Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

An egg-coloring frolic at our place last night.  Here are some of the beauties.  Never grows old – embellishing eggs.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Matthew 25:31 – 40

Jesus now speaks of things to come – when he returns “in his glory.”  It is a day of reward, so to speak.  He looks at all those before him and invites those on his right hand, those near to him, to come for their inheritance – their place in the Kingdom of God.  Who deserves this?  His answer is startling, to say the least.  Jesus describes them.

“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.”  Do I read this correctly?  They fed Jesus because he was hungry?  That because he was thirsty they gave him something to drink?  Or because he was a “stranger” they invited him in?  Hungry, thirsty, a stranger!  A prisoner with no friends?  That is exactly what Jesus is saying. This startled everyone.  Jesus is describing himself.  He was all these things.  They would soon see with their own eyes.

I am pondering this passage here on Good Friday. Jesus is moving toward death on a Roman cross, denounced by his own people, the Jews.  On the cross, he was alone.  He was hungry.  He was thirsty. He was a stranger among us, so strange!  He had no one to visit him in his destress.  Jesus experienced it all.  His robe was ripped from him, he needed clothed.  Where was everyone, those pious children of Israel, the keepers of the Law, the lords of the Temple?  All forsook him, all but a few of his friends and family.  That is exactly what happened.

Now what?  Those who followed the Lamb of God, the Risen Lord, fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, clothed the poor, visited those in prison.  These people were there before Him.  Jesus startled them by saying that what they did to the poor and helpless they did to him.

Jesus said, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

Lord, on this Good Friday, open my mind and heart to hear what you are saying.  Do not delay.

Anna Ruth made her annual trip to the store to pick up things for the baskets for the youngsters.  She is good at that.  Looking forward to a weekend of church and family.

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.  So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.  But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”

Matthew 24:14 – 18

I am trying to figure out the core meaning of this parable of Jesus.  If I am not mistaken, I see it in the statement of the servant who received but one bag of gold.  He thought he was doing what his master wished.  He just hid it to preserve it, taking no risk at all.  This, I do believe, was the point Jesus is making, make sure you know the mind of Christ, your Lord and Master.

Hear what this man thought of his master.   “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’” Matthew 24:24, 25

As I see it, this servant misread the mind and heart of his master.  He saw his master as a “hard man” and a person who wanted to harvest what he did not sew.  So, by hiding the bag it looks to me like he was trying to put his master straight!  By misreading the motivation and ways of his master, he found himself in great trouble.  He had no right to judge his master!

Today is the middle of the Passion Week.  I hear Jesus tell this story. I find myself wanting to be a faithful servant who knows what compels his master to do what he does.  I want to know the mind of Christ, lest I do what displeases him.  After all, the bag of gold is not mine, even though I am making decisions about its use, it is his!  May this truth sink deep into my soul today and always.  My life’s desire is to be a faithful disciple of my loving, forgiving, empowering Lord Jesus.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.  The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’  Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’  “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.  “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’  “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Matthew 25:1 – 13

We have been noting that when Jesus spoke of the “last days” he used general terms.  Our natural minds would like a bit more precision, perhaps.  Jesus is not interested in that but he simply warns us to “keep watch.”

Some of the maidens in this story had enough oil for their lamps for an early appearance.  Others had brought extra just in case he delayed, which he in fact, did. Those with enough went in, those who did not have enough for such a long wait missed out.

Jesus did not try to explain the story; that was beside the point.  The point is, take along enough oil to last a long while, maybe longer than you think!.  The time is in God’s hands. Only He knows when to close the doors.

Along the Conestoga River one sees some amazing things, like the contrast between this ancient sycamore tree at whose feet spread a carpet of delicate Spring flowers, buttercups!  I like the contrast.  All living together along the ancient river.

“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.  And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 24:30, 31

Now Jesus turns to his disciples who have been listening and probably a bit confused.  Jesus is planting in their minds the broad sweep of history.  He assures them that even though it looks like life has no meaning at times, we can rest assured that this age will come to an end by the full reign of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  That is what it is all about!

The followers of the Lamb are the center of God’s loving care, not the world that is passing.   They will all be gathered to Jesus, their Lord, to live with Him forever and ever.  Jesus does not explain what will happen to everything else, his eye is on the followers of Jesus, like the men before him, his disciples.

Jesus calls his followers, “his elect.”  That is who they are!  They are the apple of his eye, the center around which all activity on earth and heaven move.  They will be with Him forever and ever.

When will this happen?  Jesus has a comment about that.  “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.  Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Matthew 24:32 – 35

As the significant events unfold during that week of Christ’s Passion He assures us that he will never leave nor forsake us.  When we see him hanging on the Roman cross, dying between two common criminals, we do not despair because we know that God is working out our salvation.   We hope in him, and in him alone.

I sometimes feel overwhelmed by a world that, on the surface, makes little sense.  I need to remind myself that behind everything God is at work, bringing full salvation to all who believe.  As the news pours in about struggles and hopelessness, I am reminded that this will pass away.  But, as Jesus assures us, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”  I cling to him, not to this world.

I enjoy the contrast in color.

Chapter 23 is full of Jesus’ passion.  At first glance his language looks out of character, but as we think about it, it is consistent with Jesus, entirely.  He pronounces woes on all hypocrisy.

Allow me to begin this meditation with the closing words of Jesus’ final recorded passionate speech.  He just exposed the hypocrisy of the Jewish teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in listing terrible “woes.”  (Matthew 23:13 – 36)

He then pleads, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.’” (Matthew 23:37 – 38)

This is Jesus’ open-armed invitation as he concludes his warning against the teachers of the Law, and the Pharisees whom he bundles together.  He doesn’t even mention the Sadducees who ruled the Sanhedrin at the time.

Jesus calls the teachers of the law and the Pharisees hypocrites!  He exposes their hypocrisy in this final long message as the Holy Week progresses. He warns them seven times of the “woes” that await them.

I am reminded that the teachers of the law, including the Pharisees, were considered the most holy people in all Israel.  Jesus saw their teachings as supremely harmful.

It is difficult to summarize the seven woes but I will try.  The first is a basic flaw – to teach something that they fail to put into practice in their own lives, and then encourage everyone to do the same!  A second is that they want all Jews to be like them, so they make ever more disciples.   As to their beliefs, they make the unimportant to be the important. Thirdly, they escape God’s call by making excuses for giving him so little.  Fourthly, they believe that obeying the law as they interpret it makes them acceptable by God.  Fifthly, they present a holy front while inside they are still dominated by self and its demands.  The sixth woe is similar, they appear to be holy but no matter, they do not change on the inside.  So, seventh, they venerate their dead saints but do not imitate them at all.

I see that my summary is not as flowery or as dramatic as Jesus’ descriptions.  Sorry.  But as I reflect on what Jesus is exposing, I see myself in his spotlight – seeing tendencies in myself that are prideful, judgmental, peripheral, hurtful and so forth.  I love to be the teacher, not the student.  I like the exalted position where I can make myself look better that others in my spiritual smugness!  Lord, have mercy on me.

I prefer riding a strong stallion, fierce and determined. I see Jesus riding on a foal of a donkey, his feet dangling!  He is my Savior, my Hope, my Joy, my Lord.