We are continuing on looking at 2 Chronicles. We have looked at King Asa and King Jehoshaphat earlier this year.
And last week we looked at King Joash and learned about our need to have true commitment to God, regardless of the circumstances or people around us – which he, sadly, did not have.
Today we look at King Uzziah. The title is “The Folly of Pride.” We are looking at how foolish pride is. We are in 2 Chronicles 26. Let’s begin with . . .
Posted in 2 Chronicles 26 | Tagged humility, pride, Uzziah |
We are in 2 Chronicles 22-24 today. We have looked at several stories out of 2 Chronicles in the last year, and now we come to the story of King Joash, although it just as much the story of Jehoiada, the high priest during this time. Let’s get oriented.
Background: A tale of two women
After her son was killed, Athaliah, the queen mother (a very powerful position) decided to kill off the Davidic line – including her own grandchildren (22:10)!
Posted in 2 Chronicles 22, 2 Chronicles 23, 2 Chronicles 24 | Tagged commitment, Joash |
Today we are looking at Psalm 145. This is a psalm of praise to God. In fact, it is the only Psalm with the word “praise” in its title.
Although v. 3 tells us that God’s greatness is unsearchable, that certainly doesn’t mean it can’t be talked about. Indeed this Psalm talks quite a bit about God’s greatness, and this is why I want us to look at.
Click here to read it Psalm 145
First of all, in this Psalm . . .
God is portrayed as a great King
We see this in v. 1, which says, “my God and King” (or “my God, the King”). God is often described as a king, especially in the Psalms. And then vs. 11-13a talk about God’s “kingdom.” God is a king who rules over a kingdom.
Now earthly kings in the ancient world were often praised for their great qualities and their great deeds, and when this Psalm speaks of God as a king, the same thing is going on.
There is much discussion of
There is also discussion of
And there is also much said about the glory of God’s kingdom. For instance in v. 13 – “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.”
We can be thankful that we have such a great King with an everlasting kingdom, unlike the world where rulers come and go (and you never know what you are getting), and where nations rise and fall. Our king will always reign in his kingdom forever and ever!
Next we look at the true nature of God’s greatness . . .
God’s greatness is related to his mercy
Kings are those who have power and they are known for their conquests over enemies, their wealth and the territory they control. But not so here. The focus in this Psalm is squarely on God’s acts of mercy and compassion.
This is how God differs from earthly kings and rulers.
Lets look at these:
1. God forgives the sins of his people. v. 8 says, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger . . ..” This is from God’s own mouth, from when God passed before Moses on the mountain. It is God’s description of himself in Exodus 34:6. It says, “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness . . ..’”
This really gets at God’s core character; God’s moral makeup. And it is repeated in many places in the Old Testament, which helps us to understand what these phrases mean.
So, God is great in that he forgives the sins of his people.
2. God is faithful to his word to us. This is also from v. 8 and is from Exodus 34:6, the last phrase – “. . . abounding in steadfast love.” It means that God will not easily give up on us. God has made a covenant with his people and even we break our commitments to God, God is patient with us, keeping his commitments to us.
This same idea of faithfulness also shows up in v. 13b – “The Lord is faithful in all his words.” God is great in that God keeps his promises to us.
Now what we have looked at focuses on God’s covenant with his people, but v. 9 expands this out further. And this is our third description of God’s greatness . . .
3. God is merciful and good to all people. v. 9 says, “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” God, as king over the whole earth, is merciful and good to all people.
This same idea shows up in the twin phrases, God is “kind in all his works” in vs. 13b, 17.
4. God is righteous. v. 17 says, “The Lord is righteous in all his ways.” God does what is right. This is God’s moral character and God’s greatness. And this is unlike so many earthly kings and rulers.
5. God helps those who are weak. v. 14 says, “The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.” Although God is high and all powerful, God looks down on those who are weak and low and is moved in compassion to help them.
God is truly great in that God cares for the lowly.
6. God provides food for people. vs. 15-16 say, “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
Food is mentioned and we also have the phrases, the “eyes of all look to you” and “open your hand” which in Psalm 104:27-29 refer to God providing food.
This is talking about God providing harvests year after year from the earth. In this way God provides food for all people. God is great in that he is generous and thoughtful of our needs.
7. God is near in times of trouble. v. 18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” God is not too busy or buried in bureaucracy or hidden behind handlers so that we don’t have access to him, like earthly rulers. God can hear us and come close. God is our king and also our companion.
8. Finally, God is great because God rescues people from danger. vs. 19-20a say, “He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him . . ..” God is attentive to those in crisis. God not only hears us but saves us and preserves us.
So this Psalm gives us many wonderful descriptions of God’s greatness, all focused on God’s character as one who is merciful, kind and compassionate.
But it also helps us to see the . . .
Proper responses to God’s greatness
We are to meditate on God’s greatness. v. 5 says, “On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.” To meditate means that we keep God’s greatness before us, we think about it, we ponder it, we let it soak into us.
Second, we are to offer praise to God for his greatness. vs. 1-2 say, “I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.”
When we truly understand God’s greatness, how amazing God truly is – especially as it relates to his mercy and care for us – how can we not lift God up in praise “forever and ever”? If we are not praising God, it is simply because we do not understand who God is. We haven’t got it yet.
Finally, we are to tell others about our great God and king. v. 4 says, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” We testify to God’s greatness to all who will listen. We share about who God is and what God has done. And others learn to know him. Both those around us today and the generations that are up and coming – our children.
William Higgins
Posted in Psalm 145 | Tagged God, God's character, praise |
I don’t need to tell you that life can be hard. And even the strongest among us can become worn down by trials and tribulations, so that our faith is weak. Even if we are successful in being faithful to God in hard times, we can still become weary and fainthearted.
So we all need to be encouraged from time to time. And this is why Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “And we urge you brothers and sisters . . . encourage the fainthearted . . ..” This is God’s word to us today. Let me say it in my own words – “I urge you brothers and sisters, encourage the fainthearted.”
No one is immune from the need for this; no one so spiritual that they are beyond it. Take for instance . . .
The example of David
He is a writer of Psalms and a man after God’s own heart. Yet he struggled mightily at times. Lets look at one instance of this:
In Psalm 13:1-2, in the context of his enemies (most likely Saul) David prays – “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemies be exalted over me?”
This is a man who needed some encouragement.
And these are exactly the kinds of things all of us feel at times when we get worn down by trials and hardships. And this is when we need encouragement. But what is it that we are supposed to be doing for each other?
What is encouragement?
The word itself means, “support that inspires confidence to move forward.” It has to do with words and actions that support the person in their time of need, when they are weak, fainthearted – so that they will not give up but move forward.
But lets push a bit further by looking at three things that are closely connected to encouragement, that help fill out what encouragement means.
1. Encouraging and strengthening are connected: Deuteronomy 3:28 says, “But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.’
Moses is about to die and the reigns are being handed over to Joshua. He needed to be strengthened to take on such a big task, and with the track record of the people for not being faithful.
Another example is from Acts 15:32 – “And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters with many words.”
This refers to the believers in Antioch, who had just gone through some conflict with various ones questioning if their faith was real. They were no doubt a bit shaken. After the matter was settled these prophets came down from Jerusalem, to strengthen them to move forward.
A final example is from 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 – “And we sent Timothy . . . to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions.”
These new believers had begun to experience persecution for their faith, and Paul was driven away from them by it. They were, perhaps fearful. And so he sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them to stay true.
What we learn from these examples is that when we encourage someone, we are giving them strength in their time of weakness; lending some or our strength to them.
2. Encouraging and building up are connected: The word for “build up” literally means to build a house. Figuratively it has to do with a person who needs to be built up. It looks at a person as a building that is broken down, that has been through a storm, that is falling apart and is in need of some repairs, which we seek to provide.
Here’s a couple of verses that connect these two words:
What we learn from the connection between these words is that when we encourage someone we are helping them to get put back together again. We are building them back up; repairing what is damaged.
3. Encouraging and stirring up are connected: This comes from Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
The word “stir up” actually means to irritate someone. Here it means to incite someone to do good. So encouraging can involve pushing someone to move forward.
Just as the word encourage in a literalistic sense means to ‘put courage in someone.’ When we encourage someone, we are putting some fire in them to move forward. The kind of encouraging a football coach does at half-time when the team is down. And sometimes that’s what is needed.
Lets end with an example of encouragement, which is a model for us . . .
The example of Jonathan
This is in the context of what we saw of David’s life at the beginning. David was fleeing Saul. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, but also a friend of David, came to him.
1 Samuel 23:16-17 says, “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel . . ..”
In David’s weakness, Jonathan strengthened him, built him up and spurred him on. Jonathan gave him the support he needed that inspired confidence in him to move forward.
And that is what God calls each of us to do with each other. Again, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 says, “And we urge you brothers and sisters . . . encourage the fainthearted . . ..”
Be Jonathans, each of you! Encourage those in our midst who need it; those who find themselves in the place of David in Psalm 13:
Let us be aware of the needs of those around us and let us minister to them.
William Higgins
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged encouragement, testing |
I know this sounds a bit odd. But it’s an important word in the New Testament and so I want us to study it and see what we can learn from it to apply to our lives. The word . . .
Splangchnon?!
. . . means literally “intestines,” “bowels” or more generally innards or guts. So for instance in Acts 1:18, it says, “Now Judas (after he betrayed Jesus) bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.”
But I am not asking you this morning how your intestines are. Splangchnon also has a figurative use.
[It certainly makes for some interesting translation, if you don’t understand the figurative meaning of the word. For instance in Philemon 1:12 Paul says, “I am sending Onesimus back to you – sending my very intestines.” He is sending Onesimus back to Philemon, whom he cares deeply about. Onesimus is Paul’s very heart.]
The figurative meaning of Splangchnon has to do with “compassion” or “a feeling of great affection.” It’s a word that is similar to mercy, but it carries with it, not just the outward actions of mercy, but also the inward feeling that goes along with it. It is to be “touched” or “moved” by a situation, which leads you to act in a merciful and kind way.
To flesh this out a bit more, lets look at Splangchnon or . . .
Compassion in Jesus’ teaching and example
1. Compassion is a response to human need. For instance, the needs of the sick. Many crowds would follow Jesus everywhere, desperate for help, especially for healing. And even though Jesus was looking for some private time, Matthew 14:14 says, “When Jesus went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” He was moved to meet their need.
Another example has to do with the needs of a hungry crowd. This comes to us from Matthew 15, just before the feeding of the 4,000. The people were weary and hungry from following Jesus around. In v. 32 Jesus said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then Jesus proceeded to feed them miraculously, meeting their needs and more.
Jesus also had compassion on the needs the disabled. In Matthew 20 there were two blind men who were calling out to Jesus to have mercy on them. And the crowds told them to shut up. But they cried out all the more. And so Jesus stopped to talk to them. And v. 34 says, “And Jesus in pity (Splangchnon) touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.” Jesus met their very real need.
2. Compassion is a response to human suffering. For instance the suffering of physical and mental illness. In Mark 9 there is the story of a boy possessed by a demon since childhood, which often tried to kill him. And he suffered from a seizure when Jesus came near. And so the father asked Jesus in v. 22 – “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’” And Jesus was moved to compassion. He cast out the demon and healed the boy (Mark 9:25-27).
Another example is the suffering of a grieving mother. In Luke 7 she had just lost her only son, and she was a widow. So she was not just grieving, but in that culture and day, also on the verge of being economically marginalized not having a male to care for her. Verse 13 says, “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’” And then he acted; he raised the young man from the dead.
Compassion also has to do with the suffering of a wounded enemy. In Luke 10 Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan. A man was robbed, beaten, stripped and left half-dead on the side of the road. He was a Jew. And a Samaritan, who was an enemy of Jews, came and found him. And v. 33 says, “. . . when the Samaritan saw him, he had compassion.” And he acted. He gave him medical attention, carried him to an inn and paid for his expenses.
And the Samaritan is the example in this story of what it means to love our neighbor. It means to have compassion in similar ways, even upon our enemies.
3. Compassion is a response to human failure. In Matthew 18 Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. A king called for all debts to be paid up. And one servant who owed the king much couldn’t pay. And so the king ordered that he and his family be sold off to pay the debt. But the servant begged for mercy.
Verse 27 says, “And out of pity (Splangchnon) for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” And the king’s compassion and mercy are a major part of the lesson that Jesus is teaching in this episode.
Then in Luke 15, we have the story of the prodigal son. He had disrespected his father and gone off and squandered his money in a sinful lifestyle. And then when he decided to go back to his father, while on the way, v. 20 says, “his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
The father’s compassionate response is a picture for us of God, and how God responds to us when we come back to him from our rebellion and sin.
Now let look at two things to take away from this . . .
Jesus has compassion on us
This the character of God, and it is the character of Jesus as we have seen in the Gospels. And so
we can know that it touches Jesus’ heart. Things are not different today than they were back then.
And so when we come to Jesus with our needs and concerns, our pain and suffering, our failure and shame, he will have compassion on us. Jesus will be moved to act in mercy and kindness toward us. And this is a great comfort for us.
The second thing we should take away from this is that . . .
Jesus wants us to have compassion on others
This comes out in Matthew 9:36, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” He saw their needs. And what did he do? How did he express his compassion? A verse later, it says, he sent out the disciples to minister to their needs (Matthew 10:1).
And Jesus still sends out his disciples to do this. Jesus sends us out to have compassion on people’s needs, suffering and failures.
More specifically, we are to minister to them the compassion of Jesus. We are to be the instruments of Jesus’ compassion to the world around us.
So let us not become cold-hearted; let us not be hard-hearted to the needs, suffering and failures of those around us.
Yes, we need wisdom to know how to respond in a way that truly helps, but let us not become cynical, so that we do nothing. Just as Jesus has had compassion on us, so we are to give his compassion to others.
Let me end by noting that . . .
God is stirring compassion among us
There are many examples, but here are a few:
God is stirring compassion, and may God do so more and more!
William Higgins
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged compassion, mercy |
We are talking about serving God and working to advance God’s kingdom this morning. Let me begin by saying that . .
Jesus was a man with a mission
He worked hard to promote the kingdom, to make it a reality on earth. As Matthew 9:35 says, “Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.”
Jesus gave himself to this completely and constantly. Serving God was his life focus and orientation. As he said in Luke 4:43 – “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
The Gospels tell us that Jesus
He served God in all these ways in order to spread God’s kingdom message and to build up God’s kingdom community.
Jesus also calls other people to be a part of his mission
During his earthly ministry we are familiar with how he frequently said to people, “Follow me.” Now this phrase included in it an invitation to repentance and faith in Jesus – but most especially it was a call to “Come and work with me to advance God’s kingdom.”
Let’s look at one example of this in Mark 1:16-20:
“Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.”
Jesus called many people when he walked this earth. And now that his earthly ministry is over, Jesus calls us to work hard to spread the kingdom and finish the mission he began.
Drawing on the familiar parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), as well as other passages where Jesus talks about God’s mission, lets look at some
Lessons we learn from Jesus about working for the kingdom
These are things we can take away from these scriptures that will help us, encourage us and equip us for the task.
1. Each of us are given tasks to advance God’s kingdom. Just as the servants in the parable of the talents were to take what was given them from their master and increase it, so we are each given kingdom responsibilities and we are to advance the kingdom in those areas.
We all have responsibilities, according to our ability. Some have heavier duties, some lighter.
Please note: You are not released of your responsibilities because you have a pastor here now, a full time pastor, or a pastor supported financially by the church, however you want to say it. So please don’t think, “The pastor will take care of it all.” That’s a good way to send me over the edge, but more importantly and the focus here, is that it is an abdicating of your God given responsibilities.
A healthy church needs to have all of its parts working together to accomplish God’s mission. No one person can do it all, or even most of it.
Also note: You are not released of your responsibilities because you are retired. Indeed there is no retirement age in kingdom work. We work for a God who didn’t even begin to fully use Moses until he was eighty years old! Age is no barrier. No, as long as we have health and ability, we are to serve God in one way or another.
So don’t say, “We did our work and now its time for others to do the work.” It is good to make room for others to come along and work as well, but that doesn’t mean that you quit.
As long as the Lord gives you breath and you are able, that is how long you are to carry out your responsibilities to serve God and work for the kingdom.
So, each of us have been given tasks by God and we must work at them to promote the Kingdom.
2. These tasks can be anything that further God’s kingdom. Just as with Jesus’ example, we can
Whatever God assigns to us to spread his kingdom message and to build up his kingdom community.
So, find out what your gifts are and use them. Find out what God wants you to do, and what God has gifted you to do; what brings joy to you – and get busy at it!
But also, help out with whatever needs to be done, even if you don’t feel tremendously gifted, or called in that area. In any Christian community there are things that just need to be done for the community to work. And you don’t need a heavenly vision or a warm and fuzzy feeling to do it – just a servant’s heart. Give of yourself in these areas as well.
3. The focus of all our work is bearing witness to Jesus. It is about testifying to the coming of the kingdom with Jesus; it is about sharing who he is and the salvation he gives.
Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” – Acts 1:8.
Let’s remember that Jesus tells us don’t put your lamp under a basket, but let your witness shine before others – Matthew 5:14. We don’t need to be fearful. And he tells us don’t be ashamed of him before the world – Mark 8:38. We are to share our faith in Jesus boldly with others.
4. The goal of our work is to make disciples of Jesus. In the words of Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” We are to bear witness to Jesus so that people will make the commitment to be a disciple themselves; to be a part of the kingdom of God.
5. Jesus calls some to give their whole lives to working for the kingdom. They may have to leave family behind, and their career plans to help finish the work Jesus has begun.
As we saw in Mark 1:16-20, the first disciples did this. And in Mark 10:29 Jesus speaks of those who leave family and homes behind “for my sake and for the gospel.”
And might we not hope and pray that God would raise up from among us missionaries and pastors and others who will give their whole lives over to kingdom work? Are you open to hear what God has for you?
6. Jesus calls others to stay in their place in life and work for the kingdom. To the healed demoniac who wanted to be a traveling missionary with Jesus, he said in Luke 8:39 – “’Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”
It was God’s will for him not to go, but to stay home and serve and witness there.
7. We are to support those who give themselves fully to working for the kingdom. Jesus said, speaking of these, “the laborer deserves his wages.” – Luke 10:7. They can’t do what they are called to do without your support. And, by the way, we are still looking for more support for Gary and Denise for their work in The Gambia.
8. God’s Spirit gives us the power to work for his kingdom. Just as Jesus was empowered by the Spirit, so are we.
Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . ..”
We can’t do anything in our own strength. We need God working in and through us to accomplish something for the kingdom.
9. Be prepared to give an account. This brings us back to the parable of the talents. We have each been given tasks, and we will have to give an account for how we have done. The parable is meant to impress in our minds the exacting nature of our master.
It teaches us: Don’t be lazy, doing nothing to increase God’s kingdom; doing nothing to finish Jesus’ mission. For those who do nothing, will not enter the kingdom on that final day when Jesus returns. And the parable ends with this ringing in our ears in order make an impression on us.
Rather, find out what God wants you to do and work hard! Give your all for the work of God. Be a man or woman with a mission, just like Jesus.
And if you do, you will be blessed to have joy with Jesus for eternity. This is a reward that far surpasses anything we give up to work for him; anything we have to sacrifice to advance God’s kingdom
A final thought
We all go through times when we need to step back and take a rest, or move into another area. So this is not about making anyone feel guilty. We have to be aware of our limits, and I don’t want anyone to get burned out. All of our lives are so busy today. It is a part of our culture that we are always doing things. So we each need wisdom and there is no reason to judge the decisions of others.
But having said that, let me challenge you a bit: Are we really burning out because of doing too much work for the kingdom? Or is it because we over commit in other areas of our lives?
My plea is that you keep a “a final day perspective” – What will God really care about in terms of all you do when you stand before him on the final day?
What I am saying is, of all your many commitments, make serving God and working for the kingdom the top commitment. And schedule the rest of your lives around that.
William Higgins (edited)
Posted in Matthew 25, Uncategorized | Tagged discipleship, gospel, kingdom, serving God, witness |
I want to share with you this morning about trusting God with our economic lives; with our concerns to provide for our needs, and the needs of our families.
There’s a lot of fear in the air these days regarding the economy. And things have taken a turn for the worse, as we see constantly in the news and perhaps you have seen in your own situations.
Jesus has a word to say to believers in the midst of all this. And this comes from Matthew 6:25-34. Below you can see the text and how it is outlined with its literary structure:
A. Do not be anxious: “[25] Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life,
food: what you will eat or what you will drink,
clothing: nor about your body, what you will put on.
The more important: Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?B. The birds: food
The example: [26] Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Argument from lesser to greater: Are you not of more value than they?C. The futility of anxiety: [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
B. The lilies: clothing
The example: [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Argument from lesser to greater: [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?A. Do not be anxious: [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying,
food: ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’
clothing: or ‘What shall we wear?’
The more important: [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. [34] “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Jesus’ focus in this passage is to call us to give up our anxiety and trust in God. We begin, then, with . . .
The problem of being anxious for tomorrow
Lets look at how this works. It starts with the fact that life isn’t easy. As Jesus says in v. 34, “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Trouble refers to difficulties and misfortune. And given the context, these troubles certainly include providing for our material needs.
So Jesus is not naïve in his call to give up anxiety. The problem is real. Each day truly does have sufficient enough trouble in it.
Well, what happens is that all this trouble creates fear in us, which is the essential problem Jesus is addressing here:
Jesus focuses on such basics as food and clothing, but there are more things that we fret about: housing, providing for children, having enough to care for our health needs, retirement and more.
The bigger point of 6:19-34 is that given these troubles & our fears our natural response is to store up lots of resources to calm our fears. Jesus refers to this in Matthew 6:19 when he talks about laying up “treasures on earth . . ..”
We want control over the future, to try to ease our fears. And the way we do this is by laying up resources for ourselves for the future.
If we don’t have enough to lay up, we are fearful. And even if we do have enough to lay up, we fear that it will be taken away somehow. So, we are fearful either way!
The result is that this seeking after and storing up of resources becomes the focus of our lives. Jesus says in Matthew 6:32, “For the Gentiles seek after all these things.” Jesus is saying that they are anxious for tomorrow and make protecting against future troubles the focus of their lives – storing up resources, or striving hard to do so.
What’s wrong with this?
This is, after all, just the normal way the world works. Well, again, if we look at the larger picture of Matthew 6:19-34 it is teaching us about how we view and use our money. So when we look at v. 24, (which comes right before our passage) what’s wrong with storing up treasures on earth is that . . .
1) We are trusting in another god to care for our needs. Jesus says in this verse, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
When we store up resources to protect us against the future what we are doing is trusting in this treasure to be our god. This is idolatry. This is hatred of God. This is a breaking of the greatest commandment.
The second reason storing up treasures against the future is wrong is that it means . . .
2) We stop being generous with the needy. We have to hold onto our resources to soothe our fears over tomorrow.
This again comes from the larger context of Matthew 6 in vs. 19-20. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . ..” This last phrase is a way of talking about giving alms to help the needy.
Jesus is saying, don’t let fear over tomorrow stop you from giving to the needy. This is to hate our neighbor. This is a breaking of the second greatest commandment.
Now all of this raises some issues and so let me make . . .
Two clarifications
1) Jesus isn’t forbidding all storing up, but keeping above what we need against tomorrow. Turn with me to Luke 12:16-21, a passage that in Luke is connected to the teaching of not being anxious.
“And Jesus told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
The farmer isn’t condemned for having the first barns with crops stored up for his legitimate needs; feeding his family for the year. He is condemned for building bigger barns to keep the excess abundance for himself – vs. 18-19.
So Jesus’ teaching is, don’t store up your excess, beyond what you need, out of fear for tomorrow.
Now, this raises lots of questions, of course, with regard to standard of living: “What do we really need?” and “What is excess?” In our culture, to function, we do need more than just food and clothing, but we certainly need much less than what most Americans think. And we do need to learn to set aside self-indulgence and live more simply than we do.
2) Anxiety for tomorrow is different than planning and preparing for tomorrow. You might get the wrong impression from Matthew 6 that we should not even think or plan for tomorrow.
But again in Luke 12, the farmer is not condemned for planning and preparing – for planting, watering, working ahead in the year so that he would have something for when things don’t grow.
No, this is not a condemnation of all storing up or thought for tomorrow. The contrast of this passage is not between: anxiety that leads to thinking ahead, working and storing up what you truly need – verses – faith which leads you to do nothing for tomorrow.
The real contrast is between: anxiety that causes you to focus on, trust in and hoard your resources – verses – faith that causes you to focus on and trust in God, and to be generous with others.
Finally, lets look at . . .
Why we should give up our fear and trust God
1. Because life is about more than our material needs. This comes from the two A sections in our outline.
Jesus says in the first A section (v. 25), “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” In other words, even if we are ‘dirt poor,’ with only have food and clothing, we still have our life and can have joy in serving God. (Remember, Jesus was dirt poor).
And also, from the second A section, Jesus teaches us that life is not about seeking after material things, but about seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness (v. 33). We can’t let our fear lead us to get focused on what is not important. What is important is God. And we can have God without material possessions.
2. Because our anxiety doesn’t solve anything. This comes from the center point of the outline, letter C. Jesus says in v. 27, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” In the parallel passage in Luke 12:26 he adds a second question, “If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” If our fear can’t add a single hour, how can it help us with providing for our material needs?
Our fear and worrying about tomorrow is futile. It doesn’t actually help us.
3. Because God will provide for our needs. This comes from the two B sections:
As Jesus says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need” material provisions – v. 32. And so we should not be those of “little faith” – v. 30.
This is how we break free from our fear, and all the problems it leads to. We break free of fear by choosing to trust in God.
Let’s end with God’s promise to us in v. 33 –
Let us live into this promise and trust in our heavenly Father to care for us.
William Higgins
Posted in Matthew 6 | Tagged anxiety, faith, fear, God's provision, trust, wealth |
Luke 14:25-35
“Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
So therefore, any one of you who does not give up all his own possessions, cannot be my disciple.
Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile.’”
When I hear this passage, it reminds me of how Jesus is so very different than we are. We think – “Wow! Look at the big crowd!” Isn’t this the ultimate mark of success today; to draw a crowd?
But what does Jesus do? Jesus turns to them and tells them “give up everything and if you can’t, don’t even try to be my disciple.”
Jesus simply isn’t interested in casual, nominal, half-hearted followers. He wants people who will give up everything for him and the kingdom of God.
Crowds are great (don’t get me wrong) but it has to be a crowd that understands and accepts what Jesus requires. Lets look at what Jesus requires in this passage.
He mentions . . .
Three things we must give up to follow him
1. Our family – v. 26 – “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters . . . he cannot be my disciple.”
He pretty much covers it all – parents, spouses, children and siblings.
The word “hate” certainly stands out. What does this mean? Well, in Matthew 10:37 he says it this way – “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” To hate our family means that we love Jesus more than our family.
So Jesus is saying in comparison to our commitment to and love for him, it will appear that we hate our family.
What Jesus is saying is that:
Jesus calls us to give up our family for the sake of the kingdom. Jesus comes first.
2. Our own life – the rest of v. 26 says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate . . . even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
Again, the idea is that in comparison to our love for and commitment to Jesus, it will look like we hate our own life in this world.
Jesus calls us to give up our very lives for the sake of the kingdom. Jesus comes first.
3. Our possessions – this comes from near the end of the section, in v. 33 – “Any one of you who does not give up all his own possessions, cannot be my disciple.”
To give up means to forsake or to renounce; to let go of. “Possessions” or “all that we have” – means all that we own, anything that is ours – property, houses, cars . . . whatever we own.
Jesus calls us to give up all our possessions, for the sake of the kingdom. Jesus comes first.
So as we can see from these examples:
We have to give up everything to follow Jesus
v. 27 sums all this up – “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
Crosses are instruments of death. It was the electric chair of the ancient world. You take up an instrument of death, for one reason, to kill something. In this case, to kill your worldly life.
Family, possessions, your own life, all have to be on the altar. All are crucified for the sake of the kingdom. Whatever God asks for, we will give.
This is a total and complete giving up of everything for the sake of the kingdom. If you think this is extreme . . . well, it is! Which might well lead us to ask . . .
Why do we have to give it all up?
Jesus repeats three times – v. 26, 27, 33: if you don’t give all this up, you “cannot be my disciple.” He doesn’t mean, you know, you can’t be in my club. A kind of hoop you have to jump through. He is saying, you are not able to be my disciple.
The answer is that the demands of the kingdom are so strenuous, so absolute, unless you pursue it above all else, unless you “seek first the kingdom of God,” unless you give up everything, you will fail; you will wash out. In the words of vs. 34-35: “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The kingdom requires everything of us, and so we must be willing to give everything. Otherwise we will not be able to follow Jesus.
Next, we look at the two parables that are sandwiched in the middle of all this teaching, which sum up . . .
Jesus’ challenge
The point of both of these illustrations is the same. Don’t start something you can’t finish, whether it be a tower or a war. Before you start, make sure you have what it takes to come through on the commitment.
What’s going on here is that Jesus notices that it has become popular to follow him, and so he says to the crowds – “Have you counted the cost?” “Are you sure you want to be my disciple? Because it will take everything you have.”
But we are so different today, in fact, we have things all upside down.
We have everything backwards
We have domesticated Jesus so well, that we can’t even hear his radical call anymore. We have tamed Jesus and turned him into his opposite. Instead of us giving up everything for the kingdom, we have Jesus giving us everything we want including, our desires for our lives, family and all the possessions we would like to have.
What a spiritually bereft generation we are a part of! We are so trivial, so self-centered, so spoiled. We ask, “What can Jesus do for me?” “How can Jesus make me happy?” You know, what’s in it for me?
We want to be Christians, but without the cost. We want to call ourselves faithful, but without the cross.
But life is not about us, and Jesus is not about meeting our selfish desires and promoting our self-serving dreams.
What does Jesus say to us?
. . . we, the crowds of us who gather around him today? Well, Jesus doesn’t change. He says the same thing today that he said to that crowd of old:
“If you cling to family, life, and possessions above me, you are not able to be my disciples.”
“It is only when you give up everything for me, that will you be able to be my disciple. Only then, will you be able to finish what you have started in your life with God.”
May we hear and respond to Jesus’ challenge to us today. William Higgins
Posted in Luke 14 | Tagged commitment, discipleship, repentance, wealth |
Psalm 23 is the best known and loved Psalm of all. I want us to look at it this morning, so that we can be encouraged in our faith.
The following is the text broken down by how it is put together: Continue Reading »
Posted in Psalm 23 | Tagged encouragement, faith, God, testing, trust |
Now “worship” can be a big word. It can refer to the entirety of the way we live our lives; the decisions we make and the behavior we exhibit. But I’m thinking more specifically of when we come to praise God, to pray to God and to listen to his word, whether that be personal worship or communal like we do each Sunday.
I would like to share with you about how to be prepared for these times of worship so that you can enter into it fully, freely, meaningfully and powerfully. I hope that this is something you can use as a tool to examine yourself; a checklist of seven items. Continue Reading »
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged God, prayer, worship |
Christian teaching 