Exodus 20
Here we are at one of the best known passages of the Bible and the most disobeyed. What does it mean to have no other gods before Him? Many years ago my bride and I stood before a minister of the Gospel and gave vows to each other to love each other uniquely and supremely as husband and wife till death parted us. Suppose I came home and found that she had added other husbands to her list. In this bedroom Jerry resided. In that bedroom Wilbur took up residence. In another bedroom was George. And me? Well, I am rich; I could go find a motel to stay in somewhere. After all she could maybe have a chat with me for about 30-60 minutes once a week—if she felt like not reading a book. I could not accept that. I would divorce her. I want a relationship with her. I don’t want to be held at a distance.
But wait! That analogy is not strong enough. Jerry, Wilbur or George might actually be better for her than me. So for the analogy’s sake, what if she replaced them with rooms filled with the following. In one room she dedicated a large screen TV that continuously played movies featuring me in my best moments (it would be a short movie) in one continuous loop. Suppose she dedicated another room to numerous statues and busts of me in various walks of life revealing my greatness (yuck. . . ). In another room she had all the recordings of my best sermons playing one right after another so that she could never forget what a great orator I am (ha. . .). But even that does not reflect the passage. Suppose, in order to catch my greatness she used animals or planets to reflect what I was like. So in the TV room she had wonderful nature videos playing as a representation of what I was like. In another room she reproduced wonderful sounds of nature to represent who I am. Another room might be filled with the scents of nature to reflect my wonderfulness (I hope she wouldn’t choose a skunk). Other rooms might be filled with animals that remind her of me. Suppose I came home, and she ignored me. She was two busy watching my videos or caressing my statues or enjoying my scents or stroking the animals that remind her of me. In her mind it was enough that I would watch her in these activities. I’d send her to a mental institution. I want a relationship with her. I don’t want to be held at a distance. It would be insulting to me that she would desire those things over me.
But wait! What if she daily went for a walk downtown. What if, she told all the merchants, “My husband wants this merchandise. My husband wants that merchandise. Here is my husband’s credit card. He’ll take care of it all.” What if in every conversation she threw out my name as if it were some common slur. What if her use of my name became associated with emptiness and meaninglessness?, What right would she have to daily drag my name into the ground by making promises that I had no intention of keeping or in frivolous use that degraded me in the community? It would be insulting to me and an indication that she had no intention to live up to the honor of my name.
But wait! What if I had communicated with her that at least once a week that as much as possible, I would like for her to cease her normal activities to spend that day resting and focusing upon me? But instead of spending it with me, she sought other persons to be with or other things to do. After all, it was the only day of the week that she had for herself. What if I told her that that day would be a special sign to all other people that we were husband and wife? Yet she spent that day pursuing other relationships. Well after all, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to me. I mean, she had already spent her week filling her life with things that were less than me. It would be an insult to me that she preferred them over me.
This analogy falls far short for the very reason that I could never be compared to the greatness of the glory of our God. The gap that exists between me and any videos, statues, sound recordings, animals or planets to represent me etc. is much closer than the gap that exists between the glory of God and anything with which we may want to represent Him or replace Him. After all, He is the infinite Creator and everything else is His creation. The right with which I have to request my wife’s affections are far less than the right with which He possesses to command my affections toward Him. After all, He is the infinite Creator and I am His creation. Yet in breaking these first four of the ten commandments, this is how we how we treat God. This is how we view His glory. That is why we must seek to see His glory every day and share it with others. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 11:19-33
I lived briefly in Norman, Oklahoma. My house sat on 8.5 acres. For exercise I used to jog the fence perimeter of my land a couple of times each morning. We had a peach tree right next to the fence. When the peaches became ripe, I would stop on my way by and pick a peach or two to eat for breakfast. I love tree ripened peaches. Those peaches were small and wormy but they had good flavor. Something happened later in the year and the tree withered and died.
Other than the cross, did Jesus ever have any mountains to move? I mean really, He is the Man of Glory. If faith moves mountains, why did He curse the fig tree rather than blessing it so that it would produce fruit? There are some things that Jesus can do but will not do. He could force us to receive Him, but He woos us to Himself. He could force us to love Him, but He chooses to enable us to love. He could force us to bear the fruit of the Spirit, but He chooses to make His Spirit available to us so that we may permit His life flow in us.
When Jesus came to the nation at the Triumphal entry and presented Himself as King, He had the power to make Himself King. But He let the religious leaders reject Him. They should have borne the fruit of joyful reception to their King, but it was not there. If the leaders of His people will not receive Him as King, then how will He set up His Kingdom? If the leaders of His people will not recognize the source of His authority and power, then how can He become king? Now there is a mountain of a conundrum.
The glory of Jesus is that He can move mountains! Sometimes you have to remove a tree in order to get a tree that produces fruit. He cursed the fruitless fig tree and used that as an illustration for the disciples about the value of faith and prayer. But wouldn't it have been better to have blessed it to make it produce fruit rather than curse it and make it wither? Jesus had a mountain to move here. He came as the King of kings, but the leaders of His subjects refused to receive Him. Sometimes you have to remove a tree to get a tree that produces fruit. Sometimes you have to remove some people from a congregation to get a congregation that produces fruit.
The glory of Jesus is that He can move mountains! Sometimes you have to forgive those who stand in the way in order move the mountain. Do you suppose Jesus forgave those leaders for rejecting Him? I know that on the cross He cried out, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do." He in turn instructs us to forgive in order that we may experience forgiveness. The implication is that then we will have what we pray for.
Jesus wants to produce fruit in us. What mountains are in the way? Is it unbelief? Is it unforgiveness? What mountains are in your way? Believe and they'll be removed. I miss my peach tree. Maybe I'll plant another this week. A few years from now I should have some fruit. Do you suppose that Jesus misses fruit in us? Do you have anyone you need to forgive? Jesus can empower you to move that mountain. That is part of His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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