Matthew 25:34-40

Matthew 25:34-40

At that time the king will say to the ones at His right hand, “Come, ones who have been blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you all from the foundation of the world.  For I hungered, and you gave something for me to eat.  I thirsted, and you gave something for me to drink.  I was a foreigner and you gathered me in.  I was naked and you clothed me.  I was sick and you looked after me.  I was in prison and you came to me.”  Then, the righteous ones will answer while saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and we fed you or while being thirsty and we gave you something to drink?  And when did we see you as a foreigner and we gathered you in or naked and we clothed you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and we came to you?”  And the king who answered will say to them, “Amen I say to you all, in as much as you all did to one of the least of these – my brothers – you all did to me.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

One of the often forgotten things within this section of scripture is the note that Jesus gives us about the preparation of the kingdom.  The kingdom has been prepared since the foundation of the world.  God created the world with eternal life in mind.  He created the world with the desire to spend eternity with it.  That’s God’s intention.  That’s God’s perspective.  We think about today and maybe tomorrow.  God thinks about forever even as He begins.

What does it meant to you to know that God’s desire was for eternity from the very beginning?  How can this be a point of joy for you?

Second Thought:

What I love about the righteous ones is their surprise.  They genuine don’t know when they were serving the Lord.  They weren’t obedient to God because God was watching them; they were obedient to God because it is who they genuinely were.  They were being a follower of God regardless of whether God was looking or not.  This is how we should live.  Of course we should be true to ourselves and never put on a façade.  This is what Paul is talking about in Galatians 2 when He speaks about being crucified with Christ.  Being a follower of God isn’t about putting on a show to cover up the darkness within.  Being a follower is about letting go of the darkness so that God’s light comes in and then goes out into the world.

When is your life a façade?  Where are you actively living out your faith?  Where in your life are you going to be surprised because you are just being a follower of God and demonstrating Christ’s love for us without even thinking about it?

Third Thought:

Of course we know the reply to the surprise of the righteous ones.  The king says, “Whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me.”  We know that reply so well that we can repeat it without even thinking about it.  However, notice especially that the king says that the least are his brothers.  That should cause us to pause for a second.  How many of the wealthy and powerful human beings in the world call the least in the world their brothers – and actually mean it?  Yes, there are a few.  But honestly they are very rare.  Here we see the difference between God and humanity.  God doesn’t judge us by our position, status, wealth, or station in life.  God knows a brother not by what they look like or sound like but by their heart.  That is indeed a king worth serving!

Do you feel conviction reading this point?  How good are you at considering the least in this world your brothers and sisters?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 25:41-46

Matthew 25:31-33

Matthew 25:31-33

And when the Son of Man should come in His glory – and all the angels with Him – at that time He will sit upon His throne of glory.  And all the nations will be gathered in His presence.  And He will separate them one from another – as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And in one case He will set the sheep on His right and in another case the goats on His left.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

We get three very quick and straightforward teachings in this parable before we even get to the sheep and the goats.  First, it is at the time of the next coming of the Son of Man that He will sit upon His throne.  It is His throne now, but He has not yet claimed it in order to rule over creation.  He is with the Father, but we are still in a time of grace.  God is giving humanity a chance to come to Him.  He is waiting for us to come to Him and receive His gift of salvation.  The throne of glory belongs to Him, but in His grace He has not yet claimed it.  But the time is coming when He will claim it and judge over the nations.

Why is it God’s grace that is responsible for the delay in His coming?  If it is really God’s grace that delay’s the coming of the Lord, what does it say about our perspective when we desire the Lord’s return on our timeline – IE, now?

Second Thought:

Second, all the nations will be gathered.  When the Lord comes, everyone will stand before Him in judgment.  Everyone will come before the Lord and be held accountable for their life and their time in His creation.  None will escape this moment and this judgment.

What does it mean to you that all will come before Him?  Is that a scary thought or a thought with which you have anticipation?  Why?

Third Thought:

The last point that we learn is that there will be a separation.  The sheep go on the right.  The goats go on the left.  In ancient culture, the right hand is the hand that is desirable.  Thus, Jesus is reinforcing the idea that you want to be a sheep and not a goat.  You want to be like the animal that follows and listens, not like the animal that stubbornly does his own thing and lives independent of outside suggestion.

Do we typically think of sheep favorably?  What kind of light are sheep usually cast in?  Are you a natural follower or are you a person who strikes out on their own?  Why is it good to know your tendencies?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 25:34-40

Matthew 25:19-30

Matthew 25:19-30

And after much time, the Lord of those slaves comes and checks the record with them.  And after the one who received five talents drew near he brought another five talents while saying, “Master, you gave to me five talents.  Behold!  I gained another five talents.”  His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful slave.  Upon little you were faithful.  I will appoint you upon much.  Enter into the joy of your lord.”  And after the one who received two talents drew near he said, “Master, you gave to me two talents.  Behold!  I gained another two talents.”  His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful slave.  Upon little you were faithful.  I will appoint you upon much.  Enter into the joy of your lord.”  And after the one who had received one talent also drew near, he said, “I knew you – that you are a harshly demanding man, while reaping where you did not sow and while gathering where you did not scatter.  And after being afraid and after going away I kept your talent safe in the ground.  Behold, you have what is yours.”  And after his lord answered him, he said to him, “Evil and lazy slave!  You had known that I reap where I did not sow and I gather where I did not scatter?  Therefore, it was necessary for you to deposit my money with the bankers and after I return I am paid back my money with interest.  Therefore take his talent and give it to the one who has ten talents.  For to all who have, it will be given and it will be in abundance.  And of the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away from him.  And throw out the useless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Let’s not skip over the very first comment.  After some time, the Lord comes back.  The Lord does not give away His kingdom forever.  The Lord gives away His kingdom to see us work with it and then to come back and see what we’ve done.  He hands the kingdom to us in parts, of course.  He wants us to be a part of His kingdom.  He wants us to explore what He’s created for us.  But we need to remember that it is ultimately still His kingdom.

How do you remember that this is the Lord’s kingdom in your life?  How do you live this out in your life?  How does it feel to remember that the Lord is returning?

Second Thought:

Let’s take a look again at the first two slaves.  They are able to come into the presence of their lord and demonstrate their profit.  But notice their words.  They understand that the money was ultimately their lord’s money.  But they weren’t afraid.  They went out and with some wisdom took what they were given and gave it room to grow – a hundredfold even!  And they are rewarded.  The lord tells them that if they have been faithful in a little then they will be faithful in much.  They are told that they are good and faithful slaves and they get to go into the joy of their master.  There is the true reward.  Yes, they experienced success here in this life with the task that they were given.  But the reward is the eternal joy of their master.

How do you understand and live out the reality that all that we have really belongs to the Lord?  Do you live your life with a desire to take wise risks for the sake of the Lord?  How do the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” inspire you?

Third Thought:

Finally, let’s look at the third slave.  Yesterday we spoke about how the slave didn’t really do anything wrong.  The problem isn’t that he did something wrong; the problem is that he didn’t do anything right, either.  The lord is right.  The slave could have at the very least given the money to bankers who could have returned it with interest.  While he didn’t do anything wrong, he didn’t do anything wise!  This is why the lord calls the slave evil and lazy.  The master sees the actions of the slave and realizes that they are born out of fear and grown in lack of action.  This is what he finds despicable.  This is why he loses the talent he returned.  This is why he is thrown out of the kingdom into the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Where in your life do you suffer from a lack of laziness?  Do you ever consider that laziness and evil go together?  How do the words, “thrown him out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” inspire you?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 25:31-33

Matthew 25:14-18

Matthew 25:14-18

For it is just as while a man going on a journey called his slaves and handed his property over to them.  In one case to this one he gave five talents, and in another case two, and in another case one – each according to their own power.  And he went away on a journey.  Immediately, the one who received five talents did business in them and made a profit of another five.  In the same manner the one of two talents gained another two.  But the one who received the one talent went away to dig in the earth and he kept the money of his lord safe. 

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I love the fact that Jesus makes a point to tell that the slaves received different amounts – each according to their power.  We live in a culture where we are all equal and all the same.  We talk about how we can be anything we want to become.  But that’s just simply not true.  We all have different abilities and different levels of competency even within our abilities.  That’s nothing to be ashamed about.  Jesus sees it as just being a part of the normal world.  We don’t all have to be equal.  But we all do receive something.  What is important is that we use what we receive, not how much we received in the first place.

Do you get hung up in comparisons?  Why do we want to be equal to other people or better than them?  Why do you think Jesus tells the parable in a manner that the slaves each receive amounts according to their ability rather than them being equal?

Second Thought:

The first two slaves are very similar.  They take what they received and start using it.  They take some risk.  They do some business with the talents.  In the end, their talents grow.  Jesus is making a very important point here.  If we want something to grow and be strong, we have to use it.  If we want to increase something, we have to use it.  If we want to be more peaceful, we have to be peaceful.  If we want to be more gracious, we have to be gracious.  If we want to have more wisdom, we have to exercise the wisdom we do have.  Any athlete or student can tell you that this lesson is true.  It makes sense that it should hold true for spirituality, too.

How do you exercise your spirit?  When have you used your faith and seen it grow?

Third Thought:

Here’s the unusual twist in this parable.  The third slave doesn’t do anything that we think of as bad.  He takes what is given to him and literally keeps it safe!  The Greek word there is krupto (κρύπτω), and it means anything from “to keep safe,” “to protect,” or “to hide.”  The point Jesus is making with this third slave is that he wasn’t flittering the money away, he wasn’t spending it selfishly on himself, and he wasn’t being irresponsible with it.  He was just playing it safe.  It would be easy to go into the master’s response to this, but that’s largely what the blog post tomorrow will be all about.  For today, we need to understand that the distinction between the first and second slaves and the third slave is that the first two were willing to embark upon a little risk while the third one simply wanted to preserve what he had received.

Have you ever been in a mode of simple preservation?  What do you think might be wrong with the preservation mentality?  Was Jesus interested in self-preservation when He came to earth?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 25:19-30

Matthew 25:6-13

Matthew 25:6-13

But in the middle of the night a shout has become!  “Behold the bridegroom!  Come out into his place of meeting!”  Then all those unmarried virgins were being woken up and they trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, “Give to us out of your oil, because our lamps are ceasing to burn.”  But the wise ones answered while saying, “Not at this time!  There should surely not be sufficient amount for us and for you all.  Rather, go out to the ones who sell and buy some for yourselves.”  And while they went out to buy, the bridegroom came.  And the prepared ones went with Him into the wedding celebration and the door was being shut.  And afterwards the other unmarried virgins also came while saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!”  And the one who answered said, “Amen I say to you all, I have not known you all.”  Therefore be vigilant, because you all have not know the day nor the hour. 

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

As we anticipated yesterday, we see that this parable is about being prepared and being surprised.  The shout for the bridegroom comes in the middle of the night when the unmarried virgins were all asleep.  They had been waiting, but they grew tired.  They slept.  And the bridegroom surprised them – rousing them out of their rest.  So it will be with Christ.  Many of humanity have died since His coming, and He will rouse them out of their sleep when it is too late for them to do anything about their relationship with God.  Those who are left alive when He returns will be going about their lives; and many will be focused on other things and not be prepared.  In both cases, the only way to have a positive outcome when the Lord returns is to be prepared for His surprise coming before He comes!

I’ve asked this question much over the last few days, but are you prepared?  Are you living your life focused on God and God’s will wherever He has planted you in life?

Second Thought:

Notice the instincts of the two groups of virgins.  The ones who are unprepared attempt to mooch off of those who have prepared.  This is the course of humanity, and I see it all the time around us: people who drive up on a lane closure and force their will upon others who have taken the time to prepare by already merging, students who come to class day after day without paper or pencil or even textbook, people who make late payments or who default on loans because they cannot pay back what they legitimately borrowed.  The truth is that human beings who don’t prepare are very prone to taking advantage of those who do prepare.  However, look at the response of the ones who do prepare.  They do not let themselves be taken advantage!  They protect what is theirs and send the others on their way.  They know that in the end, the goal is meeting the bridegroom.  Whether or not others are there is irrelevant if you are not their yourself!  It is like flying on an airplane when the breathing masks fall out of the ceiling.  You have to affix your own mask before you affix the mask of anyone else around you!  We should always be looking for ways to encourage others to prepare for Christ’s coming.  But before we can help anyone else we must do what it takes to prepare ourselves.

Have you ever mooched off of someone who was genuinely prepared?  How did that make you feel?  What does it say about a person who doesn’t feel guilty imposing upon those who have genuinely prepared and done what was necessary to put themselves in a good position?

Third Thought:

As we come to the close of this parable, we see that there are consequences to our actions.  Those who are prepared enter in with Christ.  That part is simple and easy to understand.  Additionally, those who are not prepared are denied entry.  But this is the difficult group to fully understand.  Keep in mind something subtly important about this passage.  Remember that these foolish unmarried virgins wanted to go out and meet the bridegroom.  They started this parable desiring to meet the bridegroom!  When they return, they call Him, “Lord, Lord!” These are not people who are flagrantly walking away from God and who have no interest in knowing the Lord.  These are people who know about God and even have a desire to meet God.  But they don’t have what it takes to get prepared in this life.  These are people who have the façade of relationship with God but none of the depth.  These are the ones that for several weeks of study now Jesus has been calling “pretenders.”  They say they want to know God, but their actions simply don’t bear out their witness.

How about you?  Are you a pretender or are you a wise one?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 25:14-18

Matthew 25:1-5

Matthew 25:1-5

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be similar to ten unmarried virgins who, after taking their lamps, went out into the meeting place of the bridegroom.  And five out of them were foolish and five were wise.  For the foolish ones who took their lamps did not take oil with them.  And the wise ones took oil in its vessel with their lamps.  And while the bridegroom spent a long time away, they all grew drowsy and slept. 

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

First of all, don’t miss how Jesus introduces this parable.  He specifically says, “At that time.”  Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the time when the world will come to an end.  This is a parable to help us understand what it will be like when the end of the world comes.  It is a parable meant to help us understand a godly approach to life.  Jesus has just spent several passages reminding us to be prepared since we will not know the time of His return.  Here He is intentionally setting up yet another parable to emphasize the importance of being prepared because we will not know when the Lord returns.

Are you surprised to see yet another parable about preparedness?  Why do you think Jesus spent so much time speaking about being prepared – especially right before He is arrested and crucified?

Second Thought:

Notice that Jesus tells us about two categories of young virgins.  There are the wise ones and the foolish ones.  The wise ones are prepared.  They think ahead and make sure that they are ready when the time of their anticipation comes.  They think about the bridegroom’s return and make sure they have done all that they can so that when the bridegroom comes back they will have no lack.  Then there are the foolish ones.  The foolish ones go out in anticipation.  They are just as excited to see the bridegroom as the wise ones.  But they don’t think ahead.  They don’t do what it takes to make sure that they are ready.  They simply go out in excitement.  They are living in the moment without a glance to the future.  They are foolish.

Are you surprised that Jesus makes two categories and goes as far as calling one category wise and the other foolish?  Why is Jesus not afraid to make judgments and place labels on His ideals?  What makes the wise ones wise?  What makes the foolish ones foolish?  Which category are you living in right now?

Third Thought:

Notice that the virgins all get drowsy.  The bridegroom is away for longer than they thought.  They can’t stay awake for the whole time, so they fall asleep.  Notice that Jesus doesn’t fault them on this.  The wise and the foolish ones both fall asleep.  What Jesus is telling us is at least two-fold, and probably more than that.  First, Jesus is warning us that the plans of the bridegroom often take longer than the thoughts of mankind.  In other words, God take His time developing His perfect plan while we think He should just hurry up and get to the end.  We think the bridegroom is coming soon; this parable indicates that humanity will be surprised by how long God takes to develop His plan.  And God is okay with us being surprised by that.  The second lesson is more deep than this.  These virgins needed to sleep.  Anticipating the coming of the Lord is hard work.  We need abiding time.  We need to rest.  There is nothing wrong with resting while we anticipate the coming of the Lord.

Has God every taken longer than you thought He would take?  How does that feel?  Do you allow yourself to abide in those times when God appears to be taking His good sweet time?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 25:6-13

Matthew 24:45-51

Matthew 24:45-51

Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom the Lord puts in charge upon his household – to give to them the food in the proper time?  Blessed is that slave whom after his Lord comes back he will find him doing this!  Amen, I say to you that upon all his possessions he will put him in charge.  But if that wicked slave should say to in his heart, “My lord is spending a long time away,” and he should begin to beat his fellow slaves and he should eat and drink with the ones who become drunk, the lord of that slave will arrive in a day that he does not anticipate and in an hour that he does not know.  And he will punish him severely and set him in his place with the pretenders.   In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The first two verses of this passage are a bit difficult in the way that they are worded.  However, the message of Jesus is very clear.  Jesus wants to tell us what it looks like to be a blessed slave in the Father’s kingdom.  The slave who is blessed is the one who feeds the rest of His kingdom!  In other words, the blessed one of the kingdom is the one who spends their time building up the rest of the kingdom.  In the end, this should really make sense.  What is it that Jesus came and did when He wasn’t dying on the cross and bringing salvation to us?  He was feeding the kingdom of God.  What is it to be blessed?  It is imitating the Son!

How are you feeding the kingdom?  What does it mean to you to feed the kingdom?

Second Thought:

As we would expect, this is yet another passage about being prepared.  We have a comparison between two slaves.  The first slave does as he is asked and finds himself rewarded.  He doesn’t worry about the timing, he just goes about his job.  He is loyal and faithful regardless of the lord’s timing.  The second slave is faithful at first, but when the lord takes a while in coming back the slave begins to reveal what is in his heart and does that.  This is why he is a pretender.  The evil slave looks like he can be trusted at first, but in time his true heart is revealed.  This is why we need to be prepared.  If we are not careful, we will slip and slide into our humanity and become a pretender.  By being prepared, we can avoid the pitfall of being tempted into the passions of our heart and instead be loyal to the task at hand to which the Lord has set us.

What has the Lord called you to do?  How do you avoid the pitfall of having your life slide into lesser human tendencies instead of the great work to which the Lord has called you?

Third Thought:

 Speaking of punishment, the Greek word that Jesus uses to speak about being punished severely is quite unique.  The actual word is dichotomeo (διχοτομέω) and it clearly is the root word for our English word dichotomy.  The word literally means “to cut into two pieces.”  You don’t get more of a severe punishment than being cut into two pieces!  The result of disobedience is being put in our place.  The result of wasting our time that God has given to us is to be labeled a pretender and put aside.

Does this passage put a little fear into you?  How would it feel to stand before God and be labeled a pretender?  How can you respond genuinely to God and spend your time here on this earth feeding His kingdom as He asks?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 24:40-44

Matthew 24:40-44

At that time, two will be in the field.  On is being brought along and one is being left behind.  Two while grinding in a mill.  One is being brought along and one is being left behind.  Therefore be vigilant, because you all do not know what day your Lord comes.  And you all do know that if the master of the house had known which watch the thief comes, he was vigilant and not permit him to break into his house.  Because of this, be ready, you all, since you do not know the hour the Son of Man comes.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus reminds us about surprise.  The ones in the field are just going about their life when Christ brings one to Him and leaves another behind.  The ones grinding at the mill are likewise just going about their daily life when Christ comes and brings one along with Him and leaves another behind.  Neither of them knew what was upon then, just like the owner of the house doesn’t know when his house will get broken into.  We will be surprised.  We can know the season, but we cannot know the day.  We can recognize the signs of its coming, but we cannot know just how much time remains.  It will be a surprise to all of us.

How does the surprise sit with you?  Do you like the fact that you cannot know the exact moment of Christ’s return?

Second Thought:

Jesus’ parable with respect to the owner of the house is about preparation.  Thieves don’t usually send you a warning that they are thinking of breaking into your house, so it is important to be ready.  In the same way, none of us know when Jesus is going to return.  We know that it is coming, but we don’t know how much time is left.  Therefore it is important to prepare and be ready.

Are you prepared for the return of Jesus?  How do you know?  What can you do to continue your preparation?

Third Thought:

There is a subtle undertone in this passage that quite frankly often gets missed.  What this passage is really about is value.  A homeowner who values his home takes precautions to keep what he values safe.  We know what we value by what we take time in our life to preserve.  Each of us should be able to look into our life and honestly ask what we are trying to preserve.  That will tell us what we really value.  To say we value something but give it no attempt at preservation is simply lip service to what we know should be important but not actually value.

Are you trying to preserve eternity for yourself?  How does the way you live your life in a way that demonstrates the preservation of eternity? 

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 24:45-51

Matthew 24:36-39

Matthew 24:36-39

And regarding that day and that hour nobody has known – neither the angels of heaven nor the Son, only the Father alone.  For just as the days of Noah, the coming of the Son of Man will be.  For in those days before the flood they were while eating and drinking – marrying and being given in marriage – until the day in which Noah went into the ark.  And they did not know until the flood came and carried all of them away.  In this same manner the coming of the Son of Man will be.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus opens us with an unusual statement.  We are told that neither the angels nor the Son know the day; only the Father knows the day.  We don’t usually balk at the angels not knowing the day.  After all, the angels are not on the same level as God.  What usually gets us is what Jesus means when He says that the Son does not know the day.  After all, isn’t the Son God?  Doesn’t God know everything?  This is made even more complicated when we consider that in the very last section we are told that those who know what to look for will be able to recognize the season of the coming of the Son of Man.  So what are we to make of all of this?  Here is basically what Jesus is telling us.  We can recognize the season, but not pinpoint the exact time or day.  In fact, not even the angels or the Son have pressed the Father to know the exact day, and we should take a lesson from them.  Only the Father is capable of judging how long human depravity will be allowed to exist.  We should know the signs of rebellion and prepare ourselves for them.  But how long it will take to get there is and always will be a mystery about which even the ones closest to the Father are content not discovering the answer.

How content are you at going through life knowing that there are some questions to which you will not know the answer?  How comfortable are you in realizing that if we are indeed following the example of the Son we should not even be trying to discern the exact day of the return of our Lord?  What is the difference between preparing to discern the season of His return and trying to discern the exact day of His return?

Second Thought:

Jesus then compares His return to the days of Noah.  Remember that the great flood was probably the event in the Bible that records the most loss of life – in spite of the fact that we celebrate the story and only think about Noah and his salvation.  Look back upon Genesis 6:5-7 and read what the Bible tells us about the human condition at that time.  The Lord looked down and saw that the hearts of mankind were continuously evil.  Every intention in the hearts of the human beings at that time were full of evil – more than likely consumed with their own desires and self-centeredness.  Jesus says, so shall it be in the coming of the Son.  Humanity will progressively slip into greater and greater evil.  Humanity will reach a point where we will only care about ourselves and the fulfillment of our own desires.  Humanity will slip into a time when genuine community and the love of neighbor will no longer be a priority.  Humanity will slip into a time when the mindset in life is all about me and what I desire.  It is in that time that the Lord will return and the Father will say, “Enough.”

Do you think it is possible for humanity to slip into such a time?  Why do you answer the way that you do?  What do you think life would be like if everyone is truly concerned about themselves?  How can some individualism be a good thing – even necessary – but an entire society built around only the ideal of the individual fail?

Third Thought:

Jesus also tells us that the people of such a time will be caught off guard as the people of Noah were caught off guard.  The problem with the individualistic focus is that it is always “navel-gazing.”  In other words, it inherently has an inward focus.  If I go through my life only considering what I want and what I think is good for me, then I never take the opportunity to look around me.  If I am utterly focused on my desires, I do not consider what is happening around me and what might be good for the people around me.  If I am so consumed with my own life, I become blind to the happenings of the world in the greater picture.  When this happens across an entire culture, it is easy to see why people will be caught unaware by Jesus.  The people of Noah’s day were too wrapped up in their own lives to care about the bigger picture and Noah’s warning.  The people alive at the return of the Lord will be the same way.  They’ll be too wrapped up in their own life to care about the bigger picture and what is happening around them.

Do you think an entire culture focused on themselves is a scary idea?  Why do you answer this way?  Do you think that people who are only focused on their own life are likely to miss the bigger picture in the world around them?  Why do you answer this way?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 24:40-44

Matthew 24:32-35

Matthew 24:32-35

And from the fig tree, learn the parable.  In the time when its branch should become tender and it should sprout leaves, you know that summer is near.  In this same way, when you should see all these things, you also know that it is near at the door.  Amen, I say to you that this generation should surely not pass away until all these things should become.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words should surely not pass away.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus gives us a fairly simple parable in this passage.  Every single one of us can relate to this parable – whether we know figs or not.  We know when summer is coming.  The trees pollinate.  The bulbs bloom.  The temperature increases.  The school year draws to a close.  The community pools open.  The days get longer.  We each have our own methods and things we look for, but we all have them.  We can know what it feels like to look around us and take a reading on what is going to happen.  That’s what Jesus is saying here.  Just like we can know summer is coming, we can know what it will look like before Christ comes back.  His people will be persecuted unlike ever before.  His people will be pushed to the end of the earth.  The world will turn against God’s ways.  People who proclaim to love God will turn on other people who proclaim to love God.  That’s what it looks like in the world before He returns.

In order to recognize the season, what do you need to know?  How well do you think you are prepared to recognize the signs?

Second Thought:

With respect to the comment that Jesus makes about “this generation passing away,” there have been many attempts at interpreting these words.  Some people take this comment to mean that Jesus’ own disciples will experience this kind of persecution in this life.  We know that they most certainly did experience horrific persecution.  Other people interpret these words to mean that the generation alive when the persecution starts will also be there to see it end.  This could certainly have a ring of truth to it as in earlier passages Jesus indicates that the end will come quickly when it comes.  Still other people interpret these words as another sign that there will always be a church present.  What this means is that the generation about which Jesus speaks is the generation of the church.  Of course, this generation didn’t come around until after Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Each of these interpretations have notes of truth in them.  Unfortunately we may not even know in certainty exactly what Jesus was speaking about until after the fact.

Are you bothered by a passage that has multiple interpretations and little convergence on a single interpretation?  What do you think Jesus means in this saying?

Third Thought:

Finally, Jesus gives us a neat phrase at the end that is wrapped in a surprisingly unsuspecting sentence.  Jesus’ words will never pass away.  The heavens and the earth – all creation, even – will surely pass away.  But God’s Word will never pass away.  In other words, God’s Word is a constant in our life.  That’s a promise onto which we can hold.

What does it mean to you to know that God’s Word will never pass away?  Do you hold onto God’s Word more tightly than anything else?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 24:36-39

Matthew 24:29-31

Matthew 24:29-31

Immediately after the persecution of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from the heaven and the powerful ones of the heavens will be shaken.  And then the sign of the Son of Man will be visible in heaven.  And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man while coming upon the clouds of heaven with power a great glory.  And He will send out His angels with a great trumpet call.  And they will gather His chosen ones out of the four winds – from one extreme limit of heave unto its other extreme limit.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

As Jesus begins this section, He speaks about the sun being darkened.  Of course that would have a natural impact upon the ability of the moon to shine as well.  What Jesus is getting at is that even nature will be subject to the end when God says that it is time.  As we discovered a few days ago, the end will start with humanity persecuting one another.  But nature will also be subject to God and to the end.

What does this passage say to you about the place of nature with respect to God and His power?  Why is this significant?

Second Thought:

Notice that Jesus says that all the tribes of people on the earth will mourn.  Yes, God’s elect and the rest of the world will all mourn.  Of course we can easily know the reason for the mourning of the world.  The world will mourn because when Christ returns it will understand just how wrong they were and how late it is to do anything about it.  That mourning makes sense.  But why will God’s elect mourn with them?  In truth, it is probably better said that they will mourn for them.  When Christ returns, there is no more time to find salvation.  The end will have finally come.  That basically means that those who do not belong to God have no more time to postpone judgment and come into God’s grace.  That will be a sad day of mourning indeed.

Is there anyone in your life for whom you might mourn if Christ were to come back today?  What does this tell you about your life and the people in it?  Is there anything you can do about the people you might mourn before time runs out?  Why can we do something in some cases but be utterly powerless in other cases?

Third Thought:

There is an awful lot of talk about the timing of the end of the world – especially in some certain religious circles.  I don’t typically get caught up in that kind of talk because in the end it is all speculation and we won’t really know who is right until it happens.  However, I have always been a “prepare for the worst and hope for the best” kind of person.  So when I look at these kinds of passages, I tend to take Jesus on face value.  Here Jesus tells us that the chosen ones after the persecution happens.  In other words, god-fearing people will go through the great persecution.  This fits with what we’ve read in the last few days of reading as well.  Remember a few days ago when we discovered that Jesus seems to indicate that there will be a faithful remnant proclaiming the glory of heaven all the way until the end?  I may not know when Jesus is going to return and this world will come to an end, but it seems prudent to live my life in preparation that before I see Christ I may endure some persecution.  There is no need to be doom-and-gloom and stand on a street corner with a sign that reads: “The End is Near.”  But it seems incredibly wise to prepare for persecution just in case it comes during my lifetime.

How prepared are you for persecution to come to you?  How easily do you think that you would endure persecution?  Where are you likely to be vulnerable to persecution?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 24:32-35

Matthew 24:23-28

Matthew 24:23-28

Then if anyone should say to you, “Behold, here is the Christ,” or “Here!” you all should not believe.  For false christs and false prophets will rise up and they will give great signs and portents in order to cause people to wander off the path – if powerful enough – also the chosen ones.  Behold!  I have warned you all.  Therefore, if they should say to you all, “Behold, He is in the wilderness” you all should not go out.  If “Behold, He is in the inner room” you all should not believe.  For just as the lightning comes from the east and while shining as far as the west, in this way will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Wherever a corpse should be, there the eagles will be gathered.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Here is a scary thought.  The fact that a person performs incredible signs and portents is no indication that they are from God. Think about that for a moment.  If a person came to town and you saw them raise someone from the dead, would you not be more inclined to believe them when they claimed to be close to God?  Or if a person came and was able to tell you great things about yourself – things you’ve never confided in anyone else – would you not be inclined to think that they were from God?  The truth is that Jesus often calls Satan the “prince of this world.”  Satan is not without His power.  Jesus is careful to make sure that His disciples understand that outward appearances are a horrible means for judging a person and their relationship with God.  We should listen to them.  We should weigh their teaching with the Word of God.  We should be in the habit of evaluating people by their person and their character, not by what they can accomplish and who they can impress.

Do you ever get caught up in the show and forget to look at the person?  How is this actually related to the common attributes of common thieves?  Why is it dangerous to become infatuated by people who can do incredible and unbelievable things?

Second Thought:

Once more that we are warned that those who come to deceive will target people who confess to know God.  The most powerful of the false christs and the false prophets will be able to pull people away from God if we are not careful.  It is foolish to think that we are above such a fate.  The prudent man hears this warning and prepares for it – just in case it comes during his time.  Jesus tells us purposefully that we have been warned!  He does not warn us for our knowledge.  He warns us so that we may be prepared and stand firm in our faith.

How prepared are you to stand firm?  How might you be deceived into wandering off of the path?  What benefit might there be in knowing your temptations?

Third Thought:

So how are we to know the coming of Christ?  Jesus tells us that His coming will be like lightning.  It will be sudden.  It will be flashed across the planet from horizon to horizon, much like lightning covers the sky.  Jesus is basically telling us that He is not coming again in the manner that He came the first time.  He came as a human in order to die on the cross and be the perfect sacrifice that we as regular humans can never be.  But having died, there is no reason for Jesus to come again as a man.  He will come like lightning: suddenly and unexpectedly and with an impossibility to predict.

Are you prepared for the coming of Christ?  If He were to come 3 minutes from now, would those three minutes be filled with anticipation or panic?  How does knowing how Jesus will return actually help us avoid being trapped by charlatans?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 24:29-31

Matthew 24:15-22

Matthew 24:15-22

Therefore, whenever you all should see the horrible thing that defiles having stood in the holy place that was being spoken about through Daniel the prophet – let the one who reads understand – then let the ones in Judea flee into the mountains.  Do not let the one upon the rooftop come down to carry off the things of his house.  Do not let the one who is in the field return behind him to carry off his cloak.  And woe to the ones who have a child in the womb and the ones who nurse in that day!  And pray in order that your flight should happen neither in winter nor on the Sabbath.  For at that time there will be great persecution – the kind of which has never become from the beginning of the world until now nor should surely not become.  And unless those days should be reduced in number, all flesh is not being saved.  But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The phrase “the horrible thing that defiles” – sometimes called the abomination of desolation – is a Hebrew phrase that is largely transliterated into the Greek.  It is not a Greek phrase, it is a Hebrew phrase derived from Daniel 12:11.  It is a difficult phrase to understand, because it is from a prophetic book in which Daniel is clearly speaking about the future.  Many people have interpreted the Daniel reference to Antiochus Epiphanes, who around 170 BC captured Jerusalem, erected a statue of Zeus in the temple, sacrificed a pig to Zeus, and then converted all of the priests chambers in the temple into temple prostitution chambers.  Yes, he knew what he was doing and he was being intentional about how much that would offend the Hebrew people of that day.  While that absolutely makes sense as the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy, you will notice that when Jesus is speaking here He is speak about the future, not the past.  Jesus is telling His disciples that once more the temple would be defiled.  However, in this great defiling there won’t be a purification or a cleansing.  There won’t be a Judas Maccabaeus to drive off the foreign influence and cleanse the temple.  Jesus is using a point in Hebrew history to help His disciples understand just how bad things will get in the world against God.  Jesus is setting the stage for an ultimate rebellion – a time when the world turns away from God and is in full and utter rebellion.

How do you think those days will feel?  What may likely be the internal motivation for turning away from God and His ways?  How can the answer to that prior question help us understand the true spirit of rebellion present in all human beings?

Second Thought:

Notice Jesus advice in those days.  Jesus says that when great persecution comes, flee!  Don’t try and save your stuff.  First of all, you can’t ultimately take your stuff with you into the life to come anyways.  Second, your stuff will just slow you down as you try and escape persecution.  Third, as we often see, people who turn to protect their things often get trapped.  Then a siege starts, and the person who has hunkered down to protect their stuff is now on a limited supply of resources and a waiting game ensues.  This is why Jesus tells people to flee.  When great persecution comes, get out and get out quickly!  Get out as quickly as you can.  You can always rebuild and re-gather supply so long as you aren’t trapped.  But if you become trapped by your stuff, then life becomes a downward spiral of waiting for the end.  I find Jesus’ advice here to be incredibly wise.  So often our gut instinct when persecuted is to dig in our heels and adamantly stay with fierce resolve.  But in most cases it is better to let go, flee, and start over somewhere new.

Do you agree with Jesus’ advice here?  Why is there usually a strong human tendency to stick around and fight?  Why is it often easier to flee and rebuild in safety than stick around and battle fiercely for every inch?  Even if we hunker down and battle, what is likely to be the emotional and spiritual state of those who might come out victorious?

Third Thought:

Finally, notice the urgency about which Jesus speaks.  When the end comes, it will come swiftly.  It will be upon us almost before we can see it coming.  Those who are paying attention will know and see the signs.  But even those won’t have time to protect all that they have.  As Jesus speaks these words He speaks very much in the tone of urgency.  We should realize this.  This is why it is important to pay attention and keep alert.  When persecution comes, often the speed of our reaction and the urgency in our plan will determine our options and how much damage we endure before we get ourselves clear of the persecution.

Do you hear the urgency in Jesus’ words?  Why do you think Jesus would want to stress urgency in this passage?  In the end, as we look at this point and the second point that I make, what do you think about Jesus’ position to flee and not fight?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 24:23-28

Matthew 24:9-14

Matthew 24:9-14

At that time, they will hand you over into persecution and they will kill you.  And you all will be hated by all the nations for the sake of my name.  And at that time many will be caused to stumble and they will hand over one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will be rising up and they will cause many to wander of the path.  And the love of many will diminish in intensity because of the multiplication of lawlessness.  But the one who holds his ground into the end – this one will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole of the inhabited world into a witness to all the nations.  And at that time the end will come. 

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Persecution will come.  There’s truth in that.  People will hate Christians because of what we believe.  People will hate our ethic.  People will hate our morality.  People will hate our need to cling to absolute truth – an absolute truth that we do not set, even!  People will not understand our choices and some will despise us for it.  Of course, not all the world will despise us.  The world is not full of angry monsters.  But there are people in the world who will hate us for what we believe.  It is a reality, and it is a none-too-pleasant one at that.  And as Jesus teaches here in these verses, as lawlessness increases, it will only get worse.

How have you seen people hate those who profess God’s truth?  What is the motivation for the hate in the instances that you have seen?

Second Thought:

There is an even darker story here, though.  People will be led astray.  People will be led away from the path of truth and righteousness.  People who are led astray will even turn on those who remain loyal to truth and righteousness.  People will be caused to stumble and after they’ve stumbled they will turn on and hate those who remain in the truth.  It is a truly sad and bleak moment in life when a person who confesses to know God turns away from Him and begins to persecute those who remain in relationship with God.  But it happens, and it will continue to happen.

Have you ever seen a person stumble in their faith and fall away from knowing God?  What was the impetus for such an action?  How can you prevent yourself from being in the situation of stumbling yourself?

Third Thought:

In a final analysis of this section, these words of Jesus are some of the strongest words for understanding what will happen to Christians at the end of the age.  Yes, as I spoke of earlier we will be hated and killed and handed over because of what we believe.  But the gospel will be proclaimed into the whole world and then the end will come.  How is the Gospel to be proclaimed if there are no Christians to proclaim it?  In this is both a promise and a warning.  The warning we’ve already discussed.  Persecution will come.  But the promise is really neat.  Until Christ comes back, there will be a genuine presence of God’s kingdom – a fellowship of believers – upon this earth.  There will always be those who believe.

How does this promise help you wrestle with the fact that persecution may come?  How does this promise help you deal with the fact that the world around you may appear to be diverging from a Christian ethic?  Why is this a powerful promise to hold onto?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 24:15-28