January 27, 2014 – Matthew 19 – Childlike Faith

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

What Does this Passage Say?

• We find three separate stories in our reading today that on the surface almost feel like they have nothing in common, but on closer examination there is brilliance in their grouping. The authors of the four gospels often do not tell Jesus story in chronological order. In many regards they group stories and teachings together that follow a similar theme. That is what we have here in chapter nineteen.

• Jesus is now back in Judea, closer to the home base of many Pharisees, and closer to Jerusalem. He is still drawing larger crowds and some in the crowds are the Pharisees themselves. They are still trying to trap Jesus. They know that God values marriage, but that God allowed divorce through Moses for various reasons. They want to see what Jesus will say. Jesus takes the permissions of the Law of Moses and comes down a little stricter. Maybe Jesus was thinking it is time to get back to their original intention when God ordained the institution of marriage. Here as with many things, the people of Israel are concerned about the letter of the Law and not the heart of the Law.

• Immediately after this discussion of divorce we read about little children coming to Jesus. His disciples shoo them away. Jesus is not too busy for these children. Jesus doesn’t have any harsh teaching for these children. Jesus doesn’t rebuke these children. Jesus simply blesses these children and proclaims that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

• We finish our reading with a story about a rich young man. This man has lived a righteous life. He comes to Jesus wanting to know what he can do to inherit eternal life. Jesus suggests some things and the man confirms he has kept them all. Then Jesus advises that he sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor and follow Him. The rich man is not willing. Jesus points out that keeping the letter of the Law is not enough … that salvation is a heart issue … and then alludes to the grace issue that will be realized in the cross.

 What is this passage teaching?

• So what three things does each of these stories have in common? The heart of the Law. In the first and last episodes we see grown men concerned with the letter of the law. In the middle story we find children, who are in many regards naive to sin finding praise from Jesus. This is the type of faith Jesus wants us to have; not a faith that is reduced to keeping a bunch of rules and regulation, but a faith that believes and heart that loves. 

 How can I apply this passage to my life?

• Think about your own life. Do you put your stock of salvation in the things you do? Or is your faith more childlike? What things could you do to make the proper shift from a salvation based off of keeping a bunch of rules to a salvation trusting the grace of God? Begin examining your life and investigating where you have work to do. 

January 21, 2014 – Matthew 15 – The heart of God coming to the hurt of man.

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

What Does this Passage Say?

• Our reading today comes on the heels of Jesus feeding of the five thousand. The crowds are growing and Jesus has begun taking on the Pharisees. They are now ready to kill Him. They come to Jesus looking to entrap Him.

• They have observed His disciples and realize that they do not wash their hands before eating, a lesson they have undoubtedly learned from Jesus. There are two elements on the table here … the Law of Moses (God’s Law given through Moses) and the Oral Law of the Pharisees. The Oral Law takes the Law of Moses and builds upon it often making things so extreme that it is hard to follow. The Oral Law stated that all good Jews must wash in a ceremonial fashion before any meal. Jesus and His followers are not doing so … this is a perfect example for the Pharisees to try and entrap Jesus.

• Jesus does not directly answer their question. Because His disciples were breaking the Oral Law and not the Law of Moses Jesus saw no basis for their challenge. However, He knew that their Oral Law caused them to offend the Law of Moses which was a serious offense. We find that in His question about their mother and father. Honoring your parents, no matter your age, was a requirement of the Law. But the religious leaders had found an out.

• We can turn to Mark 7:11 for a better understanding. In this same discussion Jesus says you dishonor your parents by declaring something Corban. Declaring something as Corban meant you devoted and object … a house, a cart, or any type of resources … to God once you died. When doing so you could not give it to someone else. You could not loan it to someone else. You could not take it from God and give it to another, but you were allowed to use it until you died. This was often done when you did not want someone to have something of yours.

• So say you had a parent in need. Selling your possession for the finances or giving that possession to your parent in need would be a terrific idea. But if you had labeled it Corban then you could not do it. By not being able to help your parents with the Corban piece you were putting the Oral Tradition above the Law of Moses. Which one offends God? Breaking the Oral Tradition, or breaking His Law?

• With this discussion Jesus has gotten at the heart of the problem. They are more concerned with their Law than God’s Law. His disciples were not breaking God’s Law by not washing their hands. Filth on the hands does not make you ceremony unclean … it might not be the most hygienic thing to do, but that is not what is at question … what makes you unclean is the filth you allow to fill your mind. What comes in that way is what comes out through your words and actions. That is what offends God. Jesus reminds that God will one day judge based on their fruits!

• Matthew follows this discussion with a story of Jesus leaving the area and healing the daughter of a Canaanite woman. Canaanites were considered a Gentile. Gentiles were vile people because they did not observe the Law of Moses or the Oral Law. Not only were they unclean, but she was a Canaanite … a long despised people group of the Jews. Jesus mission during His time on earth was not to the Gentiles, but here this woman’s faith in Jesus is huge. What a sticking contrast to the previous discussion … one where Jews were considered unclean by other men for not washing their hands. Here is the great faith of a woman who was genuinely unclean but Jesus helped anyway. This shows the heart of Jesus mission to save all people.

• Matthew then shares the story of the feeding of the four thousand. This is a similar occurrence to the time where He feed five thousand. Here Jesus heart breaks and He has compassion on the people who have been following Him. I love Jesus. He is willing to go toe to toe with the religious elite of the day and confront their “wrongness,” while at the same time having compassion on those who desperately want to see Him at His core! Where do you find yourself?

 What is this passage teaching?

• The bulk of our reading today deals with the rules and regulations put on the people by the religious leader and religious observers of the day. They had all sorts of rules that controlled life. Jews evaluated other Jews by their religious observances rather than the condition of their heart. They watched how they observed the Sabbath. They watched their observance of their clean verses unclean lifestyle. They followed that up by observing a strict dress code. What this can lead to is feeling justified by observing Oral Traditions all the while missing God’s expectations like helping the poor, feeding the hungry, and rescuing those who are perishing without God.

• It’s funny how things really have not changed in the church age. Do we not do the same thing? We observe peoples attendance at church, especially Sunday mornings. We say they are super Christians when they are in attendance on Sunday and Wednesday nights. We teach and preach a healthy diet of all things Christian, and avoidance of things that are not; alcohol, nicotine, and R-rated movies.  We too judge people by what they wear … especially to church and church functions. We are no different, and the results are no different. Now by themselves keeping these things are not wrong. But when we feel justified in our following of Jesus by keeping these things, but are neglecting the needy, or hungry, or not winning souls to Jesus then our focus is in the wrong place.

 How can I apply this passage to my life?

• Have you spent your life as a Christian strictly observing the churches rules and neglecting the needs of man? If so there is one thing you must do … repent. You are forgiven if you have been saved by Jesus. Repent and begin focusing on the needs of men. I used to attend a church in North Carolina that had as their mission statement connecting the heart of God to the hurt of men. I think that is a very applicable lesson for us. God wants us to follow Him and live righteous lives, but He also has given us, the individuals who make up the church, responsibilities to carry out. Live righteous but do not neglect the hearts and hurts of your family, your communities, and your church. 

January 16, 2014 – Matthew 12 – The Heart of the Law

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

What Does this Passage Say?

• So far Jesus has been pretty mild in his dealings with the Pharisees. He has had a few run-ins with them, but nothing that has truly got their blood boiling. That is about to change. For a while they have been questioning Jesus and getting a little agitated. Now they find Him and His disciples breaking the Mosaic Law; by plucking grain off the plant.

• The Pharisees have taken the Law and imposed it upon the nation of Israel in a way God never intended. They have written thousands of rules and explanations to the Law that made it almost impossible to keep. They blame the disciples for harvesting grain. Harvesting grain is not easy work. It requires plucking grain and then the threshing of the grain. To harvest a field would require a lot of manual labor, labor that was forbidden in the Law. But what the disciples are doing is not mass harvesting, they are plucking grain, rubbing it in their hands and then eating. This hardly constitutes work.

• The problem here is not the written Law of Moses; it is the oral law and traditions of the Pharisees. They have exasperated the Law. Here Jesus corrects them. He connects what they are doing to what David and his men did when eating the consecrated bread used for the offerings to God. By connecting Himself with David Jesus is making a bold claim.

• This scene is followed by Mathew writing about the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus. Jesus responds to their questions with logic. If there was a great need they too would break the law to keep that need alive: i.e. a sheep in a well. Jesus reminds them that they have missed the heart of the law in their oral traditions. Knowing they were outsmarted Jesus is permitted to heal the man’s hand. While they may have back away and permitted Jesus without any further intrusion, their hearts are really begin to burn against Jesus, now plotting to kill Him.

• These Pharisees are not going to relent. They are looking for opportunities to entrap Jesus. They watch Him cast out a demon and claim that He must be a tool of Satan. Jesus throws there logic in front of them. It makes no sense. Why would Satan battle against himself? Families feuding, nations at war with themselves, churches with disruption will never remain united! No Jesus is not from Satan, He is greater than Satan, He has the power to hold him up and plunder him. Again this is a bold claim for Jesus to make.

• The attacks of Jesus have only begun. No matter what Jesus does, the Pharisees are going to associate with Him bad fruit, even though the evidence suggests other wise. Jesus knows this. He knows why He came. He knows this will all end in His death. He reminds them that He is God, that He is bigger than Nineveh, that He is far more powerful than the Queen of Sheba. He is greater than all these because He is God. His fruit will eventually win out, after three days and three nights in the belly of the earth as Jonah was in the belly of the fish. And then, all those who belong to God, and serve God, and live for God, will be heirs alongside Jesus with the eternal blessing of life in the presence of God.

 What is this passage teaching?

• The Law of Moses existed to teach and lead Israel as to what God defined as sin. If a person could keep the entirety of the Law they were 100% righteous, with no need for salvation. However, that is not possible. As fallible humans we have no shot at keeping the Law. There are moments in our life were anger slips in even when we do not want it to. There are moments in our life where we lust even when we try our best not to. There are moments in our life were we doubt, struggle, and try to do life on our own. We cannot keep the Law. But the Pharisees thought they could. They created their own Law, their own oral traditions that paved a way for the people of Israel. It became even harder for people living in Jesus day to keep the Law. In doing so Israel has lost the heart of the Law. They are trying to earn salvation on their own merit. Even for them looking forward to the cross they were not saved by their works, but by Jesus work. Matthew spends this entire chapter illustrating the missing of the heart of the Law. The heart of the Law is summed up in Jesus quote … “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” (Matthew 12:7b NLT).

 How can I apply this passage to my life?

• So where do you stand on keeping the Law? Are you focused on the strict observance of faith, or do you live understanding grace, understanding the heart of the Law. The Law still has importance for us today … it still shows and teaches us what God defines as sin. But we are not saved by keeping the Law. We are saved by the work of Jesus, the blood and life shed by Jesus. Jesus paid our ransom. Now that does not give us freedom to do whatever we want … by no means. Being saved by grace should make us appreciative of Jesus and what He has done for us. It should force us to live lives that honor Him in all aspects. So how are you doing at keeping the Law? Are you living it out of religious obligation, living as a Pharisee, or are you living it out of gratitude for the salvation you have?

October 9 – Matthew 12, Mark 3, & Luke 6

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Matthew 12, Mark 3, & Luke 6. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

What are you concerned with, the details or the overall project? I have a friend who was a jet engine engineer. Because of confidentiality agreements, she was not allowed to discuss the parts she designed. Regardless of her agreement, she did not know much about the other parts. She only really knew about the part she was responsible for and how it affected the other parts around her. This was done on purpose in part so one person could specialize on one part. Because of this she was oblivious to the other parts of the engine. When we focus too much on one aspect of something, we loose sight of the bigger picture.

That is exactly where the Pharisees where. They were focused on the letter of the Law and not the heart of the Law. The permission for priest to work on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:5), or David getting food for his men (Matthew 12:3-4), or saving a sheep from a well (Matthew 12:11) all point to the fact that God left room for heart in the Law over strict observance to the Law.

Are we guilty of this today? Do we look at what the life of a Christian is supposed to look like and demand it forgetting our freedom and salvation in Christ? Do we forget that we are saved by grace that nothing we can do will save us, and rely and trust on God for it? I am not advocating a life filled with sin because of that freedom, just a life that has assurance regardless of the mistakes we make. 

October 8 – John 5

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from John 5. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Too often we look at the Pharisees in negative light. Their actions give us many valid reasons to do so. In our reading today they looked at the man Jesus healed and gave this condemnation, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn't allow you to carry that sleeping mat!” (John 5:10b NLT) Too often they were more concerned about the letter of the Law than the heart of the Law. We give them a bad reputation for their hatred toward Jesus. In our minds, we think of them in completely negative terms.

However, as an honest man, I do have to give them credit where it is deserved. When they come to Jesus to harass Him for breaking Sabbath rules, they fully understand His claims. Jesus responds to their harassment by saying, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” (John 5:17 NLT) They were furious and wanted Jesus killed. In their reaction, they understood the claims Jesus was making.

We praise the Apostles for their ministries, and rightly so. But we often forget how much they struggled to understand Jesus and His claims. From very early in Jesus ministry the Pharisees understood the claims he was making. While they understood them, they certainly did not accept them. However, what it does show is that their education and study of scripture brought them to a point where they understood the rich claims Jesus was making.

How are you in your Bible reading and knowledge? Is it preparing you to be ready to see the evidence of God all around you? While they did not accept it, the Pharisees where prepared intellectually to understand the claims that Jesus was making. That is a valid lesson for us to learn and apply to our lives. 

March 19 – Deuteronomy 24-27

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Deuteronomy 24-27. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Last night I was lying in bed doing a bunch of reading. When I finished I decided to start looking at today’s Bible reading. As I was reading through it I came across Deuteronomy 25:11-12 and it stopped me in my tracks. If you do not know. the Bible does not hold back in any way. The Bible does not keep details back. If it happened or needs to be said it is said. I do not share this verse to be crass but to set up a discussion my wife and I had.

As Moses continues confirming various Laws that the Israelites are to live be he says in Deuteronomy 25:11-12 …“If two Israelite men get into a fight and the wife of one tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the testicles of the other man, you must cut off her hand. Show her no pity.” (NLT) Wow … can you see why I stopped in my tracks. I have read through here before but this verse did not stand out to me. For whatever reason, last night it did. Maybe it was reading it in the New Living Translation. However, no matter the translation (NIV – Private Parts, NASB – Genitals, KJV – Secret Parts) it still gets to the point. As soon as I read it, I got Crystal’s attention and read it to her. From there a discussion began.

A few jokes were made about the passage and then the heart of the conversation went to the idea of the Laws purpose in our lives today. Growing up I understood the Law to have been abolished because of Jesus death burial and resurrection. I think this understanding comes because of Jesus words in Matthew 5:17 … “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (NIV) For too many years I held onto the last part to fulfill the Law, and not the beginning part. I completely missed it when Jesus said he did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

So here is what I think this means … No longer does the Law save us. We are saved by our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We find salvation when we meet Christ in His death in the act of baptism. So what does the Law still do? The Law still teaches us what sin is …

Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. ~ Romans 7:7-12 NLT.

What was sin when the Law was poured out by God is still sin today. Does keeping the Law save us today? No! It never did. The Law was a covenant between God and his people … “Obey the Law, keep my commands and decrees and I will bless all people on earth through you ~ i.e. I will bring salvation to the world in Jesus through you my chosen people.” (Michael Dawson’s own understanding and paraphrase). Were some things specific to the Israelites? Yes! Things like the various sacrifices and offerings … Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice and atonement for sins. Did God himself abolish some? Yes! … He told Peter not to call anything unclean that he has made clean allowing him to eat food he could not before … I am thankful because I love bacon and pork barbeque. But what he called sin is still sin today.

So to wrap it up we are not bound by the Law. The Law does not save us. The Law teaches us what sin is. The commands and instructions are still a good thing for us to know and follow. They teach and instruct us how to live a holy God honoring life. But remember the Law does not save us. It is through faith in Jesus Christ and by the grace of God that we have been saved … “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 NIV.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

March 12 – Deuteronomy 3-4

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Deuteronomy 3-4. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Is the life we live a representation of the God we serve? Moses believed that obeying the Law of God, in essence living as God instructed revealed God … “Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?” Deuteronomy 4:6-8 NIV. Moses taught and believed that the way they followed God would represent God himself.

Let’s apply that thought to our lives … how does the way we live our life display God? Is your representation of God something you are proud of? Is your representation of God something that in all honesty you are ashamed of? If so, think about what steps you can take to display God in the awesome reality that he exists in.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

Rule Breaker!

Each day I will be posting from the daily Bible Reading plan we will be doing at West Side. On weekdays we will be going through the New Testament. On the weekends we will read passages from the Old Testament books of Psalms and Proverbs. We invite you to join along.

Have you ever had a brother, sister, or even your own child who always seemed to break the rules? So far reading through the book of Matthew I have felt this way about Jesus. In today’s reading (Matthew 12) it is no different. Here is Jesus and his disciples picking grain on the Sabbath. This is a no-no for any God fearing Jew. By the time Jesus lived the Law of Moses had been carried to the extreme.

The law did not permit anyone to perform any work on the Sabbath. They were to do all of their cooking the day before. By Jesus’ day they had begun measuring from their houses the distances they were allowed to walk without it becoming work. They had carried the letter of the law to the extreme.

But Jesus told us on the Sermon on the Mount that he came to fulfill the law. Later the Apostle Paul writes that we are free from the law because we are free in Christ. So what Jesus is doing here is foreshadowing and preparing his followers, especially his disciples, for the new life they will have after the cross and after the giving of the Holy Spirit. Today, we live with freedom in Christ that is only possible because of His work on the cross and his conquering of the grave.