Friday, Aug. 30

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And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”  - John 8:7-11

What a beautiful picture!  A guilty woman finds herself forgiven and set free!  

Notice how Jesus calls her “woman”.  This is the same word He used to address His own mother in John 19:26, “Woman, behold your son!”  Jesus addresses her, not as an object of scorn, but as an individual of dignity and value in the eyes of God.  Who knows, this may be the first time in her life a man has spoken to her in this way.

Jesus also calls her attention to the fact that she has no human accusers. He has dismissed the jury; their malice has disqualified them to serve.  Even today if you are arrested for a crime, and nobody appears in court to accuse you, the judge will dismiss the case. So Jesus dismissed these men.

But then come these amazing words: "Neither do I condemn you." He alone had the right to condemn this woman. He was the Sinless One, the only One who fulfilled the qualifications to stone her. But he did not do so.  How could Jesus just dismiss her sin like that?  Did Jesus just God never waves his hand and dismisses sin as though it is of no account. His own truth, his law, his holy character, demand that sin be punished.  So, again, how could He just say that He doesn’t condemn this woman when she is a sinner?  

The only way, is if Jesus Himself is going to pay the penalty for her sin.  Her sin will be punished by death, but it won’t be hers, it will be the death of Jesus Himself!  

The cross is always an eternal event in the mind of God. The sins of the people who lived in Old Testament days were also forgiven on the basis of the death of Jesus on the cross. There is no other way that God can forgive sin. In anticipation of that cross, Jesus forgave her sin. The proof of it is in the words he next said, "Go, and do not sin again."

 If we have acknowledged our guilt, and heard God's words of forgiveness, he is saying to us, "Go, and do not sin again."  He could never say that to this woman unless something had happened within her heart; the power of sin had been broken. We do not sin because we are temporarily overwhelmed by a strong passion of the moment.  We sin because we have a nature of sin, of self-centeredness; we hunger after things that are wrong and we easily yield to sin. We cannot help ourselves at times.

"Man is born unto sin," (Job 5:7). We all are born to share that fallen nature. Unless that power of sin is broken within us, unless God does something to free us and give us the possibility of a new life he never will say to us, "Go, and sin no more."

But when Jesus says these words to this woman it is clear that she has the possibility of a new life!  He never tells anyone to do something that he does not enable him or her to do. Thus, he does not forgive us in order that we might go back and continue in our sins. The Apostle Paul wrote these wonderful words to his son in the faith, Titus, “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14).

Perhaps no individual in history has illustrated this as well as John Newton. Newton was once a wild and sinful man, a slave trader who ran slaves from Africa to England. But God saved him. He was converted in the midst of a storm in the Atlantic when he thought he was doomed. He became a great preacher, and a great hymn writer in England. Everyone knows his most famous hymn, “Amazing Grace”, however, one of his lesser known hymns. “In Evil Long I Took Delight”, He captures the essence of how the death of Jesus Christ transformed his life...

In evil, long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
'Til a new object met my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agony and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure, never to my latest breath
Shall I forget that look.
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive,
My blood was for thy ransom paid,
I died that thou mayest live.

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, Aug. 29

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The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.  Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”  This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  - John 8:3-7

It is very important to notice that Jesus does uphold the Law. Many people take Jesus' words here and at the end of the story to mean that He views adultery as a minor offense, but nothing could be further from the truth. I read an account of a marriage quarrel recently where the man said to his wife, "All I did was have an affair. What's the big deal?"  Today we have come to regard adultery as nothing.  But Jesus does not say that. He upholds the Law. Adultery is sin. It violates marriage. It destroys society when it spreads and becomes commonplace. It wrecks homes; it injures innocent children; it attacks everything that God holds dear!

Those of us who engage in pastoral counseling in the church, all too frequently witness just how terribly destructive adultery is, how it destroys marriages, wrecks relationships, and injures far and wide. What a terribly hurtful, fragmenting, shattering sin it is! In the eyes of strict justice it is deserving of death, and Jesus upholds that fact, much to the surprise of the scribes and Pharisees. But that is not all Jesus does. He also sees the hearts of these men. What he says, in effect, is, "You are no better off than she is. Your hearts are filled with murder and hatred." Malice gleamed in their eyes as they sought to exploit this woman's unfortunate situation in order to get at Jesus. But he read their hearts, and what he saw was worse even than her sin.

While these scribes and Pharisees were standing there, stunned, Jesus stooped down and began to write. Again, we are not told what he wrote. When you realize that this is the only time recorded in the Scriptures that Jesus ever wrote anything, you cannot help but wish that someone had preserved what he wrote.

And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.  - John 8:8-9

When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the oldest; what a tremendous disappearing act takes place here! The oldest one (the one with the longest record of sin) suddenly remembered that he had a previous appointment. The next one thought he heard his wife calling. Another had a sudden fit of coughing and had to leave. Another felt it was time for lunch. They disappeared one by one until no one was left but Jesus and the woman alone.

Jesus' answer to the accusers called on them to focus their attention on their own sins, not on the sins of the adulterous woman. Jesus called on the accusers to judge themselves instead of the woman. By Jesus' reply, the accusers were forced to admit that they too were guilty of sin (Rom. 3:23). To the credit of the accusers, each one silently dropped the case and walked away, Jesus' words apparently having pricked his conscience.  

Jesus said sinlessness is the only qualification for judgment. I don't know about you, but that puts me out of the stone throwing business for good. They were convicted, and their conviction was good, it's a good thing to get convicted, but how they responded wasn’t so good.  They were convicted by their own conscience and they...what?...they went out.  What should they have done?  They should have fallen at the feet of Jesus Christ in conviction and said, "Lord, forgive me, cleanse me."  They walked away from the only source that could heal their proud and self-righteous souls. They walked right back into their sin. You know, conviction does two things, it drives a person to Jesus Christ or it drives them away.  People come to church sometimes and they'll just squirm and itch and think, “I've got to get out of this place”, and once they get out they don't want to come back again.  Conviction can either drive you closer to Jesus Christ or it can drive you further away.  Where is your conviction driving you?

Oh Lord Jesus, convict our hearts and drive us to our knees before you.  Humble us and bring us to your feet where we can receive your mercy.  Do not allow us to turn away from you, but keep us close to your side - Amen.

Jeff Frazier

Wednesday, Aug. 28

Unfortunately there is no audio available for today's blog post - sorry!



Wednesday

In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis says,
“If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity (sexual sin) as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual. The pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing and spoiling sport, and backbiting; the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me...they are the animal self and the diabolical self; and the diabolical self is the worst of the two. That is why a cold self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But of course it is better to be neither!”

In this story found in John 8, Jesus confronts a band of cold, self-righteous prigs and a woman who was guilty of open sexual sin, and handles both with such wisdom and grace that the story has become a favorite of many.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" John 8:3-5 

It is clear that these religious leaders feel they have Jesus trapped by this question; they have an airtight case, they’ve got Him either way!

You cannot read this, however, without asking yourself a few questions about this trap they have devised for Jesus.  First of all, how would respected and morally upright religious leaders know where to find a woman in the act of adultery - hmmmm?  
Second, adultery is rather difficult to do alone, so if this woman was caught in the act, then where is the man in this adulterous act - hmmmm? Some of the commentators suggest that perhaps they knew the man -- he may have been one of their very own -- and they let him go. We do not know. But this indicates that a double standard was very much in effect in those times just as it is today.  Finally, if these religious teachers are so concerned about the law of Moses, why do they wait until morning to bring this woman to Jesus, why not just carry out the penalty of the law the moment they caught her? 

Clearly these men are not concerned with keeping the law as much as they are about discrediting Jesus. The woman they have “caught” is simply a means to this end, she is being used as a pawn in this religious & political power struggle.  

So....how does Jesus respond to this seemingly impossible dilemma?

Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.   - John 8:5-6

Did you catch that?  Jesus doesn’t say a word, He simply bends down and starts writing in the dirt!  Now everybody wants to know what it was that Jesus wrote.  There are numerous legends and opinions out there about this...

Some speculate that He was writing down the names of each of the Scribes and Pharisees.  Perhaps He was also writing down some of the specific sins of each of these men.

Some think that Jesus was writing out the portion of the OT law that required this woman to be put to death, while others believe He was writing the OT passages that call for mercy.

Maybe Jesus was just stalling for time while He tried to come up with some clever reply (I don’t think so)

I think it is possible that jesus may have written down a reference to the OT prophet Jeremiah.

O Lord, the hope of Israel,
    all who forsake thee shall be put to shame;
  those who torn away from thee
      shall be written in the earth,
    for they have forsaken the Lord,
      the fountain of living water.  - Jeremiah 17:13

The truth is that nobody knows for sure what Jesus was writing, because the Bible doesn’t tell us!  Apparently what He wrote is not as critical as the fact that He was totally clam in the face of this trap.  Our Lord is not scared or stumped or confused at all.

Whatever he wrote, the scribes and Pharisees apparently misunderstood him. They thought he was stalling for time, and they kept pressing him, asking him again and again to answer them and tell them what he would do. So, standing up, Jesus looked them right in the eye and uttered these famous words, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." Actually the word he uses is "sinless," "let him who is sinless..." This is the only time Jesus ever employed this word in the New Testament: "Let him who is sinless cast the first stone."

The result is almost humorous. They are stunned. Speechless! He has taken the wind right out of their sails. They were sure he was going to let this woman go, but instead he completely upholds the Law of Moses. He says, in effect, "Yes, she must be stoned. But I am going to appoint the executioners." They are totally dumbfounded at his words.

Jeff Frazier

Tuesday, August 27

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The circumstances that surround the incident of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 are given in the last verse of John chapter 7.  Jesus is in Jerusalem for the celebration of the feast of tabernacles.  He’s just engaged in a long debate with the Jewish people, with the scribes and Pharisees, with the multitude, in the presence of his disciples.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ...When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”  Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”  So there was a division among the people over him.  Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.  - John 7:35-44

The words Jesus spoke and the way the people responded to Him really irritated the Jewish authorities and religious leaders.  The gospels paint the picture that as Jesus’ popularity grew, so did the opposition He faced from the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  These men did not believe Jesus to be an authentic man of God and they were set on finding a way to expose him publicly.

The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?”  The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”  The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?  Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”   - John 7:45-50

After this incident, Jesus goes out for the night to the Mount of Olives.  I would assume that he went out, since his custom was to do this, to pray, and that he spent a great deal of the night in prayer.  William Law said, “He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life.”  Jesus probably spent a great deal of the night in prayer, the next morning He arose early, He came into the temple and once again, He sat down and began to teach again.

They went each to his own house,but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst  they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”   - John 7:35-8:5

This is not an insignificant question, and it is a very serious problem for Jesus.  He is being directly challenged by the religious leaders in front of a large crowd. (It’s a good thing He is prayed up)  The Pharisees have devised a very clever trap (or so they think) for Jesus.  They think they have Jesus trapped on the horns of an impossible dilemma. 

On the one hand, the OT law did require that an adulteress be put to death.  Lev. 20:10, “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”  So, if Jesus says not to put her to death, then He can be accused of ignoring the OT law of God!

On the other hand, if Jesus says to go ahead with the execution, then He will lose His reputation among the people as a merciful Messiah and a friend of sinners.  Additionally, He could be arrested for breaking Roman civil law, which stated that only Rome had the authority to put anyone to death.  

The question facing Jesus is one that we all must deal with; should we hold to strict moral standards at the expense of showing mercy, or should we be merciful and thus compromise our moral principles?  Which is it going to be - morality or mercy?  The unique beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that it perfectly reconciles this seemingly impossible dilemma!  (we will look at how Jesus responds tomorrow)

Jeff Frazier

Monday, August 26

To download an audio version, click here.

They each went to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.  But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.  Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”  - John 7:53-8:11

This story, well known and loved for its revelation of God's mercy toward sinners, is found only in John.  However, you have probably noticed in your Bible, that brackets have been placed around the text with some type of footnote. The note explains that early Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of John do not contain this story and that this narrative when found is placed in different sections of the Gospel. The note seems to cast doubt on the reliability of “The Woman Caught in Adultery Story” causing many readers confusion. 

Biblical scholars agree that it was almost certainly not part of John's original Gospel. The earliest and most reliable manuscripts do not have John 7:53- 8:11. Some manuscripts place it at other points within the gospel ofJohn (after 7:36, 7:44 or 21:25), others include it in the Gospel of Luke (placing it after Luke 21:38), still others do not have it at all.

The text may not be the actual writing of the Apostle John, but the story does reflect the writing style of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Many scholars acknowledge that adultery story does not belong at the end of chapter seven, but the passages do reflect the concerns, attitude, and teaching of Jesus.

New Testament scholar Gary Burge has this to say about the reliability of this passage, “On one hand it seems clear that the weight of evidence mitigates against the originality of the story. That is, this brief account is probably not original to the Fourth Gospel. On the other hand, the story has every suggestion of historical veracity, suggesting that it was indeed an event that occurred in the life of Jesus and was a story worthy of collection and recitation.”

There are several important questions we can, and should, ask about this passage to ensure that it does indeed deserve to be treated as the Word of God...

Do these verses teach truth that violates other Scripture? No, they do not. 

Do they in fact corroborate other Scripture and substantiate it? Yes they do. 

Is there definite and conclusive evidence that they should be left out? No. 

Do they fit the person of Jesus Christ? Yes they do. 

Does this passage fit John, the author's, pattern in writing this gospel? Yes.

Do they fit the context? In other words, do they belong in the flow of verses before and after? Yes, it fits beautifully.  

So it does not violate any other Scriptures. It does not contradict any other Scriptures. It in fact substantiates and affirms other Scriptures.  Most of all, it is like Jesus Christ, perfectly like Him.  The beauty and the obvious Christ- likeness of this record leads me personally to believe that it is genuine. It is a magnificent and an important graphic illustration of the forgiveness and mercy of our Lord!  This story is like a lens, you focus it on one object and everything else is blurred.  John’s gospel, and the whole New Testament is focused on the person of Jesus Christ.  We are not studying the woman and we are not studying the scribes and the Pharisees, we are studying Jesus Christ!

Jeff Frazier

Friday, August 23

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Who Am I!

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13

“Do as I say, not as I do,” is an expression that we have all become very familiar with. Chances are, we have either all said this at one time or another, or had these words spoken directly at us. These are words that we would never hear from Jesus. 

This passage of the Great Banquet is marked full of the life of Jesus being portrayed through his teaching. Jesus gives the instruction on whom to invite to a banquet to the Pharisee who is hosting the meal that Jesus is presently attending. He then continues with the Parable of the Great Banquet and we see that it is the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and the outcasts who actually accept the invitation to the Great Banquet. 

Have you ever considered yourself to be one of those listed in this category? I often find myself searching to see which of the Pharisees I have been as of late. Feeling guilty for not living like Jesus, and falling short of his standard. In reality, I am actually one of the poor, often times blind, at other times crippled, even lame. Regardless of our “position” we should each rejoice in the fact that we are sitting at His table! None of us are deserving, and none of us could ever repay Jesus the price he paid for us. Nor could we ever offer such an invitation as he has given to us. Jesus invites us, in our lowly state. His reward awaits him at the resurrection of the righteous. Yes, he was rewarded his seat at the right hand of God once his work here on earth was “finished.” But, Jesus was sent, by his Father, because of the Father’s love for his lost children. It was this reunion at the resurrection of the righteous that was his “joy that was set before him” as he endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). You are his reward! That is just as humbling as it is exciting.

 And what is it that Jesus asks in return of you? Only that you would love the Father with all of your heart, and that you would love people the way that he loved them. And so, just as the Father sent the Son to tell of the wonderful news he had for all mankind, the gospel as we call it, so too, have you and I been sent. What better way to love people is there than to tell them of the One who loved them so much that He sent His Son to die in their place? 

You have been fully equipped by the Holy Spirit to preach this good news to all people. You have the example of Jesus and the teachings of Jesus as a model. 

Therefore, Go, in the love of the Father, the joy of the son, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and make disciples of all nations. Pray, asking the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into the fields that you cannot “harvest” in. And, be prepared at all times, preaching the word in and out of season.  

Jonathan Goble

Thursday, August 22

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Wrestling with God

“A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ – Luke 14:16-20

People are defined by the decisions they make. Others judge them upon the result of those decisions. Just look at these three men in this parable. They decided not to attend the Banquet. Each had his own reasoning, or “excuse” for declining. All have forfeited their right as an invited guest to sit at the table. All are judged for making such a costly error. 

What goes unnoticed is the process that takes place prior to the decision being made and acted upon. It is in this process that a person’s character is proven, and it is in this process that a person’s character is made. 

Each of these three men must consider the offer they have been given and contrast it with their other options. Then, the wrestling begins until one of these options is the clear-cut “winner.” 

It is possible that the lone Pharisee who speaks out in this exchange with Jesus is wrestling with Jesus’ message. It is possible that other Pharisees also wrestled with Jesus’ messages as Nicodemus did in John chapter three. We constantly see Jesus’ disciples wrestling with his teachings, much of the time asking for clarity, or a further explanation. Jesus encounters many individuals along the way in his three short years of ministry who are also found wrestling with his teachings. 

The best example of wrestling with God can be found in Genesis Thirty-Two. Jacob, the son of Isaac spends the entire night wrestling with God.  Wrestling with God is not something that is new or foreign. However, it is often something that we shy away from. It is something that carries somewhat of a negative connotation, yet it is something that all of us do. In fact, we probably do it every day. We just do not realize it. It is not something that we should fear, because it is in this wrestling with God that our character is produced. It is the process through which the Holy Spirit teaches, guides, and ultimately transforms us into the likeness of Jesus. That is, as long as we respond in humble submission to what he desires. 

Have you been wrestling with God lately? How has he been working on your heart? What is it that he desires to do in your life?  

Jonathan Goble

Wednesday, August 21

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Come Humbly

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

Humility is a characteristic that we appreciate and admire in others, yet it is a characteristic that most of us will struggle to exhibit ourselves. Humility is something that we desire, but it is a struggle to attain. Yet, it is one of the most important characteristics of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, It is a characteristic we should continually seek in our pursuit of God. 

Humility is not a trait that we would generally associate with the Pharisees. The parable of the Great Banquet is another example as to why this is. Once again, their pride will not allow them to hear the truths of Jesus, let alone penetrate even to “dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). It is why the Pharisees cannot respond to such a great invitation given by the Heavenly Father through his Son, Jesus. It is also why Jesus finishes the parable by stating, “not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (Luke 14:24).

This lesson helps us to better understand the words of Jesus at his “Sermon on the Mount:”  

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10)

This gives us an even greater understanding as to why the Master of the House instructs his servant to go out into the Alleys, and the streets to bring in the poor, crippled, blind, and lame. In their humble state they know they will never receive another offer such as this, and they are not going to allow such an opportunity to pass! 

Today, do not merely seek to be more humble, rather, pursue Jesus by humbly sitting at his feet. Allow the humility of Christ (Galatians 2) to reign in you, as He transforms you into His likeness.

Jonathan Goble

Tuesday, August 20

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Please RSVP

At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ Luke 14:17

The beauty of the Gospel is that the message is very simple and very clear. “Come, for everything is now ready.” Everything has been prepared for us. All that we have to do is “come.” Jesus came to this earth, as a man, and lived a sinless life. It had been prophesied many years in advance that this would happen. The invitation was given to all. Jesus died on the cross and satisfied the wrath of God, by paying the price of our sin, when He (Jesus) became sin, for us. Sin was nailed to the cross. Sin was buried in the Grave. But, before this took place, Jesus spent three years, preaching, and inviting all who would believe. Once again, invitations were given. Then, Jesus did something that no one believed he could do. He arose from the dead, defying and defeating the effects of sin, and the punishment of death. There was nothing that was left to be done. All preparations had taken place. Everything was now ready. Yet, still, the invitation stands. “Come.” 

The beauty of the Gospel message is that it is a timeless message. The invitation has stood for thousands of years, and it will continue to stand until the day of the “feast,” When Christ returns with one last invitation. 

My question for you is, what are you doing to prepare for the “feast?” 

What preparations have you made in awaiting the great banquet? If you have not RSVP’d by accepting Jesus’ invitation, what is it that you are waiting for? If you have accepted are you still answering Jesus’ daily invitation to dine with him at his table? Are you enjoying the sweet fellowship and daily communion with the one who has prepared everything for you? Are you answering his daily call to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him? 

Everything is now ready; the question is, are you ready? 

Jonathan Goble

Monday, August 19

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Defense Mechanisms

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” – Luke 14:15

Each of us has our breaking point. Those moments that we can no longer take the guilt, embarrassment, vulnerability, or possibly even the attack against our pride. Some of us make light of the situation and crack a joke. Others of us snap, allowing our emotions to get the best of us. Still, others will find some sneaky way to switch the subject. The objective is always the same, to get out from under the weight of the moment. What is your defense mechanism? 

It is human nature to desire to protect one’s self. It is instinct. It is our mode of survival. But what happens when the natural and the spiritual collide? Could it be possible that our natural mode of survival is actually a catalyst for spiritual death? It is, if our instinct hinders the words and work of Jesus Christ in our lives. 

The Pharisee at the table with Jesus appears to be exhibiting strength by making such a statement as, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus has just addressed a spiritual weakness in this man’s life. His defense is to switch the subject by proclaiming a religious truth. Jesus is not impressed, and the man is no better off. All he has done is confirmed the words of Jesus by exposing his own insecurity. 

What is your defense mechanism? Is it hindering the words and the work of the Savior in your life? Has your method of survival actually been a catalyst for spiritual death? Maybe it is time to let your guard down, raise your white flag, and surrender instead.

Jonathan Goble

Friday, Aug. 16

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But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.  ‘Look after him,’ he said,  ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’  “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The expert in the law replied,  “The one who had mercy on him.”  Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”  - Luke 10:33-37

The first three words of this passage are the most shocking and surprising of the whole story.  “But a Samaritan…” this was the last thing that this expert lawyer would have expected Jesus to say. 

A little historical background…
This expert in the law was a most likely a Scribe and a possibly a Pharisee.  A Scribe was a specially trained expert in the Torah, or Jewish OT law.  A Scribe’s job was to read, study, copy and protect the law.  Scribes were highly respected in Jewish culture.  Not all Pharisees were Scribes, but most Scribes were Pharisees (think about that for a minute).  A Scribe’s place was in the Synagogue, while a Priest and a Levite operated within the Temple.  There was a kind of religious rivalry between the Priestly class and the class of the Scribes and teachers of the law.  Each group thought their role was more important and looked down their nose at the other group.  

Keep in mind that the first two men to pass by this poor half-dead traveler without helping him in Jesus’ story were a Priest and a Levite.  It is quite probable that this expert in the law expected Jesus to say that a Scribe or a Teacher of the Law came by next and stopped to help this man.  He might even have been thinking to himself, “It is just like a Priest to be too high and mighty to help someone in need, but not me, I would have stopped to care for such a man.”

But Jesus turns this expert’s world upside down when he says that it was a Samaritan who stopped to help. He must have thought, “A Samaritan?  Did he just say a Samaritan?  Nah!  He couldn’t possibly be saying anything good about a Samaritan.”  

A little more history…
Samaritans were from the northern region of Israel and the Jews in the surrounding area hated them.  Samaritans in Jesus day were descended from the Jews who intermarried with the conquering Assyrians and faithful Jews considered them half-breeds and traitors.  There were actually prayers in the Mishna from Jesus day asking God to withhold his grace from the Samaritans!  The hatred was two way street, the Samaritans hated the Jews right back.  Do you get the picture?  It was even worse than Bears & Packers fans!

Did you notice the question Jesus asked this expert at the end of his parable?  He asks, which of these three was a neighbor to the man who was left for dead?  It is a simple question, with a fairly obvious answer.  But did you notice the way that this man answers Jesus’ question…he says that it was “the one who had mercy on him”.  He (the expert in the law) cannot even bring himself to say that it was the Samaritan, he calls him “the one who had mercy”!

It must have felt like a punch in the gut when Jesus told him to go and do likewise.  Go and live your live like this Samaritan, ouch!

So Jesus says to you and to me, “go and do likewise”, go and love your God extend compassion to your neighbor.  That’s it, you heard him, get going!  Go out into the world and live your life in love for God and in service to others…go on!  Your neighbors are in need and your God is calling, are you still reading this?  Get going!

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, Aug. 15

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But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus,  “And who is my neighbor?”  In reply Jesus said:  “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.  ‘Look after him,’ he said,  ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’  “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The expert in the law replied,  “The one who had mercy on him.”  Jesus told him,  “Go and do likewise.” - Luke 10:29-37

This parable of the Good Samaritan may be one of the best known and best loved (along with the parable of the Prodigal Son) in all of the Bible.  However, while it is one of the best known, it may also be one of the least lived parables by those who claim to be Christians.  

Keep in mind that this entire parable is told in response to a question was asked of Jesus.  An expert in the law was questioning Jesus about who really qualified as his neighbor…this story is Jesus’ brilliant and powerful answer.

When Jesus begins his story by saying, “a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho”, he is referring to an actual road between the two cities; it was about 17 miles long and it really did go “down”.  The road from Jerusalem to Jericho dropped nearly 2,500 ft over those 17 miles!  It was also a notoriously dangerous road and where robberies and ambushes of would-be travelers was not uncommon.

We aren’t told anything about this poor fellow who gets attacked and left for dead.  We don’t know anything about his ethnicity, his religion, his occupation, or his family.  He is just a person in desperate need of help, which is kind of the point Jesus is making.  But we do know something about the other three characters in the story; a Priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan.  Everybody knows the story from here right?  The Priest and the Levite ignore the guy but the Samaritan has compassion on this fellow and helps him.  

It is easy to be harsh and judgmental about the actions of the Priest.  But the truth is that it would not have been easy for the priest to help this guy.  First of all, it could have been a trick or a trap.  Perhaps those robbers who attacked this guy were still nearby.  Perhaps they were waiting in ambush to attack him.  Secondly, he doesn’t know if this man is dead or alive.  If the guy turns out to be dead, or if he dies while he is trying to help him, then the Priest would be defiled (ceremonially unclean) for touching a dead body (Lev. 21) and would not be able to carry out his Priestly duties.  He would have had to go back to Jerusalem and carry out the complicated cleansing rituals in the Temple in order to have another Priest pronounce him clean again.  This would have taken at least a week and would have involved considerable expense for the Priest and for his family.  In other words, it would not have been and easy thing for this Priest to decide to stop and help, he would have been taking a pretty big risk.  To help this guy was probably going to cost him a good deal of time and money.

I think it is a bitter irony that it was the Priest’s own religion that kept him from stopping to help this man.  Remember that Jesus has just said that the two most important commands in all of Scripture are to love God and to love others; he does not say that the most important commands are the OT laws about staying “clean”!

Who is your neighbor?  Anyone in need of compassion (this means everyone).
What holds you back from extending compassion to others?
Does your “religion” ever get in the way of your compassion? 

Jeff Frazier

Wednesday, Aug. 14

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Wednesday

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.  “Teacher,” he asked,  “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “What is written in the Law?” he replied.  “How do you read it?”  He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and,  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied.  “Do this and you will live.”  But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus,  “And who is my neighbor?”  - Luke 10:25-29

This expert in the law has asked Jesus a very profound question and Jesus has given him a very clear and straightforward answer, well okay, technically Jesus answered his question with a question, but either way, he brought this “expert” to the heart of the matter.

I want you to focus on the final sentence in the above passage.  He (the expert in the law) wanted to justify himself.  Don’t we all!  What is it about us human beings that we are prone to look for loopholes or the exception to the rule?  
Why couldn’t this expert lawyer simply take Jesus’ reply that he is to love God and to love others at face value?  Why did he (why do we) feel that he needed some justification?

Perhaps he was trying to put Jesus to the test.  He might have been trying to catch Jesus on some technical matter of interpretation of the law (after all he was an expert in it).

Perhaps it was because he expected Jesus to say that his neighbors are his family, his friends and his fellow faithful Jews.  Perhaps he really thought that he was keeping the law and fulfilling his obligation to love God and others, and he wanted to hear Jesus tell him “good job!”

Maybe he was just trying to put on a show for those in the crowd.  He might have been more concerned with his reputation, more worried about what others were thinking of him than what Jesus thought of him.

But maybe there was a part of him, somewhere deep down inside, that knew he was not living up to this law of love (after all he was an expert in it).  Maybe he was trying to find some way that he could wriggle out from under the weight of its conviction.  Maybe, just maybe, he (like all of us) knew in his heart that he could not keep the law the way that God commanded.

If we are honest with ourselves, we all must admit that we fall far short of the standards God sets for us in His word.  The truth is that we fall short not only of God’s holy standards, but also of our own concept of basic human decency as well.  I know I do…I say that I believe in forgiveness, but I often withhold forgiveness from those who need it.  I say that I believe in humility, but I harbor pride and arrogance in my heart.  I say that I believe in honesty, but I am too often prone to spin or color the truth in my favor.  I say that I believe in the high ideal of love, but I do and say unloving things nearly everyday. 

Who am I, and who are you, who are any of us, to try and justify ourselves before Jesus?  The whole point of the gospel message is that we cannot justify ourselves!  Only Jesus can justify us before God!  The only proper response is to fall on our knees before him confess our failures and beg for his mercy.

Take a few moments to reflect on your own heart…
Consider what areas you feel the need to justify yourself before God.
Where do you tend to make excuses for yourself?

Oh Lord we know that we cannot hope to justify ourselves before your holy standard.  We can only cast ourselves upon the mercy of the only one that can justify us – Jesus Christ, it is in his mighty name that we pray, Amen.

Jeff Frazier

Tuesday, Aug. 13

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.  One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  - Matthew 22:34-39

Yesterday we read a similar passage in Luke 10:25-28.  In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is the one who quotes the OT law (Deut. 6:5).  Matthew tells us that Jesus was being tested with a tough question.  He was asked to boil down the commands of God to a single statement.  In other words, “Tell us what it is all about Jesus.  What does faith in God really mean?”  Wouldn’t you like to hear from the ultimate authority on what life and faith are really all about?  

Jesus’ answer to this question is amazing!  His answer is so simple, and yet it is also deeply profound.  I had a theology professor who used to say, “any idiot can make simple things sound complex, but it takes real genius to make complex things sound simple.”  This is precisely what Jesus does here!  He takes the great complex mysteries of life, the Bible, God, and faith, and distills them down to two beautifully simple and clear commands; love God & love people!

There it is…you want to know what the Christian life is all about?  It is right there in those two commands.  Jesus says that everything else “hangs on these two commands”.  

You might think of these two commands as describing the vertical relationship and the horizontal relationships that make up the Christian life.  The vertical relationship is to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.  The horizontal relationship is to love your neighbor as yourself.  For those of you who are visual learners, think of these two areas as the two beams that make up a cross.

It is important for us to realize that you have to have both.  You cannot have a cross without the two beams.  If you take away the horizontal beam, you are left with a stake in the ground.  If you take away the vertical beam, the horizontal beam falls to the ground.  You cannot love God if you ignore your neighbor and when you love your neighbor you also love God.  This may sound obvious or simplistic, but too many Christians overemphasize one to the neglect of the other.  The wisdom of Jesus shows us that you simply cannot separate the two because they are really not two different commands, but one.

If anyone says,  “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  – 1 John 4:20

All of your studying, all of your giving, all of your serving, all of your attending, all of your worshipping, all of your teaching, all of your meeting, all of your praying, all of your fasting, all of your reading, all of your sharing, all of your witnessing, all of your writing, all of your calling, all of your walking, talking, eating, breathing living and dying should be done in love for God and in love for others!

Take a few moments to do a little self-assessment in these two areas; love for God and love for others…

Are you harboring any bitterness or resentment toward God or another person?

Are you spending time with God in His word and in prayer?

Are you taking time to listen and extend kindness to others in your life?

Oh Lord, teach us to love you with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and grant us your grace to love others as ourselves.  Keep us from distractions and divisions.  Keep our hearts focused on these two simple commands.  – Amen.

Jeff Frazier

Monday, Aug. 12

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Monday

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.  “Teacher,” he asked,  “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “What is written in the Law?” he replied.  “How do you read it?”  He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and,  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied.  “Do this and you will live.”  - Luke 10:25-28

Let’s begin with a question…what is the most important question you could possibly ask?

The question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” is easily the most important question any person can ask. It is more important than the question, “Where should I live?”  It is more important than the question, “Whom shall I marry?” It is more important than the question, “What career shall I pursue?”  The reality is that life is so uncertain that a person could be in his grave before he marries or enters a career.  So the matter of where one spends eternity is the crucial issue to settle before all others.

A man well versed in the study of the Jewish Law (a lawyer) asked this very question of Jesus Christ.  But it is possible to ask the right question with the wrong motives and that is just what this Jewish lawyer did. He knew the answer to the question in his head, but his heart was not right before God.  He was not open to the fact that he needed eternal life for himself.  He knew the Law far better than the average Jew did. He kept the Law, or so he thought.  He was no pagan or Samaritan!  He was asking the question about eternal life to test Jesus.  Perhaps he wanted to trip Jesus up or to demonstrate his own superior knowledge in front of the crowd.

But Jesus turned the question back on the lawyer.

Jesus did not say to the lawyer, “What do the scribes and Pharisees say?” He didn’t ask, “What is the tradition of our Jewish religion?” He didn’t say, “That’s an interesting question. What is your opinion?” He didn’t inquire about any mystical spiritual experiences that the man had. Rather, Jesus directed the man back to the written Word of God: “What is written in the Law?  How do you read it?”

The Bible and the Bible alone is our sole authority in matters of faith and practice. This may sound basic to you, and in some ways it is; but it is under constant attack and so we must hold firmly to it. It was one of the central issues of the Reformation (Sola Scriptura).  It is a crucial dividing line between evangelical Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church.  If we move away from Scripture as our only authority, we are adrift on a sea of subjectivity where we can end up saying many things that contradict the Bible. So, what does Scripture say on the crucial question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  This is essentially the question that Jesus puts to the lawyer.

The lawyer answers Jesus by quoting the two great commandments, that we must love the Lord our God with our total being and love our neighbor as ourselves.  Jesus praises this answer: “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (10:28).  Notice that Jesus did not say, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Neither did Jesus say,  “Just pray this little prayer after me.”  Why did Jesus answer as He did?  Maybe He needed some training on how to share his faith! Or, maybe we need some instruction from him on how to share our faith!

When it comes to loving God with our total being, we cannot begin to love a God whom we do not know. And, as Jesus has just said, “No one knows who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Luke 10:22).  If this lawyer had evaluated his life correctly by the standard of God’s Law, he would have seen immediately that he fell far short. He would have fallen down before Jesus and cried, “How can I know God and love God as I ought?” Jesus would have replied, “Repent of your self- righteousness and believe in me. I alone give eternal life to those who believe and follow me.”

Have you asked this all-important question about eternal life?

Have you found the answer in Jesus Christ?

Have you shared this answer with anyone else who may be asking the question?

Jeff Frazier