We all know we should pray, but for many of us praying is hard. It is like picking up a telephone and talking to someone who is silent.
JOHN 14:13 & 15:7-8: WHAT GOD PROMISES ABOUT PRAYER
INTRODUCTION
Sometimes I come to you because I think I have the answers. This time I come mostly with questions.
I am going to talk to you about prayer—something I’m not very good at.
The Bible tells us that prayer is powerful in its effects.
Jesus told us that if we pray with faith, we will receive.
St. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing.
But for me prayer is hard.
It is hard to keep up a one-sided conversation—because I don’t hear God’s voice answering me.
A lot of my praying is more from a sense of duty than a joy.
I suspect that when I get to heaven and find out what my prayers have accomplished, I will wish I had prayed more.
So this message is as much for myself as much as it is for you.
I. Here are two promises from John’s Gospel: John 14:13 and John 15:7-8.
John 14:13:
“Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
John 15:7-8:
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you,
ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit,
and so prove to be my disciples.”
A. First we will consider John 14:13: “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
We learn from this saying that when we ask, we are to ask in Jesus’s name.
To ask in Jesus’s name is to ask as his representative.
It is to ask, not for my sake, but for Jesus’s sake.
It is to ask only for things that I have reason to believe Jesus wants.
When I went to college my father put his name on a check.
When I got to the registrar, I filled out the check and put in the amount and handed it to the clerk.
She accepted it—even though I didn’t have a checking account—because my father’s name was on it.
My father trusted me to make it out to the University of Kansas and for the proper amount.
This is kind of like how prayer works.
God gives us a book of checks with Jesus’s name on the signature line, for us to fill out and cash.
But it is very important that what we write on that check is according to God’s will.
Another thing we learn from this verse is that the purpose of prayer is to glorify the Father.
This isn’t because God is vain and proud and craves our admiration.
It’s because only when the Father is honored in my life, can I be in right relationship to God.
And my happiness depends on my being in close fellowship with God our Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
When we want something very much, it is easy to fool ourselves by thinking that what we want so much must be what God wants us to have.
So we have to be open to the idea that sometimes—often—we will pray for things that we will not receive.
Could it be that we might pray for healing—or for the pain to go away—but God intends that we prove our faith by the way we handle our adversity?
Peter writes of our rejoicing in our hope of resurrection but adds: “…though now you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
How we handle suffering proves to us and to others that our faith is genuine.
Sometimes pain can make us cling closer to God.
Sometimes affliction can help us understand the afflictions of others, so that we can comfort them.
Sometimes troubles can make us long for heaven, and suffering can prepare us for our homecoming.
These are some ways God uses suffering in our lives.
B. The second saying I want us to consider is John 15:7-8: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”
Here again we are invited to ask “whatever we will.” But here again, there are conditions.
The first condition: “If you abide in me…”
Jesus has compared his Father to the gardener, himself to a grapevine, and his people to the branches in the vine.
Only as the branches remain attached to the vine can they make fruit.
He expresses the union of the branches and the vine by saying that the branches “abide in the vine.”
He says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
The idea is that we are made to live our lives in union with Jesus, our Savior.
I pray that whatever it Christ wants will be what I want.
When people are very much in love with one another, they have one will because they both desire the same things.
Jesus knows best and he always has my good at heart, so my aim is to have his mind in me.
The Bible speaks of having “the mind of Christ.” That is our aim.
When our mind is one with the mind of Christ we are ready to pray with confidence.
The second condition: “…and my words abide in you…”
It is by having Jesus’s words constantly in mind that we truly “abide in Christ.”
His commandments are constantly in our minds—especially the commandments to trust and to love.
We go to the Bible to find Christ’s words to us.
To live in union with Jesus we need constantly to be meditating on the words of Christ and the words of the holy writers of our Bible.
It’s not just the words we remember. It’s the words that we do—the words that live with us.
Again in this saying, Jesus tells us that our purpose is that the Father may be glorified: “By this the Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
II. So much for the promises. But it is the problems that sometimes make us lose heart when we pray.
A. What about faith? The Bible says we have to have faith. But how can we have faith when we’ve been disappointed so many times?
I don’t know the entire answer to that question.
I know that it’s impossible to make ourselves have faith.
I know also that sometimes we have faith and pray and are still disappointed.
But there’s one kind of faith we can all have.
We can all have faith that when we pray, God hears us.
And if you don’t have faith, pray anyway. Faith will come.
One of my favorite prayers in the Bible is the prayer of the father of the epileptic boy in Mark 9. Jesus tells him that if he has faith all things are possible. The poor man cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Think of it this way. Just tell God what’s on your mind and let him sort it out.
Keep praying, keep talking to God, keep crying out to him—and leave the results to him.
The important thing is to be in communication.
We don’t have to be always talking. Sometimes I just like to rest in Jesus.
I read about an old woman who lived alone.
Someone asked her what she did with her time.
She said, “I take my Bible and I let God talk to me. Then I pray and talk to God. And when I’ve talked to God and let God talk to me, I just sit still and let God love me.”
I heard about an old peasant in France. His priest noticed that he would often come to church and just sit—seemingly doing nothing.
His priest asked him: “What are you doing here, day after day?”
“Well,” he said, “I look at God and God looks at me—and we’re happy together.” This man had learned to pray without words.
B. Another problem: Sometimes I am quite sure that the thing I am praying for is God’s will, but God does not grant my request.
Suppose a friend is suffering dreadfully, and her suffering is destroying her faith. You beg God to deliver her from her affliction, but she continues to suffer.
These are things that I can’t understand, but we have to accept that we don’t always know what’s best.
Sometimes God’s ways are dark. Some of God’s children walk in darkness. The psalm calls it “the Valley of the Shadow of Death.”
Sometimes we pray for a loved one that he will come to God, but he keeps wandering far away.
Let us remember that God can draw a soul to himself, but a person has to make a choice.
God wants lovers not slaves. He forces nobody. He respects our free will.
So keep praying for that one, that God will bring into his life good influences and draw him to himself. But remember, each of us must choose God for himself.
C. There are many things that we know God wants for us. These we can ask for without any doubts.
One of my most frequent prayers is for stronger faith.
Another is that God will make me useful.
God wants us to overcome the sins that stumble us up and hurt the people around us.
We can pray against our sins—anger, pride, selfishness, envy, complaining, superiority.
And we can pray for the character traits that should replace our sins—kindness, courtesy, humility, gentleness, thoughtfulness, thankfulness.
We need not doubt that these prayers are God’s will for us.
So let’s pray that God will make us holy, useful, fruitful Christians—a blessing to those around us and worthy of our Lord Jesus.
CONCLUSION
The story is told of a man who ordered something from a catalog.
On the order form were the words: “If we haven’t the article you order in stock, may we substitute?”
He wrote “yes.”
When the order came, found that what had ordered was not in stock, so they had sent something worth double what he had paid.
Ever after that, he would always answer the question at the bottom of the form—“If we haven’t the article you order, may we substitute?”—with a big “YES” so bold that they couldn’t miss it.
As I look back over my life I can remember many times when I didn’t receive what I asked for in prayer.
But as I look back I also see that things worked out.
Even though I didn’t get what I asked for, something good happened—sometimes better than what I asked for.
So let us pray, confident that God hears us, that he loves us, and that he will work through all the circumstances of our lives for our good and for our happiness.
After all, he has all eternity to make it up to us for the disappointments and afflictions of our life on earth.
So keep praying and don’t be discouraged.
And if you are discouraged, tell God about your discouragement.
But, above all, keep taking to God.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Christmas: Luke 2:25-38: They Saw God’s Salvation from Afar
You may have seen pictures of Joseph and Mary and Baby Jesus in the temple. In these pictures an old man is holding Jesus and an old woman is looking on. So what were these two doing? And why are they important in the Christmas story?
LUKE 2:25-38: THEY SAW GOD’S SALVATION FROM AFAR
INTRODUCTION
Today we are going to talk about something that happened after Christmas.
Mary and Joseph were devoted to their spiritual heritage. Eight days after Jesus was born they had a priest come to circumcise him.
In this way they dedicated him to God, according to the requirements of the law of the Old Testament.
At that time they gave him his name. It was a name of great significance. It was not a name they chose.
It was the name the angel gave to Mary, when the angel came to her, and then to Joseph, when the angel visited Joseph in a dream.
The angel told Joseph, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The name, in the Hebrew language, was Joshua—or “Yehoshuah” which means “The Lord Saves.”
But there were two other important rituals
And that is our story for today.
Read: Luke 25-38.
I. Forty days after the child’s birth the family would come to the Temple for the redemption of the firstborn and the purification of the mother.
A. Do you remember the story of the Exodus—how the Angel of Death killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians?
Ever after that the Israelites redeemed their firstborn sons with a gift of 5 shekels of silver.
This was to keep the story of their liberation from slavery in their memories.
B. The ritual they called the Purification of the Mother involved a sacrifice of a lamb or—if the family was poor—two pigeons or turtledoves.
Joseph and Mary were poor, so their offering was two turtledoves or pigeons.
C. Picture what we are talking about when we say, “They went to the Temple.”
Ordinary people didn’t go into the Temple building; only priests entered the building.
But around the Temple was a great courtyard—30 acres of courtyard.
All around the courtyard was a colonnade, covered porches under which people could assemble and where the rabbis taught.
II. After Joseph and Mary had given their gift of 5 shekels and offered the two birds, something unexpected happened—
A. An old man approached the little family and took the baby Jesus into his arms. His name was Simeon.
Simeon was a righteous and godly man who for years had meditated on the promises God had made to his people long ago.
Even when the people of Judah were captives in faraway Babylon, God had sent a prophet to promise that God would visit his people and deliver them from captivity and from all evil.
We can read the promise in the book of Isaiah:
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-5).
And again, God is speaking to Israel…
“Listen! your watchmen lift up their voice,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion,
Break forth together into singing…
for the Lord has comforted his people…
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:8-10).
Simeon was one of those Jews who had kept this hope alive in his heart, meditating on the promise of God to send his Messiah into the world and fulfill these prophecies.
Evidently he understood that God had appointed him as the watchman Isaiah spoke of.
God had promised him that he would see God’s Salvation before he died.
That explains his words,
“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
Notice that Simeon says, “My eyes have seen your salvation.”
When Simeon looked at that baby in his arms, he saw in the little baby Jesus, God’s salvation!
Jesus would become the Savior, not only for Israel, but also for the whole world.
How excited Mary and Joseph must have been to hear this pronouncement of the destiny of their precious baby boy—a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to God’s people Israel.
Then before handing Mary back her baby, he had another prophecy to make—words that prepared Mary for the cost to her of bearing the Savior of the world. He said,
“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is spoken against
(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also),
that thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
B. But Simeon had a counterpart, another prophet named Anna, to whom God had also revealed the destiny of this little baby boy.
Anna, we read, was an old woman who had been a widow most of her life.
Anna was a familiar figure to all who came to worship in the Temple.
We read that day and night she was there worshiping and fasting and praying.
As a prophetess, that is where Anna would be, praising the Lord.
When people went home after worship, they would remember this old woman who was a fixture at the temple, constantly praying and praising God.
Anna saw Mary and Joseph and Simeon with the baby, and she joined them, taking the baby into her arms.
It doesn’t say she took him into her arms, but I know that is what she did, because that is what women do.
And when she got the baby Jesus into her arms she blessed him, and she praised God like she never had before.
And “She spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
APPLICATION
Have we seen God’s salvation? Or do we, like most of the world, just see a baby?
This time of year we are surrounded by images of the baby Jesus. Maybe we forget why he came.
Some people, at Christmastime, think only about the baby in the manger, but that was just the beginning. We should think more of what that baby did with his life--
Jesus didn’t come to be a baby. The Bible tells us hardly anything about the baby.
Jesus came to live among poor and needy, sick and suffering people, and, in the end, to be rejected by those he loved and to give his life.
Jesus came to be our Savior. That is what thrilled Anna and Simeon.
Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins and to rise again to give us life.
Jesus came to be our constant companion and friend of all who love him.
That’s what we mean when we say, “Jesus is my Savior.”
Simeon and Anna, when they had welcomed the Savior, were ready to go to God.
And so we—when we have welcomed Jesus as our Savior and Lord—are ready to go to God.
In one of his most beautiful cantatas (BWV 82), the great composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, places himself in the place of Simeon. He gives the baritone soloist these words:
“For me, it is enough.
I have taken the Savior, the faithful one, into my arms.
For me, it is enough!
I have seen him.
My faith has clasped Jesus to my heart.
Now I desire this very day joyfully to depart this earth.
For me it is enough.”
LUKE 2:25-38: THEY SAW GOD’S SALVATION FROM AFAR
INTRODUCTION
Today we are going to talk about something that happened after Christmas.
Mary and Joseph were devoted to their spiritual heritage. Eight days after Jesus was born they had a priest come to circumcise him.
In this way they dedicated him to God, according to the requirements of the law of the Old Testament.
At that time they gave him his name. It was a name of great significance. It was not a name they chose.
It was the name the angel gave to Mary, when the angel came to her, and then to Joseph, when the angel visited Joseph in a dream.
The angel told Joseph, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The name, in the Hebrew language, was Joshua—or “Yehoshuah” which means “The Lord Saves.”
But there were two other important rituals
And that is our story for today.
Read: Luke 25-38.
I. Forty days after the child’s birth the family would come to the Temple for the redemption of the firstborn and the purification of the mother.
A. Do you remember the story of the Exodus—how the Angel of Death killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians?
Ever after that the Israelites redeemed their firstborn sons with a gift of 5 shekels of silver.
This was to keep the story of their liberation from slavery in their memories.
B. The ritual they called the Purification of the Mother involved a sacrifice of a lamb or—if the family was poor—two pigeons or turtledoves.
Joseph and Mary were poor, so their offering was two turtledoves or pigeons.
C. Picture what we are talking about when we say, “They went to the Temple.”
Ordinary people didn’t go into the Temple building; only priests entered the building.
But around the Temple was a great courtyard—30 acres of courtyard.
All around the courtyard was a colonnade, covered porches under which people could assemble and where the rabbis taught.
II. After Joseph and Mary had given their gift of 5 shekels and offered the two birds, something unexpected happened—
A. An old man approached the little family and took the baby Jesus into his arms. His name was Simeon.
Simeon was a righteous and godly man who for years had meditated on the promises God had made to his people long ago.
Even when the people of Judah were captives in faraway Babylon, God had sent a prophet to promise that God would visit his people and deliver them from captivity and from all evil.
We can read the promise in the book of Isaiah:
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-5).
And again, God is speaking to Israel…
“Listen! your watchmen lift up their voice,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion,
Break forth together into singing…
for the Lord has comforted his people…
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:8-10).
Simeon was one of those Jews who had kept this hope alive in his heart, meditating on the promise of God to send his Messiah into the world and fulfill these prophecies.
Evidently he understood that God had appointed him as the watchman Isaiah spoke of.
God had promised him that he would see God’s Salvation before he died.
That explains his words,
“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
Notice that Simeon says, “My eyes have seen your salvation.”
When Simeon looked at that baby in his arms, he saw in the little baby Jesus, God’s salvation!
Jesus would become the Savior, not only for Israel, but also for the whole world.
How excited Mary and Joseph must have been to hear this pronouncement of the destiny of their precious baby boy—a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to God’s people Israel.
Then before handing Mary back her baby, he had another prophecy to make—words that prepared Mary for the cost to her of bearing the Savior of the world. He said,
“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is spoken against
(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also),
that thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
B. But Simeon had a counterpart, another prophet named Anna, to whom God had also revealed the destiny of this little baby boy.
Anna, we read, was an old woman who had been a widow most of her life.
Anna was a familiar figure to all who came to worship in the Temple.
We read that day and night she was there worshiping and fasting and praying.
As a prophetess, that is where Anna would be, praising the Lord.
When people went home after worship, they would remember this old woman who was a fixture at the temple, constantly praying and praising God.
Anna saw Mary and Joseph and Simeon with the baby, and she joined them, taking the baby into her arms.
It doesn’t say she took him into her arms, but I know that is what she did, because that is what women do.
And when she got the baby Jesus into her arms she blessed him, and she praised God like she never had before.
And “She spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
APPLICATION
Have we seen God’s salvation? Or do we, like most of the world, just see a baby?
This time of year we are surrounded by images of the baby Jesus. Maybe we forget why he came.
Some people, at Christmastime, think only about the baby in the manger, but that was just the beginning. We should think more of what that baby did with his life--
Jesus didn’t come to be a baby. The Bible tells us hardly anything about the baby.
Jesus came to live among poor and needy, sick and suffering people, and, in the end, to be rejected by those he loved and to give his life.
Jesus came to be our Savior. That is what thrilled Anna and Simeon.
Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins and to rise again to give us life.
Jesus came to be our constant companion and friend of all who love him.
That’s what we mean when we say, “Jesus is my Savior.”
Simeon and Anna, when they had welcomed the Savior, were ready to go to God.
And so we—when we have welcomed Jesus as our Savior and Lord—are ready to go to God.
In one of his most beautiful cantatas (BWV 82), the great composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, places himself in the place of Simeon. He gives the baritone soloist these words:
“For me, it is enough.
I have taken the Savior, the faithful one, into my arms.
For me, it is enough!
I have seen him.
My faith has clasped Jesus to my heart.
Now I desire this very day joyfully to depart this earth.
For me it is enough.”
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Christmas: John 8:1 & Matthew 5:14: The Light of the World
One of the most exciting things about Christmas is all the lights. Did you ever wonder why we use so many lights and candles at Christmas?
JOHN 8:1 AND MATTHEW 5:14: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
INTRODUCTION
We are now in the Christmas season. Everywhere we see the Christmas lights. Lights have been used to celebrate Jesus all through the ages. It used to be candles. Churches were full of candles. I have heard about churches where each worshiper would bring his or her candle into the dark church and when everyone arrived and was seated the church would be ablaze with light.
These candles have a deep spiritual significance. To understand their significance will help us to celebrate Christmas as it ought to be celebrated.
I have two texts for today’s message. The first is John 8:1: Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” And the second is Matthew 5:14: Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.”
We will take up each of these ideas in turn and see how they help us understand what God has done for us and what he expects of us.
I hope that these thoughts will help us prepare spiritually to celebrate Christmas as it ought to be celebrated.
I. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”
A. You know that John begins his story of Jesus long before Bethlehem, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men. John begins his story of Jesus before the beginning of time—in the eternity before there was even a world.
Here is how John begins his story of Jesus:
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God;
all things were made by him,
and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-14).
Just as we express ourselves with words, so God expresses himself with his “Word,” which is Jesus.
Jesus came into the world to show us in a human life the heart of God.
Probably one of the first Bible verses we learned in Sunday school was, “God so loved the world, that he sent his only-begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
When John wrote: “In him was life and the life was the light of men,” he is telling us two most important things about the Lord Jesus.
Jesus is life and Jesus is light: true life, life that never ends, and the light of the knowledge of God.
John is not picturing for us the sunlight that turns the night into day when he says Jesus was “The light shining in the darkness.”
Do you remember when a carnival used to come to town how they would shine those great spotlights into the air?
They didn’t light up the sky, but they pierced the sky with a bright shaft piercing the darkness.
Or imagine yourself on a pitch-dark day out at sea with only the stars above twinkling with a faint light.
And then you see a lighthouse. And the lighthouse cutting a hole in the blackness with its bright bar of light.
B. John says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
I can remember as a child being lost in the darkness.
The night was much darker when we were children and we didn’t have lights all around us.
The farm where Charlotte grew up had no electricity. The night was really dark and the outhouse was some distance from the house.
The nights were dark, even in the city, where I lived
I lived in the city, but I remember gazing at the Milky Way from my cot on the sleeping porch.
In ancient cities darkness could be terrifying.
A few days ago I read in a history book about the danger of life in ancient Rome.
Night was a time of great danger. Criminals abounded in the darkness.
When dark came people locked themselves in their houses.
Shops were closed and chains drawn across the doors.
If rich people went outside they took slaves with them carrying torches.
So for John, darkness is a good metaphor for a world full of sin and sorrow and evil and danger.
And the darkness—the Bible tells us—is not only all around us in the world; it is also in our own hearts, if they are without God.
But “light,” in the Bible represents peace and joy and holiness and love.
These are the qualities that Jesus brings into our world and into the life of everyone who receives him as Lord and Savior.
We have experienced this.
Even when we experience disappointments and illness and sadness, God dwells within and cheers us with his light.
So when you see the candles and all the bright lights this Christmas, remember that they represent Jesus, the light in a dark world.
II. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to his followers: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
A. Isn’t that interesting; not only is Jesus the Light of the World, but you and I—if we are followers of Jesus—are also lights in the world.
Jesus is present in our world mainly in the lives of his people.
The people of the world can no longer see Jesus, but they can see you and me.
And our job in the world is to reflect the light of Jesus to those around us.
And Jesus says that the way to do that is by our “good works”—works of kindness and generosity and compassion.
B. We Christians believers need to consider how we can be lights in a dark world.
Here is a conversation a teacher overheard on the playground:
One boy said to another, “None of us ever wants to play with Mike. He’s such a nerd. But whenever the coach asks us to choose a partner for doubles, you always choose to play with Mike. Nobody will play with Mike. Why do you play with him?”
The other boy responded quietly, “That’s why I play with him.”
That boy was reflecting the light of Jesus in the world.
A girl in the seventh grade went to a school party. But nobody greeted her or talked to her. She sat by herself in a corner wishing she hadn’t come. A wise teacher noticed and came over to her and pointed out to her that there were other lonely people at the party just like her. She said, “Why don’t you go over and talk to some of them?”
She spent the rest of the evening seeking out the wall-flowers and offering them her friendship. By the time the party was over she had had a wonderful time.
That girl was serving Jesus. That girl was letting her light shine in the world.
She had begun to come to Sunday school all by herself, but in the end she won her entire family to Christ.
My Aunt Ruth lived to be over 100. She spent the last years in a nursing home in Dallas. In order to share her faith with others in the nursing home she ordered multiple copies of the devotional booklet, The Upper Room. When the housekeeper or nurse aides came into her room, she would offer them a copy. It got so that some of the employees of the home looked forward to receiving these little devotional booklets and would come in and ask for them. This was Aunt Ruth’s way of letting the light of Jesus shine in her life.
In Ephesians 5:8 we read: “Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.”
Last week we sang in church a beautiful hymn. It began like this:
“I want to walk as a child of the light;
I want to follow Jesus.”
CONCLUSION
A small girl in a church junior choir was chosen to lead the procession for a Christmas candlelight service. After the service, she said to her mother: “I looked back and saw all those people coming behind me, and I was scared!”
Each of us is in a procession of believers that has been processing through history and will continue until Jesus returns.
Each of us is following a procession. But each of us is also leading a procession—children, younger friends, students, younger friends.
How we live influences the lives and decisions of all who follow us.
Think about how much you owe in your walk with God to those who came before you and taught you by their example. And take seriously your role as a light-bearer for Jesus.
“Jesus bids us shine with a clear pure light,
Like a little candle burning in the night.
In this world of darkness so let us shine.
You in your small corner, and I in mine.”
JOHN 8:1 AND MATTHEW 5:14: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
INTRODUCTION
We are now in the Christmas season. Everywhere we see the Christmas lights. Lights have been used to celebrate Jesus all through the ages. It used to be candles. Churches were full of candles. I have heard about churches where each worshiper would bring his or her candle into the dark church and when everyone arrived and was seated the church would be ablaze with light.
These candles have a deep spiritual significance. To understand their significance will help us to celebrate Christmas as it ought to be celebrated.
I have two texts for today’s message. The first is John 8:1: Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” And the second is Matthew 5:14: Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.”
We will take up each of these ideas in turn and see how they help us understand what God has done for us and what he expects of us.
I hope that these thoughts will help us prepare spiritually to celebrate Christmas as it ought to be celebrated.
I. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”
A. You know that John begins his story of Jesus long before Bethlehem, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men. John begins his story of Jesus before the beginning of time—in the eternity before there was even a world.
Here is how John begins his story of Jesus:
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God;
all things were made by him,
and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-14).
Just as we express ourselves with words, so God expresses himself with his “Word,” which is Jesus.
Jesus came into the world to show us in a human life the heart of God.
Probably one of the first Bible verses we learned in Sunday school was, “God so loved the world, that he sent his only-begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
When John wrote: “In him was life and the life was the light of men,” he is telling us two most important things about the Lord Jesus.
Jesus is life and Jesus is light: true life, life that never ends, and the light of the knowledge of God.
John is not picturing for us the sunlight that turns the night into day when he says Jesus was “The light shining in the darkness.”
Do you remember when a carnival used to come to town how they would shine those great spotlights into the air?
They didn’t light up the sky, but they pierced the sky with a bright shaft piercing the darkness.
Or imagine yourself on a pitch-dark day out at sea with only the stars above twinkling with a faint light.
And then you see a lighthouse. And the lighthouse cutting a hole in the blackness with its bright bar of light.
B. John says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
I can remember as a child being lost in the darkness.
The night was much darker when we were children and we didn’t have lights all around us.
The farm where Charlotte grew up had no electricity. The night was really dark and the outhouse was some distance from the house.
The nights were dark, even in the city, where I lived
I lived in the city, but I remember gazing at the Milky Way from my cot on the sleeping porch.
In ancient cities darkness could be terrifying.
A few days ago I read in a history book about the danger of life in ancient Rome.
Night was a time of great danger. Criminals abounded in the darkness.
When dark came people locked themselves in their houses.
Shops were closed and chains drawn across the doors.
If rich people went outside they took slaves with them carrying torches.
So for John, darkness is a good metaphor for a world full of sin and sorrow and evil and danger.
And the darkness—the Bible tells us—is not only all around us in the world; it is also in our own hearts, if they are without God.
But “light,” in the Bible represents peace and joy and holiness and love.
These are the qualities that Jesus brings into our world and into the life of everyone who receives him as Lord and Savior.
We have experienced this.
Even when we experience disappointments and illness and sadness, God dwells within and cheers us with his light.
So when you see the candles and all the bright lights this Christmas, remember that they represent Jesus, the light in a dark world.
II. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to his followers: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
A. Isn’t that interesting; not only is Jesus the Light of the World, but you and I—if we are followers of Jesus—are also lights in the world.
Jesus is present in our world mainly in the lives of his people.
The people of the world can no longer see Jesus, but they can see you and me.
And our job in the world is to reflect the light of Jesus to those around us.
And Jesus says that the way to do that is by our “good works”—works of kindness and generosity and compassion.
B. We Christians believers need to consider how we can be lights in a dark world.
Here is a conversation a teacher overheard on the playground:
One boy said to another, “None of us ever wants to play with Mike. He’s such a nerd. But whenever the coach asks us to choose a partner for doubles, you always choose to play with Mike. Nobody will play with Mike. Why do you play with him?”
The other boy responded quietly, “That’s why I play with him.”
That boy was reflecting the light of Jesus in the world.
A girl in the seventh grade went to a school party. But nobody greeted her or talked to her. She sat by herself in a corner wishing she hadn’t come. A wise teacher noticed and came over to her and pointed out to her that there were other lonely people at the party just like her. She said, “Why don’t you go over and talk to some of them?”
She spent the rest of the evening seeking out the wall-flowers and offering them her friendship. By the time the party was over she had had a wonderful time.
That girl was serving Jesus. That girl was letting her light shine in the world.
She had begun to come to Sunday school all by herself, but in the end she won her entire family to Christ.
My Aunt Ruth lived to be over 100. She spent the last years in a nursing home in Dallas. In order to share her faith with others in the nursing home she ordered multiple copies of the devotional booklet, The Upper Room. When the housekeeper or nurse aides came into her room, she would offer them a copy. It got so that some of the employees of the home looked forward to receiving these little devotional booklets and would come in and ask for them. This was Aunt Ruth’s way of letting the light of Jesus shine in her life.
In Ephesians 5:8 we read: “Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.”
Last week we sang in church a beautiful hymn. It began like this:
“I want to walk as a child of the light;
I want to follow Jesus.”
CONCLUSION
A small girl in a church junior choir was chosen to lead the procession for a Christmas candlelight service. After the service, she said to her mother: “I looked back and saw all those people coming behind me, and I was scared!”
Each of us is in a procession of believers that has been processing through history and will continue until Jesus returns.
Each of us is following a procession. But each of us is also leading a procession—children, younger friends, students, younger friends.
How we live influences the lives and decisions of all who follow us.
Think about how much you owe in your walk with God to those who came before you and taught you by their example. And take seriously your role as a light-bearer for Jesus.
“Jesus bids us shine with a clear pure light,
Like a little candle burning in the night.
In this world of darkness so let us shine.
You in your small corner, and I in mine.”
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Strength for the Journey: 2 Corinthians 4:6-7: Treasure in Earthen Vessels
As we grow older we become more and more aware of our weakness, but the good news is that even in our weak selves, God has hidden a precious jewel.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-7: TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS
INTRODUCTION
This is an earthen vessel, or we could call it a clay pot. It isn’t very valuable. It didn’t cost very much. It is made out of nothing but clay from the ground.
Probably the clay with which this pot is made cost less than a dime. But the potter who made it did a nice job, didn’t he. He made something beautiful and useful.
In Bible times they used earthenware pots for many things.
They used clay jars where we would use cans, bottles, cardboard boxes, and crates.
They stored grain and olive oil, ointment, perfume, and wine in clay jars.
Their lamps were little closed dishes with two openings in the top, one for putting in the oil and one for the wick to come through.
They used clay jars to draw water with and store water in.
The Dead Sea scrolls were stored in large clay jars.
The main things that archeologists dig up as they explore ancient sites are not coins or statues or ornaments, but pieces of pottery. The sites of ancient cities are full of pieces of pottery.
Archeologists date their other findings by the style of the pottery.
In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul used the clay pot—the earthen vessel—to teach us a very important lesson.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7:
For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.
I. Why do you think Paul compares us to earthen vessels?
A. Earthen vessels are not very strong. If we drop them, they break.
Even the strongest man or woman on earth, can be made helpless by a little germ, or by falling down the stairs, or by some malfunction of a tiny organ or nerve in our body.
We are like clay pots because we are not strong in ourselves.
We need to depend on God. Only God can give us the strength we need to live.
Do you know why all the heroes in the Bible have serious flaws?
It’s because weak, flawed people are all God has to work with. All the perfect people are in heaven.
B. Another way we are like earthen vessels is that we are made of the same materials as the dirt under our feet.
On the second page of the Bible we read: “The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).
Whenever we get to thinking we’re somebody, we need to remember that we are dust.
In the next chapter, the Lord God tells Adam: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
But if knowing that we come from the dust humbles us, it can also encourage us.
In Psalm 103 we read these comforting words:
“God does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor requite us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
so the Lord pities those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust” (vv10-14).
It is a comfort to me to know that God knows my weakness. He remembers that I am dust.
C. Earthen vessels aren’t very valuable. A porcelain vase may be valuable, but an earthen vessel is pretty cheap.
The clay they are made of is dug from the earth.
If you have ever seen a potter working at his wheel?
You know how fast they can make a pot. They call it “throwing” and I’ve seen potters make beautiful pots in a five minutes.
That’s why earthenware is usually inexpensive.
Maybe Paul is reminding us that in ourselves we aren’t precious. When God made man, he wasn’t precious until God breathed into him the breath of life. Then he became a living soul.
The important thing isn’t what we’re made of. The important thing is that God breathed into us the breath of life.
Within our bodies---made of clay—is the breath of life.
And that makes us precious, doesn’t it?
II. But that’s not the treasure Paul is telling us about.
A. Look at the first part that I read: “It is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
What is so valuable that is held within the little clay pot?
Paul calls it “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.”
In the third sentence in the Bible God says, “Let there be light.” That was the light that gives life to everything on earth.
But there’s another kind of light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, the one who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
To have Jesus in my life is to have light in my life—the light of salvation—and all that that light brings into my life—hope of glory, peace, joy, love…
Our spiritual life is the most precious thing in the world to you and me.
Our spiritual life is like a precious jewel we hold within the clay pot that is our life.
Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
One day he found one of such beauty and value that he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
To know Jesus and have the assurance of eternal life is of more value than everything else we own, even if we were multi-billionaires.
Never let anything allow you to lose you hold on this most precious possession.
We must give attention to nurturing our spiritual life, so that we can be always close to God and the flame of his love will burn brightly in our lives.
We have talked about these things many times: prayer, fellowship with other believers, church attendance, Bible reading, conversing with others about our faith.
III. But there’s one thing more to learn from our text: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.” Some versions say, “the surpassing greatness of his power,” “this extraordinary power,” “the immensity of the power.”
A. We always need to remember that the power comes from God.
Of all people, we should know our weakness. In ourselves we are weak.
We depend on God for life and strength.
We depend on God for strength to live for him.
In ourselves we are weak and sinful.
It is only by God’s power in us that we can love as we ought to love.
It is only with God’s help that we can live obedient lives, faithful to God’s word.
It is only with God’s help that we can be patient in the midst of trouble.
It is only by leaning on God that we can keep trusting in him through the times of weakness and pain.
It is only by holding God in our hearts that we can keep hope bright.
It is only by God’s love shining in us that we can draw others to Jesus.
B. Paul calls it the “transcendent power” because the power of God goes beyond anything we can experience on our own. God’s power is so great that words cannot express it.
Sometimes young Christians wonder why so many of the most intelligent and learned and powerful people in the world are not believers.
Paul wrote this in one of his letters: “Consider your call, brothers and sisters, not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
We must never take credit for what God has done for us.
This teaches us to be humble.
It teaches us to give God the credit.
If you haven’t made some of the mistakes other people have made…
if you aren’t guilty of some of the sins you see around you,
if you begin to see holiness coming into your life…
if you have a sweet sense of God in your life…
remember that all this comes from God.
This should keep us humble, thankful, dependent.
CONCLUSION
There is a legend preachers often use. You may have heard it.
The story is that after Jesus returned to glory after his resurrection on earth, the angel Gabriel approached him and asked, “Master, do they know all about how you loved them and what you did for them?”
“No,” replied Jesus, “not yet. Right now only a few people in Palestine know.”
Gabriel was perplexed: “What have you done to get out the word?”
Jesus said, “I’ve asked Peter and John and Mary and Martha and a bunch of others to tell about me. They will tell some, and the ones they tell will pass the word to others, and eventually the whole world will hear.
Gabriel looked skeptical. He knew about what poor stuff men and women were made of. He said, “What if Peter denies you again? What if they all run away again when danger comes? What if they grow weary? Do you have another plan?”
Jesus answered, “No, I don’t have another plan. I’m counting on them.”
And Jesus is counting on you and me too.
We have a treasure, the gospel of the glory of God.
As we live for Jesus, the light of the gospel shines out and others can see the gift.
Let’s make sure they do.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-7: TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS
INTRODUCTION
This is an earthen vessel, or we could call it a clay pot. It isn’t very valuable. It didn’t cost very much. It is made out of nothing but clay from the ground.
Probably the clay with which this pot is made cost less than a dime. But the potter who made it did a nice job, didn’t he. He made something beautiful and useful.
In Bible times they used earthenware pots for many things.
They used clay jars where we would use cans, bottles, cardboard boxes, and crates.
They stored grain and olive oil, ointment, perfume, and wine in clay jars.
Their lamps were little closed dishes with two openings in the top, one for putting in the oil and one for the wick to come through.
They used clay jars to draw water with and store water in.
The Dead Sea scrolls were stored in large clay jars.
The main things that archeologists dig up as they explore ancient sites are not coins or statues or ornaments, but pieces of pottery. The sites of ancient cities are full of pieces of pottery.
Archeologists date their other findings by the style of the pottery.
In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul used the clay pot—the earthen vessel—to teach us a very important lesson.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7:
For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.
I. Why do you think Paul compares us to earthen vessels?
A. Earthen vessels are not very strong. If we drop them, they break.
Even the strongest man or woman on earth, can be made helpless by a little germ, or by falling down the stairs, or by some malfunction of a tiny organ or nerve in our body.
We are like clay pots because we are not strong in ourselves.
We need to depend on God. Only God can give us the strength we need to live.
Do you know why all the heroes in the Bible have serious flaws?
It’s because weak, flawed people are all God has to work with. All the perfect people are in heaven.
B. Another way we are like earthen vessels is that we are made of the same materials as the dirt under our feet.
On the second page of the Bible we read: “The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).
Whenever we get to thinking we’re somebody, we need to remember that we are dust.
In the next chapter, the Lord God tells Adam: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
But if knowing that we come from the dust humbles us, it can also encourage us.
In Psalm 103 we read these comforting words:
“God does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor requite us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
so the Lord pities those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust” (vv10-14).
It is a comfort to me to know that God knows my weakness. He remembers that I am dust.
C. Earthen vessels aren’t very valuable. A porcelain vase may be valuable, but an earthen vessel is pretty cheap.
The clay they are made of is dug from the earth.
If you have ever seen a potter working at his wheel?
You know how fast they can make a pot. They call it “throwing” and I’ve seen potters make beautiful pots in a five minutes.
That’s why earthenware is usually inexpensive.
Maybe Paul is reminding us that in ourselves we aren’t precious. When God made man, he wasn’t precious until God breathed into him the breath of life. Then he became a living soul.
The important thing isn’t what we’re made of. The important thing is that God breathed into us the breath of life.
Within our bodies---made of clay—is the breath of life.
And that makes us precious, doesn’t it?
II. But that’s not the treasure Paul is telling us about.
A. Look at the first part that I read: “It is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
What is so valuable that is held within the little clay pot?
Paul calls it “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.”
In the third sentence in the Bible God says, “Let there be light.” That was the light that gives life to everything on earth.
But there’s another kind of light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, the one who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
To have Jesus in my life is to have light in my life—the light of salvation—and all that that light brings into my life—hope of glory, peace, joy, love…
Our spiritual life is the most precious thing in the world to you and me.
Our spiritual life is like a precious jewel we hold within the clay pot that is our life.
Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
One day he found one of such beauty and value that he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
To know Jesus and have the assurance of eternal life is of more value than everything else we own, even if we were multi-billionaires.
Never let anything allow you to lose you hold on this most precious possession.
We must give attention to nurturing our spiritual life, so that we can be always close to God and the flame of his love will burn brightly in our lives.
We have talked about these things many times: prayer, fellowship with other believers, church attendance, Bible reading, conversing with others about our faith.
III. But there’s one thing more to learn from our text: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.” Some versions say, “the surpassing greatness of his power,” “this extraordinary power,” “the immensity of the power.”
A. We always need to remember that the power comes from God.
Of all people, we should know our weakness. In ourselves we are weak.
We depend on God for life and strength.
We depend on God for strength to live for him.
In ourselves we are weak and sinful.
It is only by God’s power in us that we can love as we ought to love.
It is only with God’s help that we can live obedient lives, faithful to God’s word.
It is only with God’s help that we can be patient in the midst of trouble.
It is only by leaning on God that we can keep trusting in him through the times of weakness and pain.
It is only by holding God in our hearts that we can keep hope bright.
It is only by God’s love shining in us that we can draw others to Jesus.
B. Paul calls it the “transcendent power” because the power of God goes beyond anything we can experience on our own. God’s power is so great that words cannot express it.
Sometimes young Christians wonder why so many of the most intelligent and learned and powerful people in the world are not believers.
Paul wrote this in one of his letters: “Consider your call, brothers and sisters, not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
We must never take credit for what God has done for us.
This teaches us to be humble.
It teaches us to give God the credit.
If you haven’t made some of the mistakes other people have made…
if you aren’t guilty of some of the sins you see around you,
if you begin to see holiness coming into your life…
if you have a sweet sense of God in your life…
remember that all this comes from God.
This should keep us humble, thankful, dependent.
CONCLUSION
There is a legend preachers often use. You may have heard it.
The story is that after Jesus returned to glory after his resurrection on earth, the angel Gabriel approached him and asked, “Master, do they know all about how you loved them and what you did for them?”
“No,” replied Jesus, “not yet. Right now only a few people in Palestine know.”
Gabriel was perplexed: “What have you done to get out the word?”
Jesus said, “I’ve asked Peter and John and Mary and Martha and a bunch of others to tell about me. They will tell some, and the ones they tell will pass the word to others, and eventually the whole world will hear.
Gabriel looked skeptical. He knew about what poor stuff men and women were made of. He said, “What if Peter denies you again? What if they all run away again when danger comes? What if they grow weary? Do you have another plan?”
Jesus answered, “No, I don’t have another plan. I’m counting on them.”
And Jesus is counting on you and me too.
We have a treasure, the gospel of the glory of God.
As we live for Jesus, the light of the gospel shines out and others can see the gift.
Let’s make sure they do.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Living for Jesus: Colossians 4:6: Be Careful What You Say.
There is an old proverb: “A bird is known by its note; a man by his talk.” Another old saying is “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” But it’s not true: words can hurt—and words can also heal.
COLOSSIANS 4:6: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY
INTRODUCTION
Scientists who have studied the matter tell us that the average adult speaks about 13,500 words each day. Of course there are great differences between us. Teachers, barbers, and salespeople talk much more than farmers, accountants, and bus drivers.
But suppose you speak 13,500 words every day of your life. That would be almost 5 million words per year. In a lifetime of 80 years you might speak nearly 400 million words.
An ordinary novel contains 250 words per page. Think of a book with 250 pages, with 250 words on each page. That would be 60,000 words.
If an average person speaks 13,500 words each day for 80 years, he or she would say enough words to fill 4867 books.
Imagine if all the words you had ever spoken were printed in books and those books were lined up on shelves—that would be quite a roomful of books!
One day, when our son John was a little boy, he told us that someone had said something hurtful to him.
I told him: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”
He said, “But Daddy, they do hurt.”
That’s true. Words can hurt, and they can also heal and comfort and encourage.
A little girl knelt beside her bed and said this to Jesus, “Dear Jesus, make all the good people nice.”
Sometimes we forget that being nice is part of being good.
And the main way we have of being “nice” is by kind words.
How we use talk to help one another and to express our faith in God is an important subject in the Bible.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians we read these words:
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.”
I. How can our speech be gracious and seasoned with salt?
A. Gracious speech is speech that is comforting, encouraging, and full of gratitude.
We speak graciously when we offer a sincere compliment…when we notice something good in another person.
We speak graciously when we thank someone for a little act of kindness—even if it is part of their job.
We speak graciously when we sympathize with one who is hurting. Compassion is feeling the hurt in another person’s heart. Compassion also includes doing something—even if it is just a sympathizing word.
Sometimes speaking graciously might even mean refraining from speech and just listening. For some of us listening is hard to do. I often feel that I just must talk or I will burst. But I won’t burst. I need to discipline my speech and listen more.
Ungracious speech includes ridiculing, correcting and contradicting, gossiping and tale-bearing.
We were in a church once in which the men had a habit of kidding one another. I felt that much of the kidding was unkind, they sometimes hurt each other, pretending it was humor.
In Ephesians Paul wrote this, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, that your words may give grace to those who hear.”
That is gracious talk; talk that builds up the other person, talk that imparts grace to the one who hears.
In the same letter Paul tells us to speak the truth in love. We may say something that is true, but we must also speak in love. That means that some things we might like to say—we don’t. It means that we are always thinking about the other person’s feelings rather than our own.
Do you remember when you said something dumb or unkind and your mother told you: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”?
Someone suggests that everything we say should pass through three sieves: “Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?”
If we all followed that rule, the world would be a lot quieter. It would also be happier.
Here are some of the ways we can make love with our voices:
“Let me help you.”
“You’ve been a good friend.”
“Those are the words I needed to hear.”
“You’ve made my day.”
“Here, use mine.”
“Are you comfortable?”
“I’ll wait for you.”
”Thank you.”
“I’ve been thinking about you.”
“What a beautiful sweater!”
“You’re fun to be around.”
”Here’s something just for you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you for your visit.”
“You’re a good listener.”
“Something you told me the other day has been an encouragement to me.”
“Tell me about your grandchildren.”
“You seem troubled today; can I help?”
These are examples of gracious speech.
B. But what does the apostle mean when he says our speech should be “seasoned with salt”?
A little salt enhances the flavor in food.
I eat oatmeal for breakfast. If I forget to put about ¼ teaspoon of salt in it, it tastes like the pan.
We make bread at our house. For a loaf of bread we use 1 teaspoon of salt. When we eat the bread we can’t taste that bit of salt, but if we forget to put in the salt, the bread tastes insipid.
Speech seasoned with salt is speech that is interesting or helpful.
That requires thinking before we speak.
We need to learn and think, so that when we open our mouths something useful comes out. But we remember that what’s interesting to us may not be interesting to others.
Someone said, “Ideas are like children; our own are very wonderful.”
That is why it is more important to be good listeners than good talkers.
But for ancient people, salt was more important as a preservative than as a seasoning.
People in Bible times didn’t have canning or freezing.
The only way to keep meat or fish eatable was to salt it.
So people thought of salt as that which preserves.
When Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth,” he means that we are to preserve goodness in society.
If we are to be the salt of the earth, our speech should reflect that goodness that preserves and protects rather than destroying and hurting.
When St. Paul says that our speech is to be “seasoned with salt,” he means that it is to be wholesome and helpful.
II. If we love Jesus, our love for him should show up in our talk.
A. Whatever we love and whatever is important to us, we talk about. Loyalty to our Lord must go beyond being kind and considerate.
It is easy to give the impression that we are “religious.” People see that we go to church. They may see us bow our heads to give thanks for our food; they may see our Bible on our table or the Bible verse on our wall. Those things speak of what is important to us.
But sometimes we will have to say something.
B. Our text says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.”
One answer is appropriate for one person, and another answer is appropriate for another.
For example, if the one I am speaking to is not a fellow believer, or if I don’t know about my friend’s feelings about God, I need to be sensitive.
Some people are frightened by talk about God or salvation.
We need a tender heart and a humble mind when we mention God’s love and our assurance of eternal life.
But when someone shares a sorrow, we listen with sympathy.
Maybe you tell her, “I’ll remember you in my prayers.
Hardly anyone is offended by knowing that we are praying for them—even if they don’t believe in God.
If someone shares a disappointment with you, you may say, “When my world fell apart, it was a comfort to know that God loves me and will never let me go.”
And whenever anyone asks you about your source of contentment, be ready to tell them what God has done for you.
If someone does us a kindness, we might say, “Thank you so much. May God bless you.”
Most people are happy to receive your blessing, and it may help draw them to God.
If our friend is a fellow believer we can be very direct. They will enjoy talking with us about salvation, the blessings in our lives, and our expectation of heaven.
As a believer, to hear someone talk about God in their lives is a great comfort and strength.
All of us struggle with faith sometimes. To hear my friend talk about the reality of God helps me to believe more firmly.
It’s true that we Christian people hold on to one another’s faith.
CONCLUSION
I read a story not long ago that illustrates the healing power of thoughtful words.
Mary Ann Bird was born with multiple birth defects: deaf in one ear, a cleft palate, a disfigured face, a crooked nose, lopsided feet. As a child she suffered not only the physical impairments but also the thoughtless comments of other children. “Oh, Mary Ann,” her classmates would say, “what happened to your lip?”
Mary Ann would lie: “I cut it on a piece of glass.”
For Mary Ann one of the worst experiences at school was the day of the annual hearing test. The teacher would call each child to her desk, and the child would cover first one ear, and then the other. The teacher would whisper something to the child like “The sky is blue” or “You have new shoes.” This was the whisper test”: if the child could repeat the teacher’s whispered sentence, he or she passed the whisper test. To avoid the humiliation of failure, Mary Ann always cheated on the test by secretly cupping her hand over her one good ear so that she could still hear what the teacher said.
One year Mary Ann was in the class of Miss Leonard, one of the most beloved teachers in the school. Every student, including Mary Ann, wanted to be noticed by her, wanted her affection. Then came the day of the dreaded hearing test.
When her turn came, Mary Ann was called to the teacher’s desk. As Mary Ann cupped her hand over her good ear, Miss Leonard leaned forward to whisper. “I waited for those words,” Mary Ann wrote, “which God must have put into her mouth, those seven words which changed my life.” Miss Leonard did not say “The sky is blue” or “You have new shoes.” What she whispered was “I wish you were my little girl.”
Those words changed Mary Ann Bird’s life. She went on to become a teacher herself, a person of inner beauty and great kindness.
That time when her beloved teacher told her “I wish you were my little girl” was so important to Mary Ann Bird that when she wrote the story of her life in her memoir, she titled it “The Whisper Test.” (Thomas G. Long, Testimony, p86)
COLOSSIANS 4:6: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY
INTRODUCTION
Scientists who have studied the matter tell us that the average adult speaks about 13,500 words each day. Of course there are great differences between us. Teachers, barbers, and salespeople talk much more than farmers, accountants, and bus drivers.
But suppose you speak 13,500 words every day of your life. That would be almost 5 million words per year. In a lifetime of 80 years you might speak nearly 400 million words.
An ordinary novel contains 250 words per page. Think of a book with 250 pages, with 250 words on each page. That would be 60,000 words.
If an average person speaks 13,500 words each day for 80 years, he or she would say enough words to fill 4867 books.
Imagine if all the words you had ever spoken were printed in books and those books were lined up on shelves—that would be quite a roomful of books!
One day, when our son John was a little boy, he told us that someone had said something hurtful to him.
I told him: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”
He said, “But Daddy, they do hurt.”
That’s true. Words can hurt, and they can also heal and comfort and encourage.
A little girl knelt beside her bed and said this to Jesus, “Dear Jesus, make all the good people nice.”
Sometimes we forget that being nice is part of being good.
And the main way we have of being “nice” is by kind words.
How we use talk to help one another and to express our faith in God is an important subject in the Bible.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians we read these words:
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.”
I. How can our speech be gracious and seasoned with salt?
A. Gracious speech is speech that is comforting, encouraging, and full of gratitude.
We speak graciously when we offer a sincere compliment…when we notice something good in another person.
We speak graciously when we thank someone for a little act of kindness—even if it is part of their job.
We speak graciously when we sympathize with one who is hurting. Compassion is feeling the hurt in another person’s heart. Compassion also includes doing something—even if it is just a sympathizing word.
Sometimes speaking graciously might even mean refraining from speech and just listening. For some of us listening is hard to do. I often feel that I just must talk or I will burst. But I won’t burst. I need to discipline my speech and listen more.
Ungracious speech includes ridiculing, correcting and contradicting, gossiping and tale-bearing.
We were in a church once in which the men had a habit of kidding one another. I felt that much of the kidding was unkind, they sometimes hurt each other, pretending it was humor.
In Ephesians Paul wrote this, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, that your words may give grace to those who hear.”
That is gracious talk; talk that builds up the other person, talk that imparts grace to the one who hears.
In the same letter Paul tells us to speak the truth in love. We may say something that is true, but we must also speak in love. That means that some things we might like to say—we don’t. It means that we are always thinking about the other person’s feelings rather than our own.
Do you remember when you said something dumb or unkind and your mother told you: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”?
Someone suggests that everything we say should pass through three sieves: “Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?”
If we all followed that rule, the world would be a lot quieter. It would also be happier.
Here are some of the ways we can make love with our voices:
“Let me help you.”
“You’ve been a good friend.”
“Those are the words I needed to hear.”
“You’ve made my day.”
“Here, use mine.”
“Are you comfortable?”
“I’ll wait for you.”
”Thank you.”
“I’ve been thinking about you.”
“What a beautiful sweater!”
“You’re fun to be around.”
”Here’s something just for you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you for your visit.”
“You’re a good listener.”
“Something you told me the other day has been an encouragement to me.”
“Tell me about your grandchildren.”
“You seem troubled today; can I help?”
These are examples of gracious speech.
B. But what does the apostle mean when he says our speech should be “seasoned with salt”?
A little salt enhances the flavor in food.
I eat oatmeal for breakfast. If I forget to put about ¼ teaspoon of salt in it, it tastes like the pan.
We make bread at our house. For a loaf of bread we use 1 teaspoon of salt. When we eat the bread we can’t taste that bit of salt, but if we forget to put in the salt, the bread tastes insipid.
Speech seasoned with salt is speech that is interesting or helpful.
That requires thinking before we speak.
We need to learn and think, so that when we open our mouths something useful comes out. But we remember that what’s interesting to us may not be interesting to others.
Someone said, “Ideas are like children; our own are very wonderful.”
That is why it is more important to be good listeners than good talkers.
But for ancient people, salt was more important as a preservative than as a seasoning.
People in Bible times didn’t have canning or freezing.
The only way to keep meat or fish eatable was to salt it.
So people thought of salt as that which preserves.
When Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth,” he means that we are to preserve goodness in society.
If we are to be the salt of the earth, our speech should reflect that goodness that preserves and protects rather than destroying and hurting.
When St. Paul says that our speech is to be “seasoned with salt,” he means that it is to be wholesome and helpful.
II. If we love Jesus, our love for him should show up in our talk.
A. Whatever we love and whatever is important to us, we talk about. Loyalty to our Lord must go beyond being kind and considerate.
It is easy to give the impression that we are “religious.” People see that we go to church. They may see us bow our heads to give thanks for our food; they may see our Bible on our table or the Bible verse on our wall. Those things speak of what is important to us.
But sometimes we will have to say something.
B. Our text says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.”
One answer is appropriate for one person, and another answer is appropriate for another.
For example, if the one I am speaking to is not a fellow believer, or if I don’t know about my friend’s feelings about God, I need to be sensitive.
Some people are frightened by talk about God or salvation.
We need a tender heart and a humble mind when we mention God’s love and our assurance of eternal life.
But when someone shares a sorrow, we listen with sympathy.
Maybe you tell her, “I’ll remember you in my prayers.
Hardly anyone is offended by knowing that we are praying for them—even if they don’t believe in God.
If someone shares a disappointment with you, you may say, “When my world fell apart, it was a comfort to know that God loves me and will never let me go.”
And whenever anyone asks you about your source of contentment, be ready to tell them what God has done for you.
If someone does us a kindness, we might say, “Thank you so much. May God bless you.”
Most people are happy to receive your blessing, and it may help draw them to God.
If our friend is a fellow believer we can be very direct. They will enjoy talking with us about salvation, the blessings in our lives, and our expectation of heaven.
As a believer, to hear someone talk about God in their lives is a great comfort and strength.
All of us struggle with faith sometimes. To hear my friend talk about the reality of God helps me to believe more firmly.
It’s true that we Christian people hold on to one another’s faith.
CONCLUSION
I read a story not long ago that illustrates the healing power of thoughtful words.
Mary Ann Bird was born with multiple birth defects: deaf in one ear, a cleft palate, a disfigured face, a crooked nose, lopsided feet. As a child she suffered not only the physical impairments but also the thoughtless comments of other children. “Oh, Mary Ann,” her classmates would say, “what happened to your lip?”
Mary Ann would lie: “I cut it on a piece of glass.”
For Mary Ann one of the worst experiences at school was the day of the annual hearing test. The teacher would call each child to her desk, and the child would cover first one ear, and then the other. The teacher would whisper something to the child like “The sky is blue” or “You have new shoes.” This was the whisper test”: if the child could repeat the teacher’s whispered sentence, he or she passed the whisper test. To avoid the humiliation of failure, Mary Ann always cheated on the test by secretly cupping her hand over her one good ear so that she could still hear what the teacher said.
One year Mary Ann was in the class of Miss Leonard, one of the most beloved teachers in the school. Every student, including Mary Ann, wanted to be noticed by her, wanted her affection. Then came the day of the dreaded hearing test.
When her turn came, Mary Ann was called to the teacher’s desk. As Mary Ann cupped her hand over her good ear, Miss Leonard leaned forward to whisper. “I waited for those words,” Mary Ann wrote, “which God must have put into her mouth, those seven words which changed my life.” Miss Leonard did not say “The sky is blue” or “You have new shoes.” What she whispered was “I wish you were my little girl.”
Those words changed Mary Ann Bird’s life. She went on to become a teacher herself, a person of inner beauty and great kindness.
That time when her beloved teacher told her “I wish you were my little girl” was so important to Mary Ann Bird that when she wrote the story of her life in her memoir, she titled it “The Whisper Test.” (Thomas G. Long, Testimony, p86)
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Living for Jesus: Luke 18:9-14: The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Jesus told a story about two men who went up to the Temple to pray. One was a good man, the other, a bad man. But at the end of the story, the bad man is the one who is our example.
LUKE 18:9-14: THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR
INTRODUCTION
Last week I read this in a book by one of my favorite authors (C. S. Lewis): “When Christianity does not make a man very much better, it makes him very much worse.”
We know that having God in my life should make me a better person than I would be otherwise. We expect that faith in Jesus Christ should make me more loving, kind, generous, more just.
But how could having God in my life make me worse?
Jesus told a parable about that in Luke 18:9-14
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.”
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I. Jesus didn’t go into detail about what these two men were like. The terms “Pharisee” and “tax collector” told his listeners all they needed to know about the character of these two men.
A. Historians tell us that the Pharisees were “good people.”
Our Pharisee was an asset to his community.
Pharisees was people who took their religion seriously. They didn’t just “talk the talk,” they “walked the walk.”
Pharisees loved their Bibles. They knew large portions of it by heart. And they tried hard to live by its principles.
Pharisees never missed church. (They called it synagogue.)
Pharisees held the correct beliefs.
Pharisees prayed every day and they prayed long.
Pharisees practiced self-denial.
Pharisees avoided the company of wicked people.
These are characteristics of good people.
When the Pharisee reminds God in his prayer that he fasts twice a week and that he gives away a tenth of his income he is just giving God a sample of the good things in his life.
Pharisees were admired by the people of the country.
We need to get out of our minds that the Pharisees were self-righteous prigs who went around alienating people by acting holier-than-thou.
No, Pharisees were looked up to. Mothers would be proud if their sons grew up to be Pharisees.
B. But what kind of people were the tax collectors?
In the Roman world they were called “publicans,” and that is the term we remember from our old Bibles.
Get out of your mind that the publicans were humble fellows who were comfortable to be around.
Publicans were tough guys who didn’t care what other people thought.
They made their living by helping the Romans oppress their fellow Jewish countrymen.
Publicans collected the hard-earned money of the Jews. Often they cheated them by asking for more than they really owed. The extra they kept for themselves. What they didn’t keep for themselves was sent to Rome to support the armies, build palaces for the emperor, and provide amusements for the idle population of Rome.
No one would have wanted to be a publican except that it was a good living. Publicans were wealthy. This publican in our story was probably wealthier than the Pharisee.
Publicans weren’t welcomed in the synagogues or at community gatherings.
They were on the same social level as prostitutes, adulterers, ex-convicts, and people who made no pretence of religion.
Their only friends were other tax collectors and rejects from society.
No mothers wanted their sons to grow up to be publicans.
II. Jesus calls our attention to is the prayer of each of these men.
A. The Pharisee’s prayer was all thanksgiving.
I see some good things in the Pharisee’s prayer.
He thanks God for the good work God has done in his life.
In his prayer he recognizes that he is what he is by the grace of God.
God has helped him overcome bad habits and discipline his life.
God has moved his heart to obedience and generosity.
The Pharisee sees himself as a fine fellow, and he gives the credit to God.
B. The publican’s prayer was all confession.
The Publican stood “far off,” in a corner somewhere.
He didn’t look up and stretch out his arms to heaven as was the custom in those days.
He is feeling so guilty that he knelt in his corner as he beat his chest and cried out, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” The text implies that he continued saying this over and over: “God me merciful to me, a sinner! God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
He may have had many needs in his life, but his overwhelming need was to get right with God.
Jesus liked this man’s prayer and tells us that he went down to his house justified—which means forgiven, made clean, offered a new start—in fact, a new life.
We don’t know whether this publican’s repentance was deep or shallow, but we hope that this was a new life of obedience, faith, and love.
We don’t know whether he kept his occupation of tax collector, but if did he would have had to figure out a way to use his position to help people rather than cheat them.
C. So what was wrong with the Pharisee’s prayer?
What’s wrong comes right at the beginning, when he says, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people…”
His sin was measuring himself by looking down at people less good than he, rather than by looking up toward God and realizing how far short he fell of being what he ought to be.
Although he thought he was thanking God, he was really congratulating himself.
In his mind he was sitting up there, a little below his God but far above sinners like the publican. He is, as he says, “not like other men.”
The gospel writer gives us the key to the Pharisee’s problem at the beginning when he says, “Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.”
Someone commented: “He had just enough religion to make him virtuous but not enough to make him humble.”
D. Why is the publican’s prayer accepted?
- because he admitted to his sin and need for mercy. He had a crushing sense of his own sinfulness.
- because he had given up on himself. Only God could help.
- because he knew he didn’t deserve anything from God.
- because he didn’t take it for granted that God is waiting for him to say the word, so that he can forgive him.
- because he knows that for forgiveness to happen, he has to ask for it.
APPLICATION
When I look at my heart I see a Pharisee lurking there.
God has forgiven me and given me a new life.
I rejoice in my salvation.
I read my Bible. I pray. I go to church. I give money. I live for God.
And then the devil sneaks these little thoughts into my mind: “See how far you’ve come.” “See how much better you are than other people.”
And I begin to notice the faults of other people. There is nothing that feeds my good opinion of myself as much as noticing the faults of other people.
That’s one reason we notice the faults of other people—it makes us feel so righteous.
But here is something I have noticed.
Everyone I know has faults. I notice them. I can’t help noticing them. They are so obvious.
Have you ever wondered why other people are so oblivious of their faults?
I say to myself, “Doesn’t he know how sharp his tongue is?”
“Doesn’t she realize that the very thing she is criticizing in her friend is the thing she is guilty of?”
Does that tell you something?
It tells me that, just as their faults are hidden from them, so many of mine must be hidden from me.
Have you ever wondered why people get so much pleasure out of discussing the faults of other people?
Can it be that noticing the faults of others helps us feel superior?
But God sees us, not as we wish we were, or as we think we are, but as we really are.
I suspect that if I could see myself as God sees me I would be so depressed.
It would be a revelation.
But I can see enough of my sin to cry out to God: “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I can say, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”
Another hymn that does me good goes like this:
“Depth of mercy can there be,
mercy still reserved for me?
Can my Lord his wrath forbear;
me the chief of sinners spare?”
I think that I have in me both the Pharisee and the tax collector. And whenever I begin to trust in my righteousness and notice how much better I’ve become—and when I begin to notice the sins of other people, I remind myself that that feeling of superiority is a sin.
And I say again, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I was drafted into the army and sent to Korea during that war.
One day I was digging a hole. We dug a lot of holes in Korea.
I was digging away in the hard ground when I hit something hard.
I thought it was a rock.
I kept banging on it and trying to dig it out, but suddenly I realized that it was an unexploded mortar round.
I very carefully covered it up and dug my hole in another place.
Suppose that mortar round could have spoken. It might have said, “Why are you afraid of me? I’ve never done anything to you.”
I could have answered, “It’s not what you’ve done. It’s what you’ve got inside you.”
That illustrates my heart—and maybe yours.
We look good on the outside—I hope we do.
But God knows our hearts.
That’s why we all need to pray the publican’s prayer: “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
LUKE 18:9-14: THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR
INTRODUCTION
Last week I read this in a book by one of my favorite authors (C. S. Lewis): “When Christianity does not make a man very much better, it makes him very much worse.”
We know that having God in my life should make me a better person than I would be otherwise. We expect that faith in Jesus Christ should make me more loving, kind, generous, more just.
But how could having God in my life make me worse?
Jesus told a parable about that in Luke 18:9-14
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.”
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I. Jesus didn’t go into detail about what these two men were like. The terms “Pharisee” and “tax collector” told his listeners all they needed to know about the character of these two men.
A. Historians tell us that the Pharisees were “good people.”
Our Pharisee was an asset to his community.
Pharisees was people who took their religion seriously. They didn’t just “talk the talk,” they “walked the walk.”
Pharisees loved their Bibles. They knew large portions of it by heart. And they tried hard to live by its principles.
Pharisees never missed church. (They called it synagogue.)
Pharisees held the correct beliefs.
Pharisees prayed every day and they prayed long.
Pharisees practiced self-denial.
Pharisees avoided the company of wicked people.
These are characteristics of good people.
When the Pharisee reminds God in his prayer that he fasts twice a week and that he gives away a tenth of his income he is just giving God a sample of the good things in his life.
Pharisees were admired by the people of the country.
We need to get out of our minds that the Pharisees were self-righteous prigs who went around alienating people by acting holier-than-thou.
No, Pharisees were looked up to. Mothers would be proud if their sons grew up to be Pharisees.
B. But what kind of people were the tax collectors?
In the Roman world they were called “publicans,” and that is the term we remember from our old Bibles.
Get out of your mind that the publicans were humble fellows who were comfortable to be around.
Publicans were tough guys who didn’t care what other people thought.
They made their living by helping the Romans oppress their fellow Jewish countrymen.
Publicans collected the hard-earned money of the Jews. Often they cheated them by asking for more than they really owed. The extra they kept for themselves. What they didn’t keep for themselves was sent to Rome to support the armies, build palaces for the emperor, and provide amusements for the idle population of Rome.
No one would have wanted to be a publican except that it was a good living. Publicans were wealthy. This publican in our story was probably wealthier than the Pharisee.
Publicans weren’t welcomed in the synagogues or at community gatherings.
They were on the same social level as prostitutes, adulterers, ex-convicts, and people who made no pretence of religion.
Their only friends were other tax collectors and rejects from society.
No mothers wanted their sons to grow up to be publicans.
II. Jesus calls our attention to is the prayer of each of these men.
A. The Pharisee’s prayer was all thanksgiving.
I see some good things in the Pharisee’s prayer.
He thanks God for the good work God has done in his life.
In his prayer he recognizes that he is what he is by the grace of God.
God has helped him overcome bad habits and discipline his life.
God has moved his heart to obedience and generosity.
The Pharisee sees himself as a fine fellow, and he gives the credit to God.
B. The publican’s prayer was all confession.
The Publican stood “far off,” in a corner somewhere.
He didn’t look up and stretch out his arms to heaven as was the custom in those days.
He is feeling so guilty that he knelt in his corner as he beat his chest and cried out, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” The text implies that he continued saying this over and over: “God me merciful to me, a sinner! God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
He may have had many needs in his life, but his overwhelming need was to get right with God.
Jesus liked this man’s prayer and tells us that he went down to his house justified—which means forgiven, made clean, offered a new start—in fact, a new life.
We don’t know whether this publican’s repentance was deep or shallow, but we hope that this was a new life of obedience, faith, and love.
We don’t know whether he kept his occupation of tax collector, but if did he would have had to figure out a way to use his position to help people rather than cheat them.
C. So what was wrong with the Pharisee’s prayer?
What’s wrong comes right at the beginning, when he says, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people…”
His sin was measuring himself by looking down at people less good than he, rather than by looking up toward God and realizing how far short he fell of being what he ought to be.
Although he thought he was thanking God, he was really congratulating himself.
In his mind he was sitting up there, a little below his God but far above sinners like the publican. He is, as he says, “not like other men.”
The gospel writer gives us the key to the Pharisee’s problem at the beginning when he says, “Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.”
Someone commented: “He had just enough religion to make him virtuous but not enough to make him humble.”
D. Why is the publican’s prayer accepted?
- because he admitted to his sin and need for mercy. He had a crushing sense of his own sinfulness.
- because he had given up on himself. Only God could help.
- because he knew he didn’t deserve anything from God.
- because he didn’t take it for granted that God is waiting for him to say the word, so that he can forgive him.
- because he knows that for forgiveness to happen, he has to ask for it.
APPLICATION
When I look at my heart I see a Pharisee lurking there.
God has forgiven me and given me a new life.
I rejoice in my salvation.
I read my Bible. I pray. I go to church. I give money. I live for God.
And then the devil sneaks these little thoughts into my mind: “See how far you’ve come.” “See how much better you are than other people.”
And I begin to notice the faults of other people. There is nothing that feeds my good opinion of myself as much as noticing the faults of other people.
That’s one reason we notice the faults of other people—it makes us feel so righteous.
But here is something I have noticed.
Everyone I know has faults. I notice them. I can’t help noticing them. They are so obvious.
Have you ever wondered why other people are so oblivious of their faults?
I say to myself, “Doesn’t he know how sharp his tongue is?”
“Doesn’t she realize that the very thing she is criticizing in her friend is the thing she is guilty of?”
Does that tell you something?
It tells me that, just as their faults are hidden from them, so many of mine must be hidden from me.
Have you ever wondered why people get so much pleasure out of discussing the faults of other people?
Can it be that noticing the faults of others helps us feel superior?
But God sees us, not as we wish we were, or as we think we are, but as we really are.
I suspect that if I could see myself as God sees me I would be so depressed.
It would be a revelation.
But I can see enough of my sin to cry out to God: “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I can say, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”
Another hymn that does me good goes like this:
“Depth of mercy can there be,
mercy still reserved for me?
Can my Lord his wrath forbear;
me the chief of sinners spare?”
I think that I have in me both the Pharisee and the tax collector. And whenever I begin to trust in my righteousness and notice how much better I’ve become—and when I begin to notice the sins of other people, I remind myself that that feeling of superiority is a sin.
And I say again, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I was drafted into the army and sent to Korea during that war.
One day I was digging a hole. We dug a lot of holes in Korea.
I was digging away in the hard ground when I hit something hard.
I thought it was a rock.
I kept banging on it and trying to dig it out, but suddenly I realized that it was an unexploded mortar round.
I very carefully covered it up and dug my hole in another place.
Suppose that mortar round could have spoken. It might have said, “Why are you afraid of me? I’ve never done anything to you.”
I could have answered, “It’s not what you’ve done. It’s what you’ve got inside you.”
That illustrates my heart—and maybe yours.
We look good on the outside—I hope we do.
But God knows our hearts.
That’s why we all need to pray the publican’s prayer: “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”
Monday, July 18, 2011
Stories of Jesus: Luke 5:27-32: Jesus Calls Levi
Levi had a nasty job. The decent people shunned him. But Jesus was different. Jesus found a friend in Levi and Levi found a friend in Jesus. In this story we learn something about ourselves and even more about Jesus.
LUKE 5:27-32: JESUS CALLS LEVI
INTRODUCTION
Hardly anyone has a good word to say about the taxman. Through the ages people have over and over expressed dislike for and often rebelled against the people who collected the taxes.
One man said that although he knew his next door neighbor well, he never seemed to be able to find out what the man did for a living. Then somehow he learned why his neighbor didn’t talk about his work. His neighbor worked for the IRS. He feared that if people found out what he did for a living, they wouldn’t like him.
In the early days of our nation, when we were still colonies of England, the protests against taxes sometimes led to tarring and feathering the revenue agents who worked for the English government.
And when the United States became a nation, the people began protesting against the taxes the new government tried to collect.
Levi had a nasty job. He was the tax collector who collected taxes for the Roman occupiers of Galilee.
Read: Luke 5:27-32. (Levi evidently had two names. He is called Matthew in Matthew’s gospel.)
I. Levi was a tax collector.
A. Here is how the Roman’s tax system worked.
A prominent man would bid to collect the taxes in a certain district. He was known as a “tax farmer.”
He would agree to pay the Romans what they required and then collect from the people whatever he could, taking the extra for himself.
But the people who actually did the dirty work of shaking down the people for their taxes were Jews the tax farmer hired to work under him.
These men also had to make a living, so they also would ask for more than was actually owed.
It was like the Mafia collecting the taxes.
Tax collectors such as Levi were considered to be in the same class as prostitutes and robbers and adulterers. They weren’t allowed to attend synagogue worship. They had no part in the community life of the town.
They were especially shunned by the religious people, the Pharisees and scribes.
If you can imagine a Norwegian or a Frenchman working for the Nazis by collecting taxes from his countrymen, you can imagine the hatred that Levi and his fellow tax collectors felt from their fellow Jews.
B. Levi lived in Capernaum. Capernaum had become Jesus’s “hometown” after he left Nazareth to begin his ministry.
This is the city where Peter’s house was. You remember that it was here that Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.
Capernaum was the city where Jesus was when the paralyzed man came through the roof to meet Jesus.
Capernaum was where Jesus healed the nobleman’s son.
Capernaum lay on the road running along the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
It was near the border between two provinces in the Roman Empire.
One of the ways Romans collected taxes in their empire was to collect import and export duties on goods that were carried across borders.
So Levi’s tax booth was a busy place.
C. Because Jesus was often in Capernaum and did many miracles there, Levi had no doubt heard about Jesus’s miracles and heard some of his teaching.
Jesus had dropped by tax booth and become acquainted with Levi.
Jesus was friendly, even with tax collectors. Levi appreciated that.
Somewhere along the way, Levi came to faith.
Jesus saw in Levi the qualities that would make him a good disciple and apostle.
So when one day Jesus dropped by the tax booth and invited Levi to follow him, Levi was ready to go.
D. We read that Levi “got up and left everything and followed him.”
We’re not to suppose that Levi just left the money in the drawer and walked off his job. Surely he let his supervisor know that he was quitting.
What the gospel writers want us to understand is that Levi didn’t hesitate to give up all his possessions and all his security and all his riches and become a follower of Jesus.
Levi’s decision was more dramatic than that of James or John or Peter or Andrew. They were fishermen, and they could go back to their former occupation any time they wanted to. And sometimes they did go back to fishing, even one time after Jesus’s resurrection.
But Levi had burnt his bridges behind him.
He had nothing to go back to.
We wish we knew more about Levi’s career as an apostle, but apart from this story we know nothing. We do have the tradition that he wrote the gospel of Matthew. Islam has preserved a tradition that Matthew and Andrew carried the gospel to Ethiopia.
II. But the most interesting part of the story is what happened after Levi’s call.
A. Jesus told his fishermen disciples to follow him, and he would make them fishers of people.
Levi lost no time in starting his “fishing for people.”
He gave a party and invited all his low-life buddies: “Then Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them.”
I can imagine a rowdy crowd of tax collectors and other sinners and their girl friends.
Evidently when Levi liquidated his assets to followJesus, he set aside some of the money for this banquet with which to introduce his friends to Jesus.
B. Jesus loved to be in the company of sinners, outcasts of society, and others who decent people avoided.
But he didn’t love them in their sin. He loved them because he had a better life to offer them.
When Jesus won the friendship of rogues and thieves and loose women and people in trouble, it wasn’t to leave them in their misery.
His mission was to call them to repentance—as we saw in the last verse I read.
Jesus never supposed that a relationship with him was enough. He was always calling sinners to repentance.
In his book, Loving God, Charles Colson tells the story of a Hollywood gangster named Mickey Cohen, who attended a Billy Graham crusade and decided to “accept Christ.”
Later, when one of Graham’s associates told him that as a new Christian he needed to cut his mob ties, Mickey was incredulous.
“You never told me that I had to give up my career. You never told me that I had to give up my friends. There are Christian movie stars, Christian athletes, Christian businessmen. So what is the matter with being a Christian gangster? If I have to give up all that—if that’s Christianity—count me out.”
I don’t know how much Jesus enjoyed the company with the losers of the world.
I worked with convicts in prison and with mental patients and addicts in a mental hospital and with people in poverty. I didn’t find many kindred spirits among them.
They weren’t people I would naturally seek out for my friends. But it was an opportunity to love people who needed love. It was an opportunity to serve them and to express to them the love that Jesus had for them. Some of them became close friends.
That’s what Jesus was doing at Levi’s party.
A childhood friend of mine was a kid named Warren. Warren grew up to become a committed Christian.
One of the things he did was start a mission in San Francisco to minister to the prostitutes and pimps and workers in the strip joints.
Warren didn’t go to those places because he enjoyed the atmosphere there. He went to those places because he loved those people and wanted to win them for Jesus.
He told me that one time he as explaining the way of salvation to the owner of owner of these striptease clubs.
As he was explaining God’s gift of eternal life to the owner of the club, the man he was talking to was—as he listened—working the dials controlling the lights playing on the dancer on the stage.
Jesus called sinners but he didn’t leave them that way. When they responded to his love, their lives were changed.
C. But Levi’s party got Jesus into trouble.
The “good people,” the religious people, the church people—they were called Pharisees in those days—thought it was awful for Jesus to friendly with these sinners.
Their idea of holiness was to quarantine themselves from evil by avoiding having anything to do with sinners.
But Jesus had another idea. His idea was to go to the sinners and become their friend—not so that he could be like them, but so that he could show them the way back to God.
When the righteous people criticized Jesus for keeping company with bad people, Jesus had an answer for them.
He told them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick: I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance” (vv31-32).
Jesus compared himself to a doctor, and doctors go where the sick people are.
Actually, we all need Jesus because none of us is truly righteous.
Those in his day who thought they were righteous needed Jesus, but they just didn’t know it.
Levi and his buddies knew it. They knew they needed what Jesus had to offer.
They needed forgiveness. They needed salvation.
CONCLUSION
When Jesus says, “I have not come to all the righteous, but sinners to repentance,” he is inviting you and me to examine ourselves and see that we also are ”sick” and need to repent.
This is the lesson for us from the story of Levi’s call.
Sometimes we good people congratulate ourselves because we have responded to Jesus’s call.
We’ve learned about God. We’ve prayed. We’ve read our Bibles. We’ve overcome some bad habits. We’ve become better people. And when we see that we are advancing in holiness, we are in great danger of congratulating ourselves.
Righteous people, discerning people, knowledgeable people, people who love the truth are in trouble when they use their discernment and their wisdom to feel superior and to point to the faults of other people.
No matter how holy we become, we can still be proud, unloving, critical, complaining, and all wrapped up in ourselves. And those are sins. So we always need to repent and come to Jesus for forgiveness.
LUKE 5:27-32: JESUS CALLS LEVI
INTRODUCTION
Hardly anyone has a good word to say about the taxman. Through the ages people have over and over expressed dislike for and often rebelled against the people who collected the taxes.
One man said that although he knew his next door neighbor well, he never seemed to be able to find out what the man did for a living. Then somehow he learned why his neighbor didn’t talk about his work. His neighbor worked for the IRS. He feared that if people found out what he did for a living, they wouldn’t like him.
In the early days of our nation, when we were still colonies of England, the protests against taxes sometimes led to tarring and feathering the revenue agents who worked for the English government.
And when the United States became a nation, the people began protesting against the taxes the new government tried to collect.
Levi had a nasty job. He was the tax collector who collected taxes for the Roman occupiers of Galilee.
Read: Luke 5:27-32. (Levi evidently had two names. He is called Matthew in Matthew’s gospel.)
I. Levi was a tax collector.
A. Here is how the Roman’s tax system worked.
A prominent man would bid to collect the taxes in a certain district. He was known as a “tax farmer.”
He would agree to pay the Romans what they required and then collect from the people whatever he could, taking the extra for himself.
But the people who actually did the dirty work of shaking down the people for their taxes were Jews the tax farmer hired to work under him.
These men also had to make a living, so they also would ask for more than was actually owed.
It was like the Mafia collecting the taxes.
Tax collectors such as Levi were considered to be in the same class as prostitutes and robbers and adulterers. They weren’t allowed to attend synagogue worship. They had no part in the community life of the town.
They were especially shunned by the religious people, the Pharisees and scribes.
If you can imagine a Norwegian or a Frenchman working for the Nazis by collecting taxes from his countrymen, you can imagine the hatred that Levi and his fellow tax collectors felt from their fellow Jews.
B. Levi lived in Capernaum. Capernaum had become Jesus’s “hometown” after he left Nazareth to begin his ministry.
This is the city where Peter’s house was. You remember that it was here that Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.
Capernaum was the city where Jesus was when the paralyzed man came through the roof to meet Jesus.
Capernaum was where Jesus healed the nobleman’s son.
Capernaum lay on the road running along the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
It was near the border between two provinces in the Roman Empire.
One of the ways Romans collected taxes in their empire was to collect import and export duties on goods that were carried across borders.
So Levi’s tax booth was a busy place.
C. Because Jesus was often in Capernaum and did many miracles there, Levi had no doubt heard about Jesus’s miracles and heard some of his teaching.
Jesus had dropped by tax booth and become acquainted with Levi.
Jesus was friendly, even with tax collectors. Levi appreciated that.
Somewhere along the way, Levi came to faith.
Jesus saw in Levi the qualities that would make him a good disciple and apostle.
So when one day Jesus dropped by the tax booth and invited Levi to follow him, Levi was ready to go.
D. We read that Levi “got up and left everything and followed him.”
We’re not to suppose that Levi just left the money in the drawer and walked off his job. Surely he let his supervisor know that he was quitting.
What the gospel writers want us to understand is that Levi didn’t hesitate to give up all his possessions and all his security and all his riches and become a follower of Jesus.
Levi’s decision was more dramatic than that of James or John or Peter or Andrew. They were fishermen, and they could go back to their former occupation any time they wanted to. And sometimes they did go back to fishing, even one time after Jesus’s resurrection.
But Levi had burnt his bridges behind him.
He had nothing to go back to.
We wish we knew more about Levi’s career as an apostle, but apart from this story we know nothing. We do have the tradition that he wrote the gospel of Matthew. Islam has preserved a tradition that Matthew and Andrew carried the gospel to Ethiopia.
II. But the most interesting part of the story is what happened after Levi’s call.
A. Jesus told his fishermen disciples to follow him, and he would make them fishers of people.
Levi lost no time in starting his “fishing for people.”
He gave a party and invited all his low-life buddies: “Then Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them.”
I can imagine a rowdy crowd of tax collectors and other sinners and their girl friends.
Evidently when Levi liquidated his assets to followJesus, he set aside some of the money for this banquet with which to introduce his friends to Jesus.
B. Jesus loved to be in the company of sinners, outcasts of society, and others who decent people avoided.
But he didn’t love them in their sin. He loved them because he had a better life to offer them.
When Jesus won the friendship of rogues and thieves and loose women and people in trouble, it wasn’t to leave them in their misery.
His mission was to call them to repentance—as we saw in the last verse I read.
Jesus never supposed that a relationship with him was enough. He was always calling sinners to repentance.
In his book, Loving God, Charles Colson tells the story of a Hollywood gangster named Mickey Cohen, who attended a Billy Graham crusade and decided to “accept Christ.”
Later, when one of Graham’s associates told him that as a new Christian he needed to cut his mob ties, Mickey was incredulous.
“You never told me that I had to give up my career. You never told me that I had to give up my friends. There are Christian movie stars, Christian athletes, Christian businessmen. So what is the matter with being a Christian gangster? If I have to give up all that—if that’s Christianity—count me out.”
I don’t know how much Jesus enjoyed the company with the losers of the world.
I worked with convicts in prison and with mental patients and addicts in a mental hospital and with people in poverty. I didn’t find many kindred spirits among them.
They weren’t people I would naturally seek out for my friends. But it was an opportunity to love people who needed love. It was an opportunity to serve them and to express to them the love that Jesus had for them. Some of them became close friends.
That’s what Jesus was doing at Levi’s party.
A childhood friend of mine was a kid named Warren. Warren grew up to become a committed Christian.
One of the things he did was start a mission in San Francisco to minister to the prostitutes and pimps and workers in the strip joints.
Warren didn’t go to those places because he enjoyed the atmosphere there. He went to those places because he loved those people and wanted to win them for Jesus.
He told me that one time he as explaining the way of salvation to the owner of owner of these striptease clubs.
As he was explaining God’s gift of eternal life to the owner of the club, the man he was talking to was—as he listened—working the dials controlling the lights playing on the dancer on the stage.
Jesus called sinners but he didn’t leave them that way. When they responded to his love, their lives were changed.
C. But Levi’s party got Jesus into trouble.
The “good people,” the religious people, the church people—they were called Pharisees in those days—thought it was awful for Jesus to friendly with these sinners.
Their idea of holiness was to quarantine themselves from evil by avoiding having anything to do with sinners.
But Jesus had another idea. His idea was to go to the sinners and become their friend—not so that he could be like them, but so that he could show them the way back to God.
When the righteous people criticized Jesus for keeping company with bad people, Jesus had an answer for them.
He told them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick: I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance” (vv31-32).
Jesus compared himself to a doctor, and doctors go where the sick people are.
Actually, we all need Jesus because none of us is truly righteous.
Those in his day who thought they were righteous needed Jesus, but they just didn’t know it.
Levi and his buddies knew it. They knew they needed what Jesus had to offer.
They needed forgiveness. They needed salvation.
CONCLUSION
When Jesus says, “I have not come to all the righteous, but sinners to repentance,” he is inviting you and me to examine ourselves and see that we also are ”sick” and need to repent.
This is the lesson for us from the story of Levi’s call.
Sometimes we good people congratulate ourselves because we have responded to Jesus’s call.
We’ve learned about God. We’ve prayed. We’ve read our Bibles. We’ve overcome some bad habits. We’ve become better people. And when we see that we are advancing in holiness, we are in great danger of congratulating ourselves.
Righteous people, discerning people, knowledgeable people, people who love the truth are in trouble when they use their discernment and their wisdom to feel superior and to point to the faults of other people.
No matter how holy we become, we can still be proud, unloving, critical, complaining, and all wrapped up in ourselves. And those are sins. So we always need to repent and come to Jesus for forgiveness.
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