Michael & His Parents

I know I talk quite a bit about my nephew Michael. I thought I'd introduce you to his parents today. Stephanie is my younger sister and her husband is Will.




Last year while in Syria one of our friends saw pictures of my family and when we came to Will, Ahmad said, "He is not an American" as if we all have the same look. ;) But actually Ahmad was right. Will is from Venezuela. Last year I wrote a post mentioning Will learning to play American football with a book and how one of the most difficult words for him to say was "refrigerator." When you remember that Spanish speakers roll their Rs, you can see how a four-R word could be a challenge!


This was taken last year at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Michael & The Christmas Card

So, yeah, I know Christmas was way last year, but I'm only now looking at the pictures on my memory card. On Christmas evening we went to my grandparents' apartment. For years and years my family would travel to their house whether they lived in SC or the few years they lived in north Florida. But now they are up here close by so traveling to see them didn't take as long. Here are a few cute pictures I saw now.

Michael had to sign the card before giving it to Mema.

Concentrating on doing a good job

Susie comes to see what all he is writing

Finishing up

He wrote:

I love you
Michael



PS. thanks for
the peanut
butter.

Matthew 5 - The Beatitudes Concluded

Today we will continue with the remaining Beatitudes. As I mentioned yesterday author Kenneth Bailey devoted two chapters to this topic in his book, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. Here are a few more notes I thought were worth discussing. Please let me know your opinions. Matthew 5:1-12 -- "The Beatitudes."

⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

"Those whose drive for righteousness is as pervasive, all-consuming and recurring as the daily yearning to satisfy hunger and thirst....[this] can only be satisfied by God." (pg. 81)

As for what is righteousness ... I wrote Could This Be Righteousness? a few weeks ago that discussed it more fully and I'll refer you there if you are interested.

⁷Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

As for mercy there are two basic meanings:

1. "Compassion that is composed of feelings and actions"
2. The other is "profoundly related to forgiving and being forgiven"

In his explanation of the second one the author writes:

To show mercy or to forgive is extremely difficult for those who have been deeply wronged. But the alternative is self-destruction through nursing grudges or seeking revenge. Such grievances are often passed on from generation to generation and become a destructive force in the lives of individuals and societies. The bless-ed escape these self-crippling cycles, for they are merciful. ... [Additionally], this Beatitude claims that the merciful "shall obtain mercy." ... That is, the merciful will obtain the mercy of God. The mercy of their fellow human beings may be in short supply but the mercy of God will never fail them." (pg.83)

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Outside cleanliness is not enough! As we learned from the story of the prophet Samuel on assignment from God to anoint Israel's next king, humans look on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. The purity of our hearts is more important to God than our clean hands and faces.

The pure in heart don't have "a multiplicity of motives" nor hidden agendas. Rather their feelings, mind and will are transparent and "what you see is what you get." (pg. 84)

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.

Peace in the Bible doesn't mean lack of violence and end of war. It "includes the finest of loving relationships between individuals, within families, communities and nations. Peace also includes good health. ... [It] is primarily the peace of God, which includes all of the above and 'passes all understanding.'"

"Peacemakers are different from peacekeepers and pacifists. Peacemakers work for healed relationships on all levels and will be called 'children of God.'" (pg. 87)

¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This doesn't mean someone opposes you because you are untrustworthy, got fired from your job because you were lazy and unable to get along with others. Only when you are persecuted for the cause of righteousness can you legitimately claim this distinction.

¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

A critical shift has now taken place in the Beatitudes. Up to this point, all of them can be explained out of the Hebrew Scriptures. Yet something has been creeping up on the reader. These eight lofty standards have their finest expression in the life of Jesus. The reader gradually comes to this conclusion as the list lengthens. In the ninth Beatitude loyalty to the person of Jesus is openly introduced. That same loyalty is inevitable if the reader turns to Jesus as a model for the fulfillment of the pattern of righteousness here portrayed.

...

With the conversion of Emperor Constantine to the Christian faith, "the age of martyrs" officially ended. But the twentieth century saw far more Christians die for their faith than was known in the early centuries. In Armenia, Russia, China and the southern Sudan, millions in the modern age have died for their loyalty to Jesus Christ. This final Beatitude, with its expansion, still speaks powerfully to the global church. (pg. 86)

Do you agree with Kenneth Bailey's conclusions on these verses? Do you have other viewpoints we should consider? Thoughts? Questions?

Matthew 5 - The Beatitudes: Intro & 1-3

So we left the previous chapter with Jesus teaching, preaching and healing the sick. A great multitude gathered and Jesus gave his famous "Sermon on the Mount" which is packed with many great teachings. The first group is often collectively referred to as The Beatitudes. In some of the older English Bible versions, they start with "Blessed are..." whereas more modern translations sometimes start "Happy are..."

Coincidentally enough author Kenneth Bailey in - you guessed it! - Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes had two chapters devoted to The Beatitudes. I thought there were a few things from the book worth sharing on this topic. Please keep these in mind as you read Matthew 5:1-12 -- "The Beatitudes."

The Greek word used for "blessed" in this sense is not the same "bless" as "Lord, please bless the sick" or "please bless the children." Rather it's "not part of a wish and to not invoke a blessing, [but this word - makarios] - recognizes an existing state of happiness or good fortune." It "affirms a quality of spirituality that is already present."

It's not "if you are meek, you will inherit the earth." or "If I do X, I will get Y."

Rather you should read these collectively as "'Look at the authentic spirituality and joy of these people who have or will be given X.'"

Do you see the difference?

Now moving on to the first three on the list.

³Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

poor in spirit -- "the humble and pious who seek God" and "know they need God's grace."

kingdom of heaven-- "has to do with the rule of God in the lives of individuals and societies" ... "Many people at the time of Jesus used the phrase the kingdom of God to describe a Jewish state where God alone was King. In contrast, Jesus declared that the kingdom was already present in the poor in spirit (not among the Zealots)."


⁴Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

mourn over what? Kenneth Bailey suggests suffering (which has a great way of making us figure out our true priorities), injustices in the world (beware and don't surrender to "compassion fatigue"), evil in our own lives ("failure to love God and our neighbors should produce grief.")

⁵Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

For Jesus, "the land" meant the land of Israel, and only the meek had rights of inheritance, not the violent or the members of a particular clan. The text expanded in the later church to include the whole earth.

The meek are those who humbly seek God. They are neither too bold nor too timid.

Being meek is in harmony with being angry over injustices inflicted on others.

Quotes from pgs. 67-75

Do you agree with Kenneth Bailey's conclusions on these verses? Do you have other viewpoints we should consider? Thoughts? Questions?

Matthew 4:12-25 -- Jesus & the Gentiles

Matthew 4 continues with Jesus hearing that John had been imprisoned and Jesus returning to Galilee. I never realized this area was inhabited by Gentiles (non-Jewish people) until I was studying this passage the other day. Matthew claims this was a fulfillment of Isaiah 9:1,2 when he quotes,

¹⁵"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."



So are the "people living in darkness" the Gentiles or is this all the world? My Bible notes this passage with Luke 2 and this bit about Simeon. Notice the reference to the Gentiles in verse 32.


²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
²⁹"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."


Also recall in John 8:12 where Jesus claimed to be the "light of the world." For me this seems Jesus ministry and message was to all people, not just the Jews.

Other observations from this chapter:

1. Like John the Baptist, Jesus preached repentance for the kingdom of heaven was near.

2. Jesus called his first disciples and said he would make them fishers of men. What does this mean? How does one fish for people?

3. Jesus went throughout the region teaching, preaching and healing all sick people who came to him.

4. A great multitude followed him. This sets the stage for the great teachings often referred to as The Sermon on the Mount which follows in the next three chapters.


Any thoughts or questions?

Matthew 4:1-11 -- The Temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4 is connected to the events in the preceding chapter where we ended with Jesus being baptized and a voice from heaven declaring "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Immediately after this the Spirit of God leads Jesus to a desert in order to be tempted. I was reflecting on this earlier and thought there was a lesson here. Sometimes it's after a crowning moment, a glorious time where we are praised or honored that we are sorely tempted. So beware of this. Never think you have "arrived" and are above the tempter's tactics. The Bible warns us against pride and says when we think we stand, beware ... that whole pride-goes-before-a-fall thing, I guess.

So here is Jesus being honored after his baptism, and immediately being lead into a desert where he fasts for 40 days and nights, is hungry and then tempted. And what does Satan appeal to first? His need for food! "Make these stones into bread," Satan challenges, "Come on, Jesus. Prove that you are the son of God. This won't be too hard for you and you can satisfy your need." How many of us yield to temptation because of our "needs"? Maybe that's not such a struggle, but I think it would be after forty days and nights of not eating! By the way, would it have been wrong for Jesus to make stones into bread? Why is this considered a temptation?


OT references
vs. 4 which refers to Deuteronomy 8:3 -- quoted by Jesus
vs. 6 -- Psalm 91:11,12 -- quoted by Satan
vs. 7 -- Deuteronomy 6:16 -- quoted by Jesus
vs. 10 -- Deuteronomy 6:13 -- quoted by Jesus

Did you see that Satan used OT verses as a challenge for Jesus to prove himself?

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"


He appealed to Jesus' pride (basically "prove yourself to be whom you really claim to be" or maybe "prove to be what that 'voice from heaven' said you were at that baptism forty days ago") and God's faithfulness in keeping His promises. Another one of those "has God said?" scenarios like he used with Eve perhaps. Maybe there is a lesson for us about distorting messages and using verses out of context in order to justify many things including war, our pride, unkindness and even God's "side." ("God is on my side, not yours. Here's why...[insert verses used to justify this selfish outlook].")

Verse 8 leads me to ask if Satan owns all the kingdoms of this earth. Do you have an opinion on this? I can tell you what my pastor has said, but I wonder if anyone else has an answer.

It's interesting that Jesus allowed himself to be lead by Satan during this testing period. Do you think Jesus wanted us to know that he, too, experienced temptation and defeated it by knowing the Word of God? Perhaps this is why the author of Hebrews could write: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." You can't help but see how Jesus refuted Satan three times by quoting from Deuteronomy. Psalm 119:11 tells us, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." And Jesus showed us how we can do this.


There is more in this chapter, but I decided to break it up into two posts as to not make this one any longer. Do you have thoughts or questions about this chapter or anything discussed? Please share them.

Matthew 3 -- John the Baptist

Matthew 3 introduces us to John the Baptist preaching in the desert area of Judea. His message was one of repentance because "the kingdom of heaven is near."

What does it mean to repent?
What does "the kingdom of heaven is near" mean? And why should its arrival motivate people to change their lives?

Matthew records that "many people" from Jerusalem, Judea, and all the area around the Jordan River came to hear John preach. They confessed their sins and John baptized them in the Jordan River.

Included in this group of people who came to hear John were Pharisees and Sadducees. (I learned recently that Sadducees were "bare letter of the Law" literalists whereas the Pharisees were a religious fraternity of sorts that added a lot of traditions and their own interpretations to the Law.) Apparently John detected their insincerity -- were their lives not changed? -- and he called them snakes and told them to "do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives."

I'm assuming from what John said next that these particular Jews thought their being children of Abraham was good enough (no changed hearts necessary!) for John says, "don't think you can say to yourselves, 'Abraham is our father.' I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from these rocks." Does this mean being "born Christian," "born Muslim," "born Jew" is not enough to put us in good standing with God? Outwardly these men looked truly pious, but God sees our hearts -- how pure are they to a holy God?

What's the purpose of baptism? Is it necessary for salvation or is it a symbol of a decision we've made to turn from wickedness? Or is it something else entirely? John says, "I baptize you with water to show that your hearts and lives have changed" (vs. 11).

John declares that one is coming after him whose shoes John is not worthy to carry. This promised one will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Also this greater one will separate the good from the bad.

Jesus came and desired to be baptized, however, John wanted Jesus to baptize him and protested!

Why did Jesus want to be baptized? Did he have sins to confess and turn from? Did he want to set an example for others to follow? Or did God want to honor Jesus somehow? Matthew records that following Jesus' baptism, he came up out of the water. "At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. ¹⁷And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Notice here the presence of Jesus, God's Spirit descending "like a dove" and a voice from heaven. What do these words from heaven mean?

Note: I think of the Holy Spirit and God's Spirit interchangeably. God is holy, yes? Therefore His Spirit is holy...thus "the Holy Spirit" or the Holy Spirit of God.


OT references/prophesies -- vs. 3 -- Matthew says that John fulfilled the Isaiah 40:31 prophesy concerning:
³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
"A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.' "

Thoughts?