aSacredRebel

Healing a Leper

When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; ²and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” ³He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” ⁵When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him⁶and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” ⁷And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” ⁸The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” ¹⁰When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. ¹¹I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, ¹²while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour. (Matthew 8:1-13, NRSV)

Never have I seen such faith!

If we believe that Jesus is able to cure others why do we question that? Some say if you have enough faith then you will be healed. So if you aren’t healed you obviously didn’t have enough faith. Or maybe your definition of healed needs to be checked.

You see whatever you ask in God’s will will be done. Not whatever we want. And sometimes healing comes in ways we do not expect or think it will.

What do you need to be healed of? And how could God’s healing be different from yours?

Teaching on False Prophets

¹⁵“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus you will know them by their fruits. ²¹“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ ²³Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’ (Matthew 7:15-23, NRSV)

We will know what kind of tree a person is by the fruit their lives produce. A bad tree can not produce good fruit. So watch the actions of others and you will see their heart.

So what do others see about your life from the fruit you produce?

Built on the Rock

“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. ²For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. ³Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? ⁴Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. ⁶“Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you. ⁷“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? ¹⁰Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? ¹¹If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ¹²“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. ¹³“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. ¹⁴For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. ²⁴“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” ²⁸Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:1-14, 24-29, NRSV)

You who are evil can do good deeds…

People always say the Bible says do not judge, but that isn’t true. The Bible says do not judge unless you want to be judged. Judge only if you are ready to have the same judgment brought on you.

Plus why should we worry about other people’s lives? We have enough issues of our own to deal with, we should get our relationship right with God. We should work to make our lives be on the solid rock of God’s love. And by doing this we will love others and help them. We will grow to love ourselves and thereby show forth God’s love to the world.

So love…

The Older Son

²⁵“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ ³¹Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’” (Luke 15:25-32, NRSV)

I wonder how many of us are the older brother.

Have you ever looked at someone at a worship gathering and wondered why they were here?

Have you ever questioned someone’s motive for doing something?

How many of us will be surprised in heaven when we see that person?

But realize for every person you are surprised to see, there will be that many if not more surprised to see you too…

You see the thing we forget is the story isn’t about the younger son or the older son. The story is about the father, that shames himself for the younger son and shames himself for the older son. The older son comes home and throws a fit. A laying in the middle of the aisle kicking and screaming fit because I don’t get my pop tarts! And the father leaves the party to come and get the older son. This father is all about the love he has for his children. A love that goes way over and above what any love could.

So don’t throw a fit because they are here, but rejoice and know that God loves us all and wants us all to be there!

Lost Son

¹¹Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. ¹⁴When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ ²⁰So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²²But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:11-24, NRSV)

This is known as the Prodigal Son or as this blog is titled The Lost Son.

But is this story really about the son? I mean the son is a player in the story. But I would say the son is not the one who the story is about. The story starts, “There was a man who had two sons.” Not there was a man who had an older brother and a father. But there was a man who had two sons. So the story is about the father and the extravagant love that the father has for his children. And the lengths to which the father will go for his children.

I image the father in this story to be like Marlin from Finding Nemo. Going to the ends of the ocean to find his son.

God loves you and God’s grace will never end.

Lost Sheep, Lost Coin

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³So he told them this parable: ⁴“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. ⁸“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:1-10, NRSV)

This chapter is about lost things. Things that someone has lost and how they can be found.

It is also sometimes known for being about repentance.

If it is about repentance, how does a sheep repent and how does a coin repent?

You see I want to say these stories are not about the sheep or the coin. They are major players in the story but they are not the main ones.

The first story is about you and the second one is about a woman. They are about the people that lost the things. The shepherd, or you, look high and low for the sheep that wondered off leaving the rest of the flock to fend for each other. And the woman turns the house over looking for the lost coin.

How far would you go to find something you lost?

And what would you do once it is found?

Teaching on Worrying

³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³²For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:31-34, NRSV)

Every little thing is going to be alright!

You see God loves you and knows your needs. God will provide for your needs.

Worrying doesn’t help you live the life God has called you to. Worry kills you and takes away joy. So fill your life with God’s joy and live the life God has for you.

And rest in God’s love.

Teaching on Possesions

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? (Matthew 6:25-30, NRSV)

What does worry really do to us?

Does it make the thing we are worrying about go away?

Does it allow us to get other things done?

I read something recently about how worry is like air in a cup. It is near impossible to get air out of a cup. You can’t shake it out. If you turn the cup upside down the air us still there. The only way to get air out of a cup is to put something else in the cup. If you fill the cup with water then the air is gone.

So to get the worry out of your life you need to put something else in its place. Prayer. If you fill your life with prayer then there will be no place for worry.

More Teaching

²²“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; ²³but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ²⁴“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. (Matthew 6:22-24, NRSV)

The eye is the lamp of the body. How is your sight?

Where are you looking?

Remember you can not serve 2 masters. You will really only serve one and despise the other.

So are you looking at Jesus or are you looking at something else?

The Lord’s Prayer

⁷“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.¹⁰Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.¹¹Give us this day our daily bread. ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. ¹⁴For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; ¹⁵but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ¹⁶“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:7-21, NRSV)

Why do we pray these words every week?

Jesus said pray in this way, not pray these words. Jesus was helping understand how we can come to God for everything and in everything we do we should do it for our relationship with God and not so others see us and think we are pious or doing what we should.

We should store our treasures where nothing can take away from it and we will be replenished. We should not worry about how we will be blessed again but live in and through the blessing we have.