oil shortage

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 25:1-13

1 “At that time the kingdom from the sky will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were thoughtless, and five were intelligent.

3 Because when the thoughtless took their lamps, they took no oil for them,

4 but the intelligent took flasks of oil for their lamps.

5 Since the bridegroom was overdue, they all became sleepy and dozed off.

6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the thoughtless said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

9 But the intelligent answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’

10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’

12 But he answered, ‘Honestly I am telling you, I do not know you.’

13 So keep alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.

oil shortage

Jesus’ had just taught his disciples not to be caught unprepared for the second coming. Now, he illustrates that teaching with the parable of the ten virgins. There was going to be a wedding, and they knew that they would have to wait a long time for the bridegroom to show. The intelligent ones prepared themselves for the wait. They brought extra oil for their lamps, so that the bridegroom would recognize them, and invite them to the feast. The thoughtless ones did not bring extra oil. When the oil for their lamps ran dry, they had to run off to the market to replenish it. That is when the bridegroom came, and they were not allowed into the party.

There has been a lot of speculation about what the oil represents in the parable. But Jesus had already taught in chapter 24 how believers are to prepare for his second coming. We prepare for him by loving and caring for the people around us.

LORD, give us the kind of intelligence that loves the people you put in our path, so that we are always prepared for your coming.

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business as usual

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 24:36-51

36 “But no one knows the day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

37 As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

38 Because as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

39 and they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

40 At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.

41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.

42 Therefore, stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

43 But be aware of this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is the authentic and intelligent servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

47 Honestly, I am telling you, he will appoint him over all his possessions.

48 But if that sinful servant says to himself, ‘My master is overdue,’

49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,

50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware

51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

business as usual

Noah’s days were normal days, and there were a lot of them. For 100 years, Noah preached the coming of the flood to an apathetic and distracted people, and was completely ignored. The people kept up with their business as usual lives until the flood came and destroyed them all. That is the picture Jesus uses as a comparison to answer the specific question in verse 3 about the sign of his coming.

Jesus’ advice to his disciples is not to be caught unprepared for that coming. He speaks of pairs of people in ordinary activities when the coming occurs. One of the pair is “taken” and the other “left.” Some see this as a reference to the rapture, others see those “taken” as taken in judgment. It is not clear which Jesus intended. What is clear is that the coming is going to be a surprise to both individuals. Any preparation will have to be done now, because there will be no time to prepare just before Christ returns.

Jesus says that the way to be prepared for his coming is to take care of his other servants. We have an obligation to our master to take care of his household until he returns.

LORD, show us how to make taking care of our brothers and sisters in Christ our business as usual – until you return.

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the fig tree generation

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 24:32-35 .

32 “From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

34 Honestly, I am telling you, this generation will not pass away until all these things begin to take place.

35 The sky and the land will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

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the fig tree generation

By mentioning the fig tree, Jesus was drawing the attention of his listeners back to the present. He had just cursed a fig tree, causing it to wither before their eyes. It was a symbolic judgment upon that generation because it (like the fig tree) was in full bloom, but had not produced the fruit of righteous living. So, when Jesus referred back to “these things” it did not have anything to do with the second coming. It referred to the same thing “these things” referred to in the disciples’ question in verse 3. It was the events surrounding the predicted fall of Jerusalem and the temple buildings.

Jesus’ prediction here is exact. Within this generation – that is, within the lifetimes of those standing there listening to him – Jerusalem will fall. His prediction was spot on. In AD 66 a Roman army ransacked and trapped Jerusalem. What followed was years of battle and starvation for the inhabitants of the city. It finally ended in AD 70, with the destruction of the city and the entire temple complex – exactly as Jesus had predicted.

LORD, help us to be a generation known for its faithfulness and fruitfulness. Keep us from the wickedness of pretense.

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lightning and vultures

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 24:23-31.

23 At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

24 For false christs and false prophets will emerge and perform great signs and miracles, so as to lead off course, if possible, even the chosen ones.

25 See, I have told you beforehand.

26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

27 Because like the lightning which comes from the east and shines as far as the west, that is how the coming of the Son of Man will be.

28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

29 “Immediately after the misfortune of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the sky will be shaken.

30 At that time will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will express grief, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

31 And he will release his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

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lightning and vultures

Every generation there is a new teaching cropping up that insists that we are living in the very time the Lord will return. Jesus told us not to believe any of them. There will be NO SIGN before the coming of the Lord. The only signs Jesus mentioned in specific answer to that question were lightning and vultures.

1. Lightning speaks of the sudden, unexpected nature of the coming. Before you know what is going on, Jesus will break through the clouds.

2. Vultures show up after the prey is dead. Likewise, the sign of the Son of Man is the Son of Man himself.

3. The point is that there will be no getting ready just before the event. We have to be ready now.

LORD, prepare us for your coming by giving us the wisdom to represent you to a world that needs you now.

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great misfortune

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 24:15-22

15 “So when you see the abomination that makes desolate spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand),

16 then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains.

17 The one who is on the housetop should not go down to get what is in his house,

18 and the one who is in the field should not turn back to get his cloak.

19 And it will be regrettable for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.

21 Because at that time there will be great misfortune, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

22 And if those days had not been cut short, no life would be preserved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be cut short.

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great misfortune

The immediate concern the disciples had was the destruction the temple that Jesus had just predicted. When they had asked “when will these things happen,”[1] — that is what they were referring to. So Jesus told them that it would be a terrible time of danger and anyone who could would escape Jerusalem. The rest would undergo horrible suffering.

The siege of Jerusalem from AD 66-70 fulfills this prediction completely. Jesus’ lament about the pregnant women, or those nursing infants is especially relevant, since the siege cut off supplies to the city, so many of those with small children eventually resorted to cannibalism. Josephus estimated that a million people died in the siege, and the battles with the Roman soldiers that ensued.

God’s grace touched even this act of judgment. Jesus tells his disciples that those days were cut short “for the sake of the chosen ones.” Even though the inhabitants of Jerusalem would crucify him, Jesus loved them too much to prolong that punishment.

LORD, your love shines through even in your acts of judgment. May your love shine in us toward those who suffer as well.

[1] Matthew 24:3.

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Don’t get sidetracked

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 24:1-14

1 Jesus was leaving the temple and walking away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

2 But he answered them, “You see all these buildings, don’t you? Honestly, I am telling you, there will not be left here one stone connected to another that will not be thrown down.”

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign that you are coming and that the age is ending?”

4 And Jesus answered them, “Make sure that no one leads you off course.

5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many off course.

6 And you will hear of wars and reports of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end of the age is not yet.

7 Because nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in different places.

8 All these signs are only the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “At that time they will arrest you, persecute you and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because you accept me.

10 And at that time many will rebel and betray one another and hate one another.

11 And many false prophets will appear and lead many off course.

12 And because disorder will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end of the age will come.

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Don’t get sidetracked

The disciples assumed that the destruction of Jerusalem would be the end of the age. Jesus taught that the age would last a much longer time, with many signs appearing and disappearing throughout the age, like labor pains. Comparing all four synoptic Gospels, those labor pain signs include:

  • False Messiahs
  • Wars, rumors of wars, revolutions
  • International strife
  • Famines, earthquakes, pestilences
  • Fearful events, great signs from heaven
  • Apostasy and schism
  • Persecution, false prophets
  • Martyrdom
  • Increased wickedness
  • Love grows cold, family betrayal
  • Gospel preached to all nations

We are living in that age now. The signs do not point to the age’s end, and they will not increase in intensity just before the end. The whole point of the signs is that they come and go throughout the age, just as labor pains throughout labor. They merely show that the labor is happening.

LORD, when these things happen around us, give us the wisdom to not get sidetracked with last-days speculation, and to keep preaching the gospel, because we do not know how long we have, and there is a world to reach.

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visually challenged guides

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 23:23-38

23 “Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the more important matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but on the side are full of dead people’s bones and all kinds of uncleanness.

28 So you also appear righteous on the outside –to others, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous ones,

30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

31 Thus you testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Fill up, then, the measure of the works of your fathers.

33 You snakes, you brood of vipers, how are you going to escape being sentenced to Gehenna?

34 For this reason I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

35 so that upon you may come the guilt for all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

36 Honestly, I am telling you, all these things will come upon this generation.

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that is known for killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you would not!

38 See, your house is left to you desolate.

39 Because I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'”

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visually challenged guides

There is only one thing worse than blatant wicked living. That is hypocritical living. The Pharisees and scribes that Jesus condemned here were the religious super-elite. They were the heroes of Jesus’ day. But their commitment to God was all a show to impress others. Jesus was not impressed. This section of Matthew’s Gospel, which features predictions of the future predominantly, contains an entire chapter predicting God’s judgment upon the Pharisees and scribes. Hypocritical living is the opposite of righteous living, and it is so dangerous because it appears to be righteous living. People looking for a way out of their sinful lives were looking to these religious leaders for guidance. They were being guided straight to destruction in Gehenna. Their guides were visually challenged but they didn’t know it.

LORD, open our eyes to authentic righteous living according to your words. Keep us real so that those seeking you can find their way to you.

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wrong way

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 23:13-22

13 “But tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, actors! Because you shut the kingdom from the sky in people’s faces. Because you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

15 Tragedy is coming to you, scribes and Pharisees, actors! Because you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.

16 “Tragedy is coming to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’

17 You blind fools! Because which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’

19 You blind men! Because which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.

22 And whoever swears by the sky swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

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wrong way

This passage includes three of Jesus’ seven pronouncements of future tragedy – his famous seven woes upon the Pharisees. They were religious heroes in the eyes of the people. But Jesus saw inside them; he saw their hypocrisy. He also saw the result of all their pious effort. Their proselytes thought they were gaining ground in the goal of reaching God. Instead, they were getting closer and closer to destruction in Gehenna.

The people the Pharisees influenced were being kept away from a relationship with God. They were gaining religious disciplines, and losing eternal life.

LORD, keep us from turning people on to religious work, but off to Christ.

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hypocritical workaholics

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 23:1-12

1 Then Jesus told the crowds and his disciples,

2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,

3 so practice and obey whatever they tell you- but not what they do. Because they preach right, but do not practice.

4 They bind up heavy loads, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move those loads with their finger.

5 They do all their works to be seen by others. Because they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,

6 and they passionately seek after the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues

7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.

9 And do not call any man your father on the land, because you have one Father, who is in the sky.

10 Don’t be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

11 The greatest among you will be your servant.

12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

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hypocritical workaholics

Jesus condemned the religious elite of his day for being hard-working fakes. They worked hard at making it hard to obey God, but did not obey God themselves. All of their exertion was a means of exalting themselves.

Those of us in spiritual leadership and who have access to people to influence them should examine ourselves and our actions regularly. Everything we say and do should be scrutinized to make sure that we are not falling into that trap. If pride is entangling us, it will destroy our ministries, and damage our spiritual lives.

It is OK to work hard. In fact, hard work can be a way of keeping ourselves spiritually fit for ministry. But we have to be careful about the nature of our work, and keep it balanced. Taking short breaks for reflection and assessment is a good prescription for continuing spiritual health. Building a team of co-workers who can keep us accountable and share the load is also a good idea. It is a good reminder that we are all brothers and sisters. We have only one Father, and he created us all equal in his sight.

LORD, thank you for the check in our zeal to produce. May our passion to serve you not turn us into hypocritical workaholics.

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no further questions

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 22:34-46

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together.

35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 And he said to him, “You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

38 This is the greatest and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it: You are to love your neighbor as yourself.

40 All the Law and the Prophets are based on these two commandments.”

41 So while the Pharisees were assembled together, Jesus asked them a question,

42 He said, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”

43 He said to them, “Why is it then that David, under the Spirit’s influence, calls him Lord, saying,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies under your feet’?

45 So if David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

46 And no one was able to answer him a word. In fact, from that day no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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no further questions

Two really good questions are asked in today’s text. First, a lawyer from the Pharisee sect asks Jesus what is the greatest commandment in the Law. Doubtless, the lawyer had rebuttal questions already in mind when he asked that one. But Jesus’ reply was immediate and definite. The lawyer found that he could not refute Jesus’ answer. There is something fundamental about loving God and loving others. We all know instinctively that the LORD wants us to do those things.

Now, Jesus approaches the group of Pharisees with a comeback question. He asks why David, in Psalm 110, referred to the Messiah as his Lord, when the Messiah is supposed to be David’s descendant. Actually, Jesus is both. It was at this point of Jesus’ unique qualification that the Pharisees were stumped as well.

Now, the groups who had been trying to catch Jesus off guard and humiliate him with a theological question finally wise up. They do not stop attacking him, but they realize that he cannot be stopped by arguments. The interrogation is over, but the trial is not.

LORD, may we live our lives based on the answers to these important questions. May we focus on loving you, loving others, and witnessing to the uniqueness of your Son.

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