Shalom Aleichem...
Reflections is a weekly Christian Teaching Ministry. Each week we will talk about the Bible and lessons we can put to use in our daily life. We will try to, on a weekly basis, provide to you stories, thoughts, and just easy ways to live your life on a straight path.
THIS WEEK'S TEACHING....November 20, 2017
Last week we began a series of teachings on evil and hatred in the world. So why is there so much hate and evil in the world. This is a question thrown by people who would like to sway others to believe that there is no God. This question is the relative of the question, "If there is a loving God, then why are there so many evil in this world."
One trait of God is His omniscience (He is all-knowing). He knows what will happen for all of eternity. The things that man know are not even a tip of a nail compared to what God knows. He even knows what will happen to you a minute from now which you do not have an idea of. That established, atheists and agnostics would argue that God, if He does exists, with His omniscience, should have decided NOT to give man free will because He knows that they'll just use it to rebel against Him which will result to them going to Hell to pay for their sins. If He does exists then He must enjoy seeing people go to Hell?
First of all, the Bible makes it clear that God has no pleasure in seeing sinners die which lead them to eternal punishment (Ezekiel 33:11). He created man for His glory and for His pleasure (Revelations 4:11).
Now here's a question... If you are God, will you derive pleasure from the "love" your created gives you if in the first place, you have programmed them like robots to give you love (they have no choice but to love you)? I believe that you will agree that "love" that is not freely given is not true love. God had to give man a free will so that He can experience true love from His created so that pleasure is achieved. He wanted man to love Him willingly. Free will allows man to love God willingly. That is why God gave us free will. Not doing so goes against reason. God is a logical Person that is why He saw it right to give man the freedom to choose for himself and He hoped that we 'would use it to give Him pleasure.
But how about the fact that in man's use of his free will to do evil, it results to suffering in Hell? Shouldn't have God just sacrificed His desire to experience true love from His created so that no one goes to Hell?
I believe that God could have chosen to do that... IF He had no power to use evil to bring out good. What do I mean about that? God used the evil of the cross to solve man's problem of sin. The cross is a reflection of all the evil of man. The cross is a picture of what any criminal should deserve. God experienced the cruelty of the cross as if He was a hardened criminal just so He can make a payment for man's sins. Buddha had no solution for the penalty of man's sins. Mohammed offered no real solution either. Catholicism, although claiming to be Christian in beliefs, still gives man a big responsibility in saving himself. The New Age movement can only suggest something that will make you focus on the "here and now" so that you'll not be burdened with what's ahead in eternity. This makes Christianity unique. It offered a solution. Jesus was the solution. God turned evil to good by transferring all of man's evil on His beloved Son so He could pay for them. The chains of sin on us were broken because Jesus let himself experience the evil of men.
God still uses evil in our time to bring out good. How many people have turned to God for assurance of life in Heaven after they have realized how fragile and short life is through the death of someone they know? I believe you and your other Christian friends can name some. God uses natural calamities like the tsunami in Japan and the big earthquakes that rocked major cities early this year to bring to the minds of people that there is a powerful God that they should fear, or better yet, be reconciled with. Crimes around us, heavy and petty crimes alike, show how man has gone low in their morals, and therefore, disqualifies them from the future joys of Heaven. Your own offense of God's Moral Standards, the Ten Commandments, should bring you to the realization that you are not a good person, that is why you need Jesus' perfection to be transferred on you to enter into His Kingdom. For Christians, God uses circumstances to bring out new strength from us so that, we, in turn, can also be used by Him to strengthen others. He also uses sufferings to re-focus ourselves to Him so that we can enjoy Him even in this world.
In conclusion, God gave man free will even if He knew it will cause problems through man's wrong use of it because He also knows the solution to it... Jesus. When God finished making this world on the sixth day, He looked on the whole of His creation and saw that it was all good, including the free will He gave man. To you who are still living in sin, use your free will by deciding to forsake your sins and to have Jesus be your Lord and Savior. To us, His children, let us use the free will God gave us to bring pleasure to the only One who can use evil to bring out good for our benefit. Praise be the Lord! I love you all:)
DID YOU EVER WONDER???
Are you living your life for Christ?
You may live a purposeless life unless you live it for Him. I challenge you to check you life right now. You were created to do an assignment on earth-which assignment you will only do if you live your life in Christ and for Him. You are not an accident; but a person on a divine mission.
With your gift, you are meant to carryout this assignment. Everyone has a different assignment and hence no one can ever do your assignment for you.
You have to do that yourself and if you do not have Christ, then you are surely going to live a purposeless life.
You are gifted in your own ways and your gift does not depend on other people. It is between you and your maker. You therefore have to discover your gift which is your tool for carrying out your divine assignment.
Bottom line:
Live your life for Christ. The greatest tragedy in life is not death but life without a purpose. Discover your purpose today......
Peace be with you my friends. I Love you all......
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE...A TEACHING
The Parable of the Sower
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
Prophecy and Parables
34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
New and Old Treasures
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Jesus teaches in parables
(13:1–52)
Matthew has given us two sections of teaching so far—the Sermon on the Mount and the training of the Twelve. Now, in a third section, he collects together seven of Jesus’ parables.
Parables are brilliant picture-stories which give images of God’s kingdom at work. Jesus uses parables to teach large crowds, because everyone loves a story—and a story can make people think. Even so, some of the hidden meanings are too obscure even for his disciples.
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Jesus tells how a farmer sows seed in his field (13:1–23). The seeds have different fortunes, according to where they fall. Some fall on the path and are eaten by birds. Some fall on rock where they sprout briefly and wither. Some fall among thorns and have no room to grow. But some fall on good soil and produce a marvellous harvest.
Parables
Parables may be quite short stories or sayings—even a proverb or riddle. They can be understood on several levels, and may apply to the present or the future. Jesus was brilliant at telling them, and his followers kept them and passed them on. We still have to puzzle them out today.
Sometimes we are not looking at what Jesus meant, but at what Christians have thought he meant. It gets complicated! But if we look for what a parable is saying about our attitude to God we won’t go far wrong. It also helps to realize that Jesus is making one main point and doesn’t expect us to find meanings in every little detail.
Jesus later explains that this is a parable about preaching the gospel. The good news is sown in people’s hearts, where it may be snatched by Satan, withered by persecution or choked with worry. But an open and obedient heart is like good soil. Such a heart grows a record harvest for God.
THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS
A farmer discovers that his enemy has sown weeds in his wheat field (13:24–30). He can’t destroy these weeds without damaging the good crop—so he lets both grow together until he can separate them at harvest time. This parable is explained a little later (13:36).
THE PARABLES OF THE MUSTARD SEED AND THE YEAST
A mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, but it grows to be a large tree and a shelter for the birds. A small amount of yeast can leaven a large amount of flour (13:31–35).
With these everyday images, Jesus gives a glimpse of the growing power of the kingdom of God. Its beginnings are almost invisible, but it spreads dramatically. In the end it will fill the whole world.
THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS EXPLAINED
Jesus explains that the parable of the weeds is about the presence of evil in the world (13:36–43). At the moment good and evil grow together—but one day God will separate the two. He will harvest the world with judgment.
THE PARABLES OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND THE PRICELESS PEARL
A man finds treasure hidden in a field—and sells everything he has to buy the field! A merchant comes across the finest of pearls—and sells everything else to get it (13:44–46).
So Jesus conjures a picture of the kingdom of God. It’s worth more than anything else in the world, and worthy of every sacrifice we have to make to enter it.
THE PARABLE OF THE FISHING NET
The last parable is about God’s judgment (13:47–52). Jesus says the angels will be like fishermen sorting the catch from a dragnet. They’ll keep the good and discard the bad.
In his parables Jesus uses ordinary objects and situations, as well as giving old stories a new twist. A good teacher must convey the truth in a variety of ways—including some fresh thoughts mixed in with the ancient wisdom.
Mixed opinions about Jesus
(13:53–16:20)
Jesus starts to travel further afield. He moves away from the lakeside towns, where he has been so disappointed by the lack of response to the gospel. He goes back home to Nazareth for a while, but his own friends and neighbors reject him. Then he receives the terrible news that John the Baptist has been executed.
John’s death puts pressure on Jesus. He tries to find space away from the crowds—but they still manage to find him. They need teaching, healing—and food! They are also looking for a popular Messiah, who will replace their cruel and corrupt king. They dream of a major uprising against the Romans.
A COOL RECEPTION AT NAZARETH
Jesus goes to Nazareth, where he was brought up. He teaches in the synagogue (13:53–58). The people are amazed at his wise words, but in the end they turn against him. They know his family very well. He’s nothing special.
Jesus seems to understand their rejection. A prophet may be widely respected and even famous—but never in his home town.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 423). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 422). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 422). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., pp. 421–422). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 421). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:47–58). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:36–46). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:31–35). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:24–30). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:18–23). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:10–17). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:1–9). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
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