February 5, 2010

Genesis 38

Her face glowed with joy. Joy just seemed to ooze out of her. I met her for the first and only time at a Bible Study. The leader of the Bible Study told me that she had only been saved a week. He said that she looked 10 years younger now, than what she looked like the week previous. She had been a drug addict and prostitute. When she met Jesus, she not only left the world’s oldest profession, but she also was instantly delivered from the drug addictions that held her in bondage. Jesus always seemed to have a soft spot in his heart for prostitutes. After all, Tamar resorts to prostitution to get what she wanted. Rahab was a harlot. These are both mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. Many of His acquaintances were prostitutes or at least very promiscuous. Does that mean that Jesus approves of sexual promiscuity or harlotry? No, not at all. It just magnifies His glorious mercy and grace.

What a pathetic family line Jesus comes from! Tamar does some rather unconventional acts in order to get what conventionally should have been hers. In her culture children were the conventional form of social security for a woman. Why didn’t Judah provide what should have been a right, according to her culture? Does this incident mean that the Lord approves of the behavior in the story? No, not at all. But it does show us the magnitude of His grace. Does this mean that we can presume upon His grace? We had better not! Even as recipients of grace, there are still consequences of sin in the family, just look at Tamar’s family. But it is a great reminder of His awesome grace.

Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin.

How shall my tongue describe it.

Where shall His praise begin.

Taking away my burden.

Setting my spirit free!

Oh the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!

Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Matthew 23:1-22

I remember my football coaches. They came up with all kinds of schemes to make us stronger and more agile. It wasn’t because they were lazy but because they wanted to produce the best in us. Some of you may know what I am talking about when I mention a blocking sled. We had a two man blocking sled that he would stand on while we had to hit and drive the sled all over the playing field. He would have all kinds of comments as we drove it, especially if we were not doing as well as he thought we ought to be doing, which was most of the time. But he never came down and helped us drive it. He just yelled a little louder.

The Scribes and Pharisees had many rules that they had come up with to “help people gain the righteousness of God.” They ranged from memory cards strapped to the forehead, to special greetings, to beautiful flowery prayers, to special evangelism techniques, to special rules for tithing, to special oaths which were breakable and oaths which were not breakable. They were kind of like my football coaches who stood on the blocking sleds. They kept calling out cajoling and criticizing, maybe encouraging. But they never came down and helped someone keep the burden of the law. They were an ever reminder that one could not meet the righteous demands of the Law. Yet they gave the false illusion that the demands of the Law could be met, when actually, they couldn’t.

Not so with Jesus. He still holds a high standard for the Law. As a matter of fact, He raised the standard presented by the rabbis of the day. But unlike the rabbis, He got off of the sled. He took the weight of the sled, the Law upon Himself. What we could not fulfill, He did. He did it vicariously upon the cross and in His resurrection. But He didn’t stop there. When He ascended into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to live within us so that through Him we might have the power to live out the Law’s demands of righteousness. He drives the sled through us. He doesn’t stand on it cracking a whip and yelling about our deficiencies. He calls us to yield to Him, to take His yoke upon ourselves. Now that is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John