The least of these my brethren...

In today's New Testament reading (Matthew 25), the Lord Jesus lays down an important and perhaps a much overlooked principle of our discipleship.

He tells the parable of the sheep and the goats. In this parable, the King thanks the sheep for their kindness in visiting him when he was in prison, for feeding him when he was hungry, and giving him drink when he was thirsty. The goats, on the other hand, are rebuked for ignoring his needs.

However, both the sheep and the goats are somewhat puzzled, for none of them can recall these occasions when they apparently helped or ignored the King. The King's reply to them is both sobering and thought-provoking:

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (v 40)

Have we ever really considered the full implications of what Jesus is saying here? He is telling us that the way in which we treat one another is a direct measure of the way in which we treat him.

All the things we say to each other, all our thoughts, all of our actions - they not only shape our relationships with each other, but also our relationship with our King. We find a similar test of our discipleship in John's 1st Epistle:

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:21)

So as we await the return of the King, let us remember this important principle. Let us treat each other just as we would treat Jesus if he were here. In doing so, we pray that we shall be found amongst the sheep when Jesus returns.

Home sweet home

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘there’s no place like home’. Well all 3 of our daily readings today make mention of houses, and there is exhortation to be found here.

In 2 Samuel 7 we see David, finally blessed with peace from all of his enemies. He longed to build God a house, but instead God promised to do exactly that for him instead. In this chapter we read of the wonderful promises to David which of course have their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that spiritual house which we can each be a part of. It is through Jesus that this house will be built. He is the chief cornerstone laid in Zion (Isa 28:16), and we must build on him and only him.

In our middle reading, Jeremiah 12, we see how God’s earthly house - the Children of Israel - had behaved. God had no choice but to act. “I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies” (v 7). Far from being a house that gave glory to its Father, the nation had become utterly godless, and was punished for it.

So it’s no surprise that when we come to our final reading (Matthew 23), we see that the situation hadn’t changed much. The religious leaders were happy to “devour widow’s houses” (v 23), yet they completely neglected the upkeep and nurture of God’s house. The very temple was a ‘den of thieves’, and Jesus gave a dire warning to them – “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (v 38).

So how is our house doing? Are we working to build a house fit for God to dwell in, or is our house broken down and in need of repair? We each have a responsibility to make sure that we are building one another up, and building God’s spiritual house on the right foundations. But whilst we build, let us remember that it is God who is the master builder, and directs all of our efforts according to his will:

“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” (Psa 127:1)

My way or the highway

In today's world we are constantly encouraged to question established ways of doing things, and suggest more efficient methods for achieving the same outcome. But whilst this is the world's way, the same attitude is unacceptable when we come to worship God.

Consider David's transportation of the Ark of God in today's first reading (2 Sam 6). We cannot fault David's zeal and his sincerity in wanting to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, but what a shame that his judgment was clouded and the Ark was placed on a cart when it should have been carried by the Levites (Num 7:9). Perhaps David remembered that the Philistines did exactly the same, and were not punished for it (1 Sam 6). But the Philistines were ignorant of the ways of the God of Israel. His own people should have known better.

In our New Testament reading (Matt 22) we have another unfortunate situation. Here we see the man who entered into the wedding without the proper wedding garment. How did he get in? We don't know, but it certainly wasn't in the right way. He was promptly cast out of the wedding celebration.

What is the lesson for us from both of these examples? Surely it is this: we must do things God's way, not ours. In a world where men and women try to bring God down to a human level, and worship him however they like, we must not to do the same. God has said:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways..." (Isa 55:8).

So rather than bring God to our level, let us elevate ourselves through the reading of his Word, and come to our Father in the only way he has appointed; through his son, Jesus Christ:

"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor 3:11)

The blind and the lame

In yesterday's readings, there was a good link between all
three:

In 2 Samuel 5, the Jebusites had set "the blind and lame" on the
wall. I see 2 different possibilities here. Either they had actually
put blind and lame men on the wall, as if to show how confident they
were in their stronghold, or they were actually idols, and they were
simply mocking David - "look, these idols which you call blind and
lame will protect us". Either way, it didn't work. David took
the city.

In the middle reading, Jeremiah 10, we see the foolishness of making
idols. In verse 5 we read how these idols need to be carried because
they cannot walk. They have mouths but they don't speak, and ears but
don't hear. In other words, they are blind and lame. Just like
all who trust in them.

Finally, in Matthew chapter 21 we have the Lord Jesus healing the
blind and the lame in the Temple in Jerusalem.

It's amazing how sometimes the readings all seem to come together like
this. Robert Roberts was 14 years old when he put the plan together -
for my money he did a pretty good job.

Welcome

I've got an admission to make which may or may not sound familiar to you: I'm not very good at doing my daily readings. I find it all too easy to let the thorns and weeds of everyday life to come in and choke the word.

So that's why I've set up this blog. I hope to use it primarily to add thoughts and meditations on the daily readings, as well as anything else which pops into my head. I may be optimistic in thinking that I'll be able to update it daily, but that's certainly the aim.

The hope is that this will encourage me to read from the word every day, and I very much welcome your comments on this blog too. May it be a source of strength as we await the return of our Lord.

With love,

Phil