Mark 10:46-52
Length: 17:28
This is a message given on October 25, 2009 at the Bowdertown United Methodist Church.
Your Faith Makes You Well
We finish up our study of the life of Christ this morning by looking at the healing of the blind men at Jericho. This was right before Jesus Entry into Jerusalem and the final week of His earthly life.
The city of Jericho is located about fifteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. It was the last major stop for people traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. This is Jesus’ only recorded visit to Jericho in Scripture.
If you look at the parallel account of this healing in the Gospel of Matthew there were two blind men healed. The parallel account in the Gospel of Luke says Jesus healed them on the way into Jericho.
The New American Standard reads in verse 46, “Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho.” This seems a little confusing to us. So, which was it? Were there two men or one blind man. Was Jesus leaving the city or entering the city?
If you think back to the Old Testament in Joshua chapter 6, you will no doubt remember the story.
Joshua 6:1-5
Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”
After the walls fell, the city was in ruins. Rather than clean up the rubble, the city was rebuilt right next door, so you essentially have Jericho OT and Jericho NT, two cities built right next to each other.
So, Jesus leaves old Jericho and enters new Jericho or whatever you want to call it. As for Matthew mentioning two blind men and Mark and Luke only mentioning Bartimaeus, again this is no big deal. Mark and Luke simply focus on the more vocal of the two blind men which is Bartimaeus.
Bartimaeus and his friend are sitting by the roadside begging. That is about the only way a blind man could make a living in those days. These men had staked out a good place on the main road to Jerusalem.
Remember, these men are blind, not death. So they hear all this commotion as Jesus and the crowd pass by. So Bartimaeus asks someone what’s happen. Who is leading this group? They tell him it is Jesus of Nazareth.
Wow, what great news Bartimaeus thinks. No doubt, he has heard the story’s of this man named Jesus. He probably heard about the raising of Lazarus from the dead, since Bethany is only a few miles away.
He also probably heard some rumblings about the Sanhedrin and other religious leaders being out to get this guy. But Bartimaeus doesn’t really care about what the religious leaders think. He simply wants to be healed and believes this man, Jesus can do just that.
He beings to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” The crowd told him to be quiet. They try to shut him up, but the more they tried the more aggressive, assertive and louder he got. Finally, he gets Jesus’ attention.
Jesus stops the procession and calls for Bartimaeus. Suddenly, the people who were yelling at this man to be quiet are now encouraging him to come forward to Jesus.
There is no doubt in Bartimaeus’ mind. He is going to be healed. He is full of confidence, he throws his cloak off and runs to Jesus. Think about it for a minute. If your blind, you keep your possessions with you, especially something as important as a cloak to stay warm with. But as I said, Bartimaeus is confident he will be healed and able to see his cloak to retrieve it.
Jesus knows what Bartimaeus wants, but asks him anyways, “What do you want me to do for you?” Again, Jesus wants Bartimaeus to demonstrate his faith, which he already has by leaving his cloak along side the road, but Jesus also wants the crowd to understand.
Jesus heals him, saying your faith has made you well. Bartimaeus’ physical and spiritual eyes were opened. The outward healing reflected also his inner salvation as well. Jesus tells Bartimaeus to go, but Bartimaeus choose to join the procession going to Jerusaem.
Perhaps this will be his very first Passover. What a wonderful experience that would be. Seeing all the sights and participating the Passover with someone special for the first time. I would also have to assume, that Bartimaeus was also there to witness the shocking execution of the Man who gave him sight. No doubt, Bartimaeus was feeling on top of the world at the beginning of the week, but by the end, he too was crushed.
The blind man could see who Jesus really was. He knew He was the Son of David, the Messiah. The religious leaders on the other hand could not. They refused to see Him for who He truly was and is. They were blinded to His true identity.
Bartimaeus’ faith made him well. He was healed. He was able to see. He was saved. No matter how desperate your situation may seem, if you call out to Jesus in faith, He will help you. But don’t take my word for it, take His!
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving us another example of faith this morning. Help us to truly remember who You are and that You are there for us when we need you.
We thank you for these past several months of studying Your life and Your teachings. Help us to take what w have learned and apply it to our lives. We do this all for Your honor and glory. AMEN.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Servant Leadership
Mark 10:35-45
Length: 19:42
This is a message given on October 18, 2009 at the Bowdertown United Methodist Church.
Servant Leadership
Our Scripture this morning picks up on the theme we saw a few weeks ago regarding humility. Apparently, James and John hadn’t learned that lesson yet. They still didn’t understand that Jesus was going to die, not build an earthly kingdom. So the disciples, in particular James and John, are trying to assure a place of predominance in the coming kingdom.
According to the parallel account in the Gospel of Matthew, James and John were accompanied by their mother Salome. And Salome actually spoke first, then James and John reiterated the request we see here in the Gospel of Mark.
It is probable that the two sons asked their mother to bring the request to Jesus. She may have more influence over Him than they did. Plus it looks a little less selfish if you have someone else ask a question like this. It is also possible that Salome was Jesus’ aunt.
Their request is a pretty open-ended question. They start by saying “Do for us whatever we ask.” How bold is that! It is obvious from their opening question that they knew their request was a little bit over the top.
I mean Jesus has already been over this topic once. He just got done telling everyone they must be like children. And in verses 35 and 36 He once again stated that He must die and rise again. As usual the disciples weren’t understanding, and in fact will continue this discussion up to the very night Jesus is betrayed.
Jesus replies, “What do you want me to do?” They reply, “We want the seats on the left and right hand side of You.” These would be the places of highest prominence and honor.
Jesus tries to open their eyes and change their way of thinking by talking about the Cup that He will drink from and take the Baptism that He will take.
As we know, they weren’t heading to Jerusalem for a victory celebration. Rather it will be the ultimate suffering and sacrifice. James and John want to be considered Jesus’ closest companions, sitting on either side of Him. They think this will be a promotion not persecution. They believe they can drink the Cup and be Baptized like Christ.
The Cup and Baptism Jesus refers to here is enduring suffering and death as Jesus would. Indeed, both James and John would be persecuted and suffer, just like their Master. As we see in Acts 12:2 , James is the first Apostle to be killed because of his faith.
As we know from Revelation, John, on the other hand, will be the last surviving Apostle. According to church tradition, John was the only Apostle who didn’t die a martyr. His life was spared, but that does not mean he didn’t suffer persecution.
Jesus can promise them persecution but not position for the Kingdom. That is His Father’s choice alone. After His resurrection, Jesus will be given all authority on Heaven and Earth, but during His ministry He lives in submission to the will of the Father.
Jesus submits Himself to the physical and spiritual needs of sinners. He comes as a servant and invites His disciples to do the same. Honors in the Kingdom of God are not based upon selfish ambitions.
While Jesus is telling James and John this, the other disciples must have been within ear shot or came closer to hear what Jesus was saying. They become upset with James and John, not because of the question or their lack of understanding, but because James and John beat them to the punch.
Each one of the twelve still want the place of honor in the kingdom. Even after three years of walking and listening to Jesus, they still didn’t get the purpose of His ministry, which was to die as a servant of humanity.
You would think those twelve would have figured it out, but they didn’t. In fact, almost 2000 years later that lesson is still not understood or implemented.
The problem is simple. We imitate the ways of the world, not the way of Jesus. It seems as though we pattern our church using government, business, or other secular methods rather than the Bible.
We seem to want power and titles and salaries to go alone with our recognition. No doubt this breaks Jesus’ heart when he sees this kind of stuff happening. In fact, at the beginning of His ministry and at the end of His ministry Jesus cleanses the temple. I think if He were here walking today, He would do the same to our Churches.
The way to greatness in the Kingdom is not climbing some ladder like in the corporate world. Rather it is picking up the basin and towel as Jesus did that night in the upper room. This is not difficult for anyone to understand, yet so few actually implement it.
Verse 45 really sums it all up, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” He came to serve humanity by dying for our sins.
Jesus was the ultimate example of servant leadership. He is the King of kings and Lord of Lords, but He gave up His privileges and He gave up His life as a selfless sacrifice in serving others.
He paid the price for those who put their faith into Him. The ransom price was paid to God to satisfy His justice and holy wrath against sin. In paying it, “Christ bore our sins in His body on the cross.”
As we see from the example of Christ, true greatness comes from serving others, not using them as the world does. A real leader has a servant’s heart. Rather than seeking ways to have your needs met, look for ways you can minister to the needs of others.
Servant leaders realize the worth and value of other people. They also realize they aren’t above any job or duty If you see something that needs to be done, don’t wait for someone to ask. Take the initiative and do it like a faithful servant.
So often, Christians try to influence the world to live like them. I believe we need to stop living like the world first and truly start living like Christ did. Only then will we truly make a difference.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for these wonderful lessons that we learn here each week. Help us to truly apply them to our lives. Help us this week to be servant leaders. Help us to be truly great, by serving others out of love for you and love for them.
AMEN
Length: 19:42
This is a message given on October 18, 2009 at the Bowdertown United Methodist Church.
Servant Leadership
Our Scripture this morning picks up on the theme we saw a few weeks ago regarding humility. Apparently, James and John hadn’t learned that lesson yet. They still didn’t understand that Jesus was going to die, not build an earthly kingdom. So the disciples, in particular James and John, are trying to assure a place of predominance in the coming kingdom.
According to the parallel account in the Gospel of Matthew, James and John were accompanied by their mother Salome. And Salome actually spoke first, then James and John reiterated the request we see here in the Gospel of Mark.
It is probable that the two sons asked their mother to bring the request to Jesus. She may have more influence over Him than they did. Plus it looks a little less selfish if you have someone else ask a question like this. It is also possible that Salome was Jesus’ aunt.
Their request is a pretty open-ended question. They start by saying “Do for us whatever we ask.” How bold is that! It is obvious from their opening question that they knew their request was a little bit over the top.
I mean Jesus has already been over this topic once. He just got done telling everyone they must be like children. And in verses 35 and 36 He once again stated that He must die and rise again. As usual the disciples weren’t understanding, and in fact will continue this discussion up to the very night Jesus is betrayed.
Jesus replies, “What do you want me to do?” They reply, “We want the seats on the left and right hand side of You.” These would be the places of highest prominence and honor.
Jesus tries to open their eyes and change their way of thinking by talking about the Cup that He will drink from and take the Baptism that He will take.
As we know, they weren’t heading to Jerusalem for a victory celebration. Rather it will be the ultimate suffering and sacrifice. James and John want to be considered Jesus’ closest companions, sitting on either side of Him. They think this will be a promotion not persecution. They believe they can drink the Cup and be Baptized like Christ.
The Cup and Baptism Jesus refers to here is enduring suffering and death as Jesus would. Indeed, both James and John would be persecuted and suffer, just like their Master. As we see in Acts 12:2 , James is the first Apostle to be killed because of his faith.
As we know from Revelation, John, on the other hand, will be the last surviving Apostle. According to church tradition, John was the only Apostle who didn’t die a martyr. His life was spared, but that does not mean he didn’t suffer persecution.
Jesus can promise them persecution but not position for the Kingdom. That is His Father’s choice alone. After His resurrection, Jesus will be given all authority on Heaven and Earth, but during His ministry He lives in submission to the will of the Father.
Jesus submits Himself to the physical and spiritual needs of sinners. He comes as a servant and invites His disciples to do the same. Honors in the Kingdom of God are not based upon selfish ambitions.
While Jesus is telling James and John this, the other disciples must have been within ear shot or came closer to hear what Jesus was saying. They become upset with James and John, not because of the question or their lack of understanding, but because James and John beat them to the punch.
Each one of the twelve still want the place of honor in the kingdom. Even after three years of walking and listening to Jesus, they still didn’t get the purpose of His ministry, which was to die as a servant of humanity.
You would think those twelve would have figured it out, but they didn’t. In fact, almost 2000 years later that lesson is still not understood or implemented.
The problem is simple. We imitate the ways of the world, not the way of Jesus. It seems as though we pattern our church using government, business, or other secular methods rather than the Bible.
We seem to want power and titles and salaries to go alone with our recognition. No doubt this breaks Jesus’ heart when he sees this kind of stuff happening. In fact, at the beginning of His ministry and at the end of His ministry Jesus cleanses the temple. I think if He were here walking today, He would do the same to our Churches.
The way to greatness in the Kingdom is not climbing some ladder like in the corporate world. Rather it is picking up the basin and towel as Jesus did that night in the upper room. This is not difficult for anyone to understand, yet so few actually implement it.
Verse 45 really sums it all up, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” He came to serve humanity by dying for our sins.
Jesus was the ultimate example of servant leadership. He is the King of kings and Lord of Lords, but He gave up His privileges and He gave up His life as a selfless sacrifice in serving others.
He paid the price for those who put their faith into Him. The ransom price was paid to God to satisfy His justice and holy wrath against sin. In paying it, “Christ bore our sins in His body on the cross.”
As we see from the example of Christ, true greatness comes from serving others, not using them as the world does. A real leader has a servant’s heart. Rather than seeking ways to have your needs met, look for ways you can minister to the needs of others.
Servant leaders realize the worth and value of other people. They also realize they aren’t above any job or duty If you see something that needs to be done, don’t wait for someone to ask. Take the initiative and do it like a faithful servant.
So often, Christians try to influence the world to live like them. I believe we need to stop living like the world first and truly start living like Christ did. Only then will we truly make a difference.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for these wonderful lessons that we learn here each week. Help us to truly apply them to our lives. Help us this week to be servant leaders. Help us to be truly great, by serving others out of love for you and love for them.
AMEN
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Rich Young Ruler
Mark 10:17-27
Length: 19:17
This is a message given on October 11, 2009 at the Bowdertown United Methodist Church.
The Rich Young Ruler
As Jesus makes His way to Jerusalem a rich young man stopped Him and asked Him a question. Even though this man was young and rich, his question to Jesus appears to be sincere. It isn’t a trap like the questions we see from the Pharisees, it is simply an honest question.
In fact, the Scripture tells us the man knelt before Jesus and appealed to His integrity by calling Him a good teacher. This young man asks the question that everyone wants to know the answer too. “What must I do to inherit eternal life.”
There are really only two types of religious systems. One where you earn your way to eternal life and the Christian way of accepting salvation through Christ. The Jews were taught the legalistic way of earning your salvation by doing good works.
Right away, Jesus questioned the young man about the reason for calling Him good. “Why do you call Me Good? No one is good except God alone.” By saying this Jesus challenged the young man to think about who Jesus really was.
Since only God is Good, was the young man prepared to affirm Jesus as God? Only after understanding this will the young man be able to understand the answer Jesus is about to give. Jesus goes on to say, you need to obey the commandments.
This was a typical Jewish response. The Jews were convinced that a person gained favor with God by their own good behavior. All of the commandments Jesus states are commands with interacting with other people, not necessarily God.
The young man hears the answer and responds by saying, “Yeah, I’ve heard that many times before and I obey those commands. What I am still missing?” Again, this was a sincere response by the young man. He probably has externally obeyed those commandments, but internally his attitude and motives may not have always been right.
He feels something missing. He knows that none of his previous good deeds have earned him eternal life.
So, Jesus tells this man to give away all of his possessions and give the money to the poor. By saying this Jesus was not making either philanthropy or poverty a requirement for salvation. Rather, Jesus was simple exposing the young man’s heart.
See, this young man thought he was innocent, but in reality he loved his possessions more than others. More importantly though, he refused to obey Christ’s direct command by simply walking away.
This young man chose earthly riches instead of obeying God and receiving eternal life and heavenly riches. He would not submit to the Lordship of Christ. He went away sad, because the price was too high for him. He loved his wealth more than God.
Every disciple of Jesus Christ is called to follow Him in faith. But sometimes there are obstacles that stand between us and Jesus. We must remove those barriers in order to be faithful to Him.
For this young man, the barrier was money. For others it might be their family or their business. Just because the obstacle is different for us, it doesn’t make the demand any different.
We live in a materialistic society today. We need to remember that God owns it all, He just lets us use it while we are here and we are to use what we have for His purposes.
This young man goes away sad, still looking for a way to gain salvation and keep his money. That is the way a lot of people still think today. However, we know that is not how salvation works.
In order to be saved, you must receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You must make a choice as to where you will focus your time and attention. On earthly pursuits or Godly ones?
As Jesus watches this young man walk away, He turns to His disciples and says “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
This was a shocking statement to the disciples and the crowd. The Jews believed that wealth was a gift from God, which indeed can be true. But wealth could also be a curse. See, wealth tends to create self-sufficiency and a false sense of security. This often times leads those people with wealth to think they don’t need God or the things He provides for them. They can live life on their own.
The crowd asks, “who can be saved then?” We know the answer to that. We aren’t saved by works. We must abandon all that stands between us and Jesus. We need to trust God alone and Him completely. Salvation is God’s gracious gift to us through faith.
The story described in our Gospel reading this morning is a simple one. A man comes to Jesus looking for the answer to eternal life, but goes away sad because he doesn’t want to pay the price.
How about you? You have heard the price this morning. Jesus demands 100%, are you willing to make the commitment or will you walk away? The choice is yours.
Eternal life s more than just eternal existence, it is a different quality of life. Eternal life is in Christ alone. Those who possess it have “passed out of death into life.” They have died to sin and are alive to God. They have the very life of Christ in them. And they enjoy that relationship with Jesus Christ that will never end.
Does that describe your life? I hope so. Eternal life lasts forever, but begins right now. Enjoy it. Salvation and all its benefits come from God, both in this life and the life to come.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you this morning for this simple story. It is laid out so well for us and so easy to understand. Help us to follow through with our commitment to you and not walk away like this young man did.
Strengthen us to keep our material wealth in check and help us to remember where it all came from in the first place. Help us to use what you have given to us, to honor you. AMEN.
Length: 19:17
This is a message given on October 11, 2009 at the Bowdertown United Methodist Church.
The Rich Young Ruler
As Jesus makes His way to Jerusalem a rich young man stopped Him and asked Him a question. Even though this man was young and rich, his question to Jesus appears to be sincere. It isn’t a trap like the questions we see from the Pharisees, it is simply an honest question.
In fact, the Scripture tells us the man knelt before Jesus and appealed to His integrity by calling Him a good teacher. This young man asks the question that everyone wants to know the answer too. “What must I do to inherit eternal life.”
There are really only two types of religious systems. One where you earn your way to eternal life and the Christian way of accepting salvation through Christ. The Jews were taught the legalistic way of earning your salvation by doing good works.
Right away, Jesus questioned the young man about the reason for calling Him good. “Why do you call Me Good? No one is good except God alone.” By saying this Jesus challenged the young man to think about who Jesus really was.
Since only God is Good, was the young man prepared to affirm Jesus as God? Only after understanding this will the young man be able to understand the answer Jesus is about to give. Jesus goes on to say, you need to obey the commandments.
This was a typical Jewish response. The Jews were convinced that a person gained favor with God by their own good behavior. All of the commandments Jesus states are commands with interacting with other people, not necessarily God.
The young man hears the answer and responds by saying, “Yeah, I’ve heard that many times before and I obey those commands. What I am still missing?” Again, this was a sincere response by the young man. He probably has externally obeyed those commandments, but internally his attitude and motives may not have always been right.
He feels something missing. He knows that none of his previous good deeds have earned him eternal life.
So, Jesus tells this man to give away all of his possessions and give the money to the poor. By saying this Jesus was not making either philanthropy or poverty a requirement for salvation. Rather, Jesus was simple exposing the young man’s heart.
See, this young man thought he was innocent, but in reality he loved his possessions more than others. More importantly though, he refused to obey Christ’s direct command by simply walking away.
This young man chose earthly riches instead of obeying God and receiving eternal life and heavenly riches. He would not submit to the Lordship of Christ. He went away sad, because the price was too high for him. He loved his wealth more than God.
Every disciple of Jesus Christ is called to follow Him in faith. But sometimes there are obstacles that stand between us and Jesus. We must remove those barriers in order to be faithful to Him.
For this young man, the barrier was money. For others it might be their family or their business. Just because the obstacle is different for us, it doesn’t make the demand any different.
We live in a materialistic society today. We need to remember that God owns it all, He just lets us use it while we are here and we are to use what we have for His purposes.
This young man goes away sad, still looking for a way to gain salvation and keep his money. That is the way a lot of people still think today. However, we know that is not how salvation works.
In order to be saved, you must receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You must make a choice as to where you will focus your time and attention. On earthly pursuits or Godly ones?
As Jesus watches this young man walk away, He turns to His disciples and says “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
This was a shocking statement to the disciples and the crowd. The Jews believed that wealth was a gift from God, which indeed can be true. But wealth could also be a curse. See, wealth tends to create self-sufficiency and a false sense of security. This often times leads those people with wealth to think they don’t need God or the things He provides for them. They can live life on their own.
The crowd asks, “who can be saved then?” We know the answer to that. We aren’t saved by works. We must abandon all that stands between us and Jesus. We need to trust God alone and Him completely. Salvation is God’s gracious gift to us through faith.
The story described in our Gospel reading this morning is a simple one. A man comes to Jesus looking for the answer to eternal life, but goes away sad because he doesn’t want to pay the price.
How about you? You have heard the price this morning. Jesus demands 100%, are you willing to make the commitment or will you walk away? The choice is yours.
Eternal life s more than just eternal existence, it is a different quality of life. Eternal life is in Christ alone. Those who possess it have “passed out of death into life.” They have died to sin and are alive to God. They have the very life of Christ in them. And they enjoy that relationship with Jesus Christ that will never end.
Does that describe your life? I hope so. Eternal life lasts forever, but begins right now. Enjoy it. Salvation and all its benefits come from God, both in this life and the life to come.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you this morning for this simple story. It is laid out so well for us and so easy to understand. Help us to follow through with our commitment to you and not walk away like this young man did.
Strengthen us to keep our material wealth in check and help us to remember where it all came from in the first place. Help us to use what you have given to us, to honor you. AMEN.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Hard Hearts in Marriage
Mark 10:2-12
Length: 17:50
This is a message given on October 4, 2009 at the Bowdertown United Methodist Church.
Hard Hearts in Marriage
Jesus is continuing his journey to Jerusalem. The crowds continue to grow. The Pharisees are still monitoring Jesus’ activity and teaching, just waiting for the right opportunity to pounce on Him.
They decide to ask Him a question about divorce. Not because they are really in need of any answer, but simply to stir up trouble. Everyone stops and focuses their attention on Jesus to hear His answer. See, divorce was one of those hot button issues then as it is now as well.
The Pharisee’s had two main schools of thought on the issue. One division followed the teaching of Hillel who said a man could divorce his wife is she displeased him for almost any reason. If supper was burnt, the husband could divorce his wife. If the wife spoke disrespectfully of her in-laws, the husband could file for divorce.
The other group followed the teaching of Shammai, who said a man could only divorce his wife for a serious sexual offense. This view is of course closer to Jesus’ teaching, but still not close enough.
So as you can imagine, whatever Jesus says He is going to upset half of the group. You might be wondering why the Pharisees bring the topic of divorce up now. Well, Jesus is in the neighborhood of John the Baptist.
And if you remember it was over this issue that John was beheaded. So no doubt the Pharisees are thinking they can get Jesus to say something that will cause Him to be beheaded as well.
Jesus responds, “What did Moses command you?” Jesus is setting the ground rules for the debate. The answer to the question does concern someone interpretation or feelings. Rather, the answer lies in scripture.
We know that God designed a man and a women o be married to each other. This goes back to Genesis 1:27. They belong together physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This involves leaving your father and mother and being one with each other. Marriage is a covenant with commitment and faithful intimacy.
This is God’s design from the beginning. They become life partners, co-laborers. They are yoked together. One man with one women. God ordains marriage and that covenant should not be broken.
The Pharisees answer Jesus’ question by responding that Moses commanded a man to divorce his wife and send her away. The Pharisees response is partially correct. Moses did permit divorce, but didn’t command divorce as the Pharisees were implying.
Moses is not advocating divorce, but he does regulate it. And remember, this isn’t Moses, rather it is God using Moses to lay down the law. We also need to keep in mind that this was truly a male-dominated society where women and children were treated as property not people.
Jesus tells the Pharisees that God allowed divorce because of the hardness of their hearts. So Moses isn’t stopping divorce, but he is creating some regulations for it to protect the people involved, especially the women and children.
So a couple of questions arise from Jesus’ teaching. Since Jesus is confirming the possibility of divorce, what are the grounds?
It is clear that Jesus grants permission to divorce an unfaithful spouse. This isn’t a command. In fact, if there can be a reconciliation and forgiveness their should be. Christians are part of the body of Christ, therefore, Christians should seek the counsel and guidance of other members of that body. But most importantly, to seek council from God through prayer and reading His Word.
So, is unfaithfulness the only reason for divorce? Well, we learn from 1 Corinthians 7:15 that if an unbelieving spouse wants out of the marriage the believer is to let them go to keep the peace. The key to these two circumstances is that the commitment and the faithfulness of the covenant was broken.
We must be faithful to what the Scripture teaches. And part of the Scriptures tells us to be compassionate. So we need to apply the Word of God faithfully to our lives, yet still maintain sensitivity and compassion.
To finish up our scripture this morning, in verse 10, the disciples question Him about divorce some more, so they can have a more thorough understanding of His teaching. Jesus’ final statement is showing “equal” rights to men and women.
Men and women have the same rights when it comes to divorce and remarriage. There are no differences.
The sanctity of marriage is serious business in God’s eyes. Make no mistake about it, divorce is always bad. Malachi 2:17 plainly tells us that God hates divorce. It is a failure and should be recognized as such. That being said, we need to remember that we live in a fallen world and sometimes the conditions of life are less than perfect.
We don’t always have the option of choose between good and evil or right and wrong. Sometimes we need to choose bad over badder or wrong or wronger! How’s that for proper grammar!
Though God hates divorce, there are times when it is the lesser of the evils and would prevent a future and even greater catastrophe. So He allows it.
Let me close by saying, if you are divorced or have been divorced, God still loves you. You are not automatically rejected from Him. It is not something that will keep you from Him.
The marriage relationship is beautiful and is a part of God’s plan for many of us. They do however, take a tremendous amount of time and energy. Let us not forget that God has given some of us the gift of singleness, as well.
Whatever our situation might be, married, single, divorced, remarried. Let us remember that whatever we do, we do for God’s glory and honor. We should live by His Word.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly father, we thank you for our marriages. We thank you that you enable us to become one with other. We thank you that they are able to strengthen us and fill our weaknesses. Help us to truly honor our commitment to them and to you for you glory. AMEN.
Length: 17:50
This is a message given on October 4, 2009 at the Bowdertown United Methodist Church.
Hard Hearts in Marriage
Jesus is continuing his journey to Jerusalem. The crowds continue to grow. The Pharisees are still monitoring Jesus’ activity and teaching, just waiting for the right opportunity to pounce on Him.
They decide to ask Him a question about divorce. Not because they are really in need of any answer, but simply to stir up trouble. Everyone stops and focuses their attention on Jesus to hear His answer. See, divorce was one of those hot button issues then as it is now as well.
The Pharisee’s had two main schools of thought on the issue. One division followed the teaching of Hillel who said a man could divorce his wife is she displeased him for almost any reason. If supper was burnt, the husband could divorce his wife. If the wife spoke disrespectfully of her in-laws, the husband could file for divorce.
The other group followed the teaching of Shammai, who said a man could only divorce his wife for a serious sexual offense. This view is of course closer to Jesus’ teaching, but still not close enough.
So as you can imagine, whatever Jesus says He is going to upset half of the group. You might be wondering why the Pharisees bring the topic of divorce up now. Well, Jesus is in the neighborhood of John the Baptist.
And if you remember it was over this issue that John was beheaded. So no doubt the Pharisees are thinking they can get Jesus to say something that will cause Him to be beheaded as well.
Jesus responds, “What did Moses command you?” Jesus is setting the ground rules for the debate. The answer to the question does concern someone interpretation or feelings. Rather, the answer lies in scripture.
We know that God designed a man and a women o be married to each other. This goes back to Genesis 1:27. They belong together physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This involves leaving your father and mother and being one with each other. Marriage is a covenant with commitment and faithful intimacy.
This is God’s design from the beginning. They become life partners, co-laborers. They are yoked together. One man with one women. God ordains marriage and that covenant should not be broken.
The Pharisees answer Jesus’ question by responding that Moses commanded a man to divorce his wife and send her away. The Pharisees response is partially correct. Moses did permit divorce, but didn’t command divorce as the Pharisees were implying.
Moses is not advocating divorce, but he does regulate it. And remember, this isn’t Moses, rather it is God using Moses to lay down the law. We also need to keep in mind that this was truly a male-dominated society where women and children were treated as property not people.
Jesus tells the Pharisees that God allowed divorce because of the hardness of their hearts. So Moses isn’t stopping divorce, but he is creating some regulations for it to protect the people involved, especially the women and children.
So a couple of questions arise from Jesus’ teaching. Since Jesus is confirming the possibility of divorce, what are the grounds?
It is clear that Jesus grants permission to divorce an unfaithful spouse. This isn’t a command. In fact, if there can be a reconciliation and forgiveness their should be. Christians are part of the body of Christ, therefore, Christians should seek the counsel and guidance of other members of that body. But most importantly, to seek council from God through prayer and reading His Word.
So, is unfaithfulness the only reason for divorce? Well, we learn from 1 Corinthians 7:15 that if an unbelieving spouse wants out of the marriage the believer is to let them go to keep the peace. The key to these two circumstances is that the commitment and the faithfulness of the covenant was broken.
We must be faithful to what the Scripture teaches. And part of the Scriptures tells us to be compassionate. So we need to apply the Word of God faithfully to our lives, yet still maintain sensitivity and compassion.
To finish up our scripture this morning, in verse 10, the disciples question Him about divorce some more, so they can have a more thorough understanding of His teaching. Jesus’ final statement is showing “equal” rights to men and women.
Men and women have the same rights when it comes to divorce and remarriage. There are no differences.
The sanctity of marriage is serious business in God’s eyes. Make no mistake about it, divorce is always bad. Malachi 2:17 plainly tells us that God hates divorce. It is a failure and should be recognized as such. That being said, we need to remember that we live in a fallen world and sometimes the conditions of life are less than perfect.
We don’t always have the option of choose between good and evil or right and wrong. Sometimes we need to choose bad over badder or wrong or wronger! How’s that for proper grammar!
Though God hates divorce, there are times when it is the lesser of the evils and would prevent a future and even greater catastrophe. So He allows it.
Let me close by saying, if you are divorced or have been divorced, God still loves you. You are not automatically rejected from Him. It is not something that will keep you from Him.
The marriage relationship is beautiful and is a part of God’s plan for many of us. They do however, take a tremendous amount of time and energy. Let us not forget that God has given some of us the gift of singleness, as well.
Whatever our situation might be, married, single, divorced, remarried. Let us remember that whatever we do, we do for God’s glory and honor. We should live by His Word.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly father, we thank you for our marriages. We thank you that you enable us to become one with other. We thank you that they are able to strengthen us and fill our weaknesses. Help us to truly honor our commitment to them and to you for you glory. AMEN.
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