So Close, Yet So Far Away
An encouraging excerpt from the text of this Sunday’s sermon.
….the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
….never slumbers or sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you! Psalm 121:3b-5a
Luke 7:24-35 (<<click to read the passage)
Recently I read a story about an explorer by the name of Guitan. He heard that there was a treasure in a cave just off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was a long journey but, regardless, he hired men to sail with him in pursuit of said treasure.
The voyage was replete with unexpected difficulties – storms and rough seas. The lost so much of their food and supplies that they despaired of reaching their destination. He wrote in his diary nearly every day in regard to the perils they faced.
One by one his companions perished due to lack of sustenance until eventually in 1598 Guitan and one of his sailors reached the shore. They were the sole survivors of their quest. They were so weak from lack of food and dehydration that their strength was nearly gone.
As they drug themselves to the cave, which they could see in the distance, the remaining sailor died and only by sheer determination did Guitan forge ahead. But to no avail, his last diary entry was from the entrance to the cave, it was one sentence long, and it said, “So close, yet so far away.” And there he died, within a few feet of the treasure for which he had given his life.
In today’s passage from Luke’s Gospel, we see where the common people – people who were often considered the dregs of society – embraced John’s message and repented. While the Pharisees and experts in the Law rejected his teachings. The common people, through John’s teachings, were ready to see Jesus for who He was – the Messiah! The religious leaders “rejected God’s plan for them” and in turn rejected the Messiah!
They saw Jesus, they witnessed his touch upon those who had no hope – physically or spiritually, they interacted with Him, they spoke to Him, they heard Him speak. They were so close to Jesus, yet so far away. The treasure of the ages was within their grasp but instead, they clung to their petty power and prestige, which went to the grave with them.
Lord Jesus, may we seek the treasure found only in You. May we set aside worldly reward, and may we lay hold of the prizes of Your kingdom! Amen.
Mar 4th, 2020, Wed, 12:37 pm
Doubt
I am grateful that You understand my limitations, Father. I feel that I am often repetitive in my prayers to You. But You understand. You know my heart regardless.
Luke 7:18-23 (<<click to read the passage)
Doubt. Don’t we all doubt at some point in time? For that matter, we probably have doubts on a fairly regular basis. Usually, we don’t bat an eye about our doubts but when someone doubts us? Now that’s a whole different story! That is a sure way for someone to get our dander up and ready to fight, don’t you think? We don’t like others questioning our motives or actions.
So, to quote the key phrase in Charles Sheldon’s, In His Steps, “What would Jesus do?”
Today’s passage deals with John the Baptist’s questions to Jesus. Matthew’s telling of this same incident (Matthew 11:1-19) makes it clear that John is already in prison. He gave his all in completing the task given to him by God, in being the forerunner of the Messiah. God enabled him to stand strong and to not be swayed by any man, regardless of their power and position. And because of the stance he took, he found himself in the clutches of Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee.
He had to have known that his days were numbered and wanting to assure himself that he had completed his task, he sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” v19
Doubt. He was faithful and soon his life would be forfeit…had it been worth it?
Did Jesus bristle at the question? Did He get His dander up? Did His anger flare and did He launch into defending Himself? Nope…He didn’t even flinch…not even a little.
He said to them,
“Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard – the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” vs22-23
In essence? “Rest assured John. Your labors have not been in vain. See? The things the Messiah was to accomplish, I have accomplished. Oh, and one more thing, hang in there, don’t give up, God’s blessing is just around the bend.”-
There should be no guilt in asking questions, even when they are tinged with doubt. We serve a mighty God. My Life Application Study Bible has this to say,
“God can handle our doubts, and he welcomes our questions. Do you have questions about Jesus – about who he is or what he expects of you? Admit them to yourself and to God, and begin looking for answers. Only as you face your doubts honestly can you begin to resolve them.”
Amen!
Mar 3rd, 2020, Tues, 12:37 pm
What Is Outside, Shouldn’t Change What Is Inside
Father, on this drippy day two hymns come to mind, There Shall Be Showers of Blessings and There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today. All of Your gifts are blessings and regardless of what is outside, it shouldn’t change what is inside of me! Praise Your Holy Name!
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Well, as I reached for my Bible, I can’t help but think, “Oh my, it’s sure getting a little ragged!”
The dust jacket has worn thin on the edges and has worn through in quite a few places. A couple of the corners has worn down to the cardboard core of the cover. The spine is coming apart and at the top has actually ripped. Some of the pages are curled on the edges. Yep, my Bible is most certainly used but definitely not abused! And once again, what is outside has no effect whatsoever on what is inside!
Over the ages, many have tried to eradicate God’s Word, but they have failed because His Word is eternal! The Old Testament prophet Isaiah proclaimed,
“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)
Jesus Himself said,
Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. Matthew 24:35 (NLT)
I can’t help but think about how through history some cultures have diligently attempted to rid their people of its presence but no matter how hard they try, they could not erase it from the hearts and minds of those who had it written on their hearts and minds.
Many have devoted years to trying to disprove its authenticity and relevance…but to no avail.
Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5 (NLT)
The Word of God gives us a firm place on which to stand. It is always new, though we read it over and over again. God can bring a new application to light and we end up saying, “I’ve never seen that before!” or things that were just beyond our comprehension, we can now see clearly!
Lord Jesus, may we use Your Word to draw us closer to You – the Author of it all!
The B-I-B-L-E
Yes, that’s the book for me
I stand alone on the Word of God
The B-I-B-L-E
Mar 2nd, 2020, Mon, 12:28 pm
Compassion
Loving Father, I am regularly amazed at how You can take something that I have a certain amount of hesitancy about and use it in a way that touches people’s hearts. It is a great reminder and encouragement for me to know that I am certainly cherished by You but though I may feel limited and limiting, You still get Your word out! Praise the Almighty King!
Luke 7:11-17 (<<click to read the passage)
I know what compassion means but looked it up anyway. When I typed in the word “compassion”, this came up on Google.
What does it mean to have compassion?
If someone shows kindness, caring, and a willingness to help others, they’re showing compassion. This is a word for a very positive emotion that has to do with being thoughtful and decent. … When you have compassion, you’re putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and really feeling for them.
I don’t know about you, but I felt that that explanation fell a little flat. …being…decent? …really feeling for them? Yeah, but…
Further down the page were this question and answer.
What is the biblical meaning of compassion? (emphasis mine)
Compassion alludes to kindness and sympathy, but there is something deeper, something even more profoundly powerful, in its meaning. … The Bible talks of a God who has compassion for Israel. It tells of a Savior who suffers for the world, and it asks us to live and act compassionately. (This is from Compassion International’s website.)
In reading through today’s passage, the line that caught my attention right off was
When the Lord saw her [a widow whose only son had died], his heart overflowed with compassion. NLT (emphasis mine)
As I have stated before, God’s word speaks more clearly than anything I could ever write. Here are more verses that speak of our Lord’s compassion to us. (These and many more can be found on the Compassion International link above.)
And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” Exodus 33:19 NIV
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 NIV
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:8-9 NIV
Yes, the Lord has great compassion for us, but we also have a responsibility to show it to others.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 NIV
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2 NIV
Lord Jesus, may we wholeheartedly embrace Your compassion for us all and may we, like You, purposely, graciously be about sharing it with all we meet. Amen.
Mar 1st, 2020, Sun, 5:37 pm
Break Down the Barrier!
Thank You, Father, for a profitable day! With the blessing of a snow day, I was able to finish up the PowerPoint for Sunday, worked on my sermon some and finished up some online testing for school staff. Thank You for Your direction and watchful eye. May I do what is pleasing to You. Amen.
Luke 7:1-10 (<<click to read the passage)
Our world is so divided! And our country is, as well… It is certainly disheartening. But as King Solomon wrote almost 1,000 years before Jesus’ birth in Ecclesiastes 1:9 (AMP),
That which has been is that which will be [again],
And that which has been done is that which will be done again.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
So, it is nothing new. Only when Jesus Himself ushers in the new heaven and the new earth will there be true harmony, peace, and love (Revelation 21:1-7).
My Life Application Study Bible calls attention to the fact that “this passage marks a turning point in Luke’s account of Jesus’ ministry.” Looking back over the first six chapters of his Gospel we see that Jesus interacted solely with the Jewish people. But who are the primary characters in this interaction from Jesus’ life? …some respected Jewish elders, a centurion (a Roman military officer commanding a hundred men), and a highly valued slave. What is their only commonality? The fact that they were human beings created by a loving God – not one more thing. Their lineage, their upbringing, their status in society, their religious backgrounds…all very different.
Yet here they are, every single one of them, living out their lives in an epic story…which all circled around the Creator Himself!
Jesus ably sidestepped every single obstacle, right to the dying man’s need. And, at least at this point in time, no one barred His way. His will was made know in spectacular fashion!
So, back to our world. How do Jesus’ actions impact our actions? Are we stymied by the barriers that are literally around every corner – lineage, upbringing, status, religion? Now that is a challenge!
But should it be? My Study Bible goes on to say,
“Jesus was no respecter of artificial divisions, and we should follow his example. Reach out to those whom Jesus came to save.”
Can we embrace that challenge instead? In Jesus there are no divisions; we are the originators of them all. We erect the walls that divide us.
The Apostle Paul hit the nail on the head in Ephesians 2:14 (AMP),
For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups — [Jews and Gentiles]—into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall [of spiritual antagonism between us]…
Lord Jesus, may we bring this to fruition in our lives this day! Amen!
Feb 27th, 2020, Thurs, 7:30 pm