Knowing Their Thoughts

“But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “why are you reasoning in your hearts?” Luke 5:22

Several times in scripture we are told that because Jesus knew what those questioning Him were thinking , He was able to answer them – not in a generical way- but in a very personal way that cut to the quick of their own reasoning. His reply at times was understood only by the questioner to whom His answer was directed.

There is a well known story, oft repeated, concerning a young man who came to question Jesus. His story is told in three out of the four gospels. (Mark10:17-22,Matt.19:16-22, Luke 10:25)

We are told that a certain rich young ruler came running to Jesus and knelt before Him.

Those watching would surely have been impressed by his eagerness to worship at the Master’s feet. I’m sure an approving murmur must have rippled through the crowd as many recognized him.

The young man had the right question, “What must I do to be saved?”

How quickly, based on his outward sincerity, we would we have welcomed him into the fold assuring him that Jesus would accept him and grant him eternal life.

But that was not Jesus’ response. He knew the man’s thoughts; He wasn’t influenced by the outward show of humility.
Jesus asked the man, “Why do you call me good… are you saying I am God?”

Jesus knew that this young ruler knew the scriptures, that he had studied them diligently and understood them.

Jesus acknowledged this by chiding the young man for his question replying “If you want to enter in to eternal life, keep the commandments.”

Not knowing yet that his heart was laid bare before Jesus’ penetrating gaze, he answered, “Oh, which ones?”

Jesus named them and the young man confidently replied , “I have kept them all my life!”

He spoke truly and Jesus loved him for it, but Jesus could do no other than speak the words that would touch the core of the young man’s heart.

Though Jesus yearned to draw the young man to Himself, He spoke the words that would drive him away.
“One more thing you need to do .. go sell everything you have and then come follow me.”

Why did Jesus tell him to do that ? Did Jesus mean that no one could follow Him who did not sell everything he had? No where are we told that Jesus ever told Lazarus, Martha, and Mary to do the same, instead He often enjoyed their hospitality.

Can we ever know, beyond speculating, why Jesus gave that answer to the rich young ruler?

I believe that we can.

The rich young ruler was very familiar with the scriptures, as of course was Jesus Himself.

In Duet. 18:5-8 there is an interesting passage.

Here we are told that there were Levites who for some reason had been separated from the Levite tribe. They were living with one of the other tribes, receiving an inheritance with them.
If ever any one of them wanted to take their rightful place and serve with the other Levitical priests in the temple, they could.

However, there were two stipulations…

one – they had to desire it with all their heart,

and two- they had to sell their inheritance and share equally with the other priests the monies received from the sale.

Jesus knew that His answer would bring to the young man’s mind this very passage and the rich young ruler would immediately understand what Jesus was saying, namely “In spite of your outward show of zeal and eagerness you are not seeking Me with your whole heart.”
The young man was left with nothing to say, Jesus spoke the truth.

I love this story. It fills me with the humility that is a natural response of knowing that my heart is laid bare before the Lord when I come to Him with a concern, a request, a troubled mind, or my gift of worship. Jesus does not look on my outward body language or the words on my tongue. He looks deep into my heart and knows my deepest thoughts and intents. I cannot hide before His penetrating gaze.

I also love to know that Jesus will not give me a generic answer. He will answer me in a personal way. Even though He may well point me to the scriptures I say I know, it will be to the passage that directly speaks to my issue or situation. He will reveal my heart to ME and show me what to do.

“Lord, I pray, that we never forget that Your eyes see where man’s cannot. You know the things about us that we do not even know ourselves.

O Lord, grant that we not be like the rich young ruler and walk away from You.

May we seek you with all our mind and heart.

All things come from You, and while you have given them to us richly to enjoy, may we hold them in open hands, and open hearts ready to share them as you give us opportunity. Thank-you, Father for your loving ways with us, may we respond with loving obedience to Your word. Amen.”

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The Wise Plan for the Future

The following story appeared in the London Times.
A Well-Planned Retirement
Outside the Bristol Zoo, in England, there is a parking lot for 150 cars and eight coaches, or buses.
It was manned by a very pleasant attendant with a ticket machine charging cars £1 (about $1.40Cdn) and coaches £5 (about $7).
This parking attendant worked there uninterrupted for all of 25 years. Then, one day, he didn't turn up for work.
"Oh well,", said Bristol Zoo management, "we'd better phone up the city council and get them to send a new parking attendant."
"Err, no", said the council, "that parking lot is your responsibility."
"Err, no", said Bristol Zoo management, "the attendant was employed by the City Council, wasn't he?"
"Err, NO!" insisted the Council.

Sitting in a villa somewhere on the coast of Spain, is a bloke who had been taking the parking lot fees, estimated at £400 (about $560) per day at Bristol Zoo for the last 25 years. Assuming seven days a week, this amounts to just over £3.6 million ($7 million)!
And no one even knows his name.
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(as pointed out by Elsie in the comment section ..this is an Urban Myth but is a good parable none the less)
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There is something in that story that brings out in us a grudging admiration for the self-employed parking attendant, isn't there ? Even though what he did was ethically wrong, we have to smile at his resourcefulness!

It reminds me of the parable Jesus told of the unjust steward. The story is found in Luke 16:1-13.
Jesus tells the parable of an unjust steward who was accused of wasting the master's goods. The steward upon being told by his employer that he was fired, immediately had a plan. He quickly went to each of his master's debtors and slashed the amount owing on each of their bills. Knowing, he would soon be without any income, he reasoned that to have people gratefully indebted to him would ensure him of having a roof over his head and food to eat!
The master, when he heard of what his steward had done, commended him for his shrewdness, saying "the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generations than the sons of light".

The point Jesus was making in this parable was that the people of this world are shrewd and single minded in in preparing for their future, while the sons of light are often so concerned with the things of this world that they neglect preparing for the next!

"No man can serve two masters." We cannot have one foot in this world and one in the next... because if we do we will soon find that we cannot serve both and will make our choice as to which we will hate and which we will love! The default is that we will love the world.

Here is a good lesson to be learned from a negative example ..... "Be wise and have a lay-away plan for your eternal future and the things of this world will be taken care of !"
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A Parable with a Christmas Proof !

I think that if I could have lived in the time that Jesus walked this earth.. I would have loved to sit at His feet and listen to Him tell stories !
But, the truth is, He still walks among us, doesn’t He? And His stories are still fascinating and the pearls of truth they teach are still valid for today !
One of Jesus' parables caught my attention just a few days before Christmas!

A man, late one night, heard a knock on his door and opening it found a friend seeking shelter. Of course he welcomed him in … but…his mind was racing ! He had no bread.. what was he going to feed his guest? NOT to feed him was the ultimate disgrace of an ungracious host! Ah... yes.. of course.. . he would run across the street to another friend’s house.. and borrow a few loaves of bread!
Quickly settling his guest… and barely taking time to throw his cloak around his shoulders he quickly ran out. Reaching his friend’s house he banged loudly on the door, breathlessly calling his friend’s name. The startled voice of his friend came from inside …. “I can’t get up .. all the kids are in bed with me… and I don’t want to wake them all up !! !”
Ignoring his friend’s reluctance, the man refused to give up and kept knocking …. And calling .. and begging…. until his friend …. FINALLY.. opened the door and handed his friend as many loaves as he wanted !!

Jesus told this story immediately after He taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer!
The most common interpretation of this parable is that when we pray we should keep on praying until we get what we are asking for !
But that is really missing the point of Jesus’ teaching.

There is a clue at the end of this parable in Luke 11:13…. Jesus says… “If you, then, being evil……” Those few words unlock the truth Jesus wanted us to understand from this parable.

The man in bed did not answer his friend’s request because he felt compassion or even sympathy with the man’s need ! He didn’t care if he would be humiliated in front of his guest ! Look at his first response… “Go away .. you are bothering me… I’m in bed… I don’t want to get up … you are inconveniencing me!”
And why DID he finally answer his friend at the door ?? Because the friend’s insistent ‘noise’ was going to keep the whole family from sleeping …and probably awaken the ire of his neighbours as well, so he answered him – TO GET RID OF HIM !!!!

And here is the beauty of Jesus’ teaching … He was saying… “If you ,being by nature evil, can be PERSUADED to do the right thing… then how much more will God, who is by nature righteous, answer you at your very first knock!”

A few of the NT scriptures that fit with this parable are…..

Jas 4:2 "... you do not have because you do not ask."

1Jn 5:15 "And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

Php 4:19 "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

I love how God will always confirm His word.
A couple of days after I was thinking about this parable, it was the 23rd of December.
Vic and I were down to one last gift for my oldest granddaughter … just to even up her gifts with her sister’s.
Trying to save time … and gas… I suggested we go to the drug store just across from our grocery store where we needed to go anyway!
To our surprise we found very few shoppers wandering the aisles of the drug store, even though it was the last shopping day before Christmas… and I soon saw why. Virtually NOTHING was on sale in the store.. not even their Christmas wrapping paper!
I found a gift nail-care set that I knew my granddaughter would love but it was a little too expensive.
We decided we’d drive a little further into town and see if we could find one cheaper. We did and found nothing . All nail-care sets were sold out.
Finally, we decided we're rather just get our shopping done than focus on saving money! We decided to go back to the original drug store and get the set we saw there.
Back at the drug store, I stood at the shelf .. searching for a ‘hidden’ sale sign that I had perhaps missed earlier … but there was just the “Great Gift Idea” sign with the reg. price on it !

I picked up one of the boxes and on the short walk from the display shelf to the counter I prayed a very quick prayer … “Lord, you see there is nothing on sale in this store.. but You could still make this nail set be on sale, couldn’t You?… Please ?”

I got to the cashier.. she scanned the price bar.. and with a startled look on her face exclaimed .. “OHH ! this comes up on sale !!” I looked at the screen.. Yes, indeed !
It came up at 50% off !!
I smiled…. NOT at the cashier… but at my Heavenly Father ! who truly DOES give good gifts to those who ask !!!!


PS...... Please note -- There MAY, at times, be a delay from the time your ‘answer’ is shipped to your delivery date !

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The Amazing Mustard Seed

I love Jesus’ parables.
And I think I understand most of them pretty well, as I’m sure do you .
But what we don’t realize is that sometimes we miss things because either we don’t understand the ‘laws’ of God’s creation or we don’t understand the culture the parables are set in.

I recently had the privilege to hear Dr. Karl Coke in a TV interview. I found him to be a fascinating man and have ordered his book… “A Proper Education”. -
(I'll post a book review when I have read it)

But what I want to share with you was an insight I gleaned from him regarding one of Jesus’ parables that I have always felt to be deeper than what is obvious.

In Matt. 13:31,32 Jesus says.. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,
which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

And again in Mat 17:20 "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. “

So both the kingdom and our faith are likened to the mustard seed.

To properly understand the parable then, we must first ‘observe’ the mustard seed.

Even the people to whom Jesus told the parable did not understand the mustard seed the way we are able to understand it today. Isn’t that a beautiful thing about Jesus’ teaching? No matter how much science advances, Jesus’ teaching just expands with it and remains Truth !!

There is something important that agricultural science has learned about the mustard seed.

Man has discovered how to make hybrid vegetables. The way this works is by changing the DNA. For example, to get corn to be perfect corn that bugs won’t eat .. you have to cross the corn DNA with cucumber DNA .
The ONLY way they can get the corn to accept the cucumber DNA is to introduce it through a virus. Make the corn “sick” and then it will accept the cucumber DNA and end up as hybrid corn.

What science has discovered is that mustard cannot be hybrided .. (is that a word? No worries.. it is now .. you just saw it in print!)
The mustard seed can never be anything other a mustard seed. It refuses all viruses and there is no way to make it anything other than what it is !!

Another thing about mustard seed is that it LOVES garbage . It grows best in the most contaminated , infested areas.

How interesting these bits of info are when we re-examine the parables in the light of our new understanding.

Jesus compares His kingdom to a mustard seed !
It can never be anything other than what He created it to be! No one can come and change it , nor introduce anything that will change its DNA – its self-defining code !! His Kingdom is an eternal kingdom! A kingdom that cannot be invaded , changed or destroyed !!!
I'm reminded of Rev. 21:17..
"But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of Life."

Then when we look at the mustard seed along side faith (our childlike trust) , it gets even more interesting.
The mustard seed is afraid of nothing !!
It grows where other plants would be choked out, withered for lack of nutrients, eaten by bugs, infested by disease. But the mustard seed thrives !!
Wow !! do you see the implications regarding our faith ?
Does your faith grow in difficult circumstances and in an impossible environment?
When it is tested beyond endurance does it turn a deaf ear and thrive ?

Do you allow a virus to infest your faith? And thereby allow all kinds of error , falsehoods or sin to destroy it ?
There is nothing that will make faith ‘sick’ except doubt ! Doubt is a virus that opens the door to all the enemies of faith …. the voices we listen to in our world, voices that speak with man's wisdom learned at the feet of secular humanism and of course the voices that tempt us into deception, error and sin!
All the voices of this world have behind them the father of lies, none other than the original great destoyer of faith in the Garden of Edon - "Did God REALLY say ?"

Is your faith like the mustard seed , imperious to the invasion of anything contrary to the Word of God? Is your faith.. like the mustard seed , unable to be shaken from its single-minded focus – “I am a mustard seed and I WILL GROW!! “

Are you , like the mustard seed… so tenaciously holding onto the Word of God that you believe nothing else?
The mustard seed though it be ever so tiny grows to be a tree big enough for birds to build their nests in its branches.
Is your faith big enough to move mountains? Big enough for others to lean on you and take strength for themselves by being encouraged by your words and example?

The mustard seed will take out of the soil only the nutrients that it needs to be a mustard seed. It leaves all else behind.
We are told what our faith needs to grow !! Do you take ONLY that and leave all else behind?

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God !” (Rom.10:17)

"Thank you , Lord, for the sermon in a mustard seed !"

No Dongle, No Robe, No Access

I realized yesterday that I have a problem.

After my computer crashed recently, my son-in-law was kind enough to use his computer expertise to retrieve some of my files and transfer them to my new hard drive. I told him I could reinstall my embroidery software.

I own the Husqvarna’s Designer I sewing machine which is also an amazing embroidery machine. I can download designs from hundreds of websites on the internet and run them through the Customizing software, save them to a disk – then put that disk in my machine and the information is stitched out on my sewing project! Beautiful!

Husqvarna Sweden is however very protective over its software and to prevent any unauthorized person from using it provides with the software a little device called a dongle. This dongle has in it a watch dog security chip that will prevent anyone other than the original purchaser of the software from using it.
I realized yesterday that I forgot to retrieve this little device from the back of my computer before giving it to my son-in-law.
Now all my expensive software is useless. It works perfectly on screen, my sewing machine works perfectly but all my designs are denied access to my sewing machine!
No dongle - useless software!

As the reality of this fact sunk into my consciousness, a picture flashed into my mind… One of Jesus’ parables from Matthew 22.

A king was making joyful preparations for his son’s wedding. No detail was overlooked, no expense spared! How long he had been looking forward to his son taking a wife!
When the banquet preparations had passed the king’s careful scrutiny to make sure everything was perfect, he sent his servants out to invite the guests in!
He waited with eagerness for the guests to arrive so the celebrations could begin.
But the servants did not return, nor did the guests appear!

Finally, the king was informed as to what had happened.
The invited guests had spurned the invitation to come partake of the celebration banquet! Some preferred to attend to their own business affairs and some were so violent they had killed the king’s servants,
The king was rightly enraged and declared the invited guests unworthy of their invitation!!
He commanded his servants to go quickly and invite anyone who would come - to search the city for the poor, the outcasts of society.
Soon the banquet hall was filling with excited guests, each wearing the wedding garment they had been given as they were greeted at the door.

When the king was told the guests had all arrived he made his appearance to formally greet them and announce the festivities were about to begin!
However, upon entering the large hall, he spotted a man without a wedding garment. Walking up to him, he demanded to know how he had got in. The man was speechless.
The king angerly waved to his servants and commanded them to throw the man out of the hall!

It was the custom of the first century wealthy Jews to provide wedding garments at the door for the guests to wear over their clothes. While it was not mandatory for them to wear them it was considered an extreme affront to the groom’s father not to wear it and only the most uncouth would refuse. Anyone at the wedding feast not wearing a wedding garment had either not been invited to the wedding or had shown himself unworthy and would be thrown out.

There is nothing I can do except abide by Husqvarna’s rules if I want to have the pleasure of enjoying their products. I must have the dongle attached to my computer.

There is nothing I can do except abide by God’s rules if I want to have the pleasure of enjoying eternal life. I must have the wedding garment.

What is the wedding garment ?

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness!” (Is. 61:10)

The Invitation

There was an interesting story on the news tonight.
A man walked into a gas station. The cashier invited him to buy the last roll down lottery ticket.
He hedged …. She coaxed him to buy it….It was only ten dollars!
He didn’t have enough change - didn’t want to bother pulling out a credit card.. They bantered back and forth about the ticket and finally he walked out jokingly saying, “That is probably the winning ticket and I’ll hear about it!”
The cashier, a single mom by the name of Kristina Schneider, happened to find ten dollars and thought, “Why not!” and bought the ticket herself.
It was the winning ticket worth one million dollars!!!
She said she planned on setting up a college fund for her daughter, pay off her maxed-out nine credit cards and pay off an $8,500.00 school loan.
I think about how the man will be painfully regretting his decision to turn down the invitation to buy the ticket... I’m sure he will be sorry the rest of his life…. his excuses cost him the once-in-a-lifetime prize!

It reminded me of a parable that Jesus told…..

There was once a certain man who planned a wonderful banquet. He sent out the invitations to his long guest list.
When the feast was ready a servant went out to call in the invited guests.
But one by one they all began to make excuses!
One said, “Oh, I have just bought some property and I must go see it- please excuse me.”
Another said, “ I just bought five oxen and I have to try them out – please excuse me!”
Still another said, “Oh, I’m on my honeymoon – I can’t come!”
When the servant informed his master that the invited guests were all too busy to come, the master became angry and said, “Then go out into the streets and lanes of town and bring in the poor and the lame and the blind. Anyone who is willing to come, bring them in to enjoy my banquet!”
The servant went out, brought in all those he could find but still the banqueting table was not full.
The master said, “Go down the least travelled roads and look behind hedges… anyone you see - beg them, don’t take no for an answer… and bring them in. I want my house to be full! None of those who were originally invited shall taste of my supper!”

I sometimes think of the masses of people in our world who are too busy to accept their invitation to God’s banquet.
I think of the Jews, God’s own people, who did not recognize their Messiah.
But I think that even we , who are Christians, sometimes allow ‘things’ to become more important than accepting the Lord’s invitation to spend time at His table.
I'm afraid the enemy has found the perfect tactic for keeping people outside God’s banquet hall.
Keep them too busy with the pleasurable activities the world offers.
Do you watch more TV than you know you should?
What are you addicted to? If you have free time what do you choose to do with it?
Do you know more about sports heroes or movie stars than you do about Bible characters or heroes of the faith?
Do you reach for a magazine rather than the bible?

Have we forgotten that we are called to ‘ be separate’ from the world’? Have we forgotten the words of the beloved disciple of Jesus, “Do not love this world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world , the love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world… the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.” (I John 2:15,16)

Those are sobering words that cut to the quick, but to be about God’s business is infinitely more satisfying than the temporary pleasures this world offers.
Not only is there joy in doing His will but He invites us daily to come sit at His banqueting table with Him; His eyes and attention all our own at an intimate table set for two.

Will He sit alone today, or you have time to join Him?

"He brought me to the banqueting house and His banner over me is love."
(Song of Solomon 2:4)