For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. – Luke 19:10

Today's Scripture Reading (December 15, 2020): Luke 19

Too often, we know only part of the story. I am continually amazed when a friend contacts me with some salacious news that they had heard, only to be disappointed when a little more research proves that what they heard was only part of the story. Maybe what we need is a new Paul Harvey to rise up with the commitment to tell us "the rest of the story" while possessing the ability to entertain, encouraging us to listen.

In Christian circles, there are many half-truths that we seem to like to tell or post on Facebook, which makes our argument. These comments are usually only part of the story, and either we have never heard the rest of the story, or we are critical of the rest of the story, so we keep it back, becoming authors of a half-truth.

An example of this kind of half-truth is part of the story of the missing Bible verse. According to proponents of the King James translation of the Bible, the proof of how evil the translators of the New International Version were is highlighted by the fact that the NIV translators removed an entire verse out of the Bible. (And yes, that is true.) Actually, most translations now have entirely removed the verse, including new printings of the King James Version. Still, that fact doesn't help the story intended to harm the New International Version.

The verse in question is Matthew 18:11. If you are reading Matthew in the NIV, you might notice that Matthew 18:10 is followed by Matthew 18:12; there is no verse11, just a notation indicating that the verse has been removed. According to the tale's tellers about the evil NIV translators, the total removal of a verse is because the NIV interpreters disagreed with the verse's theology. Hence, they altered the Bible, taking the verse out of Matthew. By removing the verse, they shaped the theology of Jesus into something more palatable. But, if you want to find out what Jesus really thought, you need to read the King James Bible, and not one that was printed within the last decade. You need to find a King James Bible that includes Matthew 18:11.

So, what does the missing verse proclaim? "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." It is Luke 19:10, and the verse has not been removed from Luke's writing. And why was it removed from Matthew but retained in Luke? Well, it does not appear in all the ancient manuscripts of Matthew, just a few. And the thought fits better in Luke. There is no doubt that Jesus had said that he "came to seek and to save the lost." But the idea flows better at the end of Zacchaeus's story than it does at the beginning of Matthew's tale of the wandering sheep (although you could make an argument for its inclusion in Matthew). Still, in the manuscripts where Matthew 18:11 exists, it feels like some scholar added to the story to try to get the message across. Therefore, it was removed, or more precisely, placed in the footnotes of Matthew 18

But here, in the conclusion of the story of a lost son of Abraham named Zacchaeus, the verse shines, and the heart of Jesus is revealed. And that is the rest of the story.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 12

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. – Mark 11:11

Today's Scripture Reading (December 14, 2020): Mark 11

On January 9, 1982, Mark Thatcher, the son of then-current Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, went missing. The incident took place during the Paris–Dakar Rally. Thatcher was finally spotted by searchers six days after going missing. The incident caused his mother great international embarrassment, and she insisted on personally paying £2,000 toward the cost of the search for her son. Later, Mark Thatcher would admit that "we stopped. The others stopped too, took a note of where we were and went on. But … instead of telling everyone we were 25 miles east when they finished the section, they told them we were 25 miles west." Thatcher and his compatriots simply made a mistake identifying where it was that they were.

Our reality is that to get anywhere, we first have to know where we are. As we make our way through life, it is the question that we have to repeatedly ask ourselves; "Do we know precisely where we are." Too often, we make decisions that seem ridiculous because we simply do not know where we are. And it is the number one reason why we get lost. If we are wrong about where we are, we can never make it to where we want to go.

It is also one of the criticisms that I have heard during the 2020 pandemic. There are many theories offered by both professionals and amateurs concerning what the government should do to curb the transmission of the virus or any virus at any time. But the differences evident between the various solutions often rest on the fact that the authors of the remedy differ on where they believe we exist as a society.

Jesus enters into Jerusalem and goes to the Temple. It is late in the day, but Jesus wanted to take a look. But he is not on a sightseeing tour; he wants to evaluate the nation's spiritual health. He wanted to know where the people were spiritually. It was a visit that fulfilled the words spoken by Malachi; " 'I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the Lord Almighty" (Malachi 3:1).

What does Jesus find? The rest of Mark 11 reveals Jesus's response to the assessment of what he saw on that first day. As he arrived at the Temple, he observes people who lacked faith and depended too much on ritual and a religious system that had made a practice of exploiting the poor and the vulnerable. It was where the people were spiritually, but it was not where Jesus wanted them to stay.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 19

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" – Matthew 21:10

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 13, 2020): Matthew 21

C. S. Lewis made the argument famous, but he wasn't the first one to present the idea that Jesus was either Lord, a lunatic, or a liar. C. S. Lewis makes this argument;

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

Scottish Christian pastor, John Duncan, made a very similar argument in 1859. Duncan formed what he called his "trilemma." Duncan wrote that "Christ either deceived mankind by conscious fraud, or He was Himself deluded and self-deceived, or He was Divine. There is no getting out of this trilemma. It is inexorable."

A little less than a century later, Watchman Nee considered the concept once again.

First, if he claims to be God and yet in fact is not, he has to be a madman or a lunatic.

Second, if he is neither God nor a lunatic, he has to be a liar, deceiving others by his lie.

Third, if he is neither of these, he must be God.

You can only choose one of the three possibilities. If you do not believe that he is God, you have to consider him a madman. If you cannot take him for either of the two, you have to take him for a liar.

There is no need for us to prove if Jesus of Nazareth is God or not. All we have to do is find out if He is a lunatic or a liar. If He is neither, He must be the Son of God.

But the question is even older than Duncan, Nee, or Lewis. It was a question that was asked in the first century as Jesus's earthly ministry was drawing to close. Who is this? And it is a question that we need to confront as Christmas approaches. Who do you say that he is? As you look into the manger of Bethlehem, who is it that you see? For the shepherds and the magi, the answer seemed to be obvious. I hope that it is obvious for us as well.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 11

The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. – Luke 18:34

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 12, 2020): Luke 18

The Messiah. In Jewish literature, the concept of a Messiah is not just a simple system of beliefs; at least, it is not as simple as we sometimes make it out to be. It is not just that the Hebrew people are still waiting for their Messiah, while Christians believe that the Messiah has already come. Part of the problem is that this coming Messiah is so complicated that the Jewish Rabbinical teachings began to teach that there had to be more than one. They struck on the number four and the idea of the Four Craftsman. The four Messiahs were Messiah ben David, the triumphant king, and Messiah ben Joseph, the Suffering Messiah descending from Ephraim's tribe, the son of Joseph who was the son of Israel. It was the Messiah ben Joseph who would rebuild the Temple. And then rounding out the four craftsmen were Elijah and The Righteous Priest. 

Many things have been written about these Messiah's, but the most common teaching, likely because it was the most pleasurable teaching, was concerning the Triumphant Messiah. He would come, and the world would bow down before him. He would rule over the world in much the same way as his ancestor, King David. And there was little or no understanding that the triumphant Messiah ben David and the suffering Messiah ben Joseph could be the same person; after all, they were prophesied to be from different tribes.

And so, Jesus continues to tell his disciples that he would be handed over to the Gentiles, that they will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. Jesus is a descendant of David; he is the Triumphant Messiah, yet what he describes seems to be much closer to the suffering Messiah ben Joseph.

Because of this, it is likely, not surprising that the disciples did not understand. As with much of Jesus's legacy, Jesus's teaching didn't fit neatly into the boxes that had been created for the Messiah. The disciples were busy trying to make Jesus fit into the preconceived teachings, and because of that, they struggled to understand some of the things that Jesus taught.

We struggle with the same issue. We want to fit Jesus into our boxes and, sometimes, we force the fit. And, maybe, at no time of the year is this more real than at Christmas. In less than two weeks, we will once again celebrate the birth of Christ. The event that we celebrate tells the story of a child who did not fit any of our expectations. Jesus was a king who was born in a stable, with lowly shepherds as the first invited guests to see the child. He grew up to be a rabbi who didn't fit, and today he continues to be a Messiah that disturbs what it is that we think we know. But just because the teaching is unexpected does not mean that it is not valid. Just because a teaching does not fit into our boxes does not mean that God is not trying to tell us something. It was a lesson that the apostles had to learn repeatedly and a truth that I try to confront daily.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 21

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" – Mark 10:48

Today's Scripture Reading (December 11, 2020): Mark 10

American poet, Maya Angelou, said that "Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." We need the courage that comes from holding deep convictions, convictions that we refuse to allow to be tossed aside by the pressures of the day. The greatest fear that I hold for our culture is that we have stopped believing in anything deeply. We only know our wants and desires, and nothing shakes us or molds us to the foundations of our souls.

Bartimaeus knew two things were true in his life. The first was that he had a problem that was affecting his entire existence; he was blind. No other issues in his life had a solution as long as that dominant problem remained unsolved. The second thing that was true in Bartimaeus's life is that he believed that Jesus was the solution to his first problem. Bartimaeus wasn't sure that Jesus would solve his pain, but he was convinced that he could. This belief, the blind man held deeply within him; it was a belief of which he refused to let go.

As a result, Bartimaeus made a decision. He was going to do whatever he could do to get his request to Jesus. Armed with nothing but courage and a firmly held belief that Jesus was the solution to his problem, he would make his request. It didn't matter that he had no one to take him to Jesus; he would take himself. It didn't matter if all those blessed with the miracle of sight stood in his way and discouraged him; Bartimaeus was not going to be discouraged. Bartimaeus was planning on knocking on the door, making his request until Jesus answered him with a yes or a no.

Bartimaeus's response to Jesus passing by has often been recommended as a model for our prayers. To paraphrase Charles Spurgeon, we need to;

Take hold of the gates of heaven and shake them with all of your strength, as though you could pull them up by their foundations. Stand at Mercy's door, and take no denial. Knock, and knock, and knock again, demanding that you would obtain an answer to your cries. Cold prayers never win God's ear. Pull back your bow, and with every ounce of your strength, send your prayers like arrows up so that they can reach the height of God's heaven (A rephrasing of the words of Charles Spurgeon).

This was precisely what Bartimaeus did and what he accomplished. And because of the blind man's courage, he received his answer and, more importantly, his sight.

Note: Charles Spurgeon's actual quote:

Take the gates of heaven and shake them with thy vehemence, as though thou wouldst pull them up post and bar and all. Stand at Mercy's door, and take no denial. Knock, and knock, and knock again, as though thou wouldst shake the very spheres, but what thou wouldst obtain an answer to thy cries. 'The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.' Cold prayers never win God's ear. Draw thy bow with thy full strength, if thou wouldst send thy arrow up so high as heaven. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 18

Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' – Matthew 20:1

Today's Scripture Reading (December 10, 2020): Matthew 20

Mark Twain argued that "comparison is the death of joy." There will always be someone with whom we will feel that we don't measure up or who is wealthier or better, who has the things that we want. And often just the suggestion that there is someone who has more, or that maybe we think that they had all the advantages of life that had been withheld from us, is enough for us to be robbed of the enjoyment that we should get from the things and the wealth that we do have. But the reality is that the possessions of others do not affect me and what I have. Someone else's wealth does not make my money or possessions worthless. When we compare ourselves with others, we end up disappointed when the truth is that all of us, especially in Western Society, are uniquely blessed.

So, Jesus tells a story that is about a group of people who want a job. As the potential employer comes out in the morning, he gives them what they want; a job at an agreed-to rate of pay. But throughout the day, the employer returns to get more workers. As a result of the staggered start, when the time came to pay the workers for their toil, they had all worked a different number of hours during their time on the worksite. But the employer decides to give each of his workers the same pay for the time they worked, regardless of the number of hours they had been on the job. Those who had worked the entire day felt ripped off. They had toiled much longer but received the same pay as those hired late in the day. But the truth is that they would have been quite happy with the payment if the others had not been hired shortly before shutdown. It was the comparison that killed their joy. The employer argues that because it is his money, it is also his rules. There is no law against an employer's generosity.

I know that many people become Christians late in life, and one of their worries is that they wasted too much time for God to truly accept them as he has those who have lived their lives in service of their king. And Jesus includes this story directed explicitly to them. In God's timing, and with God's generosity, too late is a concept that loses its power. It is never too late. God's offer is freely given to all of us, regardless of whether we have much or little for which we need to ask forgiveness.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 10

"Which ones?" he inquired. Jesus replied, " 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" – Matthew 19:18-19

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 9, 2020): Matthew 19

Some years ago, I had a conversation with a friend about the ten commandments. The discussion began with a question. "Which of the commandments is the most important?" I suspected an agenda, so I responded with another question. "What do you think?" When it comes to the Ten Commandments, the truth is that we have some trouble trying to decide what the commandments are, let alone prioritizing them. Different traditions have come up with a different set of commandments. The Bible doesn't itemize them. But the best answer is likely to parrot Jesus's response to the same question. "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40). But I suspected that my answer was not going to cut it for my friend.

My comrade had done some thinking on the subject, and he responded that maybe the Big Ten were given in order, most to least important, and at that moment, I began to see the agenda. This conversation was less about "You will have no other gods before me" and more about the fourth commandment, "Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy." And by Sabbath Day, this conversation was about worshipping on Saturday.

Armed with this information, what came to mind were these words of Jesus in Matthew. Jesus is essentially being asked a very similar question; which commandments were the most important? And Jesus's response to the question is to skip the first four commandments, emphasizing our relationship with God, and stress the last six, which highlights our relationship with each other, but he lists them out of order. Jesus talks about prohibitions against murder (#6), adultery (#7), stealing (#8), and lying (#9). Then he adds that we should honor our parents (#5) and love our neighbors as ourselves, which is impossible to do if we covet our neighbor's possessions (#10).

Which commandments are the most important? Maybe the easy answer is that the essential laws are the ones listed in the Bible. But don't get lost in the minutiae of the biblical commands. To honor God, you don't have to memorize the biblical laws. Just love. Love God and love each other, and in the act of loving, you will fulfill all of the laws and commandments. We need to recognize that I can't love God if I refuse to love you. Hard? Most definitely. But no one said that following God was easy. Remembering the Sabbath Day is not about keeping an arbitrary day separate. For the Christian, every day is the Sabbath, and we try to honor him every day, and not just on the weekends. And we celebrate him by being committed to loving both God and each other.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 20