Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

Matthew 18:1 – 5

We have no idea what prompted the disciples to ask Jesus “who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  Was it because He took Peter and James and John with him to the mount of his transfiguration?  Or were the disciples beginning to feel that Jesus will not be with them always? Will they be left to organize themselves?

As I ponder their question again, I find myself moving my attention to the last few words of their question, “in the kingdom of heaven?”  Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven almost constantly yet the disciples had only the slightest idea of what he was talking about.  Maybe just the word “kingdom” colored their thinking.  Kingdoms have kings!  Under kings are a great variety of offices and titles.  Their idea of “king” in the kingdom of heaven must have reflected their own way of thinking. This is a bit strange because at the time Israel had no king, hadn’t for centuries.

After three years, Jesus stopped once again, to make his disciples aware of how the kingdom of heaven that he came to establish operated. His teaching is a huge surprise.  He brought an ordinary child to his side and, turning to his disciples, said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  He did not answer their question of who is the greatest in his kingdom but he focused on who will obtain entrance into that kingdom of heaven at all.

Then he dealt with the “greatest.” The greatest in the kingdom is as a little child!  I can feel for the disciples as they tried to digest what Jesus is talking about.  This idea baffled them completely.

How about me, and you?  Who is the greatest among the followers of Jesus?  Is what he said true?  That seems so contrary to everything in my culture and experience.  For that very reason I need Jesus to help me to take the “lowly position” and be changed into a little child!  That requires a miracle!

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”  “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”   “From others,” Peter answered.  “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him.  

“But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

It seems rather hum-drum to hear this little conversation in the midst of a flurry of questions that swept the disciples up into a whirl of activity and obvious anxiety.  Jesus is facing a horrid death.  In the midst of all this the Jewish tax-collectors appear, ready to receive the amount that all Jews paid, the rather trivial tax that was then used to keep going the new Temple in Jerusalem.   It was such a small amount that it could fit into mouth of a small fish.

The point of this story, as I see it, has little to do with whether this tax should be paid. The collectors must have expected a problem for they asked a question that implied a negative answer, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”  Their question had nothing to do with the tax but with the integrity of Jesus.  The collectors wanted to expose Jesus as a law-breaker for which he was being accused.   So, they did not ask Jesus directly, but his disciples as to whether Jesus pays this tax.  I believe they hoped that Jesus did not so that they could score yet another point against him.

Jesus used the occasion to teach his disciples.  Peter entered the house, only to hear Jesus ask, “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others, Peter answered.”  In other words, if Jesus is the King of kings, he should pay no tax, nor his household.  Of course, his accusers did not believe that Jesus was the king!  Jesus knew that very well and did not press the point.  Remember that the disciples had recently declared their belief that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  If that is true, they must have concluded, then Jesus should not pay the tax.  But then we hear Jesus’ most amazing words, “But so that we may not cause offense…”  Pay the tax!

Jesus well knew who he was, greater than the Temple by far but he paid the tax to avoid further argument as to who he is.  His accusers did not believe for a moment that Jesus was the Savior of the world.  Jesus saw the futility of convincing the collectors that he is King of kings!  He was about to give his life to redeem sinners, why be caught up in a conversation about who Jesus really is?

Matthew was amazed by this encounter Jesus had, not with Pharisees for Sadducees, but with ordinary Jews who were collecting money to maintain their sacred Temple. They, too, had trouble with Jesus.

I am often awed by the glorious beauty of winter sunsets that we see through our tree branches.  The gold and violet in this picture provide a richness that all can enjoy.  A treasure that is there for a few moments before the sun sets and the starry night sets in.

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Matthew 17:22 – 23

Today, let’s stand with the disciples for a moment.  Things seem to be moving toward a crisis.  What next?  If Jesus is to restore the kingdom to Israel, the common hope, how is that going to happen?  The little group of men, 12 of them, had no power whatsoever to do anything, except to heal the sick as Jesus enables them.  Jesus was not preparing them to form a government.

If Jesus is going to establish his kingdom, why does he not get about it?  They seem to be ready for that.  The twelve all just agreed that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, but they had no idea as to how he was going to establish his kingdom.  Up until then he did not speak at all about how he plans to reestablish Israel.  I suppose they thought only of the many ancient passages that predict that the Messiah will reign in Israel, then the nations.

Imagine their alarm when, upon returning to Galilee, Jesus revealed how the kingdom of God was to be established, not through conquering but by an unthinkable death.  “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him.”  This does not sound like a hopeful strategy.  Common experience knows that the conqueror was to do the killing, not to be killed himself.  They never heard of such a thing.  The kings of Israel conquer, do they not?

The thought of death was wrenching.  Matthew noted that the disciples were filled with grief.  Was it the kind of grief that pities another?  Or was it grief that one feels in a blasted hope?  Or was it the grief of self-pity that comes from a heavy disappointment in Jesus?  We do not know.

But we do know one thing, the most significant by far, Jesus predicted his death but followed that fact by telling them that on the third day he will be raised to life.  The disciples seem to have been overcome by sorrow that Jesus was going to be killed thus bringing their hopes to an end.

The words of Jesus that they had just heard in Caesarea Philippi,must have come to mind. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (16:28)

Once again, Jesus speaks of his death and resurrection!  We may never separate them.

Permit me to introduce our family.  Many years ago Alan drew this picture so we are seen through his eyes.  We have this picture framed, hanging on the cellar step wall. Now and again I look at it.  Front row left to right is Paul, me, Anna Ruth.  Behind also left to right are Alan, the artist, Jane and our first in-law Glenn, then David.

Not a bad bunch of individuals, don’t you think?  Alan did a great job of capturing our personalities.  He stares at us still, top left!

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.  “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.  I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”  “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”  Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”  He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 

Matthew 17:14 – 20

I must admit, I have pondered this conversation that Jesus had with this troubled father quite a bit.  Having driven out the demon from the lad, Jesus spoke of faith.  The point of the story, as I see it, is faith.  He taught that just a little bit of faith can move mountains!  This father had faith that Jesus could heal his son, a belief that drove him to Jesus.

So, what is Jesus talking about?  What is this faith that can move mountains?  I am convinced that Jesus based his teaching on what God’s will is, not on faith as such.  I can believe with the strongest of belief that God will grant me something that He does not desire for me and I will be left pleading, because God knows that my prayer and desire will ultimately do me harm if granted just like that.  I am convinced that prayers that move mountains are prayers that are put into our hearts by the Holy Spirit of God. 

I must remind myself that not long after Jesus spoke these words he was hanging on a cross, dying, so powerless that it looks pathetic.  Put that into what Jesus taught.   Where was his faith as he hung there?

I do believe that the essential thing is to align ourselves with the Spirit of God so that we have an idea of what to pray for.  So, the point is to have faith in God, not in our own desires and wishes.  It takes no spiritual wisdom and insight to pray for something that will please me, but it takes a huge breaking of my selfish spirit to pray what the Spirit of God prompts me to pray, nothing less than that!

Our dear son-in-law and next-door neighbor, Dr. Glenn Stoltzfus, is as gentle with wood as he is with his patients. For recreation he is building a nice toy train for their twin boys, Ben and Jack.  Glenn has built many wonderful things but this is his first try turning on the lathe.  He did not just try, he SUCCEEDED!  Yippee, Glenn.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

Matthew 17:1, 2

Chapter 17 opens with a scene in the heavenlies.   Six days prior to this Jesus explained in detail what was going to happen to him during the week of the upcoming Passover.  He prophesied his suffering, culminating on the cross, and his burial.  Then the promise that he will rise from the grave to give life to all who believe on Him.

With these words ringing in their ears, the disciples tarried there while Jesus called three of his disciples, Peter, James and John to climb a high mountain with him.  Jesus could have done all this alone but no one else would know what happened in that dramatic scene. By taking these men with him Jesus led them into a deeper understanding about who Jesus is and what he is about to do.  They would be eye-witnesses to the atoning activity of Jesus Christ.

Before their eyes, their Jesus changed dramatically.  His figure changed.  This was not an ordinary prayer meeting. Jesus literally shone!  They had never seen anything like this before.  Maybe before when Jesus went up into mountains to pray alone this happened to him but this is the first time any of his disciples saw him in that transformed state – his face glowing with light like the brilliance of the sun itself, not only his face and countenance but even his spun robe was transformed into a carrier of marvelous light and stunning beauty.

The three must have asked, “What is happening to our Jesus?”  Or they may have asked a more penetrating question, “Who is Jesus?”

As the Winter takes hold, the Eastern Bluebirds come to our suet feeder.  What striking beauty!