Category: Matthew

  • Murder – death of Jesus for our sake

    four crows on a tree branch

    Today, I saw a murder of crows in the tree. In case you don’t know, a murder is the formal name for a gathering of crows.

    Seeing the crows brought murder to mind. I started to think about all the murder mysteries I have watched and read over the years. They all had something in common, besides the body. In all of them, as far as I can remember, the victim was unable to prevent his own murder.

    There is one murder, however, that I know of, where the victim willingly submitted to being murdered for a greater cause. I’m Speaking of course, of the murder of Jesus, planned by the Jewish leaders, and carried out by the Roman rulers.

    The Jewish leaders perceived Jesus as a threat, and when they could not discredit him, they planned to kill him. They used Pontius Pilate to have him crucified, a most ignominious death.

    Let’s set the scene, before Jesus was taken to Pilate, one of his disciples betrays him and shows up at the Garden of Gethsemane with troops to arrest him

    Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. Matthew 26:50-56 ESV

    Jesus willingly goes with them and submits to being convicted in a kangaroo court on completely fabricated charges. He is mocked, rejected, tortured, and eventually killed on the cross.

    Why would the God of the universe permit himself such indignities? Because he loves us. He humbled himself, set aside his rights, and came to earth to die.

    “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8 ESV

    If that thought doesn’t amaze you, you need to stop and think about what he has done for you.

    Praise God for all his mercies.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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  • What really matters in this life?

    Foggu forest trail

    I volunteer as a helper with the youth group (grades 7-12) at our local assembly on Friday nights. It’s a time of fun, worship, Bible time, socializing, and, of course, snacks. The worship section encompasses a short message, and for this term, the theme is based on Ecclesiastes.

    Last Thursday’s Gleanings touched on the final chapter of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon remembered what life was truly about. The first eleven chapters were about the meaninglessness of life.

    You are all likely familiar with the opening of the book: Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity, Ecclesiastes 1:1-2. 

    Maybe you know it better as, “The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 NIV

    Either way, it paints a grim picture of life. The English language doesn’t quite do the text justice. I’m far from a Hebrew scholar, but I know that Hebrew is a language built on images, so it’s difficult at times for our language to capture the full word picture of the author.

    The word translated meaningless, or vanity is the Hebrew הֶבֶל (hebel), pronounced HEH-bel. Hebel can certainly mean ‘meaningless’ or ‘vanity,’ but the word describes a fog or mist.

    You can’t quite grasp a fog or mist even when you are surrounded by it. The things of this world are promises written in fog and delivered in mist. They promise many things, but never quite deliver. The harder you chase them, the more difficult they become to grasp.

    When you grab a handful of fog, you have an empty hand. Your hand might be a little wet, but you can’t quite catch it.

    Solomon had it all by worldly standards: wisdom, wealth, power, fame, sex, and more. So much so that he’s still famous for that today. Yet, in the end, he understood that all of it meant nothing in the long run.

    Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

    All the possessions and accolades of the world won’t give you what you truly need. Only being made righteous with Christ and following Him will satisfy your deepest needs. We were created for that very purpose. Everything else is a shadow, a taste, or a mist.

    In the words of the refrain from a timeless hymn:

    Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
    Look full in His wonderful face,
    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
    In the light of His glory and grace.

    Trust Him to deliver more than vanity and mist.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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