Get outta here!

 Get outta here!

Reflection on Matthew 4:1-11

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A1-11&version=ESV

Be sure to attend a church this weekend. Perhaps, this reflection will apply to the reading of the day. Listen carefully for God's Word spoken through the pastor, priest, deacon, or minister, to apply in your walk with Jesus this week.

This passage is the Temptation of Jesus. Jesus having been baptized by John, in which the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove goes into the wilderness. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to search his heart and to test him.

That seems funny to me that the Spirit would lead Jesus to testing. I can understand the searching of the heart. After something significant takes place in my life, many times, I pause to pray, reflect and think upon the change that is happening to me and in me. But, to be tested? Well, maybe that's what the searching is really about... a testing of sorts. 

Major life changes, like marriage, death of a loved on, a new birth in the family, addictions, a new joy, selling or buying a major purchase like a car or house, retirement or career changes; cause us to stop and think. I stop and think about how I will be tested in this new situation that I'm about to enter.

I think this may have been how the Spirit was moving Jesus to search and be tested. But by the devil? Seems rather extreme. But, consider what Jesus was about to do. Jesus was beginning a ministry led by his Father that would change the entire course of creation as was known at that time. Life would be given to all people through the ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus' stark mission of salvation was before him now. A searching and a testing, were perhaps just what Jesus needed at that time.

Did Jesus need this searching and testing? I think maybe you and I are the reason that this passage is before us, not so much for Jesus sake, but for our sake, to observe temptation and get an idea of how to respond. God overcomes temptation, but me? Temptation is a tough one for me. I don't overcome. I need God to help and guide me in the face of temptation. And I fail at temptation often. 

So, into the wilderness Jesus proceeds, to search his soul and to be tested. Sounds a little like how God led the Israelites from Egypt into the wilderness to be tested. God leads me into the wilderness to teach and show me my sin and to teach me how much I need God. I can't survive in the wilderness on my own. I need God to lead and guide me through the wilderness to cross the river through the grace of God's love and salvation to live forever with him. I need God in the wilderness, through the wilderness and on the other side of the river. My life depends on God. Not on my own actions of saving my own skin. I wouldn't even be able to provide water or food for myself, let alone eternal life!

This temptation was a fork in the road, so to speak. In each temptation, Jesus has a choice to make. And, in addition, Jesus' temptation didn't end in the desert. Jesus was tempted throughout his ministry, suffering and death.

There's a little bit of set up to this temptation passage. In temptation, like with Adam, Adam becomes aware of his nakedness. Adam had sinned before God. Adam wanted to be like God and to have that great communion with God, but Adam went about it all wrong. Adam can't have communion with God because he does something to be like God. That's not how it works. God wants communion with Adam, but Adam didn't need to do something to get this communion. God gave communion to Adam because God wanted to, and Adam buying into Satan's temptation that Adam could be like God by eating a forbidden fruit, turned that communion with God all around. By eating the fruit, Adam thought his action would bring communion with God and he would be like God. That's the decision here. Adam didn't need to eat fruit. God already had given Adam and Eve life in Paradise. And life in Paradise didn't take any action of Adam's part or Eve's part. It was a gift from God. So in falling to Satan's temptation, death came into this world. Death and separation from God. 

So in Adam we have death. In Satan's testing, Adam lost it all but in Jesus temptation, Jesus regained it all. Both Adam and Jesus were men or human, but Jesus was both human and God. So, through a human in Adam came death and through a human in Jesus came life. God forgives.

Jesus was tested three times in the wilderness in this account. 

The first test was Doubt. Jesus, are you really the Son of God? If so, make these stones into bread and eat. Here Jesus refused the bread, but later Jesus would use bread to feed thousands of people. God can sustain life without bread or anything else. Jesus would use bread once again at the Last Supper to be his body, given for you and me, for the forgiveness of sin. So, Jesus overcame this temptation and he really showed Satan and all the world, that he was, and has been and will always be both man, and the Son of God.

The second temptation was about trust. Jesus, do you trust God? Well, sure. Jesus trusted the mission that the Father had given him. Jesus knew that this mission of salvation and the gracious gift of life for all creation would not come easy. Jesus was about to bring life out of death. His own suffering and death. Another fork in the road of decision. Jesus trusted the Father and the mission to bring life out of death.

The third temptation was about power. Who, Jesus, do you worship? Do you, Jesus, like Adam, worship your own actions? Well, sort of, but for a totally different reason. Adam worshipped himself. Jesus worships the Lord God, in that all salvation and life comes through God, not man.

And with this... Get outta here Satan! 

Jesus mission and call from the Father with the guidance of the Holy Spirit are clear yet difficult for even the man of Jesus but easy for God. 

So as you and I walk through the temptations in the wilderness of life and sin and death; I will look to Jesus in the wilderness. I will search my soul and think on my temptation testing. I will follow Jesus and trust in his power and grace to lead me, feed me, fill me with God's Spirit. Straight out of the water of my baptism, into my daily repentance of my sin, to trust in what God has done for me through the ministry, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, in order that I may live forever with God in his Kingdom, in communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit... today... tomorrow... and forever.

Lord, not my will, but your will be done. 

Thanks be to God!

You Jackass!

Matthew 5:21-37

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A21-37&version=ESV

Read it! You must... you are convicted as well as I!

Boy, oh boy, am I ever guilty of murder! I murder every day! 

In this passage Jesus convicts every one of us of sin. In just a couple of verses Jesus spells out how I murder, commit adultery, ruin marriage and lie. I'm guilty and Jesus reveals to me how, in my actions and thoughts, I deserve hell and eternal damnation. And, I'm not alone... You also are guilty of every one of these sins as well!

How many times in a day have I killed someone by my sneers and contempt? Idiot! Fool! Jackass! You no good two bit pea picking boneheaded yellow bellied sap sucking idiot you! Have you spread any gossip? Have you spread a lie? Have you lusted for someone? What inner thoughts have you had that convict you? 

Murder is a result of anger. And the anger of my sin both involves my flesh and my spirit. My desire is just as bad as my actions. 

Jesus in this passage reveals the harsh truth of the Law. I tend to scrub down the Law to make myself "OK" with the Law. It's easy for me to rationalize the Law and make myself "good," at least good in my own mind. But, Jesus in this passage points out my egotistic faults and declares me guilty! In this passage, Jesus expects perfection. 

I'm NOT perfect! Far from it! So, Jesus points me to repent, turn and realize that I need a Savior. I can't live up to these expectations. In these expectations, I certainly murder, lust, lie and ruin marriage. What about any other sins that I commit?

Even though I hate to hear these words of Jesus, I realize that Jesus does not contradict the Law. In fact, as Jesus points out my sins of murder, adultery, lies, lust, gossip and so forth; Jesus points me to the altar. I hear Jesus tell me to act now. To give up my inner thoughts to the altar. To praise the Law for convicting me of my sin and my sinful thoughts of thinking things are ok, or are not so bad. Sex outside of marriage, sex before, during with another person, cruel shouts of anger towards another person, lies, lies and more lies. All disgusting things for which I need to admit that I'm a sinner in need of God's grace and forgiveness. 

Oh how I need to repent! Repent, then look at that cross on which Jesus died. He bled and died and exposed my sin and the sin of all of us to give you and me, life. As we turn and see the blood on that cross, the black stains put there by us, the dried blood that Jesus died upon, we see sin, death and evil piecing the heart of Jesus, and our hearts as well. 

But look! Jesus put to death sin, our sin, Jesus didn't sin; so on that cross is my murder, my adultery, my lies, my evil... and yours. He did this so that we could live while he dies. In his death, that was it! That was it for sin. Jesus did it once and that was all that was needed. It's done! Sin is defeated! 

Huh! I still sin! I still do the stuff that I hate! Sure, but Jesus has taken care of my sin for me now and forever. I'm not in prison to my sin. I turn from my sin each and every day to face my Savior and follow him in his will and in his way. As I turn each day, Jesus grows in me and for me. I can choose life because Jesus took care of sin and rose again to new life. In my here and now, I can look heavenward to a joy that never ends with God. As I peer up at the cross, I see beyond that cross to a resurrection. I see the white and perfection of God. I see the heart of God beating within Jesus and me, alive... not dead... I see the blue sky of hope and joy of eternity with God. Even though my sin convicts me... there Jesus is on that cross dead, yet walking forth from the tomb to lead me to him. 

Jesus will come again and raise me to a new life, free from all sin, death and evil. Jesus will come again to raise me and all those that he has made righteous, to live fully as God intended.

So, I follow. I turn to Jesus from my sin, and I follow. Yes, I'm a sinner, but Jesus has already taken care of all of that for me. Do, I continue to sin? Yes... I hate it, as I should, but I can now live assured that sin is defeated. Not by me in my own rationalization, but by Jesus suffering and death and resurrection.

Thanks be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit... today... tomorrow... and forever! --- Amen

Salt and Light

 This weeks reflection on the Gospel for February 5th.

Matthew 5:13-20

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A13-20&version=ESV

This week I spent a little time each day reflecting on the above passage of scripture in preparation for the hearing of the Word this Sunday.

Once again, Jesus is teaching his disciples, including me and many others in this world. It struck me that Jesus wants me to be me. Sure, I look to Jesus, but I can't make the mistake that I need to be just like Jesus. God created me to be me, not Jesus. I need to realize and understand that I can't be Jesus anyway. That's ridiculous! My study this week showed me how God desires actions for him and my neighbors, but not piety and self righteous acts. Sure, seek to imitate Jesus but, not be Jesus. I'm me and God created me to be unique. Jesus is God, I can't, nor ever will be, God. That's not my place, nor ever will be, my place. Faith rests on the power of God... not me!

So, how am I to act as a disciple of Jesus? I can look to the Law of God, especially as the Law is revealed in the Old Testament. Jesus tells us that the Law remains the Law, He didn't come into this world to change the Law, but rather fulfills the Law. What does that mean?

As I look at the Law, I realize what a simple man I am. I realize that I can't keep all of the Law, I realize that my punishment is death and eternal damnation. I realize that I can't live up to this Law from God. But... as God and as Man... Jesus came into this world to live up to the Law in my place. 

God knows me. God knows my unique qualities and celebrates me being me. God loves me and each one that he has created so much that God took on the task of making each of us righteous in his sight, not by my good works or your good works, but rather by the good works of God himself in Jesus, in order that all of us may live in eternity with God. Jesus fulfills the Law.

So what? So, knowing that it's not about me, God permits me to be me and permits me to be a disciple of Jesus in the unique way that God calls me to action. I don't need to be Jesus. I can't be anyway. But knowing that Jesus fulfills the Law, I'm free from the impossibility of myself fulfilling the Law. I'm free to act out as God would have me act out. I'm free to be what God created me to be... Me!

This being salt and light thing releases me! Salt and Light must be useful and God makes me useful. I don't need to worry about being useful in and of my own action. God releases me to perform good acts from a pure heart for neighbor. Jesus frees me to be me, not because of my works. So, in this respect, when Jesus knocks on my door, he releases me to come out and play in this world in which he places me without worry. I am free to play with Jesus as his disciple in this world, knowing that Jesus has already done all that needs to be done to save his people.... you and me.

As I go into this world with Jesus, I can live today as if I was already living in the Kingdom of God to come. Jesus play, changes things. Acts are no longer about a good act, it's about the motive behind the act. My motive no longer has to be to fulfill the Law myself. My motive changes to be the one that follows Jesus. My motive turns to be the one that let's the Light of Jesus shine through me into the world.  

You see, now, with Jesus fulfillment of the Law, it's not about me, the Lamp, any longer. Rather, now, it's about the Light that shines in and through me. It's about Jesus, not me! How great is that!

Day to day I am free to play and witness. I don't need to be great. Jesus is great. What a burden lifted! So, prayer and discipline in the Word is a joy and a passion. When Jesus shines his Light through me, for me, it's an act of worship. All Light comes from God.

This whole deal of Jesus fulfilling the Law makes discipleship a true joy. It makes the evils of this world and the pain and the sorrow that I surely will still experience pale in comparison to what God has in store for me in his eternal Kingdom. It releases me and it releases you as well.

So, hear the Word in this passage. Feel the freedom to be a disciple of Jesus in this world in which we live, here and now, knowing that Jesus has overcome the evil and the death and the sin in order to bring you to everlasting life with him in eternity.

How great is that! Just be yourself... be salt... be the Lamp that let's God shine through to all the world. Thanks be to God... today... tomorrow... and forever.