Tired

I work nights, what that actually means is that I have gotten use to the feeling of being tired. It's a different feeling when you are leaving for work, and you know that by the time you get off work in the morning you will have been up for 24hrs. It's a strange feeling when you realize that you actually have a chance to get 7 straight hours of sleep on a certain day. You hear people say that they could never do it, but over the years you get so use to it, that you actually can't imagine anything else. That is why I have always felt an attachment to the verses in Matthew 11. Listen to what Jesus says to the people who are standing there.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The promise of rest is comforting to me. I have to admit I have days that I feel weary and burdened. When people meet someone who works nights, it seems like one of two things happens. Either they stay far away for fear of waking you up, or they think that it means you have a whole bunch of free time and that you are available day and night no matter what. For most people when someone calls or texts and they say that they want help, you genuinely want to help. So, sleep or no sleep, you try and help. So, as much as I would love it if Jesus was talking to a bunch of people who worked nights, I know that isn't the case. So, if he isn't talking to bunch of people about lack of sleep, who is he talking to and about what?

The first thing we need to address is the word yoke. When I first hear of yoke, I think of eggs. He's definitely not having a conversation about chickens or what is for breakfast. And, as much as people want to say that he is referring to oxen and how they work together, I've never thought that they made tons of sense either. The people of that time had priests who gave them direction, all those priests at some point had a rabbi that they learned from. When people heard certain priests talk, they could tell who their rabbi was. To give it a modern-day spin that most of us can relate to, I will put it to you like this, we all know that speeding is wrong. BUT, if I am on the interstate and the speed limit says 70MPH, how fast does that mean I can go. Depending on how you were taught, some might say 70, others might say 75, some creative people believe in some sort of highway patrol math and say that 77 is ok. So, if you said today that your priest told you that you could drive 75 on the interstate, you would know that his rabbi was a specific person, because that was in line with his training. So, the "yoke" refers to the teachings of a rabbi. What people were used to dealing with in those days was all of the laws they had to follow. They had 613 specific laws they had to follow, plus all of the other parts of the "yoke" from their rabbi that would help make sure that they never got close to sinning. So, if you were a good Jewish person, you had to follow all of these laws, and if you were not a Jew, well then salvation wasn't even an option. So now let's go back and read verse 30 from the listeners perspective.

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Most people felt completely overwhelmed and in a lot of ways it felt hopeless. I can't raise a family, do all of my work and follow all of these laws. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like being a good Christian person is just way too hard? Have you ever felt like every time you mess up the world is watching and judging, and they can't wait to tell you how you messed up and that you are probably going to hell now. What Jesus says is a lesson to everyone. First for the person who is feeling overwhelmed, Jesus said to come to him, and he will give you rest. He won't make sure you get a good nights sleep, he will give you rest for your soul. Yes, you are a sinner, but now you are saved!  And now to the person who loves to point out everyone else's mistakes. I hope you understand how you are hurting the church, I hope you understand that when you heap all of your judgement on people, they are leaving Jesus behind. Why do I want to be a part of something that makes people feel the way you made them feel. Jesus was saying that he can save you from that way of thinking. He isn't harsh or hateful, his burden is light.

Faith in Prayer

 

If we truly want to work on spending time with God and bringing things to him, where do we start? The older I get the more I appreciate the verses in 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I know for the most part these verses explain themselves, but I think they are verses we should all memorize and come back to on a regular basis. On a daily basis am I rejoicing? Too often we think we need to have these long prayers where we pray for every sick child in the world, world peace and every single person we have ever met. Of course, we can pray for those things, but I think more importantly we need to focus on the things that cross our minds. If we are driving to work and we are worried about the crazy day ahead of us or a co-worker who is struggling in some way, pray about it. If we get a text that a family member is sick, pray about it. If we have something coming up in a few weeks and it's making us feel anxious or concerned, pray about it. The simple act of getting use to going to God with things when they come up will get us use to communicating with God and bringing things to him that impact us or concern us.

What about when things have been rough for a while, and we know that part of the reason is because we have been distant from God? I wish everyone was comfortable with admitting that sometimes we go through stretches when we don't feel completely in it. Let's be honest, sometimes the phone rings during prayer time and we have to take it. If we don't have a designated prayer time, sometimes we get to the end of the day and our minds haven't stopped racing for the day and we just can't concentrate long enough to have a good prayer. And, if we are completely being honest, sometimes we doze off during prayer time. If you ever have had those stretches you have two choices, you can just decide to stop praying, or you can take a few minutes to regroup. When that happens, I think it helps to have a verse to go to. Let's look at 2 Chronicles 7:14-15

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.

I know that maybe your first thought is that missing a few prayer times or just racing through a prayer isn't necessarily wicked, but, if we don't get ourselves straightened out, satan will use that guilt we have and make us feel like we are the most wicked person in the world. My opinion-it's better to humble myself as a wicked person then have too much pride and continue to sin. 

My challenge to you this week, try and take as many things as possible to God in prayer. No matter how big or how small, bring it to God in prayer. Also, see if you can every day this week read the verses from 1 Thessalonians.   Rejoice, Pray and Give Thanks! 

How big is your faith?

This is how Matthew ends his version of the story of Jesus heals a demon possessed boy.

Matthew 17:20

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Hearing Jesus say "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed" makes me think, Obviously I haven't moved any mountains lately, So I don't have faith the size of a mustard seed. So, if my faith isn't the size of a mustard seed, what size is it? Before we try and answer that question, I want to look at the same story, but in the book of Mark.

Mark 9:14-29

Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Look at the man's reply starting in verse 22, he says "But, if you can do anything?" Jesus calls him out right away. I love what the man says when Jesus calls him out. This is my answer to the size of my faith. He responds, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief".  What? Before I continue, I want to just say, I believe everything that is in the bible. I think that some people believe that certain parts are not supposed to be taken literally, but I believe that all of those parts are literal. Everything that it says happened, 100% truly happened. I like to tell people that on the day I was born my parents taught me about the bible and on the second day they taught me about baseball. I don't know if that is completely accurate, but I just want to point out that 45 years later I still love the bible and baseball. So it makes me sad to admit I still have unbelief. I know that God has the power to heal, I know that no matter what the situation, God is in control. Especially when it comes to everyone else. But my unbelief always involves me. I know my sins, I know my faults. How can I have faith even the size of a mustard seed with the mistakes I've made. Doesn't that mean that I am part of the unbelieving nation mentioned in verse 19?  I'm not sure why the father had unbelief, I'm guessing that in the moment some part of him was having flashbacks of every single mistake he had ever made and was worried that because of those mistakes the man who had the ability to heal his son would hold it against him. I looked up the definition of faith, it says, complete trust or confidence in someone or something. A strong belief in God or in the doctrine of a religion based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. I've come to the conclusion that the two main reasons that we don't have enough faith on a regular basis are lack of time spending time with God in prayer and not bringing everything to God that we should bring to him. If we aren't talking with him, we don't have a relationship with him. If we don't have a relationship with him, why would we have faith in him. When I was younger and something big was going on in my life, I knew that I should pray about it. But, I convinced myself that I shouldn't pray because it was unfair of me to go to God with something big when I didn't go to him with the little things. After awhile, I decided the only way to fix that in my mind was to start going to him with the little things. What can I do today, to start working to have faith the size of a mustard seed?

Mustard Seeds

 For some reason I really want to talk about mustard seeds now that we have talked about the resurrection. Mustard seeds are mentioned in two separate ways in the gospels. The first time it is mentioned when discussing the Kingdom of God. 

Matthew 13:31-32

31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 

Mark 4:30-32

30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” 

Luke 13:18-19

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” 

I showed all three times it was mentioned in this way, mostly because every time it was similar. Here is the interesting part about these scriptures. When you look at commentaries some of them disagree about who or what the mustard seeds represent. On a positive note, you have the mustard seeds being like the church or Christians. What started off small has become or can become something huge and save everyone who accepts it. What a beautiful image! But other people believe that this is a warning about corruption within the church or believers. If I am being completely honest, I don't know that it matters because I think they are both correct. You can start off doing something small to improve your relationship with God or trying to get people to come to church, and over time it can become something huge and life changing for many people. You can also be living a wonderful Christian life and let a little bit of something in and it can change you over a period of time. Either way, positive or negative when you let a little into your life, in can change you over time.

Now to discuss the other time that a mustard seed is mentioned. This time Jesus is talking to his disciples who just had the experience of not being able to heal a demon possessed boy. Jesus tells them why they couldn't do it.

Matthew 17:14:21

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21] 

This parable is told in Mark and Luke also, but they do not have Jesus talking about a mustard seed. Jesus says that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Sounds like a good place to stop for now, we can pick in back up in a few days.

He is Risen Indeed

 From a very young age I remember one very specific thing about Easter Sunday. It wasn't the candy or anything with a bunny. It was going to church and having someone stand up at the beginning of the service and proclaim, " HE IS RISEN!" and then the congregation responding, "HE IS RISEN INDEED". I'm not sure why this meant so much to me, but it's one of the things I remember most about being a child and growing up going to church. 

    As I continue to look at Matthew chapter 27, something sticks out to me.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” 

65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. 

When I read this, I think one of two things, One, after everything that they had seen when Jesus died, there was a part of them that worried they were wrong, and he was the Messiah. Or, Two, they were so crooked, that they were thinking to themselves "What would I do in this situation". And that is what conclusion they came up with. 

Now let's look at the good part of the story, again continuing with Matthew chapter 27.

Jesus Has Risen

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” 

I've been showing the book of Matthew the most this weekend, so it's only fair that I stick with that for the last day. The main thing I want to point out as I read the book of Matthew was verse 2-4. The earthquake had to have happened before the two Mary's got there and no one else must have heard or felt this earthquake. If I was one of the Mary's and felt an earthquake, I think I would have run to the tomb to make sure that everything was ok.  

Let's look at a few of the other gospels to get their perspective. This what I love about Mark chapter 16.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Two things that I want to point out. One, I'm not sure why but I love that it points out that they were bringing spices and that they had a conversation about how they would move the stone in front of the tomb. But two, I also want to point out verse 7. It says go tell his disciples and Peter. I had no problem discussing what Judas did, but I never spent any time on Peter and the three times he denied Jesus. something more for next year. I just want to point out that they are not including Peter with the disciples right now, meaning something is going to happen soon to reconcile all of this. 

In the book of John I just want to point out a few things, lets look at John chapter 24 verses 1-8.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words. 

I love verse 5! Why do you look for the living among the dead? What a powerful thing to say and something that maybe we need to focus on more. I feel like on a daily basis I need to say to myself, " Why are you treating him like he is dead, when you know that he is a wonderful, living God". My point being that if we look at what we truly ask from God on a regular basis we surely don't treat him like a powerful living God. When our main focus is praying that he somehow blesses our 1,000-calorie lunch and makes it healthy or we pray that he helps our headache go away, we are not treating him like a living God. I also love how we read how now that he has risen, they remember his words and find out that he was being literal the whole time. They kept thinking he was talking about a kingdom rising up, or in some cases they didn't have a clue what he was saying. Now all of the sudden everything is completely clear. 

As we celebrate Easter today, or even if you are reading this on a random day, remember, We have a powerful living God, and we need to recognize that!

The Crucifixion of Jesus

 It's hard to sit down and write about the crucifixion of Jesus. To write about it, is to take responsibility for the part you had in it. Jesus died a harsh and cruel death because even though I know everything about what Jesus did for me, I still can't stop sinning. I think it would be one thing if I was really good in almost every area, but I had one thing I completely struggled with, but Jesus died because I have 15-20 areas of my life that I can't seem to keep straight.  I have days when 2-3 things don't go the way I thought they would, and it makes me want to either eat everything I see or just go back to bed. Let's look at some of the things that Jesus went through in Matthew 27:27-31

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 

What is your definition of Mock? When I think of someone mocking me, I think of maybe someone going over the top making fun of the way I laugh, walk or say a certain word. I've never been stripped, had a crown of thorns pierced through my head or been spit on while being beat. I think when we read that the soldiers mocked Jesus, we read what it says but our mind translates it to some school kid mocking. I think that's part of why the movie The Passion of the Christ is so powerful. When I am watching those scenes, the word mock doesn't come to my mind. Let's continue with Matthew 27.

38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. 

Now he is up on the cross and it still doesn't stop. You have people passing by yelling things at you, they are making fun of everything you have ever said about who you are. You also have all of the religious leaders walking by and leading the charge of questioning everything about you. At least all those people finish walking by at some point, but he stills has the criminals next to him making comments. 

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” 

Finally, after seeing Jesus die, the curtain in the temple torn, an earthquake and bodies of holy people who had died walking around, someone finally admits he was the Son of God. 

Jesus did all of that so that 2000 years later I can be forgiven for all of the times I make a mistake. It's hard to write about the crucifixion of Jesus because when I read about it, I just don't understand why I don't do more. I don't understand why I struggle.

Betrayal

 Have you ever gone to say something and realized that you were about to contradict yourself? The smart thing to do would be to not say one of things you wanted to say, then no one would know the battle you had with yourself. Me, I think I just want to say whatever is on my mind and then pick up the pieces when it's all said and done. That leads me to this post! If you plan on talking about a subject for many years, it's ok to leave some things out. Whatever you don't get this time, just make sure you get them the next time. But, when it comes to some things, I think you have some sort of obligation to tell certain parts every time you visit the subject. It's Easter weekend and today is Good Friday! For some reason every time I think about what to write, I keep coming back to Judas. I challenge everyone to look around at their friends and family, the people they are closest with. What if I told you that in three years, one of them is going to betray you? Not a small betrayal, but something huge. On top of that, even though you know that they are going to betray you, you have to spend every day with them and treat them just as you treat everyone else. Could you do it? When Jesus started his ministry, he picked twelve people that would be close to him. They would spend every day with him and get to see up close who Jesus really was. When a miracle happened, they would be there. They would hear everything that Jesus said, but in the end, someone would turn on him.  If you knew this three years ahead of time, how would you treat them? Here is what it says in Matthew 26:14-16

14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. 

Judas has agreed to betray Jesus and Jesus knows all this, So how does he handle it when he sees him again. For that answer we need to go to John Chapter 13.

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. 

He washed Judas' feet! Couldn't he have waited until after Judas left? I know I would have handled it differently, but in the end, did it have a bigger impact on the disciples when they realized that Jesus knew what was going to happen, but he still washed his feet? So many lessons are here. In life, we are going to have people that disappoint us, we are going to have people betray us in some way. How are we going to treat them back? In case you didn't know, how does the Judas's story end? We hear about that in Matthew chapter 27.

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

One of the most controversial thoughts I have ever had, and again I want to say thoughts, I have no idea what the truth is, but deep down I wonder if Judas went to heaven. Don't yell at me, but please feel free to express your opinion, I just want to point out that the scripture says he had remorse and he admitted that he sinned. Isn't that some of things we are told we need to do? I could be way off, but it would be an amazing lesson in forgiveness. When Jesus talks about forgiving people the way he forgave us, this sure would be a good example of how far he is willing to go with forgiveness. 

I'm hoping I can post three days in a row! I know that I didnt talk about Jesus being arrested or the trial at all, but again, hopefully we have many years to talk about all of this and I will get it next time. Until tomorrow, be thinking of who you need to forgive.

The Triumphant Entry Part 2

 Luke 19:41 gives us insight to what Jesus was thinking as he entered the city:

41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.” 

How many different reasons can we think of that Jesus would be weeping? Before we answer that we have to acknowledge that "weep" in this context is waling. I want everyone to notice that so they realize that this wasn't some sort of manly cry, I got dust in my eyes and this donkey stinks cry. This is full body, I can't hold it back weeping. So, now we can answer, why was he weeping? My first thought is that he knows that all of this is temporary and soon he will be in more physical and emotional pain than anyone can imagine. It could be that he knows he will be leaving everyone soon. It could be that he is going to go through betrayal in a way no man has ever seen. But, if you read verse 42, he isn't thinking about any of those things. He is having a conversation about the people of Jerusalem. And, why does he say "You of all people would understand"?  To get that answer we need to go all the way to the book of  Daniel.

Daniel 9:25-26

25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. 26 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.

What?

1. I'm horrible at math

2. Even if I take out the math, I don't think I understand any of that

3. Ok, I'm going to assume that the Anointed One is Jesus

Let's start simple, When was Jerusalem rebuilt? To get that answer we need to go to the book of Nehemiah chapter 2.

Nehemiah Goes to Jerusalem

Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. 2 So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” Then I was terrified, 3 but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” 4 The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, 5 I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” 6 The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, “How long will you be gone? When will you return?” After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request.  7 I also said to the king, “If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah. 8 And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me. 

Ok, so now we know that part, but what about the math? 

1. Add 7 + 62 weeks of years  =  69 weeks of years
2. Multiply 69 (weeks) x 7 (to get the total number of years in this prophecy) =  483 years
3. Multiply 483 years x 360 (to get the total number of days in this prophecy) =  173,880 days

173,880 days ÷ 365.25 (days in a year)  =  476  years

All of that is what I call Daniel Math! 

Now take the 476 years in this prophecy and start counting  445 B.C. when the command to rebuild the city Jerusalem and its wall was given and you end on the exact year and the very day Jesus  rode ‘triumphantly’ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, being praised as King and Messiah by thousands upon thousands of Jewish people who had gathered from all over for the Passover. 

That means that Jesus was weeping because Daniel told them he was coming. The Pharisees, the people that Jesus had run-ins with the most studied the book of Daniel. They spent their whole entire life starting as a young boy looking at scripture. But somehow didn't see the person they had been waiting their whole entire life for. So, what about Luke chapter 19 verses 43-44? We still don't know what Jesus is talking about there. In verses 41-42, Jesus is referring to the past, now he is directing the focus to the future.

In April 70 AD, about the time of Passover, the Romans besieged Jerusalem.  The Romans encircled the city with a wall to cut off supplies to the city completely and thereby drive the Jews to starvation. By August 70 AD the Romans had breached the final defenses and massacred much of the remaining population. They also destroyed the Second Temple.

Jesus knew what their disbelief would lead to, the Old Testament is filled with warnings about what would happen if God's people didn't follow his commands. Jesus looked at the past and he looked at the future of God's people and it made him weep. 

How many warnings have been given to us? What are we completely ignoring in a way that is making Jesus weep? 

The Final Week-The Triumphant Entry

 

Jesus’ Triumphant Entry

28 After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. 29 As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. 30 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” 34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. 36 As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. 37 When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. 38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD!  Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” 39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” 

This is the story of the Triumphant Entry in Luke chapter 19. If you start reading in verse 30 and go through verse 38, that is the story we were told as kids. I don't want to take away from the story, especially this week, but as an adult, that just feels incomplete. I like a few extra things that the book of John puts in, in chapter 12

17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. 18 That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign.

So we have a situation where a whole bunch of people are there because they want to see the man who raised someone from the dead. I also like this part that the book of John adds.

19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!” 

If we add all these verses together, we have a situation where it appears as though Jesus has won. He has all of these people worshipping him and wanting to see him. Plus, the Pharissess who have been against him from the start, have now admitted that there is nothing they can do. Everyone is thinking this is the beginning of something huge. 

But, as he was going through, riding on the donkey, What was Jesus thinking?  

Elijah-The Conclusion (for now)

 Elijah was afraid. I don't know why, but that gives me comfort. I can relate to doing something I think is brave, only to fall flat on my face a few minutes later. Why was Eliijah so confident when it came to dealing with King Ahab and the followers of Baal, but when it came to Jezebel, he was afraid? In chapter 18 when Elijah is about to go and confront Ahab, this is what it says Jezebel is up to.

 4 While Jezebel was killing off the LORD’s prophets,

When we get to chapter 19, we see that Elijah has a reaction that kind of reminds me of our friend Jonah.

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. 

The biggest lesson I take from this is that sometimes we think we are done. We are ready to give up and quit. We have to remember that if God isn't done with us, it's not over! Maybe we think that we have a gameplan to make sure that it's over and that we are done, but God will make sure that we are taken care of. Look at what happens next in chapter 19.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 

7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. 

God sure is good at finding people! He found Jonah hiding on a ship and now he finds Elijah. Jonah needed to spend a few days in a big fish before he figured out what to do next, with Elijah he needed bread and water to be ready for his next step. What I love next is the honesty Elijah has with God. Have you ever been bothered by something and then decided it would be better to beat around the bush when talking with God? I think we do it most when we are either mad at God or we don't fully trust God with something.  Elijah was scared, instead of going to God and thanking him for everything, he decides that dying would be the route to go. Finally, after getting some much-needed rest and something to eat, Elijah gets honest.

And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 

It sounds like Elijah felt like he failed. The Israelites didn't listen to him, he couldn't help save the other prophets, Now he's ready for the conclusion, Elijah thought the conclusion was death. 

11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” 

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 

The greatest way I have ever heard this explained was by Pastor Craig Groeschel, it's been years, so I don't want to say this is his direct quote, but he said something about how we think God will talk to us in some grand way, he will talk to us in an earthquake or a fire, but instead he whispers to us. He does that so we will know that he is close. How brilliant is that? All of the issues we have, how often do we feel alone or feel that God isn't paying attention or that he has other things more important that what we are going through? These are the times that we have to know that he is close and stop talking long enough to hear the whisper.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 

15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 

I know that there is so much more to the story of Elijah, but, it's always good to save some of the story for another time, so for now can we just focus on the everything that happened in a few chapters? 

Every time Elijah prayed, something big happened! Even after we see something big happen, we can still get scared! We may think that we are done, but before we decide that we are done, we need to make sure God is done with us! Sometimes we talk too much. When we get scared or we think that we are alone, Be honest with God about how you are feeling, then shut-up and wait for the whisper!!

Elijah in Action

 Ok, so I said tomorrow we would pick things up, but I guess I meant in a few days! In 1 Kings we start to see Elijah getting angry. Let's take a look at how chapter 17 starts.

Elijah Fed by Ravens

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” 

Then the LORD said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” 

So Elijah did as the LORD told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land. 

A few key things to point out as we read this, right after Elijah make a bold proclamation about not having rain for a few years, what happens? The Lord tells him to go hide! Why did he need to go hide? I think a few reasons. First off, he probably just made the king mad and if the king could find him, he would have had him killed. But, I think the main reason is that God had him hiding while preparing him for something way bigger than he could have imagined. How long was he preparing? Let's take a look at the New Testament in the book of James:

Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops

So, for three and a half years God was preparing him! Now that he is good and prepared, its time to move on to the action in Chapter 18!

Later on, in the third year of the drought, the LORD said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!” So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. 

Now we skip forward to verse 16 of chapter 18 when Elijah and Ahab finally get together.

 So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah.  When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” 

 “I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.  Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.” 

 So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel.  Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent. 

I love how bold Elijah is, he not only put all the blame back on Ahab, he also told him to bring all of this friends with him to see what would happen. That's the kind of faith and boldness I wish I had.

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the LORD who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it.  Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed. 

The challenge has been set! I wonder what everyone thought would happen. For some reason deep down I feel like everyone who worshipped Baal probably thought nothing would happen on either side. I can't imagine worshipping something that had never done anything for me.

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.” 

So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. 

About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” 

So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response. 

While we are on earth, I think we spend time thinking about questions we would ask God, or things that we want to see the replay of. I think when we finally do get to heaven, it just won't be as important as we think it is right now. But, Elijah mocking these people is something I would want to see! So after spending all day waiting and mocking people, Elijah decides that it's finally his turn. Let's see what happens starting in verse 30 of chapter 18.

Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down.  He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. 

Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” 

 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. 

Again, Elijah just can't be boring, he wants to make sure that he goes to the extreme to make sure everyone knows the power of his God. Can you imagine watching this as it's playing out. He has an alter, so all he really needs is fire. So, of course, what does he do? He adds a whole bunch of water! Before he expects any results, what does he do, he prays. Do you think God over delivered?

At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.  O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 

Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!  And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The LORD—he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!” 

 Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there. 

I think we should look at Elijah's prayer as an example of how we should pray. 

A short recap of everything up to this point. Elijah says it won't rain, and at this point it still hasn't rained. Ahab and his people are worshipping Baal. Elijah finally decides he has seen enough and after a beautiful prayer and with God's help, fire comes down from heaven and all of the followers of Baal are taken care of. But, Ahab is still alive.

Elijah Prays for Rain

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” 

 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. 

Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” 

The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” 

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” 

Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’ ” 

and soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.  Then the LORD gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel. 

More praying, more miracles! What could Ahab be thinking at this point? What is Elijah thinking? I would think that his faith and boldness is at an all-time high. With everything that Elijah has done and seen, can anything slow him down? Before we stop for the day, let's look at the start of chapter 19.

Elijah Flees to Sinai

When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” 

3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. 

Not What I Was Expecting!!

Introducing Elijah

 

If you are someone who doesn’t know the bible very well, I want to introduce you to Elijah, If you are someone who over the years has focused mainly on the New Testament, maybe you have only heard rumors of a man named Elijah. Either way I want to spend time this week focusing on my favorite story of Elijah. In the New Testament Elijah’s name is brought up in a few very important places. Let’s look at Mark 8:27-30:

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” ²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” ³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

 

Before people knew who Jesus was, they thought he might be Elijah.

Now let’s go forward to when Jesus is on the cross in Mark 15:33-37

³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). ^{a 35} When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” ³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

 

So here we have Jesus on the cross and people are waiting to see if Elijah comes and saves Jesus, not God. All of this makes me want to know, who is Elijah and why did they think he could come save Jesus? For that answer we need to go into the Old Testament to 2 Kings 2:11-12.

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹² Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

Elijah never died! Everyone knew about this from reading what we call the Old Testament. They figured that if Jesus was truly a religious figure, then Elijah had to be involved in some way.

 

Before we find out what Elijah did to receive the honor of never having to die, we need to introduce the bad guys into the story, Let’s stay in the Old Testament, but this time go to 1 Kings 16:29-33

 

Ahab Becomes King of Israel

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. ³⁰ Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. ³¹ He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. ³² He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him. ³⁴ In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

 

Before we go any further can I just say that in case you were wondering, Yes the woman mentioned in verse 31 is the women responsible for making the word “Jezebel” a universal word for an evil woman. So, Ahab and Jezebel are going to be the two main people that Elijah has to deal with. Now that we have made a few formal introductions, lets stop for today and pick up tomorrow when the action begins.

 

Jonah Chapter 4

 Chapter 4

Let’s see how Jonah reacts at the start of chapter 4 “ But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.  He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.  Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 

How can I be reading that correctly? How is it that Jonah helped save all of the people of Nineveh and his response is anger and wishing the Lord would take his life. Why is it that even when it works out for the good, I get angry when I think God wasted my time? Why do I get angry when my “enemy” has success? What would we do if God came to us and reacted to us the way he reacted to Jonah?   But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” As we get to the end of the book, I think we are given one of the greatest lessons in all the bible. Read how this scenario plays out. 

Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.  But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.  When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” 

 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” 

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” 

God knows that sometimes we don’t understand unless he gives us something solid that we can see right in front of us. God provided a plant to help shade Jonah. Another interesting part about this is that the bible says Jonah went to a place east of the city to see what would happen to the city. But, didn’t God tell him nothing was going to happen? Did he leave the city just to see if maybe his whining and wishing that he was dead was going to change God’s mind? But, back to the plant. The plant gave him shade, so Jonah was happy, but the next day the plant withered and so once again Jonah wanted to die. So again God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” Now remember, all of this is happening because Jonah felt inconvenienced by God asking him to go to Nineveh. Now the book ends with what I feel are two of the greatest verses in the bible. 

But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.  And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” 

We get so angry in life when things don’t go our way. We get so upset at God when things don’t go according to our plan. But we did either absolutely nothing or very little to help our situation. Most of the time we didn't even consult God before we made those plans. But as soon as they fall apart, somehow it's God’s fault. We think we are alone, or we think he is mad at us or doesn't love us. God has spent our whole life tending to us and helping us grow. He loves us and wants us to have eternal life. Next time we get angry at someone and wish something negative on them, think about how that person is God’s creation, God is tending to them at that moment. Maybe they are there at that moment for us because we need tended to. 

Jonah Chapter 3

 Chapter 3 finally finds Jonah doing the Lord's work! The chapter starts off with "Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh." This is where I feel the children's story ends. It's not exactly happily ever after, but Jonah after overcoming a struggle does what he should have from the beginning. This is where the adults need to start paying attention. Just because you decide to start doing what you are supposed to do, it doesn't mean it will be easy. Jonah goes throughout the city and warns everyone that in 40 days, Nineveh will be overthrown. And, of course, since he was doing the Lord's work everyone decided to listen and obey. Here is how it says that they reacted, starting in verse 5 of chapter 3. "The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: 

  “By the decree of the king and his nobles: 

 Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.  But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.  Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 

How wonderful for Jonah, he was sent to deliver a message, and everyone listened, especially the king. That means that Jonah did exactly what he was supposed to do and because he delivered the message so well, people actually listened and turned back to God. Chapter 3 ends with God changing his mind. 

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. 

So, you would think that it would be all over now. Jonah would be happy, and he could go back to do doing whatever he was doing when the book started. But, somehow, that's not what happened.