CAMELS AND NEEDLES
Matthew 19

I got to meet and talk a bit with Elton Trueblood, the popular theologian from the Quaker community. Among other things, I had read his book The Humor of Christ, in which he argues that Jesus found many more things funny that we, in our holy seriousness, don't recognize or admit. One of those was straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. He pictures a guy trying to swallow a big hairy camel with the humps getting in the way! I imagined it as drawn by Dr Seuss! Jesus also introduces a camel in today's scripture where someone tries to pass the largest animal generally seen in the area, a camel, through the smallest common hole of daily life, a needle. He doesn't for a minute rely on the common assumption Jesus was talking about a camel kneeling to get through a low gate. After all, the apostles in the same context exclaim, “Who then could be saved?”

Your editors have indeed picked out valuable scriptures, tho I'm disappointed at some they skipped. Still, let's examine this passage carefully. A Jewish man approaches Jesus with a question. (We label this guy “the rich young ruler.”) The question is a vital question that everyone should pose from a vital concern. “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?
Break it down: Teacher – he recognizes Jesus as a rabbi, not as Messiah. He respects him as we all respect top leaders in their field, perhaps even as sent by God. Yet the man sees Christ as providing an answer, but not as The Answer.
“What good thing” - He seems to think he could perform one tremendous good deed and so qualify or earn God's favor well enough to guarantee to get him into heaven. Being wealthy, perhaps he thought if he built a new synagogue, that would be enough. Note he is thinking with the mind of this world, not the next.
Jesus began by giving him the standard Jewish answer of that day – with a twist. He challenged the man to keep the law, and quoted five of the ten commandments plus the comman to love your neighbor as yourself. It's often been pointed out that these are from the second half of the commands, but omit any command about reverence for God.
Note that in Mark 10:17 the young man says “to inherit” rather than get eternal life. He may have been implying that as a Jew and a son of Abraham, he would be covered by God's covenant with Abraham and the nation Israel. He will discover that one does not enter the kingdom automatically, nor through good deeds.
All these I have kept – Paul would later argue that he was a “Pharisee of the Pharisees, as touching the law, blameless.” But he would also claim to be the chief of sinners.
If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and youwill have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.
WARNING: Do not today immediately say Jesus did not require that of everyone. I know He didn't, but He DID call some to make that sacrifice. As He said this, He was surrounded by at least 12 men who had done exactly that. American Christians especially seem to have trouble with giving. Notice also the call to follow Him. More and more I am coming to see that faith equals following. Instead of asking yourself whether you are saved, ask yourself, “Am I following?” Well, go ahead and answer: are you following Jesus now?”

The young man probably did face that challenge because he was worshipping his riches, his money. So you don't have enough money to worship, so that's not your temptation. But stop a minute. What do you NOT want to give up to follow. Catholics and many Protestants are observing 40 days of lent. They give up something during that month to remind themselves to pray and surrender. Often, they give up some foods or television or something else. There is more value in that than we Baptists usually give them credit for. What stands between you and Jesus, between you and following Him more closely?

Back to money. Jesus then said it's hard for the rich to go into the Kingdom, more difficult than a camel struggling to get his shoulders and humps through a needle's eye. Even the disciples shriek at that! Who then can be saved! Pay close attention to Jesus's answer: with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible! Remember the song:
but when He saved my soul,
cleansed and made me whole,
it took a miracle of love and grace!
Enter John 3: unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.
God has to re-make us, converting flesh to spirit. Shaping us more like Christ and giving us His values.

UP AND DOWN

Matthew 17

Double your pleasure,

Double your fun!

Better still – double your insight. Add the next story to the one in your quarterly, just as I think Matthew intended. First, the transfiguration; second, epilepsy and a demon!

People often seek spiritual highs! We love it when a worship service, a retreat, or an experience leaves us feeling thrilled and joyful. Real mountaintop experiences! But it hath also been said, “It's not how high you jump, it's how straight you walk when you hit the ground!” Christians need fresh experiences with God. We need the mountaintop now and then. But that encounter with the Living Lord should equip us, empower us, and energize us for service.

Now let's look at today's lesson. Backing up for a running start, in Chapter 14, John the Baptist loses his head and Herod gloats. Jesus immediately launches a major preaching campaign Along the way He asks the Twelve who they think He is and find they are catching on that He is the Messiah. Next he feeds 5000, then 4000, stills a storm, and walks on water.

Jesus built quiet times into his schedule. Again and again we see Him slipping off for prayer and meditation – or trying to. This time, after a whirlwind of events, He goes of for this retreat, leaves most of His men at the foot of the hill and takes his inner circle with Him to the top. There, the Scripture says He was transfigured before them. What does that mean? There was light, brilliant light. His clothes shone with a whiter light than Chlorox can turn them. And two more shining figures appeared with Him. The two were Moses and Elijah, perhaps representing the Law and the Prophets.

Side note: At that point in time, the Jews easily accepted the Pentateuch as sacred Scripture. They also accepted “the Prophets” - most of the parts of the Hebrew Bible we call major and minor prophets PLUS the histories: Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings. The third section, which the Jews term “the Writings” were beginning to be used in the synagogues, but were not yet universally accepted.

Thus we can see two things going on here. Moses was like the George Washington of Israel, the Founding Father, and Elijah was the prophet par excellence. So Jesus was drawing strength from the wise men of old. He was also symbolically being surrounded and enfolded by Scripture, the Law and the Prophets.

If retreat, communing with God, and Scripture gave Jesus support, we fail to practice quiet times at our peril.

The three men saw this, and they got blown away! Peter, who had no idea what to say, said it anyway: “Oh wow, Lord! This is fantastic, like Jacob's ladder! Can we stay here? We can build shrines: one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for you! Oh wow!” Before Peter finished, God interrupted him with a bright cloud and a clear voice. This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” This voice from the cloud totally terrified Peter, James, and John, and they fell on their faces in fear, awe, and perhaps worship. (Well, wouldn't you?) Jesus came over and tapped them on their shoulders, and when they looked up, no one else was there.

Then Jesus led them back to the valley, where they found a totally different situation. From exultation, they descended into frustration. They found the guys who had stayed in the valley had found a boy they could not heal. Remember back in Chapter 10 Jesus had sent the 12 out to preach, teach, heal, and cast out demons. And they had done exactly that! So why couldn't they throw out this boy's demon? It seemed particularly obstreperous!

But Jesus expected His followers to be able to heal this lad. In fact, He was so upset He berated them for their lack of faith. Later they asked for more understanding, and He told them they had so little faith! Only a tiny amount of faith – comparable to a mustard seed was all it took. Although in Mark 9 Jesus adds the comment, “This kind doesn't come out except by prayer.” In other words, your prayer life is too week.

The boy's father said the demon threw the kid all over the place – he'd fall in the fire or water and was in real danger of being killed. Jesus cast the demon out of the boy. And Mark gives another interesting detail Jesus interviews the man's father who describes the problem and ends by saying, “If you can do something...” Jesus echos him: “IF you can? All things are possible if you believe.”

So catch those two extremely strong teachings of Jesus.

Faith as a grain of mustard seed can move mountains!

All things are possible to the one who believes!

Couple those with Hebrews 4:16: Let us come boldly to the throne of grace!

Do you pray boldly? Live boldly? I'm convinced we often pray carefully, asking for no more than we think might happen anyway. Where's the faith in that. Let us with our mustard-see faith believe that God loves enough to answer BOLD prayers.

I've often been asked throughout my ministry about demons. I believe in demons, but I don't believe everything someone calls a demon today IS one. Back in 1974 that Exorcist movie came out that scared the living daylights out of a bunch of people. I told folks I had a major problem here. Why would a demon inhabit an innocent 13 year old kid? There are plenty of adults strutting around who appear to be demon possessed. We can start with Kim Un in Korea, wonder about people like Putin, and the whole ISIS movement. Surely that viciousness is demonic.

Today, we would diagnose the boy with seizures as some sort of epileptic. We still can't cure it, though we can ameliorate it to varying degrees. Some people say demons were myths. Well, so is epilepsy. If we objectively describe the behavior, we can say the boy does this and that and then passes out and falls down. Whether demon or seizure, the behavior is still the same. And we still are like the nine disciples. We can't cure it.

We CAN pray for its victims. We can pray boldly and in faith the the Lord will make a difference. And sometimes He will send us to be part of that difference. Where will He send you next?

THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

Matthew 16:16ff

“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.”

For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has used this statement of Jesus as a key point in focusing much of their faith on the Pope. In contrast, Protestants have insisted that the rock was not Peter, but his faith. Thus, the church is built on the faith of its believers.

Sometime in the early 70's the Catholic Church in Many observed a major anniversary, perhaps its 100^th. In the spirit of ecumenism, they invited the pastor of the FBC to speak to their anniversary dinner. That would be me. And with my sense of humor only one verse of Scripture leaped to mind. Yep. That one.

When I got there, I found the dining room at Hodges Gardens loaded with priests and their bishop. So I pronounced the verse above and pointed out the words have divided us for centuries. But we missed something simple. Something any junior high grammar teacher could tell us. Neither Peter nor faith builds anything. Jesus is the subject of the sentence, and He is the only one He says will build His church!

Being Sunday afternoon, I had to leave for services at my own church. However, the friend who invited me told me the bishop kept coming back to my message the whole time he spoke.

So let's look at this central passage that talks about the church. And let's begin by reaffirming my previous point, for it IS the major point in looking at this. Jesus promised to build a congregation of believers, beginning with the Twelve. King James required his translators (of the KJV) to use the word “church” throughout, rather than congregation. He felt the word favored the concept of a national church rather than local churches. However the word previously meant congregation or gathering or company in Greek.

Jesus followed up with “the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” For some reason, we tend to think of the devil on the offense attacking us. But the truth is the opposite. The Lord said his people would batter down the gates of hell, and Satan himself could not stop them! He did not call us to defend, but to attack!

That's the major point I wanted to make, so let's back off a bit and see what brought all this on. I think of it as one bright spring day that Jesus and His guys were hanging out, when the Lord asks: Hey fellas. What are people saying about me. What do you hear?

“Well, you're definitely the talk of the countryside. They're comparing you to John the Baptist or somebody like him.” “Interesting. Have you guys got an opinion?” That's when Simon Peter blurted out, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”

“Good call, Simon. Got it in one! God showed you something. You didn't come up with that on your own......And you know what? You're the kind of man I need to build my new community with. Keep believing, keep talking, and keep following!” And that included all of them.

“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Keys. Keys to the kingdom. Keys are for locking and unlocking. I watch a lot of cop shows, and they're always handcuffing people. You need the keys to take them off. We live in a world of handcuffed people. Many of them put their own cuffs on and tied up others as well. Christ has given us all kinds of keys to unlock their doors and let them free.

The Gospel itself is THE major key. When received, the words clean up a feller real good. Jesus changes lives from selfishness, guilt, and anger into love, caring, and practical help. We can free so very many people. We are called to be good Samaritans and people are in the ditches all around us. Who are you helping?