1st Sunday of Lent

Sundays are not counted in Lent. Lent consists of the 40 days before Easter not counting Sundays. The Sundays have a special significance: My preacher said they operate like a mini-Easter. We recognize that he is risen, but it's still a time of preparation for the real thing. Pray, serve, love, and forgive, and continue to fit your heart for Easter.

Lent--Day Four

Jesus sought out John and asked him to baptize him. John was hesitant and initially refused, but Jesus was persistent and persuaded him. When it was over, Jesus came up out of the water and a cloud descended on them and a dove lighted on Jesus. All four of the gospels agreed that the dove was a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. There are some facts on which all the writers don't agree. 

Matthew 3:17 says: And there a came a voice from  Heaven, 'This is my my beloved Son. I take delight in Him.' Mark 1:11 says: And a voice came from heaven saying, 'You are my beloved Son; I take delight in you. Luke 7:22b: And a voice came from Heaven: 'You are my beloved Son. I take delight in you.' John 1:29 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said. 'Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.'

The account in Matthew indicates that the voice from Heaven seemed to be speaking to those who were watching the ceremony and pointed to Jesus by saying "This is my beloved Son." In Mark the voice from Heaven addresses Jesus directly and says "You are my beloved Son." Luke uses the same address Mark does. Most scholars agree that, even though there are differences, many details are copied from the same source.

John takes a different view than the other three. He is speaking to a group of his disciples and points Jesus out as "the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." 

All agree that this is the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Only John recognizes him as the Savior. The praise of the Father is assurance to Jesus that he is on the right path. Each of these introductions is significant for Jesus. I can only imagine the joy of knowing His Father's pleasure in him. It is John's announcement that challenges the Jewish leaders. They heard about John's statement and realized this was someone they could not ignore.

Lent--Day Three

The title page to the 1611 first edition of the Authorized Version Bible. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. KJV

All of the Gospels refer to the Baptism of Jesus by John, but only Mark refers to the Spirit as "driving" him into the Wilderness afterward. Matthew and Luke both use the gentler word, "led." In different translations, the milder words are often used. The KJV and the RSV, the Holman, and the Apologetics translations all use "drove." The Vulgate uses expellit which is translated as "drove, expelled, or banished." 

There are many translations available, so we can chose the wording we prefer, but the use of "drove" does add a more demanding tone to the Spirit's work. We seem to try to make the Spirit mild in his approach to ministry, but with the use of "drove" in this passage, he is more insistent and demanding.

I have experienced his "driving,"  and I value the need to see the subtle shift in focus on the Spirit in this reference.

Lent 2016--Day Two

Pogača (or Poğaça), a type of bread eaten in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Satan came with the solution to Jesus' most immediate need--food. He had not eaten for 40 days. That is probably the limit of endurance, but Jesus was confident that physical food was even less important than Spiritual sustenance. For that he drew on the Word of God. "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."(RSV)

It's easy to dismiss the first temptation. Jesus is the Son of God. He didn't have to listen to the Tempter. All that was offered him was rocks turned into bread. It doesn't even sound good. But if you hadn't eaten for over a month maybe it was enhanced in your mind. Starvation can cause people to hallucinate,  become hostile, rage against their environment. In a state of deprivation, people may lose a grip on their very senses. What would we resort to if we hadn't eaten anything for 40 days? Jesus resorted to the Word of God.

The second temptation was a sign that would silence his critics. But Jesus saw it as a trap. The devil wanted to bring man to Jesus because of the signs rather than his identity with God as his Father. The followers often asked for a sign, but Jesus' message was, then, and still is today: He is the Son of God, the Savior.

The third temptation was one humans still see as a goal. Power is the ultimate source of control for many people.
To have nations and kingdoms bow down is heart thrilling. Jesus saw through that strategy, too. He wanted those nations and kingdoms to come to him because of their faith in him and not as an avenue to rise above others in power or prestige.

 If you are new to Christian faith, you may not know what the resources are, but if you are a long-time Christian, you have had exposure to the Word of God for a while. You have had time to memorize verses that address challenges and obstacles. 

It you haven't done so, start now. Hide his word in your heart. Spending time learning scripture is never wasted. It will bless you in times of loneliness. It will reassure you when trials come. It will sustain you when you feel abandoned. It will protect you from the devils wiles. It worked for Jesus, and it will work for you.

Lent 2016--Day one

The Temptation of Christ, 1854 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit  into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.(KJV)

Most of the time, when Jesus goes in response to the Spirit, he is going to minister to the crowds that followed him. Sometimes, he goes to the city streets or to the marketplace, but this time he goes to be alone in a wilderness where no crowds follow and he has yet to choose disciples.

He was going to be alone. The Spirit knew he would be tempted by the devil. This was a test of his resolve, of his personal discipline; it would seal, in his experience, the person of the enemy he faced, Satan. He had just been baptized by John and heard the words of God  proclaiming his Father's satisfaction with him. Was that enough to sustain him in the face of this challenge? 

He had  no disciples yet to talk to him, no crowds seeking healing, no one here required his council. He was hungry and alone, and his mind, tormented with Satan's suggestions, could only rely on the words that echoed from the banks of the Jordan--This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.

The Value of Proverbs

The Book of Proverbs is often over looked because there is no continuing story or historical account, but it is filled with the Wisdom of Solomon. Sometimes it's possible to create a story to explain the proverb, to retell it in your own words.

The preamble in verses 1-7 describes the value and benefit of listening to the wise words of a wise man. Verse 7 gives the supreme instruction: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Then he adds the notation that fools despise wisdom and instruction.

In verse 8 he encourages a young man to listen to the wisdom of his father and not reject his mother's teaching for they will be a "garland of grace on your head." He continues to warn the young to avoid violence and deceit. 

In verse 20 the emphasis shifts to the call of Wisdom. Wisdom almost taunts the young saying "How long will you love ignorance? How long will you enjoy mocking?" Then Wisdom acknowledges the need for discipline, but without it, the calamity and terror will strike those who did not heed her call. Waywardness and inexperience will kill them, but whoever listens to Wisdom will live securely and be free of danger.

Chapter 2 again speaks of wisdom and its rewards. Wisdom comes from the Lord and understanding comes from fear of him. It is the wise who value integrity and justice. Wisdom comes from the Lord, and with it comes success. 

Read Proverbs and find wisdom for your needs and life in the Lord and share this knowledge and understanding with those around you.

Jacob's Problem

Jacob had two wives. He didn't want two wives, but his father-in-law, Laban, tricked him. Laban had two daughters, and he didn't want the younger to marry before the older. I'm not sure what the tradition of marriage was. It seems that there was no ceremony for public view, but Laban escorted the bride, discreetly veiled, to the groom at evening and the marriage was consummated. In daylight, Jacob saw that his bride was not the girl he thought he had married. Laban agreed to give him Rachel too, after the first week of marriage to Leah. I can't imagine that Rachel was very happy with the arrangement, but she was the one he wanted in the first place, and Leah wasn't very happy about it either. Leah did have the consolation of her children as time went on, but Rachel couldn't get pregnant. 

Rachel thought her only advantage was to give her servant to Jacob and have children through her. Leah had made that substitution with her maid, too, when she thought she wouldn't have more children. Jacob thought he was enough compensation for Rachel since he did love her first and apparently he was more attentive to her. But this rivalry had been brewing a long time and, Rachel couldn't let it go.

One day in the field Reuben, Leah's first son, found some mandrakes and brought them to his mother. The plants were held in high esteem in ancient societies for their medicinal uses. Rachel saw him and appealed to Leah to give her some of them. Leah became outraged. "You took my husband and now you want the mandrakes, too?"  

Leah disregarded her part in the marriage scheme, but Rachel prevailed and Leah shared the mandrakes. Leah met Jacob at the gate when he came home from work and said, "Tonight you are mine. I bought you with some of the mandrakes."
I really love the plot twists of Jacob's story. He was a shrewd character and he brought much of his trouble on himself. God had plans for him that he could not imagine, but even the deceit and ill-feelings in the family did not destroy God's plan. Read it for yourself and find the places where God stepped in to make his story blessed. 

Genesis 25 begins the story of Jacob and Genesis continues with the story of his marriage to Rachel. Genesis 30 tells the story of the mandrakes. Read on to find out how he ended up in Egypt.