Tag Archives: Trouble with Religious Leaders

Trying to Stay on the Fence

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They loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12:43 ESV1

Read John 12:42-50

Sitting on the fence is a common English idiom to describe the actions or thoughts of one who is indecisive or refuses to choose between two opposing sides. This inability to decide is usually due to a lack of courage. When one weighs the options and the potential losses involved in making a firm commitment to either side, sitting on the fence often seems like the safest place. However, assumptions often do not agree with reality.

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According to God’s Plan

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“You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” John 11:49b-50 ESV1

Read Matthew 26:1-5; Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-2 & John 11:45-53

In elementary school gym class, we sometimes got to use scooters to aid us in our physical exercise. Whenever the gym teacher brought the scooters out of the supply closet, cheers of excitement filled the gymnasium. For us children, it was exhilarating to roll all over the smooth floor playing games while either sitting or lying on these 12” x 12” x 1” pieces of wood supported by four caster wheels, one in each corner.

I absolutely loved the gym class scooters. So, one day I decided to make one for myself. In my dad’s workshop, I found a beautiful piece of wood, just the right size, and one caster wheel. I worked hard sanding the wood and screwing the wheel to the center of the board. This was a sizable accomplishment for a child but it was the joy I expected to receive from my very own scooter that kept me diligently working.

When my scooter was finished, the wood was smooth and the wheel was secure and turned easily. But when I tried out my scooter, my joy disappeared into frustration. Every time I tried to sit or lie on my scooter, it would tip to one side, strike the ground, and become completely unmovable.

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Perplexing Questions

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“What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” Matthew 22:42a ESV1

Read Matthew 22:41-46, Mark 12:35-37 & Luke 20:41-44

One Monday morning, in Geography class, we were given a pop quiz. Each of us students was presented with a blank map of the United States and was asked to fill in the names of the states in the correct position. Some students panicked because they were unable to perform the task. But relief spread over these students when they were told that the activity had been only a pretest. The actual test would come on Friday. We were given the week to study with the warning to make the week count because anyone who did not receive a perfect grade on the final test would have to study and retake the test while everyone else was attending the Friday afternoon special assembly.

Since I could quickly identify all of the states on the pretest, I didn’t bother studying. I wasn’t worried about the consequence because I was confident I could easily ace the test. But, to my dismay, when the test day came, I could not for the life of me remember the name of the tiny triangular-shaped state just east of Maryland. Humiliated, I was forced to stay back from the anticipated gathering and retake the test.

My pride in thinking I knew all the answers for this particular test is what got me into trouble. I really did not know what I thought I knew. The Pharisees, a prominent religious group during Jesus’ time on Earth, thought they knew more about the coming Messiah than they really did. It was their pride in their knowledge of Scripture that caused them to have issues with Jesus, the very One they thought they were ready to welcome.

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Two, Yet One

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“On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:40 ESV1

Read Matthew 22:34-40 & Mark 12:28-34

Sometimes two or more items are grouped to make one new entity. A mixture combines different elements, kinds, or quantities to form a unique blend. A merger joins two or more businesses into a single enterprise. An alloy is a composition of two or more metals, or a metal with a nonmetal, making a new substance. This incorporation of two into one is not only found in the physical realm but in the relational and spiritual realms as well. One of the interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees is evidence of this.

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Faithful Rendering

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Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17 ESV1

Read Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17 & Luke 20:20-26

To faithfully render something is to accurately represent it. But one can faithfully render something without rendering faithfully at all. To explain this phenomenon, let’s turn to an account recorded in the synoptic Gospels.

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Holy House Cleaning

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 “Is it not written, ‘My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17 ESV1

Read Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-19 & Luke 19:45-48

Ah! Spring! The birds are chirping. The sun is shining. The days are getting longer. After a long, cold winter, it is time for Spring Cleaning. Now is my chance to open up the windows and air out the house allowing the warm breeze with its earthy smell to penetrate every room. Now, I have the opportunity to move every piece of furniture and clean from behind and under all that has been hiding during the previously dark and dreary season. Now, I can finally wash the windows inside and out removing all the grime that has collected upon them over the last few months. I love that fresh, inviting feeling my home emanates after a thorough cleaning. I’m not the only one who realizes the need for this type of deep cleaning. Jesus was known to do a little Spring Cleaning Himself. One Spring day, just before Passover, …

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The Key to Unlocking the Mystery

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His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him. John 12:16 ESV1

Read Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40 & John 12:12-19

Have you heard of Escape Rooms? Escape Rooms work like this: people allow themselves to be locked into a room to play a game of solving a series of puzzles within a certain amount of time to accomplish the goal of finding the key that will unlock the door and release them from their self-imposed captivity. The first Escape Room was created in 2007 in Japan out of the desire to participate in a real-life adventure like that found in point-and-click video games. The idea quickly caught on; within the next ten years, Escape Rooms began popping up all over the world. Because of the widespread interest, entrepreneurs have made businesses out of providing Escape Room experiences. Escape Rooms may be a relatively new phenomenon but the desire to solve mysteries and discover solutions to seemingly impossible predicaments is an innate human longing. Indeed, I would say it was placed in us by God Himself.

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So Right Yet So Wrong

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He said …, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Luke 16:31 ESV1

Read Luke 16:14-31

Contrary to popular opinion, God doesn’t grade on a scale. If He did, none of us would get a passing grade. Think about it. How many lies must one tell to be a liar? Only one. How many times must one cheat to be a fraud? Just one time. How many times must one steal before becoming a thief? Only once. Likewise, how often must one tell the truth to be completely trustworthy? Every single time. How often does one need to be faithful to be honest? Always. How many times does one have to refrain from taking without permission to be law-abiding? Every possible time. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (James 2:10).

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There Are Points in Heaven for That

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“When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:13-14 ESV1

Read Luke 14:12-24

My youngest daughter has always had the heart of a servant. Continually, she has looked for small ways to bless the people around her. When she was young, she was often troubled by the fact that her acts of kindness were not reciprocated; many times, she never even received a word of thanks for her benevolence. When she would bemoan others’ lack of gratitude, I would encourage her with: “There are points in Heaven for that.” Upon hearing these words, my daughter was reminded that God saw her intentions and her actions; even if those benefitting from her kindness didn’t appreciate it, He did.

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The Best Seats in the House

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“When you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.” Luke 14:10 ESV1

Read Luke 14:7-14

When talking about the theater or some other venue, the best seats in the house are the ones that afford the optimal view of the performance or activity. Sometimes, these favorable seats are reserved for special people like celebrities and heads of State. These preferred seats are usually the most expensive. The amount a person is willing to spend on a particular seat is directly related to how much he/she either desires to observe the event or how much he/she wishes to be seen as important in that context.

Jesus had a little something to say about desiring the best seats in the house.

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