Week
of 22 Pentecost - Even
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Podcast Download: Monday 22 Pentecost - Even
Sunday 22 Pentecost - Even
First posted
10/30/04;
Podcast: Sunday 22 Pentecost - Even
Hosea 11:1-11 - Punishment and restoration;
1 Corinthians 4:9-16 - Our Father in Christ;
Matthew 15:21-28 - Crumbs from the Master’s table;
Hosea Paraphrase:
The Lord says that Israel is like a willful and wayward child. God
called them out of Egypt. The more God called them to follow him, the
more they went their own way. They went after false gods and idols,
although the Lord had taught them how to walk. The Lord carried them in
his arms, but they did not recognize that it was the Lord who healed
them. The Lord “led them with cords of compassion; bands of love” (as
one leads an animal, but compassionately and in their best interest).
God takes care of his people as one would care for draft animals he
loves.
Because they have refused to return to the Lord they will return to
Egypt (the place of their former bondage) and Assyria will be their king
(since they have rejected the Lord as their king). Their cities and
fortresses will be destroyed by military conquest. They must bear the
yoke (of punishment; captivity), which no one can deliver them from,
because they have turned away from the Lord.
Yet the Lord loves Israel and Ephraim (Ephraim is the major portion of
the territory which became Samaria, as a result of intermingling of a
Jewish remnant with pagan settlers introduced by Assyria as a means of
subjugating the region). The Lord’s compassion restrains him from
totally destroying Ephraim. The Lord promises that he will give a mighty
call and his people will return to him humbly from Egypt and Assyria,
and the Lord will return them to their homes.
Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul compares his situation as an apostle (a mature disciple; a
messenger; of the Gospel) with prisoners of war in a triumphal
procession: A captive of his Lord, treated with contempt and abuse by
the world for their entertainment. Like those prisoners, the apostle is
weak, disreputable, hungry and thirsty, ill-clad, beaten and homeless,
while the world has the power and honor.
Christians are to bless those who curse them, endure when persecuted,
and conciliate when slandered, as Paul has demonstrated in his own life.
Christians are regarded as worthless and treated like garbage by the
world. Paul tells Christians this not to shame but to admonish them, as
his beloved children. Paul considers the Corinthians as his spiritual
children, because they were reborn through Paul’s preaching of the
Gospel. They have other Christian teachers, but Paul considers himself
as their father, and he urges them to copy Paul’s example.
Matthew Paraphrase:
Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon (in the province of Syria). A
Canaanite (Gentile) woman of the region came to him addressing him as
Lord and Son of David (i.e. Messiah) and told him her daughter was
severely possessed by a demon. Jesus did not respond. The woman followed
along crying out, and annoyed the disciples, so they asked Jesus to
tell her to go away. Jesus answered that he was sent only to the people
of Israel. The woman came up to him and knelt down and begged Jesus to
help her. Jesus told her that it would not be right to take one’s
children’s bread and feed it to dogs. She agreed, but pointed out that
dogs are allowed to eat scraps that fall from the master’s table. Jesus
commended her faith and agreed to heal the woman's daughter.
Commentary:
God is Israel’s father, not only as their creator, but by adopting them
through the call of Abraham. The Lord taught them how to walk during the
forty years of wandering in the wilderness, like a parent watches over
and helps his child in that development phase. Israel is like a willful
child which must be disciplined, or an unruly animal that must be
bridled in order to be controlled and led.
Israel did suffer exile and captivity as a result of her disobedience,
but the Lord is a faithful and loving father. He promised that Israel
would not be completely destroyed. He promised that some remnant would
return. Some remnant of the Northern Kingdom of Israel probably did
return with the Exiles from Babylon. A remnant has returned to
repopulate Israel after World War II, and some remnant will be saved in
the Great Tribulation (through faith in Jesus).
Jesus said that a disciple is not greater than his teacher, but when
fully taught will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40). Paul is a reflection
of Jesus, as Jesus is a reflection of our Heavenly Father (Jesus is
Emmanuel; God with us in human form; Matthew 1:23). In Jesus the whole
fullness of deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:8-9). Jesus is the only
begotten son of the Father – through Christ, we’re “adopted”; he’s
"begotten" (John 1:14). Thomas called him God and Jesus didn’t correct
him (John 20:28.)] Paul is the Corinthian Christians’ father in Jesus
Christ. Paul urges his spiritual children to follow his example, as he
has followed Jesus’ example, as Jesus had learned from his Heavenly
Father.
The Canaanite (Gentile) woman became a child of God through faith in
Jesus. She demonstrated the attitude and character of a disciple that
Paul had described (1 Corinthians 4:12-13). She didn’t get offended by
Jesus’ seemingly harsh response, but persisted humbly in faith (Matthew
15:26-27). She was willing to accept the Lord’s discipline and
correction, so the Lord was willing to be her spiritual father.
As our creator, God is our father, but he is willing to adopt us as his
spiritual children through faith (trust and obedience) in Jesus. We are
called in Jesus to be disciples; to learn to walk in obedience to God’s
Word. We need to be open to the Lord’s correction.
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 22 Pentecost - Even
To be used only if
there is a 23 Pentecost Sunday - Otherwise skip to
27 Pentecost.
First posted 10/31/04;
Podcast: Monday 22 Pentecost - Even
Hosea 11:12-12:1 - Israel’s rebellion;
Acts 26:1-23 - Paul’s defense before Agrippa;
Luke 8:26-39 - The Garasene demoniac;
Hosea Paraphrase:
Ephraim (Samaria) and the Northern Kingdom of Israel were condemned for
dealing falsely with God, although Judah was still known by God and
faithful to him. But Ephraim “herds and chases the wind” (i.e., does
what is foolish and attempts what is impossible). “They multiply
falsehood and violence” (Hosea 12:1b). They made a pact with Assyria and
“oil is carried to Egypt” (Hosea 12:1c); olive oil was one of the most
valuable products of the land. It was used notably to anoint kings, and
was used for certain offerings to God).
Acts Paraphrase:
The Jews were trying to kill Paul, and he had been transferred to the
custody of Antonius Felix, governor of Judea. Felix had given Paul the
option of being tried in Jerusalem by a Jewish Court, but Paul feared
the Jews and requested his right as a Roman Citizen to be tried by
Caesar.
Herod Agrippa (great-grandson of Herod the Great) had come to Caesarea
to visit Felix, and Felix had told him about Paul. Agrippa expressed an
interest in hearing Paul, so Felix arranged for Paul to present his case
to Agrippa.
Paul made his appeal on the basis of Agrippa’s familiarity with Judaism,
saying that he had been raised as a Pharisee, the strictest party of
Judaism, and that his imprisonment was a matter of disagreement with the
Jews over the belief in the resurrection of the dead. Paul testified
that he had formerly persecuted Christians and opposed the name of
Jesus. He had imprisoned Christians and had voted for their execution.
Paul testified how he had been on the way to Damascus with authority
from the chief priests to imprison Christians, when he was struck down
by a bright light from heaven and heard a voice from heaven ask, in
Hebrew, why Paul (formerly known as Saul) was persecuting Jesus. The
voice said that it hurt Paul to “kick against the goads” (sharp sticks
used to get cattle to do what the herdsman wanted). Paul, acknowledging
him as Lord, asked who was addressing him, and the voice identified
himself as Jesus.
Jesus declared that he had appeared to Paul to appoint Paul to testify
about Jesus and to proclaim the Gospel. Jesus promised to deliver Paul
from the Jews and the Gentiles, to whom Paul would be sent as an
evangelist, so that their spiritual eyes might be opened, and that they
might be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of
light, and from the power of Satan to the power of God, that their sins
might be forgiven and they might receive a place among those who are
made holy by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus.
Paul told Agrippa that he had been obedient to the revelation, and had
begun to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and
throughout Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should turn to
the Lord and perform deeds befitting their repentance. For that reason
the Jews had attacked Paul in the Temple and were trying to kill him.
Paul acknowledged that it was by God’s help that he had been preserved
and was still testifying, and that his testimony was in accordance with
the scriptures: "that the Christ must suffer, and that by being the
first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to both the people
(Jews) and the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23).
Luke Paraphrase:
Jesus and his disciples had crossed to the east side of the Sea of
Galilee to the Gerasene (or Gergesene, or Gadarene) region. As they
disembarked from the boat they met a demoniac. The demoniac had not worn
clothes for a long time, and lived outdoors among the tombs. When he
saw Jesus he cried out, addressing Jesus by name, and acknowledging
Jesus as the Son of God.
The man asked Jesus what he intended to do with him, and begged Jesus
not to torment him. The demoniac had been bound with chains and ropes
and kept under guard, but always managed to break loose, and was driven
into the wilderness. Jesus asked the demoniac his name and the man
replied “Legion” because the man had many demons. The demons pleaded not
to be sent into the abyss.
A herd of pigs was feeding nearby and they asked Jesus to allow them to
enter the pigs. Jesus gave them permission, and they entered the pigs,
which stampeded over a cliff into the sea and were drowned. When the
herdsmen saw what had happened to the pigs they fled to the city and
told what had happened.
A crowd came out to see what had happened and found the demoniac sitting
at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind. The townspeople were
afraid, and when they heard from eyewitnesses what had happened, they
asked Jesus to depart from their region, so Jesus got back in the boat
and left. The man who had been healed of the demon begged to go with
Jesus, but Jesus told him to return to his home and declare all that God
had done for him, and the man immediately did as Jesus had told him.
Commentary:
The Northern Kingdom of Israel, and Samaria, were condemned for dealing
falsely with God (disobedience). They were trying to “herd” and “chase”
the “wind.” They pursued worldly alliances with Egypt and Assyria.
Hoshea, the last king of Israel, sought security by entering into futile
alliances with Assyria and Egypt, instead of turning to the Lord. As a
result, the Lord abandoned them to their fate and the Northern tribes
ceased to exist; they were carried off to captivity in Assyria and
scattered among the nations. But Judah was the faithful remnant. (Judah
was later exiled to Babylon because of disobedience, but was allowed to
return after seventy years.)
At the time of Jesus’ ministry, Israel was again divided into those who
were rebellious and those who were faithful. The Jews were not faithful
or obedient to God. They rejected his salvation in Jesus Christ and
instead pursued worldly alliances. They allied with the Roman government
to execute Jesus, and they negotiated with the Roman governors, Felix,
and Festus, and the captain of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem, to
execute Paul because he preached the Gospel of Jesus.
Paul is an example of the righteous remnant. Although at first he clung
to tradition and persecuted Christians, he was open to correction by the
Lord, and he repented and changed his ways. He became immediately
obedient to the Lord (Acts 26:19-20). Judaism effectively ended at the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:51). The righteous remnant are
those who come to God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Church is the
“New Israel.”
The Gerasene (or Gergesene, or Gadarene) region was the territory of
Manasseh in the tribal inheritance. Swine were unclean, could not be
eaten and would not have been herded by Jews. The residents were
primarily Greeks* (Gentiles). Jesus came to save and to heal and give
life. Jesus healed the demoniac, but the residents were more concerned
with the material proceeds of pork production; they asked him to leave.
Instead of receiving the healing and salvation only Jesus can provide,
they wanted to preserve their way of life; their traditional livelihood.
The healed demoniac immediately became obedient to Jesus (Luke 8:39).
There are two kinds of “God’s people;” the ones who rebel, who follow
their own will, and are destroyed, and the ones who trust and obey and
are saved. 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)?
*Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Decapoils” (sic: Decapolis) digital edition, bibledatabase.org - http://bibledatabase.org/eastons.html
Tuesday 22 Pentecost - Even
To be used only if there is a 23 Pentecost Sunday - Otherwise skip to 27 Pentecost.
First posted 11/01/04;
Podcast: Tuesday 22 Pentecost - Even
Hosea 12:2-14 - Rebellion and restoration;
Acts 26:24-27:8 - Paul’s voyage to Rome;
Luke 8:40-56 - Raising Jairus’ daughter;
Hosea Paraphrase:
The Lord had a complaint against Judah (named for the son of Jacob -Israel; Judah was the Southern Kingdom of the Divided Monarchy) and would punish Jacob (the Northern Kingdom; “Israel;” Judah’s father; patriarch whose twelve sons became the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel). Jacob strove with his brother, Esau, at his birth (Hosea 12:3; see Genesis 25:26) and as an adult, strove with God (Hosea 12:4a; see Genesis 32:22-30). He came to a personal knowledge of God at Bethel (Hosea 12:4b; see Genesis 28:11-17).
Judah is urged, by the help of God, to return to God, to hold fast to love and justice and to wait for God. Ephraim (one of the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom; their tribal inheritance was territory which later became Samaria) is indicted for economic injustice. Ephraim has placed confidence in material wealth, but material wealth cannot circumvent punishment for his guilt. The Lord will cause them to return to the wilderness.
The Lord had led Israel by his prophets since the time of the Exodus from Egypt; those who ignore the prophets will be held responsible to God’s judgment. Gilead had become a place of evildoers (Hosea 6:8; 12:11). Gilgal had become a place of idolatrous worship. Ephraim will be held accountable for his provocation (disobedience and unrepentance), so the Lord will not forgive his sins and will cause him to receive punishment according to his deeds.
Acts Paraphrase:
Paul had been attacked by Jews in the temple in Jerusalem. He had been arrested and imprisoned by Roman authorities awaiting the outcome of an investigation. During his detention he presented his case to Festus, governor of Judea, and Herod Agrippa, the governor of northern Roman provinces of Israel. Paul had presented testimony of the Gospel and his conversion (Acts 26:1-23).
On hearing that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was the fulfillment of scriptural prophecy, Festus declared that Paul’s learning had caused him to become crazy, but Paul replied that he was not crazy, but speaking the truth. Paul appealed to King Agrippa to verify the truth of Jesus’ resurrection, suggesting that these events had not escaped Agrippa’s notice, and asked Agrippa if he believed the prophets.
Agrippa replied that Paul was not going to convert him to Christianity so quickly. Paul replied that he hoped that all who heard him would come to know the truth of the Gospel. Then Festus and Agrippa and their associates left the hall, and as they discussed the case among themselves, they agreed that Paul had done nothing deserving execution or imprisonment. Agrippa told Festus that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar he could have been set free.
Arrangements were made to send Paul by ship to Rome with other prisoners in the custody of a Centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. They sailed from Caesarea to Sidon on a ship of Adramyttium which was heading for Asia (Modern Turkey), accompanied by Aristarchus, (Paul’s missionary companion and “fellow worker;” Acts 19:29; Philemon 1:24). Paul’s guard treated him kindly and allowed him to stay with friends. Then they sailed along the southern coast of Asia Minor to Myra. There they transferred to an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy. It took several days to sail to Cnidus, because of unfavorable winds, and then they sailed south of Crete to Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.
Lukes Paraphrase:
When Jesus returned from Gerasa (one of the cities of the Decapolis, east of the Sea of Galilee), a ruler of the synagogue at Capernaum, named Jairus, came to Jesus and asked him to come and heal his twelve year old daughter who was dying. On the way, a crowd followed, and a woman in the crowd who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his garment, and her hemorrhage was healed instantly.
Jesus asked who had touched him. Those around him denied it, and Peter suggested that it was probably just jostling by the crowd, but Jesus said that he had perceived that power had gone forth from him. When the woman realized that she could not remain anonymous she came and confessed why she had touched him and how she had immediately been healed. Jesus told her that her faith had made her well, and told her to go in peace.
Commentary:
The Lord sent his prophets to lead and preserve his people (Hosea 12:13). By his prophets the people were delivered from bondage to sin and death, and led through the wilderness into the Promised Land. Those who ignore the warnings of the prophets will receive God’s punishment. (Hosea 12:11, 14).
Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophets; Jesus is the help that comes from God (Acts 26:22-23). Festus thought Paul was crazy; Agrippa was not convinced. Both realized that Paul was innocent, but instead of acting on that belief they went along with the worldly system; they tried to avoid personal responsibility and passed the decision on to Caesar.
The hemorrhagic woman recognized her need, believed in Jesus, and acted on her faith. She took personal responsibility for her actions. Because she believed and acted in faith, she was healed. She received the help that comes from God; the salvation that is only through Jesus.
There is a Day of Judgment coming when each of us will be individually accountable to God for what we have done with the Good News of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Those who have ignored the warnings of the prophets (the scriptures, apostles and evangelists) will not be forgiven and will receive eternal punishment. Those who come to Jesus in trust and obedience will receive forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven with the Lord. (Matthew 25:31-46; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Will we return to the Lord, hold on to love and justice and wait for the help that comes from God, or will we pursue economic injustice and trust in our material wealth (Hosea 12:6-8)?
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)?
Wednesday 22 Pentecost - Even
To be used only if there is a 23 Pentecost Sunday - Otherwise skip to 27 Pentecost.
First posted 11/02/04;
Podcast: Wednesday 22 Pentecost - Even
Acts 27:9-26 - Storm at sea;
Luke 9:1-17 - Feeding the five thousand;
The Tribe of Ephraim (the tribal territory later became Samaria) had an exalted status among Israel but because of idolatry they died. Their idolatry increased; they made idols of silver, worked with great craftsmanship. The people loved calves (idols; instead of the Lord). Because of their sin, they will be like morning mist or like dew that disappears early in the day; like chaff that blows away, or like smoke through an open window.
Paul was being transported by ship to Rome for trial before Caesar on false charges brought against him by Jews in Jerusalem. They had arrived at Fair Havens on Crete. They had lost a lot of time because of adverse sailing conditions, and it was now late in the season; the Fast (Day of Atonement, in September or October) was already past.
Paul realized that the voyage now would be dangerous and advised them not to proceed, but his guard took the captain’s and owners’ advice rather than Paul’s. Fair Haven was not suitable as a winter port, so they pressed on hoping to winter in Phoenix, another harbor on Crete that was more suitable. When a fair wind arose they set sail close inshore, but then a storm arose. The ship couldn’t make headway and was forced to turn and was driven by the wind.
They made it to the tiny island of Cauda (off the coast of Crete), where they made a few repairs. They had lowered the sails and were driven by the wind, afraid that they would be driven onto the Syrtis (shoals on the coast of Tunisia and Libya). They were violently storm-tossed and the crew began to throw the cargo and ship’s rigging overboard.
After many days of violent storm all on board abandoned hope of being saved. They had eaten nothing for a long time. Paul came forward and told the crew that they should have listened to him and not sailed from Crete, but Paul told them to be encouraged, because they would survive, although the ship would be lost. Paul had had a visit from an angel of God who told him that it was God’s will for Paul to stand before Caesar, and that God had promised that all who sailed with Paul would survive. Paul declared that he believed what the angel had told him, and that they would have to beach the ship on some island.
Jesus gave the Twelve (disciples) “power and authority over all demons and diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1). He told them not to take any provisions; neither extra clothing, nor food, nor money. They were to rely on God's providence through the hospitality of the villages they visited. Jesus told them that if any village did not receive them, they were to shake the dust from their feet as a testimony against them. The disciples left and did as instructed.
Herod Antipas (who had beheaded John the Baptizer, and was a son of Herod the Great) heard about Jesus’ miracles. Some were saying that John had been raised from the dead; others said Elijah had returned, and others thought one of prophets of old had been raised. Herod knew that he had had John beheaded, but he wondered who Jesus was, and desired to see Jesus.
When the twelve returned from their mission, Jesus took them to Bethsaida (on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee). The crowds followed them there, and Jesus welcomed them and preached the Gospel and healed their diseases. At evening the disciples suggested that Jesus send the crowd away to seek food and lodging in the nearby villages, but Jesus told the disciples to feed the crowd.
The disciples only had five loaves of bread and two fish and the crowd was about five thousand people. Jesus told them to have the crowd sit down in groups, and they did so. Jesus took the bread and fish, blessed and broke them into pieces, and gave them to the disciples to distribute. “All ate and were satisfied” (Luke 9:17), and there were twelve baskets of food left over.
Ephraim’s tribal allotment in the Promised Land was the central and most desirable land available. It constituted most of what after the Assyrian conquest became Samaria, a region of mixed race and religion, because of the Assyrian practice of deporting the inhabitants of conquered regions to other areas and repopulating it with other deported aliens in order to subdue the region. A remnant of Jews in the region thus intermingled with the alien immigrants, resulting in the Samaritans.
Ephraim was also a center of idolatry. The people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel worshiped a golden calf set up at Bethel (Beth-aven: i.e., “house of wickedness” or “house of idolatry;” by Jeroboam, king of Israel, to prevent the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom from worshiping in the temple at Jerusalem; 1 Kings 12:28-29).] At the time of Jesus, Samaria was not considered to be part of Israel. So Hosea’s prophecy regarding Ephraim had been fulfilled.
Paul and those traveling with him survived a terrible storm at sea because it was God’s will for Paul to testify to the Gospel before Caesar in Rome, and because Paul trusted and obeyed the Lord. Even though the captain and crew didn’t heed Paul’s warning (Acts 27:9-10) to avoid getting into the storm, the Lord was able to reassure Paul and to keep his promise to deliver them from it without loss of life. The Lord’s Word to Paul was fulfilled just as he said.
The Lord commissioned his disciples to proclaim the Gospel and gave them the power and authority and the resources (Luke 9:3; 16) to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the people as the disciples trusted and obeyed his instructions. Jesus sent the twelve out without money, food or spare clothing and they lacked nothing (Luke 22:35). When he told the disciples to feed the crowd he took what they had and blessed it, and as they distributed it, the crowd was satisfied and there was more left over than they had started with (Luke 9:17).
Do we love the Lord enough to trust and obey him, or do we love our silver, and the work of our hands, and our own desires and goals more? Are we willing to go through trials and storms in life because we know it is God’s will for us to proclaim the Gospel and because we trust his promise to save us from those storms and trials?
God’s promises are absolutely dependable; Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Those who refuse to trust and obey Jesus will die eternally in Hell (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10), but those who trust and obey Jesus will live eternally in Heaven with the Lord (Matthew 25:31-46).
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 22 Pentecost - Even
To be used only if there is a 23 Pentecost Sunday - Otherwise skip to 27 Pentecost.
First posted 11/03/04;
Podcast: Thursday 22 Pentecost - Even
Hosea 13:4-8 - God’s judgment on Israel;
Acts 27:27-44 - Shipwreck;
Luke 9:18-27 - On discipleship;
Hosea Paraphrase:
The Lord is God; there is no other savior. Israel had a close relationship with the Lord during the wilderness wandering, when they were dependent on the Lord’s providence for day-to-day survival, but when they came into the Promised Land and began to be prosperous they began to rely on themselves and their material resources instead of the Lord. Because they turned from the Lord, the Lord became their predator and adversary. The Lord will tear and devour them as would a wild beast.
Acts Paraphrase:
Paul was being transported by ship to Rome for trial before Caesar. The vessel had encountered a great storm. On the fourteenth night they were drifting near land. The sailors determined that the depth of the water was decreasing, so they let out four anchors from the stern, hoping to avoid running aground in the dark. The sailors were intending to escape in a small boat on the pretext of laying anchors, but Paul told the centurion that without the sailors, the passengers would have no chance of surviving. The centurion ordered his soldiers to cut the small boat free, preventing the crew from escaping.
At dawn Paul urged all aboard to eat some food, since they hadn’t had anything in fourteen days. Paul repeated the Lord’s promise that none was to perish (Acts 27:24, 34). Paul took bread, gave thanks to God, and then began to eat. The others were encouraged and also began to eat. When they had eaten, they threw the remaining food into the sea to lighten the ship.
When there was sufficient daylight, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a sand beach on which they hoped they could land the ship. They cast off the anchors, unbound the rudder, hoisted a sail and headed for the beach, but the ship ran aground on a reef and broke apart in the surf.
The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to keep them from escaping, but the centurion wanted to save Paul, and he ordered the soldiers not to harm the prisoners. The centurion ordered those who could swim to jump overboard and swim for the beach. The rest came ashore using pieces of wood from the ship for flotation, and all survived.
Luke Paraphrase:
When Jesus and his disciples were alone, he asked them who people were saying that Jesus was. They said that some thought Jesus was John the Baptizer; some thought he was Elijah, and others thought he was one of the prophets of old who had risen (from the dead). Jesus then asked his disciples who they thought Jesus to be, and Peter said that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah) of God. Jesus told them to tell no one (because he wanted each individual to decide for himself who Jesus is).
Referring to himself as the “Son of man,” Jesus told them that he must suffer and be rejected by the Jewish leaders and be killed, and be raised from death on the third day. Then he said that if anyone wanted to follow Jesus, he must take up his own cross daily and follow Jesus’ example. Whoever wants to preserve his life in this world will lose it eternally, but whoever is willing to lose his life in this world for Jesus’ sake will save his life eternally.
What good does it do a person if he were to gain everything in this world if he perishes eternally? Anyone who is ashamed of Jesus and his words now will experience Jesus’ scorn when Jesus returns in glory and the power and authority of God. Jesus declared that some would not experience physical death before they witness the kingdom of God.
Commentary:
The Lord is God, whether we believe and obey him or not; there is no savior apart from him. The Lord had a plan of salvation from the beginning of creation (John 1:1-18; see also God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). The history of God’s dealings with Israel is also a parable; a metaphor; an illustration of that plan of salvation. Jesus is the fulfillment of that plan of salvation.
Jesus is the “Moses” who leads us out of bondage to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world, through the "Sea" of baptism into Jesus Christ, and leads us through the "Wilderness" of life, where we learn to walk in obedience to his word, through the "River" of physical death, and into the “Promised Land” of his eternal kingdom in Heaven. The wilderness experience is intended to teach us to rely on God’s providence rather than our own resources.
Because Israel forgot the lessons taught in the wilderness, when they came into the earthly Promised Land they turned from trust and obedience of God to reliance on their own will and their own resources. God warned them through the prophets, over and over, to return to the dependence on him that they had known in the wilderness, but they refused and ignored his warnings. The Lord declared that because of their disobedience they would be destroyed. That prophecy was fulfilled; the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians; the ten northern tribes essentially ceased to exist.
Because God’s Word is eternal, it also applies to us today. It applies to all people, but particularly to the Church, which is the “New People of God;” the "New Congregation of Israel,” and to America, which in a sense is the “New Promised Land” on earth. America was founded by Christians seeking religious freedom. When this country was still a wilderness, they were aware of their dependence upon the providence of God; but as we have prospered in the new land we have turned from the Lord, and have come to rely on our material wealth and our own abilities.
Paul is an example of a disciple of Jesus Christ, who has learned to walk through the “wilderness” in trust and obedience, carrying his cross daily, and relying on God’s providence. A prisoner, on his way to trial for the Gospel of Jesus, in the midst of a terrible storm, after fourteen days without food, facing imminent shipwreck on some unknown land, Paul is trusting in the promise of God that Paul will testify to the Gospel in Rome, and that all on the vessel will survive the shipwreck.
In the midst of the storm, Paul is calm, and he gives thanks to God and proceeds to eat. God’s promises were fulfilled; in spite of the intentions of the soldiers to kill the prisoners, the Lord moved the centurion to use his power to preserve Paul. The sailors’ hope of escaping disaster in their small boat was a false hope; if they had done so they would have removed themselves from God’s protection. If those on board had attempted to hang on to their food resources after they had eaten, instead of trusting God’s providence, the provisions would have been lost anyway in the resulting shipwreck, and the added weight would have caused them to run aground further from shore, perhaps costing them their opportunity for survival.
All survived the shipwreck, just as the Lord had promised. Paul did eventually reach Rome. [Paul had earlier written the Church in Rome, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith…” (Romans 1:16a).]
Each of us must decide for himself who we believe that Jesus is. If we believe that Jesus is the Christ; the savior promised by God, then we must follow him. We must trust and obey him, and follow his example. We must be his disciples. We must be willing to leave the comfort and security of “Egypt” and be willing to go through the “wilderness” in order to reach the “Promised Land.”
Any attempt on our part to secure our salvation through any other means than through faith (trust and obedience) in Jesus is false security. Jesus is God’s only plan for our salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). If we try to hold on to any worldly resources in an attempt to provide our own security and salvation they will weigh us down to our own destruction. Jesus promised that he would be killed and would rise from the dead on the third day, and that promise was fulfilled. The Disciples testified to that truth, and Paul testified to his personal encounter with the risen and ascended Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts Ch. 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)?
Friday 22 Pentecost - Even
To be used only if there is a 23 Pentecost Sunday - Otherwise skip to 27 Pentecost.
First posted 11/04/04;
Podcast: Friday 22 Pentecost - Even
Hosea 13:9-16 - God’s judgment on Israel;
Acts 28:1-16 - Paul arrives in Rome;
Luke 9:28-36 - The Transfiguration;
Hosea Paraphrase:
The Lord will destroy Israel (because of her rebellion); who can save them from the Lord’s judgment? Israel’s kings and princes cannot help her now. The Israelites insisted on having a (human) king (instead of the Lord). The Lord gave them kings, but now in his anger he has taken them away. Ephraim’s sin is stored up. The time of delivery (from sin and death; as in childbirth) comes, but he doesn’t present himself for delivery.
“Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol (the grave)? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your destruction” (Hosea 13:14 RSV)? The Lord no longer has compassion for them. Israel may seem to be flourishing, but the “wind” of the Lord’s judgment will come upon him and dry up his fountain, and strip his treasury of every valuable. Samaria shall bear her guilt for rebellion against God. The sword of warfare will destroy her posterity.
Acts Paraphrase:
Paul had been shipwrecked on his way to Rome under guard for trial on false charges by the Jews. All onboard made it to shore on the island of Malta (offshore of Sicily). The natives were kind to the survivors and built a fire to warm them. Paul gathered some sticks for the fire, among which was a snake that bit him as he put the sticks on the fire. The natives were sure that Paul would die or become very sick, and took the incident as an omen that Paul must be evil. But when he didn’t suffer any ill effects, they changed their assessment and regarded him as a god.
The chief man of the island was named Publius. His father was sick with fever and dysentery and Paul visited him and prayed and laid his hands on him, healing him. After that, all the sick of the island were brought to Paul and were healed. As a result the people were very grateful and gave gifts and supplied whatever Paul’s group needed.
After three months, Paul and his group boarded a vessel of Alexandria which had wintered at Malta. After a three-day layover in Syracuse (on Sicily) they went to Rhegium and then up the west coast of Italy to Puteoli. There they found Christians and were allowed to stay with them for a week before going on to Rome. Christians in Rome came to meet Paul as he arrived, and encouraged him. Paul was allowed to stay in Rome in his own quarters with his guard.
Luke Paraphrase:
About eight days after Jesus had asked his disciples who they understood him to be, and had then discussed the demands of discipleship (Luke 9:18-27), Jesus took Peter, James and John and went up on a mountain to pray. As Jesus was praying his appearance was altered and his clothing became radiant. Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Jesus about Jesus’ departure, which would happen at Jerusalem. The three disciples were sleepy, but not asleep (nor dreaming) and they witnessed Jesus’ glory and the appearance of the two men with Jesus.
As the two were leaving, Peter blurted out that it was good that the three disciples were present. He suggested that they should build three booths; one each, for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, not realizing what he was saying. As Peter said this, a cloud overshadowed them, and the disciples were afraid. A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen (or “my Beloved”); listen to him” (Luke 9:35). When the voice had spoken, Moses and Elijah had disappeared. The three disciples didn’t discuss with anyone what had happened (until after Jesus’ resurrection).
Commentary:
God condemned Israel to destruction for her refusal to return to the Lord and obey him. Because they refused to obey him God refused to redeem them from Death. God’s Word of judgment was fulfilled by the conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians. The ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom ceased to exist, because they were carried off and scattered throughout the peoples of the earth.
Jews who remained (the old and infirm) in Ephraim intermingled with aliens brought in to repopulate the territory resulting in the Samaritans, a religiously and racially mixed people. For this reason, at the time of Jesus, Samaria was not considered to be part of Israel. God passed judgment on Israel and Ephraim (and that judgment was fulfilled just as God said.
Sheol is the realm of the Dead. All have sinned (disobeyed God; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). There is a Day of Judgment coming, when everyone who has ever lived will be accountable to the Lord for what he has done in life (John 5:28-29). Those who have trusted and obeyed Jesus will receive eternal life in Heaven with the Lord; those who have rejected Jesus and refused to obey him will receive eternal destruction and death in Hell with Satan and all evil (Matthew 25:31-46). God loves us and doesn’t want us to die eternally (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8). Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).
God wanted to ransom Israel and Ephraim from eternal Death, but Israel and Ephraim refused; they did not present themselves to the Lord for his deliverance, so they experienced the destroying “wind” of God's judgment. Jesus is the ransom (Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:5-6) which God has provided for his people, to deliver them from eternal death. Jesus is the victory over sin and death.
Paul said: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. When the mortal puts on immortality then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ (Isaiah 25:8a). ‘O death, where is thy victory, O death, where is thy sting’ (Hosea 13:14). The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:52-57).
The Jews wanted to kill Paul for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 23:12-15). In contrast, the people of Malta thought Paul was evil because he had been bitten by the poisonous snake. When they saw the power of Jesus’ resurrection at work in Paul they changed their minds.
Jesus’ transfiguration is a glimpse of the kingdom of eternal life in Heaven, in contrast to the realm of Sheol. The kingdom of Heaven is the realm of light and eternal life; not gloom and darkness and eternal death. Moses and Elijah are both Old Testament saints who walked with the Lord in trust and obedience. Elijah did not experience physical death; he was taken up to Heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1-18). They were discussing Jesus’ departure from Jerusalem (Luke 9:31); not his physical death on the cross, but his ascension into Heaven (Acts 1:9-11). Jesus will return on the Day of Judgment the same way that he departed (Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:11).
The Israelites wanted a human king and princes because the other nations of the world had kings and princes. The Israelites wanted worldly status and recognition, rather than to please and honor God. The Jews hated Paul because his message upset their worldly status and traditions. The inhabitants of Malta thought Paul was evil because he was having a lot of difficulty in his life, but when Paul appeared to be successful as a healer, their attitudes quickly changed.
Jesus didn’t have the outward appearance of a worldly king. Only the closest of his disciples were allowed to have a glimpse of Jesus’ Heavenly glory. Jesus' first coming was as a helpless infant; his first entry into Jerusalem for his “coronation” (with a crown of thorns; Matthew 27:29) was on a donkey (Luke 19:28-38). His second coming will be with glory and power to judge the Earth.
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 22 Pentecost - Even
To be used only if there is a 23 Pentecost Sunday - Otherwise skip to 27 Pentecost.
First posted 11/05/04;
Podcast: Saturday 22 Pentecost - Even
Hosea 14:1-9 - Return to the Lord;
Acts 28:17-31 - Paul and the Jews of Rome;
Luke 9:37-50 - Faith;
Hosea Paraphrase:
The Lord entreats Israel to return to him. Israel has stumbled because of sin. He should bring his petition and return to the Lord, asking the Lord to take away his iniquity, accept his offerings, and promising that Israel will do what he has promised the Lord. Israel shall not seek salvation from Assyria, shall not rely in his own strength, nor worship the work of his hands. The Lord helps the orphan. The Lord will heal Israel's faithlessness and love him freely without anger.
The Lord will prosper Israel like dew waters plants. Israel shall return and dwell in the Lord’s shadow and flourish. Why would Ephraim seek help from idols? It is the Lord who provides for him. The Lord is ever-living and the source of all fruitfulness. Whoever is truly wise and discerning will realize that [all] the ways of the Lord are right and those who are upright walk in obedience to them; but transgressors stumble in them.
Acts Paraphrase:
Three days after arriving in Rome, Paul called the local leaders of the Jews together and told them that he had done nothing against the Jewish people or traditions and had been examined by the Romans and found not guilty. But the Jews in Jerusalem had objected to Paul’s release and Paul had been forced to appeal to Caesar. Paul was on trial because of the hope of Israel.
The local Jews had heard nothing about Paul from the Jews in Jerusalem but had heard much negative opinion about the (Christian) “sect,” and were anxious to hear Paul’s views. So they arranged a date when a great crowd assembled at his lodgings and all day Paul discussed Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Jewish hope according the scriptures.
Some were convinced but others did not believe. They left in disagreement after Paul declared that the Holy Spirit had said of them through Isaiah (6:9-10) that they had closed their hearts, their ears and their eyes to God’s Word and refused to turn to the Lord for salvation. Paul declared that since the Jews rejected the salvation of God, it has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.
Luke Paraphrase:
When Jesus had returned after his transfiguration on the mountain (Luke 9:28-38; see entry for yesterday, Friday, 22 Pentecost, even year), a crowd came to Jesus. A man in the crowd asked Jesus to heal his only child, who had a demon. The man had brought the child to Jesus’ disciples but they had been unable to heal him. Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you” (Luke 9:41)? Jesus healed the child and the crowd was astonished at God’s majesty.
While the crowd was praising him, Jesus told his disciples to remember that the Son of man (Son of God; Jesus) was going to be delivered into the hands of men. (These people were impressed with God’s power in Jesus; Jesus was going to lay aside that power and allow them to crucify him.) The disciples did not understand; the meaning was concealed from them so that could not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask Jesus about it.
The Disciples argued among themselves as to who was the greatest among them, but Jesus used a child as an illustration, saying that whoever receives a child in Jesus’ name receives Jesus, and whoever receives Jesus, receives God. Jesus said that the one who humbles himself is great.
John mentioned that the disciples had encountered an exorcist invoking Jesus’ name and had told him to quit because he was not one of the group of Jesus’ followers. Jesus told him not to forbid him, because anyone who is not working against us is with us.
Commentary:
The Lord doesn’t want anyone to perish (John 3:16-17); he sends his prophets to warn us to turn to him for our salvation. He wants to heal, forgive, love and bless us. The Northern Kingdom of Israel and the territory of Ephraim (which became Samaria) had plenty of warning from Hosea and other prophets, but they insisted on seeking their salvation through political alliances with Assyria and Egypt, in relying on their own military and political strength, in trusting in the work of their own hands and in turning to false gods, rather than trusting and obeying the Lord.
The Lord warned them through Hosea what was coming, but they refused to heed the warning. Hosea’s prophecy was fulfilled; The Northern Kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians, and the ten northern tribes of Israel were scattered throughout the world and ceased to exist. The remnant which stayed in the land intermingled with aliens brought in by the Assyrians to settle and subdue the territory, which became Samaria.
In Jesus’ day the Jews still refused to listen to God’s Word; they still refused to turn, from their reliance on political alliances, their traditions, and the work of their own hands, to trust and obedience of the Lord. The Lord wanted to heal them and prosper them, but they refused. The prophecy of Hosea was fulfilled again in them: The Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. and the Jews were scattered throughout the world. It is only since World War II that Israel has been re-established. Their treatment of Jesus and Paul illustrates the truth of the indictments of Hosea: they made alliances with the Roman governors to execute both Jesus and Paul, and they rejected God’s salvation through Jesus in preference for their traditions.
The man with the possessed child came to Jesus in faith (trust and obedience; Luke 9:41b) and Jesus healed the child. The Lord wants to heal our faithlessness and save us but we have to come to him in trust and obedience. It is trusting and obeying Jesus that matters; not faith in a Church or faith in a Pastor. The crowd that witnessed the healing recognized and praised God’s sovereign power.
Jesus humbled himself, laid aside that sovereign power and allowed men to crucify him, in order to save them. Jesus was trying to teach his disciples that it is not wealth, social status, political or military clout that saves us, but obedience to God’s will. Jesus trusted God the Father and obeyed God’s will for Jesus to die for our salvation. Jesus told his disciples that greatness in the kingdom of God will be determined by humble trust and obedience of Jesus rather than by worldly status and power.
Are our hearts and ears and eyes open to the God’s Word? 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)?
