December 2, 2012
Read 1 Peter 2: 4 & 5. This is about Jesus in resurrection. Man neglected Him and hung Him on the cross, but God has received Him again. This is a precious and deep study. In the Old Testament, God had a place of worship in the tabernacle, and then in the temple. The stones that made up the temple came from deep, dark pits. The workers prepared these stones with hammers and chisels in the pits. They were made perfectly, so that there was none of that noise at the temple site. Today, God’s temple is made up of every believer. Solomon used dead stones, but we are “lively stones.” Solomon also covered everything in gold, which is a type of divine righteousness. We, God’s temple, are covered with the righteousness of God; because of this, we should act in a way that does not bring dishonour to God. We’ve been taken out of the deep dark pits of sin and are being formed into suitable stones.
Hymn 333 – Come to the Saviour
Prayer
Matthew 9:10-13
In reading this story in another gospel, we find out that this meal was hosted by Matthew. He invited Jesus and the disciples, and some publicans and sinners. Publicans and sinners were those who lived lives of sin. I believe that Matthew arranged this meal because he had seen the benefit that Jesus had been to his own life and wanted others to be blessed by Him. Once we are saved we should bless others by telling them about the good news of the gospel.
Wherever Jesus went, it seems that the Pharisees were always there. This time was no exception: it almost sounds as though they were looking in the windows, watching Jesus eat. They were probably wondering why Jesus was spending time with these sinners. If so, Jesus spoke right to their minds. He said that those that are healthy do not need a doctor. If I went to the hospital with nothing wrong, they would send me home. Those sinners knew they needed Jesus and that was why Jesus was there. When we read of the man that was sick with the palsy, we saw that Jesus first forgave his sins and then healed him. We learned that people can have a health issue and, more importantly, a heart issue. Jesus is the Great Physician and he can heal both problems. The Pharisees didn’t feel that they needed any help from Jesus, but the sinners did. I think Matthew invited the right group of people.
I heard a story about a missionary who always visited the same barber when he came into town. One time, he noticed that the barber’s lip looked unhealthy. “You should get that checked out,” he told him, but the barber thought he was fine. He was a smoker and thought that it was an effect from the cigarette. Several months went by and the missionary returned to this city. Needing a haircut, he went to the barber; while there, he noticed that his lip was looking worse. When he asked about it, the barber had the same reply: it was fine. Another few months went by and the missionary came back to the barber shop, but he found that everything was rearranged and a different barber was working. When he asked about the previous barber, he was told that he had passed away. He didn’t think he needed to go to the doctor and it cost him his life. The Pharisees didn’t see their need of Jesus, but the sinners did. I hope that each of us will see our need for Jesus and trust in Him.
Luke 18:15-30
Some people brought sick people to Jesus so that He could heal them, but here are mothers bringing their children to Jesus! How insignificant children are! But really, they aren’t! We teach many lessons to the young, but we learn so much from them. We get our first education through schooling, but we get our second education through raising children.
“Suffer the little children to come unto me” are precious words. We know that Jesus loved and valued children, and He talked about how serious it was to offend them. Children receive information without doubting it, and that’s how we must receive the Gospel. Statistically, the older you get the less likely it is that you’ll get saved. Plus, if you get saved at a young age, you won’t have to look back at a wasted life.
We need more love for the young. Brother Norm’s grandfather used to hand out tracts and preach to youngsters playing in the streets. Later he rented a hall and started holding sunday school, with a Gospel message in the evening for the parents. He probably saw this verse and took action.
Children always run to their parents for help whenever they are hurt. They are so trusting, and it’s a horrible sin to take advantage of this. The publican that we talked about last week took the place of a child: the place of nothingness. We need to take that place and receive the Gospel with the faith and dependence of a little child.
Next, a ruler came to Jesus that didn’t recognize that Jesus really was God in the flesh. He just called Jesus ‘Master’. This ruler believed in eternal life, but he didn’t believe that he had it. He wanted it, though, and thought that he had to do something to earn it. This is the thought process brought about by the law. It’s as Romans 10:3 says, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Jesus—as He so often does—answers this question with a question. Throughout His ministry He didn’t seek to answer questions, but rather He answered the questioner. The question that Jesus asked this man was calculated to make him think.
Jesus then gave this ruler the law, but only the second half that dealt with man’s relationship with his fellows—not the first part that deals with man’s relationship with God. Amazingly, this man says, “I’ve kept all those laws.” He was like the Pharisees and thought that he was doing alright. We are saved by grace and have nothing to boast of (Ephesians 2); this man was about to boast. Brother Norm once talked to a Jew who thought that he had kept all of the Ten Commandments. If that were possible, we wouldn’t need a physician; we wouldn’t need a Saviour.
Interestingly, though this ruler thought that he had kept the law, he still felt like he needed something more to earn eternal life and asked our Lord, “What do I lack?” Jesus told him, “Sell what you have, give the money to the poor, and come follow me”; and there He touched a sensitive point, because this ruler just couldn’t do it. He wasn’t like Matthew who left the receipt of custom when Jesus said, “Follow me.” Riches were a god to this ruler, and God had said in the law, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
Seeing that this man could not give up his riches, Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Those that heard it were surprised and said, “Who then can be saved?” What was impossible with man was possible with God. We are saved, not by something that we have done, but because God has given us the faith to believe in that which allows us into heaven.
Hymn 42 - The Great Physician now is near
Prayer