Matthew 13-14, Psalm 127

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Matthew‬ ‭13:10-17‬)

Jesus teaches and preaches in parables. Why? Because they communicate well with his primary audience, the “ lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Either the meaning of a parable is plain for them to see, or the thought process evoked in them by a parable is straightforward.

But parables seem objectionable to those who think they know it all or have it all. They claim that teaching and preaching in parables is quaint to them or obtuse to them. The aren’t “buying” what Jesus is “selling,” so they make an excuse of Jesus’ use of parables, saying in effect, “We can’t understand a word you are saying. Stop speaking in riddles!”

In what ways and how often do Christians speak in religious jargon, “trying” to communicate?

Matthew 10-12

[Jesus says,] “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” Matthew‬ ‭10:23‬)

I’m not sure what this means. Jesus calls his disciples and gives them instructions. He tells them to preach, heal, exorcise demons, and raise the dead. He anticipates the resistance they will encounter and encourages them to persevere in the face of it. In the verse above he indicates that resistance will rise to the level of persecution and advises them to move rather than to defend their words, work, or thoughts. He tells them to minister among “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” and that the Son of Man comes before they will be able to complete the mission he gives to them.

Matthew doesn’t give any indication that the twelve go on their mission immediately. In fact “the disciples” accompany Jesus through events recorded in the next several chapters, though “the twelve” are not specifically identified.

This, I guess, is the sense in which the Son of Man comes: First, the Resurrected Christ comes to the women, then to the twelve, then to a host of others. Next, following the ascension of the Resurrected Christ, God the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, comes and indwells his disciples.

The ministry, the resistance, and the persecution that Matthew seems to have in mind takes place after the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. That is when they flee from persecution, and they preach, heal, cast out demons, and raise the dead.

And in what sense does the Son of Man come today?

Matthew 8-9, Psalm 126

I just noticed something: The Bible's book of Matthew, chapter 7, ends with the observation of the crowds who heard Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, namely that he taught as one who had authority. In Matthew, chapter 8, a series of events underscores the crowd's insight into Jesus' authority.

• In Matthew 8:1-4 Jesus exercises his authority over disease. He heals a man of leprosy, and by the way, sends the man to the recognized religious authorities, the priests, "as a testimony to them."
• In Matthew 8:5-13 Jesus shows his authority over disease again by healing a centurion's servant who is at some distance away. The centurion bears witness to Jesus' authority, since he is "a man under authority."
• In Matthew 8:23-27 Jesus displays authority over nature. He speaks to a storm and calms it. His disciples are amazed. They asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
• In Matthew 8:28-34 Jesus confronts demons and proves his authority over them. Two demon-possessed men are freed of their affliction
• In Matthew 9:1-8 Jesus heals and forgives a paralyzed man. Again the crowds who witnessed his actions were amazed: "When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man."
• Finally, Jesus confronts the authority of social and religious customs. In Matthew 9:9-12 Jesus says a word and Matthew the tax collector immediately leaves his lucrative business and follows Jesus. Later, by sharing a meal at Matthew's house, Jesus reveals his authority versus that of the Pharisees.

Here is a question for reflection, then: In what ways does my relationship with Jesus acknowledge his authority?

Matthew 5-7

These three chapters illustrate what is so challenging to me in reading through the Bible in one year. I have just finished spending several weeks reading through the prophets, whose message is simple: “You are being punished by conquerors, because you have been faithless toward God.” Now in Matthew’s gospel I read through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ rich and deep teachings, in a single day. It deserves more attention. I could study it for weeks, and I will. I could meditate on it for months, and I will. But the discipline of reading through the Bible in a year propels me into other scriptural material. But, enough of my complaint!

[Jesus says,] “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew‬ ‭7:7-8‬)

Be teachable! One doesn’t find the answers to life’s questions by being a “know it all.” Be proactive! One doesn’t even frame life’s most important questions through passivity, much less through sloth. Be curious! One may impress others by appearing disinterested, but one doesn’t go far in the things of God by ignoring those same things.

Matthew 3-4, Psalm 125

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Matthew‬ ‭3:1-3‬)

Again and again this gospel states how the Jesus Story fulfills the prophecies recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures. For example John’s preaching in the Judean wilderness fulfills the prophecy written in the Bible’s book of Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 3, and the gospel text pointedly says so.

The Bible’s book of Matthew also seems to be saying something more, namely that in Jesus God’s purposes for the Hebrew people are completed. Note these parallels:
- As the Hebrews pass through the waters of the Red Sea, so Jesus passes through the waters of baptism.
- As the Hebrews wander in the Sinai wilderness for 40 years, so Jesus fasts in the Judean wilderness for 40 days.
- As the Hebrews come into their own 12 tribal territories, so Jesus draws followers from all of the same regions while calling out his 12 disciples.

Matthew 1-2, Psalm 124

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. (Matthew‬ ‭2:3‬)

When foreigners begin to ask around the capital city about a new king’s birth the present king, Herod, becomes unsettled, because he doesn’t expect it. He has multiple wives, many sons, and many daughters, and he has plans for certain sons to take his place when he dies. But a newborn son? It isn’t part of Herod’s equation.

The verse of scripture above indicates that “all Jerusalem” is disturbed, too. I wonder what that means. Do the citizens know there is “hell to pay” whenever Herod becomes suspicious? The king eventually has one of his wives and three of his sons put to death for treason—real or imagined. Jerusalem’s inhabitants might well imagine a paranoid Herod threatening their own safety.

Are they distressed by a messianic hope signaled in the birth of this “new” king? Or are there other reasons why all Jerusalem becomes jittery at the appearance and activity of the sages from the East?

Christians accept that Messiah has come and is coming again to Planet Earth. How disturbed are we with that news?

Malachi 1-4

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” (Malachi‬ ‭3:10‬)

I get it. The law requires a tithe of people’s income to be given to the LORD’s storehouse. I also understand that people are blessed from heaven, as they give the tithe from their hearts. But it seems there is a danger here, too, namely the temptation to give the tithe not for the joys of obedience and faithful service to God, but for the hope of multiple, seemingly material, returns promised. It is one thing if I give in order to obey. It is another if I give in order to gain.

Zechariah 11-14

I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord. (Zechariah‬ ‭11:12-13‬)

These two verses from the prophet, Zechariah, prompt me to think of this:

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me. (Matthew‬ ‭27:3-10‬)

The term, “thirty pieces of silver,” ties Matthew’s Gospel and Zechariah’s prophecy together, yet the prophecy “fulfillment” in the gospel is attributed to Jeremiah the Prophet. What’s up with that? Somewhere along the line I suspect a conflation of interests, since one part of Jeremiah’s story involves his buying a field (Jeremiah, chapter 32) and another part involves his dealings with a potter and with pottery (Jeremiah, chapters 18 and 19).

Zechariah 7-10

...and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, “Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.” (Zechariah‬ ‭8:21‬)

This caught my eye. It reminds me that an invitation to do something is different from an invitation to do something together with the one issuing the invitation. In the latter the one issuing the invitation is investing both in the activity to do something and in the invitee.

How would it be if the citizens in your community took care to seek God and, as an integral part of their seeking, invited others to seek together with them?

Zechariah 4-6

Zechariah, chapter 4, begins with the appearance of an angel who “wakes up” the prophet, as if from sleeping. Frankly, the strange visions he sees seem like scenes from my worst nightmare, except that each vision is interpreted in the text. Meaning is assigned to each vision by the accompanying angel. In this respect Zechariah’s prophecy is more satisfying to me than others: I need not wonder about the symbolism, for it is given in the reading itself.

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah‬ ‭4:6‬)

How many of my life’s situations fit this verse of scripture! Some bits of wisdom have come to me, not by might nor by power, but by the Holy Spirit. Plenty of problems have been resolved, not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God. Brokenness mended, relationships restored, harmful habits healed—not by might nor by power, but by Spirit!

Zechariah 1-3, Psalm 123

Check this out:

Zechariah Introduction Video

Haggai 1-2, Psalm 122

I memorized this verse of scripture as a kid: I was glad when they said unto me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." (Psalm 122:1)

Are you happy when you go to public Christian worship, reader? Do you rejoice when you enter a building sponsored by Christians and used for meetings, ministry, and fellowship?

Zephaniah 1-3

“I will sweep away everything
   from the face of the earth,”
      declares the Lord.
“I will sweep away both man and beast;
   I will sweep away the birds in the sky
   and the fish in the sea—
   and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”

“When I destroy all mankind
   on the face of the earth,”
      declares the Lord,
“I will stretch out my hand against Judah
   and against all who live in Jerusalem. (Zephaniah 1:2-4a)

Here at the beginning of the prophet's message, there is no hope of restoration given. Instead, complete destruction is ordered: Everything will be swept away--all living things everywhere and all of humankind. It is a bleak picture.

In the last stanzas of Zephaniah, chapter 3, the prophet hints that the LORD's destruction may not extend to all things and all people, after all. People will return to Jerusalem--humble people. The lame will be rescued. The exiles will be gathered.

My patience is tried by this kind of writing. Is the first part, "Everything will be destroyed," an exaggeration or not? If it is an exaggeration, then perhaps the return, the rescue, and the gathering is an exaggeration, too! If it is not an exaggeration, if "Everything will be destroyed," is the order of the day, then the return, the rescue, and the gathering become impossibilities. 

Clearly the prophet's work is symbolic. It is intended to resonate with emotion, soul, and spirit, and today I just don't get it. 

 

Habakkuk 1-3

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2:14‬)

I long for this outcome: for God’s glory to be in the forefront of human awareness continually; every woman, child, and man open hearted, having the mind of Christ, breathing the Holy Spirit, eating the Bread of Heaven, and drinking from springs of Living Water.

Nahum 1-3, Psalm 121

The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭121:7-8‬) 

God keeps my essence unspoiled, as created. May illness impair me? Yes. May disaster befall me? Of course. May I suffer? Inevitably. May I die? Certainly. But the soul inhabiting the divine image in which I am eternally birthed lives. God sees. I go. I come. God was, is, and will be watching.

Thank You, God. Praise and worship to You, Holy One, Holy Three. Amen.

Micah 7, Psalm 119:145-176, Psalm 120

Who is a God like you,
   who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
   of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
   but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
   you will tread our sins underfoot
   and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be faithful to Jacob,
   and show love to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors
   in days long ago. (Micah 7:18-20)

There is a lot of grace indicated in these verses. Micah is marveling at his God, who has no equal in pardoning sin, forgiving transgression, showing mercy, having compassion, being faithful, and showing love. Yes, God wants the people to "shape up and do right," but the terms of God's grace don't seem to depend on that. In the face of the people's sin God's way is not never-ending punishment, but never-ending grace! Are the people to resist sin? Yes, but it seems a good deal of sin's defeat comes from God: "...you will treat our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Thank God for grace...

Micah 4-6

These chapters from the Bible's book of Micah contain some memorable verses. These:

In the last days
   the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established

      as the highest of the mountains;
   it will be exalted above the hills, 

      and peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
   “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, 

      to the temple of the God of Jacob.
   He will teach us his ways, 

      so that we may walk in his paths.” (Micah 4:1-2)

This one, referenced in Matthew's account of Jesus' birth:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

   though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
   one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
   from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)

And anyone desiring to know one's duty need not read any further than this:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
   And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
   and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Micah 1-3

Micah is yet another prophet to the Divided Kingdom of Israel (8th and 7th centuries, B.C.). As Micah sees it in the first three chapters of the book that bears his name, these are the glaring sins of God's people:

• Idolatry (Micah 1:7)
• Prostitution (Micah 1:7)
• Covetousness (Micah 2:2)
• Theft or robbery (Micah 2:2)
• Fraud (Micah 2:2)
• Oppression of women and children (Micah 2:9)
• Forsaking leadership (Micah 3:1-3)
• False prophecy (Micah 3:5)
• Perversion of justice (Micah 3:9)
• Venality and bribery (Micah 3:11)

Given their sin, it's a wonder that God would issue a word of hope through the prophet! (Micah 2:12-13) But there it is--a tiny bit of breathing room in an otherwise constricted place. Grace.

Jonah 1-4

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)

Jonah did not obey the word above. He went in the opposite direction. He sailed at sea. He was thrown overboard. He was swallowed by a fish, before he agreed to do as God instructed.

After Jonah did preach against Nineveh the people repented, fasted, and prayed. God saw their contrition and relented of the destruction announced by Jonah. Instead of being destroyed, the people of Nineveh lived and prospered, I suppose, much to the chagrin of Jonah.

He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:2-3)

I see a couple of possibilities why Jonah felt as he did. One is the possibility that Jonah, a Jew, disapproved of Nineveh, a gentile city and capital of the Assyrian Empire. If he could count on Nineveh's destruction, then he might have jumped at the chance to preach their downfall, but he could not, for Jonah knows God as gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, and inclined to relent from sending calamity. With a strong sense of disapproval Jonah had rather announce destruction to Nineveh and then see fire and brimstone rain down upon it!

Another possibility is that Jonah wanted to possess a 100% infallible reputation as a prophet. After all, the biblical test of prophecy is clearly stated:

You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

So, it's possible Jonah longed for biblical status as a prophet more than he longed for Nineveh's salvation. He didn't want to be caught proclaiming destruction in the LORD's name only to have destruction suspended.

But whatever--despite both the possibility of stoking Jonah's feeling of disapproval and the possibility of inflicting damage on his prophetic reputation, God showed compassion to Nineveh. God is The Compassionate God!

Amos 7-9, Obadiah

You should not gloat over your brother
   in the day of his misfortune,
nor rejoice over the people of Judah
   in the day of their destruction,
nor boast so much
   in the day of their trouble. (Obadiah 12)

The advice given here to the Tribe of Edom is worth consideration.  When others suffer misfortune, destruction, or trouble gloating, rejoicing, and boasting are out of order. Instead, compassion is in order. The Bible doesn't say so here, but elsewhere. Sympathy, aid, and assistance--these are the appropriate responses of a godly people to the tragedies of brothers, sisters, and yes, even enemies. 

Amos 4-6

There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
   and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times,
   for the times are evil. (Amos 5:12b-13)

I've contemplated these two sentences for a short time, and I am wondering what to make of the phrase, "the prudent keep quiet." The prophet does not keep quiet. Hearing and heeding his call from God, he boldly condemns oppression, bribery, and evil. So is the prophet imprudent, or is he using the term "prudent" in a sarcastic way? 

Here is another possibility: The times are so evil that, unless one is a God-called prophet, it wouldn't serve any purpose to advise, challenge, or condemn such widespread wrongdoing. Jesus said something akin to this in his proverb, "...don't throw your pearls to the pigs..." (Matthew 7:6), which I take to mean that one must consider one's audience when selecting wise words to be shared. I really don't care for this interpretation, because it feels like "giving up." "Things are so bad right now, I'll just keep quiet." Huh? 

How will the movement toward justice, righteousness, and peace begin, if not by sound advice, stern challenge, and bold encouragement? When did prudence equate to stifling plainly-spoken truth? I don't get it.

I suppose the prophet may be saying the prudent will wait for the movement of God before speaking in times like these. Be sure it's of God before taking action. Prayerfully discern God's desires; then go for it!

Amos 1-3, Psalm 119:121-144

This was pointed out to me years ago. Maybe you have noticed, maybe not. Amos is a shepherd from Tekoa who is called to speak a prophetic word for the LORD. He isn't a priest. He isn't a Temple prophet. He has no training in prophecy, but he has a call from God and a message from God.

Tekoa, several miles south of Jerusalem, lies within the land allotted to the Tribe of Judah. It would seem that Amos might be most qualified to speak to the condition of his own tribe, but that's not the way he begins. He begins by announcing God's judgment against Damascus north northeast of Jerusalem and not a Jewish territory. Then he turns to Gaza southwest of Jerusalem and not a Jewish region. One by one, he shares God's judgment against Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab, all non-Jewish principalities and opponents of God's people.

As he was prophesying in Israel, the northern Jewish kingdom, his listeners might have clapped when Amos began to denounce his homeland, Judah, the southern Jewish kingdom (See Amos 2:4-5). "Here is a true prophet," they may have said, "For he is not afraid to prophesy against his own people!"

Imagine their consternation, then, when he took up his last subject, Israel (See Amos 2:6-16). The LORD found the whole region faulty, sinful, and corrupt, so God's judgment fell on Israel no less than on all the others. Amos' method is clever for gaining a hearing, and it makes for an interesting piece of writing, as well. The prophecy exhibits both style and substance.

Joel 1-3

There are a lot of promises made to Judah and Jerusalem here—prosperity, peace, etc. forever. Are those promises being fulfilled? It’s hard to say. Both prosperity and peace can be relativized. “We are better off now than we were before.” “We aren’t in danger of a declared war, but we are under terrorist attacks.” And forever is a long, long time. I’d feel better about it if I could discern some kind of trend towards shalom.

Hosea 13-14, Psalm 119:73-120

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
   a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Hosea 10-12

“How can I give you up, Ephraim?
   How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
   How can I make you like Zeboyim?
My heart is changed within me;
   all my compassion is aroused.

I will not carry out my fierce anger,
   nor will I devastate Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man—
   the Holy One among you.
   I will not come against their cities.
They will follow the Lord;
   he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
   his children will come trembling from the west.
They will come from Egypt,
   trembling like sparrows,
   from Assyria, fluttering like doves.
I will settle them in their homes,”
   declares the LORD. (Hosea 11:8-11)

These verses seem to communicate a mixed message. In other sections of Hosea's prophecy God's people are judged, denounced, and sentenced. Here in these verses God's heart is "changed," and God's compassion aroused. Judgment is suspended. Repatriation and restoration are described as inevitable. I don't know whether to ask, "Which is it?" or "When will it happen?" or another question altogether.

Today, Jewish people from all corners of the earth have emigrated to the land of Israel, but the people are far from settled and at peace. 

Hosea 7-9

Ephraim is like a dove,
   easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,
   now turning to Assyria. (Hosea 7:11)

Apparently the leaders of the Tribe of Ephraim sought to maintain their power and position by making alliances first with one foreign power, then another, as it seemed beneficial to them in the moment. This strategy is called "political opportunism" or "political necessity," but Hosea named it naive, senseless, or as "flighty as a bird."

Hosea 4-6

[The LORD says,] "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6)

What does God want from us humans? Hosea 6:6 states God's preferential desires: mercy, not sacrifice and acknowledgment of God, not burnt offerings. Anyone who highly values the rituals of worship, take note: God is not pleased by our simply going through the motions of worship. God wants cross-shaped integrity in us--mercy toward one another and acknowledgement toward God.