March 21, 2013
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 19:25-30
OBSERVATIONS
Salvation (being reconciled to God and restored to life in God’s forever family) is impossible for us to accomplish – no amount of religious activity out good deeds will address the real problem. Only God can do this… and He has, through Jesus!!!
Peter is still thinking in worldly terms, Jesus speaks of rewards that go way beyond wealth in this life. How do we compare the two, there’s no comparison.
The disciples need their worldview changed, they imagine that the rich and powerful are at the top of society (after all, they’re blessed); if they can’t be saved, then who can?
Jesus stresses again that in God’s better world, the rich and powerful (the first) give way to the weak and marginalized (the last). Even the twelve disciples will experience being last (persecution and suffering) before receiving the eternal reward.
What do you notice in this passage?
APPLICATION
God’s system of value and priority in His better world is so different from ours.
For God, love and humility are valued more than wealth or success. This is what makes Jesus’ message so powerful, yet so challenging.
Again and again Christians twist Jesus’ message so that they can be rich and righteous, successful and saved, comfortable and comforted. How unlike Jesus and His message we have become… what about me?
What motivates me, do I sense God’s radical love and generosity overflowing in me?
I need my own worldview changed, is my perspective that much different from Peter’s?
Jesus is talking about radical faith and love, what would it take for me to exhibit this kind of radical faith and love?
If I really understood what Jesus meant by heavenly rewards, maybe that would motivate me. If I sensed that God would use my love and generosity to bless and save many people, so that they to would receive eternal life, would that inspire me, make me willing to deny myself for their sake, become last to help them become first?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, once again I am being challenged to rethink my faith. Help me to go beyond rethinking, help me to move towards living it!
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
Well, the disciples were thinking what I was thinking yesterday. Who then can be saved? If I cannot be saved because I am rich then I am doomed. But Jesus answers them, It is impossible for man, but with God all things are possible. I want to be with God.
Jesus has another of those “I tell you the truth” statements. I believe these were the old “Verily, verily I say unto you” type of statements. I cannot remember the last time I used the word verily in everyday language. But I digress… “At the renewal of all things, when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne” gives us a glimpse into what will be. There will be a renewal of all things. I take this to mean that earth will be refurbished and made new. I do not know how this will look like, and what our role will be in this. I do know that Jesus will be in charge. I am sure that this will be a glorious time, and that this is not talking about a chair (throne) that is glorious. There is also discussion here about the twelve tribes of Israel. It was not until later that the non Jews were brought into the kingdom. There are stories of people coming into the Jewish faith as outsiders, but mostly the story of salvation, and being one of God’s people was tied into being a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There is no talk in these verses about the destiny of future of people outside of these people.
What do I do for the sake of Jesus? We are given a promise, as part of a verily verily statement that people who leave possessions and relationships behind for the sake of Jesus will get back one hundred fold, as well as eternal life. We are not told if this one hundred fold is in this life or a future promise. Another repeated concept here is that of the first being last, and the last being first. I need to learn to accept that others are better at things than I am. I need to be humble, and work for the kingdom with others in a co-operative and below the radar way. This is hard for me. I pray that I can understand what Jesus is saying here, and that I can know what it means for me. These verses have some hard challenges in them, but they also hold some major promises.