Preach And Heal

Matthew 4:23-25

"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people" (v.23).

Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom of God, i.e., God's rule and reign being manifest on earth; then, he demonstrated the presence of the King by healing the sick and diseased. It appears that Jesus proclaimed a different gospel than we do. Perhaps, that's why we don't encounter the presence of the Lord in signs and wonders no more than we do.

The good news that Jesus proclaimed manifested itself in tangible ways like healing from sickness and disease, deliverance from the demonic, and repentance. The good news that Jesus shared really was good news! Is ours? Is mine? Do I share the same "good news" as Jesus? This is not a cause for despair; it's cause for seeking. I must teach what Jesus taught/teaches and do what Jesus does. Anything less isn't good news.

Call, Follow, Become

Matthew 4:18-22

"As Jesus was walking..." (v. 18). Jesus was doing the simplest and most ordinary thing: walking. He wasn't meandering aimlessly, gazing off into the sky. He wasn't running. He was simply walking.

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men" (v.19). Jesus calls to Simon Peter and Andrew and invites them into what he is already doing: walking. Jesus always invites us into what he is already doing; and usually, he is walking in the daily routine, the mundane and the ordinary. But Jesus also makes them a promise that, as they follow, he will make them fishers of men. He did not command them to be fishers of men; he simply said "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men". So, how do we become fishers of men? We follow Jesus. That's all. Following precedes becoming.

"At once they left their nets and followed him" (v. 20). When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, they obeyed "at once". When he later called James and John, "immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him" (v.22). All of them obeyed instantly. But what really strikes me is this: they obeyed the simplest meaning of Jesus's words first. In other words, they didn't sit there and discuss whether following meant symbolically or actually - they followed literally, physically. They walked away from family, livelihood, all they had known - literally. They didn't consult the notes and interpretations in their study bibles nor talk to theologians about "what Jesus really meant". They didn't seek out some less radical definition of Jesus's words. No, they obeyed literally. By obeying the surface meaning of following Jesus literally and physically, it lead them ultimately into the deeper meaning of following him literally and spiritually, i.e., by the Holy Spirit.

Do I follow literally, obeying the simplest meaning first? Or do I want to only want the deeper meaning? Am I content to obey in walking with Jesus in the ordinary? Or do I only seek the fame and greatness of the extraordinary? Do I want following Christ to be something tame and less radical? Or do I follow in order to become what he has called me to be?

Can anything less than this truly be called "following", much less "radical"?

What Did Jesus Preach?

Matthew 4:12-17

"From that time on, Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near'." (v.17)

"If I am to be a follower of Christ, I must believe what Jesus believed and teach what Jesus taught" - John Wimber.

The gospel - the good news - that Jesus taught was the kingdom of God/Heaven (one and the same) is here; right here, right now. The kingdom of God/Heaven means the reign of God - his administration is now in session. In the same way that a new president will come into office and begin doing what he's promised by passing new legislations or by overturning previous legislations in order to accomplish his plan, God has begun to reign and to fulfill all that he's promised. God, said Jesus, is here now and is implementing the administration of Heaven. As it is in Heaven, God is setting things on earth.

What does the kingdom of God look like? Is the gospel (sadly, gospels) that we hear preached today the same gospel that Jesus proclaimed? Our good news should be the same as his, shouldn't it? This is what we find out, if we want to follow him.

Jesus and Temptation Part 3

Matthew 4:8-11

Satan offered the world to Jesus in exchange for his worship.

How often have I accepted the same offer? In what areas of my life right now do I accept his offer?

After Jesus refused Satan's offer, the devil left and angels came and ministered to him.

Two things: 1) When I refuse the devil and his offers, he flees (James 4:7); and 2) When I refuse him and his offers, angels come and attend to me.

If the devil isn't fleeing, it doesn't mean he won't; it simply means that the temptation isn't finished yet. He tempted Jesus with three different ideas or challenges; then he left. But notice this: he left after Jesus told him to. Though Jesus never tempts us, he allows it - but he's in control of the devil and the temptation the whole time.

Perhaps, we don't experience the ministry of angels in this way because we don't stay in the battle. Or maybe, it's because we don't refuse the enemy.

May the Holy Spirit teach us how to stand in the battle.

Jesus And Temptation, Part 2

Having stated that man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, Satan then quotes scripture to Jesus. However, he misinterprets the passage by applying it out of context. God does promise in Psalm 91 that his angels will guard us and protect us, but this promise is made to one fulfilling a specific condition: "He who dwells (abides, remains) in the shelter of the Most High" (Ps. 91:1). The one who abides, acknowledges, and loves Him will live in the promises given in this psalm. Jesus, of course, knows this and says, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test' (or, on trial)." To abide is faith; what the tempter offered was presumption.

So, what is the application for me? Here's some:

The conditions and the context of any promise is crucial to its understanding and its experience. In all of scripture, there are many examples of God's blessing and favors being experienced by the recipient fulfilling certain conditions, commands, or stipulations. The night of Passover is one example: the blood had to be on the doorposts and lintel and everyone had to be in the house, else they would die with the Egyptian firstborn. And there are many examples from daily life that need not be mentioned here. Condition and context are absolutely necessary for right understanding and experience of God's promises.

The promises of God have to be applied by the Spirit of God within relationship to God. This one is directly related to the one above. Simply because I may find a scripture that agrees with what I may believe or think on a given point does not mean that I have the mind of God on the matter. Intimate relationship is also vital to understanding and experiencing the promises of God.

Jesus knew the conditions and the context of the scripture Satan quoted. But above that, Jesus knew the Father - He knew his heart and mind by the Holy Spirit. If you know, love, and trust someone, you don't have to test them - you just know them.
That's the secret...knowing.

Jesus And Temptation

One of my intentions with this path I'm on is not to study the gospels per se; i.e., not to simply study the writings themselves. My goal is to "study" Jesus Himself. How did He respond? What did He do when confronted with specific challenges and issues? What did He believe? In short, I want to know Him better, more accurately; to learn of Him (Matt. 11:29).

When Jesus was led into the wilderness (or desert) to be tempted by the devil, it's important to know that He was led there by the Holy Spirit for that purpose. Now, Scripture is clear, God tempts no one (James 1:13). But God will allow us to be tempted for our good. Perhaps, Jesus remembered the intensity of this encounter with the tempter when He taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation". The important thing here is that our Father, in His goodness and love for us, will lead us into temptation for good. Perhaps, simply to teach us to find our refuge and defense in Him (Proverbs 18:10).

In verse 3, Satan begins by attacking the announcement of God the Father over Jesus' baptism: "This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). He says, in so many words, "If you are who He says you are, do something to prove it. If He is so pleased with you, anything you do will certainly be okay with Him. And besides, if you're hungry, He'd surely want you to eat, right?" But Jesus' answer shows us a higher way.

"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (v.4). Satan pointed to an immediate, legitimate need, and for the most part was saying, "Go ahead; you're hungry. Help yourself." Jesus instead shows us that the need, however legitimate, doesn't give us a "green light" to meet the need. We are to live only by the words that come (past and present) from the Father's mouth. Before I meet any need, I must hear Him on it. And then, do as I am told, even if it means leaving the need unmet. If we live by His words, then we must make hearing Him a priority. We must get His mind on something, on anything, before doing anything.

Results, Righteousness and Revelation

In Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus shows up at the Jordan asking John to baptize Him. John tried to deter Him and said that he needed to be baptized by Jesus. Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness." So, John went ahead and did it. But, I'm with John: Jesus didn't need to be baptized, did He? No, He was sinless. Then, why bother?

I believe it's because sometimes, in following Christ, there are things that we will be asked to do, not because it's necessary, but simply because it "fulfills all righteousness". I have such an ingrained tendency to want to know that obedience will bring about a certain result. In fact, in our culture, and sadly, in American Christianity, we are taught to look at and for results. We evaluate whether to pursue an action based on the results it will bring. Unfortunately, we also bring this mind-set to the Kingdom. But, what if Jesus wants us to do something that isn't necessary? What if it's just something He wants us to do "just because"?

One time, my father exploded on me at work. It was unjustified and it made me mad as hell. So, I shouted something back at him. I went to another area of the job we were on and the Lord spoke to me. He said, "I want you to go ask him to forgive you." Well, I didn't like this at all and I told the Lord so. "He should apologize to me and ask my forgiveness," I exclaimed at the Lord. For several minutes, I didn't say or do anything except clean paint brushes. I began to think about how much I wanted my dad to get saved and yield to Christ. So, I said to the Lord, "Alright. I'll do it for this reason" (thinking that my reasoning was from the Lord). I was shocked when the Lord shot back: "It's not about your dad getting saved - it's about obedience." I realized then that I was missing the point. The point wasn't the outcome of my obedience; the point was my obedience.

Do I trust the Lord enough to where the outcome doesn't matter? Do I obey because I'm seeking a certain result - or simply because it's Him that asks of me? Is He worthy of my obedience even when it produces no visible, tangible fruit? It was after John's obedience in this instance that heaven opened and the Father revealed His Son to John as the promised Messiah (John 1:32-34). Sometimes, obedience simply reveals the presence of Jesus.

Where To Begin

In chapter 3 of Matthew's gospel, John the Baptist arrives on the scene, preaching in the desert, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near (at hand; right here, right now)". Now, another word that's used to describe that same region is "wilderness". But either way, wilderness or desert, isn't this an odd place to begin a ministry? No doubt, John was obeying the Father's command by doing so, but still it's an unlikely place. Nonetheless, the people came to him, confessing their sins and being baptized in the Jordan River (Matt. 3:6). The lost and the hurting, the poor and the needy, are always in the desert, somehow.

There's a couple of things that speak to me here. First, obedience is priority one. Not success, demographics, statistics, location - obedience, plain and simple.

Second, repentance prepares the way of the Lord. The Jordan River is always seen in scripture as the "entry point" into the fullness of God and the purposes of God; i.e., everything He's promised. The entry point to the Kingdom of Heaven is a baptism of confession and repentance. The word here for baptism refers to the process of dying cloth. The cloth is immersed into the dye until it is saturated through and through with the color of the dye. In other words, it is immersed until it changes colors. (By no means am I suggesting that we baptize people this way!) This means that we must become immersed in confession and repentance as a way of life. As John Wimber used to say, "The way in is the way on."

In verse 7, John speaks to the Pharisees and Sadducees and says, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" My question is, what wrath? Did Jesus come in wrath or to save His people from their sins? I believe that what John is referring to here is the preparation mentioned in verse 3: "Prepare the way of the Lord". He announced that the Kingdom of Heaven had come. When a new kingdom takes over where an old one has been, there are folks who welcome the new kingdom and there are those who do not. Those who welcome it came to John confessing and repenting. To those who did not, John said in verse 8, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." For those who humble themselves through confession and repentance, the visitation of God will be salvation; to those who do not, wrath. For "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5).

Do I welcome the Kingdom of Heaven into my daily life through confession and repentance? Do I live immersed in humility and repentance? Can the Lord send me into the desert so that He may bring the kingdom to others? Will I go where He says to go? Do I prepare the Lord's way in my life daily? To welcome the kingdom, there must be preparation. May the Lord always find me prepared; may He always have in me a straight path on which to move.

When (and How) God Speaks

In Matthew 1:18 - 2:23, in the story of "how the birth of Jesus came about", God communicates His will to the main players in the redemptive drama at every point. I have no problem with God speaking. He speaks to us through His word, the Scriptures. That's a "given". But that's not what He does here. He uses a different way. Five times in this section, He speaks to someone "in a dream" (1:20, 2:12, 13, 19, 22). And no one in the text seems too surprised at this; they treat it as if it's to be expected, as if it's just God's way; not uncommon at all.

So, what am I to do? As a follower of Jesus, I must not place limits on how He can speak to me. I must trust Him with His choice of "media" to communicate His love and will to me. And I must be open to His choice. Does He speak to me through His written word? Yes. But I must always let Him choose to speak to me in whatever ways He wants.

The other lesson in this section is seen in the responses to the dreams. After each dream, the recipient obeyed as soon as they awoke. They did not question the dreams or whether it was God or not. They just simply obeyed upon waking.

Regardless of how God speaks, do I simply obey as soon as I hear the word? Do I trust Him to speak clearly or do I question it based on my ability to hear? The former is faith and dependence upon Him; the latter is doubt and reliance upon self. Which do I choose the most? If I want to move in the purposes of God, I must trust Him to speak His word to me clearly. And I must always trust Him for the ability to hear the word and to obey the word. Apart from Him, I can do nothing.

Whose Approval Do I Want?

As I stated in an earlier post, I've begun reading through the gospels again. Although I'm not a fan of the NIV, I've decided to use it for this venture; no particular reason, just something fresh and that I'm not so familiar with.

Here are some things that have spoken to me thus far.

Mary and Joseph were engaged and she shows up one day saying that she's pregnant by the Holy Spirit. By the Law of Moses, she could have been stoned. At best, she was going to live with folks believing that she was immoral and unfaithful. And she was about 15, according to theologians and bible scholars. Her life is over. Mary had a huge price to pay in order to follow God. But what about Joseph? What would the redemptive purpose of God cost him?

The Scripture says that Joseph was a righteous man and because of that he wanted to divorce her quietly (Matt. 1:18-19). But the Lord sent word and told him to marry her. Wouldn't this tarnish his righteousness in the eyes of others? If Mary has been engaged to Joseph and now she's pregnant, who would they think the father of the baby was? All of a sudden, Joseph is not the fine, upstanding, model young man that everyone thought he was! And if he married her, wouldn't everyone (wouldn't I) think he was a bit of a fool for marrying someone who has apparently been unfaithful to him? Or, folks would think (I would think) that he really was the father. So, Joseph himself had to lose his reputation as a righteous man before others. But, in doing so, he and Mary both demonstrated their righteousness and their faith before God and fulfilled their part in his redemptive plan. Pleasing God and doing His will was more important to them than their own reputations before men.

Whose approval do I want, God or man's? What's more important to me, God's will or my reputation? Jesus made Himself nothing ("of no reputation" in KJV; Phil. 2:5-11) in the sight of men. "Therefore, God also highly exalted Him" (Phil. 2:9).

It's significant to me that the story of Jesus being brought into the world begins by confronting me with the question: Whose approval do I want, God or man's? Perhaps, in order for Jesus to be brought into the world where I live, I must first deal with this issue and answer the question. In truth, the question of whose approval I want is really another question in disguise. The question behind the question is, "Who do I love the most, God or man?" That's always the question.