Luke 18

Sermon preached for HRBC's Tuesday Community Fellowship.  I outlined what I wanted to say, and then created some headlines in order to practice preaching with far fewer notes than I normally use.

 

 

Outline

 

We’re going to take a good portion of the message today hearing what Luke has to say, in chapter 18.  [PRAY!]

The Reading: Luke 18

The Thread: Parables

So, Luke 18 appears, at first glance, to be a random collection of stories and events, plucked out from the life of Jesus with no real connection to each other.  But I think there is a thread running through the whole chapter to do with ‘parables’.

Are we all clear on what parables are?  They’re like metaphors, but usually extended into a sort of mini-story.

Now, there seems to be a paradox concerning parables: Mark says that, “with many … parables, Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand” Mark 4:33; but, earlier in Luke, it says that Jesus spoke in parables “so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’” Luke 8:10  So, which is it?  Do parables help or hinder understanding?

Admittedly, when I first read this, I thought it sounded like Jesus didn’t want people to understand what He was saying, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that this is an absurd thought – I mean, why would He bother speaking at all if He didn’t want to be understood?!  More importantly, if Jesus has the words of life John 6:63, 68 and He wants all to have that life John 10:10; 2 Peter 3:9, then it’s ludicrous to think that He would then hide the meaning of the words He is speaking!

The key is who He is talking to - back in Mark, He says: "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables” Mark 4:11 … and He said this to “the twelve disciples and others around Him” – in other words, the people who had come to Him, who followed Him, and who “asked Him about the parables” Mark 4:10 had the secrets of the parables explained to them.

So, parables are helpful, but only for those who come to Jesus, who follow Jesus, and who ask Him for understanding.

And that makes sense, doesn’t it?  Jesus is all about “being one” – one church, one family, one body, even – He wants us to abide in Him and He in us.  It makes sense that He does not want us going off on our own to figure out what He’s talking about.  He wants to be the one to open our eyes to the secrets hidden in the parables.

Speaking as a teacher, I can vouch for the joy of seeing that ‘light bulb moment’ when someone finally gets what you’ve been trying to explain.  So, from our perspective here, surely we would want Him to have the joy of leading us into understanding.

We’ll come back to the concept of His opening our eyes later… for now, I think we spoken enough about why Jesus used parables, let’s look at the content of the parables He used in Luke 18.

Structure of Luke 18

So, Luke 18 starts with two obvious parables, then there are two mini-parables (pure metaphors, really), then the whole parable tool is flipped as Jesus speaks plainly (about what all parables ultimately point to), and finally Jesus answers the need of all of us with respect to parables.

Let’s dive in… (and, don’t worry, after such a long reading, I’m going to be very brief on each part!)

So, first: the parable of the persistent widow.  Jesus is clear (with His disciples) about what He is trying to show through the parable: “that they should always pray and not give up”.  I don’t think this needs unpacking any more than this, but let’s just notice Jesus’s closing words for this parable: “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”  It seems that He is telling us that persistence in prayer requires a rare faith.

Let’s just bank that for now, and move on to the next parable.

This time, we have the 1^st century Jewish version of an Archdeacon and a Tax Collector coming to pray.  Again, this doesn’t need much explaining but, again, it is good to note Jesus’s own summary: it was not the self-confident Archdeacon but rather the God-fearing Tax Collector who “went home justified before God”.  Here, it seems that Jesus is telling us that justification in prayer requires humility before God.

Then we move on to the situation where some children are trying to come to Jesus – and Jesus turns this into a parable, or metaphor at least: whoever “will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”.  I think ‘receiving the kingdom of God like a little child’ will endure a lot of thoughtful meditation but, for now, let’s just contrast what it might mean with the next little mini-parable, as the ruler comes to Jesus.  Confident in his lifelong pursuit of godliness (since ‘a little child’, in fact), he is dismayed when Jesus tasks him with one final, all-consuming command: ‘give up everything and follow me’.

So it seems that just being a little child is not what Jesus had in mind when He said to receive the kingdom of God like a little child – the difference seems to be that the ruler, as a little child, pursued godliness, whilst the little children coming to Jesus are pursuing God.  So, here, Jesus is telling us that receiving the kingdom of God in prayer requires an uncomplicated pursuit of God.

At last, Jesus turns the parables on their head and speaks plainly about what all parables ultimately point to: “everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled: He will be delivered over to the Gentiles (who) will mock him, insult him, …spit on him, … flog him and kill him; (and) on the third day he will rise again”

Jesus could not have spoken more plainly – and yet, ironically, this time His disciples did not understand.  Why might this be?  From what we’ve learnt so far, could it be simply that they did not ask?  Certainly in the very next chapter, when Jesus tries to tell them again, “the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men”, the disciples “feared to ask Him” what He meant.

The meaning of this very plainly spoken word “was hidden from them” – at this point, “hearing, they could not understand” … when it came to the fulfillment, ‘seeing, would they see’?

The last event in Luke 18 reminds them how to see.  And it’s a parable in reverse: normally, in a parable, something they are called to imagine is used to explain real-life – in this situation, real life is used to explain something they are called to imagine.

A literally blind man, who trusts in the name of Jesus, calls out to Jesus in humility, calls persistently, and receives what he asks for: having his eyes open to see.  Let me just read that part of the reading again so you can see each of these points in action (remember, you’re looking for him trusting in the name of Jesus, calling out to Him in humility, pursuing Him persistently, and having his eyes opened to see Jesus):

[35-43] As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.  When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.  They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."  He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied.  Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."  Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

In summary, Luke 18 uses the concept of parables to show us how to pray and what to pray for:

1.   Persistently, in faith that God will not put off answering our prayers;

2.   Humbly, in the knowledge that, though we are sinners, God has mercy and answers our prayers; and,

3.   Uncomplicatedly, in the childlike confidence that God loves to answer our prayers.

And what to pray for?  That, seeing and hearing Jesus’s words – whether spoken in parable or plainly - we would see and understand more about Him and His love for us.

A love that had Him endure our mocking Him, insulting Him, spitting on Him, flogging Him, and killing Him … only to rise again, on the third day, making the way for us to enjoy life with Him forevermore.

 

Sequence:

18:8b On judgement day, will Jesus find faith? …

18:9 Those confident in their OWN righteousness (i.e. NOT “that which comes by faith”) are …

18:14 … NOT justified …

18:15-17 Trust in Jesus, NOT in self …

18:18-25 … NOT by works …

18:31-32 … but by faith in Christ

[See end of Notes / Prompts, below, for final point]

 

Notes / Prompts

 

[Those with Bibles: Luke 18]


Do you have a prayer / a few prayers, that have (so far, at least) gone unanswered?

e.g. 23 yrs praying for my parents and brother; over 10 years praying for Katy’s;

We're going to look at the chapter of Luke 18 as a whole, to learn about praying.


Reading

[Whole chapter (read directly from the Bible) – so PRAY first!]


We start with 2 parables…

1.    Parables

i.    Metaphors – something we are called to imagine used to explain real life

ii.    Help or hinder understanding?  [Now, there seems to be a paradox concerning parables: Mark says that, “with many … parables, Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand” (Mark 4:33); but, earlier in Luke, it says that Jesus spoke in parables “so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’” Luke 8:10  So, which is it?  Do parables help or hinder understanding?]

iii.    Help those who come to Jesus for their understanding  [The key is who He is talking to - back in Mark, He says: "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables” Mark 4:11 … and He said this to “the twelve disciples and others around Him” – in other words, the people who had come to Him, who followed Him, and who “asked Him about the parables” Mark 4:10 had the secrets of the parables explained to them. … So, parables are helpful, but only for those who come to Jesus, who follow Jesus, and who ask Him for understanding.]

2.    Jesus uses the 1st parable to reassure that persistence in prayer is good - and to ask: “Who has faith enough to persist in prayer?”

Then, a 2nd parable compares two kinds of faith: faith in one’s self vs. faith in God;

... The former should not expect to have his prayers answered.

3.    Then, as if to say ‘this is not just theoretical”, real life – and …

i.    A metaphor: come to Jesus “like a little child”; and

ii.    A clarification: [just being a little child is not what Jesus had in mind when He said to receive the kingdom of God like a little child – the difference seems to be that the ruler, as a little child, pursued godliness, whilst the little children coming to Jesus are pursuing God]

N.B.  Jesus starts:” Why do you call me good – there is none good except God”
[the ruler is asking for something to do; Jesus starts by telling him what he needs: The Only One who is good – God]

4.    Then, no more parables or metaphors:

 

Jesus speaks plainly [“everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled: He will be delivered over to the Gentiles (who) will mock him, insult him, …spit on him, … flog him and kill him; (and) on the third day he will rise again”].

But now His disciples don’t understand!  Why?  (Remember our 3rd point re parables?  [Parables help those who ask Jesus for])

5.    How could the disciples not understand plain speaking?

Jesus flips the use of the parable [normally, in a parable, something they are called to imagine is used to explain real-life – in this situation, real life is used to explain something they are called to imagine.]

[A literally blind man, who trusts in the name of Jesus, calls out to Jesus in humility, calls persistently, and receives what he asks for: having his eyes open to see.  Let me just read that part of the reading again so you can see each of these points in action (remember, you’re looking for him trusting in the name of Jesus, calling out to Him in humility, pursuing Him persistently, and having his eyes opened to see Jesus):

6.    If we would hear from God…

1.    Trust in Jesus;

2.    Call out to Him in prayer, in humility and persistence;

3.    In whatever we ask, ask that – through the answer – we would see more of Jesus.

7.    One last thing: 2 true stories to address “Quick vs Slow answers”

a.    Quick: Dunkerque

[May 1940: 375k Brit soldiers have been pushed back and surrounded at Dunkerque; Nazi generals are confident that they will be annihilated.  The waters are so shallow there, that Brit generals believe only 30k will be saved.

King George VI calls a national day of prayer.  Millions of people line up outside churches across the UK.

1.    Hitler overrules his generals and stops the advance on Dunkerque
2.    A freak storm stops the main Luftwaffe force from taking off to bomb Dunkerque
3.    100 km away in Dunkerque, fog cover stops most of the rest of the Luftwaffe attacking, and the seas are “like glass”, allowing even canal barges to make the crossing.  Of the few Luftwaffe planes that could attack, none met their mark: one chaplain describes lying on the sand praying as a plane shot at him – when he got up, he saw his silhouette in bullets but he himself was unharmed.
4.    Over 338k soldiers were evacuated

b.    Slow: Nicaragua

[Autumn 2015: an Christian from Colorado visited Nicaragua and prayed to be able to help; God told him to return to the US and collect medical supplies to send over for use by Nicaraguan hospitals;

Summer 2019, he had collected a shipping container full of medical supplies, which he duly shipped to Nicaragua; because of bureaucracy and corruption, the contents were sent to be auctioned off – but the shipping container was lost;

Spring 2020, a missionary in Nicaragua called Kendra Doutt was approached to investigate where the container ended up: she found the container – less than a week after the pandemic was declared in this country – and was able to release to numerous hospitals 980 items, from PPE (incl. 50k face masks), through nebulizers, oxygen concentrators, respirators, to even ICU beds

A slow answer to prayer, that was perfect in its timing.]

[PRAY]
 

Trusting God’s Wisdom – Obeying God

Thanks to Wikimedia and Elegantiae Arbiter

Trusting God’s Wisdom – Obeying God

(Holland Road Baptist Church Tuesday Community Fellowship, 25/01/2022)

Jeremiah 17:5-10

The reading is from Jeremiah 17:5-10 … This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands, … in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

“I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Introduction and outline

So, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man”; “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord”; and “The Lord searches the deceitful heart” … how does that make you feel?

When I read this, with my natural self-centredness, I think:

- “Argh! I’m cursed, because I know I put my trust in the approval of man, the wisdom of man, the threats of man, the offerings of man!”

… then I think:

- “Ah! … but I’m also blessed, because I trust in the Lord’s promise to save me!”

… and then I think:

- “…but, if the Lord searches my heart, I’m in trouble because I know there’s a lot of sinful stuff down there!”

It’s a real roller-coaster!

But if I read it in faith in God – that is, trusting in Him and how He reveals Himself – then I see that the one who trusts in man is cursed because of God’s love for us, the one who trusts in the Lord is blessed because of God’s love for us, and the Lord searches the heart because of God’s love for us.

So, we’re going to look at trusting God today, and – to do so - I want to show you one storyline that flows all the way from Exodus 17, through Deuteronomy 25, on through 1 Samuel 15, reaching a climax in Esther. (Don’t worry, I’ll be abridging heavily!)

In that storyline, I want to do three things with you today:

1. I want to link our trust in God with our obedience to Him;

2. I want to contrast not trusting and obeying God with trusting and obeying Him; and,

3. I want to show that even though He is worthy of our trust, we do not naturally obey Him – but all is not lost!

Trust & Obedience

Our story starts in Exodus, with the Lord protecting His people against an enemy who was hell-bent on destroying them.

The whole Israelite community – fresh from the trauma of finally escaping their long slavery in Egypt - were in the desert. Hearing of Israel’s weakened state and the plunder that they had been given from Egypt, a merciless people called the Amalekites sought out and attacked the Israelites.

The Lord intervened, protecting His people, and the Amalekites were defeated.

Here was an obvious lesson in trusting God.

But the Lord seemed to know that this was not the end of the matter; that the Amalekites were not taught a lesson; they were not humbled; … and, in fact, that they would come back, in the hatred they harboured for God’s precious people, and attack again and again and again.

So He told Moses: “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered: … I will completely blot out the name of the Amalekites from under heaven.” This commanded their trust.

Later (in Deuteronomy), God assured His people that He had not forgotten … although this time – talking to a people no longer wearied and traumatised – He confides in them that it would their own hands He would strengthen to achieve this: “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind ... When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of the Amalekites from under heaven. Do not forget!” This time, He is commanding not only their trust, but also their obedience.

So Israel’s trust in God and obedience to God are linked: they were to trust God enough to obey Him in everything … but would they?

Distrust & Disobedience

Over 400 years later, after the Lord had given His people rest in the land He had given them to possess, with Saul as King of Israel, Samuel as Israel’s Priest, … and Agag as king of the Amalekites … the Lord decided that it was time to make good on His promise.

In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel tells Saul: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep.’”

So Saul attacked the Amalekites … but he spared Agag, king of the Amalekites, … and the best of his possessions – only what was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

The Lord told Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king … he has turned away from me and not carried out my instructions.”

Saul’s disobedience reflected his distrust for the Lord, which broke God’s heart.

Samuel went to see Saul, who greeted him: “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions!”

Samuel challenged this flagrant contradiction: “The Lord anointed you king over Israel, and He sent you on a mission, saying: ‘Go and completely destroy the wicked Amalekites, waging war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord?”

Saul argues, twisting the facts in a bid to deceive – even if only himself: “I did obey the Lord: I went on the mission the Lord assigned me, I completely destroyed the Amalekites … I just brought back Agag their king. And the soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder - the best of what was devoted to God - in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God.”

Samuel’s verdict was damning: “To obey is better than sacrifice! Rebellion is sin; arrogance is evil! Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

Now, I think there are two questions we want to ask of this story to help us on our way:

1. Why did Saul not obey?

And:

2. Why did God command the destruction of an entire people?

So, first, why didn’t Saul obey? Did you notice how Saul describes the Lord not as “my God”, but as “your God”, to Samuel. But this is Saul’s God; this is the God of Israel, who had chosen Saul to be His trusted king over His precious people! So Saul has chosen to not seek to know and trust God, and Samuel calls him an arrogant rebel.

Not only does Saul not trust God but, in verse 24 (which I didn’t read), Saul admits to Samuel: “I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them” … well, do you remember our passage from Jeremiah 17 that we opened with? Saul has trusted in man, and now his heart has turned away from the Lord.

Exactly how dangerous this is, we shall find out soon but, for now, let’s turn to the other – potentially more troubling - question: why did our Father in Heaven – the God who is love – command the complete annihilation of an entire people group?

…I wonder if, as our passage in Jeremiah said: “the Lord searched the hearts and examined the minds” of the Amalekites, and found that no matter how much time passed - no matter how much opportunity was given - the Amalekites would never, ever change in their murderous hatred of God’s people. That would, then, warrant God’s death sentence on them, wouldn’t it?

Do we have any proof of this – that the Amalekites would still harbour such hatred, even generations later?  Well, jump, with me, about 525 years forwards in time from Saul’s disobedience in the matter of Agag, king of the Amalekites … to the book of Esther, in the time of Xerxes, king over the Babylonian empire.

Trust & Obedience

King Xerxes ruled a vast area from India to the Upper Nile from his capital, Susa. One of the Jews in exile, called Mordecai, also lived in Susa with Esther, whom he had adopted when her parents had died.

Esther was unsurpassingly beautiful and King Xerxes married her.

It was something of a tense relationship for Esther: King Xerxes had publicly humiliated his previous wife in front of the entire empire, and banished her from her former life of luxury.

And, indeed, he seemed quite happy to go at least a month without feeling any need to see Esther!

Furthermore, if King Xerxes didn’t call for you, it could be a death sentence to simply wander into his presence.

Now, wisely, Esther kept her Jewish roots a secret, even from him.

Haman the Agagite

Amongst King Xerxes’ nobles and royal officials was a man called Haman the Agagite. That name should ring a bell: an Agagite was a descendent of Agag – and, remember? Agag was king of the Amalekites, so an Agagite was also an Amalekite. Haman was a surviving descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites … who King Saul should have killed half a century previously!

Let’s see what the natural outcome of Saul’s distrust and disobedience would turn out be…

King Xerxes came to honour Haman above all his other nobles and royal officials, ordering all others to kneel when he passed. For reasons not detailed, Mordecai would not bow the knee to Haman – and this enraged Haman. However, after making enquiries and finding that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman decided to not just punish Mordecai for this, but to completely destroy all of Mordecai’s people - the Jews - throughout the whole empire.

Given his position of authority, he was able to persuade King Xerxes that the Jews were dangerous insurgents who must be exterminated. Xerxes, trustful of his right-hand man, gave an order for all his subjects to rise up against any Jew in their neighbourhood and kill him and his kin, and plunder his goods - and a specific date in the not-too-distant future was set for this holocaust to be carried out.

Esther’s mission

In the great distress that followed, Mordecai warned Esther that, given her unique position, she would be the one who would have to approach King Xerxes and plead with him to overturn the order – and quickly!

Esther replied: “the king has but one law for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned: that they be put to death - unless the king spares their lives”

Nonetheless, she went on:

“ … so, gather all the Jews in Susa and fast for me for three days and nights; I and my attendants will fast too. When this is done, I will go to the king - even though it is against the law – and if I perish, I perish.”

Here, Esther proves her own trust in God by her actions: it is God to whom she is fasting and praying - and it is He to whom she entrusts the outcome of her actions.

Providentially, King Xerxes is delighted to see his queen and not only permits her to enter the inner court, but also asks her:

“What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

Now, it’s not immediately clear why, but Esther doesn’t ask for the obvious (either “overrule the order” or “ok, could I have the half of your kingdom where my people live so they won’t be murdered!”) – instead, she asks the king and his top noble, Haman the Agagite, to a private banquet.

The king is only too pleased, and Haman is so puffed up by his personal invitation to an exclusive banquet with the King and Queen that he could almost explode. But on his way home he sees Mordecai and, reminded of his intense hatred of the man, he erects - that very evening - a 75-foot pole outside his house, resolving to ask the king’s permission to impale Mordecai on it the next day.

The Amalekites destroyed

Come the banquet, King Xerxes again asks his beloved Queen Esther what she wants, again promising up to half his kingdom. This time, Esther answers:

“If I have found favour with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life and spare my people. For I and my people have been sold to be annihilated.”

King Xerxes exploded: “Who is he - where is he - the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Esther said: “Haman, the Agagite!”

The king was enraged and, as his attendants bundled Haman away, one of them told the king: “A 75-foot pole stands by Haman’s house - he had it set up for Mordecai, Esther’s kinsman.”

“Impale him on it!” ordered the king, so Haman the Agagite was impaled on the pole he had set up for Mordecai the Israelite.

That same day King Xerxes gave Esther Haman’s estate, he gave Mordecai Haman’s place of honour, and he issued an order overruling Haman’s edict, and resulting in the annihilation of the enemies of the Jews, including all Haman the Agagite’s offspring.

So, so far, we have looked at King Saul, who refused to trust and obey God, and allowed His enemy to live to hate another day; and we have also seen how Queen Esther did trust and obey God – at the risk of her own life – and a great enemy of all God’s people is destroyed, never to threaten them again.

God is Worthy of Our Trust

It seems to me that God knew, over 925 years previously, that the Amalekites were irredeemable in their murderous hatred for His beloved people – and that is why He ordered their destruction.

Why didn’t He arrange it sooner? I wonder if it was for the sake of the onlookers: billions of us, reading these accounts down through the centuries since these events. We can see that God knew - way back - that they were irredeemable, and we can see that through all those centuries of grace and opportunity to change, the Amalekites never did change in any way whatsoever.

Does that help us to see that the Lord (not man; not flesh) is completely trustworthy?

We Do Not Naturally Trust Him … But All is Not Lost

We, however, are fools: I am sure I am not alone when I confess that I need reminding daily of His trustworthiness; and I need reminding daily that I am in constant danger of distrusting and disobeying this most trustworthy Lord.

So I read: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him” and I wonder at who – of all of us – this could be.

Well, if - in all mankind, throughout all history - there is only “one” who is described as trusting in the Lord, surely that is Jesus! Jesus trusted God with protection from His vicious, merciless Enemy, hell-bent on destroying Him – even through that very destruction, … confident that God simply had to command, and Jesus would rise again, to eternal life.

Then I read on: “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes nor worry in time of drought.” I thought we were talking about “one” - who are “they”?

Didn’t Jesus pray, before His death, that “all who will believe in me may be one, Father - just as you are in me and I am in you - may they also be in us”?

We – we, who believe and trust in Christ, albeit with faith like a mustard seed – are as one with Him!

And, as we abide in Him, we are nurtured and perfected by His own Holy Spirit.

And that is how we will - most assuredly - grow in our trust in God to perfect obedience to Him.

The end

I said our storyline starts in Exodus and ends in Esther … but really it starts in Genesis and ends in Revelation.

God’s eventual victory over the Amalekites in the book of Esther was glorious … but there would come many more enemies.

But, in Genesis, we read that The Enemy is Satan, the deceiver of nations, and in Revelation, we read that he will be devoured by fire sent down from heaven, and thrown into the lake of burning sulfur to be tormented day and night for ever and ever!

Let us not be an irredeemable enemy of God! Let us, instead, get to know and trust Jesus, and be counted – with Him – as “one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him, (who is) like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream, (that) does not fear when heat comes, (whose) leaves are always green, (and who) has no worries in a year of drought (as it) never fails to bear fruit”.

Prayer

Let’s pray!

Our Father, I pray you would help us to know you better – through your Holy Spirit’s work in us, and through our reading about Jesus in your word. And, as we know you better, may we come to perfectly trust you … and your wisdom - and every other aspect of who you are … just as your Son Jesus did. And it is in His name and for your glory that we pray:

Amen!

The ten commandments

 

From PxHere https://pxhere.com/en/photo/646394?utm_content=shareClip&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pxhere

I am reading Mike Reeves' "Rejoice & Tremble" - this morning, I read: "...love for God enables love for neighbour (1 John 4:7).  The first table of the law (concerning worship) is the foundation for the second (concerning love for neighbour), and only in that order can the law be fulfilled" (1st ed. p127).

I wanted to check this out for myself, and found myself analysing the ten commandments, breaking them down, simplifying them, and making them personal, but then making internal connections and building them up, prefixing them with a truth about Jesus that related to each point and suffixing them with a prayer asking for His fulfilment of them in me.

Jesus is my Lord and Saviour - there are no Gods before Him.  I will not make any.  When I discover those already in my heart, I will not bow to or serve them, but make them bow to and serve Him.  Jesus, I have no power over my gods, or even my own thoughts, so please protect me and lead and empower me to bring all things under you.

Jesus knows what I need and provides for me; He has also prepared great riches for me in heaven.  Therefore, I will not take up His name for a vain thing - I will not seek Him in order to gain treasures on earth.  And I will not desire anyone else's wife or property.  Jesus, I have no power over my own lusts, desires, or drive to consume, so please protect me from these and let me know the perfect satisfaction and great delight in all you give me.

Jesus has completed His work of saving me, without my help!  I will sanctify the Sabbath-day to Him, doing no work, but resting with those I love, those who love me, those I serve, those who serve me, and those I live amongst.  Jesus, I have no power over my pride or my drive to make a name for myself, so please protect me, humble me, give me the fear of the Lord, and help me rejoice in all your work, and the rest you have given me.

Jesus has given me life and love through my family.  I will honour my parents.  Jesus, I have no power over my self-discipline, my ability to honour anyone other than myself, or my ability to overcome the familiarity of my parents in order to honour them, so please help me to honour, love, and serve them.

Jesus has made us in His image, and does not stop working to perfect that image in us.  I will not foster anger for anyone, or speak falsely against them.  Jesus, I have no power over my path to being made more like you, or even my own willingness to be made more like you, so please overcome me - all day and every day - with your love, with a desire to be more like you, and with the patience to wait for you to complete your work in me.  Jesus, I also have no power over my thoughts, feelings, and judgements about others, so please humble me and fill me with your overwhelming love for them, to drown out any ill-will against anyone.