I have been slowly reading the book We Have Never Been Woke by Musa alGharbi, who is an African American Islamic Sociologist. He sees himself as a left-leaning thinker. I find that helpful because it is from that perspective that he criticizes many left-leaning ideologies. In other words, he is allowed to say things that a white male Christian is not allowed to say. Or perhaps I should say a white male Christian would be categorically condemned by many in society for saying.
AlGharbi points out that many who would label themselves as woke may indeed consciously have their hearts -in a sense- in the right place. They are for equality and inclusivity and all sorts of things. However, in their subconscious is an opposing drive to be the elites in society. And their subconscious is the driving force. He says that in the check out line at a grocery store these elites will happily see themselves as advocates on behalf of the person working the cash register. But they would not want to be the person working at the cash register. What ultimately happens is the reverse. Despite all sorts of words and supposed policies on behalf of the have-nots, they are using the have-nots for their own personal gain. Things get worse. Not better.
Perhaps you like me taking a jab at the social progressives of our society. Perhaps you are upset that I’d make a jab at the social progressives of our society. The thing is, pretty much everyone does it no matter where they fall in the political and social spectrums.
I’ve heard it said a number of times that if you put a group of people who have never met each other before in a room together and you give them a task to do, the very first thing they do is not the task but establishing a pecking order. People jostle for higher rank. No one wants to be on the bottom.
We should not be surprised then when our gospel reading records the disciples asking Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Perhaps we should even recognize that such motives exist within ourselves even if we aren’t conscious of it. The disciples are coming to realize that the rules of the kingdom of heaven may be different from the rules of society. So they, being Jesus’ insiders, are asking for the rules of the kingdom of heaven. That way they can be great in it.
So then, how does eternal life work? Do you really want to be forever posturing for social status? It would be exhausting. It would be more like hell than heaven. I can’t answer how it works. I suppose it’s something we can’t understand this side of dying. But Jesus’ response to the disciples shows us that the whole way of thinking that we use in this life is irrelevant.
Jesus calls a child and puts the child in the midst of them. He says, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:3-5)
Does that mean a reversal of strategy? Does that mean that humility now leads to greatness in heaven? No. That’s still thinking using the same categories of status; and even the need for status.
In those days and in that culture a child had no status. There were no kids’ sports leagues and extracurricular activities. Although wealthy parents would invest in all sorts of schooling and development to make their child grow up to one of society’s elite. Most kids were just mouths to feed until they grew up enough to take up manual labor. Thus, a child was a burden. Helping a child was a waste of effort if you were planning to get ahead in life. It served no purpose. Children were needy. They had to rely on others for everything.
And so, becoming like a child is to accept that you cannot make it on your own. You need your family. And perhaps most importantly, you also have no status apart from the status your family gives you.
Ultimately then, if you’re going to live in this lifetime with the anticipation of the kingdom of heaven you’re not going to be motivated by social status. It isn’t ultimately important. You don’t really care. What you do know is that you are God’s child. You have been invited by God to be a part of the family. And so the status of being in God’s family is all the status you need. There is no social posturing in heaven. So if that isn’t our heavenly reality then it shouldn’t be a driving motive for our lives now.
Consider that as we look at the scenes in Matthew 18 that follow. Jesus uses graphic language to talk about cutting off hands or feet if they cause you to stumble. Or tearing out your eye if it causes you to stumble. The Greek work is actually scandal and not stumble. We’ve run into that word scandal again, just like last week and a few weeks ago when the cross was considered a stumbling block or scandal.
Jesus says that it is unavoidable that we will stumble at times. Jesus will talk about forgiveness a little later on. At this point though, all of this means that we should not trivialize the impacts of our shortcomings and sins. Whether the little ones in society are: children, or the weak, or recent converts to Christianity, or whoever they may be, mature believers need to ensure these little ones are entering the family of God with safety and certainty.
Jesus goes on with the parable of the lost sheep. Here we see that God doesn’t just consider one lost sheep, or one lost person, an unavoidable consequence of business. God will not rest until all are together. God doesn’t want any of us to ever go astray. And God does not somehow think more of the one that is found. But God just wants all of the family together.
Jesus continues on and talks about disciplining members of the family of God. Such things will be unavoidable. Notice that Jesus’ advice maintains healthy boundaries and relationships but does not shame a person who stumbles or goes astray. The goal is reconciliation and not excommunication.
Peter asks how often we should forgive. Given all that Jesus has been saying we understand why. Peter wants to know at what point we can give up on someone in God’s family who keeps sinning. At what point have they passed reconciliation? Jesus replies, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” That’s a high number! The point is that we shouldn’t keep track. For if we are keeping track it isn’t really forgiveness in the first place. Again, keeping track is the stuff of social posturing.
Finally Jesus gives the parable of the unforgiving servant. The debt the king forgives is enormous – more than several lifetimes worth of earnings. But then the servant who has been forgiven demands immediate repayment of a relatively small debt. The king finds out and hands the initial debtor over to be tortured until he repays the impossibly high debt.
Again, see all of this in light of social posturing and who is better than another. That whole way of thinking is faulty in God’s kingdom. We need to remember that we all sin. We all stumble. We all fall short. Therefore we must be graciously forgiving as well.
Indeed, all of this can sound like bad people can get away with a lot. These texts have been used in a way that bad people have gotten away with a lot, and their victims keep on suffering and suffering and suffering and never stand up for themselves. But that is not Jesus’ intent at all. Jesus’ intent is to have us center our lives on being in God’s family.
Matthew 18 does create an accountability system for those who do wrong. But again, restoration to the family is the main goal. And when people are belligerent in their activities then they have basically removed themselves from God’s family.
We live now freed from what can easily be a life-consuming quest for status and greatness. But it is not so in God’s heavenly kingdom. So let those who do their social signaling and moral posturing do it. It’s not our problem and it’s not worth our energy trying to keep up with them. We are God’s children. We are God’s family. In that we live safely forever.
Monday, March 9, 2026
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
March 1, 2026 Jesus: Son of God, Son of Man Matthew 16:13-17:27
Have you ever thought it was odd the way Jesus often refers to himself as the Son of Man? In what we read from Matthew today Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man five times. In the Bible as a whole Jesus uses the term to refer to himself 28 times, which more than anything else. Also, Jesus alone refers to himself as that. Only once in John’s gospel does a crowd call Jesus that; and there they are asking Jesus what he means by calling himself the Son of Man. So what does all of this mean?
Perhaps the good news is that if we are confused we aren’t alone. Even the best biblical experts aren’t sure what it means! (Although perhaps that’s not good news. We often want the experts to give us definitive answers so that we can be sure!)
“Son of Man” is awkward in English. It’s also awkward in Greek. But we start to get at what’s going on when we realize that it is not a native Greek term, but is the literal translation of the common Hebrew term, “ben adam”. Remember that the name Adam means simply human, earthing, or earth dweller. It is used 93 times in Ezekiel where the phrase designates the prophet as a mere human being in contrast to God.
So does that mean that Jesus is calling himself a mere human being? Well, it’s not that simple, but we’re probably on the right track. Again, the biblical experts differ on this, but many do think that Jesus used this in a self-effacing way. He wanted people to see him as human, as relatable. This idea fits quite well.
Notice in our reading from Matthew that Peter calls Jesus the Son of the living God. At the Transfiguration the voice from the cloud says of Jesus, “This is my Son, the Beloved…” I can’t think of any place in the Bible where Jesus calls himself the Son of God.
And let’s note this little twist. Who does call Jesus the Son of God? The devil does when Jesus is tested in the wilderness. It’s interesting that evil focuses on the divine aspect of Jesus while Jesus himself focuses on his human aspect.
We saw that also playing out in what we read today. Jesus asks his disciples who do they say that he is. Peter replies, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus praises Peter for this and says, “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Yay to Peter! But…
Jesus goes on to say he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering and be killed. Peter takes him aside and rebukes Jesus as if Jesus is demon possessed for saying such a thing. There’s no way in Peter’s mind that the Son of the living God could possibly have such a thing happen. But what does Jesus reply to Peter for insisting too much on Jesus as Son of God? “Get behind me Satan…” There’s the Satan presence again for insisting that being the Son of God is a special status that is above, and immune from, the limits of humanity and the reality of death. Jesus goes on, “You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting you mind no on divine things but on human things.”
Something fascinating happens there. By Peter insisting that Jesus be divine and not have bad things happen he is actually focused on human things. Whereas Jesus, insisting on his humanity, is actually focused on divine things. Therein is the great irony. The strength that God shows for our salvation is not divine power at all. It is in dying as a human that God reveals ultimate power; power over death.
I suspect that as we sit here we all probably have a reasonable sense of our own capabilities. We know roughly how smart we are compared to others based upon the grades we got in school. We know how strong, pretty, athletic, and coordinated we are compared to others. Perhaps we are young and feel like our powers are growing to unknown heights. Perhaps we are old and lament abilities that we once had but are now gone.
What special: intelligence, wealth, power, athleticism, beauty, or charisma did Jesus show as the Son of Man who would suffer and die? None. Absolutely zero. Yet there is God’s greatest conquest.
So what does that tell us as we sit here comparing ourselves to others in the world and at other ages? Don’t we measure our worth and build our self esteem by the things that we can do. Yet didn’t Jesus say to Peter, “Get behind me Satan, for you are setting your mind not on divine things, but on human things.”
Everything – and I mean everything we are apt to build our sense of self-worth upon in this life… is not just nonsense. It is Satanic. It is downright evil!
Let’s learn two things from this part of Matthew. First, Jesus understood himself first and foremost as the Son of Man, not Son of God. He emphasizes his humanity above everything else. He is focused on his work at the cross, not his work of healing, exorcisms, and performing miracles. (Although as we are in income tax season we have to admire his ability to pay his taxes by telling one of his followers to go catch a fish!)
Jesus wants us to understand him as someone we can relate to. He wants to be a friend, a companion. Jesus is on our side. He wants to see us flourish. We should not let his Son of God status overwhelm his Son of Man status. Jesus does not want to intimidate us or overwhelm us.
And second, we are sorely mistaken about ourselves if we think we are somehow lessor than others because society tells us that we aren’t particularly skilled or gifted, or that we don’t have much to offer. Conversely, we are sorely mistaken about ourselves if we think that we are somehow superior than others because society tells us that we are skilled or gifted. Before God we simply aren’t.
No one gets to brag. And no one gets to duck out of responsibility because they think they have nothing of value to give. All of this is very hard to take in. It flies in the face of everything we live. But let’s keep Peter in mind. He messes up miserably over and over again as a disciple. He cannot seem to escape his humanity. Yet Jesus does not reject him. Jesus, the Son of Man, forgives him and continues to work with him. Jesus accomplishes through Peter exactly what Jesus wanted to accomplish through Peter.
I don’t care what that world says about you. By faith in the Son of Man you will accomplish exactly what God wants to get accomplished through you. There is no higher dignity than that. And there is no room to brag in that either.
We are followers of the Son of Man. We are the church. We are built on a rock yet still frail enough to fail regularly. That is how God chooses to get work done here on earth.
Perhaps the good news is that if we are confused we aren’t alone. Even the best biblical experts aren’t sure what it means! (Although perhaps that’s not good news. We often want the experts to give us definitive answers so that we can be sure!)
“Son of Man” is awkward in English. It’s also awkward in Greek. But we start to get at what’s going on when we realize that it is not a native Greek term, but is the literal translation of the common Hebrew term, “ben adam”. Remember that the name Adam means simply human, earthing, or earth dweller. It is used 93 times in Ezekiel where the phrase designates the prophet as a mere human being in contrast to God.
So does that mean that Jesus is calling himself a mere human being? Well, it’s not that simple, but we’re probably on the right track. Again, the biblical experts differ on this, but many do think that Jesus used this in a self-effacing way. He wanted people to see him as human, as relatable. This idea fits quite well.
Notice in our reading from Matthew that Peter calls Jesus the Son of the living God. At the Transfiguration the voice from the cloud says of Jesus, “This is my Son, the Beloved…” I can’t think of any place in the Bible where Jesus calls himself the Son of God.
And let’s note this little twist. Who does call Jesus the Son of God? The devil does when Jesus is tested in the wilderness. It’s interesting that evil focuses on the divine aspect of Jesus while Jesus himself focuses on his human aspect.
We saw that also playing out in what we read today. Jesus asks his disciples who do they say that he is. Peter replies, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus praises Peter for this and says, “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Yay to Peter! But…
Jesus goes on to say he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering and be killed. Peter takes him aside and rebukes Jesus as if Jesus is demon possessed for saying such a thing. There’s no way in Peter’s mind that the Son of the living God could possibly have such a thing happen. But what does Jesus reply to Peter for insisting too much on Jesus as Son of God? “Get behind me Satan…” There’s the Satan presence again for insisting that being the Son of God is a special status that is above, and immune from, the limits of humanity and the reality of death. Jesus goes on, “You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting you mind no on divine things but on human things.”
Something fascinating happens there. By Peter insisting that Jesus be divine and not have bad things happen he is actually focused on human things. Whereas Jesus, insisting on his humanity, is actually focused on divine things. Therein is the great irony. The strength that God shows for our salvation is not divine power at all. It is in dying as a human that God reveals ultimate power; power over death.
I suspect that as we sit here we all probably have a reasonable sense of our own capabilities. We know roughly how smart we are compared to others based upon the grades we got in school. We know how strong, pretty, athletic, and coordinated we are compared to others. Perhaps we are young and feel like our powers are growing to unknown heights. Perhaps we are old and lament abilities that we once had but are now gone.
What special: intelligence, wealth, power, athleticism, beauty, or charisma did Jesus show as the Son of Man who would suffer and die? None. Absolutely zero. Yet there is God’s greatest conquest.
So what does that tell us as we sit here comparing ourselves to others in the world and at other ages? Don’t we measure our worth and build our self esteem by the things that we can do. Yet didn’t Jesus say to Peter, “Get behind me Satan, for you are setting your mind not on divine things, but on human things.”
Everything – and I mean everything we are apt to build our sense of self-worth upon in this life… is not just nonsense. It is Satanic. It is downright evil!
Let’s learn two things from this part of Matthew. First, Jesus understood himself first and foremost as the Son of Man, not Son of God. He emphasizes his humanity above everything else. He is focused on his work at the cross, not his work of healing, exorcisms, and performing miracles. (Although as we are in income tax season we have to admire his ability to pay his taxes by telling one of his followers to go catch a fish!)
Jesus wants us to understand him as someone we can relate to. He wants to be a friend, a companion. Jesus is on our side. He wants to see us flourish. We should not let his Son of God status overwhelm his Son of Man status. Jesus does not want to intimidate us or overwhelm us.
And second, we are sorely mistaken about ourselves if we think we are somehow lessor than others because society tells us that we aren’t particularly skilled or gifted, or that we don’t have much to offer. Conversely, we are sorely mistaken about ourselves if we think that we are somehow superior than others because society tells us that we are skilled or gifted. Before God we simply aren’t.
No one gets to brag. And no one gets to duck out of responsibility because they think they have nothing of value to give. All of this is very hard to take in. It flies in the face of everything we live. But let’s keep Peter in mind. He messes up miserably over and over again as a disciple. He cannot seem to escape his humanity. Yet Jesus does not reject him. Jesus, the Son of Man, forgives him and continues to work with him. Jesus accomplishes through Peter exactly what Jesus wanted to accomplish through Peter.
I don’t care what that world says about you. By faith in the Son of Man you will accomplish exactly what God wants to get accomplished through you. There is no higher dignity than that. And there is no room to brag in that either.
We are followers of the Son of Man. We are the church. We are built on a rock yet still frail enough to fail regularly. That is how God chooses to get work done here on earth.
Monday, February 23, 2026
Feb. 22, 2026 Conflict and New Community Matthew 14-15
When we say that Jesus is the Son of God it is easy to then assume he is entirely equipped with supernatural abilities. Therefore, he would not be susceptible to things like burnout, exhaustion, and fatigue. I mean, if he can feed a multitude with just a few loaves and fish, and if he can cure diseases and perform all sorts of miracles, can’t he create energy for himself to rely upon?
Those are good questions based on good logic. But I believe that whole line of thinking is a mistake. Let’s remember that while Jesus is the Son of God he is also still fully human. He gets tired. He gets hungry. He has human needs.
Let’s run through the scenes we just read and realize how draining it all was for Jesus.
We started with Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth. We’d expect the hometown crowd to be proud of their local boy. He’s going on to have regional notoriety. He is putting Nazareth on the map for good things. He’s also showing extraordinary insight in their midst. Yet despite all of that they question him. They’re critical and they don’t believe. That’s not a nice way to return home.
Jesus leaves there on a bit of a low.
In the very next scene we hear about the execution of John the Baptist. It’s a pretty disgusting story where a human life is ended, basically as part of a party. This news hits Jesus hard. We know that their ministries were linked and the fate of John the Baptist was a sure foreshadowing of what Jesus knew was coming for himself. So after leaving Nazareth on a low he hears about John’s death. He then withdraws all by himself in a boat to pray. He truly wants to be alone. He wants no crowds around him. No disciples either. Leaving alone and in a boat was a sure way to find uninterrupted solitude for as long as he needs.
But even before he gets ashore he sees a great crowd waiting for him. He somehow dredges up enough energy to be with them and cure their sick. When evening comes they are hungry. The disciples, probably being compassionate for their master, advise him to send the crowds away. But Jesus says, “They need not go away. You give them something to eat.”
The disciples know that five loaves and two fish aren’t going to go anywhere in a crowd of that size. But Jesus takes control of the situation and performs a great feeding miracle.
With only a few hours of alone time Jesus then sets out walking across the lake to meet his disciples, who are in the boat Jesus originally took for himself. It’s a tough journey because of the wind and the waves. And when he catches up with his disciples we have the antics of Peter who decides he want to try walking on water too. Of course Jesus has to rescue him.
Getting across to the other side Jesus is immediately recognized by the people and he is again swarmed by needy people. In the midst of that some religious leaders come and try to interrogate Jesus about technicalities in the religious law. He just can’t catch a break! No one is offering support. No one is defending him.
The very next scene is the Canaanite woman who asks Jesus to heal her daughter. He’s not kind to her. I don’t believe his lack of kindness is because of fatigue on his part. Although many pastors put that interpretation on it. I think there is a lot more going on there. (The men’s breakfast will explore that more on Wednesday.) For right now though, let’s just realize the obvious answer. Jesus is already overwhelmed by just the needs of the local Jewish people. How on earth can he possibly allow his ministry to expand to fixing everyone’s problem everywhere. He is showing this woman his priorities. Even so, he bends them for the sake of compassion.
In the next scene Jesus is again curing crowds of people. Immediately following that we have another feeding miracle by Jesus. This time it is a somewhat smaller crowd, but Jesus feeds them with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.
Is he ever going to get a break from all these needs?
Despite all of this outgoing show of God’s glory and mercy we have religious leaders again coming to Jesus to test him. No one ever seems to be satisfied. No one ever seems to support Jesus.
The whole series wraps up with Jesus having a conversation with his disciples.
I doubt any of us have ever felt as overwhelmed and over-demanded by life the way Jesus was in these chapters, but we probably know the feeling. Let’s note two things. One, God knows what it is like to feel overwhelmed. Sometimes life keeps throwing problem after problem at you, with need after need. Sometimes the problems seem as bit as feeding a crowd and you only have a few loaves and a couple little fish. Yet do not lose heart. Stay faithful and stay committed. Hour by hour, day by day, week by week, God will be with you. You will get through it by faith. It probably won’t be easy. It’s unlikely there will be supernatural solutions but that doesn’t mean you’ve been abandoned by God.
Second, and finally, realize that Jesus does not continue to do everything all on his own. Even here he has his disciples with him often. Next week we will read more about the beginning of the church; the community of faith built around Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. When life overloads us we know that we are not going through it alone. Jesus had his disciples. Even as they often fell short, they still helped carry the load. Remember, they’re the ones who provided the bread and fish for the two feeding miracles. Jesus didn’t create them out of nothing! We do the same. We are wise to turn to family, friends, and the faith community for support and resources. Perhaps the support will feel meagre and inept. But you will not be alone.
God knows what it is to feel tired and overwhelmed. And God is willing to be with us when we feel the same. God will help us endure; and not only endure but actually accomplish his will at the same time. We rejoice in our never-failing God and God’s commitment to us.
Those are good questions based on good logic. But I believe that whole line of thinking is a mistake. Let’s remember that while Jesus is the Son of God he is also still fully human. He gets tired. He gets hungry. He has human needs.
Let’s run through the scenes we just read and realize how draining it all was for Jesus.
We started with Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth. We’d expect the hometown crowd to be proud of their local boy. He’s going on to have regional notoriety. He is putting Nazareth on the map for good things. He’s also showing extraordinary insight in their midst. Yet despite all of that they question him. They’re critical and they don’t believe. That’s not a nice way to return home.
Jesus leaves there on a bit of a low.
In the very next scene we hear about the execution of John the Baptist. It’s a pretty disgusting story where a human life is ended, basically as part of a party. This news hits Jesus hard. We know that their ministries were linked and the fate of John the Baptist was a sure foreshadowing of what Jesus knew was coming for himself. So after leaving Nazareth on a low he hears about John’s death. He then withdraws all by himself in a boat to pray. He truly wants to be alone. He wants no crowds around him. No disciples either. Leaving alone and in a boat was a sure way to find uninterrupted solitude for as long as he needs.
But even before he gets ashore he sees a great crowd waiting for him. He somehow dredges up enough energy to be with them and cure their sick. When evening comes they are hungry. The disciples, probably being compassionate for their master, advise him to send the crowds away. But Jesus says, “They need not go away. You give them something to eat.”
The disciples know that five loaves and two fish aren’t going to go anywhere in a crowd of that size. But Jesus takes control of the situation and performs a great feeding miracle.
With only a few hours of alone time Jesus then sets out walking across the lake to meet his disciples, who are in the boat Jesus originally took for himself. It’s a tough journey because of the wind and the waves. And when he catches up with his disciples we have the antics of Peter who decides he want to try walking on water too. Of course Jesus has to rescue him.
Getting across to the other side Jesus is immediately recognized by the people and he is again swarmed by needy people. In the midst of that some religious leaders come and try to interrogate Jesus about technicalities in the religious law. He just can’t catch a break! No one is offering support. No one is defending him.
The very next scene is the Canaanite woman who asks Jesus to heal her daughter. He’s not kind to her. I don’t believe his lack of kindness is because of fatigue on his part. Although many pastors put that interpretation on it. I think there is a lot more going on there. (The men’s breakfast will explore that more on Wednesday.) For right now though, let’s just realize the obvious answer. Jesus is already overwhelmed by just the needs of the local Jewish people. How on earth can he possibly allow his ministry to expand to fixing everyone’s problem everywhere. He is showing this woman his priorities. Even so, he bends them for the sake of compassion.
In the next scene Jesus is again curing crowds of people. Immediately following that we have another feeding miracle by Jesus. This time it is a somewhat smaller crowd, but Jesus feeds them with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.
Is he ever going to get a break from all these needs?
Despite all of this outgoing show of God’s glory and mercy we have religious leaders again coming to Jesus to test him. No one ever seems to be satisfied. No one ever seems to support Jesus.
The whole series wraps up with Jesus having a conversation with his disciples.
I doubt any of us have ever felt as overwhelmed and over-demanded by life the way Jesus was in these chapters, but we probably know the feeling. Let’s note two things. One, God knows what it is like to feel overwhelmed. Sometimes life keeps throwing problem after problem at you, with need after need. Sometimes the problems seem as bit as feeding a crowd and you only have a few loaves and a couple little fish. Yet do not lose heart. Stay faithful and stay committed. Hour by hour, day by day, week by week, God will be with you. You will get through it by faith. It probably won’t be easy. It’s unlikely there will be supernatural solutions but that doesn’t mean you’ve been abandoned by God.
Second, and finally, realize that Jesus does not continue to do everything all on his own. Even here he has his disciples with him often. Next week we will read more about the beginning of the church; the community of faith built around Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. When life overloads us we know that we are not going through it alone. Jesus had his disciples. Even as they often fell short, they still helped carry the load. Remember, they’re the ones who provided the bread and fish for the two feeding miracles. Jesus didn’t create them out of nothing! We do the same. We are wise to turn to family, friends, and the faith community for support and resources. Perhaps the support will feel meagre and inept. But you will not be alone.
God knows what it is to feel tired and overwhelmed. And God is willing to be with us when we feel the same. God will help us endure; and not only endure but actually accomplish his will at the same time. We rejoice in our never-failing God and God’s commitment to us.
Monday, February 16, 2026
Feb. 15, 2026 Living Resurrection Reality Matthew 11:20-12:50
If you watched the Super Bowl then you likely saw the ad from He Gets Us. He Gets Us is a campaign to invite people to consider Jesus and why he matters today. The campaign is not affiliated with any church, political party, or ideological movement. It gets criticism from those who think money shouldn’t be spent on an expensive ad at the Super Bowl. Perhaps, but where else can you get such a wide audience? They’ve put an ad or two on every year for the last few years.
This year’s as is called, “Is there more to life than more?” Here it is: https://hegetsus.com/videos
The ad may leave you with many questions. I think that is its intention. But it definitely calls out our tendency to always want more; thinking that having more will somehow mean we have a better life or feel more fulfilled.
I talked about this in the sermon a couple weeks ago. We always want more. Give us the luxury of cold running water and we want hot running water. Then we want central heat. We want computers, internet, personal transportation, and more and more entertainment. We convince ourselves that whatever we happen to current have is somehow lacking and therefore not only can we have more, but that we should have/deserve to have more. All of this leads to a rat race of consumption that leaves us empty and drains the earth of precious resources. It’s all very guilt inducing. Heidi Griffith, our former music director said on a few occasions, “Why didn’t God wait for a better species than humans to evolve before sending Christ?” Indeed, we humans are fully undeserving of God’s choosing. And yet that proves the real power of God’s grace. God sacrifices greatly for a creature fundamentally flawed and undeserving.
My intention with this introduction is not to put us back into a place of guilt. It is to draw our attention to what may have been an obscure part of our gospel reading. Yet that obscure part is the first time Matthew introduces the key challenge the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus creates.
The scene was 12:38-42. There some scribes and Pharisees say to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he replied, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to us except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.”
That is referring to the death and resurrection of Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus really is the core of it all. Do you believe it, or not? And if you do believe it, then how do you live it?
Earlier in the gospel John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Then later when John goes to prison Jesus picks up the same message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” What does that mean? What does it mean that the kingdom of heaven has come near? What do we mean when we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come”?
Many today say that the coming of the kingdom of heaven does not refer to the future at all. But that it refers to God’s own reign alive and working here on earth. Thus, when Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” He means it literally.
Yet others will say that the coming of the kingdom of God refers to the future entirely. God’s kingdom will come about at the end of time. Only then will it be fulfilled. Thus the Lord’s Prayer is an appeal to God to hasten that day; so that the misery and problems caused by us unworthy humans will be ended.
Both of these points of view have merit and both have their place. The typical Lutheran response to, “Is the kingdom of God now or in the future?” is, “Yes.”
When the coming kingdom of God has been taught to be exclusively about the future it was often used to justify abuse. Poor people, suffering people, and enslaved people were told that God’s will was for them to suffer in this life so as to be rewarded in the future. Therefore they should just keep their heads down, be content, and quietly work hard as others exploit them. Clearly that is not what Jesus intended.
But a mess also happens when the kingdom of God is too much a ‘hear and now’ thing. Among many social justice minded Christians it has become a rally cry they use to claim the moral high ground for themselves. They say that Jesus attacked the rich and powerful for their greed and raised up the poor and lowly for their innocence and purity. They make Jesus into the image of a social justice advocate of today. What gets lost on them is what Jesus says in Luke 13 and 18 where he calls even his closest followers faithless sinners. These are people who were among the poor and oppressed. He reminds them that they have no moral superiority over their oppressors. The only difference is that their oppressors are in power and they are not. But that the coming of the kingdom of God will not somehow put them on top because they’d just be different oppressors.
No, the coming of the kingdom of God is both present and future. Both ideas must be held if the image is to work properly.
So, it also goes for the death and resurrection of Jesus. If you have it be just a future thing then you are disregarding the present world. God loves this flawed transitory world enough to be marred and die for it. You can’t just say it’s all temporary and so it ultimately doesn’t matter. At the same time, if your life is driven by this life and this life only, then you are being shortsighted about eternity. The resurrection of Christ is a promise for us too. What does it mean to live for both the present and for eternity?
I think it gives us a perspective, or perhaps a lens to view everything. It is helpful if we regularly ask ourselves if our decisions make sense in light of both the importance of the present and for eternity. The Super Bowl ad asked, “Is there more to life than more?” More money. More stuff. More security. More power. More life. What are all these things? They are all trivialities in light of eternity. It has been often studied and proven that once your most basic bodily needs are met having more does not significantly improve the quality of your life. Those who are driven to have more will never be satisfied. Whereas those who find fullness in Christ are already satisfied in this life and for eternity.
What is the eternal fate of those who just endlessly consume and want ever more; exploiting many and doing all sorts of harmful things in the process? I don’t know. That’s God’s question to answer. What I do know is that the eternal fate of those who believe and trust in the resurrection of Jesus have a rock solid identity that can weather any storm and give contentment no matter what life’s circumstances are.
Consider many things in light of eternity. Do many of the things we worry about most days really matter? Nope. And also consider all the things that we are apt to fill our days with. Are they really building God’s kingdom now or are they just our own dead-end consumption? Building God’s kingdom is always worthwhile; although it may not often be easy.
I am surprised by the advice of lawyer and financial planner Toby Mathis. He has a YouTube channel with about 600 thousand subscribers. So he isn’t truly big time, but he is influential. He always advises giving 10% of your income away to some good cause. That’s not the usual kind of advice you’d expect from a financial planner. But he says it’s important to living a satisfied life. He also teaches that having more is not more. Ultimately he finds the most satisfied people are people who are living well below their means. They have found that with a meaningful job, civic engagement, and sizeable charitable giving they are content. And if he says if you truly don’t have enough money to give any away then you need to make the time to volunteer somewhere. Because working all the time just to get ahead is not ever going to lead to getting ahead. Though he is a secular financial planner, his advice fits for a person of faith who is living the resurrection promises of Jesus.
The people of Jesus asked for a sign from him. He said the only sign they would get was the sign of Jonah, which meant the resurrection. The resurrection remains the key promise that all of our faith revolves around. It is a promise that goes for life today and for eternity. Begin every day by reminding yourself of the resurrection. Go to bed at night reminding yourself of the resurrection. When you are suffering, remember that no matter how long it may endure, it is nothing as compared to eternity. And when everything is going well and you are feeling great, realize that lasting joy and hope only come from Christ.
This year’s as is called, “Is there more to life than more?” Here it is: https://hegetsus.com/videos
The ad may leave you with many questions. I think that is its intention. But it definitely calls out our tendency to always want more; thinking that having more will somehow mean we have a better life or feel more fulfilled.
I talked about this in the sermon a couple weeks ago. We always want more. Give us the luxury of cold running water and we want hot running water. Then we want central heat. We want computers, internet, personal transportation, and more and more entertainment. We convince ourselves that whatever we happen to current have is somehow lacking and therefore not only can we have more, but that we should have/deserve to have more. All of this leads to a rat race of consumption that leaves us empty and drains the earth of precious resources. It’s all very guilt inducing. Heidi Griffith, our former music director said on a few occasions, “Why didn’t God wait for a better species than humans to evolve before sending Christ?” Indeed, we humans are fully undeserving of God’s choosing. And yet that proves the real power of God’s grace. God sacrifices greatly for a creature fundamentally flawed and undeserving.
My intention with this introduction is not to put us back into a place of guilt. It is to draw our attention to what may have been an obscure part of our gospel reading. Yet that obscure part is the first time Matthew introduces the key challenge the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus creates.
The scene was 12:38-42. There some scribes and Pharisees say to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he replied, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to us except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.”
That is referring to the death and resurrection of Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus really is the core of it all. Do you believe it, or not? And if you do believe it, then how do you live it?
Earlier in the gospel John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Then later when John goes to prison Jesus picks up the same message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” What does that mean? What does it mean that the kingdom of heaven has come near? What do we mean when we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come”?
Many today say that the coming of the kingdom of heaven does not refer to the future at all. But that it refers to God’s own reign alive and working here on earth. Thus, when Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” He means it literally.
Yet others will say that the coming of the kingdom of God refers to the future entirely. God’s kingdom will come about at the end of time. Only then will it be fulfilled. Thus the Lord’s Prayer is an appeal to God to hasten that day; so that the misery and problems caused by us unworthy humans will be ended.
Both of these points of view have merit and both have their place. The typical Lutheran response to, “Is the kingdom of God now or in the future?” is, “Yes.”
When the coming kingdom of God has been taught to be exclusively about the future it was often used to justify abuse. Poor people, suffering people, and enslaved people were told that God’s will was for them to suffer in this life so as to be rewarded in the future. Therefore they should just keep their heads down, be content, and quietly work hard as others exploit them. Clearly that is not what Jesus intended.
But a mess also happens when the kingdom of God is too much a ‘hear and now’ thing. Among many social justice minded Christians it has become a rally cry they use to claim the moral high ground for themselves. They say that Jesus attacked the rich and powerful for their greed and raised up the poor and lowly for their innocence and purity. They make Jesus into the image of a social justice advocate of today. What gets lost on them is what Jesus says in Luke 13 and 18 where he calls even his closest followers faithless sinners. These are people who were among the poor and oppressed. He reminds them that they have no moral superiority over their oppressors. The only difference is that their oppressors are in power and they are not. But that the coming of the kingdom of God will not somehow put them on top because they’d just be different oppressors.
No, the coming of the kingdom of God is both present and future. Both ideas must be held if the image is to work properly.
So, it also goes for the death and resurrection of Jesus. If you have it be just a future thing then you are disregarding the present world. God loves this flawed transitory world enough to be marred and die for it. You can’t just say it’s all temporary and so it ultimately doesn’t matter. At the same time, if your life is driven by this life and this life only, then you are being shortsighted about eternity. The resurrection of Christ is a promise for us too. What does it mean to live for both the present and for eternity?
I think it gives us a perspective, or perhaps a lens to view everything. It is helpful if we regularly ask ourselves if our decisions make sense in light of both the importance of the present and for eternity. The Super Bowl ad asked, “Is there more to life than more?” More money. More stuff. More security. More power. More life. What are all these things? They are all trivialities in light of eternity. It has been often studied and proven that once your most basic bodily needs are met having more does not significantly improve the quality of your life. Those who are driven to have more will never be satisfied. Whereas those who find fullness in Christ are already satisfied in this life and for eternity.
What is the eternal fate of those who just endlessly consume and want ever more; exploiting many and doing all sorts of harmful things in the process? I don’t know. That’s God’s question to answer. What I do know is that the eternal fate of those who believe and trust in the resurrection of Jesus have a rock solid identity that can weather any storm and give contentment no matter what life’s circumstances are.
Consider many things in light of eternity. Do many of the things we worry about most days really matter? Nope. And also consider all the things that we are apt to fill our days with. Are they really building God’s kingdom now or are they just our own dead-end consumption? Building God’s kingdom is always worthwhile; although it may not often be easy.
I am surprised by the advice of lawyer and financial planner Toby Mathis. He has a YouTube channel with about 600 thousand subscribers. So he isn’t truly big time, but he is influential. He always advises giving 10% of your income away to some good cause. That’s not the usual kind of advice you’d expect from a financial planner. But he says it’s important to living a satisfied life. He also teaches that having more is not more. Ultimately he finds the most satisfied people are people who are living well below their means. They have found that with a meaningful job, civic engagement, and sizeable charitable giving they are content. And if he says if you truly don’t have enough money to give any away then you need to make the time to volunteer somewhere. Because working all the time just to get ahead is not ever going to lead to getting ahead. Though he is a secular financial planner, his advice fits for a person of faith who is living the resurrection promises of Jesus.
The people of Jesus asked for a sign from him. He said the only sign they would get was the sign of Jonah, which meant the resurrection. The resurrection remains the key promise that all of our faith revolves around. It is a promise that goes for life today and for eternity. Begin every day by reminding yourself of the resurrection. Go to bed at night reminding yourself of the resurrection. When you are suffering, remember that no matter how long it may endure, it is nothing as compared to eternity. And when everything is going well and you are feeling great, realize that lasting joy and hope only come from Christ.
Monday, February 9, 2026
Matthew 11:1-20 Sermon Skit by St. John's Sunday School Children, February 8, 2026
The Sunday school children led worship on the 8th. In place of a sermon they performed a skit. Below is the script; including the stage directions.
A tour guide in 1st century Israel takes the congregation on a tour of sites. They include:
a reed shaken by the wind
a king/queen in soft robes
John the Baptist at the Jordan River
the cross of Jesus
Cast: Tour Guide
Reed shaken by the wind (dressed in tan or wearing a burlap tunic, can be holding some
palms from Palm Sunday last year.)
King/Queen – fancy robes from the costume closet
John the Baptist – wild looking, beard, dressed in burlap
Cross – a voice offstage speaking into a microphone
Two adult members of the congregation, or a couple of the Sunday school teachers who
stand up the cross and put it in its base.
Props/staging: three rolling dividers to distinguish the different locations. A chair is in front of each for the character to sit on until their part. Then they stand (except the King/Queen)
Farthest left – The Reed simply sits/stands in front of the divider.
Right - The King/Queen sits in the fanciest chair we can find, which is set on top of the platform the pulpit sits on. A rolling divider is placed behind the platform.
Near left – John the Baptist sits/stands in front of the divider.
Cross – The cross we use for Good Friday is laying down with its base at the altar and the top towards the back of the sanctuary. It is literally a tripping hazard and the Tour Guide will trip over it several times. The cross will be stood upright near the end of the skit.
Guide: (speaking to the congregation from the front center of the sanctuary) Welcome tour guests! I am (name) and I will be your tour guide as we see sites along the Jordan river in first century Palestine.
Come with me to our first site. (Walks toward Reed but trips over the cross) Sorry, I tripped over that beam laying there.
Here we have a reed that is shaken by the wind.
Reed: (stands and sways slightly and slightly waves palm branches) Welcome to the bank of the Jordan River!
Guide: (to Reed) Tell us what it’s like for you to live here on the river bank.
Reed: Life is pretty easy. I just go with whatever the flow is. When the water rises I just bend with the current. When the wind blows I just bend to it. If the wind changes direction I switch and bend in that direction instead.
Guide: Do you ever stand firm for anything?
Reed: Why would I do that? No, I just go along with whatever is happening around me. Standing firm for something might get others upset. If they get upset then they may want to hurt me.
Guide: But what do you do when things are wrong? Don’t you ever stand up for truth or rightness?
Reed: Now why would I want to do that? I don’t care what is right or wrong. I just bend to whatever is going on. Whenever that changes, I change. That’s what suits me best. Everyone around me also does the same. Life is easier that way.
Guide: So you’re just out for the easiest possible way through life?
Reed: That pretty much sums it up. That’s me. I go along with whatever is going on. I have no spine and no real strength. All I ask is that you don’t hurt me and keep my life easy.
Guide: I suspect our tour visitors may not agree with you, but thank you for your time today.
Reed: My pleasure. Come back again sometime and always go with the flow.
Guide: (to congregation) Next let’s journey to Herod’s fortress palace of Masada. There we’ll meet someone living in soft robes and comfort.
(Guide begins to walk to the right side where King/Queen is seated. Guide trips over the cross yet again.)
Ugh, that thing is still there. It is quite a stumbling block to doing what you want to do!
(arriving at the King/Queen, spoken to the congregation) Here you can see we have arrived at the splendid palace of Masada. It is a fine example of Herodian Architecture. It was begun in the year 37 B.C. and took six years to build. Inside we’ll find staterooms, an advanced water system, a bathhouse, and defensive fortifications. Anyone living here is wrapped in comfort and security. Let’s go inside and meet the ruler.
(steps to the King/Queen and addresses him/her) Thank you for letting us tour your lovely home!
King/Queen: Welcome to Masada! This is one of several palaces I use. This one is especially designed to be secure while still being very comfortable to live in.
Guide: Tell us about living here and about ruling Judea.
King/Queen: Oh, it’s a tough thing to do, you see. Most people don’t like me. But that’s okay. I don’t like them either! Ordinary people are always jealous of those who have power and money. After all, what’s the point of power and money if you can’t use it for yourself?
Guide: Well, if we’re honest, a lot of people do question if you really do have the right to be the leader of the Jews.
King/Queen: That’s all nonsense! Of course I have the right to rule! The Romans have given me the title of ruler. And some of my ancestors are actually Jews, so it’s all legitimate, I assure you!
Guide: What do you do to the people who disagree with you?
King/Queen: I either have them killed or I put them in jail.
Guide: Doesn’t that seem a little harsh just because someone disagrees?
King/Queen: Not at all! If you want power you have to do what you have to do to keep it. Maybe I do have taxes a bit high, and maybe I do demand a lot from the population, but if I didn’t do it, someone else would. So, it might as well be me!
Guide: Do you ever feel bad about people suffering?
King/Queen: Why should I? They serve me, don’t they? I’m the ruler. They do what I say. If they don’t, then I replace them with someone who does obey me.
Guide: Before we go, what is one of your biggest concerns right now?
King/Queen: You know that John the Baptist guy? He’s a weirdo. He’s been gathering big crowds and getting them all riled up. I understand he says a lot of nasty things about me. I’m going to have to bring him in and silence him.
Guide: Thank you for your time. We’ll be on our way.
(Guide turns to leave. After taking a step the Guide says to the congregation.)
As it turns out, John the Baptist is the next stop on our tour. I wasn’t going to say that to the ruler, however!
(Guide begins to walk towards the left where John the Baptist is. Once again the Guide trips over the cross.)
Guide: Sorry, I tripped over this thing yet again. We’ll have to see about getting it out of the way. It really does get in our way!
(Guide arrives at John the Baptist, who stands.)
John the Baptist: (Points at congregation) Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come, you brood of vipers!
Guide: (a bit hesitantly) Um, hi John. We’re a tour visiting Palestine and you’re on our list. Wouldn’t you like to greet your guests with a bit more kindness?
John the Baptist: Greeting them with kindness doesn’t change anything! They need to repent. For the kingdom of heaven is coming near. The Messiah is coming and they’d better watch out!
Guide: They’re good people, I assure you.
John the Baptist: Are they really, or do they just think they are?
Guide: I see there’s no changing your tone.
John the Baptist: And why should I? They need to know. The Messiah is coming. He’s going to give them what they’ve got coming to them!
Guide: What do you mean with all this?
John the Baptist: Only that the Messiah will bring God’s justice. For too long the good haven’t been rewarded for their goodness. The bad have gotten away with being bad. The coming Messiah will kick out the Herods. He’ll kick out the Romans. He’ll get rid of all government corruption. And he alone will rule with strength and justice. He’ll kill and destroy all that is bad.
Guide: That sounds pretty scary.
John the Baptist: God’s judgment is. So you’d better watch out! The world is about to change. The bad guys are about to get what’s coming to them! It’ll be death, destruction, fire, and wrath!
Guide: Will there be any mercy from God?
John the Baptist: Why should there be mercy? Sin deserves punishment. Period. Those who sin get punished. Those who do not sin will feel satisfied as they see the sinners get what they deserve.
Guide: I have to admit, it is good to see bad guys punished and good people rewarded.
John the Baptist: That’s what I preach. I’m sure that’s what the Messiah will do!
Guide: We need to be moving on with our tour now. Thank you for being a part of it.
John the Baptist: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!
Guide: (Turns away from John and steps towards the center.) That wraps up our tour of Palestine. I hope you enjoyed the places you saw. Be sure to check out the gift shop before you head back to your cars.
(Guide steps across the cross and trips yet again.)
Guide: (yelling) WILL SOMEONE PLEASE GET THIS STUMBLING BLOCK OUT OF HERE!
(The adult congregational members who have been selected, or two Sunday school teachers, pick up the cross and put it in its stand.)
Guide: Thank you. That thing is always getting in the way! What a stumbling block it is!
Cross: Indeed I am.
Guide: (startled and looking around) Who said that?
Cross: I did.
Guide: (reaching out and tentatively touching the cross) I didn’t know you could talk. You’re not a part of the tour.
Cross: I can talk. And I should be a part of the tour.
Guide: Why? You’re not a reed shaken by the wind. You’re not someone in soft robes. You’re not a crazy man yelling out a message of repentance to everyone who walks by. You’re just in the way of everything!
Cross: True. I’m not any of those things. And I do often get in the way of everything. People often stumble over me.
Guide: Tell me about it! I’ve been tripping over you all along!
Cross: I don’t fit into the things people like and find convenient. I also don’t fit into logic. You see, I don’t make sense in human terms.
Guide: What do you mean by all that?
Cross: I’m not a reed shaken by the wind. I stand solidly for what is right all the time. I do not yield. I do not bend. Ever. No matter how hard things get.
Guide: Indeed, you’re a hard thing when I tripped over you!
Cross: I am also not to be found with those who live in palaces wearing soft robes. I am not about getting power or keeping it. I am not about comfort, ease, and luxury. Those who live by me do not scheme for their own benefit. They are willing to work hard, even when they don’t see the benefits of it.
Guide: Yes, but must you be in the way of everything?
Cross: Yes, quite often I am. I can even get in the way of human ideas of justice.
Guide: You mean like John the Baptist saying that God’s going to get the bad guys and reward the good guys?
Cross: Indeed. While God is just, God’s justice is not like we often expect. John thinks that God’s kingdom will be about punishment and reward. That sounds good at one level. But ultimately, punishments and rewards just cause things to go round and round until everyone gets hurt. God’s justice does something different.
Guide: I don’t understand you.
Cross: John the Baptist will be arrested soon. He will be put in jail. From jail he will hear about the ministry of Jesus, the Messiah. And it will not look the way he expects. Jesus will not focus on punishing the bad. Jesus will spend time healing people, feeding people, and proclaiming the love of God. That won’t make sense to John. That’s not justice in the way John understands it. But as I said, I don’t make sense to a lot of people. That is why I am such a stumbling block.
Ultimately Jesus will be lifted up on me. He will die instead of the many people who deserve it. It’s hard to understand it, but in that way the cycles of sin and evil are broken. That is God’s justice. That sets us free.
Guide: That sounds good, but then why was I always stumbling over you?
Cross: Because even though I am good, I do not fit into the ways of the world at all, and people stumble over me. But believe me, true freedom comes when you aren’t worried about fitting in, like the reed;
or getting comfort, like the ruler;
or getting your idea of justice fulfilled by God, like John the Baptist.
Freedom is letting all of that up to God because you know what God has done for you.
Guide: I’ll try not to stumble over you again!
Cross: That’s a good idea! But you will probably stumble over me again anyway no matter how hard you try.
Guide: Well I can definitely make sure you’re on the tour in the future!
Monday, February 2, 2026
February 1, 2026 Missionary Discourse Matthew 10
We just read what is called the “Missionary Discourse” from Matthew 10. There Jesus sends out his twelve disciples to the towns of Israel to proclaim that the kingdom of God has come near, and surprisingly - to perform some miracles. We think it should be a wonderful time for them. Huge crowds have been following Jesus. They heard him give the great Sermon on the Mount. They’ve seen him perform any number of miracles. And as you may remember from where we left of in Matthew’s gospel last week, we read, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefor ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.’”
We imagine crowds of lost and woebegone people who would be thrilled to hear that the kingdom of God is at hand and that the Messiah has arrived. We think the disciples would be welcomed with open arms everywhere they go. But Jesus’ instructions to them quickly goes from basic instructions about being guests in people’s homes to warnings about persecution, separation, and even death. What is going on?
I suspect the same could be said for today; although in America you wouldn’t be getting the outright physical persecutions and death for being an evangelist. But you will most likely be dismissed, ignored, and scorned.
Let’s take a critical look at what we imagine when we think about the people being harassed and helpless; and like sheep without a shepherd. How accurate are we if we imagine them as third world refugees desperate for hope and stability? If I look at 21st century American mainstream society I’d describe it as people who are harassed and helpless; like sheep without a shepherd.
People all around us don’t know who they are. And I don’t just mean the gender issues that cause splashy headlines. I mean having a basic sense of themselves. They don’t know who they are. They don’t know what their purpose is. And they don’t know where they’re going in life. But perhaps what is worst is that they don’t know that they don’t know all those things!
We live in a consumer culture. There’s not much to debate about that. We hear things about consumer habits, consumer spending, and consumer confidence. Somewhere years ago I heard someone point out that up through the 1980s the American public was referred to as “citizens”. Since then the public is referred to as “consumers”. Is that what we are? Is that our purpose, to consume things? During the invasion of Iraq in the early 1990s World War 2 survivors were asking what they should do to support the war effort. They were told that they best thing they could do was to keep consuming as usual. Consumption kept the economy going; which in turn financed the military invasion.
It’s not just Americans that like to consume things. It seems to be a fundamental part of human nature. The more we have the more we want. Give us the luxury of cold running water in our homes and we next want hot water. Then we want central heat. Then we want electricity, and telephone, and internet, and air conditioning. You can see where this is going.
One thing we are especially good at as human beings is deceiving ourselves. We tell ourselves that if we just had the next level of comfort or convenience and we’ll be happy. But once we have that then the wheels in our minds start turning. We have it and decide that instead of it being a luxury, it is a necessity. We’re quick to call just about everything a basic human right sooner or later. And as soon as we call it a basic human right we have positioned ourselves to justify the next thing we want. And on and on our consumption goes.
Jesus said the people were like sheep without a shepherd. I have heard stories of sheep who truly listened to their shepherds. I believe them. But I have to say from my own experience growing up and working on a neighbor’s sheep farm that sheep do not like following a shepherd. Give sheep a good pasture and all they want to do is get out of the fence for whatever is outside. They don’t listen. They don’t know what’s best for them. And they don’t trust anyone who sets boundaries around them to give them safety and security.
Evangelize in our society today…? You’ve got problems. People are harassed and helpless. They are like sheep without a shepherd, but they will do everything within their power to deny their reality!
Here are two observations I have made over the years. It seems to be human nature to deny the need for God. Oh, as a culture we’re willing to accept the idea that there is a god. But we don’t want to be beholden to that god. We don’t want to admit just how helpless we are and how much we need that god.
And the second observation is that we never ever want to see ourselves as being in the wrong. We create a morality for ourselves that justifies whatever it is we want to do. No one wants to go to bed at night and look back over the day and think, “Wow, what a rotten, gluttonous, selfish, greedy, exploitative, nasty being I am.” Nope, as I said a few minutes ago, we individually and as a society invent a moral structure that justifies everything we want to do.
So, the truth of evangelism in our world is to first convince people of two things they never ever want to hear. One, they need God. And two, they are fundamentally and inescapably sinners in need of God’s grace.
Lutherans rarely like to evangelize. There’s the age-old joke of what do you get when you cross a Lutheran with a Jehovah’s Witness? You get someone who rings the doorbell but then doesn’t know what to say.
Why is it awkward to evangelize? Because doing it requires you to put yourself in an embarrassing position. You are admitting you are a sinner who needs God; and you are trying to convince another person of the very same thing; which they have likely been willing to invest their whole life’s effort into denying.
We’ll come back to that in a minute, but I do want to briefly note a dynamic going on in the lives of the people Matthew originally wrote his gospel for. They were almost certainly Jews who had decided to believe in Jesus. Probably about ten years before Matthew wrote the Jews who had become Christians were being kicked out of the synagogues. Prior to that Jews who believed in Jesus were probably worshipping right alongside those who did not. Families could still be together. Neighbors still worshipped together despite their differences. But any number of crises occurred to Jews in the Roman empire. The Christians had to go. That presented a number of problems.
Jews in the Roman empire in the first century enjoyed a protected status. They were exempted from having to worship the emperor, or participate in any of the imperial religions. As long as the early Christians were also seen to be part of Judaism the Christians enjoyed the same protections. But when the Christians are kicked out the protected status goes away. And so being a Christian might be a very costly decision. It may cost you your job, your family and friends, and even your safety. There wasn’t the widespread persecution of Christians that we often believe, but it was still a risky thing. Perhaps it was like being a non-citizen in America today. You just don’t know what to expect or what will happen.
Being a follower of Christ could be costly. At the very least it opened you to a lot of unknowns. For those hearing these words in Matthew’s day, the idea of spreading the gospel was problematic. The way Matthew quotes Jesus’ advice to his disciples let’s Matthew’s original readers know that Jesus knows that despite the goodness and essentialness of their missionary work, it will be hard. They will run into problems, and many of them. They will probably fail far more often than they succeed. But they should not be overly daunted by their failures.
That takes us back to evangelism today to people who have invested their whole lives denying the reality of their sinfulness and their need for God. They are so lost in life that they don’t even know they are lost.
Believe it or not, we’re well on the way to effective evangelism when we recognize the problems we face. It’s like someone struggling with an addiction. The biggest step is recognizing the problem itself. Once you can recognize it, then you can begin to combat it.
We know the problem we face. Which is what equips us for the next step. There are no one-size-fits-all approaches to spreading the gospel. Having clever church programs or strategies aren’t the answer. Nor are advertising campaigns. Effective evangelism is always about one on one personal knowledge. You have to know the lives that you are connecting to. Being overt is rarely the best approach. It just makes everyone feel awkward. But knowing the story of Jesus and his promises well does equip us as the opportunities arise.
Fortunately for us, that is what Matthew’s gospel is. It equips us with what we need to know and how we need to know it. Evangelism is always hard. But the Holy Spirit through the biblical authors gives us what we need. We do not need to invent it.
As we continue through Matthew’s gospel I invite you to open your ears to hear it from the perspective of evangelism. Consider the triumphs and failures the disciples and Jesus will have. See the conflicts as conflicts to learn from, and apply today. Matthew gives us what we need. The work has already been done for us. We will never have 100% success in evangelism. We’ll probably never even manage to be as successful as a mediocre batting average in baseball. Which, if you not a baseball fan, is still a low percentage. But even with everyone having a low percentage, games are won.
Know the challenges. Learn from scripture. Love the people you are around. Speak to them when you must speak. And always live the grace and the hope that God provides. You may be surprised by how many do realize they are sinners, and that they need God’s grace. And whether you succeed or whether you fail, God’s will is done.
We imagine crowds of lost and woebegone people who would be thrilled to hear that the kingdom of God is at hand and that the Messiah has arrived. We think the disciples would be welcomed with open arms everywhere they go. But Jesus’ instructions to them quickly goes from basic instructions about being guests in people’s homes to warnings about persecution, separation, and even death. What is going on?
I suspect the same could be said for today; although in America you wouldn’t be getting the outright physical persecutions and death for being an evangelist. But you will most likely be dismissed, ignored, and scorned.
Let’s take a critical look at what we imagine when we think about the people being harassed and helpless; and like sheep without a shepherd. How accurate are we if we imagine them as third world refugees desperate for hope and stability? If I look at 21st century American mainstream society I’d describe it as people who are harassed and helpless; like sheep without a shepherd.
People all around us don’t know who they are. And I don’t just mean the gender issues that cause splashy headlines. I mean having a basic sense of themselves. They don’t know who they are. They don’t know what their purpose is. And they don’t know where they’re going in life. But perhaps what is worst is that they don’t know that they don’t know all those things!
We live in a consumer culture. There’s not much to debate about that. We hear things about consumer habits, consumer spending, and consumer confidence. Somewhere years ago I heard someone point out that up through the 1980s the American public was referred to as “citizens”. Since then the public is referred to as “consumers”. Is that what we are? Is that our purpose, to consume things? During the invasion of Iraq in the early 1990s World War 2 survivors were asking what they should do to support the war effort. They were told that they best thing they could do was to keep consuming as usual. Consumption kept the economy going; which in turn financed the military invasion.
It’s not just Americans that like to consume things. It seems to be a fundamental part of human nature. The more we have the more we want. Give us the luxury of cold running water in our homes and we next want hot water. Then we want central heat. Then we want electricity, and telephone, and internet, and air conditioning. You can see where this is going.
One thing we are especially good at as human beings is deceiving ourselves. We tell ourselves that if we just had the next level of comfort or convenience and we’ll be happy. But once we have that then the wheels in our minds start turning. We have it and decide that instead of it being a luxury, it is a necessity. We’re quick to call just about everything a basic human right sooner or later. And as soon as we call it a basic human right we have positioned ourselves to justify the next thing we want. And on and on our consumption goes.
Jesus said the people were like sheep without a shepherd. I have heard stories of sheep who truly listened to their shepherds. I believe them. But I have to say from my own experience growing up and working on a neighbor’s sheep farm that sheep do not like following a shepherd. Give sheep a good pasture and all they want to do is get out of the fence for whatever is outside. They don’t listen. They don’t know what’s best for them. And they don’t trust anyone who sets boundaries around them to give them safety and security.
Evangelize in our society today…? You’ve got problems. People are harassed and helpless. They are like sheep without a shepherd, but they will do everything within their power to deny their reality!
Here are two observations I have made over the years. It seems to be human nature to deny the need for God. Oh, as a culture we’re willing to accept the idea that there is a god. But we don’t want to be beholden to that god. We don’t want to admit just how helpless we are and how much we need that god.
And the second observation is that we never ever want to see ourselves as being in the wrong. We create a morality for ourselves that justifies whatever it is we want to do. No one wants to go to bed at night and look back over the day and think, “Wow, what a rotten, gluttonous, selfish, greedy, exploitative, nasty being I am.” Nope, as I said a few minutes ago, we individually and as a society invent a moral structure that justifies everything we want to do.
So, the truth of evangelism in our world is to first convince people of two things they never ever want to hear. One, they need God. And two, they are fundamentally and inescapably sinners in need of God’s grace.
Lutherans rarely like to evangelize. There’s the age-old joke of what do you get when you cross a Lutheran with a Jehovah’s Witness? You get someone who rings the doorbell but then doesn’t know what to say.
Why is it awkward to evangelize? Because doing it requires you to put yourself in an embarrassing position. You are admitting you are a sinner who needs God; and you are trying to convince another person of the very same thing; which they have likely been willing to invest their whole life’s effort into denying.
We’ll come back to that in a minute, but I do want to briefly note a dynamic going on in the lives of the people Matthew originally wrote his gospel for. They were almost certainly Jews who had decided to believe in Jesus. Probably about ten years before Matthew wrote the Jews who had become Christians were being kicked out of the synagogues. Prior to that Jews who believed in Jesus were probably worshipping right alongside those who did not. Families could still be together. Neighbors still worshipped together despite their differences. But any number of crises occurred to Jews in the Roman empire. The Christians had to go. That presented a number of problems.
Jews in the Roman empire in the first century enjoyed a protected status. They were exempted from having to worship the emperor, or participate in any of the imperial religions. As long as the early Christians were also seen to be part of Judaism the Christians enjoyed the same protections. But when the Christians are kicked out the protected status goes away. And so being a Christian might be a very costly decision. It may cost you your job, your family and friends, and even your safety. There wasn’t the widespread persecution of Christians that we often believe, but it was still a risky thing. Perhaps it was like being a non-citizen in America today. You just don’t know what to expect or what will happen.
Being a follower of Christ could be costly. At the very least it opened you to a lot of unknowns. For those hearing these words in Matthew’s day, the idea of spreading the gospel was problematic. The way Matthew quotes Jesus’ advice to his disciples let’s Matthew’s original readers know that Jesus knows that despite the goodness and essentialness of their missionary work, it will be hard. They will run into problems, and many of them. They will probably fail far more often than they succeed. But they should not be overly daunted by their failures.
That takes us back to evangelism today to people who have invested their whole lives denying the reality of their sinfulness and their need for God. They are so lost in life that they don’t even know they are lost.
Believe it or not, we’re well on the way to effective evangelism when we recognize the problems we face. It’s like someone struggling with an addiction. The biggest step is recognizing the problem itself. Once you can recognize it, then you can begin to combat it.
We know the problem we face. Which is what equips us for the next step. There are no one-size-fits-all approaches to spreading the gospel. Having clever church programs or strategies aren’t the answer. Nor are advertising campaigns. Effective evangelism is always about one on one personal knowledge. You have to know the lives that you are connecting to. Being overt is rarely the best approach. It just makes everyone feel awkward. But knowing the story of Jesus and his promises well does equip us as the opportunities arise.
Fortunately for us, that is what Matthew’s gospel is. It equips us with what we need to know and how we need to know it. Evangelism is always hard. But the Holy Spirit through the biblical authors gives us what we need. We do not need to invent it.
As we continue through Matthew’s gospel I invite you to open your ears to hear it from the perspective of evangelism. Consider the triumphs and failures the disciples and Jesus will have. See the conflicts as conflicts to learn from, and apply today. Matthew gives us what we need. The work has already been done for us. We will never have 100% success in evangelism. We’ll probably never even manage to be as successful as a mediocre batting average in baseball. Which, if you not a baseball fan, is still a low percentage. But even with everyone having a low percentage, games are won.
Know the challenges. Learn from scripture. Love the people you are around. Speak to them when you must speak. And always live the grace and the hope that God provides. You may be surprised by how many do realize they are sinners, and that they need God’s grace. And whether you succeed or whether you fail, God’s will is done.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
January 11, 2026 Testing of Jesus Matthew 4
It seems to be a common thing for many people my age and younger to call themselves, “spiritual but not religious.” While I can understand why so many people consider it to be appealing, I consider it to be a middle of the road, “I stand for nothing but being nice” kind of thinking.
Despite many Americans saying they don’t have religious convictions it still isn’t really socially acceptable to be an atheist. The idea of atheists suggests someone who is harshly against God. While some people say that science disproves God, that is an unsupportable argument. And most people like the idea that there is some sort of a supernatural being who oversees the universe and cares about us. Take away the idea of God altogether and life itself seems pointless.
However, people don’t want to be “religious” either; especially if “religious” means Christian. Being religious sounds like some combination of: obligation to a human institution, antiquated beliefs from the ignorant past, using faith as a crutch because you are emotionally weak, and probably some mix of patriarchy, misogyny, and nationalism. Plus there is the whole difficulty that religions require commitment. Religions want to be your priority. They want your time, your energy, and of course, your money!
So, “spiritual but not religious” it is. You get the best of all worlds at the lowest possible cost. The spiritual but not religious person gets to go to a spiritual experience when they want it. Otherwise they don’t want to be bothered.
While I want to be respectful of people and their busy lives with many demands, my experience of people who are spiritual but not religious as I look at their faith and their morality, it is this. You’ve probably heard me say this before. What I think they’ve really done is create a god in their own image. And that god is not capable of critiquing their self-made morality. In other words, they create a god and morality that just echo each other. They are never challenged and they are endlessly self-justifying.
There is definitely a belief that a person can be moral without having any religious affiliation. This seems very popular, but it is not true. Most of the morality without religious that I come across is basically just liberal Christianity. It believes that everyone is equal, that everyone should be treated with respect, and that everyone is basically good. While all of that sounds nice, again, it is not some sort of natural law. It is basically ‘Christianity lite.’
Let’s look at Jesus in the wilderness right after his baptism in light of the idea of being spiritual but not religious. First, let’s remember that in the verses immediately prior to the ones we read in our gospel Jesus has been baptized. We are told that he saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. How lovely. How nice. How “spiritual” an experience for him.
But then…
That same Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tested. Jesus fasts forty days and forty nights. The spiritual person would say, “Why do that, Jesus?” That’s not a nice thing to have to do for God. Surely God wouldn’t want you to do that! That’s the very problem with religion. It may make us hurt. And in the case of 40 days without nourishment, it would put you on the point of death. They’d say, “Jesus, surely you’ve misunderstood the Spirit. God couldn’t really want someone so beloved to suffer for no rational purpose. It’s fine to be out in the wilderness as a spiritual discipline before you start your public ministry, but to not eat is absurd. Jesus, you have the power to get your own food, so get it for yourself!”
Do you see where I’m going with this? The “spiritual but not religious person” can very easily speak for the devil in our gospel reading.
Then the devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem and places him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” The devil cites scripture – and note that the devil can quote scripture quite effectively too when it suits! The devil says, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and, “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
Said like that it is clearly not something Jesus should not do. Jesus should not use his Son of God status to perform a spectacle to test it and to get himself attention. Surely doing such a thing would have drawn a crowd and incredible praise. But let’s tweak it just subtly. Let’s say it like this, “Jesus, you have things that make you special, make you stand out. Make use of them for yourself.” Do we not tell ourselves that we should make the most of ourselves? I can easily find myself saying something like, “Fulfillment in life will come from using your abilities to the fullest.” Don’t we encourage people to develop their talents to the fullest? Don’t we encourage people with music or artistic talents to go to school to develop them as fully as they can? Don’t we tell smart people they should go to college and become scientists and engineers? Don’t we encourage kids with athletic skills to be the best athletes they can be, possibly getting an athletic scholarship or going to the Olympics? Don’t the Army have the advertising slogan, “Be all you can be in the Army.” We say we should use what makes us unique to better ourselves the most, and then also bring about the most to society.
A spiritual but not religious person would be offended if a person had abilities but didn’t use them because God or some religious organization told them not to.
Jesus knew it was God’s will that he be in the wilderness and famished. He knew it was God’s will for him not to use his special status for any ends other than what God wanted them to be used for. When Jesus is in the wilderness there is no logical reason for Jesus to do what he does. The words of the devil are precisely what human logic would conclude. They are precisely what a spiritual but not religious person would conclude.
The third test. Jesus is shown all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. They can all be his if he just falls down and worships the devil. Said like that it is pretty clear that it is wrong. But let’s say the same things a little differently. “Jesus, just play by the rules of the world. Think critically. Use what you have to get a good life for yourself. Make yourself comfortable. Make life easy. You don’t have to be a glutton. Just be reasonable. Why suffer when you don’t have to?”
Let’s make it even more subtle, “Jesus, you have great morality. You’re for: fairness, equity, inclusion, justice, and love. So use the moral high ground you naturally have in order to be an example that people will praise and look up to. Jesus, be the moral example the world wants and people will remember you and think highly of your forever for it.”
It sounds great when I put it like that, doesn’t it? It all sounds selfless and kind and righteous without being judgmental at all.
But it is wrong.
While I certainly think we should be moral. And I certainly think we should be for fairness, equity, inclusion, justice, and love, we then still have to ask ourselves why? Why would we do it? Would we do it so that we fit in with the current trends to be a socially acceptable enlightened person? Would we do it so that we can claim the moral high ground for ourselves?
It is so easy in our current political and economic situation to claim superior morality or logic for ourselves and our point of view. We associate with people like ourselves and look down upon others as ignorant or foolish. Perhaps you’re better than that, but I certainly catch myself doing it plenty.
The Spirit of God led the Son of God into the wilderness for intense testing before he began his public ministry. Would Jesus stay true to what God wanted him to do, and only what God wanted him to do, or would he be swayed by public opinion, fitting in, and making a comfortable life for himself?
We know that the testing of Jesus in the wilderness was hard for Jesus. But it was nothing compared to how hard the crucifixion was. How can letting yourself be captured and arrested, then tried and beaten, and ultimately executed in humiliation be God’s will?
No ”spiritual but not religious” person would do it. The spiritual but not religious person is ultimately out for themselves. They’ve collected what suits them for life and rejected anything that inconveniences them. Perhaps I’m being overly harsh. I don’t mean it to be condemnatory or judgmental. But for the most part I find it to be a self-serving way to live. It is the belief that humans can find fulfillment within themselves.
I make you no promises about longevity, ease of life, or even a sense of fulfillment if you are a truly committed Christian. But I do promise that, apart from God’s will, nothing that this world values is of any real consequence. This world will convince us that we are good people apart from God. God’s grace says that before you can be amazed at how wonderful God is, you must first realize that apart from God you cannot be a good person.
Religions aren’t perfect. Christianity certainly isn’t. Many people have valid complaints. So the spiritual but not religious perspective has some legitimate criticism to offer. But Christianity as a religion shows us the truth of our fallacies. Christianity reminds us that we are fundamentally flawed and sinful beings. That is not to be mean. It is just reality. It gives us genuine humility. And that with discipline, commitment, prayer, and discernment we seek the will of God. Sometimes God’s will makes sense. Sometimes it doesn’t. But following it draws us closer to God and keeps us from going astray into meaninglessness.
Despite many Americans saying they don’t have religious convictions it still isn’t really socially acceptable to be an atheist. The idea of atheists suggests someone who is harshly against God. While some people say that science disproves God, that is an unsupportable argument. And most people like the idea that there is some sort of a supernatural being who oversees the universe and cares about us. Take away the idea of God altogether and life itself seems pointless.
However, people don’t want to be “religious” either; especially if “religious” means Christian. Being religious sounds like some combination of: obligation to a human institution, antiquated beliefs from the ignorant past, using faith as a crutch because you are emotionally weak, and probably some mix of patriarchy, misogyny, and nationalism. Plus there is the whole difficulty that religions require commitment. Religions want to be your priority. They want your time, your energy, and of course, your money!
So, “spiritual but not religious” it is. You get the best of all worlds at the lowest possible cost. The spiritual but not religious person gets to go to a spiritual experience when they want it. Otherwise they don’t want to be bothered.
While I want to be respectful of people and their busy lives with many demands, my experience of people who are spiritual but not religious as I look at their faith and their morality, it is this. You’ve probably heard me say this before. What I think they’ve really done is create a god in their own image. And that god is not capable of critiquing their self-made morality. In other words, they create a god and morality that just echo each other. They are never challenged and they are endlessly self-justifying.
There is definitely a belief that a person can be moral without having any religious affiliation. This seems very popular, but it is not true. Most of the morality without religious that I come across is basically just liberal Christianity. It believes that everyone is equal, that everyone should be treated with respect, and that everyone is basically good. While all of that sounds nice, again, it is not some sort of natural law. It is basically ‘Christianity lite.’
Let’s look at Jesus in the wilderness right after his baptism in light of the idea of being spiritual but not religious. First, let’s remember that in the verses immediately prior to the ones we read in our gospel Jesus has been baptized. We are told that he saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. How lovely. How nice. How “spiritual” an experience for him.
But then…
That same Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tested. Jesus fasts forty days and forty nights. The spiritual person would say, “Why do that, Jesus?” That’s not a nice thing to have to do for God. Surely God wouldn’t want you to do that! That’s the very problem with religion. It may make us hurt. And in the case of 40 days without nourishment, it would put you on the point of death. They’d say, “Jesus, surely you’ve misunderstood the Spirit. God couldn’t really want someone so beloved to suffer for no rational purpose. It’s fine to be out in the wilderness as a spiritual discipline before you start your public ministry, but to not eat is absurd. Jesus, you have the power to get your own food, so get it for yourself!”
Do you see where I’m going with this? The “spiritual but not religious person” can very easily speak for the devil in our gospel reading.
Then the devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem and places him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” The devil cites scripture – and note that the devil can quote scripture quite effectively too when it suits! The devil says, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and, “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
Said like that it is clearly not something Jesus should not do. Jesus should not use his Son of God status to perform a spectacle to test it and to get himself attention. Surely doing such a thing would have drawn a crowd and incredible praise. But let’s tweak it just subtly. Let’s say it like this, “Jesus, you have things that make you special, make you stand out. Make use of them for yourself.” Do we not tell ourselves that we should make the most of ourselves? I can easily find myself saying something like, “Fulfillment in life will come from using your abilities to the fullest.” Don’t we encourage people to develop their talents to the fullest? Don’t we encourage people with music or artistic talents to go to school to develop them as fully as they can? Don’t we tell smart people they should go to college and become scientists and engineers? Don’t we encourage kids with athletic skills to be the best athletes they can be, possibly getting an athletic scholarship or going to the Olympics? Don’t the Army have the advertising slogan, “Be all you can be in the Army.” We say we should use what makes us unique to better ourselves the most, and then also bring about the most to society.
A spiritual but not religious person would be offended if a person had abilities but didn’t use them because God or some religious organization told them not to.
Jesus knew it was God’s will that he be in the wilderness and famished. He knew it was God’s will for him not to use his special status for any ends other than what God wanted them to be used for. When Jesus is in the wilderness there is no logical reason for Jesus to do what he does. The words of the devil are precisely what human logic would conclude. They are precisely what a spiritual but not religious person would conclude.
The third test. Jesus is shown all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. They can all be his if he just falls down and worships the devil. Said like that it is pretty clear that it is wrong. But let’s say the same things a little differently. “Jesus, just play by the rules of the world. Think critically. Use what you have to get a good life for yourself. Make yourself comfortable. Make life easy. You don’t have to be a glutton. Just be reasonable. Why suffer when you don’t have to?”
Let’s make it even more subtle, “Jesus, you have great morality. You’re for: fairness, equity, inclusion, justice, and love. So use the moral high ground you naturally have in order to be an example that people will praise and look up to. Jesus, be the moral example the world wants and people will remember you and think highly of your forever for it.”
It sounds great when I put it like that, doesn’t it? It all sounds selfless and kind and righteous without being judgmental at all.
But it is wrong.
While I certainly think we should be moral. And I certainly think we should be for fairness, equity, inclusion, justice, and love, we then still have to ask ourselves why? Why would we do it? Would we do it so that we fit in with the current trends to be a socially acceptable enlightened person? Would we do it so that we can claim the moral high ground for ourselves?
It is so easy in our current political and economic situation to claim superior morality or logic for ourselves and our point of view. We associate with people like ourselves and look down upon others as ignorant or foolish. Perhaps you’re better than that, but I certainly catch myself doing it plenty.
The Spirit of God led the Son of God into the wilderness for intense testing before he began his public ministry. Would Jesus stay true to what God wanted him to do, and only what God wanted him to do, or would he be swayed by public opinion, fitting in, and making a comfortable life for himself?
We know that the testing of Jesus in the wilderness was hard for Jesus. But it was nothing compared to how hard the crucifixion was. How can letting yourself be captured and arrested, then tried and beaten, and ultimately executed in humiliation be God’s will?
No ”spiritual but not religious” person would do it. The spiritual but not religious person is ultimately out for themselves. They’ve collected what suits them for life and rejected anything that inconveniences them. Perhaps I’m being overly harsh. I don’t mean it to be condemnatory or judgmental. But for the most part I find it to be a self-serving way to live. It is the belief that humans can find fulfillment within themselves.
I make you no promises about longevity, ease of life, or even a sense of fulfillment if you are a truly committed Christian. But I do promise that, apart from God’s will, nothing that this world values is of any real consequence. This world will convince us that we are good people apart from God. God’s grace says that before you can be amazed at how wonderful God is, you must first realize that apart from God you cannot be a good person.
Religions aren’t perfect. Christianity certainly isn’t. Many people have valid complaints. So the spiritual but not religious perspective has some legitimate criticism to offer. But Christianity as a religion shows us the truth of our fallacies. Christianity reminds us that we are fundamentally flawed and sinful beings. That is not to be mean. It is just reality. It gives us genuine humility. And that with discipline, commitment, prayer, and discernment we seek the will of God. Sometimes God’s will makes sense. Sometimes it doesn’t. But following it draws us closer to God and keeps us from going astray into meaninglessness.
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