Good morning and happy Lord's day to you! I'm still working on getting organized enough so that my Sunday mornings run a little more smoothly. Last minute preparations are underway so that we will make it to worship on time. My goal is to make it to morning bible class as well. It will happen if my family and I continue working at it. Today, however, I'm happy we are able to attend both worship services.
Today's verses are few: Luke 17:7-10. Jesus asked his listeners, (paraphrasing here, please read the scripture yourself. No matter who quotes or rephrases scripture, always read it for yourself) if you have a servant, do you tell him to forget his work and go to dinner? No, first he takes care of you and his other duties, then he goes to eat. And do you thank the servant for doing his job? Most likely not. Although it is nice to be thanked for doing our duties --caring for others, teaching, etc, we shouldn't expect it. If we are doing things for show or for recognition, we are doing these things for the wrong reasons. Jesus was using the Pharisees once again as an example, as almost everything they did was for show. They wanted the glory and attention.
I hope you have a wonderful Lord's day.
Showing posts with label chapter 17. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chapter 17. Show all posts
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Morning Cup of Tea:Forgiveness
Good morning! How are you today? It's a beautiful day beginning out here. My husband has made it safely home after working a double shift and being up nearly 24 hours straight.
I began reading chapter seventeen, and then did a little bit of research on one thing, so we're going to focus on verses 1 through 6 today. Jesus started out speaking of offenses, and how they are going to happen from time to time. It's all but impossible to go through life and not be offended sometimes. But listen to verse three:
3.Take heed to yourselves; If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
And verse 4 continues:
4. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Now. Jesus has said when someone does something against us we are supposed to tell that person. If he or she repents, we are supposed to forgive them. Sometimes that's hard enough for our stubborn little selves. Let's take husbands, for example. In stereotypical fashion, especially according to jokes and tv, hubby does something to hurt wife's feelings or make her mad. Doe she tell him? No. She folds her arms and pouts. She'll tell anyone and everyone his offense but she wont tell him. When he asks 'what did I do?' the retort is a snippy 'Well if you don't know I'm certainly not going to tell you! You know what you did!' I will admit here and now, I've had that attitude once or twice. Trust me. It doesn't get you anywhere. It's like spinning your wheels when you're stuck in the mud. It gives the appearance of working to get out of the mess but its not going to get you anywhere. Sitting there nursing that grudge is only going to make you madder, and the person who "did you wrong" may not even have a clue what they did. Speak up. Not in a hateful manner, but just simply say, 'You know, that remark hurt my feelings.'
Then Jesus really lets us know how we are supposed to be. He said if someone offends us seven times in a day, and they repent seven times, we are to forgive them seven times. What's the first human reaction? Nah uh. One or two times I might forgive, but after that, they ain't sorry. Read verse 4 again. Did Jesus give us permission to decide if the person was truly sorry or not? No. He said if they repent, we are to forgive them.
It's not always easy to do as Jesus commands us, and forgiveness is a hard one for sure sometimes, depending on what the other person did or said. Even Jesus' disciples understood that this command would be hard to follow sometimes so they asked Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus told them if they had faith the size of a mustard seed (teeny tiny little thing but it can grow to be a very large tree) they could tell the sycamine tree (he was probably pointing at one near them) and tell it to be picked up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would be done. Interesting stuff there.
I looked up the word sycamine, and the sites I saw said that Luther called that a mulberry tree. However, I read an article by a man named Rick Renner on just this subject. He said in his posting that the mulberry and the sycamine are cousins. The sycamine has a very deep root system that reaches far down into the earth. Those trees get a really strong grip on the earth and don't tend to want to let go. Kind of like when we let a misunderstanding or or other hurt fester into anger and resentment and bitterness. We do like to hang on to our grudges sometimes, don't we? Mr. Renner had quite an interesting post there comparing the sycamine to anger and bitterness and I hope you get a chance to read it. He said something interesting that stuck with me: the sycamine tree is pollinated by wasp stings. The wasp stings the fruit and the tree and that's how it does its thing.
I don't like wasps. I've been stung by a few. I'm allergic to those little critters, or at least their stings. What do some people say when they don't want to forgive another? 'He stung me once too often. I'm not going to forgive him.' And the bitterness grows and bears more fruit. But. Let's look at our own lives. What have we done to offend God? Even after baptism we continue to sin, unknowingly as well as knowingly. We continue to ask forgiveness and God continues to forgive. He knows our hearts. If God does that for us, shouldn't we do the same for those who hurt us? Luke 11:4, in the model prayer that Jesus gives as an example of how to pray says And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Have a great day.
I began reading chapter seventeen, and then did a little bit of research on one thing, so we're going to focus on verses 1 through 6 today. Jesus started out speaking of offenses, and how they are going to happen from time to time. It's all but impossible to go through life and not be offended sometimes. But listen to verse three:
3.Take heed to yourselves; If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
And verse 4 continues:
4. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Now. Jesus has said when someone does something against us we are supposed to tell that person. If he or she repents, we are supposed to forgive them. Sometimes that's hard enough for our stubborn little selves. Let's take husbands, for example. In stereotypical fashion, especially according to jokes and tv, hubby does something to hurt wife's feelings or make her mad. Doe she tell him? No. She folds her arms and pouts. She'll tell anyone and everyone his offense but she wont tell him. When he asks 'what did I do?' the retort is a snippy 'Well if you don't know I'm certainly not going to tell you! You know what you did!' I will admit here and now, I've had that attitude once or twice. Trust me. It doesn't get you anywhere. It's like spinning your wheels when you're stuck in the mud. It gives the appearance of working to get out of the mess but its not going to get you anywhere. Sitting there nursing that grudge is only going to make you madder, and the person who "did you wrong" may not even have a clue what they did. Speak up. Not in a hateful manner, but just simply say, 'You know, that remark hurt my feelings.'
Then Jesus really lets us know how we are supposed to be. He said if someone offends us seven times in a day, and they repent seven times, we are to forgive them seven times. What's the first human reaction? Nah uh. One or two times I might forgive, but after that, they ain't sorry. Read verse 4 again. Did Jesus give us permission to decide if the person was truly sorry or not? No. He said if they repent, we are to forgive them.
It's not always easy to do as Jesus commands us, and forgiveness is a hard one for sure sometimes, depending on what the other person did or said. Even Jesus' disciples understood that this command would be hard to follow sometimes so they asked Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus told them if they had faith the size of a mustard seed (teeny tiny little thing but it can grow to be a very large tree) they could tell the sycamine tree (he was probably pointing at one near them) and tell it to be picked up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would be done. Interesting stuff there.
I looked up the word sycamine, and the sites I saw said that Luther called that a mulberry tree. However, I read an article by a man named Rick Renner on just this subject. He said in his posting that the mulberry and the sycamine are cousins. The sycamine has a very deep root system that reaches far down into the earth. Those trees get a really strong grip on the earth and don't tend to want to let go. Kind of like when we let a misunderstanding or or other hurt fester into anger and resentment and bitterness. We do like to hang on to our grudges sometimes, don't we? Mr. Renner had quite an interesting post there comparing the sycamine to anger and bitterness and I hope you get a chance to read it. He said something interesting that stuck with me: the sycamine tree is pollinated by wasp stings. The wasp stings the fruit and the tree and that's how it does its thing.
I don't like wasps. I've been stung by a few. I'm allergic to those little critters, or at least their stings. What do some people say when they don't want to forgive another? 'He stung me once too often. I'm not going to forgive him.' And the bitterness grows and bears more fruit. But. Let's look at our own lives. What have we done to offend God? Even after baptism we continue to sin, unknowingly as well as knowingly. We continue to ask forgiveness and God continues to forgive. He knows our hearts. If God does that for us, shouldn't we do the same for those who hurt us? Luke 11:4, in the model prayer that Jesus gives as an example of how to pray says And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Have a great day.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
A Morning Cup of Tea : Faith
Today's reading is from Matthew 17: 14 -21
Where ever Jesus and his disciples went there were many who found him there. They came to listen to Jesus' teachings and they came to be healed or have a loved one healed. They knew with utmost certainty, that all Jesus need do is speak or touch and they would be whole again.
A man came and kneeled at Jesus' feet, asking Jesus to heal his son. His son was described as "lunatick and sorely vexed", and fell into fires and water a lot (self harm). He said that Jesus' disciples couldn't heal him.
Jesus rebuked the devil and it came out of the boy and he was healed that very same hour. Afterwards the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked why they had not been able to cure the boy.
20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
If you have faith as a mustard seed... those things are very, very tiny. It takes only that much faith to move mountains. Yet sometimes when we (I) try to move the mountains in our lives, how often do we allow doubt to hinder our prayers? But notice verse 21. If we are going to move mountains --a better job, a loved one's healing, we must do something. We can't just sit back, and passively think that God is like Santa with his magic sack of toys or a genii in a bottle. Ask and its yours. We must have the faith and we must pray. And if the prayer is for something we really want in life, we must also do our part. If we pray for a job yet never move from the couch, I can just about guarantee the answer to that prayer is going to be no. A young man from another country became a Christian. His life is in danger in his homeland if his family finds out he is a Christian. He has wanted to come here to study in college and be able to freely and openly speak of his new life. He worked hard on his studies there so he could pass the tests he needed in order to come here, and he went to the appointments to apply for the visa. If he had just hung out with friends and not done these things, he might not have gotten the answer that made many of his friends here very happy. He will soon be here in America.
Where ever Jesus and his disciples went there were many who found him there. They came to listen to Jesus' teachings and they came to be healed or have a loved one healed. They knew with utmost certainty, that all Jesus need do is speak or touch and they would be whole again.
A man came and kneeled at Jesus' feet, asking Jesus to heal his son. His son was described as "lunatick and sorely vexed", and fell into fires and water a lot (self harm). He said that Jesus' disciples couldn't heal him.
Jesus rebuked the devil and it came out of the boy and he was healed that very same hour. Afterwards the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked why they had not been able to cure the boy.
20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
If you have faith as a mustard seed... those things are very, very tiny. It takes only that much faith to move mountains. Yet sometimes when we (I) try to move the mountains in our lives, how often do we allow doubt to hinder our prayers? But notice verse 21. If we are going to move mountains --a better job, a loved one's healing, we must do something. We can't just sit back, and passively think that God is like Santa with his magic sack of toys or a genii in a bottle. Ask and its yours. We must have the faith and we must pray. And if the prayer is for something we really want in life, we must also do our part. If we pray for a job yet never move from the couch, I can just about guarantee the answer to that prayer is going to be no. A young man from another country became a Christian. His life is in danger in his homeland if his family finds out he is a Christian. He has wanted to come here to study in college and be able to freely and openly speak of his new life. He worked hard on his studies there so he could pass the tests he needed in order to come here, and he went to the appointments to apply for the visa. If he had just hung out with friends and not done these things, he might not have gotten the answer that made many of his friends here very happy. He will soon be here in America.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
A Morning Cup of Tea : The Transfiguration
Today we are in chapter 17 of Matthew. Please read the first 13 verses.
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain. There he shone with a bright light and Moses and Elijah stood with him, talking. Can you imagine seeing that sight? The three disciples were in such awe they wanted to build three tabernacles right on the spot--one for Jesus, one for Elijah and one for Moses.
But then a cloud overshadowed them and they heard a voice say "This is my son in whom I am well pleased. Hear him." The three disciples fell on their faces and were afraid! I'm not sure I wouldn't have fainted after that.Jesus told them not to be afraid, and let them know it was okay. When the three looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone.
They asked Jesus Why do the scribes insist that Elijah must first come again?
Jesus said it was true, and he did. People didn't believe him, and treated him badly. He, Jesus, would suffer at their hands as well. The disciples knew he was talking of John the baptizer.
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain. There he shone with a bright light and Moses and Elijah stood with him, talking. Can you imagine seeing that sight? The three disciples were in such awe they wanted to build three tabernacles right on the spot--one for Jesus, one for Elijah and one for Moses.
But then a cloud overshadowed them and they heard a voice say "This is my son in whom I am well pleased. Hear him." The three disciples fell on their faces and were afraid! I'm not sure I wouldn't have fainted after that.Jesus told them not to be afraid, and let them know it was okay. When the three looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone.
They asked Jesus Why do the scribes insist that Elijah must first come again?
Jesus said it was true, and he did. People didn't believe him, and treated him badly. He, Jesus, would suffer at their hands as well. The disciples knew he was talking of John the baptizer.
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