NORTHSHORE CHURCH OF CHRIST

As I was reading my Bible this morning, I came across the seventh plague in Egypt, a mighty and terrible hailstorm. God gave Egypt plenty of forewarning, and it records, “Then whoever feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the LORD left his slaves and his livestock in the field” (Exodus 9.20–21).

Meditating on this, two truths spring to my mind.

Fearing the LORD Is Good

When we fear the One True and Living God, the thrice-holy God, the Holiest of Holies, we listen to Him! His word is not frivolous nor simply suggestive but rather emphatic and commanding. Just as balls of solid ice fell upon those dismissive Egyptians, so God’s word does not fall to the ground void—it always accomplishes what He intends with irresistible power.

When God said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart, there was no way his heart could not have been hardened. When God said He would deliver His people from Egypt, there should have been no question He was able to accomplish His purpose; Israel could trust His word. So many accounts are recorded in Scripture in which God proves Himself; we should be ashamed to ever doubt His faithfulness. Let God be true and every man a liar.

Fearing the LORD Means Acting in Faith

Also, in the text above, I saw Egyptians who acted upon God’s word because they feared His wrath and power. They believed. After all, this was the seventh plague! They had seen terrible things over the past few months, and even if their Pharaoh wouldn’t budge, some of them were convinced. They pulled their animals and their slaves out of the field and sheltered them because God had warned.

This is what it means to fear the LORD. Solomon said the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments (Eccl. 12.13), and in the next verse he explained we should fear God because God will bring every matter (everything we say, do, and think) out into the open in the Judgment. Do you believe it? Does your daily walk show it?

Fearing Man Is Bad

A few days ago, I read Luke 12, and Jesus there taught His disciples, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12.4–5)

Jesus’ disciples are frequently faced with enemies who push us to go against the word of the Lord, and we must decide whether we fear them or God. This choice comes before us more often than we would care to admit. Someone pushes the perspective of the enemy, preaches falsehoods in our face, argues for some corrupt cause, and we have a choice. Do we remain silent? Do we walk away? Do we go along to get along? We find champions of faith who we should imitate, like Daniel and David, Ruth and Rahab, who faced lies, temptations, and demands from God’s enemies and replied in word and deed: “We must obey God rather than man.”

Fear can be good, and fear can be bad. It depends upon the context. It depends upon the object of our fear.

Whom do you fear?

Here are three important aspects of who Jesus is from Matthew.
 

Jesus Is the Son of God

At the angel's announcement of Jesus' birth, Matthew noted a prophecy from Isaiah 7.14: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means, 'God with us.'"

Peter made the good confession in Matthew 16.16: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

The Gospel closes with Jesus' crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. At His death, a Roman centurion exclaimed, "Truly, this was the Son of God!" (Matt. 27.54)

Jesus Is the King of the Jews

As the magi from the east rolled (trotted?) into Herod's Jerusalem, they asked, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" (Matt. 2.2) Boy, that made Herod uncomfortable, for he thought he was the king of the Jews! The chief priests and scribes of the Jews showed Herod a prophecy from Micah 5.2:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.

To kill Jesus, the chief priests and scribes accused Him of wanting to set Himself up as a king, attempting to usurp Rome's authority. Governor Pilate, as he examined Jesus, asked, "Are You the King of the Jews?" (Matt. 27.11) Jesus did not deny it.

Twisting together a crown of thorns, robing Him in scarlet, and kneeling before Him, the soldiers mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" (Matt. 27.29).

When they crucified a man, the Romans would put a sign above his head which proclaimed the reason he was being crucified. Jesus' sign read: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews" (Matt. 27.37).

They crucified their actual King about whom the prophets had written! Indeed, He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him (John 1.11).

Jesus Is to Be Worshiped

What did the magi do when they found the Child Jesus? "They fell to the ground and worshiped Him" (Matt. 2.11). Even as a child, He was God's Son and worthy of worship.

When Jesus walked on the sea to catch up to His disciples (in the midst of a raging storm), they were terrified, thinking Him a ghost. Jesus assured them of who He was, "It is I; do not be afraid." And then He calmed the storm when He stepped into the boat. The disciples reaction? "Those who were in the boat worshiped Him" (Matt. 14.32).

After Jesus' resurrection, the women who first visited His empty tomb were astounded to meet Jesus in the garden! "They came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him" (Matt. 29.9).

Finally, when the disciples gathered on the mountain in Galilee, just before Jesus' ascension, "When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful" (Matt. 28.17).

Do You Accept Jesus This Way?

Is Jesus God's Son? Is He King? Is He to be worshiped? Did God the Father grant Him "all authority...in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28.18)?

He is all of these things, and those who accept Him are eternally blessed by God. Those who reject Him are lost forever. Your reaction to Jesus is critical! What do you say?

Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus to his house. There he was, sharing his table with this great Rabbi (and perhaps other Jews of significance and notoriety), when some random woman of the city (a dirty, rotten sinner, at that) came in with a flask of alabaster ointment. What a scene that must have been! Why would such a woman interrupt their meal. The riffraff were welcome to stand at the windows and hang around to hear the men converse at the big-boy table, but she dared to come in and even touch this Rabbi.

Her tears cascaded over Jesus’ feet, and she wiped them away with her hair. Why did she use her hair? Why not her skirt or a towel? That seems rather personal. Then she poured some of that alabaster oil on his feet. How odd, right?

I’ve never had anyone, let alone a random woman, come mess with my feet before—not while I was eating nor at any other time. It would make me uncomfortable. And if I knew the woman grabbing my feet were also a woman of the night or of some such unsavory occupation, that would increase my anxiety and concern. What would people think of me? What business would she have coming so near and being so bold?

Simon had these sorts of thoughts. Why would this great Rabbi allow her to touch him, especially knowing what kind of a sinner she was?

Jesus had some words for Simon. He told him about two debtors, one who owed 500 denarii and another who owed 50 to the same moneylender. The moneylender forgave both debts, so Jesus’ question was, “Now which of them will love him more?” Simon knew, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” Correct.

Then Jesus dropped a bomb on Simon. “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.”

Not only did Jesus praise the woman, He pointed out the lack of hospitality Simon had shown him. It was basic hospitality for a Jew to wash the feet of those whom he invited to his house. To not offer a foot washing was almost to say, “You’re not worth it.” On the other hand, nothing was expected of this woman. She wasn’t expected to show hospitality, yet she poured out her gifts—what she had—to the Lord. Apparently, she did not feel right touching Jesus’ head, but she lowered herself to touch his feet.

Simon, a leader of the Jews, did not identify himself as a sinner, of needing forgiveness, or of needing Jesus. In fact, he probably had invited Jesus to demonstrate his magnanimity and score a few political points.

The woman knew she was a sinner (probably was often told and treated as such), so she came to Jesus humbly in pennant posture. She asked nothing, expected nothing, bringing a gift to bless this great man.

The point of Jesus’ parable is that she loved him more because she had such a realistic view of her sins, which were many, and she received Jesus, believing what he preached. Simon did not love Jesus much because he had an unrealistic accounting of his sins, which also were many, and he did not receive Jesus even when he had the perfect opportunity.

“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven,” Jesus said, “for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” He said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven,” and then, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Sweeter words she never heard! To the one who understands the depths of his or her sin and goes to Jesus, that one will receive his love and forgiveness.

But to the one who just invites Jesus into his house from time to time to hang out with everyone else, that one does not know the Lord. He will not receive forgiveness but should expect the Lord’s judgment on the last day.

Know your sins. Receive Jesus like the humble, contrite, worshipful woman.

Have you ever…

…called someone an “idiot” (or worse) for cutting in front of you in traffic?

…thought (in your head) that your spouse was ignorant, weak, or insane because they refused to see a matter your way?

…clucked your tongue at a frazzled mom who couldn’t control her kids in the department store?

…grimaced to yourself because a sister showed up to church with holes in her jeans?

Yes? Me, too. And this verse is for us today:

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6.37–38

Jesus spoke symmetrically and poetically to bring us this wonderful truth. Two do nots (judge not and condemn not) followed by two dos (forgive and give) strike quite the contrast.

Make sure you give more than expected. How will you fill the cup with flour? Press it down. Shake it. Let it spill over. Give more than you owe, more than they expect, more than you must.

But wait—Jesus said the extravagant measure will be put in your lap. You will you get that overflowing gift, when you use that measure for others. Likewise, if you skimp with others, don’t be surprised when you get back the same.

Jesus had just finished teaching the crowds to love their enemies (Luke 6.27) by blessing them and doing good to them. He told them to lend them money, expecting nothing in return (Luke 6.35), and to be merciful to them (Luke 6.36).

This is the context in which He taught, “Judge not, and you will not be judged.”

Jesus does not mean it is wrong to apply God’s law and judge a matter to be right or wrong. In John 7.24, Jesus also instructed to “judge with righteous judgement.” Interestingly, He told that to Jews who were condemning their brothers (including Jesus!) in their hearts. We should learn to judge righteously, but that’s not the same kind of judgment He condemns in Luke 6.

Jesus is telling us not to condemn a brother in our hearts. On the one hand, you love your brother when you tell him he is living in sin and needs to repent. On the other hand, you hate your brother when you despise him in your heart. The opposite of judging and condemning is forgiving and giving. And remember, we should give even to our enemies, not expecting anything in return. How then should we give to our brothers?

The underlying golden rule instructs us to ask, “How would I like to be treated?” and then treat my brother that way. Would I want my brother to set himself up as my judge? Would I want him to judge me because of my family situation or the color of my skin or the financial troubles I find myself in?

Don’t we tend to judge people based on these things? Perhaps my neighbor is in bad financial straights because he sinned with his money. More likely I just don’t know his story and I would probably be in his position had I gone through what he has.

Steven Covey tells the story of when he was on the subway one day and a man sat near him who was letting his little children run wild on the car. Steven finally had enough and chastised the man for it. The man, in a sort of daze, apologized and told him their mother had just died and he hadn’t figured out how to handle it yet.

Yes, there are plenty of bad actors out there, and we can judge their actions as evil. But when we are simply irritated at someone, we show a pathetic lack of love. Most people would probably say, “Why don’t you get to know my situation before you judge?” Isn’t that what we would want from others?

How would I like you to think about me? Then I’ll try to think of you that way.

How would I like you to treat me? Then I’ll try to treat you that way.

Love you, my brother.

Jannet and Carrie live next door to one another. Both have husbands and three children, and they both enjoy roughly the same level of income.

Jannet wonders why her life is so hard. She wishes she had more help with washing dishes and clothes. She wonders why her husband doesn’t bring flowers more often and why he gets to be the one who goes to work every day, leaving her to the drudgery of home life. She scrolls through Facebook and looks with envy on the picture-perfect lives of friends and neighbors.

Carrie wonders why she is so blessed. When she does the dishes, she thanks God for the food which dirtied them and the fellowship her family enjoyed while eating together. She washes her kids’ clothes looking forward to full closets and being ready for the week. When her husband leaves the house, she is grateful for a man who takes care of his family. She enjoys giving.

From the outside, Jannet and Carrie are physically blessed in almost identical ways, but their attitudes are almost opposite. One sees her job as drudgery and remains discontent with the things in her life, always wishing for something different, something more. The other loves her life, enjoys her family, and sees her work in the home not as endless toil but as a gift and an honor.

The difference between these two women is not one of circumstance but rather one of perspective. Many people fall on both sides of this attitude spectrum. What makes the difference?

Are happy people happy because of their pleasant circumstances? Miserable people think so. They see everyone else’s life through rose colored glasses while seeing their own life through gray-tinted spectacles. They become like Job’s accuser, saying things like, “He is only jolly because things always go well for him.”

But happy people are disposed to joy often despite their circumstances. They understand that life on this earth (“under the sun” as Solomon wrote) is not and never will be perfect. Evil comes upon the righteous and the wicked alike. Blessings come from the Lord. The secret to a contented life is to thank God for all things and to never quit thanking Him. Endure the bad, and enjoy the good, knowing that God is with you through all of it. This is the way to true joy.

When you find yourself falling to depression, feeling miserable and discontent, ask yourself whether you have thanked God recently for His gifts. It’s probably time to count your many blessings and remind yourself all that God has done for you. We have so many reasons to be thankful!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5.16–18)