son, and the Son subordinate to the Father, while co-equally sharing His glory. Contrast Ps 10:4; 14:1. Even the saints do not fully realize God as their “all” (Ps 73:25) now, through desiring it; then each shall feel, God is all to me.

                         Read 1 Corinthians 15:54-58

      But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen- everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true:

             Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
             Who got the last word, oh, Death?
             Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?

      These words, with the following clause, are taken out of ( Hosea 13:14 ) and that they belong to the times of the Messiah, the ancient Jews acknowledge; and the Chaldee paraphrase interprets them of the Logos, or Word of God, rendering them thus,

“my Word shall be among them to kill, and my Word to destroy;”

      Wherefore the apostle is not to be charged with a misapplication of them, nor with a perversion of them, as he is by the Jew: in the prophet they are thus read, “O death, I will be thy plagues, O grave, I will be thy destruction”; between which, and the apostle’s citation of them, there is some difference; the word (yha) , which we render in both clauses, “I will be”, the apostle translates “where”, and that very rightly, and so it should be rendered there; and so it is by the Septuagint interpreters, who render the whole as he, with a little variation, “where is thy revenge, O death? where is thy sting, O grave?” and so the Arabic version of Hosea still nearer the apostle, “where is now thy victory, O death?” or “where is thy sting, O grave?” and even the Chaldee paraphrase on ( Hosea 13:14 ) renders the same word “where”; for instead of, “I will be thy king”, the Targum reads, (Na Kklm) , “where is thy king?”

        The sting of death is sin
Death has a sting, and which was originally in it, and that is sin; sin is the cause of death, it is what has given rise and being to it; it entered into the world by it, and is supported in its empire through it; it gives it its resistless power, which reaches to all sorts of persons, young and old, rich and poor, high and low, bond and free; it gives it all its bitterness, agonies, and miseries; and it is by that it does all the hurt and mischief it does; and it may fitly be compared to a sting, for its poisonous and venomous nature:

        The strength of sin is the law;
not that the law of God is sinful, or encourages sin: it forbids it under the severest penalty; but was there no law there would be no sin, nor imputation of it; sin is a transgression of the law: moreover, the strength of sin, its evil nature, and all the dreadful aggravations of it, and sad consequences upon it, are discovered and made known by the law; and also the strength of it is drawn out by it, through the corruption of human nature.

        But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory
Over sin the sting of death, over the law the strength of sin, and over death and the grave; and which will be the ground and foundation of the above triumphant song in the resurrection morn, as it is now at this present time of praise and thankfulness to God: and it is all

          Through our Lord Jesus;
He has got the victory over sin; he has put it away by the sacrifice of himself; he has finished and made an end of it; for though it reigns over his people before conversion, and dwells in them after it, yet in consequence of his atonement for it, it loses its governing power through the Spirit and grace of God in regeneration.

        It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God! With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

       This is the conclusion of the whole, and contains the use the apostle makes of the above doctrine, addressing the saints at Corinth in the most tender and affectionate manner; owning the spiritual relation they stood in to him, and expressing the great love he had for them, which filled him with a concern for them, that they might be both sound in principle, and right in practice.

            Be ye steadfast, unmovable; in all the doctrines of the Gospel, and particularly in this of the resurrection of the dead, which he had been laboring throughout the whole chapter.    Always abounding in the work of the Lord; going on in it, being more and more in the practice of it; either in the work of the ministry, which some of them were in, to which the Lord had called them, and for which he had fitted and qualified them, and in which his glory was greatly concerned, and therefore called his work; or any other work, even all good works, which the Lord commands, requires, calls his people to, and strengthens them to perform: which when they do they may be said to abound, and to be fruitful in every good work: and for their encouragement it is added

WHEN RACES COLLIDE

Leave a reply

This subject can be approached in many different ways and from a lot of perspectives. Way too many Americans pay lip service to the truth that we all are created equal. The reality is we see too many who do not always reflect that in our attitudes or relationships. Our fallen human nature seeks to make distinctions between races, but God makes no distinction. The fact is- there is only one way to bring all of us together. The answer is in the belief and surrender to Jesus as their Savior. Christ loves all equality, He died for all, and He works through all believers regardless of race. We are to follow the example of Christ and openly accept and embrace one other. The lesson in Ephesians focuses on the alienation that existed between Jews and Gentiles in the first century.

                        Read Ephesians 2:11-12

The animosity which existed between the Jews and Gentiles in the first century demonstrates that without Christ, our differences can divide us. Unfortunately, we see that animosity today between all factions: races, politics, uneducated, misinformed, religions and those who just want to not listen to try to understand people and opinions. While many of these issues were present in the first century, there were several differences. In order to see how much God has done for us, it is sometimes wise to remember what our condition was like before we were saved. The word remember is an active imperative in the Greek. In other words, it’s a command. We are commanded to remember our past, not to become guilty about it, but to remember how awful our former life was in comparison to what God has given us now.

Ephesians 2:11 is unique in the New Testament in that it is the only verse that tells us to remember our old way of life. In fact, in comparison with other passages like Philippians 3:13-14 which tells us to “forget what is behind” it seems to contradict. But when looked at carefully, both are really saying the same thing. We are not to remember so that we wallow in guilt and depression from past mistakes. Rather, we are to remember our past so that we can see what Christ has delivered us from.  Memory is a wonderful gift from God. We need to remember sin, and its effects in our lives so that we can work hard to avoid it in the future. We also need to remember the biblical stories and the times in the past when God has worked on behalf of His people. Christ tells us to take the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of what he has done for us. Remembering our sinful past is also a way to deepen our humility. Sometimes, we start to think that the way we are now is because of our own effort and ability. When we remember, as Paul commands us to do here, the way we were without the grace of God in our lives, it reminds us that the way we are now is due to God, and not our own effort or ability.

In Ephesians 2:11-12, Paul commands them to remember six things in regard to their human relationships before they were saved. The first of these six, as found in Ephesians 2:11, is that they were Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— Paul is talking here about the differences between the Jew and the Gentile. Prior to Abraham, there was no difference. But God, in choosing Abraham, created a difference. Now God created this difference so that His people could be a blessing to everyone else. The problem, however, was that many Jews saw this difference as a reason to boast and be proud and think that they were superior to the others.

But God did not choose Abraham so that the Jews would think they were superior to the Gentiles, but so that they might be a blessing and a help to the Gentiles. While some ask why we are made with differences- here seems to be the answer. God seems to indicate that we are different- but equal- so we can be a blessing to all.  And the aspect that Paul mentions here in Ephesians 2:11 about this difference between Jew and Gentile is circumcision. Since circumcision was the outward sign of the covenant with God, the Jews considered any uncircumcised male to be outside of God’s blessing and purpose. The Jews were proud of this outward sign of the covenant, and they despised anyone who was not circumcised.

In fact, “Jews said that the Gentiles were created by God to be fuel for the fires of Hell; that God loved only Israel of all the nations that he had made; that the best of the serpents crushed, the best of the Gentiles killed. “It was not lawful to render help to a Gentile woman in childbirth, for that would be to bring another Gentile into the world. The barrier between Jew and Gentile was absolute. If a Jew married a Gentile, the funeral for the Jew was carried out. Such contact with a Gentile was the equivalent of death; even to go into a Gentile house rendered a Jew unclean.”

 In Ephesians 2:11, Paul, although he was a Jew himself, mocks their arrogance by saying that the Jewish circumcision which they took so much pride in was nothing more than something done in the flesh by the hands of men. In Philippians 3:2, Paul calls them “mutilators of the flesh” and in Romans 2:29, he shows us that the real circumcision that God desires is not of the flesh by the hands of men, but of the heart, by the Holy Spirit. It is those who believe in Jesus alone and not in their own works of the flesh that are circumcised of the heart and not of the flesh. So, the first thing Paul wants them to remember is that they were Gentiles—despised by the Jews. They were without respect.

Ephesians 2:12 gives the next five things to remember about the way they used to be.  The second thing to remember is that at that time you were without Christ, What Paul means is pretty obvious. They did not have Christ. The Ephesians lived under the same problem that the rest of the world live under. They still, just like everyone else, lived under a system of rivalry, violence, scapegoating, blame, slander, accusation, and victimization. The Ephesians, for the most part, worshipped the goddess Diana, and before the coming of the Gospel, knew nothing of Jesus Christ. They were without Christ, and as such were under condemnation.  Paul tells us here that without Christ, they are lost. So, the Ephesians, before they were saved, were without respect, they were despised by the Jews, were without Christ, and the third thing, they were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.

The fourth item to remember is very similar. He says in Ephesians 2:12 that we need to remember how before we were saved, we were strangers from the covenants of promise. God never made any covenants with Gentile nations. Gentiles were included in the covenant with Abraham, and since Noah lived before Abraham, we could consider him as a Gentile, I suppose, but in broad terms, God did not make covenants with Gentile nations—only with the nation of Israel. Gentiles were considered strangers and aliens—and the Jews never let them forget it. Many of the Jewish Pharisees would pray daily, “O God, I give thanks that I am a Jew, not a Gentile.” Sounds like what we might hear today: “I am glad I am not like that person.’ Before they became Christians, then, they were without respect, without Christ, without citizenship, and without covenants.

Fifth, from Ephesians 2:12, they are to remember that before they became Christians, they were without hope. That describes the life of the unsaved person, doesn’t it? (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13). Today, depression is at an all-time high. People have no hope for the future. Hope is the profound blessing that gives meaning and security to life. “Living without hope of future joy and enrichment reduces man to a piece of meaningless protoplasm.” But Christians do have a hope for the future. And finally, we are to remember that we were without God in the world. And that final phrase, in the world, reminds us of Ephesians 2:2 showing us that it is not a good thing to be in the world.

So, the six things Paul lists here as descriptive of what the Ephesian Christians were like before they were saved are: without respect, without Christ, without citizenship, without covenants, without hope and without God. And all of these six things caused enmity and hatred and discord between Jews and Gentiles in those days.

                       Read Ephesians 2:13-18

We have already seen how the Jew hated and despised the Gentile. Now Paul uses two pictures, which would be specially vivid to a Jew, to show how that hatred is killed and a new unity has come.  He says that those who were far off have been brought near. Isaiah had heard God say: “Peace, peace to the far, and to the near” (Isaiah 57:19). When the Rabbis spoke about accepting a convert into Judaism, they said that he had been brought near. For instance, the Jewish Rabbinic writers tell how a Gentile woman came to Rabbi Eliezer. She confessed that she was a sinner and asked to be admitted to the Jewish faith. “Rabbi,” she said, “bring me near.” The Rabbi refused. The door was shut in her face; but now the door was open. Those who had been far from God were brought near, and the door was shut to no one.

It is not to be thought that the Jews were the only people who put up the barriers and shut people out. The ancient world was full of barriers. There was a time, more than four hundred years before this, when Greece was threatened with invasion by the Persians. It was the golden age of the city state. Greece was made up of famous cities–Athens, Thebes, Corinth and the rest and it very nearly encountered disaster because the cities refused to cooperate to meet the common threat. Cicero could write much later: “As the Greeks say, all men are divided into two classes–Greeks and barbarians.” The Greek called any man a barbarian who could not speak Greek; and they despised him and put up the barriers against him.

 Christ is our peace (v.14). It is in a common love of him that people come to love each other. That peace is won at the price of his blood, for the great awakener of love is the Cross. The sight of that Cross awakens in the hearts of men of all nations love for Christ, and only when they all love Christ will they love each other. It is not in treaties and leagues to produce peace. There can be peace only in Jesus Christ.

Verse 15 Paul deals with the commands. The only people who fully kept the Jewish law were the Pharisees and there were only six thousand of them, all of which could not be done on the Sabbath.  A religion based on all kinds of rules and regulations, about sacred rituals and sacrifices and days, can never be a universal religion. But, as Paul said elsewhere, “Christ is the end of the law” (Romans 10:4). Jesus ended legalism as a principle of religion. In its place he put love to God and love to men. Jesus came to tell men that they cannot earn God’s approbation by a keeping of the ceremonial law but must accept the forgiveness and fellowship which God in mercy freely offers them. A religion based on love can at once be a universal religion.

                         Here is the answer!!!

Paul goes on to tell of the priceless gifts which come with the new unity in Christ. He made both Jew and Gentile into one new man. The unity which Jesus achieves is not achieved by blotting out all racial characteristics; it is achieved by making all men of all nations into Christians. It may well be that we have something to learn here. The tendency has always been when we send missionaries abroad to produce people who wear English clothes and speak the English language. There are indeed some missionary churches who would have all their congregation worship with the one liturgy used in the churches at home. It is not Jesus’ purpose, however, that we should turn all men into one nation, but that there should be Christian Indians and Christian Africans whose unity lies in their Christianity. The oneness in Christ is in Christ and not in any external change. Paul reconciled both Jew and Gentile to God. The unity in Christ produces Christians whose Christianity transcends all their local and racial difference; it produces men who are friends with each other because they are friends with God; it produces men who are one because they meet in the presence of God to whom they all have access.

                      Read Ephesians 2:19-22

Paul uses two illuminating pictures. He says that the Gentiles are no longer foreigners but full members of the family of God. So, Paul says to the Gentiles: “You are no longer among God’s people on sufferance. You are full members of the family of God.” We may put this very simply; it is through Jesus that we are at home with God. If a person would feel shut out, and lonely in the dark- that should never happen in a church. Through Jesus there is a place for all men in the family of God. Men may put up their barriers; churches may keep their Communion tables for their own members. God never does; it is the tragedy of the Church that it is so often more exclusive than God.

The second picture Paul uses is that of a building. He thinks of every church as the part of a great building and of every Christian as a stone built into the Church. Of the whole Church the corner stone is Christ; and the corner stone is what holds everything together. Paul thinks of this building going on and on, with each part of the building being fitted into Christ. There are all kinds of architecture; but the building is a unity because through it all it has been used for the worship of God and for meeting with Jesus Christ. That is what the Church should be like. Its unity comes not from organization, or ritual, or liturgy; it comes from Christ. Where Christ is, there is the Church. The Church will realize her unity only when she realizes that she does not exist to propagate the point of view of any body of men, but to provide a home where the Spirit of Christ can dwell and where all men who love Christ can meet in that Spirit and are equal to bless others. Although we come from many backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and so forth, as believers in Jesus Christ we have equal standing before God and are brothers and sisters in Christ.

DOES GOD REALLY UNDERSTAND MY SUFFERING?

Leave a reply

Pain and suffering are part of life. No one likes to suffer. We don’t seek out pain, but when we experience it, we usually cry out to God for relief. We may question God when relief doesn’t come when and how we want it to, but one thing we can’t do is accuse God of being indifferent to suffering. Certainly, I had no idea that I was about to have the major problem that came my way. I was hit with cancer and diabetes 2 at the same time- with no real warning. My response, after a bit of time to try to understand this problem, I turned to God to we will get through this together. All of your prayers were vital and provided the help I needed at that time. Jesus knew suffering to a degree we can’t imagine when He was rejected and crucified. Jesus willingly experienced pain and suffering for our salvation. My suffering and problem were nothing compared to His.

                                        Read Isaiah 53:2-4

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant. The He in this verse is the Messiah -Jesus.
Which springs out of the earth without notice; low in its beginning, slow in its growth, liable to be crushed with the foot, or destroyed with the frost, and no great probability of its coming to any perfection; or rather as a little “sucker”, as the word signifies, which grows out of the root of a tree, at some little distance from it, of which no notice or care is taken, nor anything hoped for from it; and the figure denotes the mean and unpromising appearance of Christ at his incarnation; which is the reason given why the Jews in general disbelieved, rejected, and despised him. For this phrase of “growing up” does not design his exaltation, or rising up from a low to a high estate; but His mean entrance into the world, like that of the springing up of a low and insignificant plant or shrub out of the earth. The phrase “before him” is to be understood of God the Father, by whom he was taken notice of, though not by men; and in whose sight he was precious, though despised by men; or his growing up, and the manner of it, or his mean appearance, were all before the Lord, and according to his will: or else it may be understood of Christ himself, and be rendered “before himself”, who was meek and lowly, and was mean and low in his own eyes.     

         and as a root out of a dry ground;
or rather, “as a branch from a root out of a dry ground”; agreeably to ( Isaiah 11:1 ) , meaning not so much the land of Judea, where he was born; or the country of Galilee, where he was brought up; as the family of David, from whence he sprung, which was reduced to a very low condition when he was born of it. He hath no form nor comeliness; like a poor plant or shrub just crept out of the ground, in a dry and barren soil, ready to wither away as soon as up; has no strength nor straightness, of body; without verdure, leaves, blossom, and fruit things which make plants comely and beautiful. This regards not the countenance of Christ, which probably was comely, as were his types Moses and David; since he is said to be “fairer than the children of men”; and since his human nature was the immediate produce of the Holy Spirit, and without sin: but his outward circumstances; there was no majesty in him, or signs of it; it did not look probable that he would be a tall cedar, or a prince in Israel, much less the Prince Messiah. When we shall see him: as he grows up, and comes into public life and service, declaring himself, or declared by others, to be the Messiah: here the prophet represents the Jews that would live in Christ’s time, who would see his person, hear his doctrines, and be witnesses of his miracles, and yet say,

          There is no beauty, that we should desire him; nothing that looks grand and majestic, or like a king; they not beholding with an eye of faith his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father; only viewing him in his outward circumstances, and so made their estimate of him; they expected the Messiah as a temporal prince, appearing in great pomp and state, to deliver them from the Roman yoke, and restore their nation to its former splendor and glory; and being disappointed herein was the true reason of their unbelief, before complained of, and why they did not desire him, who is the desire of all nations.

         He is despised, and rejected of men
Or, “ceases from men”; was not admitted into the company and conversation of men, especially of figure; or ceased from the class of men, in the opinion of others. He was not reckoned among men, was accounted a worm, and no man; or, if a man, yet not in his senses, a madman, nay, one that had a devil: or “deficient of men”; he had none about him of any rank or figure in life, only some few fishermen, and some women, and publicans, and harlots. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, “the last of men”, the most abject and contemptible of mankind; despised, because of the meanness of his birth, and parentage, and education, and of his outward appearance in public life; because of his apostles and audience; because of his instructions.

         A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: or “known by grief”; he was known by his troubles, notorious for them; these were his constant companions, his familiar acquaintance, with whom he was always conversant; his life was one continued series of sorrow, from the cradle to the cross; in his infancy his life was sought for by Herod, and he was obliged to be taken by his parents, and flee into Egypt. He ate his bread in sorrow, and with the sweat of his brow; he met with much sorrow from the hardness and unbelief of men’s hearts, and from the contradiction of sinners against himself, and even much from the forwardness of his own disciples.  Much from the temptations of Satan, and more from the wrath and justice of God, as the surety of his people; he was exceeding sorrowful in the garden, when his sweat was as it were great drops of blood; and when on the cross, under the hidings of his Father’s face, under a sense of divine displeasure for the sins of his people, and enduring the pains and agonies of a shameful and an accursed death; he was made up of sorrows, and grief was familiar to him. Some render it, “broken with infirmity”, or “grief”.

       And we hid as it were our faces from him; as one loathsome and abominable as having an aversion to him, and abhorrence of him, as scorning to look at him, being unworthy of any notice. Some render it, “he hid as it were his face from us”; as conscious of his deformity and loathsomeness, and of his being a disagreeable object, as they said; but the former is best.

       He was despised, and we esteemed him not; which is repeated to show the great contempt cast upon him, and the disesteem he was had in by all sorts of persons; professors and profane, high and low, rich poor, rulers and common people, priests, Scribes, and Pharisees; no set or order of men had any value for him; and all this disgrace and dishonor he was to undergo, to repair the loss of honor the Lord sustained by the sin of man, whose surety Christ became.

         Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; Or “nevertheless”; notwithstanding the above usage of him; though it is a certain and undoubted truth, that Christ not only assumed a true human nature, capable of sorrow and grief, but he took all the natural sinless infirmities of it; or his human nature was subject to such, as hunger, thirst, weariness. To all the sorrow and pain arising from them; the same sorrows and griefs he was liable to as we are, and therefore called ours and hence he had a sympathy with men under affliction and trouble. To show his sympathizing spirit, he healed all sorts of bodily diseases; and also, to show his power, he healed the diseases of the soul, by bearing the sins of his people, and making satisfaction for them. though the principal meaning of the words is that all the sorrows and griefs which Christ bore were not for any sins of his own, but for the sins of his people; wherefore these griefs and sorrows signify the punishment of sin, and are put for sins, the cause of them and so the apostle interprets them of Christ’s bearing our sins in his own body on the tree, ( 1 Peter 2:24 ).   The Targum is, “wherefore he will entreat for our sins;” these being laid upon him, as is afterwards said, were bore by him as the surety of his people; and satisfaction being made for them by his sufferings and death, they are carried and taken away, never to be seen any more.

        Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted; so indeed he was by the sword of divine justice, which was awaked against him, and with which he was stricken and smitten, as standing in the room of his people; but then it was not for any sin of his own, as the Jews imagined, but for the sins of those for whom he was a substitute; they looked upon all his sorrows and troubles in life, and at death, as the just judgment of God upon him for some gross enormities he had been guilty of; but in this they were mistaken. The Vulgate Latin version is, “we esteemed him as a leprous person”; the unbelieving Jews call the Messiah a leper. They say, “a leper of the house of Rabbi is his name” as it is said, “surely he hath borne our griefs”; which shows that the ancient Jews understood this prophecy of the Messiah, though produced to prove a wrong character of Him. The words are by some rendered, “and we reckoned him the stricken, smitten of God”, and “humbled”; which version of the words proved the conversion of several Jews in Africa, by which they perceived the passage is to be understood not of a mere man, but of God made man, and of his humiliation and sufferings in human nature.

                                     Read Isaiah 53:5-9

      But he was wounded for our transgressions, Not for any sins of his own, but for ours, for our rebellions against God, and transgressions of his law, in order to make atonement and satisfaction for them; these were the procuring and meritorious causes of his sufferings and death, as they were taken upon him by him to answer for them to divine justice, which are meant by his being wounded; for not merely the wounds he received in his hands, feet, and side, made by the nails and spear, are meant, but the whole of his sufferings, and especially his being wounded to death, and which was occasionally by bearing the sins of his people; and hereby he removed the guilt from them, and freed them from the punishment due unto them: he was bruised for our iniquities; as bread corn is bruised by threshing it, or by its being ground in the mill. He was being broken and crushed to pieces under the weight of sin, and the punishment of it. The ancient Jews understood this of the Messiah; in one place they say, “chastisements are divided into three parts, one to David and the fathers, one to our generation, and one to the King Messiah; as it is written, “he was wounded for our transgressions; and bruised for our iniquities”.  and weep over the wicked among them; as it is said, “he was wounded for our transgressions”, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; that is, the punishment of our sins was inflicted on him, whereby our peace and reconciliation with God was made by him. Sin is a disease belonging to all men, a natural, hereditary, nauseous, and incurable one, but by the blood of Christ; forgiving sin is a healing of this disease; and this is to be had, and in no other way, than through the stripes and wounds, the blood and sacrifice, of the Son of God. Christ is a wonderful physician; he heals by taking the sicknesses of his people upon himself, by bearing their sins, and being wounded and bruised for them, and by his enduring blows, and suffering death itself for them. 

         The Iniquity of us all – For “iniquity,” the ancient interpreters read “iniquities,” plural. And the Lord hath caused to meet in him the iniquities of us all. He was the subject on which all the rays collected on the focal point fell. These fiery rays, which should have fallen on all mankind, diverged from Divine justice to the east, west, north, and south, were deflected from them, and converged in him. So, the Lord hath caused to meet in him the punishment due to the iniquities of All.

         He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, He was injuriously treated by the Jews; they used him very ill and handled him very roughly; he was oppressed and afflicted, both in body and mind, with their blows, and with their reproaches. He was afflicted, indeed, both by God and men: or rather it may be rendered, “it was exacted”, required, and demanded, “and he answered”, or “was afflicted”; justice finding the sins of men on him, laid on him by imputation, and voluntarily received by him, as in the preceding verse, demanded satisfaction of him; and he being the surety of his people, was responsible for them, and did answer, and gave the satisfaction demanded: the debt they owed was required, the payment of it was called for, and he accordingly answered, and paid the whole, every farthing, and cancelled the bond; the punishment of the sins of his people was exacted of him, and he submitted to bear it, and did bear it in his own body on the tree; this clearly expresses the doctrine of Christ’s satisfaction.

       Yet he opened not his mouth; against the oppressor that did him the injury, nor murmured at the affliction that was heavy upon him: or, “and he opened not his mouth”; against the justice of God, and the demand that was made upon him, as the surety of his people. He owned the obligation he had laid himself under; he paid the debt, and bore the punishment without any dispute or hesitation: “he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb”; or, “as a sheep to the slaughter, and as an ewe before her shearer”; these figurative phrases are expressive, not only of the harmlessness and innocence of Christ, as considered in himself, but of his meekness and patience in suffering, and of his readiness and willingness to be sacrificed in the room and stead of his people. He went to the cross without any reluctance, which; when there was any in the sacrifice, it was reckoned a bad omen among the Heathens, yea, such were not admitted to be offered; but Christ went as willingly to be sacrificed as a lamb goes to the slaughter house, and was as silent under his sufferings as a sheep while under the hands of its shearers. He was willing to be stripped of all he had, as a shorn sheep, and to be slaughtered and sacrificed as a lamb, for the sins of his people: so he opened not his mouth: not against his enemies, by way of threatening or complaint; nor even in his own defense; nor against the justice of God, as bearing hard upon him, not sparing him.

      He was taken from l prison and from judgment: m and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off from the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

 From the cross and grave, after that he was condemned. Though he died for sin, yet after his resurrection he will live forever and this his death is to restore life to his members, (Romans 6:9).

                                 Read Isaiah 53:10-12

      Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

     When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.

     Therefore, I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was number with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

      Jesus willingly submitted to death. Second, Jesus was counted among the rebels or sinners. This is a reference to Jesus’ crucifixion. Being considered as one of the rebels might be seen as negative, but it is clarified as positive in the final line of verse 12. Jesus interceded for the rebels by His death on the cross. To intercede means “to intervene” or “to plead” on the behalf of someone. Jesus dis this when He bore the sins of many at Calvary. The many includes all who trust in Him for salvation. He indeed suffered for our benefit and He does really understand our suffering.

                Next: HOW DO I HONOR GOD IN SUFFERING?

REVELATION: GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY

Leave a reply

GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY

We tend to evaluate ourselves based on what we believe, but we may tend to evaluate others based on what they do. Those outside the church do the same thing. While this is different from James’ warning not to evaluate others on what this wear or look like, it is another type of “judging” other people. We can have the right doctrines, but it’s how we live out those truths that makes a difference to those around us. Jesus said, “By everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 3:35). So, Jesus was saying essentially that we should not be judging others in any manner. Our graciousness and hospitality to those outside our circle of friends attracts people to the gospel we profess. Would it be better to not consider how we think of or evaluate people on what they do, but be gracious to them for an opportunity to expose them to the gospel?

Read 1 Peter 4:7

But the end of all things is at hand – Peter keeps the history of the deluge before his eyes, finding a parallel to the state of the Jews in his own time in that of the antediluvians (defined as the time between the fall of man and the Flood) the days of Noah. In Genesis 6:13, God said unto Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me. This was spoken at a time when God had decreed the destruction of the world by a flood. Peter says, the end of all things is at hand; and this he spoke when God had determined to destroy the Jewish people and their polity by one of the most signal judgments that ever fell upon any nation or people.

In a very few years after Peter wrote this epistle, even taking it at the lowest calculation, A.D. 60 or 61, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. To this destruction, which was literally then at hand, the apostle alludes when he says, the end of all things is at hand; the end of the temple, the end of the Levitical priesthood, the end of the whole Jewish economy, was then at hand. New Testament writers described the times following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension as the “last days”, anticipating Jesus’ return. Peter was saying to be alert.  If these words could be taken in any general sense, then we might say to every present generation, the end of all things is at hand; the end of all the good which the wicked enjoy, and the end of all the evil which the righteous suffer.

Be – sober and watch unto prayer – Be sober – make a prudent and moderate use of all you possess; and watch against all occasions of sin; and pray for the supporting hand of God to be upon you for good, that ye may escape the destruction that is coming upon the Jews, and that ye may be saved from among them when the scourge comes. Be looking out for the end of all things in such a manner as to lead you to embrace all proper opportunities for prayer. Compare the notes at Matthew 26:39, Matthew 26:41. The word rendered watch, means to be sober, temperate, abstinent, especially in respect to wine; then watchful, circumspect. The important truth, then, taught by this passage is, “that the near approach, of the end of all things should make us serious and prayerful.” The Greek structure stresses that Peter desired prayer to result from people’s serious and disciplined lifestyles. As they considered both the importance and relative brevity of life, they would realize they must pray to God regularly.

Read 1 Peter 4:8-9

For charity shall cover the multitude of sins – Love to another shall so cover or hide a great many imperfections in him, that you will not notice them. This passage is quoted from Proverbs 10:12; “Love covers all sins.” For the truth of it we have only to appeal to the experience of everyone:

(a)True love to another makes us kind to his imperfections, charitable toward his faults, and often blind even to the existence of faults. We would not see the imperfections of those whom we love; and our attachment for what we esteem their real excellencies, makes us insensible to their errors.

(b)If we love them we are ready to cover over their faults, even those which we may see in them. Of love the Christian poet says: “Tis gentle, delicate, and kind”.

The passage before us is not the same in signification as that in James 5:20, “He which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.” See the notes at that passage. That passage means, that by the conversion of another the sins of him who is converted shall be covered over, or not brought to judgment for condemnation; that is, they shall be covered over so far as God is concerned: this passage means that, under the influence of love, the sins of another shall be covered over so far as we are concerned; that is, they shall be unobserved or forgiven. The language used here does not mean, as the Romanists maintain, that “charity shall procure us pardon for a multitude of sins;” for, besides that such a doctrine is contrary to the uniform teachings of the Scriptures elsewhere, it is a departure from the obvious meaning of the passage. The subject on which the apostle is treating is the advantage of love in our conduct toward others, and this he enforces by saying that it will make us kind to their imperfections and lead us to overlook their faults. It is nowhere taught in the Scriptures that our “charity” to others will be an atonement or expiation for our own offences. If it could be so, the atonement made by Christ would have been unnecessary. Love, however, is of inestimable value in the treatment of others; and imperfect as we are, and liable to go astray, we all have occasion to cast ourselves on the charity of our brethren, and to avail ourselves much and often of that “love which covers over a multitude of sins.”

Without grudging – Greek, “without murmurs;” that is, without complaining of the hardship of doing it; of the time, and expense, and trouble required in doing it. The idea of grudging, in the common sense of that word – that is, of doing it unwillingly, or regretting the expense, and considering it as ill-bestowed, or as not producing an equivalent of any kind – is not exactly the idea here. It is that we are to do it without murmuring or complaining. It greatly enhances the value of hospitality, that it be done on our part with entire cheerfulness. One of the duties involved in it is to make a guest happy; and this can be done in no other way than by showing him that he is welcome. Not the spurious hospitality which passes current in the world, but the entertaining of those needing it, especially those exiled for the faith, as the representatives of Christ, and all hospitality to whomsoever exercised from genuine Christian love. “He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity,” that is open-hearted sincerity; with cordiality. Not secretly speaking against the person whom we entertain or upbraiding him with the favor we have conferred in him.

Read 1 Peter 4:10-11

Every man hath received the gift from God.  This is a general rule laid down by the Apostle Paul, according to which, distribution of every kind, whether in things temporal or spiritual, is to be made, even according to the nature, quality, and quantity of the gift received.  The greatest gift God bestows on men, next to himself, Son, and Spirit, and received by them in this life, is the special grace. God gives of his sovereign will and pleasure, liberally, abundantly, without the deserts of men, or conditions to be performed by them; of this kind are faith, repentance, hope, and love given. The next to this is the ministerial gift, or what qualifies men for the work of the ministry; which is not anything in nature, or what is acquired by art and industry, but is also the gift of grace. It is bestowed on some in a higher, on others in a lower degree: and besides these, there are the gifts of nature and providence, as human wisdom, and the knowledge of things natural and civil, riches and wealth, and the various good things of life.  For there is nothing a man has in nature and in grace but what is a gift to him, and what he has received: and according to the measure of the gift received.

If the gift is to be special grace though that itself cannot be imparted from one to another, yet the knowledge of it may; and it becomes such who have an experience of the grace of God upon their hearts to make it known, both to particular friends in private conversation, and to the church of God in public.  For the use and edification of others, and the glory of God’s grace, he is to minister to the supply of the poor; and as God has prospered him, he is to distribute to the necessities of others. As men freely receive, be it what it will, they should freely minister it, according to the nature and measure of it. As good stewards of the manifold grace of God; they should minister the same in proportion to their reception of them.  Gifts for public usefulness are different one from another; one man has one gift, and another has another; or the same gift is not alike in all, in some greater, and in others less. They are accountable for them, and the use of them, to their great Lord and master and various are the doctrines of the grace of God. Temporal good things are given to men, not for their own use only, but for others; and they are but stewards of them; the original proprietor is God. To him they must give an account of their stewardship, and how they have used and disposed of the manifold gifts which God of his goodness has put into their hands.

If any man speaks let it be to explain or enforce God’s words, and edify his neighbor, let him do it as those did to whom the living oracles were committed. They spoke as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost. Those who undertook to teach others, should speak by the same influence or, if not under this immediate influence, should speak as or according to the oracles already delivered, grounding all their exhortations and doctrines on some portion of that revelation already given. This command is sent to every man upon earth in holy orders, in pretended holy orders, or pretending to holy orders. Their teaching should be what the oracles of God, the Holy Scriptures, teach and authenticate.

Of the ability which God gives, perhaps the ministering here may refer to the care of the poor, and the ability is the quantum of means which God may have placed in their hands. They are to minister this as coming immediately from God and lead the minds of the poor to consider him as their benefactor, that he in all things may be glorified through Christ Jesus. This is implied in the essence of any charitable act: the actor is not the author, God is the author; and the poor man should be taught to consider him as his immediate benefactor. Those who give anything as from themselves, rob God; for to him the praise for all good, and the dominion over all men and things, belong for ever and ever. God’s Word is certain. As we yield our lives to Him, He will take them and bless them for His purpose and glory.

Here is a great website for all types of Christian helps and tips for all ages, including clothing and many other Christian items:

GREAT WEBSITE FOR CHRISTIAN TIPS- ALL AGES