Today’s Scripture – December 14, 2017

Luke 11:44 (NIV) “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.”

Of all the woes that Jesus pronounced over the Pharisees, this one struck the deepest. So far all of His condemnations focused on their deficiencies of character. But now He goes a step further.

Unmarked graves were a serious thing in Judaism. One of the stipulations of the law was that if a person touched a dead body, they would be ceremonially unclean for seven days. They had to take a bath on the third and seventh day, and then on the seventh day they would be clean again. (Number 19:11-13) If they didn’t bathe, the arrival of the seventh day would not make them clean again. Both obedience to God’s commandment and time were required for them to become clean again.

Over the course of time, the Jewish people extended the prohibition from simply touching a dead body to touching a tomb or grave in which a body was buried. So they conspicuously marked graves and tombs, sometimes gong so far as to apply bright whitewash to the site of a tomb, so that they could be easily seen and avoided, or to at least alert someone who accidently touched them that they were unclean so that they could start the process of becoming clean again. The worst case scenario in their minds would be for a person to unknowingly touch or walk across a grave, become unwittingly unclean, and then, at best, have their prayers rejected, or at worst, enter God’s temple and be destroyed on the spot for their entering His holy presence in an unclean state.

By declaring that the Pharisees were like unmarked graves, Jesus was doubling down on His condemnation of their looking holy on the outside while being corrupt on the inside. But with the terrible added concept that their inner corruption, hidden from those who admired them, was actually a corrupting influence on those very admirers, causing them to become unclean by following the Pharisees’ corrupted version of holiness, and making them worthy of God’s condemnation instead of His blessing.

Of course, any Pharisee would be aghast at the very notion that they could be a corrupting influence on anyone. But their harsh, unloving, legalistic, even exclusionary version of holiness, without God’s love, mercy, or justice, really was taken up and emulated by many people, who ended up fostering a holiness in themselves without God’s love, mercy, and justices, and making them just as worthy of God’s condemnation as their models.

Father, most of us probably don’t consider the fact that, when we put ourselves forward as Your people, followers of Jesus, that many who are wanting to find eternal life will imitate, not our theology, but our actions and attitudes, believing that by that imitation they too will have the eternal life that we claim to possess. And if our actions and attitudes are worthy of condemnation in Your sight, those imitators will unwittingly end up being condemned as well, corrupted by the foulness hidden in the unmarked grave of our souls. Help us all, Lord, to be clean in the inside, purified by Your Spirit and made holy by Your grace, so that our lives bring righteousness, holiness, and wholeness to all who come near. Amen.

Today’s Scripture – September 26, 2017

Luke 8:42-48 (NIV) As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

This woman’s faith in Jesus’ ability to heal her was as strong as Jairus’ faith that Jesus could heal his daughter, but it manifested itself differently. Jairus’ faith led him boldly into Jesus’ presence to ask Him to come and heal the girl. This woman’s faith led her to touch just the edge of Jesus’ robe, believing that that touch would be enough to heal her (Mark 5:28).

The thing that caused her to touch Jesus secretly was the reason that she needed the healing: her twelve-year-long battle with hemorrhage. The constant flow of blood made her ceremonially unclean. And anything and anyone she touched became ceremonially unclean as well, and had to undergo a cleansing ritual to be made clean again.

If the woman had asked Jesus publicly to cleanse her, everyone in the crowd who had stood next to her or jostled her would have suddenly realized that this woman had made them unclean. And she didn’t want to face that kind of scorn and rejection.

In her mind, the plan was simple: creep up in the crowd, touch Jesus’ robe – He wouldn’t even notice – receive the healing, and go home whole. And everything went just as she planned, up to a point. As soon as she touched Jesus’ robe, she felt a rush of power that told her the healing had happened. But before she could move away from Jesus, He suddenly stopped and looked around asking, “Who touched Me?”

The woman froze, terrified that an accusing finger would be thrust into her face. But Jesus was still looking around. The crowd was still jostling Jesus, and Peter pointed out that dozens of people were pushing against Him and touching Him.

But Jesus said no, that the touch He was talking about was different. All of the people jostling around Jesus weren’t receiving anything in the process. But one touch, done in faith, had received a burst of power through Him. A healing had been done.

Jesus continued to look around, and the woman knew that it was only a matter of seconds before His eyes fell on her. So she took a breath, stepped forward, and declared, “It was me.”

All eyes focused on her as she briefly told her story, a story of twelve years of isolation and fear that had been transformed in an instant when she had touched Jesus. All eyes then turned to Jesus. This woman had intentionally touched Him when she knew that she was unclean! How would He react?

But Jesus’ face broke into a gentle smile as He said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Then He moved forward again to continue His journey to Jairus’ house.

Father, this woman’s desire was to receive a secret, private miracle that nobody would ever know about. But You don’t work that way. The miracles You choose to do are designed to bring You glory, and to reveal Your power and Your grace. But none of that can happen if the recipients of the miracle don’t tell anyone, but just keep it to themselves. It’s significant that Luke points out that the woman testified to the healing “in the presence of all the people.” All who heard could thus give You appropriate praise for the wonders You had done. Help me, Lord, to testify freely about all that You have done and continue to do in my life, so that Your name is glorified through me every day. Amen.

Today’s Scripture – October 31, 2016

Matthew 9:20-22 (NIV) Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.  She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.

This woman was really hoping that her touch on Jesus’ cloak would go unnoticed, and for good reason.  Her bleeding disorder, which she had had for twelve years, had caused her to be ceremonial unclean that whole time (cf. Leviticus 15:25-27).  Anyone or anything that she touched, or that touched her, would also become ceremonially unclean until sunset, and would then have to be washed in order to be clean again.  So touching another person, especially a holy man like Jesus, could easily bring withering condemnation down on her head.

But the woman was desperate.  For twelve years, no one had been willing to even touch her, and there was no end in sight.  Mark tells us that the medical treatments that she had spent all her money on had only made the condition worse (Mark 5:25-28).  As Jesus passed by, close enough for her to touch, she decided on the spot to risk it.  This was no theological decision, but the last gasp of a drowning soul, reaching out for what looked like a life-saving hand.

The touch itself lasted for less than a second.  Surely in that jostling crowd Jesus would never notice a single light brush of a woman’s fingers.  But in that moment, a flash of power moved through Jesus and into her broken body.  In that moment, she knew that she had been healed!

But in that moment, Jesus also knew that power had flowed out of Him, and He turned to face the woman, now made whole.  When Jesus saw her terrified face, and felt the fear in her heart, He smiled.  He understood the fears that had made her attempt to take what she feared would have been denied her.  But He would not have withheld healing from this woman if she had asked.  Her touch of faith hadn’t dirtied Him, but had made her completely clean.  So He just looked straight into the face of the woman with that smile of His and spoke His words of encouragement.  Her healing had restored her body and had brought glory to the Father.  Those were the most important things.

Father, Jesus was so consumed with doing good, teaching about the kingdom , and bringing glory to You, that no other fears or concerns entered His mind.  Even on the way to raise a dead child, He made time to ensure that You were glorified in the good that had been done in this woman’s life.  Help me to have these same priorities in all that I do today.  Amen.

Today’s Scripture – August 6, 2013

2 Samuel 11:4 (NIV):  Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.

 

There is no small amount of irony in this single verse.  Bathsheba had offered the sacrifice to cleanse herself from her monthly uncleanness, but as soon as David called for her, she went to him and made herself morally unclean.  She was exacting as to the procedure to be CEREMONIALLY unclean, but was unwilling to keep herself MORALLY clean.

Jesus had the same problem with the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  They were scrupulous in the fine details of the law, keeping themselves ceremonially clean even to the point of ensuring that they never touched a grave, and even straining their drinks through cloth so that they wouldn’t accidentally swallow a gnat, making themselves unclean.  But, at the same time, their hearts were full of hate, and malice, and all manner of evil thoughts.  This contrast is painted in full-color in John 18:28.  The Jews refused to enter the governor’s mansion, because that would have made them ceremonially unclean, and unable to eat the Passover.  They made Pilate come out to them so that they would stay CEREMONIALLY clean.  But, at the same time, they were in the process of consciously railroading a Man whom they knew to be innocent of the things they were accusing Him of, in clear violation of commandment #9:  You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16 NIV)  This made them MORALLY unclean, and unpresentable before God, but they were totally unconscious of the contradiction.  This was precisely why Jesus called those leaders “whitewashed tombs;” nice-looking, ceremonially clean on the outside, but full of corruption, and spiritual death, morally wrong on the inside.

This same dichotomy exists today in the minds of people who are called Christian.  They make efforts to do the right things on the outside, but their minds and hearts are a mess.  For example, they make a strong effort not to swear or use crude language (especially in the church building), but their minds are full of unclean thoughts, hateful attitudes, and agendas that run at cross-purposes to God’s.  They dress nicely (and often look down on others who won’t “present their best to God” in their church clothes), but inside their thoughts are far from God, focusing far more on those around them than on God and His agenda.  And it is quite frequent for people to come to the altar to confess their sins and receive forgiveness, only to leave the church building and go right back into their sinful lifestyles, actions and attitudes.

God requires His people to be, not just well-behaved, ceremonially clean, but genuinely holy.  Holy not just in their outward actions, but holy all the way to their hearts.  There are many these days who declare that those standards are too high, beyond the reach of anyone.  And in our own strength, it is.  But in past days, God revealed Himself to His people as Yahweh Mekadesh:  The Lord who MAKES you holy (Leviticus 20:7-8).  It was never God’s plan to have a people who were simply well-behaved.  It was always His plan to have a people in whom He Himself could continually dwell, reshaping their very hearts, moving them to obey His commands, and making them legitimately holy, inside and out.  No other kind of people can actually DO the work that he has left for us to do.  No other kind of people can bear consistent witness to His love, His grace, and His power.  But God has promised to do the work of making genuinely holy anyone who will turn to Him with all of their heart.  And He ALWAYS keeps His promises.  He WILL do it!  (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

 

Father, forgive us for being too willing to be holy only on the outside.  Instead, fill ALL of Your people with a deep and powerful hunger and thirst for Your righteousness, so that we CAN be filled by You.  Amen!

Today’s Scripture – August 6, 2013

2 Samuel 11:4 (NIV):  Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.

 

There is no small amount of irony in this single verse.  Bathsheba had offered the sacrifice to cleanse herself from her monthly uncleanness, but as soon as David called for her, she went to him and made herself morally unclean.  She was exacting as to the procedure to be CEREMONIALLY unclean, but was unwilling to keep herself MORALLY clean.

Jesus had the same problem with the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  They were scrupulous in the fine details of the law, keeping themselves ceremonially clean even to the point of ensuring that they never touched a grave, and even straining their drinks through cloth so that they wouldn’t accidentally swallow a gnat, making themselves unclean.  But, at the same time, their hearts were full of hate, and malice, and all manner of evil thoughts.  This contrast is painted in full-color in John 18:28.  The Jews refused to enter the governor’s mansion, because that would have made them ceremonially unclean, and unable to eat the Passover.  They made Pilate come out to them so that they would stay CEREMONIALLY clean.  But, at the same time, they were in the process of consciously railroading a Man whom they knew to be innocent of the things they were accusing Him of, in clear violation of commandment #9:  You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16 NIV)  This made them MORALLY unclean, and unpresentable before God, but they were totally unconscious of the contradiction.  This was precisely why Jesus called those leaders “whitewashed tombs;” nice-looking, ceremonially clean on the outside, but full of corruption, and spiritual death, morally wrong on the inside.

This same dichotomy exists today in the minds of people who are called Christian.  They make efforts to do the right things on the outside, but their minds and hearts are a mess.  For example, they make a strong effort not to swear or use crude language (especially in the church building), but their minds are full of unclean thoughts, hateful attitudes, and agendas that run at cross-purposes to God’s.  They dress nicely (and often look down on others who won’t “present their best to God” in their church clothes), but inside their thoughts are far from God, focusing far more on those around them than on God and His agenda.  And it is quite frequent for people to come to the altar to confess their sins and receive forgiveness, only to leave the church building and go right back into their sinful lifestyles, actions and attitudes.

God requires His people to be, not just well-behaved, ceremonially clean, but genuinely holy.  Holy not just in their outward actions, but holy all the way to their hearts.  There are many these days who declare that those standards are too high, beyond the reach of anyone.  And in our own strength, it is.  But in past days, God revealed Himself to His people as Yahweh Mekadesh:  The Lord who MAKES you holy (Leviticus 20:7-8).  It was never God’s plan to have a people who were simply well-behaved.  It was always His plan to have a people in whom He Himself could continually dwell, reshaping their very hearts, moving them to obey His commands, and making them legitimately holy, inside and out.  No other kind of people can actually DO the work that he has left for us to do.  No other kind of people can bear consistent witness to His love, His grace, and His power.  But God has promised to do the work of making genuinely holy anyone who will turn to Him with all of their heart.  And He ALWAYS keeps His promises.  He WILL do it!  (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

 

Father, forgive us for being too willing to be holy only on the outside.  Instead, fill ALL of Your people with a deep and powerful hunger and thirst for Your righteousness, so that we CAN be filled by You.  Amen!