Devotionals @ The Mount Church

In all honesty, I adore being a bridesmaid. And it is not that I take great pleasure in last minute errands, in wrapping gifts, cleaning house, and wrestling with itty bitty ribbons that must be strung through programs. It is rather that, in this, I am given an opportunity to show my love by service, to quietly move behind the scenes running errands and making preparations that the bride might be ready, might be able to rejoice fully with her love and not be distracted or worried. It is a chance to both serve and rejoice with the ones I love. This is the picture that Christ paints in Matthew 25.

Most are familiar with the picture of the Bride of Christ, his church, and He being the bridegroom. Christ also used the analogy of a wedding ceremony, where we do not play the actual role of the bride, but rather that of the bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13). In this parable, our love for the bride and groom, our true heart, is manifested and displayed in our actions. Read Matthew 25:1-13.

the bridesmaids

In a Jewish wedding ceremony, the bridesmaids played two roles-to attend the bride, and to light the bridegroom into the home. It was customary for the bride to wait for the bridegroom in the home, while the bridegroom prepared for the marriage ceremony. He would arrive at an unannounced time, usually at some point in the night. Upon his arrival, the bridesmaids would light their lamps and line the walk to the house entrance, as both an honor and a service to the bridegroom. Carrying their lamps out at his arrival was the chief concern, their utmost duty.

Christ paints a picture of two types of bridesmaids, the wise and the foolish. The wise are prepared, and though the bridegroom tarries, they are equipped to last the night and honor the groom by serving him well. The foolish are not. Matthew Henry likens the foolish bridesmaid to the hypocrite, the one who professes to know Christ, but only outwardly looks the part. The foolish bridesmaid, when realizing the bridegroom has come and is unprepared, seeks help from the wise, but cannot share in her work. It is a picture of the one who comes to the realization that Christ has come, yet their life is not submitted to Him, it does not honor Him, and seeking last-minute, quick refinement does not work. Ultimately the foolish bridesmaids miss the wedding ceremony and celebration, the Bridegroom turns them away in the end. Whereas the wise bridesmaid, though the bridegroom is late in coming, has a heart to maintain and endure through the night. She has readied herself for His arrival, is able to share in His joy, both celebrating and honoring Him. It is a beautiful picture that both service and duty are performed with happiness and joy because of the great love for the bridegroom, the chance to share in His happiness, and the desire to make Him great, to bring Him glory.

the bridegroom

In his parable, the bridegroom comes to claim his bride at a very late hour, much later than expected. And indeed, this is often the case, from our perspective–the Lord rarely moves in our time, but in truth is never early or late, we simply are impatient. He is preparing for his bride and will gladly come to take her as soon as all is ready. Christ himself openly proclaimed that no one knows the day or the hour of His return (Matthew 24:36), but promises that He is going to prepare a place for us, His bride (John 14:2). This story vividly depicts this very process. Psalm 45, one of the prophetic psalms, gives us a deeper look into the Bridegroom King. He is most handsome, mighty, and victorious (verses 2-4). He loves justice and righteousness (verses 4-6), and He is coming to claim His bride (verses 10-11). It is a picture of perfection, beauty, great strength, and deep love. This is the one we are to prepare for, the one we are to wait eagerly for, and the one we rejoice in honoring. And He longs for us to share in His celebration-”with joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king” (Psalm 45:15).

application

Isaiah 29:13 reads, The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” Where is your heart? This is a key point in the passage-the difference between celebrating with wedding party and being turned away, between eternity with your Savior and eternal separation. Do your words match your actions and your heart?

• Often, even as Christians, we fail to live as our mouths proclaim. What circumstances and situations most often bring about compromise in your life? Why?
• What “night” (trials, temptations, painful circumstances, etc.) are you facing right now? What is enabling you to endure this night?
• What motivates the wise bridesmaid?
• Is there a sense of joy and anticipation when you think of service?
• How do you view your bridegroom (Christ)? Does this match His description in Psalm 45? Why/why not?
• How can you cultivate a deeper love and understanding of the coming Bridegroom?

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of Whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Luke 3:16-17, RSV

When thinking about the Kingdom of God and the nature of His people this week, I was reminded of the line, ‘His winnowing fork is in His hand …” as a reminder that God is constantly in the process of, not only shaping us to become more like him, but weeding out the pretenders from His true followers.

In Matthew 19, we find Jesus approached by the Pharisees, who drill him on questions about eternal life, commandments and the kingdom. Seemingly fixated on deeds rather than faith, they ask him: “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” Acquiescing momentarily, he runs off a list of commandments. But then, when a likely rich, young man comes to him and says he has kept the commandments, Jesus ups the ante: “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

As we see in the following verse, this was an additional step of faith the young man, tragically, was not willing to make.

And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 19: 23-24, NAS

Here, we see Jesus clearing drawing a dividing line, a line in the sand. While God does not wish any to miss out on being part of his kingdom, he recognizes that some, because of their selfishness, pride, false religiosity, showmanship and lack of full and abiding acceptance of Christ, ultimately will be hewn from his side. The chaff, he says, will be burned with unquenchable fire.

Throughout this section of Matthew, we find Jesus speaking in parables because the true believers will understand and learn from the parables, while the pretenders and unbelievers will simply not grasp the meaning behind the stories. One such story about a wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14) again draws a distinction between the few — God’s chosen, us, his people — and everyone else. When the father sent out his son to gather up guests for the wedding, those who had been invited (here, we can equate them with the Pharisees, non-gentiles or overtly religious people without true abiding faith) paid no attention to the invitation. They were punished. The father again opened up the invitation to those along the “main highways” (equated with the Gentiles). The father surveyed the room of guests, which included both people of good and evil, spotted one not clothed properly for the wedding and cast him out into the “outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10, NAS

As his people, God wants us to be properly fitted for his service. Some may shimmer, present a “holy” demeanor and do all the right “church” things, but without an abiding, all-surrendered faith in Jesus, their presentation is tarnished and fading. Jesus’ winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will snatch up the good and cut off the bad. Just as the enemy is called the prince of darkness, was once shimmering but now a hobbled, fallen angel, so too are those who infiltrate the church and our lives in an attempt to skirt us off course. But his people are made precious in his site. In trusting Him with our lives, we not only gain the fruit of the spirit, we should relish it and vividly display it in our daily lives.

… For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, NAS

application

Today, thank God for calling you to himself. You are uniquely made and uniquely gifted. You have an intricate series of interests and talents to serve in his kingdom on earth in preparation and anticipation for the New kingdom. Ask God to make you steadfast in your faith, not only knowing in your head, but having an intimate knowledge of Him in your heart. Pray that you begin to trust him for fully each day and that he would rightly equip you for service in his kingdom. Be encouraged that, as a child of God, whether awake or asleep, you abide in him, and he abides in you.

Do you ever make the mistake of believing God is a “comparison shopper,” looking for the Christian most “worthy” of His grace, overlooking those other Christians who do not seem to “do” quite as much for Him? I know I fall in to this trap often; I ashamedly find myself thinking “well, I may not be praying every night, but at least I am not doing as badly as “so and so.” Or I will wonder why one person seems to have everything I desire even though they haven’t lived such a “good” life. It’s easy to have these selfish and envious thoughts, but it’s also sinful and displeasing to God. We often forget that, even though we may not completely understand it, our God is just and loving and graceful—to ALL who accept him.

The parable of the vineyard owner in Matthew 20 illustrates these characteristics of God in a concrete way.

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went.

He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?”

“Because no one has hired us,” they answered.
He said to them, “You also go and work in my vineyard.”

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.”

The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. “These men who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”

But he answered one of them, “Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary gives helpful insight into Jesus’s purpose in this parable, especially to his contemporaries. The Jews, “God’s chosen people,” had a difficult time accepting that the coming of Christ also meant that they were no longer more important to God than the Gentiles, even though these Gentiles were only recent believers in their God. God loved both Jew and Gentile equally and blessed them equally as well. Many Jews were angered. Many were jealous. Many were confused. Jesus used this story to help them understand that God makes no distinction as long as individuals believe, accept, and love him.

Currently, the differences between Jew and Gentile are not so prevalent in our culture, but this parable is still applicable, for we are often just as selfish, jealous, and confused as those Jewish people trying to figure out Jesus. This illustration, therefore, is relevant in our contemporary lives for many reasons:

1. God is in charge. Matthew Henry points out that Jesus’s parable reminds us that “God is debtor to no man.” In other words, he is the ultimate boss, the one decision maker, the supreme leader. We must submit to his power, as the laborers did to the owner, regardless of our own desires.

2. God is forgiving. Though it’s sometimes hard to give up our selfish wishes to follow God’s commands, he rewards our obedience with blessings. He also, however, forgives us when we are not as quick to obey as He would hope. In many ways, this parable offers such relief. For it does not matter when you convert to believing in God, or what you were like before the conversion; what matters, to God, is the change. After that, we are all blessed and loved equally.

3. God expects compassion. Since our purpose in life is to reflect Christ, one of the most important traits Christians should possess is compassion. The laborers who had worked the hardest and the longest found it difficult to find compassion for those who had only worked an hour and reaped the same benefits. God, however, expects us to celebrate blessings for all and to avoid wishing negative consequences for a fellow believer. How many times, though, do you find yourself thinking like those laborers: “well, that sure isn’t fair!” Instead, God expects us to remember that He is sovereign, has been merciful to us, and anticipates our love for one another.

I will admit, I was confused after my first reading of this passage in Matthew. And then I realized, my inability to comprehend the meaning of the parable was due to my sympathy with the all-day workers. I exhibit the same self-centered thinking, thinking, that after careful reading and studying, I realize must change. I should no longer compare myself and my Christian walk to those around me because God never does. Whew, what a relief!

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. when the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they replied, “we do.”

Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

Matthew 13:47-52

In reading through the Matthean parables, there is a recurring theme of a coming separation, a distinction being made between the righteous and the unrighteous, the wicked and the good. Here in chapter 13, Jesus uses this theme several times as he refers to separating the “weeds from the wheat” (verses 24-29; 36-42) and in our focus passage, the “good fish from the bad fish.”

Of at least twenty-four species of fish in the Lake of Galilee, many were unclean or completely inedible. Fishermen’s nets were not able to discriminate the clean from the unclean fish in their catch. So, once the haul was brought in from the sea, the fishermen would have to manually sift through the load and separate the good from the bad, the edible from the inedible.

Jesus is using this parable to illustrate the dividing line that is already in place and will one day be revealed to all, the dividing line on which there will be only two sides: those who are in Christ and those who are not. The Kingdom of God carries a standard by which all of mankind will be measured, and depending on our actions and adherence to the Kingdom’s standards, we will either be categorized among the righteous or “cast away” among the unrighteous.

Mankind is the sea, and the Kingdom of God is the Net. Until the final day, the day when Jesus draws in the Net, He will continue to seek and save the lost. He will continue providing opportunities for people to hear His voice, to respond to His calling, and to accept the gift of eternal life He offers through Jesus’ atonement for our sins on the cross. But, once the Net is gathered in and the separating process is completed, the line of demarcation will be drawn across the world, as well as the church. Those who have never accepted Christ as their Savior will be tossed into the fiery furnace (Hell) where they will spend eternity separated from God. Also, those who professed God with their lips but not with their hearts and lives will find themselves revealed at the final sifting as well. While this parable probably primarily refers to the world, it is not inaccurate to apply it to the church as well, because the same line (The Net, The Kingdom of God) that separates the wicked from the righteous will also ultimately divide Jesus’ true disciples from the merely professing ones. This begs the question for us to consider, “When the four corners of the Net are drawn in and God’s eternal Kingdom is revealed, will we be found among the ‘keepers’ or tossed out among the ‘non-keepers?’”

The time is now for us to decide, for us to be making the wise choice to live our lives for God so we can spend eternity with Him. The Net is not something for us to fear, but rather something to be respected, to be revered, to willingly be caught up in. We should want to be captured by the Kingdom of God, recognizing it as our safe passage to an eternity spent with God, not an encumbrance to be avoid be tangled up in. The Net, God’s Kingdom, is our salvation. It is the vehicle that God created to provide eternal life for His true disciples, His beloved children. This world will one day cease to exist, but God’s Kingdom will last forever. Being in it is our only hope for eternal life and our only guarantee of being found among the righteous when the day of reckoning arrives.

All of humanity will be “caught” by the Net, there is no doubt about that. The only question is, when Jesus reaches in and pulls us out of it, what will He say? Will He say, “This one’s with me for eternity” because of the obedience He sees in our lives, or will He be forced to toss us away from Him because of our rejection of the gift He offered us?

prayer

Jesus, I know there is a day coming when I will face my eternal destiny, a day when I will either enter into the rest and joy that You have prepared for me or the eternal separation and darkness that is prepared for those who don’t know You. I don’t want there to be any doubt that I’ll spend eternity anywhere else but with You, so I want to make the right choices here and now. Father, thank You for the gift of salvation provided to me through Jesus’ death and the blood He shed on the cross for my sins. I confess to You that I am a sinner and that I need Your forgiveness. Thank You for dying for me and for taking the punishment that I deserved. Please come into my life, fill me with Your power, and help me live for You from this day forward. Please help me to make You the first and highest priority in my life and help me grow in my knowledge and understanding of You as I study Your Word, pray, and learn about You from others who love You. Please help me to fulfill Your calling on my life to make sure others who are drawn into the Net will know you too and spend forever with You as well. I love You, Jesus, and I thank You for saving me. In Your name I pray and believe, Amen.

If you ever want to insert an awkward silence into a healthy discussion about personal struggles, bringing up the subject of ‘accountability’ will probably do the trick. Most of us are predisposed to consider the word ‘accountable‘ to have a negative connotation-likely because of what past experiences have taught us.

Consider some popular examples of public accountability (or lack thereof) - Tyco, ImClone, and Enron. Most people who follow the stock market or consume even a smattering of business news can identify those companies for having displayed gross mismanagement of assets or unethical accounting. Often, such companies are investigated and high-ranking individuals are brought to court in order to be held accountable for their actions. Such examples need not be limited to corporate interests or money.

Nobody is exempt from being accountable for something, from politicians and public figures to school teachers and technicians–everybody is expected to perform tasks in such a way that they do not fall short of the expectations of others.

We are all familiar with the various aspects of personal accountability. Whether it involves job performance, parenting, driving, or our daily walk with God, we are usually well aware of what is expected of us.

Go ahead and read Nehemiah 5:1-13.

In this passage, Nehemiah actually introduces us to the fundamental paradox of true personal accountability: it works best when it ceases to remain personal.

While we may understand our shortcomings, we all require a reference point or incentive in order to correct our behavior. Without at least one other person to investigate our progress, we are no longer accountable for our actions–we no longer have an obligation to explain or justify our actions, which is at the very heart of what the word ‘accountable’ means.

Nehemiah was wise enough to realize that simply making the lenders and money collectors take an oath to halt their improper practices would not be likely to yield a positive and lasting result. Nehemiah made note that they would need to be accountable-to each other and to God. The result of breaking the promise would be a swift and visible judgment from God. The passage says that the people did what they promised… so are we to assume that they did it out of fear alone? The often-negative connotation that the topic of accountability brings with it is due to the fact that we sometimes fail to see the greater purpose behind it-a closer relationship with God and each other.

Any time I have ever teamed up with an “accountability partner” for some purpose relating to my spiritual life, I usually tend to approach it from the perspective that I should repair my negative behavior simply to spare myself the embarrassment of having to admit to that person that I have once again failed to reach my goal or fallen prey to the same sin in my life. For a short time, that approach works-though it usually falls apart as soon as it becomes evident that I am only seeking to save face and not actually trying to glorify God. True progress begins when we understand that our accountability to each other should embody our desire to please God with our thoughts and actions.

Instead of treating our spiritual accountability like a box awaiting a check-mark for good effort, we should view it as an opportunity to fill ourselves with more and more things that please God until there is less and less room for the things that do not.

a personal example
I’ve had a sizable collection of Christian music albums for as long as I can remember having something to play them on, but several years ago a friend told me that if I listened to only Christian radio in my car for an entire month, it would change my life in a significant way. At the time, I was in my car about two hours a day, and while I certainly expected it to be more positive and uplifting than my normal listening, I hardly thought I would find it enjoyable… much less life-altering. However, that friend knew me well-whether singing it, playing it, writing it, listening to it, or even just humming or whistling it to myself-nobody can take away my love for music. That is what made the challenge significant. Over time, my friend would not only ask me if I was still listening to the new music, but they would also ask me what I thought of it-what I liked and disliked, etc. Quite frankly, it was a difficult transition and it took years of bouncing back and forth for that type of radio listening to really grow on me. Every time, though, it became easier to jump back to the Christian music stations-and I had more to discuss with my friend all the while.

God currently uses that music as a wonderful tool in my life… like an ever-present reminder of my accountability to God. It’s rather difficult to willingly defy God when songs of His greatness and love for me are right on the tip of my tongue. Though it certainly doesn’t have to be music, I would urge any Christian to find something easily accessible that reminds them of God, and simply keep it close by. Spiritual and lifestyle accountability with fellow Christians doesn’t always have to be a deadly-serious thing (though it could be). Often, it’s simply a bridge to a greater understanding of each other and God’s will for each of you.

Being accountable for how we respond to God’s will is not about embarrassment, failures, addictions, or even having a friend ask us the same question each week after church just to check up on us… it’s about the joy that God is faithful to bestow upon us when we seek His will together.

Dear Lord, You are such an incredible friend. You record my words and deeds not because you wish to recount my shortcomings, but because you rejoice in my successes. So often, I cannot justify myself before you, so I simply ask your forgiveness. I thank you for the people you put in my path to remind me of the standard you have set for us, and I pray that you would give me every opportunity to shine brightly for You today, so that those who see me will see You too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.