17 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that nooffenses should come, butwoe to him through whom they do come!2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he shouldoffend one of these little ones.3 Take heed to yourselves.If your brother sinsagainst you,rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returnsto you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Jesus issues two related instructions in today’s reading: a warning against putting stumbling blocks in the way of other Christians, and a simple procedure for dealing with other Christians when they sin against us, so that our failure to forgive does not become a stumbling block.
Jesus has a heart for the “little ones,” both little children who believe in Him and adults who retain a sincere, child-like faith in Him. The unbelieving world sets all sorts of obstacles or “offenses” in the way of these little ones, to ensnare them in sin or to deter them from believing the Word of God, and the Lord has chosen to allow these things to remain in the world. But He will not hold guiltless the people responsible for them. On the contrary, an unimaginable punishment awaits them.
Jesus’ warning here should make Christians especially careful never to be the ones responsible for derailing the faith of His precious little ones. That includes derailing their faith by failing to forgive, because we are to be imitators of God, and if Christians refuse to forgive when we ought, what are we teaching our brother about God’s forgiveness?
But here we should note carefully the process of forgiveness outlined by Jesus, which is not the common advice of “just forgive everybody for everything, no matter what.” No, when a brother, a fellow Christian, sins against you, you are first to rebuke him, telling him how he sinned. If he repents, if he recognizes his failure and shows himself to be sorry for his sin, then you are to forgive him, every time, immediately, in the same way that God forgives you after bringing you to repentance. But where there is no repentance, there can be no forgiveness. Where there is no repentance, you should pray for your brother and show him mercy in whatever way you can. But you cannot forgive a sin that someone wishes to keep holding onto, just as God does not forgive us if we refuse to repent.
Let us pray: Father in heaven, keep Your little ones safe from all who would do them harm, and keep us from causing anyone to stumble. Amen.
Posted inDevotion|Comments Off on Each Day in the Word, Sunday, January 22nd
24 “Thereforewhoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
The world, our sinful flesh, and the devil bring about a constant (yet futile) search for anything to give us security—ever avoiding and excluding the very the One who is the source of our security. This very understanding is proclaimed in God’s holy Scripture: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope” (Romans 8:20).
The key words of that sentence are that God subjected creation to futility “in hope”. Christ and His fully atoning merits are that secured hope! Yet, how can one hear of—and, by God’s grace, have—such secured hope? Only by receiving the proper teaching of God’s Holy Scripture, which, through God’s Law and Gospel, brings one to repentance and belief!
Jesus’ sermon on the mount has delved mostly into things to expect in the coming kingdom, namely, future honors and comforts. In today’s text Christ concludes His sermon by dealing with the here and now—and, go figure, the emphasis is on faith having its proper object. Jesus reveals how life is befallen with tumultuous trials, tensions, and suffering. Security isn’t in the trust of earthly idols. The proper believing, teaching and confessing children of God, however, are rightly focused. For, right in the midst of life’s tribulations, Christ and His teachings are the rock through whom come true security and peace!
Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace for all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Posted inDevotion|Comments Off on Each Day in the Word, Saturday, January 21st
7 “Judgenot, that you be not judged.2 For with whatjudgment you judge, you will be judged;and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.8 Foreveryone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?11 If you then,being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!12 Therefore,whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, forthis is the Law and the Prophets.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.14 Because narrow is the gate anddifficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Jesus continues His exhortation of the importance of God-created, rightly focused faith. Man’s flesh is legalistic by its very nature. It’s always thinking better of itself than it ought. Luther called this belief of the flesh, “Presumed righteousness” which simply means that man’s flesh believes itself to be so good (or good enough) that no help is needed when it comes to righteousness—including, and especially, any help from outside of itself.
Does anyone really believe that they haven’t been (nor will ever be) judgmental toward their neighbor? It’s Christ who points out that anyone possessing such a Pharisaical, presumed righteousness—conceited enough to think that one can measure others against oneself — is considered a “Hypocrite” by God Himself! Christ remedies such trust in the flesh by wielding His “plank in your own eye” Law language.
So how do planks get removed? By having that Old Adam, through daily contrition and repentance, drowned and die! By confessing to those planks and vanquishing them through the Gospel of Christ’s full atoning merits promised through God’s means of Word and Sacrament and received through faith alone. With Christ having made full satisfaction for sins—and on-going plank possessors trusting alone in Him who is the narrow gate—then it’s the gracious gift of the Father, Christ Jesus, who is to be offered to others as their only rescue from the specks that ail them.
Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace for all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Posted inDevotion|Comments Off on Each Day in the Word, Friday, January 20th
6 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.2 Therefore,when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secretwill Himself reward youopenly.
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like thehypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.6 But you, when you pray,go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward youopenly.7 And when you pray,do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Fatherknows the things you have need of before you ask Him.9 In thismanner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Yourname. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earthas it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day ourdaily bread. 12 Andforgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, Butdeliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.15 Butif you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 “Moreover,when you fast, do not be like thehypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.17 But you, when you fast,anoint your head and wash your face,18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward youopenly.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye isgood, your whole body will be full of light.23 But if your eye isbad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount continues and various topics are presented: Good works, prayer, fasting, treasures, and the lamp of the body. In each of these Jesus is emphasizing genuineness—meaning no fence-riders, no imitators will stand. The genuineness of God-created faith is being focused upon.
Pointedly Jesus teaches His disciples to pray in such a way that forgiveness of sins be an on-going petition to the Lord. This begs the question to anyone who believes in a false teaching known as Universal Objective Justification—which teaches that God accounts all of sinful humanity as completely forgiven and justified—apart from faith—because of Christ’s resurrection. The question would be: “If God already declared all of sinful humanity as forgiven—and faith is unnecessary—then why would Christ direct His disciples to continually pray for on-going forgiveness from the Lord?”
The fifth petition, however, is not only asking for on-going forgiveness—it is a faith check as well! Having God-created faith in Christ’s fully atoning merits is so important that Jesus re-emphasizes it after the Lord’s Prayer, saying, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (v. 14-15).
Properly understood forgiveness and justification matters—and it’s received through faith alone!
Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace for all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Posted inDevotion|Comments Off on Each Day in the Word, Thursday, January 19th
We’re finally back to our consideration of the Book of Revelation. Remember the image of the Son of Man that John saw and that we talked about several weeks ago in chapter 1: One who was like a son of man, clothed with a garment reaching down to his feet, his chest girded with a golden sash. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like bronze, as though fired in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. In this evening’s reading, that extraordinary-looking Son of Man speaks to His servant John with a message that John is to put down in writing and send to each of the seven churches in Asia Minor. And just as with all the New Testament epistles, even though this one was written to specific churches at that time, with specific circumstances and needs, it has been God’s will to preserve these apostolic writings so that the Spirit may continue to speak to all the churches and apply the same lessons to every church of every time.
To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write. “To the angel,” that is, to the pastor of the church, because there would be no need for Jesus to have John write to one of the heavenly angels. Evangelical Christians miss this simple truth. They think that God simply communicates directly with each believer, through music or through feelings or through a burden on the heart. The pastor is really just a motivational speaker, a sort of community organizer. But God has always chosen to deal regularly with His people through men, through the ministers whom Christ has called to the churches, through the churches. God uses that call to turn a man into an “angel,” into a divinely appointed messenger to minister to His people. He is responsible for passing on the message of the Lord to the Lord’s people, and he’ll have to answer for how he carries out his ministry.
Write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. Jesus wants His angel and His church in Ephesus to remember especially these two truths about Him: first, that He holds the seven stars, that is, the pastors of the churches, in His right hand—He has placed them where they are. They speak for Him; they are responsible to Him. And second, that He is present with His churches, walking among the lampstands, tending to each one, inspecting each one. And, if He chooses, He has the right and the power to remove them, too.
What does His inspection of the church in Ephesus reveal? First, something to praise the pastor for: I know your works, both your toil and your patience; and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil; and that you have tested those who say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them to be liars; and that you have endured and have patience; and that for my name’s sake you have toiled and have not grown weary.
What did the Son of Man see as He walked by the lampstand that stood in Ephesus? He saw a pastor, and by extension, a congregation, who was working hard. “Works” here includes both his toil and his patience. “Toil” is hard work, tiring work, meticulous work, preparing and preaching sermons, teaching, rebuking, correcting, comforting, tending to the needs of the flock. Patience is bearing up under pressure, under persecution, under attacks from without or from within. Jesus also sees the pastor disciplining and, where necessary, excommunicating those who are evil, who fail to repent after being warned. He also sees the pastor testing other preachers who claim to be Christians, to be sent by Jesus, and exposing them for the liars they are. He’s been doing all this for a while, and he hasn’t slacked off; he has patiently endured.
But then a word of rebuke from Jesus: Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have abandoned your first love. Your first love, also translated as your “former” love. Some 35 years earlier, the Apostle Paul had written this to the Ephesian Christians when their church was in its early days: I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. Apparently, that love had grown cold, in the pastor and, by extension, among the members. His devotion to purity of doctrine and life had become an external thing, perfunctory, loveless. He was doing the right things, but it wasn’t coming from love, and as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works. But if not, I will come to you soon and will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. It isn’t enough to be doing some things well. If you’ve abandoned love, it profits you nothing. So repent, Jesus says. Recognize the lack of love in your words and deeds. Don’t remain as you are. Confess your sin, receive forgiveness, and then change your behavior, with the help of the Holy Spirit, or else Jesus will see to it that your church is removed from its place.
But then a positive observation: But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. The Nicolaitans, from all we can gather from history, were a group of people who were trying to normalize sexual immorality within the Christian Church. They promoted adultery, sex outside of marriage, and, for lack of a better term, wife-swapping, terrible sins that have become almost as commonplace in our culture as they were in the first century Roman world. But Christians are expected to be different from the surrounding, godless culture. So even though Jesus criticizes the Ephesians for a lack of love, He praises them for their hatred of deeds that He Himself hates.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Don’t hear these words and fail to act on them! Don’t hear these words and then go back to life as usual. If God gave you a working ear and sent a preacher to preach these words to you, then hear them and change! Because it’s God’s own Spirit who is working through the Word to produce repentance and renewal in all who hear it and take it to heart.
Finally, Jesus adds a promise: To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Who overcomes. Who wins the battle—the battle against the flesh, the devil, and the world. That battle is won through contrition and repentance, through a renewed faith in Christ, through the forgiveness of sins, and through obedience to the Lord’s message. To the one who overcomes all the way up until the end, Jesus promises that he’ll be allowed to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God. Just as eating from the tree that stood in the Paradise of Eden would have given Adam and Eve eternal youth and the ability to live forever, so there will be a continual source of eternal life in the Paradise of heaven for everyone who overcomes.
Now, how do Jesus’ words to the angel of the church in Ephesus apply to us? Does He see works, toil, and patience? Does He see us taking seriously the doctrine that is preached from this pulpit and taught by the pastor, practicing church discipline where necessary and excluding from our fellowship those who are impenitent or who adhere to false doctrine? Yes, I’d say that, honestly, we do that more than any other church in Las Cruces. We have those things in common with the church at Ephesus.
What about our “first love”? Is our faith toward God and our love for one another and for our neighbor in general as strong as it has ever been? Or has our attention to good works, doctrine and life grown somewhat external, dry, and loveless?
I need to first examine myself, as the “angel” of this church. After that, if I see signs of this lack of love in any of you, the Lord commands me to rebuke you for it, gently where gentleness is appropriate, and more harshly where harshness is needed. And if such lovelessness does exist, but I can’t see it—because I can only see the outside—remember that the Lord Jesus, with His penetrating eyes of fire, can see it. So examine yourselves, and if you see a lack of love in yourself, a lack of genuine concern and devotion to your fellow Christians, including the fellow Christians within your own family, then repent. Urgently. Sincerely. And turn to the Lord for forgiveness. And ask Him for His help. And then go forward in the renewal of the Holy Spirit, determined to let both love for the truth and love for the Lord’s people rule your heart and life.
Here is God’s Spirit, giving you all the words and the warnings, the encouragement and the strength that you need to stand firm in the faith and to be renewed in love, so that you may be among those who overcome and who are given to eat of the tree of life in the Paradise of God. Amen.
