Week
of 4 Lent - Even
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Book of Worship two-year Daily Lectionary for personal
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Podcast Download: Week of 4 Lent Even
Sunday
4 Lent Even
First posted
03/20/04;
Podcast: Sunday 4 Lent Even
Genesis 48:8-22 -- Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh;
Romans 8:11-25 -- The Spirit and sonship;
John 6:27-40 -- Jesus is the bread of life;
Genesis Summary:
As Jacob (Israel) neared death, Joseph brought his sons, Manasseh
and Ephraim to Joseph to be blessed. Jacob’s eyesight was poor due
to his age, and he could not see them. Joseph brought them near and
he placed Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand, for Manasseh was the
first-born. But Jacob crossed his hands so that his right hand was
on Ephraim and his left hand on Manasseh, and he blessed them.
Joseph was upset that his father had placed his right hand on
Ephraim rather than Manasseh, and he tried to correct Jacob’s
position, but Jacob had deliberately done so, foreseeing that
Ephraim would become a more powerful tribe than Manasseh. Jacob also
foretold that the Joseph’s tribal inheritance would include Shechem
("shoulder of a mountain," v.22) which was an important city, and
near the oak of Moreh, which was where Abraham built an altar
and worshiped the Lord when he first came into the Promised Land.
Romans Summary:
“If the Spirit of him who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells
in you, he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your
mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you” (Romans
8:11). Therefore we are obligated to live according to the Spirit,
rather than according to our flesh. Living according to the flesh
(our selfish human desires) leads to death.
Living according to the Spirit, we will put to death the deeds of
the flesh and we will truly live now and eternally. Those who are
led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit is not
given to frighten and enslave; it is the Spirit of freedom and
sonship. When we cry “Father!” in worship, the Spirit bears witness
within us that we are children of God.
If we are God’s children we are his heirs, and fellow heirs with
Christ, provided that we suffer with Christ so that we may share his
glory. Our present sufferings are insignificant in comparison to the
glory awaiting us in God’s kingdom. All creation awaits the day when
the children of God will be revealed.
The present creation is in bondage to decay and futility, awaiting
the hope of redemption. The present sufferings are like labor-pains
preceding the birth of the new creation of God’s kingdom and the
“delivery” of God’s children. The anointing by the Holy Spirit is
like a “down payment,” a binding deposit securing our future
“adoption” into full membership in the family of God as his sons and
daughters. This is the promise we have received through faith in
Jesus, and we wait for its fulfillment patiently with hope, although
we can’t see it yet.
John Summary:
After Jesus had fed the five thousand (John 6:1-14), the people
sought him, looking for more free food. They were interested in what
Jesus could provide for them physically and materially, but they
were overlooking their spiritual need and the spiritual fulfillment
that only Jesus could provide. Jesus told them not to spend their
lives laboring for physical food, which doesn’t provide lasting
satisfaction, but to seek spiritual “food” which has eternal
benefit. So they asked him what work they should be doing in order
to be doing God’s work.
Jesus replied that God’s work is for us to believe in Jesus, so they
asked Jesus what “work” Jesus would do so that they could see and
believe in him, and they said that Moses had given their ancestors
manna, bread from heaven, in the wilderness to eat. Jesus pointed
out that it wasn’t Moses who gave them bread from heaven; God gives
the true bread from heaven. The true bread from heaven is that which
comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. The people asked
Jesus to give them that bread always.
Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall
not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (John
6:35). Jesus said that they had seen him and yet did not believe.
(They were of the five thousand whom Jesus had fed.) Only God can
draw us to Jesus, and Jesus will receive all who come to him. Jesus
had come to do God’s will, and it is God’s will that none who come
to Jesus should be lost. It is God’s will that all who believe in
Jesus and come to a personal relationship with him receive eternal
life, and Jesus promises to raise them to eternal life at the Day of
Judgment.
Commentary:
Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, not according to their worldly
status or birth order (the circumstances of their flesh) but
according to God’s will. They were adopted as Jacob’s own sons
(Genesis 48:5-6), and were heirs to the promise of God (first made
to Abraham; Genesis 12:1-3) to become a great nation with an eternal
land. Their inheritance included the spiritual heritage of Abraham:
the oak of Moreh (the site of Abraham's first altar to the Lord in
the Promised Land).
God has adopted believers as his children. He has anointed believers
with his Holy Spirit as a sign of that adoption and as surety that
we are heirs to the promise God made to Abraham. We are citizens of
his eternal kingdom and heirs to the Promised Land of Heaven. We
must be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit, rather than by our
selfish human nature. We can know with certainty if we have been
filled with the Holy Spirit (See also Acts 19:2). Jesus said,
“He who has my commands and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and
he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and
manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).
Inheritance of eternal life in God’s eternal kingdom is only through
Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to
God except by Jesus (John 14:6) Jesus is the bread of life that came
down from heaven to give us eternal life. Jesus is God’s only
provision for our salvation (Acts 4:12). Salvation is by grace
(unmerited favor; free gift) through faith; not by “works” (good
deeds; Ephesians 2:8-10).
Jesus told the crowds that the work of God was to believe in Jesus.
Believing in Jesus is what we must do to please God and be restored
to fellowship with him; but faith is really the work that God does
in us, that only God can do, if we will allow him. God wants us to
be saved; he wants to draw us to him. If we will allow ourselves to
be drawn, Jesus promises to accept us and keep us secure unto
eternal life.
Do you know Jesus? Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)?
Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit
since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples
of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands
(Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend
eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Monday
4 Lent Even
First posted
03/31/14;
Podcast: Monday 4 Lent Even
Genesis 49:1-28 -- Jacob blesses his sons;
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 -- Food offered to idols;
Mark 7:24-37 -- The Syrophoenician woman;
Genesis Paraphrase:
As Jacob (Israel) drew near to death, he called his sons together to
give them his final blessing in the form of an oracle, ascribing to
the tribes the attributes of their patriarchs. Reuben, first born of
Jacob's physical strength, when Jacob was pre-emenent in pride and
power, would not be pre-eminent, because he had moral weakness and
instability (he had slept with his father's concubine; Genesis
35:22, as an example of the character the tribe of Reuben).
Simeon and Levi were brothers (they combined to lead the attack
against Scechem), sharing violence, anger and cruelty, would be
divided. (The Tribe of Levi would become the priestly tribe, and
Simeon would be absorbed into the tribe of Judah).
Judah would have power over his enemies; his brothers would praise
and bow to him. He would be the son of a lion, He is crouched like a
lion, and who would dare to disturb him? "The scepter shall not
depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs (or "until Shiloh comes," or
"until he comes to Shiloh;" RSV note "y"), and to him shall be the
obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine and his ass's
colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine, and his
robe in the blood of grapes;" (Genesis 49:10-11).
Zebulun will settle on the coast stretching as far north as Sidon
(assuming expansion into Asher's territory). Issachar, though
strong, chose a pleasant resting place, and became a slave in forced
labor (subservient to the Canaanites)
Dan will [get justice for] his people and will gain tribal prestige.
The "snake in the way" refers to the struggle of the small tribe to
rise to power.
Gad (east of the Jordan on the border with Ammonites) will be
raided; but will raid back.
Asher's land will be so fertile that it will produce rich food for
kings.
Naphtali is compared to a deer set loose (freedom; agility;
vitality).
The tribe of Joseph would be fruitful and "his branches would run
over the wall (The tribe of Joseph became the tribes of Manassa and
Ephriam). Although attacked, they would skillfully defend, by the
help of the "Mighty One" of Jacob "(by the name of the Shepherd, the
Rock of Israel)" (Genesis49:24d), by Almighty God, who blesses
Joseph with all the blessings of heaven and earth. "The blessings of
your father" (Jacob; and by extension "the God of your father,"
Genesis 49:26a) are mighty and eternal, beyond the blessings of this
world. Joseph would be set apart by prestige and position above his
brothers.
Benjamin would be like a ravenous wolf, eating prey in the morning,
and bringing home prey in the evening.
This is the list of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the blessings
given each by Jacob.
Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul urges the Corinthian (and all) Christians, who are beloved, to
flee from idolatry, believing that they are smart enough to
appreciate the truth Paul is conveying. The cup of blessing
(originally the fourth cup of wine at a Passover Seder;* the cup
which Jesus took when establishing the New Covenant (Testament):
Matthew 26:26-28) is "the communion of the blood of Christ" (1
Corinthians 10:16a). The bread which was broken is communion with
the body of Christ (Matthew 26:26; John 6:51, 54-56). All who
partake of that one bread (loaf) [in faith; obedient trust in
Jesus] are one bread (loaf) and one body.
Consider the [pagan] practice in Israel [at the time]. Those who
participated in pagan sacrifices were participants in pagan worship.
Paul does not imply that idols or food offered to them is nothing,
because there are demons behind them. One cannot participate in the
cup of the Lord and also in the cup of demons. Paul does not want
believers to be partners with the demonic. One cannot partake of the
Lord's table and also the table of demons. Do we want to provoke the
Lord to jealousy. Remember that he is mightier than we are.
All things are lawful (to believers, who are no longer under the Law
of Moses, but under the Holy Spirit; Romans 8:1-8), but not all
things are helpful. All things are lawful but not all things build
up" (1 Corinthians 10:23). One should seek what is good for his
neighbor, rather than his own self-interest. Whatever is available
in the market is alright to eat, without question of conscience,
because the earth and all that is in it belongs to the Lord.
If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you accept, eat whatever
they provide without objection on the grounds of conscience. (But if
the host announces that the food has been offered to idols one
should abstain for the sake of the host's conscience, not yours).
Why should my freedom be restrained by another's moral reservations.
As long as we partake with thanksgiving, why should we be denounced
for that which we are giving thanks?
So whether we eat or drink, or abstain, in everything, do all to
glorify God. Make every effort not to offend anyone, Jew, or Greek,
or the Church of God. Follow Paul's example of trying to please all
people in every thing he did. He surrendered his own advantage, to
the advantage of others, that they might be saved. We should emulate
Paul as Paul emulated Christ.
Mark Paraphrase:
From (Gennessaret; a.k.a. Chinnereth; on the northwest shore of the
Sea of Galilee; a.k.a. Lake Chinnereth), Jesus went to the region of
Tyre and Sidon (Phonecian -Gentile- cities on the coast of the
Mediterranean Sea). Jesus hoped to remain incognito, but he was
unable to conceal his presence. At once, a Syrophoenician (Greek; a
Gentile, living in the Phoenician portion of the Roman
Province of Syria) woman with a daughter who was possessed by an
unclean spirit (demon), heard about Jesus' location, and came and
knelt at his feet. She implored Jesus to cast the demon out of her
daughter. Jesus told her to let the children (Israel) be fed first;
it wouldn't be right to throw their food to the dogs (Gentiles). But
the woman replied that even dogs eat crumbs from the children's
table. Jesus commended her response (her faith), and told her to go
on with her daily routine; the demon had been cast out of the
daughter. The woman went home and found the child in bed, and the
demon gone.
Jesus returned from Tyre and Sidon to the Sea of Galilee to the
region of the Decapolis (a region of a federation of ten cities on
the southeastern shore and south of the Sea of Galilee). A deaf man
with a speech impediment was brought (by a small group) to Jesus,
who asked Jesus to lay his hand upon the deaf man. Jesus took the
man aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into the
man's ears, and spat and touched the man's tongue. Then Jesus looked
up to heaven and, sighing, said "Ephaphatha" (Aramaic; Jesus' actual
word) meaning "be opened." Immediately the man's hearing and speech
were restored.
Jesus told them (the man and his friends) to tell no one, but the
more he commanded them, the more vigorously they proclaimed the
healing. They were completely astonished and said of Jesus,"He has
done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the
[mute] speak" (Mark 7:37).
Genesis Commentary:
The text of Jacob's blessing of his sons, the heads of the Twelve
Tribes, is an oracle (divine revelation), and each son's blessing is
summarized above, with explanation. Judah's blessing is clearly
Messianic prophecy. Jesus is the fulfillment of the oracle about
Judah. Jesus has ultimate power over his enemies, and the people of
his family (Christians) will bow to him and praise him.
Jesus is like a crouched lion. Wise people would not dare to disturb
him, and yet there are many people in the world today who do just
that, openly ridiculing and disobeying him, and using his name as a
curse.
The scepter is the kingship of David (of the tribe of Judah; born in
Bethlehem of Judea; i.e. of the tribal territory of Judah) which the
Lord promised (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29) would not depart
from the house of David. The ultimate, eternal king, the Messiah
(Christ; both words mean [God's] "anointed" [king]) is the "Son of
David" (his descendant, and the rightful heir to the throne of
David). Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-6). The Wise Men
came seeking the one who had been born "King of the Jews" (v.2).
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on the beginning of what the Church
calls Holy Week (the week preceding Jesus' Crucifixion). he was
hailed by the people as the "Son of David" (Matthew 21:9; 15b). It
was customary to place a sign indicating the offense for which the
condemned had been crucified. At Jesus' Crucifixion, Pilate ordered
a sign over Jesus stating "This is the King of the Jews" (Matthew
27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19-22).
Shiloh is generally considered to denote the Messiah.** The name
means "the peaceful one." Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
All people will be obedient to Jesus. In this age we are free to
choose for ourselves whether to obey Jesus or not. Obedient trust is
the definition of "faith." At Jesus' Second Coming, free choice will
end; we will have no choice but to obey (Philippians 2:10-11).
The "foal" and the "ass's colt" foretell Jesus' triumphal entry into
Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week, preceding his Crucifixion.
The reference to "vine," "wine," and "blood of grapes" foretells the
establishment of the New Covenant at the Last Supper (Matthew
26:26-28; which becomes Holy Communion; Eucharist), where Jesus
declared that the cup of wine is Jesus' blood, and where Jesus'
blood, from his sacrificial death on the Cross, cleanses us from all
unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
The Old Covenant of Law was sealed with the sprinkling of blood
(Exodus 24:7-8). In the Old Testament, God taught the people that
there had to be blood-sacrifice for forgiveness of sin; without the
shedding of blood there was no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). The
animal was killed, certain parts were burned, and the rest was
consumed as a feast in the sacrifice ritual. Jesus became the
blood-sacrifice of the New Covenant of Grace, and Holy Communion
(the Lord's Supper; Eucharist) is the feast the sacrifice made
possible, a foretaste of the Feast believers will share with the
Lord in Heaven (Matthew 26:29).
1 Corinthians Commentary:
The Corinthian congregation, which Paul had founded, had fallen into
certain false teachings and faulty practices concerning the
celebration of Communion. Paul's first letter to them was intended
to correct these and other problems in the congregation.
The pagans in Corinth at the time practiced worship of idols similar
to the way Israel had worshiped in Old Testament times, with animal
sacrifices and feasting. Some of the meat sacrificed in pagan
worship was then sold in the meat markets. Paul warned the
Corinthians that one cannot participate in pagan worship and also in
Christian worship, including the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion;
Eucharist).
The Corinthians were tending to be too free in their sense of
Christian freedom (Romans 8:1-8; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:12-13; 8:1-13;
11:17-22). Some in the congregation thought that it was alright to
go to pagan feasts, because idols were merely the work of men's
hands and imagination. But Paul warned that there are demons behind
the idols.
Some were saying that anything was acceptable, since believers are
no longer under the Law of Moses. Rather than indulging one's own
appetites, a Christian should put the well-being of his neighbor
ahead of his own.
Some were criticizing others for eating meat sacrificed to idols.
Paul's point is that if partaken with thanksgiving to God, neither
eating or abstaining will commend us or condemn us to God. This had
relevance in the Corinthian culture of the time, and it has
relevance in our cultures today, as when someone chooses to be
vegetarian on religious grounds, or not.
Paul also makes the point that one cannot rightly participate in
Holy Communion, without having surrendered all other areas of his
life to Jesus' lordship. One cannot live like the pagan culture
around us all week and then come to Communion on Sunday morning,
without bringing condemnation upon oneself (1 Corinthians 11:29).
Mark Commentary:
The blessings of the Lord's Table, (Holy Communion) are freely
available to all who partake in faith in Jesus as the Christ
(Messiah), who died on the Cross so that we might be forgiven and
restored to fellowship with God which was broken by sin
(disobedience of God's Word; unbelief). In the past, some Church
Denominations have refused participation in Holy Communion to those
who were not of the same Denomination or congregation. This practice
is changing. Many parts of the Church are allowing communicants to
decide for themselves if they are worthy of receiving Communion.
I don't argue that there should be no regulation of Communion
practice at all. It would be highly advisable for a new prospective
communicant to inquire about the congregation's communion practice
beforehand, if only to avoid personal embarrassment. If the
congregation would like the candidate to receive instruction first
one, should be willing to do so.
Jesus' physical healing miracles were intended to demonstrate who he
is, and that he can, more importantly, heal spiritually. I
personally testify that he opened my spiritual hearing and gave me a
spiritual voice when I had been spiritually mute! This 'blog is one
of many examples!
One must realize that one has a spiritual problem in order to be
healed. The Syrophoenician woman realized that her daughter had a
spiritual problem, represented by demon-possession. She came to
Jesus and begged him to heal her daughter. She was not put off by
the fact that she wasn't one of God's chosen people. She believed
that Jesus was Lord (Mark 7:28), and could and would help her
anyway. As a result of her faith, demonstrated by her actions, her
daughter was healed..
Without a personal relationship with Jesus through the indwelling
Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives, (John 1:31-34), only to his
disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17), we are all
spiritually terminally ill! Do we have the faith (obedient trust) in
Jesus to come to him, accept him as our Lord and Savior, and ask him
to heal us?
The Lord's Table has been prepared for us! Are we willing to confess
our sins, accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and come and receive
forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation at the Lord's
Table? Do we come, believing that the elements of bread and wine in
Communion are the body of Jesus, broken on the Cross for our
forgiveness, and the wine is the blood of Jesus, shed on the Cross
for our salvation, to seal the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited
favor with God), to be received by faith (in Jesus; Ephesians
2:8-9)?
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus'
disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John
14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first
truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ
and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew
28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity
(1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder#The_Four_Cups
** Online:
"Shiloh," HTML Bible Tools, Easton's Bible Dictionary
Or see: Free Digital Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right.
Tuesday 4 Lent Even
First posted 03/22/04;
Podcast: Tuesday 4 Lent Even
Genesis 49:29-50:14 -- The Death of Jacob;
1 Corinthians 11:2-34 -- Worship and Lord’s Supper;
Mark 8:1-10 -- Feeding the four thousand;
Genesis Summary:
On his deathbed, Jacob instructed his sons to have him buried in the family tomb in Machpelah, east of Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial place, where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob’s wife Leah were buried. Then Jacob died and Joseph had the Egyptian embalmers embalm Jacob, a process which took forty days. Then there was a period of mourning for seventy days, after which Joseph received permission to take his father’s body to Machpelah for burial, and all the Hebrews went, and a great number of Egyptians.
When they came near to Machpelah they camped for seven days of mourning at a place known as the threshing floor of Atad (exact location unknown). The Canaanites were impressed with the great mourning of the Egyptians, and they renamed the place Abel-mizraim, which means meadow (or mourning) of Egypt. Then Joseph took Jacob’s body and buried it in the cave at Machpelah, and the entire group returned to Egypt.
1 Corinthians Summary:
Paul taught that women were to be subordinate to men, as men were subordinate to Christ. Paul criticized the Corinthian church for allowing the spiritual meaning of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, which in the early days of the Church included a communal meal, to be overlooked and the event become an occasion for socializing and gluttony. He also criticized them for allowing divisions (factions, cliques, social classes) to arise among them. Paul reminded them of the words of Jesus when he instituted the Sacrament (Matthew 26:26-29: Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20).
It is Christ’s body broken and dying for us on the cross which is commemorated. It is Jesus’ blood, shed as a sacrificial offering for our sin which we receive. Every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we are proclaiming the Gospel. Paul said that anyone who partakes of the Sacrament in an unworthy manner profanes the body and blood of the Lord.
We should examine ourselves, so that we do not partake of the Sacrament in an unworthy manner, for one who does so eats and drinks condemnation upon himself. If we examine ourselves truly we will not come under God’s condemnation; when we are disciplined by God, it is so that we will not be condemned along with the world. So in the celebration of the Sacrament, we should be considerate of all fellow believers and restrain our selfish human nature.
Mark Summary:
Jesus had been teaching a large crowd of about four thousand in an isolated wilderness area over a period of three days. Jesus was concerned that without something to eat many might not have the strength to return to their homes, since some had come from great distances. His disciples could not see how they could feed so many people in the wilderness.
Jesus asked his disciples how much bread was at hand, and they rounded up seven loaves. Jesus had the people sit down, and he took the bread, and after a prayer of thanksgiving, broke it into pieces and gave them to his disciples to set before the crowd. There were also several small fish, and he blessed and broke them and had them distributed also. The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples collected seven baskets of “left-overs” (see also Matthew 15:32-39).
Commentary:
It is well-known that the Egyptians placed great emphasis on funeral practices. They tried to obtain eternal life by trying to preserve the earthly body (and they tried to provide for their needs in the afterlife by elaborate tombs containing their worldly possessions). Since Joseph had risen to Pharaoh’s subordinate, the Egyptians commemorated Jacob’s death in a big way.
For the Hebrews, Jacob was an important patriarch: The grandson of Abraham, and the father of the twelve tribes. He was renamed “Israel” by the Lord (Genesis 32:27-28), which became the name of the nation of his descendents. When Jacob’s funeral was celebrated it was noted by the Canaanites. Joseph was a “local boy” who had become so important that the nation of Egypt mourned his father’s death with the ceremony comparable to that of a Pharaoh.
In the Sacrament of Holy Communion, believers are commemorating not just the life of a great “man” who has died. We’re commemorating and proclaiming the Good News of salvation and eternal life through the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, who rose from the dead on the third day. This fact that was attested to by over five hundred eye-witnesses, as well as by every truly “born-again Christian” since Paul encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts Chapter 9; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
Under Jewish law there was no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22) Covenants had to be confirmed by sprinkling with blood. The Old Covenant of Law was ratified by blood (Exodus 24:8). The New Covenant of grace through faith in Jesus Christ was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper (1 Corinthians 11:25).
Drinking the blood of animals was specifically forbidden when God first allowed animals to be consumed for food (Genesis 9:4) because it was believed that the life-force (spirit) was in the blood. The injunction was renewed in the decree by the disciples at the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:29). God wants the Holy Spirit to dwell in us through the blood of Jesus.
Jesus said that unless one eats his flesh and drinks his blood he does not have eternal life (John 6:53-56). Only through the blood of Jesus are our sins forgiven, so that we can be restored to eternal life and fellowship with God, now in the Holy Spirit, and eventually in Heaven.
The Spirit of Jesus is present at the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and within the elements of bread and wine (or grape juice. For me, wine is more symbolic of the Holy Spirit’s presence, but I recognize that there are sometimes practical reasons for using grape juice instead, and that juice is no less legitimate and efficacious.)
Jesus is the host who provides the elements, and our High Priest, who offers thanksgiving for and blessing upon the elements in our behalf. It is a moment of restoration and nourishment in personal fellowship with our Lord. It is a supernatural act where the Lord takes a small amount of earthly elements and through his blessing they are multiplied to overflowing abundance to us. The image of Jesus feeding the multitude is present in the Lord’s Supper, and it is an image of the fellowship we will have with our Lord in the Kingdom of God.
Have you been cleansed by the blood of Jesus? (1 John 1:7). Have you been filled with his Spirit? Receiving Communion is not “magic;” not just anyone who partakes can possess its benefits. Receiving the Sacrament is not what saves us. Anyone who partakes of the Sacrament without faith in Jesus is eating and drinking God’s condemnation upon himself (1 Corinthians 11:29) One must have received Jesus as his Lord, by faith, in order to receive the benefits. Only a personal relationship with Jesus by faith will save us from eternal death and destruction.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
*There is a lot of rich significance to be discovered in an examination of the Lord’s Supper in relationship to the celebration of Passover.
**Also worthy of further study is “Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry; Faith and Order Paper No.111”, World Council of Churches, Geneva, 1982, ISBN2-8254-0709-7
Wednesday 4 Lent Even
First posted 03/23/04;
Podcast: Wednesday 4 Lent Even
Genesis 50:15-26 -- Death of Joseph;
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Spiritual gifts;
Mark 8:11-26 -- Leaven of the Pharisees;
Genesis Summary:
When Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers worried that Joseph might repay them for the evil that they had done Joseph in selling him into slavery in Egypt. So they told Joseph that their father had asked, on his deathbed, that Joseph forgive his brothers their transgressions against Joseph.
Joseph wept when he heard them, and they also came and fell down before him and pledged that they were his servants. Joseph said, “Fear not, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones” (Genesis 50:19-21).
Joseph and the entire clan of Jacob lived in Egypt. Joseph lived to be one hundred and ten years old. As death approached, Joseph told his brothers that God would bring them back to the Promised Land, and that they were to embalm Joseph and carry his embalmed remains back to Canaan with them.
1 Corinthians Summary:
Emotionalism and ecstasy are not proof of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Pagans can experience emotion and ecstasy in their worship of idols and demons. But no one moved by the Holy Spirit can speak evil of Jesus, and only by the Holy Spirit can anyone truly acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
There are various spiritual gifts, but there is only one Holy Spirit, just as there are varieties of Christian service, but only one Lord, and as God works in various ways but is the one God who accomplishes them. Each believer receives a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good. The various gifts of the Spirit are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, spiritual “discernment,” speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues. All these gifts are apportioned by the one Holy Spirit individually as he wills.
Mark Summary:
After Jesus had fed the four thousand, the Pharisees had come to Jesus to test him, seeking a sign from heaven, but Jesus told them that that their desire for a sign was futile; that no sign would be given them. Jesus got into a boat and crossed the Sea of Galilee with his disciples.
The disciples had only one loaf of bread in the boat with them because they had forgotten to bring more. Jesus was telling them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod (or the Herodians). The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus would be warning them about too much leaven, when they were thinking they didn’t have enough bread.
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and asked them why they were worried about their shortage of bread. Jesus reminded them of the feedings of the five thousand and of the four thousand, and the amount of food left over. How then could they be so preoccupied with physical bread?
Commentary:
Joseph’s brothers had good reason to be worried. Now that Joseph had come into power as the most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh, and now that he was no longer restrained by consideration for their father, Joseph had the authority and every reason to punish them for what they had done to him, in plotting to kill him and selling him into slavery in Egypt. They begged Joseph to forgive them, and they threw themselves down at his feet and pledged to be his servants.
Joseph acknowledged their guilt and sin, but he forgave them because he recognized and submitted to God’s plan to save many people. Joseph told his brothers to trust in God’s promise to bring them back to the Promised Land, and Joseph believed that God would do what he had promised, even though Joseph would die in Egypt.
This is a picture of what God has done for us in Jesus. We have all sinned (disobeyed God's Word) and have fallen short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is our “Joseph”, who is now in authority as God’s “Governor” of the Universe. We have all sinned against him. We are all guilty of crucifying Jesus, because we’ve all sinned and made it necessary for him to die on the Cross as a sacrifice for our sins.
If we confess our sins and fall at his feet and submit to him as our Lord, he will forgive all our sins and provide eternally for us (see 1 John 1:9-10). He promises that he will bring us into the eternal kingdom of God in Heaven, even through physical death. God’s intention is that we might be saved. That’s why he sent Jesus to die for us. Now is the time to ask Jesus to forgive us and be our Lord. The day is coming when it will be too late.
Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, unless one is born anew (or ‘born again’), one cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). “Enthusiasm,” emotionalism, and ecstatic displays are not proof of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The individual believer can know with certainty the infilling of the Holy Spirit as certainly as Paul experienced the Spirit of the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).
In Acts 19:2, Paul encountered some Christians and Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit when (or since) they had believed. They hadn’t heard that there even was a Holy Spirit. The point is that the Holy Spirit is a person who can be experienced. It is a personal relationship with the risen Lord Jesus.
I believe, and my own personal experience bears out, that the promise of the Holy Spirit is given at baptism, but that the infilling does not take place until the individual believer makes the settled commitment to trust in Jesus and walk in obedience to Jesus. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who walk in it (Isaiah 42:5e). The validation of the anointing by the Spirit is the words and deeds that result.
The Pharisees came to Jesus seeking a sign (a miracle; proof) from heaven to convince them that he was the Christ. There were signs all around them, but they hadn’t recognized them.
When Jesus had told Nicodemus that one must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God, he meant that in more than one way. First, the kingdom of God is all around us, but it takes spiritual rebirth through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit for one to see it. Next, in order to see the kingdom of God in eternity, we must be spiritually reborn by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit now, in this present world.
For those who need to see a miracle as proof of Jesus in order to believe in him, there is NO proof. But for those who trust in Jesus, there is abundant confirmation of his reality and truth. If there was “proof,” faith would be unnecessary, and we would no longer be free to choose whether or not to believe in Jesus. Jesus’ disciples did not understand the spiritual significance of what their Lord was trying to tell them because they were focused on worldly concerns. They had the Lord of Bread in their boat with them, and they were worried about how to provide for their next meal.
Have you confessed your sins to Jesus and asked him to save you and be your Lord? Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Are you walking in the Holy Spirit? Do you know for certain that the Lord of Heaven and Earth is in your "boat" with you?
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Thursday 4 Lent Even
First posted 03/24/04;
Podcast: Thursday 4 Lent Even
Exodus 1:6-22 -- Israel’s bondage in Egypt;
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 -- The Church and its members;
Mark 8:27-9:1 -- Peter’s confession; Discipleship;
Exodus Summary:
After Joseph and all his brothers and that generation had died another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He was afraid of the Hebrews, because they had multiplied and had become numerous. The new king drafted them into forced labor in heavy construction. But the more the Hebrews were oppressed, the more God blessed and prospered them, and they spread, so that the Egyptians were more fearful of them.
The Egyptians responded by treating them brutally. Pharaoh also commanded the Egyptian midwives to kill the male infants of the Hebrews in childbirth, but the midwives avoided doing so by claiming that the Hebrew women were vigorous and gave birth before the midwives arrived. Then Pharaoh commanded the Egyptian people to cast every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but to spare the Hebrew daughters.
1 Corinthians Summary:
Paul compared the Church and its members to a human body. Although made up of different parts, it is united in Christ by the one Holy Spirit. The church is made up of individuals having different gifts, each necessary to the functioning of the whole, distributed and arranged according to God’s will. The body needs each member and each member needs to be attached to the body in order to function correctly.
Church members should be in harmony with one another, as are the members of the physical body, where members which seem to be weaker perform essential functions, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater honor. Likewise God has adjusted the body of the Church so that there may be no discord within the body. One member’s suffering is shared by all, and when one is honored, all rejoice together.
Mark Summary:
On the way to Caesarea, Jesus asked his disciples who people were saying that Jesus was. They replied that some said he was John the Baptizer (raised from the dead, after Herod had beheaded him); others thought Jesus was Elijah (who was expected to return before the coming of Messiah); others thought Jesus was one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked his disciples, “‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ’”(Mark 8:29).
Jesus began to tell his disciples that he would suffer and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes and be killed, and that after three days he would rise again. Peter rebuked Jesus, but Jesus rebuked Peter for not accepting God’s will and plan.
Jesus called the multitude that was accompanying them together with the disciples and began to teach them about the demands of discipleship. Jesus said that his disciples must be willing to give up their self-interests and take up and carry their own cross (of suffering) and follow Jesus. Those who are unwilling to sacrifice their life for Jesus will ultimately lose it, but those who willingly give up their life for the Gospel will save it.
“For what does it profit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life (or “soul”)? For what can a person give in return for his life (or “soul”)?” (Mark 8:36-37). “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). Jesus told his hearers that some would not die before they saw the Kingdom of God coming with power.
Commentary:
Christians shouldn’t expect to be popular in this world. The rulers of this world, and worldly people who are pursuing their own self-interests, are bound to feel threatened by God’s people. Those who are “worldly” are trying to achieve their own version of "immortality" by getting as much as they can in this world.
God’s people will suffer for their faith at the hands of the “worldly,” but God is able to prosper them in spite of persecution (and will ultimately deliver them). Those who stake their lives on this present world order will unexpectedly discover that Jesus has returned for his disciples [like Joseph and his brothers and their generation passed away (Exodus 1:6,8; see also Matthew 24:37-44)], and they are left enslaved and tormented by the Pharaoh of this world, Satan, who does not acknowledge "Joseph" (who symbolizes Christ).
Christian brethren must not continue to practice worldly ways in the Church, but instead learn to be disciples of Jesus. Sadly, in many churches, discipleship is being completely ignored, and the results are obvious. Many churches are pursuing a program of making “members” (“fair-weather friends”) instead of disciples; people who will come to church now and then, if the church is air-conditioned, the seats are padded, the sermons short and entertaining, as long as they can live like everybody else for the rest of the week. Many churches pursue a program of building buildings, instead of making disciples. Note that the Great Commission was given to “disciples” to go into all the world and “make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Peter was a disciple-in-training. He was convinced that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, but he had not yet fully understood God’s will and committed to doing God’s will even when it didn’t coincide with his own desires and expectations. He also had not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-38).
Jesus taught his disciples that they must be willing to follow him even when it wasn’t easy or comfortable. They needed to proclaim the Gospel even when it wasn’t popular or safe to do so. They must be willing to give up the temporary, illusory, gratifications of this world in order to obtain the true and lasting rewards of eternal life with Jesus in the kingdom of God.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Friday 4 Lent Even
First posted 03/25/04;
Podcast: Friday 4 Lent Even
Exodus 2:1-22 -- Moses’ Birth and early life;
1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3 -- Ministries;
Mark 9:2-13 -- Transfiguration;
Exodus Summary:
Pharaoh had commanded male Hebrew infants to be cast into the Nile because the Egyptians felt threatened by the multiplication of the Hebrews in Egypt (see journal entry for yesterday). Moses was born to a man and woman of the tribe of Levi. The mother hid him for three months, and then she placed him in a waterproofed basket and placed him in the bulrushes at the edge of the river. She had his sister (Miriam; Numbers 26:59) stood nearby to see what would happen.
The infant was found by Pharaoh’s daughter when she came down to the river to bathe. Pharaoh’s daughter took pity on the infant. Miriam came forward and suggested that she could find a nurse for the child, and Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, so Miriam went and called the mother, who raised him until he was weaned. Then she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son and she named him Moses.
When Moses had grown up he empathized with his own Hebrew people, although he had been raised in Pharaoh’s house. One day he encountered an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, and since there was no one else around, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. Later Moses attempted to mediate in a dispute between two Hebrews, but his intervention was rejected.
One of the Hebrews knew that Moses had murdered the Egyptian, so Moses was forced to flee into the wilderness of Midian. He was resting at a well when the daughters of Jethro (Hobab), priest of Midian, came to water the flocks, and Moses assisted them. When Jethro learned of Moses' assistance of his daughters at the well, he invited Moses to stay with them, and eventually Moses married Jethro’s daughter Zipporah.
1 Corinthians Summary:
Believers are collectively the body of Christ and individually members of it. There are various vocations within the church (corresponding to the various gifts given by the Holy Spirit; see 1 Corinthians 12:3-11). Listed in hierarchy of importance, first, apostles, then prophets, teachers, miracle-workers, healers, helpers (deacons), administrators (bishops), then speakers (and interpreters) of tongues.
Not all are apostles, or of just one category or gift, but are encouraged to seek the higher gifts from the Holy Spirit. Regardless of our gifts and roles in the Church, the greatest gift and role is Christian love. Without Christian love, the other spiritual gifts are ineffective.
Mark Summary:
Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain by themselves, where Jesus was transfigured before them. His disciples had a glimpse of Jesus in his Heavenly glory, talking with Moses and Elijah. Peter suggested that the disciples build three booths, one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Peter didn’t know what to say; the disciples were very frightened. A cloud overshadowed them, and they heard a voice from the cloud say, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him” Mark 9:7 RSV). Then suddenly they no longer saw Moses or Elijah, but only Jesus.
As they came down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone about this experience until the Son of man had risen from the dead. They didn’t understand the connection of the concept of rising from the dead with the Son of man.
They asked Jesus why Elijah was to come before the Messiah, and Jesus replied that Elijah was to come “to restore all things” (Mark 9:12a; i.e. to call the people to return to God in faith; to prepare them for the coming Messiah). Jesus also pointed out that the scriptures prophesied that the Son of man would suffer and be treated with contempt. Jesus declared that John the Baptizer had fulfilled the role of the coming of Elijah (Matthew 11:14; Luke 1:17, 76), and had received the same treatment that Elijah would have suffered, and which the Christ would receive.
Commentary:
Moses was raised in privilege and comfort as an Egyptian prince, but he identified with and cared for his Hebrew people. He came out of his palace and risked his life to save his people (Exodus 2:11-12), but they despised and rejected him and threatened to kill him (Exodus 2:13-15a), so that Moses was driven away into the wilderness for many years (Exodus 2:15b-22).
Moses is an illustration of the Messiah. That’s what Jesus has done for the world. He left his heavenly home to come among us because he cares about us and wants to deliver us from the oppression and bondage of sin. We have all rejected him; we’ve all been unwilling to accept his authority over us. We’re all responsible for his death on the Cross, because we’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10) and made his Crucifixion necessary. The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23) Jesus died on the Cross as a sacrificial offering for our sins, so that we could be forgiven and not have to die for our sins ourselves (John 3:16-18). Jesus' ascension into heaven after his resurrection corresponds to Moses' exile in the land of Midian.
Although Jesus ascended into heaven he is still present and active in the world through the Holy Spirit. Believers who trust and obey Jesus are “born-again” through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who empowers them with gifts and ministries. Don’t forget to seek the first gift of the Spirit, which is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit himself.
We are called to be Jesus’ disciples; to experience the “transfigured,” resurrected Jesus. Paul is our model; the prototype of the new, post-resurrection disciple. Paul did not encounter Jesus during Jesus’ earthly life. Paul first encountered the “transfigured” Lord on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Paul repented of his sins, became obedient to Jesus as his Lord, and was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Have you seen Jesus? Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Saturday 4 Lent Even
First posted 03/26/04;
Podcast: Saturday 4 Lent Even
Exodus 2:23-3:15 -- The call of Moses;
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- The way of love;
Mark 9:14-29 -- Epileptic child healed;
Exodus Summary:
The king of Egypt died, and a new Pharaoh reigned, but conditions did not improve for the Hebrew people. They cried out to God under their oppression, and God heard their cry. God knew their burdens and their sufferings, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro in Midian and came to Mount Horeb (Sinai) the mountain of God. Moses saw a bush burning with fire, yet without being consumed by the fire.
Moses went to see it more closely, and God spoke to him out of the burning bush. God told him to take off his shoes, for the ground on which he stood was holy. God identified himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. God told Moses that he had seen the plight of his people at the hands of the Egyptians, and had come to deliver them and to bring them out of Egypt to their own land, which “flowed with milk and honey.”
God told Moses that Moses was to go to Pharaoh and bring the Hebrew people out of Egypt. Moses asked “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). But God promised to be with Moses, and told him that when Moses had led the people out, they would worship God on this mountain.
Moses asked God for his name, so that he could tell the people who had sent him. God said “I AM who I AM” and told Moses to say “I AM has sent me…’ (Exodus 3:14). God also told Moses that he was to be remembered as the Lord (YHWH; “Yahweh;” “He causes to be”), “the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:15).
1 Corinthians Sumary:
If one speaks in the tongues of men and angels (the spiritual gift of tongues) but has not love, the result is irritating noise, rather than being spiritually uplifting and enlightening. The greatest prophetic powers, spiritual enlightenment, and faith (more spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12) are all ineffective without love. The greatest sacrifice and martyrdom count for nothing if done for self-aggrandizement, for example, instead of love. Love is patient, kind; not jealous, boastful, arrogant or rude; not selfish, irritable or resentful. Love does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in what is right. Love bears, believes, hopes and endures all things.
Love is eternal. Tongues, knowledge, prophesy (the spiritual gifts) will all pass away, because we are not yet perfected. Spiritually we are like children; our spiritual ways are not fully mature. We won’t be fully mature until we enter Heaven. Now we have only partial understanding; now we see only a dim reflection. In Heaven we will attain the perfection of understanding, and we can take comfort in knowing that God has that kind of perfect understanding of us now. Faith, hope and love are eternal, but the greatest eternal value of all is love.
Mark Summary:
When Jesus, Peter, James and John returned from the mountain of transfiguration, they found the rest of the disciples involved in an argument over an unsuccessful attempt to heal an epileptic boy. Jesus had them bring the boy to him, and the boy fell down and began convulsing. Jesus asked, and the boy’s father told him the boy had had the condition from childhood.
The boy’s father asked Jesus to help him “if” Jesus could. Jesus replied that Jesus’ help depended on the man’s faith. Nothing is impossible to him who believes in Jesus. Immediately the father said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Seeing the crowd, Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to leave the boy. The boy convulsed and became so still that the crowd thought he had died, but Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him and the boy stood up.
When the disciples were alone with Jesus they asked why they hadn’t been able to heal the boy, and Jesus told them that this kind of sickness can be healed only by prayer.
Commentary:
Moses was living the life of a simple shepherd in the wilderness, when God called him to speak God’s Word to Pharaoh and lead God’s people out of bondage and oppression in Egypt into the Promised Land. Moses didn’t think he was qualified, but God promised to be with him. All that Moses needed to do was to trust and obey the Lord; the Lord would do the rest. The Lord is the God who is; eternally existent; the God who causes all things to be. Moses is an illustration of the Christ; the shepherd who comes to lead his people out of bondage to sin in the Egypt of this present world order to the eternal Promised Land of the kingdom of God in Heaven.
Paul was correcting the Corinthian church. The members were making social divisions among the membership in part on the basis of spiritual gifts. Since all the spiritual gifts are given and empowered by the Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ which is the Church, how can believers take credit for the ability and make divisions within the church based on them. Their behavior indicated their lack of spiritual maturity and Christian love.
The greatest spiritual gift and the greatest eternal value is Christian love. It is not the ordinary human love, but a love which is only possible through the transforming power of the indwelling Spirit of Jesus. Sadly, there are still divisions within the body of Christ based on distinctions about spiritual gifts.
Nothing is impossible for Jesus! The issue is whether we trust and obey Jesus. If we believe in him and allow him to lead and direct us, he will enable us to do what he asks. While some of the disciples had been off on the mountaintop having a spiritual experience with Jesus, the others were arguing over doctrine and trying to meet spiritual needs in their own human abilities, instead of instead of bringing the problem to Jesus in prayer and faith.
The issue isn’t how much faith one has. When the father asked Jesus to heal the son “if he could” the man was trying to “wait and see;” he was looking for proof in order to commit to faith in Jesus. Jesus was telling him that he had it backwards; if he wanted to see, he had to trust in Jesus first. Just being willing to trust Jesus, a simple ‘yes,’ is sufficient. The father made the commitment to trust in Jesus and asked Jesus to increase and solidify his faith, which Jesus is abundantly willing and able to do. The boy’s condition was believed to be caused by an unclean spirit which caused him to do things which were self-destructive (Mark 9:22a). Do you have an unclean spirit which causes you to do things that will destroy you?
The call of God to Moses is also God’s call to us. Have you said ‘yes” to Jesus? Are you heading for the Promised Land, or are you enslaved in Egypt? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus, or are you trying to get along in your own strength? Do you prefer to spend you time in mountaintop spiritual retreats away from everyday life; or perhaps you get involved in arguing religion; or do you bring people to Jesus in faith?
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
