Considering Jesus' Message concerning the Sheep and the Goats

Friends,

A handwritten paper pinned on the wall of the chapel where Mother Teresa worked in Calcutta, India said: "When I was homeless you opened your doors. When I was naked you gave me your coat. When I was in prison, you came to my cell. When I was lonely, you gave me your love. Searching for kindness you held out your hand. When I was happy, you shared your joy. Every person, often the ones closest to us, is offering a gift -- a chance to love.” This sounds familiar, doesn't it? As one of her humble friends relates -- Mother Teresa was a powerful servant of God. She was more than a Christian saint...her entire life radiated love and service.

Jesus tells this story in Matthew 25:31-46 -- "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

There is a lot to consider here...and most of it is difficult. As I think about it, I do not believe that most people like this story, or they are at least uncomfortable with it. We certainly do not want to be with the goats, yet everyone believes that they are sheep. The truth is likely somewhere in between. Much of this is due to the fact that we like such stories it as they relate to other people, but we do not like them so well as they relate to us. We have been discussing the end times on Wednesday evenings in recent weeks, and some have expressed certain discomfort with passages like the one above, as well as Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

It has been well-documented that, as a comprehensive church culture, we have become more so a group of consumers (or takers), rather than producers (or givers). To quote a common refrain, “Everyone’s business is nobody’s business” is not a good principle to live by as it relates to the Christian walk for individuals and churches, but it happens all too often. I believe we have come to the point where being challenged, and getting out of our comfort zone is not only not in vogue, it is no longer welcome at all for many believers. We must be what Jesus called us to be – servants in the kingdom of God. We don’t have to preach a sermon or give a lesson…all we have to do is be the hands and feet of Jesus, and share a smile. Some might think that …concerning a service project or difficult ministry situation…“this is not my thing”. Try it! Surprises will be in store, and blessings will be the result. We have to be challenged in order to grow.

Busyness has become an idol (perhaps the predominant idol) in our culture. We are all busy…yet, we have the same 24 hour period as any group of people in history. I truly don’t believe the Lord expects us all to be Mother Teresa…but when we stand before the Lord on judgment day, He is not going to say, “Well, you were awfully busy – terrific.” He is going to ask, “What did you do to prosper the kingdom?” “What did you do to serve?” And, if we say, “Not much, I was too busy.” He might say – “Go take your place with the goats.” Let’s not be as the saying goes – “Most people wish to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.” Knowing full well that we are saved by grace thorough faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and our salvation has been paid for and we have responded accordingly, we have an obligation and a responsibility to live like “saved” people. This is indeed the other side of the coin. From time to time over the years, some have expressed concern to me as to whether they “have done enough” as it relates trying to get there…or trying, in essence, to work for their salvation. This is simply not possible. Others have expressed concern over whether they have done enough in working out their salvation. (Philippians 2:12-13) I believe that this is a much more important question to ask. I will offer this in closing…to quote the famous musician, Keith Green -- “The difference between the sheep and the goats is -- what they did and did not do.”

Blessings, Don

Little Things That Matter

Friends,

It is amazing how "little things" can make a big difference in our lives. At every level of soccer that I coached, I spent a significant amount of time on drills, especially the first two weeks. We would work on foot controlling the ball, passing, trapping or stopping the ball, moving up and down the field in a tight formation, and many more. On every team, there were always certain ones, whether two or twelve, who would say, "why are we wasting our time on these things - let's just play!" I would encourage patience and persistence, saying "the drills are going to make you better individual players, and therefore, a better team." As we would move past the first few weeks of practice containing the many drills, all of the players would begin to understand the value of what we had done. "Things are coming much more easily now," they would say. And in return, I would say smile and say -- "drills." :-)

It is really no different in any other sport, or even in life itself really. Every day, God gives us little exercises -- spreading some good cheer to someone, giving an extra $10 to some ministry, helping out a needy neighbor, not to mention fellowship, prayer and Bible study. We may not think that things make a difference, but they do. God uses the little exercises...which grows into greater ministry...in order to impact people and further His kingdom.

Blessings, Don

Jesus to the World

Friends,

Caleb Bell of the Huffington Post reports..."A Lutheran pastor in Newtown, Conn., has apologized after being reprimanded for participating in an interfaith vigil following the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The Rev. Rob Morris, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, prayed at the vigil the Sunday following the Dec. 14 shootings alongside other Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Baha'i clergy. Morris...' church and the denomination's constitution prohibits ministers from participating in services with members of different faiths."

I am not picking on his church...it is not the point...because a lot of tribes, including many folks in my own, have the very same attitude. At some point, we are going to have to learn that our sectarian principles, particularly as it relates to the community, only serve to cast a shadow on Christianity and do damage to the cause of Christ. When we display a sense of community it can and will enhance and promote the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God. We don't have to parse any verbs or discuss any issues in order to be Jesus to others in need and come together in a loving and beneficial way (to help hurting people in the above case). For some, faulty world views, philosophies based on suspect interpretations have led to attitudes and actions that have little do with the spirit of Christ and are more in line with humanistic reasoning. And we cannot make a difference for Christ with the humanists when we reason on their terms.  But, if we are willing to be led by the Holy Spirit, and live according to the spirit of Christ to those around us who are in need, then the Kingdom of God is able to grow and expand.

Blessings, Don

A Genuine Bible Code

Friends,

A little over thirteen years ago, the calendar was about to turn over to the year 2000.  Of course, there were some “doomsayers” then, just as there were a few weeks ago.  One of the fellows I knew back then was trying to convince me that the Bible spoke about the destruction of the world that was going to take place in the year 2000.  He spent some trying to convince me that a Bible Code from Genesis and other places was predicting such an event.  Of course me…being the reasonable guy that I am…didn’t believe a word of it.  This doesn’t mean I didn’t listen to what he was sharing, because I was willing to do so. There are still some proponents of the Bible Code.  What is it, exactly?  Though Bible codes have been postulated and studied for centuries, the subject was popularized by Michael Drosnin's book the Bible Code a couple of decades ago.  The code, as reenergized by Drosnin, stipulates that there is a set of secret messages encoded within the Hebrew text of the Torah, Genesis through Deuteronomy.  This hidden code has been described as a method by which specific letters from the text can be selected to reveal an otherwise obscured message.  One cited example is that by taking every 50th letter of the Book of Genesis, starting with the first “taw,” the Hebrew word “torah” is spelled out. The same happens in Exodus and so on.  Modern computers have been used to search for similar patterns and more complex variants.  My opinion?  Baloney.  Stick to crossword puzzles…they make more sense.  However, Paul does reveal to us a code, or a mystery, in the third chapter of Ephesians…and this code makes a lot of sense…it is a message we can trust.

Paul speaks about being a prisoner of the Lord.  He was the Lord’s bond-servant, commissioned to take the message of the gospel to all mankind.  As he shares in Ephesians 3:1ff, Paul believes in God’s new program of uniting believing Jews, Gentiles into one body…the church.  There is one small problem – the Jews don’t like the Gentiles.  They want nothing to do with them (or the Samaritans for that matter).  Paul courageously defends the grace of God and the unity of the church in Acts 15, Galatians 2:1-10 (and the message in those places is that…the Gentiles did not have to become Jewish in order to become Christians).  Paul follows his calling by taking the gospel to the Gentiles, even though he is accused of prejudice by the Jews.  Paul is no longer a prisoner of the law…he has been released.  He wants to free both Jews and Gentiles from bondage to law and bring them to genuine life in Christ.  For Paul, it isn’t enough simply to win Gentiles to Christ and form them into local assemblies.  He is also able to teach them about the wonderful position that they have in the body of Christ…one that is equal to the Jews.  Paul ministers this critically important mystery that had not been revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. It is revealed in the New Testament to the apostles by the Holy Spirit.  The Gentiles, even though they were outside of the covenant just a few years before, are to experience this new relationship with God through Jesus Christ that they were never able to experience before.  The mystery shows that new power is available to them through the Holy Spirit.  They can witness and minister concerning this message concerning Christ and this new power that is available to them and to others. 

Paul continues to describe the new riches that the Gentiles have available to them.  Paul describes them as being so vast that their end cannot be discovered.  Paul understands all of this and it humbles him.  Some of the Jews might think that they are God’s gift to mankind, but Paul considers himself, “the least of all of the saints.”  Understanding the great mystery of unity that is revealed does not “puff up” people so that they have “a big head”…rather it “humbles” them and brings “a broken and contrite heart.”  When God saved Paul, He gave him the treasures of the gospel truth.  Paul in turn, invests his life in bringing these truths to others.  In doing this, he exhorts them to commit the truths to other people (2 Timothy 2:2).  This is our responsibility.  We cannot simply own this message ourselves, but we must live it, share it with others.  The great truth concerning the church was not some divine afterthought, as if God was piecing together some puzzle haphazardly.  It was all a part of God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus.  To understand this truth gives us great hope, confidence in the faith.  And if there is one thing that people in this broken, fallen world need, it is a message of hope, confidence.  The final gift that comes for believers is courage in difficult circumstances.  We know that we can and will be victorious if we persevere.  Any suffering we experience…including that for the cause of Christ…will bring about blessings, glory.

Rodney Buchanan shares concerning the book, “Mystery on the Desert,” in which Maria Reiche describes a series of strange lines made by the ancient Nazea people in the plains of Peru, perhaps as early as 200 years before the time of Christ. The area where the lines are covers over 37 miles. It is impossible to make out what these line drawings are from the ground, and people at one time assumed they were irrigation ditches. No one really knew what they were until 1939 when Dr. Paul Kosok of Long Island University studied them by flying over them in an airplane. There is an assortment of perfectly straight lines, many running parallel, others intersecting, forming a grand geometric form. In and around the lines there are also strange symbols, and pictures of 70 animal and plant figures that include a spider, hummingbird, monkey and a 1,000-foot-long pelican.  One geometric figure goes in a straight line for nine miles across the plain. All of them are etched on a giant scale that can only be appreciated from the sky. When viewed from high in the air, these seemingly random lines form enormous drawings of art. They have meaning. People often assume that since they cannot see the purpose of something from their perspective that there is no purpose — no reason or rhyme to what they are facing…that it is a mystery.  But from God’s perspective it makes perfect sense. There is not only order and design to what he is doing…it is a work of art.  It doesn’t matter if you are too small to see the whole masterpiece, it is still there. And one day, looking from heaven, the mystery of what God has been doing will be clear to us. What looked like a ditch to us will be seen as a part of God’s design that has been stretched out over his universe.

A preacher (not me) was driving to a preaching engagement, trying to follow a map that he had in his car.  He couldn’t locate the highway he needed, so he stopped at a nearby convenience store.  The attendant said, “You’ve got an ancient map there, mister!”  Here is the latest map.  Follow it and you will get to where you are going.  And the attendant was right…the preacher arrived in plenty of time for the meeting.  People who do not understand “God’s mystery” in His church are trying to make progress with the wrong map.  There are no such things as social, race, age or even “religious” distinctions in the family of God.  The church is not ever to be shackled by the physical, by the reasoning of men…because it has been set free by the spiritual, through the blood of Jesus Christ.  God had a “secret”, but it is not a secret any longer.  If you and I understand the wonderful position that we have in Christ, it is going to knock down any barriers to progress.  And, we will be a blessing to and for the kingdom of God.

Blessings, Don

A Peace of the Action

Friends,

As seen in this portion of the Ephesian letter (2:11-22), Paul is working with the Gentiles.  Most of the Ephesian believers are Gentile converts, yet they understand that much of God’s program in the Old Covenant involves the Jews.  The Jews are not kind to the Gentiles.  Many of the Jews believe that the Gentiles need to become Jews first before they can be acceptable to God and to them.  God made the difference between the Jews and Gentiles from the time of Abraham…not that the Jews might boast in how great they were, but in order to be a blessing and a help to the Gentiles.  The Jews might have been different nationally, ritually…but morally, they are the same as the Gentiles.

Before they came to Christ, the Gentile Ephesians worshipped Diana (or Artemis).  Some of them believed they could worship Diana and Christ…and that it would all be the same.  Paul says – no way!  The Jews were a “special nation”…but not so the Gentiles.  They did not have a covenant for themselves.  They were aliens and strangers and the Jews never let them forget it.  The Gentiles’ philosophies, religions were empty and powerless to help men face life and death.  They were, as a whole, without God.  The nations had many gods (see Paul in Athens, Acts 17), but they didn’t know the One True God.  The Gentiles were included in God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)…and this ultimately would culminate in their having hope through Christ Jesus. 

Although the Jews, Gentiles might have different purposes, these differences are erased in Christ’s reconciliation or “bringing them together again.”  There is not a significant problem for the church until Peter is sent to the Gentiles (Acts 10).  Then there is enmity (Acts 11-15).  Are the Gentiles supposed to become “Jewish Christians”?  No.  The enmity was taken away.  The law that separated the Jews and Gentiles is taken down…Christ destroys the wall and makes peace.  The big picture is what really needs to be considered.  Not only did the Gentiles need to be reconciled to the Jews, but both Jews and Gentiles need to be reconciled to God!  It is not a question of a Gentile becoming a Jew in order to become a Christian, but the Jew admitting he is a sinner like the Gentile.  Jews and Gentiles both have access to the same God through the new covenant brought by Christ Jesus.  Israel was God’s chosen nation, but they rejected their redeemer and suffered the consequences.  The kingdom was taken from them and given to “a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof…” (Matthew 21:43).  The new nation is “spiritual Israel”, the church.  Sin divides mankind, but Christ unites people by His Spirit.  All believers, regardless of national background, belong to a “holy nation” with citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3).  God does not dwell in a house made with hands, in temples or church buildings…but He lives in the lives of His believers (1 Corinthians 6:19), who are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:19). What a glorious plan in order to bring “oneness” and “peace.”

Joel Jongkind shares this -- In the latter part of the gospels, the disciples were in quite a state when they were gathered in the upper room. Their Lord and friend had been crucified, and the authorities were after them. They sat and wondered what to do next. Some of them were ready to go back home. And suddenly, Jesus was with them, and they heard His wonderful words, "Peace be with you."' Sometimes we too doubt and worry; sometimes we have a feeling of anguish in our hearts. We sit and wonder, or we lie in bed and worry, and we pray about it, or we go to church to worship, or we pick up the Bible and read those wonderful words, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NKJV) Or we hear Jesus' words, "Peace be with you."  The word "peace" has been used a great deal over the years. Every time we turn on the television, we hear people “talking about peace” in places where there are wars and uprisings: in the Middle East, in Syria in particular lately, and in a number of African countries as well. There are a lot of negotiations, but there does not seem to be a lasting peace.  Before one war is over, another one has started. There seems to be no end to it, and we have learned nothing from history; there is no lasting peace. But inner peace is for all of us to have and to hold through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. We know that the triune God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- is our source of lasting peace, and then, it does not matter what might happen in our lives, for we can be at peace through faith, and we will have peace in our hearts.”

It is interesting to note that religious history is not a record of man starting with many gods (idolatry) and gradually discovering the One True God.  Rather, it is the sad story of man knowing the truth about God and deliberately turning away from it.  God called the Jews beginning with Abraham that through them, He might reveal Himself as the One True God.  Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles, but their light burned dimly.  Today, we…spiritual Israel, the church…are not all that unlike the Jews and Gentiles as it relates to our ideals, philosophies and the like.  We all come from different places, have different backgrounds.  The message of grace and reconciliation is just as important today as it has always been…maybe it is even more important as it relates to one another, given the great differences between people…especially those in our fellowship.  But, the goal is not any different for us than it was for early believers.  In spite of our differences, we find ways to submit our spirits to the Spirit of God and when we do so, we are able to be at peace with God and with one another.  And this has value beyond what any of us can really truly appreciate individually…but it is good. Keep working at allowing the “peace of Christ to dwell in your hearts.”

Blessings, Don

Committed to the Cause

Friends,

Here are some timely thoughts from Jerry Williams concerning the work that needs to take place in the kingdom today.

Blessings, Don

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"All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel." (1 Chronicles 12:38, NKJV)

We are living in an age of ‘throw away’ relationships wherein it is a rare thing indeed to find those who will fully commit themselves first to the Lord. In a moment’s notice people will ‘unfriend’ you for doing or saying anything they don’t ‘feel’ or ‘believe’ is best for them. They give little or no thought how their actions might effect your life, but only consider how your actions have effected them. Consequently, there is little accountability in the ranks of the righteous and precious little territory being taken back from the enemy by those who are united in heart and spirit. This is a true statement: You will never possess with hirelings, what the Lord has assigned for sons. We need a WORD from God – unless the Lord has ordained what we are endeavoring to ‘do’, then it’s nothing more than a man size work. We need the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His WORD – any attempts to accomplish His Work through our power will result in certain failure of the work. Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it. We need men and women who are loyal in heart and able to hold rank.

From the earliest days of my salvation I have prayed (as many of you have) for a heart like David’s, a heart after God’s heart. David was a man with amazing qualities and a heart that hungered for God more than any other man of his generation. However, he also possessed staggering flaws and weaknesses that at times endangered the safety and protection of all Israel. As his flaws manifested many of those who were loyal to him when he first became King did abandoned their loyalty and turned their hearts against the king. Listen to the anguish in his heart in Psalms 55 as he describes who has risen up against him: "It is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng." (vs.12-14) Do you see it was someone who was once a friend who has now turned against him? This was someone who clearly knew his heart for God, yet threw their relationship with David away because of other reasons. It’s easy to ‘hold rank’ when your friend is exercising their best qualities. However, to ‘hold rank’ when their flaws and weaknesses manifest is entirely another matter. (Note: This does not suggest you are to stand with anyone who is in willful sin and unwilling to repent.) Although David was plagued with flaws and weaknesses, his life was one of constant repentance and acknowledgment of his sin, weakness and rebellion. Yet, even that was not enough to keep some of his closest brothers in arms loyal during his reign.

I recently read something the late David Wilkerson wrote which stated, ‘You will never take up the towel of mercy if you are wearing the robe of judgment’. Those who are loyal in heart and able to keep ranks are those who have learned to daily carry the towel of mercy. I pray God would so work in each of our hearts none of us will ever again break ranks with anyone God has placed in our lives as a comrade in arms. Not one of us is without guilt in this matter. We all can testify how judgments we’ve rendered toward others in the past, even though they seemed completely justifiable, in the end were exposed as merciless and unrighteous in the presence of God. May God give us all a loyal heart and teach us how to keep ranks until He comes.

Spiritual Growth Is Not an Option, But a Necessity

Friends,

Jesus explains concerning the kingdom of God by teaching a parable concerning a sower and seed (Matthew 13:1ff). There are some important matters to consider before we actually come to the parable itself. One is that the reason Jesus spoke in parables; it was because of the spiritual malaise of people. I believe the mid-section of the passage has to do with the primary context of His audience…that being the Jews. This seems to be the case, especially in light of His Isaiah quote (vv.14-15). Those who were going to seek Him and understand Him were going to find Him...but, those who did not long to understand Him, "feed on His words," were not going to understand Him. A second thing to understand is that Jesus seems to indicate that only in one in four cases is the seed going to truly grow and ultimately bear fruit. He knew that many of the people following Him were not going to be true disciples, but were fair-weather followers. I do not believe that Jesus is not describing a place, people or a time where there is going to be a “great harvest” where 75-100% of the people listening, respond. In fact, most are going to reject the Word of God, as described in “wide and narrow gates” (Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:13-14).

When it comes down to the message itself, many of Jesus’ parables start with the expression, “the kingdom of God is like…” This is not the case here. He is describing the beginning of the kingdom. It begins with the sharing of the message of God…this is the seed. The seed is planted in the hearts of people…and the various soils represent different kinds of hearts. The various responses represent the different responses that people have to the Word of God. What is interesting is that Jesus provides an explanation for this parable, so there could be no mistaking the meaning. He wanted his disciples to understand what happens when people are exposed to the message of God in the Word. But why does Jesus compare God’s Word to a seed? Like a seed, the Word of God is inert until it is planted. Just as a seed has to planted in the ground in order to come alive…so, the Word of God must be planted in the hearts of men and women in order to germinate and grow. This doesn’t mean that the Word of God isn’t powerful on its own…but its true purpose is that it was given in order to change lives of those who would come into contact with it. It is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12)…the Holy Spirit brings God’s message to life in us. If the Word does germinate and start growing, it must also be cultivated with prayer, worship, fellowship wrapped in love and other virtues, practices. The ultimate outcome is to be -- fruit. This is the proof of growth in the above areas…disciplining our lives for the Lord. As Jesus says, some are flatly going to reject this message; they are represented by the hard pan. Nothing of a true spiritual nature is going to penetrate their hearts until their soil gets softened up. Religious people can be represented by this today, just as they did during the time of Christ. Church attendance doesn't necessarily mean everyone is tuned in to Jesus...or even that they know Him at all. The scorching sun in the parable represents persecution or temptation. The sun is that which tests believers to see whether or not their faith will sustain them. Believers with shallow roots, who have not invested in spiritual development, are going to wither away. The thorns represent the cares of the world that poke and bleed the spiritual life out of younger believers. Their priorities keep them from spiritual growth and development. We have great opportunities afforded us by the Lord. It seems like many in our current culture are content with enough growth to “get by,” but not enough to make a significant difference for Jesus…and this is unfortunate. Still, there are others who grow and prosper!

When we consider the story of Elijah from 1 Kings 17, he predicts a drought upon the land that would last for three-and-a-half years. Without rain the crops were not going to grow and soon there would be a famine. The famine represented the dryness of spirit in God’s people at that time. As James says, because of Elijah’s faithfulness, God answered his prayers three-and-a-half years later and the rains came (James 5:17-18). We certainly don’t have to look very hard or go very far to see the effects of drought upon our own land over the past few years (although the recent rains have certainly been welcome). I am not certain if a spiritual parallel can be drawn to the faithfulness of the people of the land in this time or not, but there are certainly some who would surmise such. What I do know is that each and every one of us has ultimate control over whether our spiritual lives our growing and producing fruit or drying up…and it because of our choices. This kingdom parable pretty much tells the story. There is no hiding it…the results will be known for each of us…and they will be good or poor. I hope and pray that your desire is to among those are producing good fruit for the Lord. I close with this thought, “The fatal metaphor of progress, which means leaving things behind us, has utterly obscured the real idea of growth, which means leaving things inside us.” - G.K. Chesterton

Blessings, Don

Concerning the Time of the Judgment

Friends,

Here is the good and challenging message by Ed Fudge from this week's, gracEmail. He rightly desires for postings to do be done in their entirety...so, this is what I want to do for those who may not be subsribed to his messages (although I would encourage folks to subscribe to his messages).

Blessings, Don

P.S. -- I am including questions from a couple of friends with regard to the topic at the bottom, plus my response, fyi and fwiw.

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Left Behind? Yes

While reading from Matthew in the Greek New Testament recently with a friend, we both were struck by something Jesus says--not once but repeatedly--about the final judgment yet to come. He tells a parable about a wheat farmer, in whose fields an enemy secretly sows a weed that closely resembles the growing wheat plant in appearance. To prevent waste due to confusion, the farmer tells his workers to let the two grow together until maturity. Then they will "gather the weeds first" to be burned, and harvest the wheat that is left. So it will be at the end, Jesus explains. The angels will "gather out of his kingdom" those who cause sin and who do evil (Matt. 13:28-30, 40-42). Then, in another parable with a different scene, Jesus repeats the image. Just as a Galilean net fisherman drags in all sorts of fish, then separates bad from good, so the angels will come and "separate the evil from the righteous" (Matt. 13:47- 50).

What caught our attention in reading these parables is that in both stories the angels gather the bad product first, out from the good product. Gather the weeds first, out of the fields of wheat. Separate the evil from the righteous. Gather the wicked out of the kingdom. In each instance mentioned in Matthew 13, the evil ones are taken away and the righteous are left behind. This detail would likely go unnoticed, if a pastor named Tim LaHaye and a writer named Jerry Jenkins had not produced a series of fictional novels which they titled Left Behind, and in which that is definitely the undesirable option. The whole plot driving the series owes more to imagination than to Scripture in my opinion (though some people who surpass me in knowledge and piety alike insist otherwise). But that is not my concern today, which is rather simply to observe how fixed our minds can become by repeated exposure to a particular notion or image until we are incapable of thinking anything else, even if it happens to appear in Scripture itself.

Jesus' purpose in tellling these two parables is the point we really need to grasp--whatever our expectation about the final events in earthly history. Like the seine-net in the parable, the kingdom of God is now a mixed bag that includes "evil men," "false believers," and "feigned confessors," as J. Jeremias aptly puts it (The Parables of Jesus, 226). That is something the Essenes could not tolerate -- so they moved away from it all and established a "pure community" at Qumran near the Dead Sea. Such ambiguity was also unacceptable to the Pharisees. Although they lived among the "sinners," they made it ostentatiously clear that they were separate from the hoi polloi -- the rest of humankind. Their piety was external and always visible if nothing else. Jesus urged his disciples not to be enticed by rumors that the kingdom of God was already dawning out there in the wilderness (Essenes), or that the path to its entrance led through the Pharisees.

If we read Matthew 13 again in its entirety, we will hear three prevailing themes. This is the time for sowing and for growing, not for judging or sorting out the people. (That will keep us busy.) Judgment time is coming, but God will handle that without our help or advice. (That should keep us humble.) Listen to Jesus with our hearts, knowing that parables will convey his message if we do that, and that they will certainly block it if we do not. Amen.

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I think sometimes people today are twisting 'Judge not' to mean something different than God means. Your thoughts, Don? (Lyn Farris) -- I would agree with your assessment, Lyn. I read this article by Ed and thought it was interesting given that I just read 1 Corinthians 5 last night in my quiet time. It seems like we humans are often quick to judge, slow to exercise discretion. I love "the Woodcutter's Wisdom," as it reminds me to be wise in this area. For those who would live more according to "law" than "grace" as seen in the new covenant, it seems there is a greater sense or need to judge, rather than show grace, mercy. (Somethings never change...as Jesus, Paul dealt with the same concerns, people). We need to focus on having the heart of Jesus in relationship to people...which I believe is critical if we are going to live like Him, for Him and be pleasing to God. There is a certainly a need for Christians to make discerning judgments or "decisions" in relationship to a number of aspects of the Christian walk, such as selecting elders, deacons, etc. I see this as far different from what Jesus warns us about in relationship to making critical or condemning judgments in Matthew 7. The church at Corinth was challenged to make a collective judgment concerning a sinful situation in the church, and this is also quite different from individual, condemning judgment.

It sounds like he is using parables so that people won't understand. What do you think, Don? I think this passage may trouble a lot a people when we read Jesus' reply to his disciples in vss. 11-16. (Eric Robinson) -- It is challenging. It is easy simply to apply the parable to people in general, as that is what we tend to do, but I think this clouds the context a bit. I believe the passage has to do with the context of His primary audience, that being the Jews...and this seems to be the case, especially in light of His Isaiah quote (vv.14-15). Those who were going to seek Him and understand Him were going to find Him...but, those who did not long to understand Him, "feed on His words," were not going to understand Him. Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and others would understand (not to mention certain Samaritans, Gentiles)...and many others such as Annas, Caiaphas, and other prominent Jews were going to be hardened by His messages and not come to know Him, but instead condemn Him.