Losing life, finding life

Losing life, finding life

Scripture:-

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 

Matthew 16:25-26

Observation:-

Wow! What a paradox! If we want to save our life, we lose it, but if we lose our life for Jesus we find it! What does it mean? The Lord goes on further… Why gain the whole world yet lose your soul? Whatever can be given to you that is worth your soul? As He said this, the Lord no doubt would have remembered His encounter with the devil during His temptation in the desert when He was brought to a very high mountain and shown the splendor of all the kingdoms of the world. There and then, the devil had offered the Lord all these kingdoms, if He would only bow down and worship him. Then, the Lord promptly rebuked the devil with Scripture “Away from me Satan! For it is written, “worship the Lord your God and serve Him only”.

Today, the devil is still active offering great temptations in various forms, all for the purpose of ensnaring our souls. Money, fame, sex and power have been the popular carrots throughout history but there are also many other temptations fitted specially to each person with the aim to ensnare us.

What does it mean to save one’s life? In the preceding verse, the Lord had spoke about our need to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and to follow Him. Could it be that the Lord was referring to a time when we would literally have to choose between losing our life or renouncing Christ? Certainly, if we stand firm in our loyalty to Jesus even at the cost of death, He has promised to acknowledge us before His Father in Heaven. In China, during the darkest of the persecution years, horror stories have been heard of Christian mothers being given the choice of renouncing Christ or having their children taken away from them. No doubt, in its most literal sense, we as Christians may face such difficult situations where we have to save our life and lose Jesus, or lose our life for Jesus and find true life.

However, on a more common day to day basis, saving our life would refer to either doing thing God’s way or do it our way. Obeying God may mean having to let go of certain habits, or changing our occupation or closing down a lucrative business. It could mean going out of our way to help a poor mother in need, or showing kindness to a mean colleague or forgiving competitive enemies. We are constantly confronted with such choices, and we have to decide whether to maintain our way of life or lose it and do it as Jesus leads us. As we learn to obey, we will truly find out that the Lord’s way, albeit so much harder at the beginning, is actually the far better way.

What could anyone give in exchange for his soul? Our soul is precious. It is for eternity. The pleasures in the world are fleeting, so temporary and insignificant in the light of eternity. We need to always keep that eternal perspective before us, lest we be cheated of our destiny for only very temporary “gain”.

Application:

Endeavor to live by the Spirit, by constantly assessing the way we do things, whether we are doing it God’s way or our way. Seek to align our habits, our goals, our priorities with that of the Lord’s. Some things would be really difficult for us. Some habits we really like can be very hard to drop. Ask the Lord for mercy and help to follow His will.

Adopt an eternal mindset. Consider all things with an eternal perspective. In so doing, we will find that what seemed so important previously may be trivial in the light of eternity.

In time to come, if we ever face a situation where we have to choose between death and renouncing Christ, remember that in losing our life for Jesus, therein will we find true life….

Prayer

Praise thee, Heavenly Father, for You hold all things in Your hands. I submit my life to You, O Lord. Teach me to live by Your Spirit. Teach me to submit my will to Yours. Give me strength and discipline I pray, to give up the habits that hold me back, to rethink my priorities from an eternal perspective, and to focus on doing Your will above all the temporary pleasures this world can offer. Give me strength and courage in the face of trials. Let me ever be faithful to You O Lord. Though my earthly life be taken from me, let me always stay true to You, Lord Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen.

To be His disciple

To be His disciple

Scripture:-

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

Observation:

“Deny myself? Take up my cross? What does Jesus mean?” The disciples must have wondered.

Let’s start by meditating on the words “whoever wants to be my disciple”. We certainly want Jesus to be our Savior, but do we really want to be His disciple? It sure doesn’t sound like fun here. Can we possibly have Jesus as Savior but not as Lord? No! To truly receive the Lord as Savior is to also follow Him as Lord! As 1 John 2:4 says,” if we say we know Him yet do not do what He commands, we lie and the truth is not in us.” Can we have Jesus as Savior without knowing Him? No! Jesus said “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me”. To come under the covering and salvation of the Lord, is to behold Him as our Lord and Master. There can be no two ways about it. We are saved wholly by grace, through faith, not by works. However, entering God’s salvation does not mean we are thereafter free to live life however we want. Rather, we must ensure that we continue in that great salvation by following the Lord as His disciple and seeking to live by His principles and teachings, in close relationship with Him.

Next, consider the words “deny ourselves”. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were asked to “deny themselves” on the Sabbath and do no work. Naturally, we human beings like to be constantly on the move, doing this and that. Even on holidays, we tend to stack up activities on our schedule and visit the most number of places. For the Israelites, choosing not to work and do business when other nations were still active also meant losing a lot of money making opportunities, and that too was part of denying one’s self.

Ultimately, to deny ourselves means to subject our will to God. We have our own plans but God has His plan. It is not easy, but to submit to God’s plan, we have to deny ourselves. His ways are higher, his thoughts are higher. We only have a very limited view but God has all history in His hands.

Another part of the difficulty in denying ourselves is our hunger for immediate satisfaction. We are impatient beings, always wanting to fulfill our immediate desires, often, with little thought for the future. When offended, we are also quick to retaliate in anger. We love shortcuts, and many fall prey easily to get rich quick schemes. However, consider how the Lord resisted temptation. He stood firm in fasting even after 40 days without eating in the desert, He forsook the easy path to receiving authority over all the kingdom of the world by refusing to bow down to the devil. He refused to be goaded by the devil’s challenge to prove He is the Son of God.

Denying ourselves is not easy. There is this struggle between the old man and the new man in us, as Paul puts it. Our old man gravitates us towards old sinful habits and desires. Our new man subjects his will to the will of God. Paul urges us to put off the old man and his evil desires but to put on the new man and conform our will to Christ. We are to reckon, to consider ourselves dead to sin by faith!

Secondly, the Lord says “Take up your cross!” We first do the passive step by denying our old man. Then we take the active step to take up our cross! What is our cross? The cross gives us the picture of sacrifice, of pain, of responsibility. Our cross is our calling, our unique, specific calling given according to God’s will. We are to first put off our own will and then actively pursue God’s will.

Finally, the Lord says “Follow me”. Is taking up our cross difficult? Yes, of course, if we strive in our own strength. In fact, on our own, we are bound to fail, to give up on our cross, and retreat, defeated. However, Jesus does not leave us alone. We have our cross but we have a great Savior who helps us. Remember that Jesus says “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light”. When we follow Jesus, it really makes all the difference. But how do we follow Jesus? Two main ways. Firstly, He has given us His teachings in the Gospels, further expounded in the book of Acts and the Letters of the New Testament. Secondly, we follow Jesus on a daily basis in close relationship with Him, through our prayer life, seeking His presence daily and aiming to live by the guidance of the Spirit of Jesus whom He has given us.

Application:

Let us commit this three step process of our Christian walk to memory. Deny ourselves, take up our cross, follow Jesus. As we live life in general, start with the main goal to follow Jesus. Ask the Lord to send us His Spirit in greater measure and presence to guide us. Inevitably, moments will come in the day, when we find a conflict within us between what we feel like doing or not doing and what we know we should be doing or not doing. These are the times when we need to deny ourselves and take up our cross. In such times, remember that our victory comes in following Jesus, so take a moment to close our eyes and envision the Lord before us, seeking to obey Him.

Prayer:

We praise You, Lord Jesus, for the power of Thy name. We praise thee for all You have done, and all You continue to do for us, interceding for us, blessing us, giving us strength and hope. Teach us, dear Lord, to walk in obedience with you, difficult though it may be, to crucify our flesh and our earthly desires. Teach us, Lord, to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and to follow You, just like Your early disciples did. We submit our lives to You, O Lord. Your thoughts are higher than ours. Your ways are greater. In You only shall we have hope! In Jesus name, Amen.

  

The keys to the kingdom

The keys to the kingdom

Scripture:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13-20

Observation:

“Who do you say I am?” the Lord asks His disciples. True to form, it is Peter, the most impetuous among the disciples who answers first quickly. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” Peter proclaims. While some speculated Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or another prophet risen again, Peter already knew that the Lord was truly the Son of God, the prophesied Messiah!

The Lord is pleased and blesses Peter, giving glory to God the Father for revealing this great truth to him. Then comes a statement that has proved very controversial throughout the Christian ages. ”And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”. The popular Catholic view here is that Peter as the foundation “rock” of the church was designated as the supreme leader over the whole early church and this supports the idea of papal supremacy in one man leading  the whole church worldwide. Many Evangelicals however tend to interpret this based on the interplay of the Greek meaning of the word “rock”. Thus, the correct translation should be “I tell you that you are Peter (Petros meaning pebble) and on this rock (Petra meaning large boulder) I will build my church”. Therefore, from that viewpoint, Jesus is referring to Himself (Petra) as the rock on which the church would be built. In other Scripture, Jesus is known as the Chief Cornerstone and God is the Rock of ages. Paul also refers to Jesus as the Rock.

It is without doubt that Christ is our ultimate Rock upon which every church stands, and as God, He is the Rock of ages. However, in this passage, it does seem like Jesus is referring to Peter as a rock on which He would build the early church. However, interpreting it as a means to support the theology of papal supremacy is also too far-fetched. Although Peter was one of the most important leaders in the early church, James, John and Paul were also rocks of the church in different times and places. Moreover, the promise of the power of binding and loosing in the Heavens certainly would not apply to Peter only but also to the rest of the disciples, and even to us today!

Principally, Jesus is our ultimate Rock, and foundation, the cornerstone of our faith. However, as He calls us, we too can become rocks and pillars in the church and various ministries by faithful and diligent service seeking His will always.

In respect to the principle of binding and loosing, the Lord’s teaching here is especially powerful and relevant today in terms of our prayers. We pray on earth, and it seems that nothing happens in the earthly realm, but in fact, there are great repercussions in the spiritual realm that we could never truly comprehend.

How do we bind and loose? What does it mean? Remember how the Lord spoke of needing to tie up the strong man of the house before taking his goods. That is binding! When we declare in faith, “We bind you, Satan and all demonic forces in Jesus name” in a particular situation, for example, when praying someone prone to suicidal depression, we set forces at work in the Heavenly realm that bind the demons and demonic angels in that area from continuing their demonic activity. Similarly, a person may be in bondage to pornography or nicotine. That is where we declare in faith, “We loose this brother in Jesus name from all bondage to pornography and nicotine”. We declare him free in Jesus name. Likewise, we set powers at work in the spiritual realms to release the captive from spiritual bondage and set him or her free. Another aspect of loosing is when we speak release of God’s holy angels to go forth to encourage and bring revelation and truth. Likewise, we can also speak release of God’s Holy Spirit to go forth in greater measure into our own lives into those of our loved ones, to bring forth love and joy and peace and every good thing.

Application:

Praise our might God in Heaven who is our Mighty Rock. Praise our Lord Jesus for He is the Rock of ages, always unmoving. It is on Him alone that we all move and have our being. Praise the Lord, that just as He is the Rock, He too enables us to become rocks and pillars in the church and ministry where He plants us. The image of the rock gives us the symbol of faithfulness, and that is what we need to aspire to in prayer and diligence.

Practice binding and loosing in our daily lives. We have been given such a great key by the Lord. We need to use it. Where we see injustice, or sickness or evil in a particular area, let us bind the demons at work there in Jesus name. Where we see people in bondage or under deception, let us loose them in Jesus name. Let us speak release of God’s Holy angels to send forth and do the will of God in helping and encouraging the saints. Let us speak release of God’s Holy Spirit to go forth in great measure to bring peace and strength to those in need. Pray for wisdom as to how to use this mighty key the Lord has given us.

Prayer:

We praise thee, Heavenly Father, for You are our Great Rock, faithful and unmoving throughout the ages. Make us rocks for you too, Lord, in our church or ministries where You have called us. Let us be faithful and put our trust in You as the ultimate Rock of our lives.

Teach us, Lord, to use this wonderful key You have given us. Where there is evil, let us bind the forces at work in Jesus name. Where there are people suffering or held captive, let us loose them from bondage in Jesus. We bind you in Jesus name, Satan and every spirit of unbelief and deception that prevent our loved ones from knowing Jesus Christ. We loose them in Jesus name from the web of deception and pride that has covered their eyes. We bind you in Jesus name, Satan and every spirit of addiction and lust and pride and covetousness that come and plot against us in Jesus name. We loose ourselves in Jesus name, to be free, to know the truths of God, to be set free from every bondage, from every curse, from every lie and deception. We release in Jesus name, God’s holy angels to go forth and encourage and bring truth and revelation to us, to our brothers and sisters, to our loved ones. We release in Jesus name, God’s Holy Spirit, in greater and greater measure into our hearts, over our church, over our nation. We praise You and love You, Lord. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.

The yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

The yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Scripture:

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:5-12

Observation:

“Be careful! Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” said the Lord to His disciples. Puzzled, they began to discuss and conclude that their Master was somehow chiding them for forgetting to bring bread before they crossed the lake. However, the Lord was not interested in the physical bread. He had just fed five thousand with five loaves and four thousand with seven loaves with many basketfuls leftover. Food was not the issue here but rather the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

They were the religious elite of Israel. They were the leaders everyone looked up to in spiritual matters, yet their teachings were wrong. From the pure Word of God, they had created an elaborate system of traditions and interpretations made to suit their own desires and to glorify themselves. This was the yeast that they added to the true bread and corrupted it. They had the Word of God but did not know God. Their hearts were for their own pride and they worshipped religion rather than God. By their vain teachings, they put heavy burdens on men and gloated at their own perceived righteousness over the common people of the land.  

How different Jesus was! He mixed with prostitutes and tax collectors and sinners. He came to seek and save the lost, not caring what others might think about Him. He was not after a popularity contest but purely loved the people, and sought to turn them to God.

Application:

Consider the metaphor of bread as teachings. Earlier, when He was tempted, the Lord quoted from Deuteronomy, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God”. Our physical man feeds on physical food like bread, but our spiritual man feeds on spiritual food, which is the Word of God. Do we read the Word of God? Do we feed our Spirit man? We must partake of God’s Word regularly via regular Bible reading.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The disciples were so focused on the physical issues that they missed the spiritual lesson! In everyday life, there are different ways God speaks to us, and teaches us. We need only open our eyes and look, and trust in His guidance to reveal great truths to us. “God does speak, now one way, now another, though we do not perceive it” as stated in Job.

Now all Scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking and training in righteousness. Yet, many also have manipulated the Word of God to create terrifying cults that have deceived thousands, even millions in the world. How do we know when we are being taught false teachings?

In those days, the Pharisees and Sadduccees married the Word of God with their yeast, their own man-made traditions and goals. Today, many also do the same, marrying the Word of God with other sources. Some cults will say only their leader can interpret the Bible correctly. Some will attribute authority to another source in addition to the Bible like a certain “Newsletter”. Some will only focus on selected portions of the Bible while neglecting large portions which may be unpopular to the masses. Basically, any teaching that tries to marry the Bible with outside authoritative teachings or exclude large portions of the Bible are to be considered immediately suspect. We need to prayerfully ask God for wisdom and be grounded ourselves in the Word so that we may not be swayed by wrong teachings.

Prayer:

Praise thee, Heavenly Lord, for You hold all things in Your hands. We thank You and praise You for giving us all we have, and revealing Your truth to us. Build up our spirit man we pray O Lord. Give us a fresh hunger for Your Word, which is bread to our spiritual man. Help us grow in You and understand Your Word more and more. Open our minds, O Lord to understand.

We thank You, Lord Jesus, that You brought out great truths out of simple, everyday events. Help us watch out for lessons You may teach us at any given moment, for You always speak, though man may fail to listen. Guard us O Lord, and give us Your wisdom to reject all false teachings, no matter how good they may sound. We entrust ourselves and our families to You, O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

The sign of the times

The sign of the times

Scripture:

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

Matthew 16:1-4

Observation:

“Show us a sign from heaven!” the Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus. “Prove to us you really are the Son of God!” This was not the first time they had asked Jesus for a sign. Their challenge was in effect not unlike the temptation thrown at Jesus by the devil at the top of the temple in Jerusalem! “Jump down, if you are really the Son of God! Doesn’t God’s Word say the angels will lift you up before you touch the ground?”

What were the Pharisees and Sadducees expecting actually? Perhaps they though Jesus should prove Himself by calling down fire from Heaven like Elijah and Elisha of old. Perhaps they wanted Jesus to make the sun stand still like what happened to Joshua so long ago.

However, the Lord would not give in to their insincere challenge but instead rebuked them soundly. “You know how to interpret the weather, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times. Only a wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but only the sign of Jonah will be given!”

In His life and ministry, the Lord was already fulfilling Scripture before their very eyes but they failed to understand they were living in the very time that God Himself had come to them as a human man. As mentioned before in an earlier encounter, Jesus against speaks of the sign of Jonah being the only sign that would be given them.

Jonah was basically dead, being in the belly of a fish for 3 days and 3 nights, before the Lord revived him and delivered him up onto dry land.  Likewise, the Lord was telling them that He too would die and be in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights, before He was raised from the dead!

Application:

In the days of Elijah, the people were wavering between two opinions, and in the encounter of Mount Carmel, they were prepared to worship either Yahweh or Baal, whoever answered with fire before them. They were a wicked and adulterous nation like the Lord spoke of, ever ready to jump ship and join whichever religion seemed more spectacular. “Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe” the Lord told doubting Thomas. There are times when God is so real in our lives and our Christian walk is fresh and exciting. However, there are also time when God seems far away, and life is miserable. It is in times like this that our faith is truly tested, and where only those truly faithful to God in spite of circumstances and trouble will show themselves. We must aim to be Christians like that.

Consider the signs of the times. In the Old Testament, there is a famous reference to the men of Isaachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. Today, in 2013, we are in the last days, but do we understand the signs of the times. The book of Revelation has been given us precisely to prepare us to know what to expect so that we will not be surprised when the very last days come upon us. We too need to understand the times and know what we as Christians should do. Let us pray to God for wisdom and understanding in regard to the end times, and what preparations we need to make!

Meditate upon the sign of Jonah, the great work of our Lord, who died on the cross for us, who was in the heart of the earth for 3 days for our sake. Praise the Lord that it is because of His great love that He did this for us.

Prayer:

We praise thee, Father in Heaven, for thy Excellent Greatness and Grace. Praise thee, Lord, for the strength of Thy hands, and the Power of Thy Word. Let us not be part of a wicked and adulterous nation we pray. Instead, let us be like those who do not see yet believe in You. Even in times of trouble and hardship, let us O Lord ever cling to You, trusting in You even when we cannot see, even when all hope seems lost.

Teach us, Lord, to be like the men of Isaachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. Give us wisdom and knowledge to make the necessary preparations in these last days. Teach us Lord to redeem the time and pray with renewed urgency for the lost.

We bless thee Lord Jesus for Your great sacrifice for us. For our sake, You were three days and three nights in the heart of the earth like Jonah was in the belly of the fish. We thank You and praise You and love You, Lord. May Your great name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.

5, the number of grace, 7, the number of completion

5, the number of grace, 7, the number of completion

Scripture:

Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.  Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan. Matthew 15:29-39

Observation:

Once again, the Lord repeats His incredible miracle of feeding thousands, this time with seven loaves and a few small fish. The Lord not only heals the lame, the blind, the crippled and the mute, but also provides for the physical needs of all the crowd, who eat and are satisfied. Just as before, there are basketfuls of broken pieces left over, this time numbering 7. Also, while 5,000 men were fed in the previous miracle, this time the number is 4,000. These two miracles must have happened within a very short time, but is there any significance in these numbers between the two miracles?

5 loaves, 5,000 fed, 12 baskets leftover. 7 loaves, 4,000 fed, 7 baskets leftover. Interestingly, Bible scholars on the whole concur that certain numbers in the Bible have special meanings. For example, 1 denotes absolute singleness (Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is One God) and 3 denotes divine perfection (God in the Holy Trinity).  

Looking at the first feeding, we notice the 5 loaves and the 5,000 men. 5 here is the number of grace and the number of sacrifice (Benjamin’s portion 5 times more, 5 levitical offerings, Abram’s name changed to Abraham by adding “5”, likewise for Sarai to Sarah). 10 is the number of perfection relating to men (the 10 commandments, 10% tithe, 10 fingers, 10 toes).   5000 consists of 5X10X10X10. The Lord comes to give grace, healing the sick and encouraging the downhearted, and He is also completely perfect in obeying all the law of God. 12 is the number of governmental perfection and the number of His disciples. There are 12 tribes, 12 disciples. Even in human courts today, there are 12 numbers in the jury. In the Book of Revelation, the 144,000 destined to rule consist of 12X12x10x10x10 (Perfect Government ruled by men perfectly obeying God’s law).

Moving on to the Second Feeding, we first look at the 7 loaves. The number 7 represents Completeness (7 days in a week, 7 seals and 7 trumpets in the book of Revelation). Regarding the 4,000 men, we see that 4 is the number of the earth (4 seasons, 4 earthly kingdoms in Daniel, 4 primary directions – North, South, East, West, 4 gospels pertaining to Jesus’ walk on the earth) Therefore, 4x10x10x10 gives us the picture of the Lord being completely perfect in obeying God’s law throughout His time of walking on the earth as wholly the Son of Man. He is fully God and He is fully man. Coming lastly to the 7 baskets leftover, we are reminded of how our Lord completed His mission perfectly, all the way up to the point He was hung on the cross and cried “It is finished”.

Putting the two pictures together, we first see the Lord coming to give perfect grace to men (5 loaves) by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice (5 of 5,000) after living a perfectly holy life (10x10x10 of 5,000). After His ascension, He would leave His 12 disciples (12 baskets) to carry and pass on His work of spreading the gospel until His second coming to form His perfect government on the earth. (Note that Judas was replaced by Matthias as chosen by lot by the remaining 11 disciples but many also argue the Apostle Paul is God’s true choice as Judas’ replacement).

Besides that, we also see the Lord descending to complete (7 loaves) His allotted time on the earth (4 of 4,000) as the Son of Man where He lived a perfectly obedient life to God’s commands (10x10x10 of 4,000) and this work He completed (7 baskets) when He cried “It is finished” and breathed His last on the cross.

Application:

Praise the Lord for the perfect grace that He gives us. He came down to earth to be a mortal man and lived a perfect life so that He would be an acceptable once and for all sacrifice without blemish to God so that all who believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life! Remember that this is not the end and that Jesus is coming back again to form His holy, perfect government on the earth!

Praise the Lord that He has completed His work perfectly. His sacrifice is complete, and there is nothing more to add to it or take away from it. It is perfect, it is finished. Meditate on the Lord’s finished work of the Cross. On the cross, He took our infirmities so that we might receive healing. He took our sins so that we might receive forgiveness. He became poor so that we might become rich. He was rejected that we might be accepted. He became a curse so that we might receive His blessing. He was made sin in our sinfulness so that we might be made righteous in His righteousness! He bore our shame that we might share in His glory. He died so that we might live! Praise His Holy name!

Prayer:

We praise thee Lord Jesus for coming down to earth for us, for becoming one of us, for dying on the cross for us. It is You O Lord who gave us hope, who saved us, who gave us life! We thank You Lord for Your almighty grace, the totally undeserved favor that You bestow upon us. Praise Your holy name! We praise thee, Lord, that Your work is finished, complete in every way. We put our trust completely in You, O Lord, that we are completely saved by virtue of Your great work. In You, O Lord, we put all our hope, for You are our Lord and Savior. We praise thee, O Lord, for on the cross You took everything bad due to us that we might receive everything good due to You. You took our infirmities that we might receive Your healing. You bore our shame, that we might share in Your glory. You were rejected that we might be accepted. You became a curse that we might receive Your blessing. You died that we might live. We praise You and worship You, O Lord. May Your name be praised forever, Mighty Lord Jesus! In Jesus name, Amen!

The faith of the Canaanite mother

The faith of the Canaanite mother

Scripture:

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Matthew 15:21-28

Observation:

Upon entering the region of Tyre and Sidon, the Lord encounters a desperate Canaanite woman who entreats Him to heal her daughter who is demon possessed. She seems to be well versed with Jewish affairs, even calling Him Son of David, alluding to His Messiahship.

At first, the Lord does not answer a word, but the disciples urge Him to send her away as she keeps hassling them. So the Lord explains that He is only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. In the order of God’s plan, it was necessary for the Lord to first preach to Israel before the gospel was preached to the Gentiles i.e. all other nations. It is not that the Lord does not love the other nations, but Israel was chosen first from among the nations to be the light of God, and so they too must receive the Gospel first. In the day of judgment, this order will also be the same, with the Jew judged first before the Gentile. The Lord is just in all His ways.

The desperate mother does not give up but kneels before the Lord and begs Him to help her. Then, the Lord gives her what seems like a surprising insult, saying “it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs”. However, the Greek word used for “dogs” here does not refer to outside, stray dogs, but beloved household pets like puppies who hover around the table near the children. In the parallel passage in Mark, he records this statement a bit differently as “first let all the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs (household pets). Thus, the woman would not have taken it as an insult, but would picture a typical household image in her mind. Jesus was using a parable to explain that His ministry and miracles was first for the Jews before coming to the Gentiles.

Incredibly, the Canaanite woman then makes a surprising reply, saying that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. Using the same allusion, she was saying that even the slightest display of the Lord’s power was sufficient to heal her daughter. Amazed by her faith, the Lord tells her to go for her daughter is healed, and so she is. Although His ministry was primarily for the Jews first, the Lord made an exception for her because of her great faith.

Application:

How strong indeed was the faith of the Canaanite woman. She was not a Jew yet she understood that God is a God of miracles, and nothing is too hard for Him. Even the crumbs of His power is already far more than sufficient to bring about great miracles and healing. We need to pray to God for faith like that. He is truly our Mighty God, perfect and powerful in all His ways.

Another thing we notice is also the great perseverance of the woman. She really persevered and did not give up despite the Lord’s initial refusal to listen to her pleas. This is such an important lesson for us in prayer, not to give up, but keep praying and praying and entreating God until our prayers get answered.

One more area we can learn regarding prayer is that sometimes God seems silent, and we may seem to be praying to ears that do not listen. However, the Lord was aware of her presence all along, and was gradually leading her on to show her great faith to His disciples as a lesson to them. Again, if we are praying, and God seems silent, do not lose hope, but remember that eventually the Lord will answer, in His good timing.

Prayer

Praise thee, Lord, for the marvelous lesson of the faith of the Canaanite woman. Give us faith like she had O Lord, that even the slightest effects of Your great power is already far more than sufficient to bring about great miracles in our life. Smoothen our paths O Lord, deliver us from trouble we pray. Blessed be Your name forever.

Grant us that strong perseverance even as we pray. Teach us to tarry, to hold on to You like Jacob of old. Let us persevere and be patient in our prayers, help us prevail until You, O Lord, answer us, for You will never let the righteous fall! Bless Your name forever, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

But what comes out of the mouth

But what comes out of the mouth

Scripture:

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” Matthew 15:10-20

Observation:

After stinging the Pharisees with His sharp words, the Lord then turns to the crowd and proclaims to them yet another great teaching - it is not what comes out of a person’s mouth that defiles them, but what comes out of it. The disciples don’t get it, and the Lord has to tell them plainly that a person is defiled not by food coming into the mouth from without but by words coming out of the mouth from within, for it is words that betray the evil thoughts of a person’s heart. In James 3, we see again the same theme, where James warns us of the dangers of the tongue that no man can tame. Ultimately though, it is out of the overflow of the heart that a man speaks. Therefore, if a man’s heart has good thoughts, he will say good things, while if his heart is full of evil thoughts, he will say evil things, in private if not in public. The Lord also lists down the typical evil thoughts of a person – “murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and slander”. Before they are even committed, all these sins first begin in the heart of a person.

Besides that, the Lord’s disciples were also alarmed their Master had offended the Pharisees, and brought up their concern. However, the Lord simply replied in parabolic form how every plant not planted by God the Father would be pulled up, and that the Pharisees were blind guides. Effectively, Jesus was likening the Pharisees to the weeds He mentioned in an earlier parable, which were planted alongside the sons of the kingdom, looking closely like wheat but only showing their true identity at a later stage. The comical analogy of the blind leading the blind has now become a popular saying in the English language and indeed Jesus was warning His disciples that those who followed the spiritually blind Pharisees would also fall into the pit.

Application:

Throughout His ministry, the Lord always prioritized the inner holiness of a person. On the outside, a person may look nice and beautiful, but on the inside, he may be wicked and evil. It is no use to change the outside but not the inside. It is in transforming our hearts first, that our actions and lifestyle will follow accordingly. Therefore, we need to pray earnestly like the Psalmist “Create in me a pure heart, O God” and seek the righteousness of God, while allowing Him to change us. The process may not be pleasant or easy, for we have an old man who resists the Lord, but if we persevere in seeking and following the Lord, we will increasingly find that the new has come, and the old has gone.  

Pay attention to the words that we speak, especially in what we say to those closest to us, for it is our words that expose the true state of our hearts. Commit our hearts and tongues to God. May the meditations of our hearts and the words of our lips be acceptable to the Lord, our God and our Redeemer!

Beware of the many blind guides in the world, many of whom lead masses to destruction. Dig deep and become strong in the Word of God by regular Scripture reading and earnest prayer. Remember not to be deceived by outward appearances, but ask God for wisdom to look to the true inner state of things.

Prayer:

Praise You, Heavenly Lord, for the beauty of Your creation. We praise thee, O Lord, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We bring our hearts to You O Lord. Change it, transform it, mould it to Your will we pray. As the Psalmist prayed, O Lord, create in us a pure heart! Let the meditations of our heart and the words of our lips be acceptable to You O God. Inspire us, quicken us, lead us in Your way everlasting! Protect us O Lord, from blind guides and deceitful men. Grant us wisdom and discernment to know what is right and true. May Your name be praised forever, O Lord. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.