A Favorite Psalm

Psalm 103

Most Christians have a favorite psalm among the 150 psalms in the Bible.  For many that is the very familiar Psalm 23.  Though I do like that psalm, that one is not in my top three favorites.  Our psalm today, Psalm 103 ranks as second place in my list of favorite psalms, with Psalm 34 beating it out in first place.  My third favorite is Psalm 139.  Psalm 103 is one of the richest and most worship-filled psalms in Scripture.  It is David’s full-hearted call for God’s people to remember His benefits, to magnify His mercy, and to humble themselves under His fatherly compassion.  The theme could be said to bless the Lord by remembering His benefits, His mercy, and His covenant faithfulness.  Let’s take a look at this very beautiful and spiritually moving psalm.

As mentioned, this psalm was written by King David.  Unlike many of his other psalms, or the psalms of others, it contains no requests, no complaints, and mentions no enemies.  Instead, it calls us to remember who God is and what He has done for us.  It affirms the reality of God’s forgiveness, His healing, and His redemption.  It reminds us of God’s unchanging character and His faithfulness to His covenant.  All of this should stir our hearts to worship the Lord.

David begins his psalm by calling upon his soul to bless the Lord (vs. 1-2).  To bless the Lord means to speak well of Him, praising Him, and exalting His Name.  David reminds himself, and us too, not to forget all that God has done for us.  Forgetting the Lord’s blessings can lead us to drift away from Him, and thus into spiritual danger.  We need to actively recall all that He has blessed us with.

Next, David continues by listing five specific benefits that God has blessed His children with (vs. 3-5).  The first is that God has forgiven all of our sins.  After one has accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, we have total forgiveness of our sins because of His substitutionary atonement upon the cross for us.  This is not just some of our sins, but all of them.  God also heals all of our diseases.  This is not a blanket promise of immediate physical healing.  Rather, it acknowledges God as the ultimate healer, as healing is part of His mercy.  We receive spiritual healing from sin’s corruption, and final physical healing in resurrection glory.

Another benefit is that God redeems our life from destruction.  When one personally accepts Jesus, we are then rescued from eternal ruin.  God also crowns us with loving-kindness and tender mercies.  His mercy is not cold.  It is tender, fatherly, and affectionate, and based on His covenant love.  The last one that David listed is that God satisfies us with good things.  He doesn’t merely sustain, He satisfies us.  He renews our strength like that of an eagle, a picture of energy and renewed youthfulness.

David then moves from personal benefits to some of God’s divine attributes (vs. 6-10).  He is righteous, and will show justice to those who are oppressed.  He is slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  His wrath is real, but His mercy is also abundant.  They both coexist perfectly.  We see grace and mercy here - grace in that God gives us what we do not deserve, and mercy in that He withholds what we do deserve.

Now we come to some of the most tender verses in the Bible that describe God and His dealings with His children (vs. 11-14).  Can you measure the height of the heavens?  No, as scientists say that there is no known end to the universe.  That is how great God’s mercy is to us.  He also separates our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  North and south have set points at both poles where you start to go in the other direction.  Not so with east and west. They never meet.  This is a picture of infinite separation.  Our sins are truly gone.  If God removes our sins, and forgets them, we should, as well.

The Lord also is the perfect father who has compassion on us, knowing that we are frail humans.  As humans, we are frail - brief, fragile, and fading like grass (vs. 15-18).  However, God is eternally faithful and His mercy is everlasting.  Knowing all of this, we should join in with the angels and heavenly hosts in giving universal praise (vs. 19-22).

In closing, one of the reasons that this is one of my favorite psalms is that it reminds me of God’s forgiveness and unconditional love for His children.  To love conditionally is against God’s nature.  It is against His nature to remember forgiven sins.  Grace forgets.  He who is perfect love cannot hold grudges.  Knowing this, let us not forget to give Him all the praise and blessing.  As Blood-bought children of God, we have a lot more reasons to rejoice than to complain.

A Bowl of Stew

Genesis 25:28-34

Do you have something important in your life, something of honor or privilege, that you have taken for granted?  Then one day comes, you don’t have it anymore, and now you have deep regret.  The choices and decisions that you made have caused you to lose this important thing because at the time it didn’t seem so important, you failed to see the value and honor.  In our Scripture today we read of someone who had a position of honor and privilege, and who gave it up for something extremely trivial, and then later would deeply regret it.

Our Scripture tells of one event in the lives of two brothers, Jacob and Esau.  These brothers were the sons of Isaac, and grandsons of Abraham.  They were fraternal twins, but couldn’t have been more different from each other.  Esau, the older of the twins, was a rugged outdoorsman type, who loved hunting, and if he had lived today, would have been an all-around athlete.  Jacob was the opposite, a more bookish type.  As the firstborn, Esau had the birthright.  As we read in verse 28, Isaac’s favorite of the two was Esau because he loved the venison that his son brought back from hunting.  Their mother Rebekah loved Jacob best.

To fully understand this passage of Scripture, we must understand exactly what the birthright was, as this is something unfamiliar with many cultures today.  In the Old Testament, the birthright was given to the firstborn son of the family.  It consisted of several important privileges.  One was that the eldest son would get twice as much inheritance when the father died than any of his other siblings, twice as much property and twice as much material wealth.  He would become the patriarch or head of the clan when the father died.  The birthright also held spiritual leadership responsibilities, as he would lead the extended family in worship and sacrifices (until the sacrificial responsibility was given to the Levites).  As we can see, this was a special blessing and privilege to hold.  Why would anyone just toss that away?

As our Scripture recounts, one day Esau had gone out hunting.  Shortly before his brother returned Jacob decided to make dinner.  He seems to have been a good cook, and had a bubbling pot of delicious stew cooking outdoors at the fire pit when Esau returned.  The older brother was quite hungry following his day out hunting, and asked for a bowl.  Jacob was a devious and cunning man, and he wasn’t going to freely give a bowl of his stew without getting something in return (vs. 29-31).

The birthright was something that Jacob really wanted, and he knew that his brother didn’t care about the privilege that it was.  As his mother’s favorite, Jacob had probably been told by her of the message of God to her shortly before they were born, how the older of the two would serve the younger, how Jacob would eventually have the preeminence (Genesis 25:21-23).   Jacob did not want to wait on the Lord for this, so he took this opportunity to get the birthright.  Esau was ruled by impulse, and was dominated by the moment.  He was uninterested in spiritual things and was governed by his bodily desires.  Jacob’s methods were flawed, but he valued the birthright.

Esau was certainly not about to die of hunger as he claimed! (vs. 32).  However, he valued a bowl of food over the spiritual blessings that were his, counting them worthless.  He consciously chose the temporal over the eternal.  He would rather have a full belly than the things of God, as he held this in contempt (vs. 33-34).  He was spiritually bankrupt.

Esau’s hunger became a doorway to spiritual disaster.  The flesh always undervalues spiritual truth.  Jacob’s desire for the birthright, though obtained in a less than godly way, showed that spiritual blessings must be pursued, not neglected.  Esau’s decision led to great loss.  There are always great consequences to despising God’s gifts.

Is there a bowl of stew in your life right now?  Are temporary pleasures threatening eternal priorities?  Or do you value spiritual blessings more than physical comfort?  We must resist the temptation to sacrifice long-term spiritual health for short-term gratification, like Esau did.  “What good is the birthright to me right now?” is the essence of modern secular thinking.  Don’t trade your eternal blessings for a bowl of stew!

Restoring a Fallen Christian

Matthew 18:15-20

In many areas of our life we run across rules that we have to follow, most of them for our own good.  There are traffic rules.  We have safety rules at many places of employment, sports venues, and nature preserves.  We even have rules to ensure fair play for all sorts of games.   In our Scripture passage today from the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord set out some rules for how the Church was to deal with a member who had fallen into sin.  Let’s take a look at what the steps are and see how well our churches, and ourselves, are following our Lord’s instructions.

Immediately prior to our Scripture passage, Jesus had told His disciples the very brief parable about the one sheep who had gone astray and gotten lost, and how the shepherd set out to find the missing sheep.  Now He instructs His followers about what to do when a fellow believer goes astray, does something wrong and falls into sin.  Jesus gives us here a clear, step-by-step process for confronting sin among believers, grounded in truth, and aiming at restoration.

The first step is to be a private confrontation (vs. 15).  Jesus stated that if a fellow Christian brother, not an unbeliever, sins against us or we see that they have fallen into some type of sinful behavior, we are to go to him alone and try to talk it out.  This is to be about an actual sin, something that the Scriptures identify as wrong, not just a difference of opinion, or being super-sensitive about something.  As soon as we realize this, we are to go to them, taking the initiative.  We shouldn’t sit and stew about this.  Nor are we to go and gossip with other people about the matter.  It is to be between yourself and him alone.  This way we protect their dignity and avoid public shame.

What if the person who has fallen into some sin, and to whom you have tried talking to, won’t listen to you?  Not everyone is willing to admit they are in sin, or at fault in a matter.  Jesus then said that if this person refuses to receive correction then you are to bring one or two other witnesses with you (vs. 16).  This would typically be your priest or pastor and possibly a deacon or elder of the church.  Just one or two others, as you don’t want a mob, where the person feels like everyone is ganging up on them.  They should be godly believers and no one who would be spreading rumors around.  This follows the principle of Deuteronomy 19:15. Having witnesses ensures fairness, accuracy, and accountability.  It protects against false accusations and emotional reactions, keeping the process Biblical and not personal.

There is always the possibility that this person will not forsake the sin that he or she has fallen into, despite your godly concern, and that of the one or two that have come with you.  If the believer still refuses repentance, then Jesus instructed that the matter should then be brought before the whole congregation of the local church, where they collectively call the person to repentance (vs. 17).  If they refuse to listen to the whole congregation and get right with the Lord, then he is to be treated as an unbeliever.  He is to be excommunicated, not with hatred but with concern that they forsake the sin that they have gotten into, turn their life around, and be restored.

There are some Christians, even whole congregations, that refuse to follow these instructions that Jesus gave.  They do not want to “judge” other believers, even when they fall into sin.  However, avoiding confrontation is disobedience to God’s Word.  Church discipline is not optional.  It is commanded by Jesus for the purity of the church.  Paul spoke of this in I Corinthians 5.  A church that refuses to discipline members who have fallen into persistent sin are refusing to obey what God has instructed them to be doing.  God demands holiness among His people (I Peter 1:15-16).  He has given the church the authority to act in matters of discipline.  Jesus Himself is present when the church obeys His commands in discipline (vs. 19-20).  He stands with the church when it confronts sin.

This is Jesus’ authoritative steps for confronting sin within the local church.  It is a command, not a suggestion, nor something we should ignore because it doesn’t fit in with today’s idea of refraining from all judgment.  This protects the purity of the church, promotes unity, and reflects the Father’s heart for wandering sheep.  When a church follows this pattern, Jesus Himself stands in the midst of His people, validating their obedience and guiding their decisions.

A Christ-Like Life

Romans 12:9-21

Have you ever walked through a field or prairie and when you returned home you found several cockleburs attached to your slacks or socks?  Those can sometimes be difficult to remove without making a snag.  They also can get caught in the fur of a dog, and if he brings home a lot of them he might need an unexpected trip to the groomer.  The most notable characteristic of a cocklebur, their ability to tightly cling on to what brushes up against them.  Clinging is just one of several things that St. Paul instructs believers to do in our portion of Scripture today.  Let’s look at God’s Word for today.

In this second half of the 12th chapter of Romans, Paul gives a series of instructions of what Spirit-filled love looks like in real life.  Genuine Christian love must govern every relationship, every reaction, and every circumstance in life.  This passage is an outline for practical holiness and Christlike conduct in a world that today is very hostile to the message of Jesus.

The Apostle begins with the instruction that our love for one another must be real, not fake, not sentimental, nor self-serving (vs. 9).  Biblical love is rooted in truth, not in emotion.  True Christian love is a holy love.  Genuine love will hate what is evil.  It will cling to God’s standards of righteousness.  As believers, we need to hold on tightly to what is good and godly, holding on and clinging to God’s Word just like a tenacious cocklebur!

The next several verses describe how we should love our fellow Christians (vs. 10-13).  A Spirit-filled believer will put others first, resisting pride and self-promotion.  We will show diligence in our service for others, with energetic obedience to God, boiling over with zeal, as all of our work is ultimately for the Lord Jesus.  This is possible when we stay connected to the Lord through prayer (vs. 12).  As Paul stated a similar sentiment in I Thessalonians 5:17, maintain an attitude of prayer throughout the day, keeping a mindset that God is always there with us.  With our joy anchored in future glory, we can endure troubles through constant dependence on God.  Our love for other believers will show itself in meeting their needs and pursuing opportunities to bless others.

Paul continues with several verses showing how we show love towards the hostile world (vs. 14-16).  He instructs us to bless those who persecute or hurt us.  This is supernatural.  Only a Spirit-filled believer can respond to hostility with blessing.  We will also show empathy to others with what they are going through.  The world will see harmony in our church, where we welcome the humble and reject self-importance.

Next we come to an often difficult instruction, and that is to show no retaliation, but leave the vengeance to God (vs. 17-20).  Jesus does not want us to repay evil treatment to those who treat us with evil.  Vengeance belongs to God alone.  Instead He wants us to live peaceably with others if it is possible, though unfortunately sometimes their attitude will not allow it.  Our response to hostility must reflect Jesus, not the flesh.

Has someone mistreated you?  Bless them by praying for them.  We can also help them with a need or doing an act of kindness.  God will give us the strength to overcome evil with good.  We may never overcome the evil in their heart, but we can surely overcome the evil feelings we have for them in our own heart.  We must remember, vengeance belongs to God, and the Day of the Lord’s vengeance is coming.  He will repay perfectly.

Paul quotes in verse 20 from Proverbs 25:21-22.  We are to feed our enemy and give him something to drink. “Heaping coals of fire” refers to producing conviction, shame, and repentance.  It is not a type of personal revenge.

Our Scripture concludes with the instruction to not be overcome by evil, but instead to overcome evil with good (vs. 21).  Evil wins when it provokes a sinful reaction from us.  However good wins when believers respond with Christ-like righteousness.  Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.  We conquer evil not by force, but by Spirit-empowered goodness.

These instructions from God’s Word are not suggestions.  They are divine mandates for godly Christian living.  We can’t do this on our own, though.  We need God’s power through the Holy Spirit to follow this in our life.  Let us, through the Holy Spirit, show our love for Jesus by rejecting evil and refusing worldly retaliation.

Loving God and His Word

Psalm 119:33-48

Our psalm reading for this week from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer brings us back to Psalm 119, which we looked at a few weeks back.  As noted, Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible.  It is divided into 22 sections, each eight verses long and beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  And nearly every one of the 176 verses of this psalm refers to some aspect of God’s Word.  Today we look at two sections of the psalm, those beginning with the fifth and sixth letters of the Hebrew alphabet, He and Waw, and reveals the heart-cry of a believer who longs to walk in holiness, to cling to God’s Word, and stand boldly for truth.  The psalmist prays for divine instruction and empowerment to obey God’s Word, to separate himself from worthless and worldly vanity, and proclaim God’s truth without shame.

Our psalmist begins this segment of the psalm with a prayer to God for His help in understanding and obeying the Scriptures (vs. 33-35).  Obedience begins with God’s instruction.  No amount of our own effort will suffice.  We are dependent upon God’s help.  We need the illumination from the Holy Spirit to be able to understand the Bible, and then to obey it.  The Holy Spirit opens the believer’s understanding of Scripture (I Corinthians 2:12-14), and He will shape our Christian walk when we yield ourselves to Him (John 17:17).  That is why we should always pray for God to open His Word to us before we read from the Bible.

Next the psalmist prays that God will turn his desires towards His Word (vs. 36-38).  He does not want to be caught up in the empty worldly distractions that we encounter every day.  He does not want them to pull his heart away from holiness.  As Christians that should be our desire, as well.  Like the psalmist, we need to reject anything that pulls us from God, that could bring moral compromise, and cause spiritual apathy.  Instead, we must replace anything that steals our spiritual focus with meditating upon God’s Word.  All of our earthly possessions will prove to be worthless on Judgment Day.  We should rather see value from God’s perspective.

The psalmist does not want to be a reproach, to fail, or be a disappointment to God (vs. 39-40).  He has a holy fear, a reverence and awe of God, more so than any fear of man.  He longs for God’s Word, showing that he has developed a genuine spiritual hunger.  Having a hunger, a desire for spending time in the Bible is evidence of being a true child of God.  Like the psalmist, we should also cultivate a holy fear of displeasing God.  Seeking to live a holy life is not resorting to legalism.  Instead it is a longing to follow God’s way for one’s life.

As we continue on in the psalm, we see that genuine liberty comes through obedience to God’s Word (vs. 41-45).  Many people feel that obeying the Bible is like wearing shackles and is a life of oppression.  But following God’s ways produces true liberty, not bondage.  Liberty is freedom from sin, not a freedom to sin.  Obedience is not restrictive.  It liberates the believer from the tyranny of the flesh.  We should reject the modern idea that living a godly and holy life is oppressive, and instead embrace obedience to the Lord as the path to spiritual freedom.

Finally, the psalmist proclaims that he will boldly witness for the Lord without any shame (vs. 46-48).  He promises that he will speak God’s truth with courage and without fear, even before world leaders.  He refuses to be ashamed of the Bible.  Christians should not be afraid to proclaim the truth of God, even in a hostile world.  Likewise, we should not be ashamed to stand loyally for the Bible when today’s culture rejects it, nor yield to cultural pressure to soften or hide Scripture’s teachings.

As we look back over this portion of Psalm 119, we see a believer who wants to be taught by God, desiring to understand and obey the Bible.  He rejects all worldly allurements, and instead seeks to live a holy life while proclaiming God’s Word without shame.  When we look in the mirror, is that the type of Christian that we see?  Let’s invite God to build a guard for our mind through Bible reading and prayer, rather than passively hoping that the world won’t pollute our mind.  Following God’s wise instructions allows us to escape the consequences that come from choices we later wish we could undo.

The Watchman's Warnings

Ezekiel 33:1-11

The siren sounds out through the neighborhood.  Everyone who hears it knows that they need to seek shelter in a basement or an enclosed inner closet or other safe space because a tornado is heading towards the neighborhood.  In the part of the U.S. where I live we hear the tornado sirens a handful of times each spring and summer, and we know we had better heed the warning!  There are other warnings that are important to heed, such as the railroad crossing gate, the sign that says that the bridge is out ahead, the warnings on bottles of medication, etc.  Sometimes when we know of a danger, and see that someone else is oblivious to it, as a decent person it is our responsibility to warn that other person.  What kind of person would we be if we didn’t?!  In our Scripture today from the Book of Ezekiel we read of God calling the prophet, and us today as well, to be His watchmen to warn others of their actions, the consequences, and what is to come.

The prophet Ezekiel was one of God’s messengers at the time of the conquest of Babylon over the Kingdom of Judah, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the people going into captivity.  God sent His prophet Ezekiel to the people to warn them, not of Babylon, but of their own spiritual condition.  God holds His messengers accountable for faithfully delivering His warnings.  Ezekiel had a message from God at that time, and we have one to bring to people today.

God gave the example to Ezekiel of a city’s watchman (vs. 1-6).  It was the watchman’s responsibility to walk along the top of the city’s wall, looking out in all directions for any sign of an approaching enemy or any other type of danger.  If he saw something he would blow his trumpet to sound an alarm.  Then it was up to each individual to respond or not.  If the watchman was faithful in giving the warning, and someone didn’t respond, and they were hurt or worse, their life was in their own hands.  But if the watchman didn’t give a warning, then he had the blood of the people on his hands.

Ezekiel was responsible to proclaim God’s Word whether people listened or not.  The principle still applies today.  Believers have a duty to warn the lost of sin, judgment, and the need for repentance.  Failure to speak God’s truth is not just being neutral.  It is disobedience.  When we give the warning, those people are accountable for their response to God’s Word.  God requires faithfulness from His servants, not for them to try and be popular.

God then directly applied the watchman analogy to Ezekiel (vs. 7-9).  Ezekiel’s authority came from God, not from public approval.  His task was to hear the Word from God and then deliver it without alteration.  If he warned the wicked and they refused to repent, Ezekiel was innocent.  But if he failed to warn them, he was guilty.  The same holds true to us today.  Silence in the face of sin is sin itself.  God’s Word must be declared plainly, including truths about judgment, hell, and repentance.

God does not delight in bringing judgment upon people (vs. 10-11).  And as long as someone still has breath in them, then repentance is always possible.  Judgment in this life is meant to awaken the person to repentance.  The wicked must turn from their ways.  Repentance is a change of direction.  God’s mercy is extended to all, but salvation requires turning from sin.

As believers, we are the watchmen appointed by God.  We must speak the truth, His warnings, lovingly but boldly.  Silence is not compassion, it is negligence.  If we do not warn our families, friends, and neighbors, we will have their blood on our hands!  We have a duty to warn others!

However, everyone who has heard the warning is responsible before God.  No one can blame the watchman if they ignore the warning.  Just like that tornado siren - when I hear that and I decide to ignore it, then I have no one to blame but myself if I get blown away and die.  If I ignore the “bridge out ahead” sign, it is my own fault if my car goes down the cliff and into the river.  Don’t ignore the watchmen that God has sent your way to warn you of your eternal destiny.  Heed their warning, turn to Jesus in repentance, and call upon Him as your Savior before it is too late!

The Cost of Discipleship

Matthew 16:21-27

Do you have what it takes?  Are you willing to pay the price to obtain what you desire?  A young person may watch the Olympics on TV and wish they could get that gold medal, but are they willing to put in the many, many grueling hours of hard practice?  Sitting in the concert hall listening to a piano or violin recital, we may wish we could play like that, but are we also willing to put in the hours of practice for that?  Or the hard work at our job to earn the corner office?  In our Gospel Scripture passage for this week we read of something that Jesus said to His disciples, that if they wanted to follow Him there would be a price to pay.  Let’s look into what He said that would be.

Immediately prior to when our Scripture begins, Peter had just confessed in front of Jesus and the other disciples that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.  Now as they were headed towards Jerusalem, Jesus began to speak plainly about His coming suffering and death, resurrection, and the cost of true discipleship (vs. 21).  However, this was not what the disciples wanted to hear.  If Jesus was the Messiah like Peter said, wouldn’t He lead the people of Israel to throw off the yoke of bondage to the Roman Empire and bring Israel freedom?  What was this talk of His being killed?  That didn’t fit into their plan!

Peter had just confessed that Jesus was the promised Messiah and Son of God.  How could He then be put to death?  Peter went up to Jesus and told Him that this couldn’t happen (vs. 22).  Peter was looking at the situation through carnal, worldly eyes.  He wanted a crown without a cross.  He desired a political Messiah, not a suffering Savior.  How quickly human thinking can oppose God’s purposes, even if it has good intentions.  Even sincere believers can oppose God’s will when they are thinking carnally.

Jesus then immediately rebuked Peter (vs. 23)  His response was severe because Peter’s words echoed Satan’s temptation in the wilderness - a kingdom without suffering.  Satanic opposition often comes through human voices.  Anything that diverts Christ from the cross, along with today anything that removes the cross and Jesus’ shed Blood from the salvation message is demonic in origin.  Peter was not possessed here, however he was thinking not of “the things of God, but the things of men.”  The cross is central to God’s plan and cannot be negotiated.  Christ’s death was not accidental or tragic - it was the ordained plan of God.

Jesus then gave His call to discipleship (vs. 24).  This call has three parts - deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.  To be a true disciple one must renounce any self-will and self-centeredness.  One must embrace death to self and accept suffering for Jesus, and also walk in obedience, loyalty, and submission.  These three commands are not optional.  It is the definition of Christianity.

If we want to follow Jesus we must willingly do the things God calls us to do without resentment.  We must desire to carry the cross He gives us to bear.  Rather than focusing on self-esteem we are commanded to deny ourselves and treat others better than ourselves.  Jesus doesn’t ask everyone to leave home and family, but following Him means denying our selfish goals in life.  To give God top priority in life, we must love Him whole-heartedly, deny ourselves, and follow Him.

Trying to save your life with comforts and self-preservation leads to spiritual ruin (vs. 25).  Losing your life for Jesus Christ will lead to eternal life.  Discipleship is costly, but the cost of rejecting Jesus is infinitely greater.  Your eternal soul is worth more than wealth, fame, power, pleasure, really the entire world (vs. 26).  It is eternal and priceless.  However, once it is lost, it cannot be bought back.

Jesus concluded this Scripture with the promise that He will return in glory with His angels to reward everyone according to their works (vs. 27).  This is a clear affirmation of His deity, and also of future judgment.  When we stand before God, He won’t consult man-made rules and standards.  He will have the final word when He judges our lives.

Many believers often want a comfortable Christianity.  Most of us will happily follow Jesus as long as He’s going where we want.  But what happens if He leads us down a road of sacrifice, self-denial, suffering, or death?  Will we still trust Him and keep going?  Jesus calls us to embrace His plan, even when it includes suffering.  Are we following Jesus on His terms or our own?  The world only offers temporary gain.  Jesus offers eternal rewards.

This Scripture passage is a call to abandon ourselves and embrace Jesus as a true disciple of His.  Jesus did not merely teach self-denial, He embodied it.  He did not merely command cross-bearing, He carried His own.  And He did not merely warn of judgment, He will personally execute it as the returning King.  Remember - the cross comes before the crown.  Obedience comes before reward.  Suffering comes before glory, and faithfulness comes before vindication.  This was the pattern of Jesus’ life, and therefore should be the pattern of every true disciple.