Luke 18:9-14 We’re All the Same in God’s Eyes

A man went to visit a psychiatrist. “Doc, I’ve got two problems.” The psychiatrist said, “Okay, tell me all about it.” The man began, “Well, first of all, I think I am a Coca-Cola machine”.

The psychiatrist sat the man down and started therapy. For weeks, he gave it his best shot, but nothing seemed to happen. Finally, out of exasperation, the psychiatrist jumped up one day, took two quarters out of his pocket, shoved them in the man’s mouth, grabbed him by the ears and shook him until he swallowed the quarters. Then he hollered, “Okay, now give me a Coke”.

That’s when the man said, “I can’t, Doc. That’s my second problem. I’m out of order.” 

The only people God can help are those who admit that they have a problem. They have to admit that they are “out of order”. They have to admit that they have a problem, admit what the problem is, seek help to overcome it and persist until the problem is resolved.

Have you ever thought that you were better than other people? If you have, how can you call yourself a Christian? Christians prove by their words and deeds that they are the same as everyone else, the only difference being that they show Christ’s love and that they admit that they are sinners and ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness. That is the point of the Gospel reading from Luke 18:9-14.

My mother’s doctor told her when she had to start using a cane that “pride goeth before a fall”. Jesus warned the people that the idea that we are self-sufficient for our salvation is a prideful one. Pride is one obstacle to faith. It blinds us to our needs because it makes us think that we can handle our needs and if we can’t handle them, they weren’t important anyway. Pride has no room for mercy, no need for forgiveness. If we think that we can satisfy our own needs, or if we think we are better than anyone else, we are dead wrong. All of us “put our pants on one leg at a time”, as the old saying goes. All of us are the same. If you want proof, look at any cemetery. Rich and poor are buried side by side. Jesus exalted the man who knew his place in the game of grace. How about us? Jesus knew that we have a need that can never be covered over or washed away by human deeds.

It reminds me of a story about a minister who was waiting to board a plane. He saw a businessman run up to an airline attendant and demand immediate entry on the plane. The attendant asked him to go to the end of the line and wait his turn. The man shouted, “Do you know who I am?” He said he was a senior executive who flew often, and he could have her fired. She said, “Well, I guess I’ll wait for that call, but you’ll still have to go to the end of the line”.

Arrogance is the opposite of true self-esteem, and it is the opposite of the two Great Commandments to love God and love people. Humility is a realistic assessment of who we are in God’s eyes. Connecting with who we are in God’s eyes is the start of our spiritual journey. The remainder of the journey involves staying in touch with who we can become with God’s help.

The Pharisee represented the best in religious society. His life reflected care about religious things. Pharisees were pious lay people and religious leaders who were dedicated to their religious observance and admired by others of their faith. The Pharisee thought that he was better than everyone else. He tried to justify himself in the eyes of God. These were his two big mistakes, and they are the same two mistakes all of us make at times. Sometimes we think that we are better than others, and I’m just as guilty of that mistake as everyone else here in this church is. We use anything and everything we can to justify ourselves-intelligence, where we went to school, where we live, sports, family, job, etc. We feel the need to prove ourselves to God, but that isn’t necessary as long as we come to him in true faith just like the tax collector came to God in faith.  

The main issue in this reading is the sin of self-righteousness, the belief in salvation by works instead of trusting in God’s grace. The Pharisee believed that his good works would get him into heaven, but the tax collector had the humility to do what God requires. He faced the truth about himself and asked for God’s mercy and forgiveness. We can’t gain God’s favour with good works. Our good works have to be backed up with a genuine, humble faith. God has no use for people who boast of their achievements. We must humbly repent and confess our guilt. Humility raises us up to heaven.

Jesus sees the truth about people by looking into their hearts. He saw that the Pharisee was not sincere, and he knew that the tax collector was sincere. Someone who is honest with God sees himself as he truly is. Anyone who repents and calls on Christ will be redeemed by God.

Jesus wants lives that have been transformed. He wants to see followers who love others like he loves us. He wants followers who will feed the hungry, care for the sick, clothe the naked. By doing these things, we will grow close to God.

Religion is not the same as Christianity. Religion concentrates on worshipping God by following man-made rules. Christianity concentrates on worshipping God in sincere faith and on loving others. There are five rules that will free us from religion:

1.      Refuse to bind ourselves and others with man-made rules.

2.      Reject appearances as a spiritual yardstick. Looks can be deceiving.

3.      Review our walk with God and beware of the danger of form without function.

4.      Return to the basis of examination and confession.

5.      Remain humble.

We must remember that what matters to God is our heart and that we are sincere in our relationship with him. God will answer our prayers with a “yes” if we actually offer our prayers to him.  

Jewish law required that the faithful give 10 percent of their income from crops and livestock to God’s work, but the Pharisee went beyond that by giving 10 percent of all his income. Jewish law required that the faithful fast or go without food one day per year, but the Pharisee fasted two days per week. He was a religious over-achiever. He stood off by himself and looked at other worshippers, eyeing some of them with contempt. In modern language he would say something like this, “O Lord, how thankful I am that I’m not loitering on some street corner, a no-count drug abuser living off welfare. I thank you that I’m not a homosexual or an abortionist or New Ager or Hollywood pagan. O Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re prefect in every way.”

Sinners are justified when God’s righteousness is added to their account. In other words, sinners are justified when they accept God in faith as their saviour. It was on this basis that the tax collector was saved, and it is on that same basis that we are saved. The tax collector’s heart was a pigsty, but when he prayed he opened the doors wide and begged God to enter. He was not happy with himself and was desperate for grace. Where the Pharisee’s prayer was self-centered, the tax collector’s prayer was God-centered. He did not compare himself to others. He made no reference to what he did or what he did not do. He knew that God knew him just like God knows each and every one of us, and this knowledge broke him open and made him want something better than all that he was and all that he did. Jesus likes sinners because they know that they still have room to grow and depend on God. Jesus also likes sinners because they do not look down on others.

God can take our miserable efforts and make something useful out of them. He takes our mismanaged lives, our failed efforts, our missed marks, our shameful deeds, our attitudes, our sinful lives and out of his resourcefulness he saves us by creating something new, worthy and wonderful that still has usefulness and beauty in his divine plan for our lives.  

A martial arts student met his instructor for tea. The student said to his teacher, “I’ve learned all you have to teach me about defending myself. I want to learn one more thing now. Please teach me about the ways of God.”

The teacher took the teakettle and started pouring the student’s cup full of tea. Soon the cup overflowed and spilled over onto the saucer. The teacher continued to pour the tea until it spilled over the saucer and then onto the floor.

The student finally said, “Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can’t take any more.” The teacher looked at the student and said, “You are so full of yourself that there is no room in your life for God. It is not possible for you to learn the ways of God until you learn to empty yourself.” That is a good lesson for all of us to learn.

When we are 100% dependent on God’s grace and admit that we are nothing, that admission impresses God to the extent that we have earned God’s favour and God’s life. This parable invites us reflect on our claims to righteousness and goodness and whether it puts us in a position of justification and righteousness with God.

 Bibliography

 

1.      Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

2.      Daniel Clendenin, Ph.D., “Lord Have Mercy: What’s Wrong and What’s Right?” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net

3.      John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, 22^nd Sunday after Pentecost, Year C. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org

4.      Jang Ho Park, “How DO We Pray?” Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net

5.      James MacDonald, “Freedom from Religion”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

6.      Greg Laurie, “The Right Way to Pray”. Retrieved from www.harvest.org

7.      Dick Inness, “I Have a Problem”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org

8.      Jude Siciliano, OP “First Impressions, 30^th Sunday, Year C” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

9.      T.M. Moore, “Pride”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

10.  George Vink, “Looking at Ourselves”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net

11.  Paul DeVries, “A Parable of Prayer”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net

12.  Reginald Smith, “Knowing Your Place”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net

13.  Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, “God’s Just Rewards”. Retrieved from www.lhm.org

14.  Exegesis for Luke 18:9-14. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

15.  ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

16.  MacArthur, J.F.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers,; 2006)

17.  King Duncan, “Why Jesus Likes Sinners.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

18.  R. Curtis Fussell, “Pride.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

19.  Leonard Sweet, “License to Steal”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

20.  Dr. Bill Bouknight, “Broken and Beautiful” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

21.  Alan J. Weenink, “The Cunning Craftsman, God” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

22.  The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “Two Ways”. Retrieved from www.lectioonary.org

 

 

 

Luke 18:9-14 Bullies and Braggarts are No Better than Anyone Else

Have any of you ever been bullied, teased or made fun of? It isn’t very much fun, is it? Believe me, I know the feeling because when I was your age I was bullied, made fun of and teased. Why do you think some people act like that?

Have you heard anyone brag about how good they are in school or in sports? What do you think of people who are like that? Why do you think people act like that?

Well, one reason why people brag, bully, tease or make fun of other people might be that they think that they are better than other people. But as God’s children we know that this is not true. We are all the same in the eyes of God, and he hates people who think they are better than anyone else.

The Gospel reading  from Luke 18:9-14 talks about someone who thought that he was better than anyone else. Boys and girls, the Pharisee thought that he was better than anyone else. The Pharisees were among the religious leaders in society at that time, and they were so observant of religious laws that they thought that they were better than other people in society.

Dr. Seuss once wrote a story about a turtle like that. The title of the story is "Yertle the Turtle." Yertle was ruler of a little pond on the island of Sala-ma-Sond. All of the turtles at the pond had everything they needed and were quite happy. They were happy, that is, until Yertle decided that his kingdom was too small. "I am ruler of all that I see, but I don't see enough. My throne is too low down" complained Yertle. So Yertle lifted his hand and gave a command. He ordered nine turtles in the pond to stand on each other's backs so that they could become his new and higher throne. He climbed up onto the backs of the turtles and he had a wonderful view. But Yertle still wasn't satisfied. "Turtles! More turtles!" he called from his lofty throne, Yertle swelled with pride and feelings of importance as turtles from all over the pond came to climb on the stack of turtles which made up Yertle's throne. At the very bottom of the stack was a plain and ordinary turtle named Mack. He struggled under the weight of all the turtles until finally, he decided that he had taken enough. That plain little turtle named Mack did a very plain little thing. He burped! His burp shook the throne and Yertle fell right into the mud! And now the great Yertle is King of the MUD. When you think too highly of yourself, you often wind up taking a big fall, don't you?

In contrast, the tax collector was among the lowest class of people in society. Some of you have probably heard your parents complain about how much they have to pay to the tax man, and if you want to know why they complain, just wait until you have jobs of your own and have to pay taxes! In Jesus’ time, tax collectors “bought” their jobs from the Romans. They collected the taxes that people owed to the Romans, but they also tried to collect as much tax revenue as they could from the people. The difference between what the tax collectors collected and what they paid to Rome was their salary.

The tax collector was truly sorry for his sins and prayed to God with all of his heart. In contrast, the Pharisee bragged about how better he was than the Pharisee. Jesus does not like people who brag or think that they are better than other people. He said in the passage that in his coming kingdom those who think they are better than other people will be among those who will be made humble, and those who are humble and come to Jesus in humble faith will be glorified. Jesus likes humble people.

Let us bow our heads, close our eyes and have a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for loving us when we come to you with humble hearts filled with true faith. Help us always to be close to you in faith and humility. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Luke 18:1-8 Pray Without Ceasing

Have you ever wanted something so much that you kept asking for it time and time again until you finally got what you wanted? If so, you can understand how the widow in the Parable of the Unjust Judge felt. She kept going to the judge until he finally decided to hear her case.

In Jesus’ time, widows were among the most disadvantaged people in society. In spite of Old Testament laws stating that they and other disadvantaged people were to be provided for and taken care of, they had few rights, no one to be an advocate for them and no one to look after them in their old age if they did not have any children. To make matters worse, judges could be influenced by bribes or friendship or other means. Not all judges were fair or interested in helping the less fortunate obtain justice.

In contrast, God, who is the Chief Justice of the highest court known to mankind, is a friend of the less fortunate. He loves to hear their cries for justice. His justice is swift and fair to the less fortunate yet is merciless when it comes to dealing with people who would take advantage of the less fortunate. He loves to hear our prayers. When we go to God in prayer, no matter how persistent we are, God will always be there to listen and give advice.  

Some of you are probably saying to yourselves, “I’ve tried praying, but I didn’t get any answer” or, “I didn’t get the answer I wanted”. There are several reasons why you received the answer that you did receive. Perhaps you didn’t pray hard enough or often enough. Perhaps your request did not fit into God’s plan for your life. Sometimes God’s answer is “No”. Sometimes his answer is “Not now”. Sometimes his answer is “No, because I have something even better in mind for you”. God our heavenly father loves us like our earthly parents loved us, and like earthly parents he does what he knows to be best for us.

When we pray, God might not answer our prayers right away. He might use the delay to teach us something. He use the delay to prepare us to receive his answer. He will answer our prayer in his own time and in his own way. In God’s way of doing things, justice delayed is not justice denied.

As children of God we have certain rights and responsibilities, and sometimes we forget about these rights and responsibilities, especially the responsibility to care for the less fortunate. God has to constantly remind us of these responsibilities. In this way, God is the persistent widow in the Parable of the Unjust Judge.  

Luke wrote his Gospel about a generation after Jesus died and rose again. At that time, people expected Jesus to return shortly after he ascended into heaven, and they were getting discouraged when Jesus did not return when they expected him to return. Luke included the Parable of the Unjust Judge to encourage the people. The parable is about waiting and not losing hope, heart or faith. If we pray earnestly, faithfully and regularly, Jesus will find faith when he does return. If we are persistent in prayer, we will stay in touch with God. We must persevere in prayer because we must persevere in doing God’s work, and that includes doing God’s justice in an unjust world. That requires long, constant and persistent prayer. Sometimes the task seems hopeless, but we must never give up.

Have you prayed and prayed, and there still seems to be no answer? Does it seem as if God is asleep and absent from your cry? Jesus has given us the answer by discussing the problem, delivering the parable, and defining the principle. Therefore, don’t give up, don’t lose hope, don’t quit now, but just keep praying until the answer comes.

Bibliography

1.      Dean Deppe, “A Persistent Plea”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net

2.      The Rev. Nils Chittenden, “Patina of Faith”. Retrieved from http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com

3.      The Rev. Mark Sargent, “Keeping Heart, Trusting in God”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

4.      The Rev. Dr. Robert Dunham, “Whose Persistence?” Retrieved from  www.day1.org

5.      Pastor Jeff Schreve, “Does Prayer Even Make a Difference?” Retrieved from www.fromhisheart.org

6.      Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 29^th Sunday, Year C”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

7.      Pastor Jeff Schreve, “Have You Thrown in the Towel on Prayer?” Retrieved from www.fromhisheart.org

8.      Exegesis for Luke 18:1-8. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

9.      Craig Condon, “Persistence Pays Off”. Retrieved from http://sermonsfrommyheart.blogspot.ca/2013/01/luke-181-8-persistence-pays-off.html

 

Matthew 15:10-28 Faith, Filth and the Human Heart

There is a story of a group of the very pious who are waiting in heaven for judgment. As they are waiting and complaining about the wait, they begin to see some of the “sinners” they knew on earth coming into the waiting room: a corrupt politician, an itinerant woman who had been convicted of shoplifting many times, a prostitute, a drug addict, a criminal, etc.

With each of these arrivals, the feeling of hostility increased in the first group. They glare at the others. They talk among themselves. Within a short time, words were spoken to those others, “What makes you think you’re going to get in with the evil, sinful lives you lived on earth?”

“We are relying on the mercy and grace of God. What makes you so sure you’re going to get in?”

“Our good lives, of course.” They turned their backs to the others.

Time began to drag on for the first group. They began to complain to one another. “If those other people get in, there’s no justice. After all the sacrifices we’ve made. It’s not fair.”

The Lord arrived. He turned toward the first group, “I understand you’ve been wondering why there has been no judgment.”

“Yes!” they cried out. “We want a judgment. We want justice.”

The Lord replied, “The judgment has already taken place. You’ve judged yourselves. By judging these, the least of my brothers and sisters, you have judged yourselves. In rejecting them, you have rejected me. You have shown yourselves unworthy of the Kingdom of God”.  

The issue in Matthew 15:10-28 is true holiness. Specifically, what constitutes true holiness? Is it strict observance of the law or rituals, as the Pharisees or some church-goers think? After all, the Pharisees were so concerned about obeying God’s law that they wrote countless rules to cover every conceivable situation. It makes me wonder if some government bureaucrats are descended from the Pharisees!

Or perhaps true holiness comes from the heart instead, as Jesus argues. He is right when he says that evil thoughts and deeds come from the heart. One only has to read the comments made by the man behind the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway to see that this is true. On the other hand, we only have to look at people such as Mother Theresa or Desmond Tutu, or organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse and the local food bank to see that good thoughts and deeds also come from the hearts of people, especially people who are willing to work for social justice.

Jesus continually pointed out the conditions of the Pharisees’ hearts. They held on to outward religious practices, but God wanted their hearts, which were hardened and cold. He wants the same thing from us today. Often times our hearts are hardened because of the world we live in and Jesus warns us of what will happen if we do not soften our hardened hearts. In Matthew 12:33-37, Jesus states:

The good man brings good things out of the good stored in him, and the evil man brings evil out of the evil stored in him. But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.

 

Purity also affects the issue of just who can be admitted to God’s kingdom, as we can see from the discussion Jesus has with the Canaanite woman. His reaction to her request shocks us, but it should not surprise us when we consider the culture of Jesus’ time-a culture that treated women and children as second-class citizens. For example, Jews also thought that Gentiles were “dogs”.

In Jesus’ time, people did keep dogs as pets, but dogs were mainly scavengers who ate garbage and the carcasses of dead animals. Dogs that were pets were often fed food scraps from their owner’s table, as they sometimes do now-hence the Canaanite woman’s reference to dogs eating the crumbs from the master’s table. The Canaanites were also considered to be dogs in the eyes of the Jews because they were descended from Noah’s son Ham. He was the son who saw his father naked and passed out from being under the influence of alcohol. Instead of doing the sensible thing by covering Noah and keeping his mouth shut, Ham went and told people what he saw. Now there’s a good example of someone having an unclean heart!

In contrast, the Canaanite woman had a pure heart. She was motivated by concern for her daughter and she knew that Jesus could heal her. While Jesus did open the door of God’s kingdom to the Gentiles in his Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, his priority at this time was the Israelites. Jesus represented God’s faithfulness to the covenant he made to the Jews in the Old Testament.

The reference to dogs eating the crumbs from their master’s table is a metaphor for the way in which the early Gentiles heard Jesus’ message. Although Jesus’ ministry was aimed at the Jews, some Gentiles did hear his messages and believed. These Gentiles were the “dogs” who ate the crumbs from Jesus’ table. In the eyes of God, we are all dogs, and we are all dependent on free scraps from God’s Table.

The Canaanite woman and the woman in the parable of the widow and the unjust judge prove that persistence pays off. Both of them refused to give up until they got what they wanted, and in both cases they showed true faith. God will grant our requests in his own time and in his own way if it falls within his plan for our lives, especially if our requests show true faith and holiness that comes from the heart.  

Matthew’s Gospel was written for a Jewish Christian audience, but by the time it was written, the church had long since begun opening its doors to the Gentiles. The Gospel reflects the tension between the Jewish community, where the church had its roots, and the Gentiles who were being admitted to the church’s membership. Jesus unites what divides us. In him our many causes of exclusion become opportunities for embrace. Jesus, himself a man on the margins of society, brings the outsider inside.

A similar tension exists within some churches today, especially when they deal with issues such as the blessing of same-sex marriages. God breaks through such tensions. God is much bigger and more inclusive than any religious box people might use to contain God. When we turn to Jesus like the Canaanite woman did, and we receive a favourable response like she did, we learn to reflect on our shared religious customs and life together.

The story also reminds us that we too have come to Jesus through the Jews. We share the same faith; we see the hope this faith gave our ancestors in their wait for salvation. We are reminded that we have no claim to priority with Jesus. We are all equal in the eyes of God. We are recipients of grace-all has been freely bestowed on us. What we see is the God Jesus reveals to the woman; a God who would draw us close, sees our distress and helps us.

 

Those whom Christ wants to honour must be humbled to feel their unworthiness. The Canaanite woman turned this into an argument to support her request. God’s original plan was to bring salvation first to the Israelites and then to the Gentiles, but he responds to all who call on him in true faith and humility.  For example, one night several months ago my mother had to be rushed by ambulance to the local hospital because of a medical emergency. I followed behind the ambulance in my own car. The doctor on call diagnosed the problem as a heart attack. After he spoke to the two of us, I went home, knowing that there was nothing more I could do for her at that time. After I called the rest of the family, I got ready for bed. Before I went to sleep, I had a serious talk with the Lord. I don’t remember the exact words I used, but the prayer went something like this.

“Lord, I’m leaving the situation in your hands now. Please bless the doctors and nurses who are caring for her. If it’s your will that Mom gets better, then please heal her. If it’s your will that she not survive, please don’t let her suffer. If her condition gets to the point where I have to make the important decisions that Mom and I have discussed, please give me the strength, wisdom and courage to make the right decision; and please give me the strength and courage to accept the consequences of my decision-especially consequences from other family members”.

Thankfully, God answered my prayer in the way I wanted him to answer it. Medical tests the next day revealed that the doctor made the wrong diagnosis. Mom did not have a heart attack-she had blood clots in both lungs. With proper treatment, Mom slowly got better and stronger, and she was released from the hospital after one week. Faith comes from an abundance of trials, not from the lack of trials. Great faith achieves great victories over these trials.

Only two people in the Gospels are said to have had great faith, and both of them were Gentiles. Great faith does not depend on background or position, but on the attitude of the heart. If we are fully committed to God, our entire lives will be expressions of worship and adoration to Him.  

As I mentioned a few moments ago, God’s original plan was to bring salvation first to the Israelites and then to the Gentiles, but he responds to all who call on him in true faith. Those who call on him in true faith have some degree of both faith and spiritual poverty. This is nothing new in Jesus’ ministry. From its very beginning he insisted that his message was directed to the lowest of the low in heart, to the emotional down-and-outers, to those knocked down on all fours and willing to crawl. In other words, his message has been directed to “dogs”. The Canaanite woman took this to heart, groveling and grateful for any crumb that might fall from his table. She became a dog, and this was exactly the humility Jesus was looking for.

Legalism destroys spiritual life, makes us narrow and causes us to miss what is most important to God. We condemn those who differ from us in style of worship, language and culture because of legalism. While legalism stresses external behaviour, Jesus emphasizes the motives of the heart. By focusing on the motives of the heart, rather than the legalistic purity, Jesus makes religious observances both easier and harder. It is easier because broad guidelines have replaced legalistic complexity. It is harder because we have to let our devotion to God affect us in the innermost parts of our being.

We live in a world that still needs a Saviour. The Canaanite woman points us to a greater resource than human love. It’s God’s infinite mercy in the person and work of Jesus. He is God’s love in action for her and for us. When she cries out to Jesus, she does so because she knows who he is and what he can do.

This story reminds us how the Church, which is Christ’s earthly body, is repeatedly taught, not so much by respectable insiders, but by those on the margins, the people without power and credibility. These marginal people storm in, insisting that the church should live up to the pattern offered by Jesus. They rock the boat, and in so doing they force the church to remember its reason for being. Often these and others like them come to the church with a commendable faith, even as the Canaanite woman drew near to Jesus. They might come from outside the bounds of power and acceptability, yet they’re eager even for scraps from the table. What they need, what they deserve, is a seat with the rest of us at God’s Table. There is much we can learn from them. Will we acknowledge them, listen to the, welcome them?

Bibliography

1.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV

2.      Exegesis for Matthew 15:10-28. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

3.      Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament-Matthew 15:10-28. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

4.      Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

5.      Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

6.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

7.      Selwyn Hughes, “When Evil Thoughts Oppress”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

8.      Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “The Faith of a Dog”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

9.      The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “A Fool for Love”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

10.  The Rev. John Bedingfield, “Who Are the Dogs in Your Life?” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

11.  The Rev. Dr. James D. Kegel, “Those People”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

12.  The Rev. Gregory Seitz, “Count on Christ’s Mercy for you”. Retrieved from www.lhm.org

13.  Micca Monda Campbell, “Great Faith”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

14.  “The Voice of the Lord” for Shevat 24. Retrieved from www.lists.studylight.org

15.  Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions: 20^th Sunday (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org.

16.  Trygve David Johnson, “Faith to Fire Back”. Retrieved from http://christiancentury.org/blogs/archive/2008-08/faith-fire-back?print

17.  The Rev. Brian P. Stoffregen, “Matthew 15: (1-10)21-28”. Retrieved from www.crossmarks.com/brain/matt15x110.htm

18.  The Rev. John Ortberg, “True Grit”. Retrieved from www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2899

19.  Sharon Jaynes, “Changing the Way We Speak by Examining the Heart”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

20.  Daniel B. Clendenin, PhD, “Thinking About Norway”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net

 

 

Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Philippians 4:4-9, John 6:25-35 Give Thanks to God

A country preacher decided to skip services one Sunday morning to spend the day hiking in the wilderness. Rounding a sharp bend in the trail, he collided with a bear and was sent tumbling down a steep grade. He landed on a rock and broke both legs.

With the ferocious bear charging at him from a distance, the preacher prayed, “O Lord! I’m so sorry for skipping services today. Please forgive me and grant me just one wish. Make a Christian out of that bear that’s coming at me!”

At that very instant, the bear skidded to a halt, fell to his knees, clasped his paws together and began to pray aloud at the preacher’s feet, “Dear God, please bless this food I am about to receive.”

We are celebrating the season of Thanksgiving today. This is the season where we give thanks to God for everything he has given us. We thank God for providing for our needs, and we especially give thanks for the gift of the harvest, whether it is from the land or the sea.

Giving thanks to God dates back to Old Testament times. In Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Moses commanded the Israelites to give thanks to God for delivering them from slavery in Egypt. They were to give thanks by giving God the first fruits of the harvest. They could not take anything for themselves until they gave the first fruits to God.

The concept of giving God the first fruits was rooted in divine property rights. All created beings of any kind belonged to God and were regarded as holy. Before the harvest could be eaten by humans, it had to be “redeemed” from profane use. If this was not done, divine justice demanded retribution. The only way to resolve this situation was to give back to God the first part of the taboo object-in this case, the harvest. This nullified God’s property rights.

The passage from Deuteronomy 26:1-11 deals with the concept of stewardship. Specifically, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, it refers to offering to God the first fruits of our labour as an act of worship, thanksgiving and dedication of ourselves and our possessions to God. By doing this, we commit ourselves to living in God’s way. We, like the Israelites, must remember and tell others how God has rescued us in the past. These remembrances strengthen our faith and give us the courage to endure in difficult times. God created us to be close to him, and rejoicing in God is a great and powerful way to draw close to him. 

One of the greatest gifts God gives us is the peace that is beyond our understanding. We are encouraged to conduct ourselves in such a way that we bring that peace. Pausing to express gratitude for our blessings breathes life into our souls, especially in times of trial and heartache.

True thanksgiving means thanking God for our talents and abilities by accepting them as obligations to be invested in the common good. In other words, we are to use our talents and abilities to do God’s work in our world. True thanksgiving means thanking God for all that people have done for us by doing things for others. We must thank God for blessing us, and in return we must bless others.

Sometimes we have to wait until the fruits of God’s labour appear. Why?  God might be preparing us to receive his blessings. He is often teaching us to have faith in him. Sometimes God will withhold blessings to protect us from harm that we can’t see.

We need to rejoice in that which is guaranteed-God. We need to give thanks for that which can never be taken away. God never fades, and for that we can rejoice. We are to tell God what we need. Praying about everything, including everything we need, shuts out worry. In the words of the famous song recorded a few years ago by Bobby McFerrin:

Here’s a little song I wrote

You might want to sing it note for note

Don’t worry

Be happy.

In every life we have some trouble

When you worry you make it double

Don’t worry

Be happy

When you worry your face will frown

That will bring everybody down

Don’t worry

Be happy

Prayer invites God to be involved in all areas of our lives. When he is involved in our lives, we have nothing to fear. 

In order to have a right relationship with God, we need to have an attitude of gratefulness. We need to be thankful. For example, in Luke’s version of the Parable of the Ten Lepers, which is found in Luke 17:11-19, Jesus healed ten lepers when they cried out to him. He commanded them to go and show themselves to the priest in the temple, but only one of them came back to give Jesus thanks. We are to be like the one who returned and gave thanks, and not like the other nine who were ungrateful. We need to give to God out of the blessings that he has given us. This is where the concept of tithing, or giving God 10 percent of our income, comes from.

We must have an attitude of obedience to God and his word. We must not equate faith with our desired outcomes. To do so means that we do not trust in God’s greater plan and purpose. The mark of a Christian is joy, especially the joy that is expressed in giving thanks to God.

We need prayer and supplication. Paul’s offer of prayer in Philippians 4:4-9 is not an easy solution or a magic formula or a bedtime repetition of words that we have labeled prayer. Paul is talking about the serious business of bring our lives before God, examining our dependence on God, placing our lives in God’s hands to be used, remembering and celebrating what God has already done, confessing our needs and dedicating our gifts, and committing ourselves and all that we are to make our common cause God’s kingdom, not our own kingdom.

Prayer, supplication and requests are not to be separated. They include genuine thankfulness regardless of our circumstances. God loves us and provides for our needs, both here and through eternity. God loves to hear our prayers because he is always ready to give his grace to his children, but God gives with wisdom. He gives gifts that help us to learn and grow. He gives us the resources to deal with the issues we face.  

The greatest gift God gives us is the gift of eternal life. To enjoy it, we must constantly feed on his word, which is the Bread of Life Jesus refers to in John 6:25-35. When he made this statement, Jesus identified himself as being completely with God. God offers this bread of life along with spiritual water to drink when we come to him in faith by prayer. When we eat the spiritual bread, we can be sure of our eternal salvation.

Jesus’ bread of life speech takes place just after the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. The people wanted more of the free physical food Jesus offered, but they did not want the spiritual food. They are like some of us. People want forgiveness, but they do not want to repent. They want to go to heaven and wear the crown, but they don’t want to bear the cross here on earth. Christianity is a package deal. We can’t pick and choose what we want. Christianity is not the same as going to a restaurant. It is like a meal our parents made for us. We had to eat what was on our plate or else! This does not mean that we do not have to make any effort to satisfy our physical needs. On the contrary, Paul states in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 that if a man doesn’t work, he shouldn’t eat. Jesus must be the primary focus of our labours.

Like the Israelites, we come to Jesus asking for bread too. Our prayers reveal our true opinions about Jesus. We can be just as near-sighted or selfish as the Israelites were. We are often consumed with our current needs and desires, but we don’t always see the eternal gifts Christ offers us. We ask him to help us through our needs and problems, but we don’t give any thought to his kingdom and the role he wants us to play in that kingdom.

Prayer has potential, but we use so little of it. We can use the word ACTS to learn prayer’s full potential. ACTS is an acrostic.

·         A stands for Adoration. Our prayers should include adoration and praise for God.

·         C stands for Confession. We should confess our sins before God.

·         T stands for Thanksgiving. Who among us has nothing for which we can give thanks?

·         S stands for Supplication, or asking. It includes prayers for ourselves and for others. We don’t have trouble asking, because often our prayers consist of nothing else.

It would be a good exercise for us to go through this checklist when we say our prayers.

Jesus invites us to take part in his feast for the soul. He urges us to eat until we are full. Only he can satisfy our deepest hunger-the quest for eternal fellowship with him. Our main purpose in life is to get spiritual nourishment and eternal life by listening to and obeying the word of God. Keeping eternal life in front of us and eating the bread of life won’t make us lazy, shoddy or gloomy workers. We will bring joy and excellence to our work because we know him, trust him, treasure him and aim to make much of him. Everything we do in his name and for his glory will be rewarded in heaven.

Bibliography

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