Day 22- Are you weed or wheat? 2x2

Please read Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

Bob and Bill went to their church one bright, sunny day. When opening prayer began, Bob could not concentrate because Jeff, a long-time member, kept talking to a newcomer.  He glowered at them but they did notice. Then Bob got upset when the organist missed a note during the opening hymn.  During the Scripture readings, Bob kept looking impatiently at his watch – too much scripture he thought. During the sermon, he felt pleased with himself whenever he caught the pastor making a grammatical mistake- and there were many. When the offering bag was passed, he could feel the usher watching to see how much he gave. Bob left the service during the closing hymn telling himself, “I got to find a better church that serves me well.” 

Bill was in the same service and was sitting a row behind Bob. During the opening prayer, he noticed that Jeff was explaining the service to a nervous newcomer unfamiliar with church service. Bill smiled and thanked God for servants like Jeff. The opening Hymn was a moving rendition of “Amazing Grace” by a novice guest organist and Bill loved it.  During scripture reading, it was as if God’s word was about Bill – he was stunned to recognize his own sinful actions. The Pastors sermon was a homely sermon that talked about Jesus’ sacrifice for sinners like Bill and he was comforted. When the offering bag was passed, Bill noticed the usher was concerned about a tear in the old bag – the church ordered new bags but they had not been delivered.  Singing the closing Hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers”, Bill appreciated how the service and sermon prepared him for the coming workweek.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, both Bob and Bill attended the same service, yet one was a weed and the other a wheat plant. In yesterday’s post, I wrote about you and me being the man in the pit saved by the Good Samaritan. And in light of today’s text, you and I need to ask ourselves this question - in a verdant field, am I a weed?

Most Christians believe they are good plants planted by God. During sermon time, sometimes they wonder if the pastor is addressing their neighbor and his/her sins.  Jesus tells us it is not our duty to judge other plants growing alongside us (Matthew 7:1-5). Jesus also makes it clear in the parable- the judging and the harvesting is the function of Jesus and his angels. In addition, scriptures are clear – God’s word is not about others – it is for us and our individual response to the gospel (Galatians 6:5).

Still, it is an odd yet profound question to ask ourselves – am I (being) a weed? During this Lent season, let us ponder our response to Christ love towards us by asking the following questions -

Am I productive in my life? (Psalm 1:3)

Do I choke the good seeds/plants with my selfishness? (Romans 14:13)

Do I try to look like the wheat, while being a weed? (1 John 4:20; Galatians 6:3)

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Amen. (Psalm 139:23-24)

2x2

DAY 21 A View from the Pit – a redo

Please read Luke 10:30-37

When people read stories and when they watch movies, they tend to identify and commiserate with certain characters in the stories or movies. We believers do the same coming to the stories of the Bible.  For example, many identify with the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. This is natural because believers think they are good people.

Coming to the Parable of the Good Samaritan, most of us associate ourselves with the Good Samaritan. But I ask you have you ever thought of yourselves being the man who was beaten by the robbers and left for dead? So let’s say that Jesus were to begin the parable of the Good Samaritan this way -

“__________________(your name here) was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he/she fell among robbers, who stripped him/her and beat him/her and departed, leaving him/her half dead.” (Luke 10:30). So there you are lying on the roadside and maybe in a “pit” half dead. (I use the word “pit” because, in some of the paintings of the Parable, the injured man is portrayed in a pit right next to a road.)

There you are lying badly beaten in a pit, next to the road, and people are walking by and they look at you and are making comments. You are so badly beaten you can’t talk – maybe your lips move. You are looking at them hoping they will help you. But all you see is their inaction and all you hear are their comments. What kind of comments? Allow me to use a poem -

The Pit

A man fell into a pit and could not get himself out.

A Subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there in that pit"

An Objective person came along and said, "It’s logical that someone would have fallen down into that pit"

A Christian Scientist came along and said, "You only think you’re in the pit"

A Pharisee said, "only bad people fall into the pit"

 A Fundamentalist said, "You deserve your pit"

Confucius said, "If you had listened to me you would not be in that pit"

Buddha said, "The pit is only a state of mind"

A Realist said, "that is a pit"

A Scientist calculated the pressure necessary to get him out of the pit

A Geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit

A Taxman asked him if he was paying taxes on the pit

An inspector asked him if he had a permit to dig the pit

An Evasive person came along and avoided the subject of the pit altogether

A Self-pitying person said, "You haven’t seen anything until you have seen MY PIT"

A Charismatic said, "just confess that you are not in the pit"

An Optimist said, "It could be worse"

A Pessimist said, "Things will get worse"

Jesus walking along seeing the man in the pit simply knelt down, extended his hand and pulled him out of the pit!                        (Anonymous)

A pit is a dreadful place to be, especially a pit of our own sins you and I keep digging with our head down. But the good news is we are not left lying in the pit.

As a hymn goes –

How kind the Good Samaritan

To him who fell among the thieves!

Thus Jesus pities fallen man,

And heals the wounds the soul receives.

(link http://www.ccel.org/ccel/newton/olneyhymns.h1_99.html)

Yes, only one person is able and willing to help us from the pit you and I are in. He does not do this because we are good. He does this because He is good.

Thank you, God for sending me your Son who came down to lift me from my pit. In His name, I thank and praise you. Amen!

Day 20- Serving Joy needs no daily affirmation or wages!

Please read Philippians 2:19-30

In the 19^th century, Italy had a great military General named Giuseppe Garibaldi.   He is famous for many contributions – the Unification of Italian states; the creation of Kingdom of Italy; guerilla warfare; military operations in South America etc. Garibaldi is also famous for gathering and leading armies of volunteers. It is said he would approach recruits to the army with the following straight forward pitch,  “I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor food; I offer only hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles, and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart, and not merely with his lips, follow me.” And many followed him in battles home and abroad and remained loyal to Garibaldi even after they left the military.
 

Coming to the text for today, Paul talks about Timothy and Epaphroditus, fellow workers who are focused on the interests of Jesus and His sheep. Both are servants and ministers. They are single-minded and have a mind like Christ (Philippians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 11:1) and teach and work for Jesus (Colossians 3:17, 23). They are just motivated by Paul (in truth God the Holy Spirit), they do not have grand titles or salaries, but they are truly concerned for the people they serve.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is rare to meet leaders such as Garibaldi or Paul who motivate people to serve a cause joyfully. But you and I have Jesus who came to earth, brought us salvation and servant discipleship to motivate us to teach and minister those He places in our lives. It is not going to be easy – people will not understand us and our intentions and joy in serving - but Jesus will love/lead us to follow Him and motivate us to serve with our hearts and not merely with our lips.  

Dear Jesus, please never let me never forget that I don’t need any motivating speech or riches, for you are my Lord and the source of all my riches. Amen.

Day 19 - Radical Obedience 2x2

Please read Philippians 2:5-18

One day in a restaurant, a six-year-old boy was testing his parents’ patience. He would not sit down on his chair and he wanted to stand up and jump on the chair. The parents tried everything- reasoning, begging, cajoling –even threatening to punish the boy. The more the parents talked to him the boy displayed aggressive and stubborn behavior. Ultimately, his father stood up grabbed the boy’s shoulders and forced the boy to sit down. Finally, the boy was seated but he crossed his arms and yelled,  “I am sitting on the outside but I am standing up on the inside.”

Jesus tells us of His own obedience to God the Father (Hebrews 10:7) and spoke (John 12:49) and did (John 14:31) everything according to His Father’s commands. Jesus did not do all of this for His own benefit or fame. He did this for you and me. He obeyed all of God’s directions for our benefit to give us confidence in His grace (Hebrews 4:15-16).  And then he set the goal of obedience for us (Matthew 12:50; John 14:31).

But our problem is we do not obey God’s commands. We disobey, and when we disobey yelling, screaming, rebelling, or even murmuring, etc. are not usually evident in our lives. We seem to ‘obey on the outside but we disobey in the inside’. To other believers, we appear to be saints but we are rebelling against Jesus.

In our text today, Paul tells us about the perfect obedience of Christ. Jesus followed God’s plan. He never complained (Isaiah 53:7) and never vacillated. So Paul issues the very challenge to the Philippians and to us. But how can we be obedient? Paul tells us “for it is God who works in you”.  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus did not leave us alone (Deuteronomy 31:6), He gave us His Spirit and thus blesses to a rich and fruitful life of obedience and joy.

Dear Jesus, teach this chronic rebel, the joy of obeying Your Word. Amen.