Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

Our backyard red maple tree greets the new season with beautiful, dainty red blossoms! This is one of the things I look forward to seeing as Spring progresses. Before long each blossom will stand on its own special stem, a joy to behold.

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matthew 19:16, 21

If I understand this man’s question, he, to his credit, knew that no matter how wealthy he may be, (Jesus knew he had great wealth, even though he was rather young) he could not earn or buy eternal life.  He believed that he needed a currency of good deeds, or whatever, with which he could purchase eternal life, somewhat like ordinary money works.   The question he asked Jesus indicated that he was serious about obtaining eternal life and he was prepared to do “one good thing” to obtain it.  He hoped Jesus could help him by pointing to that one good thing that he could do that would settle the matter for him for eternity.

Jesus reminded him that no “good thing” the fellow could do could purchase eternity. As I see it, the many world religions were and still are based on that assumption – that eternal life must be earned.  This man believed that.  His question was how he could obtain that precious spiritual currency to purchase it.

Imagine the heavy cloud that descended on him when Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  That is not what the fellow wanted to hear!  A heavy sadness came over him.  In a moment, he realized that all he had, and he had plenty, could not buy two minutes of eternity and he realized that he did not do the religious “one good thing” either.

All of us who are saved by grace know the moment when we realized that we could not earn eternal life!  That changed everything. No human currency can buy anything from God.

I find myself pondering this life-giving grace.  I need it as much now, when I am 88, as ever.

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Matthew 19:13 – 15

Did I read this correctly?  The disciples rebuked Jesus for blessing children? That is what Matthew wrote and he was there presumably, one of the disciples.  Why did this present the disciples with a problem?  I love the picture of Jesus blessing the little ones.  Especially so when I recall that He did not bless the experts on the law or even the disciples in that way.

Neither the disciples or the rabbis came to Jesus for a blessing, certainly not the teachers of the law who were always arguing against Jesus.

So that scene of Jesus welcoming little children and blessing them with divine blessing reveals the huge difference between coming to Jesus for blessing and coming to him to debate him.

This happened as Jesus was moving toward Jerusalem when almost every person ultimately turned on him and demanded that the Romans crucify him.  The little children still adored him, presumably.

I contrast this scene of Jesus embracing the little ones with him hanging on the Cross suffering the derision of not only official Israel but pagan Rome as well.

Jesus was preparing himself for the suffering that was ahead. The disciples had no idea what was going on.  What did Jesus mean when he said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Neither the Rabbis nor the disciples saw themselves as weak, needy little children.  Jesus reminded his critics that he is building a kingdom in which blessing the little ones makes eternal sense.

Today is the last day before Lent.  Am I coming to Jesus as a child or a critic?

We are fond of Winter bluebirds.  This year was a good one for them, or for us who have the joy of having them at our pond.  Maybe a pair will nest here.  Joy, joy.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.”

Matthew 19:3, 8

It seems strange to me that the Pharisees should have asked about divorce as Jesus was moving toward Jerusalem, and the Cross.  I suppose the key to understanding their question is found in the phrase, “Some Pharisees came to him to test him.”  They are still hoping to discredit Jesus by getting him to debate with them about matters of the Law, now regarding marriage and divorce.  The Pharisees had strict laws about such things while the Sadducees were more tolerant.

Jesus based his answer on Moses as well.  He said that Moses allowed for divorce in some cases, “because your hearts were hard.”  Not “their hearts” but “your hearts.”  Jesus reminded them that Moses made allowance for human weakness.  Their position on the Law did not permit this interpretation.  They would not agree for a moment that their hearts were hard.  They did not pay much attention to what is on the heart, but on the Law of Moses!

Of course, the Pharisees would not agree that their hearts were hard.  They prided themselves in obeying that Law precisely as their way of pleasing God.  They were obedient to the letter.

Once again, Jesus pointed to the grace of God that made a way for sinners, in contrast to the Pharisees who saw themselves as righteous, certainly not sinners in need of grace.

Our very first daffodil of the season.  An old, favorite Spring friend, always surprising and brilliant.

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Matthew 19:13 – 15

Matthew noted this interchange between Jesus and the disciples, of course Matthew was himself among them.  The point of the story is not how the little children felt about being blessed by Jesus, even though that is precious, but about the Kingdom of heaven, a persistent concern of Jesus through his entire ministry.

As I read this story I begin to understand more and more the nature of the Kingdom of heaven.

Imagine for a moment, soul of mine, that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to little children, not to the strong, the powerful, the princes and kings.   When I think of kingdoms I think of kings!  Jesus thinks of little children!

I wonder how this struck the disciples.  The Jews were subservient to Roman rulers and kings at the time.  The people longed for the day when Israel would be a nation like other nations, with their power structures and armies in place. That is what the Jews hoped for.  Imagine their chagrin when Jesus said the Kingdom of heaven belongs to people who are like little children!

I find that hard to grasp.   Jesus was well aware of that.  What of the hope that the kingdom will be returned to Israel?  It must have been quite confusing to the disciples.  Jesus left it at that, without further elaboration.  He simply “placed his hands on them, he went on from there.”

In a few days Jesus will be hanging on a Roman cross, tortured and killed!  There is no more wrenching site possible.  Now, soul, think of that!  The King of heaven crucified!  Is this what following Christ is all about?

I decided to rebuild the base for the concrete seat beside our pond. I think it should last, I poured in 11 50 lb bags of mix!  Come sit with us some time.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?  So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.  I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.  For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Matthew 19:2 – 12

It seems strange to me that the Pharisees should have asked about divorce as Jesus was moving toward Jerusalem, and the Cross.  I suppose the key to understanding their question is found in the phrase, “Some Pharisees came to him to test him.”  They are still hoping to discredit Jesus by getting him to debate with them about matters of the Law, now regarding marriage and divorce.  The Pharisees had strict laws about such things while the Sadducees were more tolerant.

Jesus based his answer on Moses as well.  He said that Moses allowed for divorce in some cases, “because your hearts were hard.”  Not “their hearts” but “your hearts.”  Jesus reminded them that Moses made allowance for human weakness.  Their position on the Law did not permit this interpretation.  They would not agree for a moment that their hearts were hard.  They did not pay much attention to what is on the heart, but on the Law of Moses!

Of course, the Pharisees would not agree that their hearts were hard.  They prided themselves in obeying that Law precisely as their way of pleasing God.  They were obedient to the letter.

Once again, Jesus pointed to the grace of God that made a way for sinners, in contrast to the Pharisees who saw themselves as righteous, certainly not sinners in need of grace.