EVERY DAY WITH JESUS
Followers (Disciples) of Jesus
A devotional consideration of the Gospel of Saint Matthew
MONDAY, December 19, 2011 Matthew 21:12,13 12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[e] but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’[f]”
“Church Cleaning” Ever since the human race trashed the Garden of Eden through their sinful disobedience, people have been contaminating what the good God does. This contamination of sin is found everywhere in everything by everybody in every way. Nowhere is this contamination more repulsive than when it is found in connection with God’s work of rescuing sinners, the work of His Church.
The LORD, Who is present throughout creation, had graciously established a specific place - the temple - where He was present in a special way to display His grace. It was the center of the world for His people. He was present there to bless them and receive their worship. They came there to receive gracious blessing from His Presence and to worship Him. It was a sacred, holy place where He cleansed His people and made them holy as they worshiped Him.
That sacred place had been corrupted by sin. It’s peace was disturbed by brazen sinners. Jesus, Who had come to zealously serve God and provide cleansing for sinners, was zealous for the place where the Holy God received sinners. He cleansed the temple of the sinners and their activities which had desecrated it. He restored it to its godly purpose as “a house of prayer for all nations”. He had done the same thing early in His ministry (see John 2:12-25).
Christ’s Church, both the organization and all of its branches as well as each of its members, including you and me always needs continual cleansing. He seeks to do that through the cleansing work of His Spirit through His Word and sacraments. Where sin stubbornly persists He will expose it and eradicate it so that His Church can be what He wants it to be for Him and what it needs to be for others.
PRAYER: LORD, cleanse me by Your Spirit continually so that I, as a “living stone” in Your Church, may glorify You and grace others. AMEN
TUESDAY, December 20, 2011 Matthew 21:14-17 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’[g]?”
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
Like a kid again It’s an annual event in many Christian congregations. Some of us have vivid memories of it that last a lifetime. A Christmas Eve service featuring the voices of children in recitation and song. Priceless! The simple sincerity and the obvious joy of the children as they praise the One they know as their Savior touches the hearts of all but those who must be stone dead. We loved being a part of it when we were children (yes, there might have been nervous fear too) and we enjoy witnessing it now that we have become adults.
The Christian children who present these services know Him as their Savior; but, in their childish understanding and experience, they do not yet understand how profound the need is for salvation and just how awesome that deliverance is. Yet, when they are told how that Child will someday die to take away their sins - they know - yes, they know deeply, how wonderful He is. They praise Him with unabashed joy!
Oh, to be a kid again and always! Knowing what He has done for me. Understanding the debt my sinfulness has continued to run up and how His grace has completely cancelled that debt by His blood - I too want to praise Him and worship Him. Why not do that like a kid - publicly with others and privately with everyone?! Don’t be ashamed or shy or embarased. Humbly from your heart worship Him with your life!
PRAYER: Dear Savior, we hear and see the children praise You. Free us as adults to join the children’s choir! AMEN
WEDNESDAY, December 21, 2011 Matthew 21:18-22 18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Of figs and faith... The power of Christ is breathtaking. His absolute power over all creation is awesome. Fig trees were created by God for His glory and man’s good. Their highest purpose is to produce fruit. if they don’t do that, there is no reason for their continued drawing on the sustaining resources of the soil. They are fit for destruction. Jesus called for it and it was done.
The fruitless fig tree withered by the word of Christ was a sad metaphor for the state of the visible Church at this time in Jesus’ ministry. While sincere children and impressed adults were created by the ministry of His Word, the church establishment became like stone in its hateful soon to be murderous opposition. Like the fig tree, they and their city and the temple they despised would receive the destruction for which they had been crying.
That breathtaking awesome power that belonged to Christ by divine right and expressed itself through Him in human form, that power dwells in us by the in-dwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit through faith. Where the glory of God and God’s good will for man desire it, that power can be exercised through us too to do amazing miraculous things. Again, those things are done only by His power and only for His glory. His Church and each of its members exists to praise Him not impress others.
PRAYER: LORD, give me humble but bold faith that recognizes and calls on Your power to give You glory and to do good. AMEN
THURSDAY, December 22, 2011 Matthew 21:23-27 18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
It’s obvious... It was said by many and it should have been said by all Who saw what He did and heard what He said: “This Man is sent by and has the authority of God!” The stubborn sinfulness of our race is blatantly and astonishingly displayed by no less than the ones who ought to have recognized and honored God most - “the chief priests and the elders of the people”!
In wicked pride and jealously they made themselves blind and deaf and sought to discourage those who could hear and see. They made a great public show of challenging Jesus.
Thankfully, He was up to the challenge! With His moral purity and holy wisdom He easily avoided their traps and exposed their wickedness. He plainly and publicly responded to their public attack by clearly stating that they “shoulda and coulda” known better.
Their self-induced blindness and deafness is a terrifying warning to us, and especially those of us who have the privilege of leading in His church and in our families! When God’s Word is set aside, neglected, ignored, or even contradicted and openly despised - our condition is hopeless.
PRAYER: LORD, keep our hearts and minds always opening to the cutting and healing of Your saving Word in Christ. AMEN
FRIDAY, December 23, 2011 Matthew 21:28-32 28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
A Story about repentance The “churchy people” who confronted Jesus in the events of this chapter gave every public appearance that they were obedient sons of God. However, their refusal to acknowledge Jesus as sent from God indicated that in reality they were not God’s sons.
Instead, God’s true sons were notorious sinners (more accurately, former sinners) who had come to repentance. These sinners had previously disobeyed the will of their Father; but, then they had a change of mind and heart and life. Repentance.
Meanwhile, the “churchy people” said they would do the Father’s will (and outwardly seemed to people that they were) but they did not.
Jesus’ words hit home to our hearts. They lead us to look honestly at our hearts and lives to see if there is anywhere we are “talking the talk and not walking the walk”. Led by the Spirit of God, if and when we find such a contradiction, by His Spirit we repent and change the way we think and act.
PRAYER: LORD, may my heart and life be truly obedient to You, my Heavenly Father. AMEN
SATURDAY, December 24, 2011 Matthew 21:33-46 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied
and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone[h];
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[i]?
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”[j]
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.”
The sending of the Son This might seem a strange text for this Christmas Eve day devotion. Surprisingly, it is not. Of course for many months we have been looking at Matthew’s gospel for light for our daily path. What a happy thing to find ourselves today at a story that relates so closely to Christmas (in various ways don’t they all actually?)!
The Bible uses the earthly picture of a vineyard to describe God’s Church. A vineyard that belongs to the LORD. A vineyard filled with vines that are to be alive in Him. A vineyard that produces fruit for Him. And, yes, a vineyard where He has ‘tenants’, let’s call them religious leaders who are to care for His vineyard and help it to be productive for Him. These leaders are to listen to the “servants” He sends. Of course those would be His special messengers, the prophets and apostles.
Of course the horrible focus of the story is the murder of the Owner’s Son Who was sent to them when they didn’t receive His other messengers.
The sweetness of Christmas Eve - the lowly shepherds exalted by the appearance of angels, the lowly stable exalted by the presence of God’s Son - takes on a very somber tone when we remember what this holy baby would endure to make us holy. Although He would escape the sword of murderous Herod, He was sent to endure the cross under Pontius Pilate while forsaken by God. His stark suffering would bring us sweet salvation.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, as I think of You this Christmas Eve I remember the reason You came. You came to rescue Me. I thank You. I am Yours! AMEN
CHRISTMAS DAY! December 25, 2011 Matthew 21:37 “‘Last of all, He sent His Son to them. ‘They will respect My Son,’ He said.’”
Respect! A blessed Christmas be yours! In Jesus story which is before us, we know that the owner’s son did not receive respect. He received death. That’s not what he deserved. Those to whom he was sent ought to have given him the respect that his father expected. However, they did not do what was right.
The Father sending His Son to live, to die, to rise, to rule - is beyond compare!! Absolutely awesome! John spoke for all past and future believers when he considered the reality of the Father’s love for us in Jesus: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (I John 3:1)
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ - LAVISH LOVE, that’s what we celebrate on Christmas and every day until and through eternity. In response, may we give Jesus proper respect by lavishing our love on Him and living our lives for Him and His!
PRAYER: “Oh, draw us wholly to You, LORD, and to us all Your grace accord; true faith and love to us impart that we may hold You in our heart.” AMEN (Christian Worship hymn #46 v.3)
