true contamination and true purity

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 15:10-20

10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand:

11 it is not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this contaminates a man.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard you say this?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

14 Leave them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the saying to us.”

16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding?

17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?

18 But what comes out of the mouth has first come from the heart, and this defiles a person.

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, like those of murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, blasphemy.

20 These are the contaminators of a man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not contaminate a man.”

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true contamination and true purity

Jesus and the Pharisees had two radically opposite views of spiritual contamination. For the Pharisees, a person can make himself holy by avoiding common things. By performing a simple ritual washing before a meal, for example, the Pharisees thought they were protecting themselves from the invasion of any foreign spiritual pollutants. It had nothing to do with hygiene – the avoidance of germs and such. It was supposed to be a protection against the moral pollutants in the world caused by Gentiles and sinners.

Jesus knew that true spiritual contamination is already there in every human soul (except his own). Since these temptations to disobey God come from our hearts, no amount of ritual cleansing can protect against them. This is why Jesus – as a discipler — insisted that his disciples not go through the Pharisees’ cleansing ritual. He did not want them accepting the false concept of spiritual contamination that was inherent in the ritual. He wanted them to know that even if they stayed away from “common” things, they were still going to struggle with spiritual impurity.

LORD, help us to resist the simple solutions the world gives us for our complex spiritual problems. May we seek a true purity that can only come from a relationship with you.

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no stealing the show

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 41:15-28

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can explain it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can explain it.”

16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “This is not from me; God will give an answer that brings peace to Pharaoh.”

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile.

18 Seven cows, fat and healthy, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass.

19 Seven other cows came up after them, deprived and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt.

20 And the thin, ugly cows devoured the first seven fat cows,

21 but when they had them in their bellies, no one would have known that they had them in their bellies, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke.

22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good.

23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them,

24 and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but no one was able explain it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are each about the same thing; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are about the same thing.

27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine.

28 It is just what I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. _______________________

no stealing the show

Joseph’s attitude is remarkable, seeing that he has just been taken out of a dungeon and thrust into a prominent position as advisor to Pharaoh. He puts God at center stage. He serves simply as a spokesperson. God is the one revealing the future, and explaining the dream. God is the one who will bring peace out of this anxious moment. When believers are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to others, without grabbing the glory for themselves – that is the attitude which shows that God is at work. When people steal the show for God’s work, it isn’t long before God steps back. He will not share his glory with another.

LORD, give us a heart to serve, and the wisdom to give you the credit for the service.

Posted in glory, humility, Joseph, servanthood | Tagged | 1 Comment

tradition vs. truth

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 15:1-9

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,

2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

3 Jesus responded, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully to his father or mother must be put to death.’

5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’

6 he is not to ‘honor his father ‘with it. Thus you invalidate the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

7 You actors! Isaiah was right when he preached about you:

8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are only rules taught by men.'”

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tradition vs. truth

Some people seem to think that God is not really interested in what you believe and teach. They think that doctrine just gets in the way of what the LORD really wants. They are convinced that God just wants us to have a relationship with him, and for that relationship to produce worship. They are convinced that what they do matters more than what they believe.

The Pharisees thought that they had a very profound relationship with the LORD. They thought that they were closer to the LORD than anybody else. Their rigid traditions fed that false understanding. What they did (or did not do) convinced them that their hearts were right toward God.

Jesus called them actors. He said their supposed relationship with God was a sham. He quoted Isaiah’s condemnation of a similar people whose religion was hypocritical. What was the basis of Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees? False doctrine! Their teachings indicated that their hearts were not right. Don’t tell me that doctrine is irrelevant.

LORD, give us a right heart-relationship with you, AND a right understanding of your word. We want both.

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surrendering the schedule

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 41:1-14

After two full years of days went by, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile,

2 and see, there came up out of the Nile seven fat and healthy cows, and they fed in the reed grass.

3 And see, after them seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.

4 And the ugly, thin cows devoured the fat and healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

5 But he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And see, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk.

6 And see, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind.

7 And the thin ears devoured the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh woke up, and see, it was a dream.

8 So in the morning his spirit was disturbed, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one was able to explain them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded that I have sinned.

10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in the prison house,

11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own explanation.

12 There with us was a young Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he explained our dreams to us, giving an explanation to each man according to his dream.

13 And as he explained to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was executed.”

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And after he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.

_______________________

surrendering the schedule

Two full years of days is a long time to wait, but sometimes that is how God works. In fact, sometimes it takes much longer than that for the next step in his plan. Think of Moses, who later waited in the Midian desert for 40 years between gigs in Egypt. That time is not wasted, because the LORD knows how to prepare Joseph during that time. Joseph had to let God be sovereign over his schedule, and not allow bitterness to grow within him.

LORD, give us the grace to respond appropriately when we are sidelined. Help us to surrender our schedules to you.

Posted in dependence upon God, Joseph, plan of God, sovereignty of God | Tagged | 1 Comment

many helpers, one Lord

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 14:32-36

32 And after they got back into the boat, the wind stopped blowing.

33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick or injured

36 and urged him that they might only be allowed to touch the edge of his clothing. And as many as touched it recovered.

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many helpers, one Lord

The Lord of the trip is the Lord of the destination. Once calming the sea and the fears of the disciples, Jesus makes way to the land, where he was soon healing every disease and sickness. He is there for us when we are in a crisis. He is also there for us if we are simply having a bad day.

We are used to compartmentalizing everything. If we are going on a trip, we trust the captain of the boat, or pilot of the plane. We don’t think of Jesus unless it looks like the captain or pilot is having problems. When we are sick or injured, we seek medical care. We don’t think of Jesus unless all else fails – or we don’t have the money for the treatment prescribed. The Lord has blessed us with able physicians and capable pilots. But he still wants us to trust him for everything.

LORD, we have chosen to trust you to get us there. We have chosen to trust you to take care of our bad days. Many are the helpers you have blessed us with, but only you are Lord of all.

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still in the middle

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 40:9 – 23

9 So the chief cupbearer recounted his dream to Joseph and told him, “In my dream there was a grapevine before me,

10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms broke out, and its clusters ripened into grapes.

11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”

12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its explanation: the three branches are three days.

13 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and put you back in your position, and you shall put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer.

14 If you will only remember me, when it is well with you, and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house.

15 Because I was really stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head,

17 and in the top basket there were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket on my head.”

18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its explanation: the three baskets are three days.

19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head- from you!- and impale you on a pole. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

20 The third day from that was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.

22 But he executed the chief baker, as Joseph had explained it to them.

23 However, the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, and forgot about him. _______________________

still in the middle

Three people saw God at work here, and each had expectations that – since God was in this – there must be a favorable outcome – deliverance. But there was no deliverance for the former chief baker: he was executed. There was no deliverance for Joseph: he was forgotten. God was indeed in the events described, but his purposes were more long range than what was expected.

One temptation that accompanies people of faith is the expectation that every change is a rescue, every act is the final act. We must learn the wisdom of trusting God to respond to our prayers in his timing. Our ultimate rescue will not come until our Savior returns. Until then, the Holy Spirit is at work, and we do not have access to his playbook. We do not know whether we are at the beginning or the end of our story. When he was once again forgotten in the Egyptian round-house, Joseph discovered that he was still in the middle of his story.

LORD, give us patience to allow your Holy Spirit to do what he wants of us, and to answer our prayers when he wants to. Give us courage to stay faithful when still in the middle.

Posted in courage, dependence upon God, faith, Joseph, patience | Tagged | 1 Comment

great fear and little faith

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 14:26-31

26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they screamed in fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.”

29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and as he started to sink he began screaming, “Lord, rescue me.”

31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “Little faithed one, why did you doubt?”

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great fear and little faith

One would think that the disciples – having seen major miracles, and even participated in them, they should have great faith by now. But, no – their fear was still much larger than their faith. They saw Jesus coming, and they screamed in fear, thinking him a phantasm – a ghost. But faith in Christ is not grown by simply experiencing miracles. Many today are holding out for just one more proof. Like Peter here, they ask the Lord to invite them onto the water. Just one more miracle, Lord, and I will trust you. The trouble with just one more miracle is that there will always be one more raging sea. Peter was in the middle of his “just one more miracle” when he began to fear again. Great fear always trumps little faith. All it takes is an unexpected sight, or a disturbing wind to set it off.

LORD, like Peter, we need you to rescue us again. We need you to rescue us from our doubts as much as the engulfing waters. We are asking for one more miracle – the one that only you can perform – inside of us.

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one step closer to the reason

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 39:21 – 40:8

21 But the LORD was with Joseph and stretched out his faithful love to him and gave him favor in the eyes of the keeper of the round house.

22 And the keeper of the round house put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the round house. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.

23 The keeper of the round house paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.

40:1 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their master the king of Egypt.

2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers,

3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the butchers, in the round house where Joseph was confined.

4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he took care of them. They continued for some time in custody.

5 And one night they both dreamed- the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the round house – each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation.

6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw them, and see, they were troubled.

7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?”

8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to explain them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not explanations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

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one step closer to the reason

From the pit in the desert to the round house in Egypt – Joseph had no idea what was happening to him. He had dreams that he would be served, but now he is serving prisoners – as a prisoner himself. What he did not know was that this change brought him one step closer to fulfilling his own dreams. It took faith for him to offer to explain the dreams of the two imprisoned chiefs. He had to trust that God was still at work in his life, when all of his experiences seem to be saying that he had been abandoned. That is the kind of faith that people need to see in us.

LORD, give us the faith to believe that you are at work in us. Help us to trust – not ourselves – but your Holy Spirit.

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watch the water

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 14:22-25

22 Immediately he compelled the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he released the crowds.

23 And after he had released the crowds, he climbed the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone,

24 but by this time the boat was a long way from the land, and being beaten by the waves, because the wind was against them.

25 Then in the fourth watch of the night he went to them, by walking on the sea.

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watch the water

The disciples had just participated in a major miracle. They had also been traveling most of the day, and they were exhausted. The last thing they wanted to do was get back into their boat and travel again. Perhaps this is why Matthew says that Jesus compelled them to go. He had to insist.

The wind was against them, so they had to work to even move the boat. It was going to take a long night of hard labor to get to the other side of the Lake of Galilee. But even while doing that, the disciples had time to think about why they were alone again. Jesus had stayed behind. Why?

Maybe you are in a transition point in your life. Perhaps you have just completed a major project that you have worked on for years. Maybe you have just lost a loved one. Or, maybe you are just on the verge of some change in your life. Maybe you are just rowing hard to get to the other side of the lake, and you do not see Jesus anymore. Don’t worry. He’s praying for you. He’s on his way. He has not forgotten about you. Watch the water.

LORD, give us the wisdom to keep following you, even in those times when we feel like we have left you behind.

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The servant, whom you have brought among us

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 39:11-20

11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work, while none of the men of the house was there in the house,

12 she caught him by his cloak, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran and got out of the house.

13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had fled out of the house,

14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to amuse himself with us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.

15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his cloak beside me and fled and got out of the house.”

16 Then she laid up his cloak by her until his master came home,

17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to amuse himself with me.

18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his cloak beside me and fled out of the house.”

19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled.

20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.

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The servant, whom you have brought among us

Potiphar’s wife was in a battle with her husband. Joseph was intended to be a pawn in that battle. When she could not convince him to play her game, she changed the game, and accused him of raping her. She said to her husband that he had come into her – the same words that had been used of the rape of Tamar, and Judah’s affair with her afterwards. She said he had done it to amuse himself. Reality was that he had refused her advances, and ran away from her. It did not matter. Potiphar’s wife only wanted Joseph because of her anger at her husband. Even as she accused Joseph, her words put the blame on Potiphar. She wanted to hurt him. Her lust for Joseph was merely a mask for her desire to ridicule and harm her husband.

LORD, there is within us an evil which seeks to harm others, and use others for our own gain. Change us, Father. Make us people who love authentically, and submit to and serve each other joyfully.

Posted in Joseph, love, sin, submission, vengeance | Tagged | 1 Comment