JUNE 13, 2023

 “Wherefore I say into thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” (Luke 7:47)

A Pharisee by the name of Simon had bidden Jesus to come into his house and eat a meal with him. His motive was apparently mere curiosity. He had invited Jesus to come into his home, but he offered none of the common courtesies that were customary at the time – no kiss of greeting, no washing of his feet, etc. His thoughts about the Savior were only judgmental and critical. He was an unbeliever and it appears that the visit from Christ did nothing to change that. While they sat at meat, a woman that was a great sinner came in and she began to weep and wash Jesus’ feet with her tears, wipe them with her hair, and anoint them with expensive ointment that she brought with her. All that the Pharisee could see was a sinful woman from whom Jesus received all this attention without a single word of rebuke. But Jesus saw something far different. He saw a penitent sinner manifesting her great love for her Savior Who had forgiven her all her sins.

The mainspring and lifeblood of love for Christ is the knowledge of sins forgiven. This, beyond all doubt, was the lesson that our Lord wished Simon the Pharisee to learn. We know this because of the story that He told after perceiving the man’s thoughts as he witnessed this display. Jesus, the thought reader, “heard” loud and clear what this proud Pharisee “spake within himself,” that being, if Jesus was really a prophet, he would have known that the woman He was allowing to touch Him, and from whom He was receiving kind attention, was an unclean woman – a great sinner. His proud heart revolted at the sight of a poor, contrite sinner being allowed to wash the Savior’s feet, Whom she loved. Thus, Jesus related the story of two debtors. Essentially the story is this: two men were in debt to the same creditor. One owed a hundred pence, and the other only half that amount, but neither of them was able to repay. The kind creditor decided to freely forgive them both. Jesus then asked, “Which of the two will love him most?” Simon then correctly answered. “I suppose he to whom he forgave most.”

The point of the story is that this woman had been forgiven much, and she, therefore, loved much and was going to great effort to show her love. The Pharisee was right; she had been a great sinner. She had now received great forgiveness, and therefore her love for Christ is great. Simon, himself, had received no forgiveness, for he, seeing himself as righteous, had sought no forgiveness. Therefore, he had shown the Lord no kindness, not even such common gestures as were shown to all who came as invited guests into one’s home.

May the wonderful principle here laid down by our Lord forever remain in our minds and abide in our hearts. It is one of the great cornerstones of the Gospel – one of the master keys of the Kingdom. The only way to make men holy is to teach and preach full forgiveness through Jesus Christ. The secret of being holy ourselves is to know and feel that Christ has pardoned our sins. Peace with God is the root that bears the fruit of holiness. Forgiveness must go before sanctification. We shall not advance in holiness until we are reconciled to God. The heart that has experienced the pardoning love of Christ is the heart that loves Christ and strives to show forth that love.

Many who profess that their sins are forgiven seem to feel little indebtedness to the One Who has “cleared their debt.” This dear woman felt a great debt of gratitude to the Savior. She loved much because she was forgiven much. If we are forgiven, then let us show our love to the Lord Who has pardoned us and set us free. Let us commune with Him in prayer. Let us delight in His Word. Let us be faithful to His house. Let us give of our time and money to His cause. Let our one motive in all we do be our love for Him Who first loved us.

What amazing love and compassion Jesus has for great sinners. The woman of whom we have been speaking is an encouragement to all sinners, however bad they may be, to come to Him for pardon and forgiveness. That word of His shall never be broken: “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.”

Let us ask ourselves, in conclusion, what kind of lives are we living? What are we doing for Christ’s glory?

What proof are we making of our love to Him Who loved us and gave Himself for us?

JUNE 8, 2023

 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

The central figure of the Christian faith is not some far-away entity, a flawed spirit, or a being with no understanding of human nature. If that were the case, prayer would be a terrifying and possibly meaningless experience. Fortunately for the Christian, Jesus not only understands our struggles and failures, but He has also overcome them first-hand.

The verse right before today’s says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Verse 15) Our Savior can fully empathize with our failures because He remained sinless in the face of temptation. We can and should lay our iniquities at his feet.

Today’s verse is the conclusion of a point begun in verse 14. After encouraging Christians to complete the works God has given us in the first part of the chapter, the writer reminds us that God’s word is the ultimate measuring stick for all of our thoughts, deeds, and intentions. Nothing is hidden or obscure to God, Who is our ultimate judge. Verses 14 and 15 clarify that we can maintain our faith in the face of struggles, knowing Christ has already shown us the way. He not only experienced suffering, death, and temptation but did it without succumbing to sin.

Knowing, then, that Christ fully understands our weaknesses and has experienced our pain, we can better rely on Him. We can be confident and assured when we come to God asking for mercy, grace, help, or forgiveness. Nobody understands our pain better than Jesus, so only Jesus can be our High Priest and the substitute for our payment of sin. “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)

Because we have Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God, let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is unaware of our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all – all but the sin. So let’s walk up to Him and get what He is ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the grace.

JUNE 6, 2023

 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

There are few passages in the four Gospels more important than these words. We speak not merely of the broad and gracious invitation in our text, but of the entire closing paragraph of the chapter. We are reminded by our Lord about the great advantage of a child-like and teachable frame of mind. Jesus said in the twenty-fifth verse, “…thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” We shall never be able to explain God’s Sovereign choices, but what we can know is that men, who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight, put themselves at a great disadvantage. Those to whom the Gospel is revealed are commonly humble and willing to learn. Mary’s words are continually being fulfilled. “He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent away empty.” (Luke 1:53)

Notice the breadth and fulness of our Lord’s Gospel invitation. You may be asking, “Will Christ reveal His love to me?” Well, if you are filled with pride and conceit, and thus unwilling to learn of the Lowly Jesus, the prospect is most unlikely. Neither does He address those who are righteous and worthy. He calls out to “all that labor and are heavy laden.” It comprises multitudes in this weary, sinful world. All whose hearts are weighed down with an unbearable load of sin, or a load of sorrow; all who bear a load of anxiety, or a load of remorse – all such, regardless of their past lives, are invited to come to Christ.

Mark what a kind and gracious offer Jesus makes: “I will give you rest – ye shall find rest unto your souls.” What warmth and comfort are in these words! Unrest is one great characteristic of this world – it is compared to the restless sea. So many things prevent our rest, such as hurry, vexation, failure, and disappointment, all attending every day. But Jesus stands and beckons to all who are weighed down with care. In Christ is found rest for the conscience, rest for the heart, rest built on pardon for sin and a peace that endures.

What a simple request Jesus makes to the laboring and heavy-laden ones. “Come unto me: – Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me.” He interposes no hard conditions; He requires no works to be done, or anything of merit on the sinner’s part. He only says, “Come;” come as you are without one plea except for what His grace provides. He seems to say, “Delay not, wait not for, nor seek for help from any other quarter; just come, come today, come as you are, come unto me.”What an encouraging account Jesus gives of Himself. He says, “I am meek and lowly in heart.” How true that is, according to the experience of all the saints of God. When Jesus called a little child unto Him (Matt. 18:2) the child, looking upon His kind face, came to Him without hesitation, knowing there was nothing to fear. So it is with every “babe” to whom He is revealed. This is the only place in Scripture where the “heart” of Christ is actually mentioned. This saying is one never to be forgotten.

Have we accepted this invitation for ourselves? Why should anyone who answers to the description of those who are invited delay coming to Jesus for even a moment? Have we sins to be forgiven, griefs to be removed, or wounds of conscience to be healed? He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The burden of sin is crushing, and the yoke of bondage is hard to bear, but Jesus assures all who will come, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Vs. 30)

If we have come to Him already, let us learn to cleave to Him. If you have never come to Him, may you begin to come today.

JUNE 1, 2023

“And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” (Acts 1:26)

Following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the followers of Jesus and His earthly ministry gathered together (about 120 people in total). Among those present are Mary (the mother of Jesus), James and Jude (Jesus’ brothers), and the women who traveled with the disciples of Jesus. Also present are the previously mentioned disciples, who now serve as apostles. Peter says to the collection that the vacancy left by Judas, who betrayed Jesus, must be filled because there were only eleven remaining, and there must be twelve.

He posits that it’s only appropriate that this roster spot should be filled by one of the men who has accompanied them the whole time Jesus was among them. They need someone from that group to serve as a witness of His resurrection, like them. So they put forward two men: Joseph, called Barsabas (also called Justus), and Matthias. After praying about it, they cast lots, and Matthias wins, as our verse says.

Scholars disagree about what exactly is meant by “cast lots” here. It could mean they voted. Or they put each candidate’s name on rocks, put them in a pot, and shook it until one came out, as it meant in the Old Testament. It’s also possible that “cast lots” was simply used here to communicate that the community chose Matthias, and the exact means by which they chose him weren’t important.

In the Old Testament, casting lots was seen as a method of getting answers from God. In I Samuel 14, for example, Saul used lots to ask God who had sinned and discovered that his son Jonathan had led his soldiers to disobey God. So whatever Luke (the writer of Acts) meant by “cast lots,” the process was rooted in Scripture and intended to learn God’s choice, not for the disciples to choose their own, as some foolishly argue.

So, why is this story important for us to know? As one of the Twelve, Matthias was an apostle, which meant he was charged with preaching the Gospel and helping it spread throughout the world. We are the same as Matthias. Like Matthias, we, followers of Christ, are charged with preaching the Gospel and helping it spread. As Matthias was singled out by lot and adopted as an apostle after the fact, we also were selected and set apart by our Lord for discipleship by the precious blood of Christ. Now, strictly speaking, we cannot claim to be apostles. There is one particular qualification for the office of apostle that we cannot possibly meet. We would need to have been eyewitnesses to the risen Christ. However, we do still claim apostolic authority as we preach the Word, which they, as foundational to the Church, were instrumental. (Eph. 2:20) Thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit we can trust that nothing is lacking, thus granting to us the same authority as the twelve apostles. Our authority lies in the Word of God.

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