Matthew 15-17
So... it really is day 22 and I just finished Mark, but my blog is waaay behind. I'm trying to catch up but weekend blogging almost rarely happens and I seem to just fall further and further behind.
It's all good though. Going back through it has been... therapeutic. Let's keep going with today's blog post.
-It's what comes out of a person that makes them unclean. This is one of Jesus' more interesting statement/dialogues.
The Pharisees are accusing the disciples of being unclean for not washing their hands before they eat. And Jewish tradition says wash your hands. Most people would agree that washing your hands is necessary before eating.
But for some reason the disciples are not eating with washed hands. And the Pharisees call out Jesus for allowing "uncleanliness" to enter the disciples.
Jesus makes a comment that almost completely ruins the Pharisees' way of life. He says that following traditions made by men over following the Words of God is sinful.
And the disciples in verse 12 crack me up... "Jesus, don't you know that was offensive to say to the disciples?"
I think so often I/we/the Church have our traditions that a "sacred." We can't miss our traditions. But really are they anything more than traditions?
Have you ever wondered when church became a building? Have you ever wondered why communion is so quiet and "sad?" Have you ever wondered why we have Sunday school? Have you ever wondered why we pass out bulletins?
Are any of these Biblical? Are any of them anything more than tradition? Churches are groups of believers in the Bible. They did not have buildings. In fact, they got stoned and tortured in religious buildings in the Bible.
Communion is a time of celebration of Jesus death, burial, and most importantly resurrection. Why do we treat communion as if we are in the cemetery placing flowers on Jesus' grave. He has no grave. HE IS ALIVE!!!
Sunday school was originally a time for churches to teach literacy by using the Bible as a form of evangelism. It is now a discipleship hour. It was never mentioned or even alluded to in Scriptures. Why does every church do it? Simply because every other church does it?
Bulletins. Are they anything more than another form of announcements? But once again, every church hands out bulletins. Maybe it is a souvenir for visitors to remember the church. There has to be some reason we keep that tradition alive. (Please don't tell me it is just to keep the club members attune (is that the right word) to the happenings of the "lodge." Then we become "Jesus group.")
- It's like deja vu all over again. Do you ever feel like the disciples would learn to trust Jesus? Here's the scene...
Jesus is teaching. It's late in the day. There's 4000+ people listening to Jesus. They are starting to get hungry. Jesus says "let's feed them." Sound familiar?
And what do the disciples do? They start to try to figure out how they are going to supply all these people food with some bread and fish. Seriously, they did it again. Some people never learn.
Wow... those disciples. Let me tell you. I can't believe that after everything Jesus is doing, they still don't get it. They still try to do it on their own. They still don't realize that Jesus has it under control.
The problem with the Bible is... me. It's too easy to read a passage and look at the disciples being idiots or whoever is not trusting God and saying "hey, idiot God is in control."
Then, I look at my life. And the saints that have gone before are looking at me saying "Hey, IDIOT God is in control!" (They yell at me... I'm much nicer to them then they are to me... because I need to be yelled at more)
Over and over and over and over again in my life I don't trust God. I try to do it my own way. I fail the tests. Sometimes it feels like I'm about to finish Kindergarten and then I fail an easy test.
Those disciples aren't idiots. They are human. Just like me... they don't get it. They are learning. They are growing.
And then, I love what comes next. They cross the lake and don't bring bread and Jesus says "beware of the yeast of the Pharisees." And guess what, they still don't get it.
Welcome to the real world, Brent. Maybe someday you will get it.
- Peter has the right theology, but living it out, that is another thing. Peter is an American Christian. He has to be. He is loud. He is a show off. He wants to be the best. He speaks without thinking. And here in Matthew 16, he plays a perfect American Christian.
Jesus asks the question "Who do you say that I am?" Peter jumps up first and yells... THE MESSIAH/THE CHRIST, the Son of God!!! You are the One! You are God in flesh!
And his theology is perfect. He knows exactly who Jesus is. He believes all the right things about Jesus. He makes one of the most beautiful declarations in the history of the world.
He knows that Jesus is the coming Messiah. He knows that Jesus is the Son of God.
And then, Jesus starts to talk about His death. And Peter (the word the Bible uses is) "rebukes" Jesus. And Jesus says "Get behind me, Satan."
Where does Peter go wrong? He knows the truth. He has the correct theology. But he doesn't live it out. He still is trying to tell the Son of God/Messiah how to be the Son of God/Messiah.
Crazy Peter... when will he ever learn.
And the scary thing is, this is American "Christianity." A bunch of people who know the right facts about Jesus, but it doesn't change their lives. They know the stories. They may have even prayed a prayer... but they are not changed.
Billy Graham once said that he would guess that about 5% of the church attenders in America are truly saved. How can he say that? Well think about it...
If you look like a apple, smell like an apple, taste like an apple, and feel like an apple... what are you? An apple.
If you look like the world, smell like the world, talk like the world, listen to and watch the same things as the world, dress like the world, and go to church on Sunday morning... what are you?
To verses that should keep you up at night... Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. And James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder.
Correct theology does not get you to God. Knowing the right facts about God does not get you into heaven. It is all about faith and repentance.
- You just saw Jesus revealed in all God's glory... DON'T TELL ANYONE!!! Here's the story... Jesus takes Peter, James, and John on a trip up the mountain. He leaves the rest of the disciples back "there."
They go up the mountain. Jesus starts to shine. Moses shows up. Elijah shows up. Peter, James, and John just stand/fall prostrate there watching and worshipping Jesus.
It is the most amazing thing that any of them have or will ever see. They just saw Jesus' "God-ness." And Jesus says... don't tell anyone.
I don't know what happened when they returned to the group. It must have been really weird to have this awesome secret. And it must have been really weird to be left at the bottom of the mountain wondering what is happening and then trying to figure out the secret.
No comments:
Post a Comment