Today’s reading finds Jacob and his sons that reside with him amidst a severe famine. Their sheep, donkeys and money can not create food for them, so now they must turn to Egypt for help. It seems their lives have gone on after the conniving actions they took against their younger brother Joseph. Though they may have some guilt, Jacob has continually bore the pain of losing his favorite son.

So Jacob sends 10 of his sons to get food from Egypt, and when they get there Joseph immediately recognizes them yet they don’t recognized him (there are quite a few years in between these two events).

What is heart warming about this text is the recognition of sin in the lives of the 10. They realize that they are wrong. They realize that God will not let their sin go unnoticed, but what they have not realized is that God has already provided a substitute for them. Joseph being innocent has already suffered and has been elevated to highest office possible in Egypt. God as always has provided a ram for Himself. His promises to Abraham will not prevented, even in adverse circumstances.

After hearing their repentance Joseph weeps. He is broken by his brothers sins and excited that he has been reconciled. He must have thought throughout these years what was his purpose. Was he only their to pepetuate the Egyptian dynasty and go to his grave alone as an Egyptian? No, he is has provided a way of provision for his family, although through hardship.

We see reconciliation and repentance. But to make this practical, we need to think about our lives. If we are in Christ we have repented and have been reconciled and God has also provided Himself a lamb a sacrifice who was also innocent and this was His Son. The one He loves. He bears the suffering on our behalf and we get the provision that only He can make possible. But even more we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. God did not place Joseph in the high position of Pharaohs right hand so that he can eat, drink and be merry. God used Jacob to fulfill His purpose and plan to bring His promise to His people. Joseph could have easily gave them the food and not compromise His position and person. But He didn’t. And neither should we. God has given us a ministry of reconciliation. We are now ambassadors for Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).  And we too can be used to reconcile our friends and family to the one true God.

However, Joseph’s position came by his uprightness in his moral character and his integrity. When presented with opportunities to get over, he did not. When presented with sexual immorality he fled, when given the opportunity to use his gifts to get out of prison he passed them along to the his fellow prisoners and they got free and even when they were free he never yelled about how unfair that was. He entrusted himself to God and God gave him the ultimate victory. We will have to do the same if we are to present the ministry of reconciliation. We will have to have upright moral character and integrity. This may cause us to be falsely accused, ridiculed or even persecuted at some length, but Jesus says ” a servant is not above His master…”. Jesus experienced this and so will we from time to time.

As we transition into our New Testament reading Jesus is speaking of the value of the Kingdom of Heaven. He uses the simile literary style.  We see from yesterday that the Kingdom is a seed that is thrown but only a few will bear fruit. It is also like leaven that permeates, a valuable item in which all is sold to pursue and finally it is like a net which may catch a lot of things  yet only some of them will be good, while the others will be discarded. The Kingdom of Heaven in these instances is the Good News. We are to sow it like seed, and let God deal with the soil, we are to let it permeate our lives, it (He) is to be valuable enough to sale everything we have and we are to cast it out and God will do the work of separation (we are not to choose which people get the message, it is God’s kingdom He will decide who gets in and who does not).

Again this is the ministry of reconciliation. The Good News of Jesus Christ. We are the sowers, we are the person who found the treasure it is the leaven in our lives which permeates every part and we are to be fisher of men.

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January 12, 2010 Daily Reading

Jacob (whose name means “deceiver”) continues to prove that he was named correctly. And, his father-in-law and wives join in. Laban deceives Jacob concerning his daughters (Genesis 29:21-25). The daughters react to one another’s children with jealousy (Genesis 30:1; Genesis 30:9). Then Jacob took steps to make sure that his flock increased while his father-in-law’s did not (Genesis 39:40).

Doesn’t sound like a great family, does it? It sounds like living in the middle of a den of wolves. In reality, they were simply living as the world around them, by watching out for themselves regardless of the hurt caused to others.

Yet, somehow, God worked his plan through (and in spite of) their self-destructive and family-destructive activities.

This leads us to our New Testament reading for today. At the end of this passage, Jesus tells his disciples that he is sending them out “as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves”  (Matthew 10:16). Jesus expected his followers to understand the ways of the world, but to live in a way that was drastically different. They were to live with God and others as the focus of their lives.

To understand this, we have to begin in the previous chapter, where Jesus points out to his followers (disciples) that there are many people in need of a shepherd. He then tells them to pray that God would provide “workers” to go to those people (Matthew 9:36-38).

Imagine the surprise (shock-and-awe) on the face of those same disciples when Jesus then tells them that THEY are the answers to their own prayers (Matthew 10:5). Jesus sends them out to those in need of a shepherd. He tells them to proclaim the good news of the kingdom and to heal the sick, the same work that they had seen him doing since they began following him (for example, see Matthew 4:23 and Matthew 9:35 for summaries).

But, they were not going on their own initiative or by their own authority. They were being sent by Jesus and by his authority. He called them out, he gave them authority, and then he sent them (Matthew 10:1-5). He sent them to proclaim the good news that Jesus is the Messiah and the kingdom of God is here, to teach one another how to live as citizens of that new kingdom, and to care for another through healing, serving, or whatever else is necessary.

Jesus still calls us out of the world, gives us authority, and send us back into the world, not to live as the world does (like Jacob and his family) but to be a different kind of kingdom – to understand the ways of the world, but live in the ways of God. (For further reading, see Matthew 28:19-20, John 20:21, Acts 1:8)

A Little Greek

πορευόμενοι δὲ κηρύσσετε λέγοντες ὅτι Ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε: δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε. (Matthew 10:7-8)

There are five commands (imperatives) in this sentence. The first four commands are given without explanation: proclaim, heal, raise, make clean, and cast out.

However, the last command is given with an explanation: “You received freely; give freely.” Certainly, the idea of “freely” includes the concept of receiving and giving without requiring a fee. But, it goes beyond that. But, this word also carries the connotation of “without cause or without reason”. (For example, see John 15:25.)

Jesus was telling the disciples to serve those who could not pay them and, even more, who did not deserve to be served.

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From nervousness, to confusion, even looking at what others have written here, preparing a devotional read for the following bible texts was interesting.  Many thoughts paraded my mind because writing this seemed like a major life changing event for me.  Life changing, how could writing a devotional seem life changing?  The content was preparation for a devastating phone call I got later on about a person I’ve shared Christ with.  When faced with big life changing events in our lives, what should be the focal point of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ?

In Genesis 23, Abraham faced a big life changing event; the death of his wife Sarah.  Chapter 24 describes more of life’s challenges as Abraham’s chief servant takes a pledge to find Isaac a wife, among Abraham’s kindred and country.  I’m sure this guy had to be a little frightened by such a big task at hand.  Then Isaac meets his wife Rebekah, another big life changing event.

Matthew 8 makes it more evident, a leper in need to be clean from his leprosy, another desiring to go with Jesus anywhere, Peter’s mother-in-law who lay sick, and even a man possessed with demons coming into contact with Jesus Christ.  Oh yes, these are serious, life changing circumstances.  These things have the potential of producing fear, depression, frustration, nervousness, while looking to others for help.  There has to be direction which the believer in Christ can turn to.  There is!  That direction is to FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST, to follow God Almighty.

Genesis 24:12, Abrahams servant sought for this direction.  He prays to the Lord of his master to show him basically the direction in which he is to go, where to follow God at.  In verse 22 of Matthew, a similar direction, Jesus Christ admonishes a disciple to follow after Him.  Akoloutheō is the transliterated word for ‘follow’ in Matthew 8 text.  Taken from alpha (Christ as the beginning) and keleuthos (a road) it means to be a follower or companion, to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him.  Jesus Christ had prophesied to Peter about how his devoted life for Jesus would glorify God in death (definitely life changing); to which Jesus ends which the command to FOLLOW HIM (John 21:18-19).

Of course great multitudes followed Jesus coming down from the mountain in Matthew 8:1, but a leper was indeed in need of a life change.  Being faced with desperation, he worshipped Jesus and asks to be clean, and then Jesus gives him clear direction of a command to follow (v4).

When life throws a curve ball at you or a left hook, follow Christ.  Follow God by remembering His Word, praying and keeping your mind sober of things of this world (1 Peter 1:13).  When Sarah died, Abraham had to have been shaken.  The text says he came and wept for her (Genesis 23:2).  He experienced a real life changing event in the death of his wife. I think what would I do if my wife died (Lord help me!!!!)  Abraham followed God, we see that as he works out to find a burial place for his wife, and then in Chapter 24 get’s back to following the Lord’s promise from Genesis 12:2.  He sends his servant to search for Isaac a wife.  When there seems life has no direction, no way to turn, and even no way coming out:  FOLLOW CHRIST.  God bless and think on these words of scripture:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

encouragement