Reflective Bible Study

During the time Jesus walked on the earth, every time He shared a parable or illustration, it was to teach those present a spiritual truth that they might not have already known. Sometimes those present were the crowds of people, while other times, those present were the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders who felt challenged by Jesus’ ministry.

During one of these latter times, where Jesus is teaching while some priests and leaders are present, we find a fascinating illustration about what God thinks about our words compared with our actions. In this illustration, we find the answer to whether our words are more important or whether our actions are.

While we could easily say that both are important, and ideally one should align both their words and actions with God and His plan, what happens when only one of these things is present. It is this scenario that Jesus draws our attention to in this parable.

For our episode today, we’ll be reading from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 21, using the New Century Version. Starting in verse 28, Jesus turns to the priests and leaders present and asks them:

²⁸ “Tell me what you think about this: A man had two sons. He went to the first son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’ ²⁹ The son answered, ‘I will not go.’ But later the son changed his mind and went. ³⁰ Then the father went to the other son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’ The son answered, ‘Yes, sir, I will go and work,’ but he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two sons obeyed his father?”

The priests and leaders answered, “The first son.”

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you do. ³² John came to show you the right way to live. You did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Even after seeing this, you still refused to change your ways and believe him.

Of all the illustrations Jesus gave, this one likely hit the priests and leaders the hardest. After the priests and leaders give their answer, Jesus shifts the focus back onto reality and onto how they responded to John the Baptist when compared with how the most sinful sinners responded. The priests and leaders listened to John the Baptist’s message, but they didn’t change their ways, while on the opposite end of the spectrum, tax collectors and prostitutes were challenged by John’s message and they did change their ways.

Perhaps each group’s response was because each group had a different frame of mind about their starting point. Those in the sinner group knew they were not living rightly, so they chose to change, while those in the religious group believed they were already walking along the path God wanted them on, so they didn’t.

What I find fascinating about this illustration is that the priests implicate themselves. They identify the son who acted according to his father’s will as the one who obeyed. The refusal on the front end means nothing in comparison to the action that followed. The other son, who verbally said he would help but didn’t cannot be said to have obeyed because his actions didn’t match his words.

However, if we look at this story, and simply change one word, we see another fascinating idea. Instead of asking “which son ‘obeyed’ his father?”, let’s ask “which son gave respect to his father?”

On the surface, the answer to this second question sounds like the second son. After all, the second son tells his father that he would help, which is a lot nicer than the first son who said no.

But is respect best shown through words or through actions? If we say we respect God, is that best displayed by what we say or by what we do?

Jesus’ illustration in our passage gives us the very strong impression that to God, actions speak significantly louder than words. While both our actions and words will ultimately line up when given enough time, while they are not in alignment, our actions are a better representation of who we are and of our character.

But we don’t have to focus on Jesus to learn this truth. All we simply need to do is ask ourselves the question that Jesus asked these leaders. We can ask ourselves whether we value someone’s words or someone’s actions more. Would we rather have a friend who simply says they’re our friend while no one else is around or one who acts like our friend while others are present?

Obviously, someone who says they are your friend and acts like it is the best case, but if you could only have someone’s words or someone’s actions, which would you prefer?

This is Jesus’ point in this illustration. For God, our actions are more important than our words. For God, obedience and respect means living a life that is within His will, and not simply putting on a front when other spiritual people are present. God can use us in a bigger way when our actions are within His will than when only our words are.

God cares about our holistic selves, and this includes both our words and actions, but if He has to choose, He would rather our actions and our obedience.

With this said, as we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As always, choose to intentionally place God first in your life – and do it in a way where your respect and obedience are shown through your actions. While other people simple talk a good talk while not actually following through with actions, resolve to be someone that follows God through your actions first, and if possible, also match up your words to your actions. In other words, resolve to both say you will follow God while also actually following Him, but if you must choose, follow Him with your actions over your words.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself and learn what God is like through how Jesus lived and taught while here on earth. Through what we read in the gospels, discover what Jesus was like and how His life challenges us to live for God.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Part way through Jesus’ ministry, the gospel of John adds a side-note that gives us a glimpse into the mindset of the religious leaders living in the first century. In this side-note, John tells us two prophecies that Isaiah gave which were unfortunately fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry.

I wonder if John wrote this side-note with these prophecies to not only give us a perspective on the Jewish leaders, but to also challenge us to not make the same mistake as they did.

Let’s read what John wrote, from the gospel of John, chapter 12, using the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 37, John tells us that:

³⁷ Even though he [Jesus] had performed all these miracles in their presence, they did not believe in him, ³⁸ so that what the prophet Isaiah had said might come true:

“Lord, who believed the message we told?
    To whom did the Lord reveal his power?”

³⁹ And so they were not able to believe, because Isaiah also said,

⁴⁰ “God has blinded their eyes
    and closed their minds,
so that their eyes would not see,
    and their minds would not understand,
    and they would not turn to me, says God,
    for me to heal them.”

⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

Let’s pause reading here to draw our attention to an important point. A simple reading might make us think that God did not want the Jewish leaders to believe in Jesus. However, this was far from the truth. While God is seen as the active agent in the second prophecy, He is likely not needed at all in this prophecy since the leaders easily closed themselves off to Jesus – likely without God’s help at all.

I believe the reason Isaiah tells us that God blinded these leaders’ eyes is that it was the ministry of Jesus, specifically the way Jesus focused and directed His ministry, that pushed them away. The light, love, and warmth Jesus radiated throughout His time on earth melted hearts that were receptive to His love, but it also hardened hearts that were defensive to Him and His message. It is like saying that the same sun will either melt butter or harden clay. What matters most in the polarizing effect that Jesus had is the state of the person’s heart.

Let’s continue reading, because we will learn of a third group of people. While the first group openly followed Jesus and believed in Him, and the second group openly rejected Him with hard hearts, there is a third group that John tells us about. Picking back up in verse 42, we read:

⁴² Even then, many Jewish authorities believed in Jesus; but because of the Pharisees they did not talk about it openly, so as not to be expelled from the synagogue. ⁴³ They loved human approval rather than the approval of God.

Let’s pause again to focus on something that was just said. John tells us that there was a group of Jewish leaders who believed in Jesus, but “They loved human approval rather than the approval of God.” (v. 43)

These leaders were “secret followers” because they feared the Pharisees and did not want to be expelled from their synagogues. Some of us might fit into this group of people, because this group is known as people who believe in God, but they don’t let or want their belief to be visible in their lives.

The fearful, secret followers of Jesus, we could describe as spiritual chameleons; these believers actively adapt into whatever social setting they are in. In a worldly setting, they act to fit in, but in church on the weekend, they act differently in order to fit in as well. While they may believe they are being a light, they miss the idea that a light is only as good as how brightly seen it is. By blending in, secret followers of Jesus dim their lights and they cheapen their witness.

However, while John is finished sharing the side-note, he picks back up sharing a powerful statement Jesus says to the crowd which likely was filled with each of the three types of people we have been talking about. Continuing in verse 44, we read:

⁴⁴ Jesus said in a loud voice, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in him who sent me. ⁴⁵ Whoever sees me sees also him who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. ⁴⁷ If people hear my message and do not obey it, I will not judge them. I came, not to judge the world, but to save it. ⁴⁸ Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day! ⁴⁹ This is true, because I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that his command brings eternal life. What I say, then, is what the Father has told me to say.”

Jesus’ big promise to us here is that He is not the one who will judge. While this might ease our minds a little, Jesus is quick to point out that just because He isn’t the judge doesn’t mean that there won’t be a judge. Jesus directly states that His words and His message will judge them, and it isn’t because He said them, it is because His words and His message came from the Father.

Note here that the emphasis is not simply on hearing Jesus’ message. The emphasis is on obeying it. Rejecting Jesus and His message is the same as hearing it and not obeying it. These people fall under judgment, because they reject the free gift that Jesus has offered.

Jesus closes His message here by saying that He knows that God’s message and His commands bring eternal life, and that the things He says – which presumably include what He just finished saying – are what the Father has told Him to say.

God did not send Jesus into the world to fill the role of judge. The world has too many people in it claiming that role. Instead, Jesus came into the world as a Messenger, a Healer, and a Savior. Jesus came into this world to show us what God is really like.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you, intentionally seek God first in your life and purposefully pay attention to the things He has commanded. When discovering something that God has commanded, resolve to apply what you learned into your life. Seek to grow towards God and ask Him to melt your heart rather than harden it.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, choose to personally pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn what God has commanded, and what God has laid as a foundation for our faith and belief in Him. While other people have opinions, God wants to reveal His truth to you that is found only through personally studying the Bible.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As the gospels move into the week of Jesus’ crucifixion, the week begins with a spectacular event where Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. However, before this event can happen, Jesus must acquire a donkey. To do this, He sends two of His disciples on a special mission.

The first three gospels tell us this event. Reading from Mark’s gospel, chapter 11, and using the New Century Version, let’s discover what happened. Starting in verse 1, Mark tells us:

¹ As Jesus and his followers were coming closer to Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his followers ² and said to them, “Go to the town you can see there. When you enter it, you will quickly find a colt tied, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here to me. ³ If anyone asks you why you are doing this, tell him its Master needs the colt, and he will send it at once.”

⁴ The followers went into the town, found a colt tied in the street near the door of a house, and untied it. ⁵ Some people were standing there and asked, “What are you doing? Why are you untying that colt?” ⁶ The followers answered the way Jesus told them to answer, and the people let them take the colt.

⁷ They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it, and Jesus sat on it.

This event is amazing in my mind. Jesus gives these two disciples a task to borrow a young donkey and had there not been anyone present, it would have looked like a theft. Even the answer Jesus tells the disciples to give if asked is a little cryptic, since the Master is very vague, though it’s possible, perhaps even probable that something is lost in translation in the way Jesus phrases this response.

Part of me wonders if this young donkey was being watched by someone while the owner was away on a long trip. This would allow for the response the disciples gave to make a little sense – since the donkey did not belong to the people who were watching it. But nothing in our English translation of this passage hints that this was the case.

From a simple reading of this event, the conclusion I have to reach is that the owner of the donkey, or at least the servants who were tasked with watching over the donkey, had the mindset that everything they had was God’s. The word used in this verse that has been translated as “Master” is in other translations of the Bible been translated as “Lord” – which in some cases could mean the rightful owner of an object, or it could mean God.

The word itself has the appearance of humility and service, because those who use it imply that they are obeying a higher authority and not just their own desires.

In order for the servants to let these two disciples take the animal, they would have needed to trust God and seen the donkey as God’s. While there is nothing in the gospels to imply this, it is also possible that they had recently dedicated the donkey to God – and now two disciples arrive saying that God has need for their animal.

If we didn’t know the story better, we might ask the question about why it was important for Jesus to have a donkey or donkey’s colt in the first place. If we read Matthew’s gospel, chapter 21, verse 5, he draws our attention onto the significance of the donkey when he quotes an Old Testament prophet who said:

⁵ “Tell the people of Jerusalem,
    ‘Your king is coming to you.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey,
    on the colt of a donkey.’”

The donkey was important because it was prophesied that Jesus would enter Jerusalem on a donkey, and specifically on the colt of a donkey. While other kings entered their capital cities on warhorses or strong animals, Jesus wrote into prophecy that He would ride into His city on the weakest of animals that could still be ridden as a symbol of His gentle leadership.

But even while the donkey’s colt is significant because of prophecy, I still am amazed at the donkey’s owners. In their actions, I see a challenge for all of us to not hold on too tightly to the things that God has entrusted us with. Even though Jesus was borrowing the colt for only a day, there is no record of the disciples paying money to lease or rent the animal for that period of time.

In our own lives, God may call us to give or loan something of ours to someone else who needs it. If, or when this happens, it is a mistake to believe the item is really ours. In reality, everything belongs to God, and that includes things, animals, and even people. By simply existing, you and I belong to God.

This means that if God asks to borrow something, or if He asks us to give something away, we can either say yes, or He can simply take it.

A simple example is with how my wife and I helped our daughter learn to throw trash away when she was very young. First, we would ask her to throw the trash away. Often this was the only prompting she needed. However, sometimes we started counting, and when we reached the number we had chosen to count to, we took the trash away from her and threw it away ourselves. If this happened, she was upset, but she had every chance of giving up the piece of trash herself.

Sometimes this is how God interacts with us. Sometimes we have a tight hold on something that God wants us to let go of. God can prompt us to let go of it, but if we choose to not let go, then life might begin to get tough until we choose to let it go, or God may simply take it away.

Just like our daughter, if God takes something we are holding onto away from us, we get upset. However, while we can dwell on our anger against God for taking that thing away, know that God has something in mind for that thing. The best path forward is to accept God knows something we don’t and to start fresh with what we still have.

Before closing out the episode, I want to acknowledge that sometimes bad things happen in our lives that God is not behind. Sometimes loved ones die or are taken from us and there is no way of rationalizing what happened as being part of God’s will. Sometimes natural disasters strike and thousands die for no apparent reason.

Death is not part of God’s perfect plan, but often He gets to work around the pain and death that sin has infected the world with. While God could stop sin in its tracks, in the age we are living in, He has chosen instead to walk with us through the trials and pain. Sometimes He will step in to fix things, but other times, He will simply walk alongside us and bring peace into our lives.

If you have faced loss that doesn’t make sense, or if you have experienced the pain of sin, know this truth: If you are walking with Jesus, you will outlive sin. By walking with Jesus, having placed your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Him, your life will be saved for eternity – and in the age that follows the one we are in, sin will be eliminated and life will again be perfect as God had intended it to be.

As we close out another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you to do, seek God first in your life and intentionally choose to walk with God and place your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus. When sin attacks your life, lean into Jesus and know the truth that with Jesus, you will outlast sin!

Also, always pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn the truth that God wants to share with you personally. Studying the Bible is one of the best ways to grow your relationship with God and invite Him into your life.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we read through Jesus’ life from the gospels, frequently we find events that are both powerful and relatable. The miracle present in our passage for this week is no exception. When we look at the background details surrounding this event, I can’t help but chuckle a little at the crowd of people following Jesus.

With that said, let’s read this event from the gospels, and as we read it together, pay attention to the crowd’s actions and reactions in each of the stages of this event and miracle. Our passage is found in the gospel of Mark, chapter 10, and we will read it using the Good News Translation. Also, at the end of this passage, I will pull in Luke’s closing verse for this event, since Luke includes a detail that Mark doesn’t include.

Mark, chapter 10, starting in verse 46, tells us that:

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up!” they said. “Get up, he is calling you.”

⁵⁰ So he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

“Teacher,” the blind man answered, “I want to see again.”

⁵² “Go,” Jesus told him, “your faith has made you well.”

At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road.

That is how Mark concludes this miracle. Luke’s gospel ends this event with a little more detail. Luke chapter 18, verse 43 concludes this event by saying, “At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.”

With Mark and Luke’s gospels painting a picture of this miracle for us, did you notice how the crowd’s reaction changed and progressed?

At the start of our passage, as Bartimaeus is sitting along the side of the road, some of those passing by inform him that Jesus is on His way by. Bartimaeus knows this probably is his only chance to be healed, so he begins shouting to get Jesus’ attention.

The first reaction the crowd gives is unsympathetic rejection. They completely miss the possibility that Jesus could perform a miracle in their midst, and they would prefer if this blind person would be quiet rather than shouting over Jesus who may have been sharing one of His fascinating parables.

Too often, we are like the crowd. When we are with friends or focused on a task, unless the culture of our friends or the nature of our task is to help people, we are quick to discount, dismiss, and ultimately miss the opportunity to change a life. Had the crowd got its way, everyone present would have missed a miracle.

The second reaction the crowd gives is acceptance. This comes when they realize that Jesus has heard the shouts of the blind man. The crowd accepts the man only after Jesus stopped and gave focus to the situation at hand.

Again, we are like the crowd in this phase of our event. Too often, we only decide to pay attention to something or someone after a friend brings it up in conversation. Instead of actively looking for opportunities to include others, we wait for someone else to take the lead with inviting. Perhaps this is based on growing up in a society of peer pressure, but whatever the cause is, the result is that we become people who are more focused on simply being liked by others rather than people who are known.

The sad part of many people’s lives in this culture is that they don’t know who they are because they have lived to please others for so long.

The third reaction the crowd gives following the miracle is praise. This is why I brought Luke’s conclusion in, because after Bartimaeus was healed, he praised God, and the crowd praised God with him. At the conclusion of this event, the crowd realizes they were blessed by what happened and they ultimately realize that they were able be a small part of a life being changed.

We are like the crowd at the conclusion of this event because too often, we will drag our feet when trying something new only to learn that we actually enjoy it. Whether it is trying a new restaurant, playing a new game, or even finding someone to be a friend, the fear of the unknown can stop us in our tracks if we let it. Almost always, if we let the fear of the unknown stop us, we later realize this was a mistake and we ultimately miss out.

While the crowd was a crowd full of followers, Bartimaeus was a natural leader. Bartimaeus ignores the crowd when they tell Him to be quiet. The crowd’s scolding is seen in Bartimaeus’ mind as a challenge. When Jesus calls for Bartimaeus to come, Bartimaeus jumps up and runs to Jesus without any hesitation. In response to Jesus asking Bartimaeus what He can do for him, Bartimaeus replies instantly that he wants to see again. And at the conclusion of this event, after being healed, Bartimaeus leads the crowd in giving praise to God.

We can learn from both the crowd in this event as well as from Bartimaeus, the formerly blind man. Too often, it is the challenges that come into our lives that help refine us into being leaders instead of being followers. By overcoming trials, we learn that what culture says is normal is most likely bad for us in the long term. Our culture today lives for the moment, and very few people think about the long term results. This event helps remind us – or at least it reminds me – that trials can been seen as blessings, and that we won’t ever know what we are capable of unless we step out and push past our fear.

Bartimaeus pushed past his fear of rejection and he was healed because of it. I suspect that if a group of people did this in a real way, today, living over 2,000 years after this miracle, we might witness a revival that would transform the world through the power of the Holy Spirit in a similar way that the original 12 disciples did when they worked with the Holy Spirit to transform their world. At the very least, stepping out in faith to confront our fears with the Holy Spirit’s help and eternity as our goal is definitely worth a try!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally put God first in your life and purposefully choose to push past your fear of the unknown. Never let fear of the unknown stop you from stepping out in faith. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan, but it does mean that you don’t over plan or overanalyze your way out of a decision. With God, we are called to plan what we can and then step forward in faith.

Also, as I always challenge you by saying in one way or another, always pray and study the Bible for yourself, never taking my word or anyone else’s word at face value for what the Bible teaches. With eternity at stake, the Bible is worth looking into personally rather than accepting or rejecting it based upon someone else’s opinion.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!