Ecclesiastes  is an interesting book.  We remember it mostly for the 3rd chapter where we read, " A time to give birth, and a time to die.... " and so on.  As I have been reading it over the last few days I have been struck with how relevant it is... really speaking about life.  As the writer tells us, " there is nothing new under the sun."  

" A generation goes and a generation comes..."  Past, present, future.. all of us are born, live, and die. What really doesn't matter is how rich or poor we are, what we do for a living, or what we accomplish.  What matters is that we "fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." ( 12:13) 

Wisdom is better than foolishness.
Good is better than evil.
Enjoying the life that God has given you... is a blessing.

There is wisdom in living a life of simplicity.. keeping in perspective that all we have is from God. That we do not know what will happen, when it will happen, or why.  Nor can we do anything about it!  " Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. " ( 11:5)

God has "set eternity in {our}  hearts.. "  All time is in His hands.  The best thing we can do is to remember that.. and to live each day as best we can... with Him.

Father in heaven,  You are infinite and eternal. We cannot begin to grasp Your greatness or fathom Your perfect holiness.  May You be exalted in all the earth, O Lord.  May men and women come to know that there will be a day that they will stand before You and hear the verdict .. the truth about themselves. Lord, before that day, will You bring many more people to the Savior.  Let Your Kingdom be seen and known here.  Open eyes and hearts to receive Your salvation through Jesus Christ the Lord. Thank You for saving me.  Be glorified in my life today, I pray, in the Name of  Jesus. amen.

Matthew 26  This long chapter covers the plot to kill Jesus, Judas' betrayal, the anointing at Bethany, the last Passover, the time of prayer in Gethsemane, and the trial by Caiaphas.  It also covers Peter's denial of Jesus.

I want to focus on Peter during this time:

Luke 22: 7-13  tells us that Peter and John were the disciples sent to prepare the Passover for them all.
John 13:5- 9  tells us about Peter's reaction to Jesus washing his feet; first refusing and then asking for a complete washing.
Matthew 26: 33  tells us that Peter pledged to "... never fall away" from Jesus.
John writes, "Peter said to Him, 'Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.'"
Luke gives further details:  Jesus says, " Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." ( 22: 31-32)
Matthew 26:36 - 45 describes Peter and the others, unable to pray even one hour with Jesus... falling asleep instead.
John 18:10 tells us that it is Peter who takes a sword and cuts off the slave's ear.
Matthew 26:38, along with all 3 other gospels tell us that Peter followed the procession as they took Jesus to he courtyard of the high priest.
All four gospels report Peter's denial of knowing Jesus.

Within a few hours Peter goes from the height of devotion to the depth of denial.  Truly, he was "sifted" by Satan.  He tried to be strong and courageous , taking up his sword and following Jesus to the courtyard even as the others fled.  But, it is the accusation of servant girls and bystanders that bring him to deny His Savior.  

When the rooster crowed... Peter fled with great weeping.  He got it.  He knew his failure, his weakness, his lack of faith and courage.  Peter was humbled, humiliated really, by his own actions.

And, aren't we all?  How precious is this truth, to know that failure and weakness... does not mean the end.  It is actually a beginning... for it gets us to the posture that truly pleases the Lord.  " Blessed are the poor in spirit... those who mourn.. the gentle" .  The last shall be first, Jesus has continually taught.  Peter had to learn a hard lesson and it took a sifting to do it.

Father in heaven,  You know us full well.  You know our weaknesses and failures.  You let us go through things that bring us low.. humbling us even,  so that You may then use us according to Your will.  Oh what grace! Thank You for the blessing of sifting!  Be glorified O Lord!  How precious is Your Truth and Lovingkindness to us who come to You in the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Matthew 25  Jesus gives three parables about the Kingdom... about what happens when He does return.

v1-13  The parable of the 10 virgins. 5 were prepared with extra oil. 5 were not ready, for their lamps were going out and they had not brought along enough oil to keep them burning.  I have to admit that on the surface this story makes me uncomfortable... all ten women waited for the bridegroom. They just needed a little more oil... yet their punishment was so severe!  They were kept out of the house,, out of the Kingdom and the Lord told them that He did not know them.  But, I know that the point of the story is summed up in verse 13, "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour."  

We are to be prudent and not foolish.  To be prudent is to be thoughtful, practical, wise, and careful .  To be foolish is to be dull, stupid, or heedless.  Psalm 85:8 says, " ... but let them not turn back to folly."  There is a contrast found here - God speaks "peace to His people, to His godly ones"... but the ones who turn away from Him will not receive the peace that only He can give.  The five wise or prudent women had taken heed and were well prepared for the delay, and ready when the bridegroom arrived. Matthew 24:44 "For this reason, you be ready too;  for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will."  To be ready, Jesus tells us, is to be a faithful servant, doing His will/ work until He comes. 

v14-30 The parable of the talents. 3 servants were given particular responsibilities.  One received 10 talents, one received 5, and one received 1 talent.  The first two did well.  They doubled the master's money.  They were faithful and were rewarded for their work.  The third man hid his talent and did nothing with it.  He was able to return it to the master, but was considered "wicked" and "lazy".   He claimed to know that the master was a "hard man, reaping where [he] did not sow, and gathering where [he] scattered no seed." ( v24)  However, knowing that and acting on that are two different things.   He did not act in faith and was cast out of the kingdom.

Whereas the first parable exhorts us to be wise, alert, and prepared; this one exhorts us to be faithful stewards of all that the master has entrusted us with until His return.  

v31-46  The parable of the sheep and goats.  Jesus reveals what He will do when He comes in His glory.  In contrast to the Jewish idea that the Messiah would overthrow Rome and set up the nation of Israel like in the days of David and Solomon;  the coming of the Lord will be much, much more!
As King, Jesus will bring all the nations, including Israel, before His judgement seat.  He will separate the "sheep from the goats" like a shepherd.  On His right hand are those who served Him well - caring for those in need for  "... to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."   On the left will be those who failed to care for anyone - they failed to feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, invite in a stranger, or clothe the naked.  They did not "do it to one of the least of these",  Jesus says.  Their punishment will be eternal.

To be alert and prudent, to be faithful, and to be merciful and compassionate towards others.. this is what Jesus teaches us during the last days of His life before He is crucified.  When He comes again, we need to be ready and found doing His will.  

Father in heaven, we turn our eyes to You and await the coming of our Lord.  Yet, even as we do this, we pray that we will be found faithful.  Help us to be wise and alert.  By Your Spirit, help us to be faithful and do Your will, ready for that glorious day. Once again we present our bodies, living sacrifices, holy and acceptable in worship to You, our Glorious Lord.  Amen.

Matthew 24  The disciples ask Jesus about His return to set up His kingdom on earth.  Jesus gives a detailed account of things that will happen prior to that time. We can easily list many of these things... wars, rumors of war, famines, earthquakes, etc.

What we don't think about quite as much are;
v5 - "for many will come in My name saying 'I am the Christ' and will mislead you."
v11 "and many false prophets will arise, and mislead many."
v23 " Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ' or 'There He is' , do not believe him. For false Christ's and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead if possible, even the elect." 

This is not something that happens now overtly... although there are some crazy people that might claim to be Christ.  But, this will happen and Jesus warns us to be alert.  We must know the Word, especially the signs of His coming again.  It doesn't seem to matter whether we believe in pre-trib, post-trib, or whatever theological reasoning we subscribe to - the bottom line is that we ".. be on the alert for you do not know which day your Lord is coming." Because of this, Jesus tells us, we need to be living faithfully, enduring to the end, and ready for His appearance.

Three times in this discussion Jesus warns against being mislead.  False Christs and false prophets, false signs and wonders... false religions that take us away from the Truth of God's Word.. are something that we really need to be aware of.  It is so important that we know God's Word and that we keep growing in our knowledge of Him, so that we are not deceived.  There are churches.. so called Christian churches.. that are misleading people because they do not preach the whole Word of God.

Father, keep us in Your Hands, leading us in paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake.  Lead us not into temptation, nor into deceptive teachings, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Yours is the Kingdom, the Glory, and the Power!  In the Name of Jesus, the true Christ, we pray. amen.

Matthew 22-23  The religious leaders, seating themselves "in the chair of Moses", begin to question Jesus in an attempt to trap Him.

First, they sent their disciples and the Herodians who asked about the lawfulness of paying taxes to
Rome.  Jesus' answer made them marvel and go away.

Next, the Sadducees came with an elaborate scenerio about a wife who marries each of 7 brothers, having no children with any of them.  The question was about who would be her husband in the resurrection ( which they did not believe in).  Jesus set them straight on the truth - there is life after death, but marriage will have no meaning there.

Finally, the Pharisees come with a lawyer asking the most important question - " Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"   Jesus said, " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself."   These two commandments, Jesus says, sum up "the whole Law and the Prophets." 

Jesus asks His own question to the Pharisees.  "What do you thing about the  Christ, who son is He?"
They knew the right answer, "The son of David".   But they did not want to hear what Jesus asked them next , about how David called Him, his own descendant,  "Lord".

Jesus then goes on to call out the scribes and Pharisees for not acting in accord with the Word that they knew and preached.

They burdened people with heavy loads and offered no help.
They acted in ways to get attention.
They desired to be honored and respected.
They demanded others to bow to their authority.
They kept others from entering God's kingdom.
They oppressed widows.
They made long prayers as a pretense.
They made converts.. but to their detriment.
They were blind to what was true and worthy...  they valued gold more than the temple; they valued the sacrifices more than the altar;  they failed to honor God's throne.
They forgot the most important things - justice, mercy, humility - and prided themselves for tithing "mint and dill and cummin" .
They made a ritual of washing their hands, their cups and their dishes... while neglecting their hearts, minds and souls.
They were guilty... of lying, stealing, murdering, and refusing to believe the truth.
Judgement would be upon them.
They needed to repent.. but they refused to even admit that they needed to be forgiven .

Pride, selfishness, and arrogance.... "And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled;"  Jesus preached.
These are things we can become blind to in ourselves.  We live in a culture where such attitudes are cultivated and praised. We also have seen many times over the truth of what Jesus said,  we see how the high and mighty fall.

"... and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted".  The one who serves, the one who is willing to be last, the one who lays down his own life for others... that is the one that who will be exalted, by God Himself .

Father, thank You for the Word that lights our way so that we can see truth.. that we can know what is of value in Your eyes.  Gather us together under Your wings.. we are willing.  We acknowledge You in all our ways and trust You to direct our paths in this world.  We love You with all our hearts and minds and souls,  knowing that we can do so only because You have loved us first.  We give You all our praise and thanksgiving.  We humbly pray this in the Name of Jesus, who is Lord.  Amen.

Matthew 21  Jesus tells another parable about the Kingdom.  He compares it this time to a wedding feast given by a king.  The king's son is going to be married, the invitations are sent out and the time has come.  But, those who were invited first were unwilling to come.  They even went as far as killing the servants sent to fetch them.  The king was enraged and sent his armies out to destroy the murderers.  He then invited anyone who wanted to come and filled the house with more guests.  One man came who did not bother to dress appropriately and when the king saw him, he threw him out.

The Heavenly Father has presented His Son for His wedding feast. Those first invited would be Israel. Yet they are refusing to come. The others invited would be the Gentiles.. all who are willing.  Yet, without the appropriate clothing... clothed in the righteousness of Christ... they will not be welcomed.

"... many are called but few are chosen.."  Jesus tells us.  The invitation has been issued.  We have been invited into His Kingdom.  But, we need to answer the call and we need to come with appropriate dress... dressed in His righteousness alone... faultless to stand before the throne!

Thank You Father for opening wide the door to come to You.  Thank You for providing all we need to stand before You. Bless us this day with Your Presence and grace, in all we do. It is in the Name of Jesus our Savior that we pray. Amen.

Matthew 21  As Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy, He is announcing His kingdom and His position as King.  Many recognized this as cried out , " Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord." 

The first thing that the King does, His priority.. is set the temple aright by throwing out those who were corrupt, those defiling the Lord's House.  He opens up the "House of Prayer " to those it was meant for ... those who recognized their need for the Lord, the poor in spirit.  The "blind and the lame came to Him in the temple and He healed them."  The children sang praises to Him.  These - the needy and hurting, the little children - were the ones who had true understanding of the Lord and of His kingdom. They were more than willing to receive their King.

The chief priests and scribes reacted differently.  They criticized and challenged Jesus.  They questioned His authority and rejected their King.  Jesus gives a physical illustration and 2 parables that reveal what is happening :

1. The fig tree - When Jesus goes to look for fruit on the tree, He finds none.  He says, " No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you."  The tree withers and dies.   Like the tree, Israel bore no fruit, no righteousness, and are of no use to the King.

2. The two sons - the first says he will go to work in the vineyard but doesn't; the second says he won't go, but regrets... repents... and goes to do the Father's will.  Jesus tells the religious leaders that they are like the first son and the "tax-gatherers and harlots" are like the second son and they will "get into the kingdom of God before you". Israel had made a covenant to do God's will, but did not do it. Those who humbled themselves and repented... were the ones who entered into the Kingdom of God.

3. The vineyard - A landowner plants his vineyard and rents it out to vinegrowers who are supposed to send him a portion of the produce as payment.  When he sends his slaves to receive his portion, they beat them, stone them, or kill them.  When he sends his own son to them, instead of respecting him, they kill him too.  Even the religious leaders recognized the wretchedness of this behavior .  However they do not recognize themselves as ones who are doing the same thing - rejecting the Son of the One who owns everything.

Israel is like the fruitless tree, the disobedient son, and the selfish vinegrowers.  "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. " 

Father in heaven, You are our King and our God and we worship You.  We come as needy people before You, asking for Your Kingdom to come and Your will to be done in our lives and in our world. Open our eyes to see and our hearts to receive You, even as the children in Jerusalem on that day long ago.  Hosanna! Blessed is Your Name!  Thank you for coming to save us Lord Jesus! What kindness and love You have given to us.  May we bear the fruit of righteousness to the praise and glory of Your holy Name.  Amen.

Matthew 20    Jesus gives a parable to illustrate what He means by His statement that the last will be first and the first will be last.

The first workers hired to work in the vineyard agreed to work the whole day for a denarius.  It was a fair wage for a day's work.  The other workers that came at 9, 12, 3 and 5 were given only a promise that "whatever is right I will give you".  They willingly worked, not knowing what they would receive, but leaving it in the hand of the landowner.

When the end of the day came, the landowner started paying out wages with the last who had come to work.  They worked an hour, but were given a day's wage.  The same for all the workers, including those who had worked all day.  These fellows grumbled, even though they were being treated according to their contract.  The landowner rebukes them for being jealous.  It is his right to be generous and to do as he wills.

The "last".. those who had been without hope of earning anything that day... received a blessing from the hand of the gracious and generous landowner.  Can you imagine their joy and thankfulness?!!
The "first" received what they had agreed to and were angry and unthankful.

Jesus is revealing an important truth about the kingdom of heaven.  The Father is gracious and kind.  When we follow Him and trust Him, we will find that He gives us more than we could ask for and more than we deserve.  

Once again the disciples get into a discussion about who is greatest among them.  The mother of John and James asked Jesus to give them seats of honor in His kingdom.  This angers the rest of the disciples.  Jesus repeats what He has told them before.  It is not about who is greater in position and power .. but who is willing to be a servant, a slave... to be lower.. to be last.

Jesus came to serve, not to be served.  " ... to give His life a ransom for many."  He is about to enter Jerusalem.  He is about to be crucified. They still thought He was about to sit on the throne in Jerusalem, even though He told them otherwise.  He would give them an example of what it means to be last .. a lesson they would never forget.

Father in heaven, You alone are worthy of our praise and worship.  You are so good. You are kind and generous and gracious to us.  We deserve nothing and You give us all things!  Help us to learn and live this truth.. to be a servant, even a slave for Your sake.. and leave the reward up to You.  You are faithful and completely perfect in all Your ways.  Keep our eyes open and give us ears to hear what You are revealing in Your word.  Amen.

Matthew 19: 13-30

In Matthew 11:25 Jesus thanked the Father for revealing " these things" to babes.  He talked about how no one knows the Father but those to "whom the Son wills to reveal Him."   These thoughts have stayed with me as I read and meditate on the Word and have found myself seeking Him to reveal Himself and His truths to me in fresh new ways.  God has been doing that and I am so thankful and blessed by this.  One thing that He has brought to my attention over and over is the fact that Jesus often answered questions or acted in ways or talked about things in astonishing and unexpected ways.

This was true in the discussion about marriage and divorce.  It is also true in the rest of this chapter.

Verses 13-15  When the children were brought to Jesus for Him to bless them and pray for them, the disciples "rebuked" them.  They wanted to exclude the children, but Jesus turned that completely around, calling them the owners of the kingdom:  " Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 

A third situation is recorded next.  A rich young man came to ask Jesus how to obtain eternal life.  When Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, the man says that he has, but senses he needs to do more.  Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give it to the poor.  The young man is devastated and goes away.   He had a lot of wealth and didn't want to give it all up... even for eternal life.  What really shocks the disciples is what Jesus says next, " Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom."  In their thoughts, the rich should be first in line!  They have been blessed more... they have more to offer... they must be God's first pick!  No, Jesus tells them.... " But many who are first will be last; and the last first."   It's not impossible for them to be saved, for "with God all things are possible."  But, God's outlook on riches is totally different than man's .   It's those who have sacrificed.. families, farms, inheritances ... those, like the disciples who left everything to follow Jesus..  that are the ones who will inherit eternal life.

Jesus is constantly correcting the religious ideals of His disciples, the Pharisees, and the people.  He is revealing God's view to us in His words and actions.  Just in this chapter we are informed about God's view of marriage, His view of children, and His view of riches.
Marriage is a miraculous joining together of two people into one.. by God Himself.
Children are valuable in God's eyes.. they own the Kingdom!
Riches mean nothing, following Jesus means everything!

Father in heaven, You are perfect in all of Your ways. We praise Your infinite wisdom and goodness! We long for Your Kingdom to come in all of its fullness.  Help us to have ears to hear and hearts to receive Your Words here.  To value marriage as You do.  To value children as Your do.  To lay down possessions that are useless.. that rust and decay.. to follow You and gain the true treasure stored up for us in heaven.  Draw us nearer to Your heart, Lord. Transform us by renewing our minds with Your words.  May we walk today by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself up for us.  For we pray in His Mighty Name. Amen