by Roseanna White | Mar 18, 2016 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
We’re officially in the home stretch of the reading challenge! One week to go!
Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It
would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and
he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these
little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,[a] rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,[b] saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Faith and Duty
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 So the Lord said, “If
you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey
you. 7 And
which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to
him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to
eat’? 8 But
will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and
gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward
you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.[c] 10 So
likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are
commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our
duty to do.’”
It’s important to keep in mind her that we’ve learned what faith “as a mustard seed” is already–not small, but something that starts small and then grows exponentially into something sturdy, strong, big, and sheltering. What I’d never really noticed about this passage is that the second part tells us how to have such faith–by serving. By doing the will of God.
Ten Lepers Cleansed
11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
The Coming of the Kingdom
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’[d] For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’[e] Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They
ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until
the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed
them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
31 “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”[f]
37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?”
So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
Another something I never noticed. Jesus answers their original question very quickly: “The kingdom of God is inside you.” It’s already here. It’s come when Jesus came. We are to live that kingdom, expand that kingdom every day.
But then he goes on. He says, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.” But the desire will lead you to want to believe it, which will make people lie to try to deceive you. I’d never caught before that the warning stems from the desire.
by Roseanna White | Mar 17, 2016 | Bible Study
He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So
he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an
account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
3 “Then
the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is
taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures[a] of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures[b] of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So
the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.
For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the
sons of light.
9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail,[c] they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
13 “No
servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.”
I don’t recall ever being baffled by this one before, so maybe it’s just that I’m reading it before my morning coffee, LOL, but . . . this passage is confusing me this morning. He tells us to make friends with unrighteous mammon (I’m assuming that’s money?) and be faithful with it so that we’ll be trusted with true riches.
I had to actually read a commentary on this, which I generally avoid, but I’m glad I did here. The word for “unrighteous mammon” is a Syriac term, not a Greek or Hebrew term, referring to a god worshiped as wealth personified, often gained through dishonest means. Said commentator says the “by” is better translated as “with,” as in using. Make friends using ill-got means–i.e., do good with it, use it to serve others rather than yourself, and when it fails (some Greek texts read “when you fail” others “when it fails.” I think “it” makes much more sense here!) you will find a better reward.
The Law, the Prophets, and the Kingdom
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You
are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.
For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of
God.
16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.
18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell[d] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “Then
he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I
am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But
Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted
and you are tormented. 26 And
besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so
that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from
there pass to us.’
27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead. The Pharisees have the Law, but though they’ve read the letter and added their own letter over the year, they’ve missed the spirit of it. They’ve missed that they should first and foremost love God and serve Him. So if they have deafened their ears to that truth, they won’t hear Jesus either, even though he rises from the dead.
by Roseanna White | Mar 16, 2016 | Bible Study
Luke 15
Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is
lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I
say to you that likewise there will be more Joy in heaven over one
sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no
repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,[a] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is Joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And
not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed
to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But
when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “And
he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off,
his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and
kissed him. 21 And
the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your
sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring[b] out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And
he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him
safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his
father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never
transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a
young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
I didn’t really expect anything new to jump out at me in the prodigal son story–I mean really, how many times have I read/heard this??–but it did!
First was that he came to himself when the wayward son is feeding the pigs. That he knew this all along. The truth was buried deep inside. He knew the way. He knew the good. He knew what he ought to do. He’d just been ignoring it. Now, obviously this wouldn’t have been true had he not been a son of the house. Had he not already known his father, his father’s love and mercy, how graciously he treated even his servants. So as a parable go, it really does apply more to those who grow up hearing about God than to those are introduced to him later in life.
But what jumped out at me next is about the son who stayed. He refused to go in to the banquet. He was standing there, looking at the reward, looking at the celebration, and he refused to go in because it had never been offered for him.
I get pride. This makes perfect sense for me. I mean, there I am toiling and working for the man, and then my pipsqueak, stupid brother shows back up after having wasted years and dollars, and he gets a party? Yeah, angry pride is easy to understand here.
But . . . but why did he want a goat? To make merry with his friends. He doesn’t even refer to his brother as his brother, but as “this son of yours.” This dude may be the heir of all that’s left, but he doesn’t have the same heart that his father does, right? Where is his gladness that his brother’s alive? Where is his love? Where is his graciousness? Where is his mercy?
Yes, I get pride–and I know it’s a failure. Because as long as it fills your heart, it keeps you standing outside, looking in at all that God has in store for you.
by Roseanna White | Mar 15, 2016 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
Now it happened, as He
went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread
on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”[a]
4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey[b] or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
Something interesting to note is that Jesus was still honoring the Sabbath, right? He wasn’t out plowing the fields or building a house on the Sabbath. He wasn’t doing the work of man–he was doing good, doing the work of God. Every time Jesus reinterprets a commandment, he doesn’t make it less. He makes it more. Do not commit adultery or even look at someone with lust. Do not murder or hate. Remember the Sabbath and do God’s will on it.
Take the Lowly Place
7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “When
you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the
best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and
he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this
man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But
when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when
he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’
Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table
with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When
you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers,
your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and
you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
I love this advice. It’s such simple instruction on how to be humble . . . and on how to keep from being put to shame.
The Parable of the Great Supper
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread[c] in the kingdom of God!”
16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord
began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of
ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So
that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the
master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly
into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”
Leaving All to Follow Christ
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If
anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be
My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or
what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down
first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who
comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Not exactly the promise we share with “seekers” is it? “Come follow Jesus and leave behind everything you loved before!” We tend to focus on the His burden is light side of things. And His burden may be . . . but the point remains that He doesn’t ask for just a bit of us. He asks for all of us.
Tasteless Salt Is Worthless
34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
by Roseanna White | Mar 14, 2016 | Uncategorized
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
I’m always amazed (and not in a good way) when I hear about churches today who preach that anything you suffer is because of sin in your life. Have they just not read these passages? Bad things happen–but not only to people with terrible sins.
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then
he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have
come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does
it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[a] you can cut it down.’”
He is so patient with us! But the ultimate outcome is always the same: we must bear fruit or be cut down.
A Spirit of Infirmity
10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 But
the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had
healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on
which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not
on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite![b] Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So
ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has
bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the
Sabbath?” 17 And
when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and
all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by
Him.
Just makes an “Amen!” want to come out, doesn’t it?
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large[c] tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
20 And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures[d] of meal till it was all leavened.”
The Narrow Way
22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When
once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you
begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open
for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where
you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 There
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves
thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
31 On that very day[e] some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”
32 And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’ 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
34 “O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those
who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly,[f] I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”[g]
I’m kind of amazed that we have Pharisees warning Jesus here–evidence that not all were whitewashed tombs; some respected. Some believed.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.