From Palms to Purpose: Trusting the Unseen Plan

Introduction
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week.  Holy week is the most sacred period in the whole year for Christians.  We will read the story of Palm Sunday from the Gospel of John today.  Now before we do, I want you to consider something.

The Gospel of John is 21 chapters long and gives the details of Jesus 3 years of public ministry.  Of those 21 chapters, 10 of them tell what happened during Holy Week—the last week of Jesus’ life.  So almost half of the Gospel of John is about Holy Week.  And it all starts on Palm Sunday.

As we read the story, try to visualize what it like to be in the crowd on Palm Sunday.  If you’ve been to a parade, you know something of the atmosphere.  The whole community has come out.  The crowds are excited and celebrating joyfully.  Street vendors are out and the smell of cooking food fills the air. 
Parents nostalgically point out the spectacular sights of Jerusalem to their children, recalling the times they came to the Holy City when they were little.  The hustle and bustle of the city is electric as every one anticipates the coming of Passover—the most holy holiday of the Jewish people.  Added to this are the stories circulating about a possible Messiah who raised a man named Lazarus back to life after he had been buried in a tomb for 4 days.

John 12:12-16
¹² The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors ¹³ took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”

¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

¹⁵ “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.
Look, your King is coming,
riding on a donkey’s colt.”

¹⁶ His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.

Ancient Symbols
The people were waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna!  Palm branches were one of the national symbols of ancient Israel.  This was a patriotic parade; for the people in Jerusalem, waving palm branches was like waving an American flag for us.

The crowds were chanting Hosanna! (which literally means “Save us now!”)  This patriotic crowd was joyfully anticipating the coming of a new long-awaited Jewish king who would win their freedom and independence from the Roman Empire.  They wouldn’t have to pay taxes to Rome.  They wouldn’t have to endure pagan Roman practices in their city.  They wouldn’t have to suffer the humiliation of persecution from a foreign oppressors anymore.

Have the difficulties of life ever made you feel oppressed?  Humiliated?  Under siege?  
Have you ever longed for liberation from those things that hold you captive?
Have you ever wanted God to save you from the problems you face?
Jesus is the Savior King.  He’s the Special One God chose to set us all free.

But the Anointed One, the Messiah, is a King like no other rescuer we’ve ever known.  He’s a Savior that saves us in ways deeper than we even know we need.  And that’s good, because we need a Savior more than we even know.  And we need saving in ways we don’t even realize.

When the crowds in Jerusalem wanted a King riding a warhorse to destroy their enemies, Jesus came riding a donkey, the ancient Israelite symbol of peace.  Donkeys are slow and steady and dependable, but they’re not the swift beast you ride into battle swinging a sword at your enemies.  Kings in Israel made a statement when they entered a city by their mode of transportation.  If they came on a horse, it meant they were coming to attack you.  You better get ready, because they had a sword with your name on it!  They meant to spill your blood.

But when the king rode on a donkey, everyone in the city knew:  This king comes in peace.  John 12:15 says, “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.  Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”  But within a week, many of the same people cheering for Jesus as their Savior King decided Jesus wasn’t the one they wanted.  His idea of salvation wasn’t what they expected.  So they changed their chant from “Hosanna!” to “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

John 12:16
Verse 16 says, “His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy.”  Right there in the thick of everything, they couldn’t see what was really going on.  They couldn’t put it all together—the people shouting, “Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” which is a quote from Psalm 118 that was written 1,000 years before Jesus came.  Psalm 118 also shares these prophetic words:  “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.”

So, the people rejected Jesus on Good Friday when they crucified Him, but He rose on Easter Sunday and became the cornerstone of a New Temple—the Church, which is not a building, but a holy and redeemed people.  The Disciples couldn’t see what God was doing on Palm Sunday.  It wasn’t until later when they looked back that they could see.

I wonder how many times we have that same experience?  We go through something—whether it is a joyful celebration or painful suffering—and all we know is what we see, what we feel, what we know.  But God is doing something greater than we can understand in that moment.

We can look back over so many stories of the Bible and think how we would have done things different that God.  There is dreamer, Joseph, way back in the Book of Genesis whose brothers sold him into slavery. Later, he was thrown into a dungeon for a crime he didn’t commit.  There is David, the little boy who defeated the giant Goliath, who served King Saul faithful, but Saul was jealous and tried to kill David.  And, of course, there is Jesus, who the people cheered on Palm Sunday, but then they crucified him on Good Friday.  

I read something this week that made a lot of sense to me.  It said[i]:

I would have pulled Joseph out of that prison, out of that pain.  Bout in doing so, I would have cheated nations out of the one God would use to deliver them from famine.  I would have interrupted the great story of God delivering Israel out of slavery in Egypt and the Passover from which Christians derive the sacrament of Holy Communion.

I would have pulled David out of Saul’s spear-throwing presence, out of the caves he hid away in, out of the pain of rejection.  But in doing so, I would have cheated Israel out of a God-hearted king.

I would have pulled Jesus off the cross, off the road that led to suffering and pain, off the path that would mean nakedness and beatings, nails and thorns.  And in doing so, I would have cheated the entire world out of a Savior, cheated us out of salvation, out of an eternity filled with no more suffering and no more pain.

And oh friend, I want to pull you out of your suffering, out of your pain, out of whatever problem you are facing.  I want to change your path.  I want to stop your pain.  But right now I know I would be wrong.  I would be out of line.  I would be cheating you and cheating the world out of so much good. Because God knows.  He has a plan.  He knows the good this challenge will produce.  He knows the beauty this hardship will grow.  He’s watching over you and keeping you even in the midst of this.  And He’s promising you that you can trust Him.  Even when it all feels like more than you can bear.

So instead of trying to pull you out, I’m lifting you up.  I’m kneeling before the Father and I’m asking Him to give you strength.  To give you hope.  I’m asking Him to protect you and to move you when the time is right.  I'm asking Him to help you stay prayerful and discerning.  I'm asking Him how I can best love you and be a help to you.  And I’m believing He’s going to use your life in powerful and beautiful ways.  Ways that will leave your heart grateful and humbly thankful for this road you’ve been on.

Closing
You see, God has a plan that’s so much bigger than we can see.  There are things at work you cannot understand right now.  But you can trust God.  And that’s really what Jesus asks of you.  He says, “Trust me.  Believe in me.  Have faith.”  And maybe you don’t have much faith at all.  But Jesus said, “If you can just have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.”

God saves you, by His grace, when you believe.  So believe.  Trust Him.  Have faith.”  It will carry you through the streets when people are shouting praises.  It will strengthen you when you need to carry a cross.  And faith will make it so one day you can look back on it all and  remembered what happened and realized that these things where all part of God’s glorious plan.

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[i] Adapted from a blog written by Kimberly Henderson https://kdhenderson.wordpress.com/i-would-have-pulled-joseph-out/

 

Introduction
The Jewish people of the New Testament were commanded by God to be honest.  The 9^th of the 10 commandments says, “Do not false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) And throughout the Scriptures, God instructs people to be honest.  Just as God does not lie, we should not lie. 

And yet, how could Jews live under the oppression of the all Romans, and not lie?  Think about it.  Suppose you were in their shoes and some Romans soldiers came to arrest and execute your brother, who was hiding in your basement.  And they demanded, “Where is your brother?”  And you say, “I don’t know!  He isn’t here.”  Your lie may save his life.  And yet, in lying, you broke God’s command not to lie.

The Romans weren’t stupid.  They knew the Jews would lie for each other; who wouldn't in that situation?  But they also knew the Jews were religious and they feared God who told them not to lie.  So they might make the Jews swear a vow.  “Swear to God you don’t know where your brother is?”

An oath or vow like this was a very serious business to ancient people—especially the Jews.  Jews believed more than any other people that God was real and all powerful and all knowing.  Lying to God was a serious offense and He would punish you.  The Jews believed that wholeheartedly.

Now that’s a problem if you live in occupied territory.  What were the Jews supposed to do?  Well, Jewish religious leaders came up with some work arounds so Jews could lie to the Romans and not offend God.  We can deduce some of these from Matthew 23:16-22.  They could make a vow “by God’s Temple” as long as they didn’t make the vow on the “gold of the Temple”.  Or they could make a vow “by heaven” as long as it was not “by God in heaven”.  So these were ways Jews could use a vow to sound honest but actually lie. 

That’s convenient.  If we found ourselves in their shoes, we could probably all appreciate the practicality of being able to lie to the enemy like that.  Kids who live in abusive households often learn to lie for very similar reasons.  In order to avoid abuse and unfair punishment, they learn really quick it’s easier to lie and cover up than to be beaten.  It’s a coping mechanism and it often works.

The problem for many kids who learned to lie because they're abused is they grow into adults who are habitual liars.  Even though they are no longer in an abusive situation, they are still in the habit of lying because it’s more convenient.  Sometimes it’s just easier to lie than explain the truth.

The unfortunate Jews who lived under Roman occupation learned to be good liars.  They even learned to feel good about lying by using vows to cover it up with religious language.  But what was to stop them from using religious language to now lying to each other?  Nothing.

And into this world of lies and deception, Jesus speaks the Truth in His Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:33-37
³³ “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. ³⁵ And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. ³⁷ Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

On Earth as it is in Heaven
Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.  His preaching often started with words like Matthew 3:2, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”  Now the people to who He preached (just like us) lived in the real world.  The real world is a place where people lie and cheat and steal.  The real world is a place where we must look at all the bad options available and pick the least evil one. Right?  You know what I mean.  We live in the real world, not some fantasy.

It’s ironic that we call the broken world we live in “The Real World”.  It’s real to us, because it’s all we’ve ever known. But Jesus came to show us this isn’t the way the world is supposes to be.  He met our broken world head on and challenged all its broken people and broken systems.  And Jesus refused to bow down to the way things work in our broken world.  It may be one of the main things that annoyed the religious and political leaders most about Jesus—that He refused to get with the program about the way things work in the “real world”.  And so, when Jesus refused to cave in and play along by the rules of the “real world”, they arrested and executed Him.  They said, see, this is what happens to people who don’t play by our rules, you die in shame and agony on a cross.

But then an amazing thing happened.  Jesus rose from the dead on the third day because He is Lord!  You see, in the “real world” honesty and integrity may get you rejected and killed.  But in the Kingdom of Heaven, those who follow Jesus rise to new life—eternal life.  And we all have to decide which is really the “real world”.  Is it this broken world of lies or is it the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus preached?

Jesus challenged all His followers, “Pray like this:  Our Father in Heaven… Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven…”  (Matthew 6:8-10)  Jesus came to overthrow our broken world and He calls all His believers to have faith to live as though His Kingdom is the true reality and this so called “real world” which we believe is reality is really a corruption and a lie that is passing away.  God’s Kingdom is coming, and we are called to live by the Kingdom’s principles.

And in God’s Kingdom, there’s no reason to lie.  There is no sin or abuse.  There is no Enemy.  We are called to live with honesty and integrity.  We’ve got to let go of our habits of lying.  We should be such honest people we no longer need vows to prove we’re telling the truth.  So the person who says, “Yes” is just as believable to as the person who says, “I swear to God, yes!”  In fact, the person who says yes may be more believable than the person who makes a vow.  Because why would you even need to say, “I swear to God…”?  If you have to swear to prove you’re telling the truth then it almost implies the possibility that you may have lied at other times when you didn’t swear to God.  In the Kingdom of Heaven, where Jesus is King, people are always honest.  Yes means yes and no means no.

Can Christians Make Vows or Swear Oaths?
Some Christian denominations interpret Jesus words about vows to mean Christians should not make vows or take oaths of any kind.  For instance, Quakers, Mennonites, and the Amish interpret Jesus’ words in Scripture to mean they should not make vows or swear oaths of any kind.  In fact, George Fox, the founder of the Quaker movement (officially called the Religious Society of Friends), was put in prison because he refused to swear on the Bible to tell the truth.  Ironically, Fox was a deeply religious man and argued the very Bible he was being compelled to swear upon required him not to swear an oath.

Was George Fox right?  Does the Bible forbid Christians from making vows or swearing oaths?  No.  I don’t believe it does.  That’s not the point of what Jesus is saying.  Besides, Jesus was involved in a trial where an oath were used.  When Jesus was on trial before the Jerusalem High Council (Matthew 26:63-64), the high priest said, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”  Jesus replied, “You have said it.”  That’s not much different than when the judge asks you in court, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” and you respond “I do.”

Other Christian denomination may see it differently, but Methodists (and the vast majority of Christian denominations throughout history) have allowed and even encouraged Christians to make vows in certain situations—like when you get married and say, “I do” or when you become a Christian and join a church and are asked, “Do you confess Jesus Christ as Savior, put their whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as their Lord?” and you respond, “I do.”  So the point is not to prohibit vows.  The point is to uphold the high value of honesty and integrity in God’s people in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Conclusion
Jesus reveals once again that the demands of holiness in the Kingdom of Heaven are beyond the reach of our sinful hands.  We fall so far short of God’s glorious standards. We’re so accustomed to living in a broken and sinful world, we don’t even realize how much we sin.  Jesus points out our sin—not to shame us, but—to wake us up to our desperate need of salvation.

Do you struggle with honesty?  Are you a liar?  Before you deny it, reflect honestly and deeply.  Some of you learned to lie when you were in an abusive situation—maybe an abusive relationship or marriage, maybe even as a child who could not be honest with your parents and still survive.  Now you are free of that abuse, but you still cling to your habit of lying.  Maybe it’s just easier to lie than tell the truth.  Isn’t it time to ask God to heal you so you can start to value honesty as Jesus does?

Some of you think you are honest.  You may even be proud of how honest you are.  But think about it. 
Did you ever laugh at someone’s joke when everyone else laughed even though it wasn’t funny?  That was dishonest.  Why did you lie?  Were you trying not to look foolish?  We’re you just being polite?

Have you every smiled and pretended understand someone when you couldn’t really hear or understand them?  Have you ever covered up your physical flaws to make yourself look better than you really do?  Maybe put on a little makeup or dye in your hair or wore clothing that covered up your flaws.  Isn’t that in some sense dishonest?

Friends, we’ve all lied.  If we’re honest about it, we can all see it and admit it. It may be a small thing to us, but we’re talking about the absolutely perfect and holy standards of God.  You see?  We can’t fulfill it.  And when we’re proud of our honesty, we can see even our pride is misplaced and sinful.  We’ve nothing to be proud of.  Even our so-called righteousness is but filthy rags.

But with Jesus there is mercy and grace and forgiveness.  With Jesus, there is salvation.  We must lay down our false righteousness and throw ourselves upon the mercy of Christ.  Repent and turn to Him today and seek to live by the principles of His Kingdom.

For we all must decided what is real.  Is this world we see around us, with all its corrupt rules and customs, the “real world”?  Or is the real world the Kingdom of Heaven Jesus taught about and showed us with His life?  You must decide.  Make your choice today, right now, this very moment.

The Sermon on the Amount

Introduction
At home in my personal devotion time, I recently finished reading through Matthew chapters 5-7 and paraphrasing it in my own words.  These chapters are Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount.”  I hope to preach a series of messages soon on Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” because it is full of wisdom we need to hear.  I will probably start that message series in about a month.  But today I want to preach a different message.  Today I want to preach a message I call “The Sermon on the Amount.”

You can probably guess the subject of the message from the title. It's a sermon to answer a question people often ask:  “How much money should I give to the church?”  Money is a sensitive subject—especially when a preacher is the one talking.  But I hope you will listen closely. 

Jesus talked about money a lot, because He understood how people handle money is one of the main things that reveals the inward and unseen state of their hearts.  Since Jesus cares deeply about us, he cares deeply about how we handle money; and we should too. 

The Tithe
In the Old Testament of the Bible, the guideline for giving was called the tithe. A tithe is a tenth of a person’s income.  This tradition giving 10% of your income goes all the way back to the patriarch Abraham in Genesis 14.  Abraham gave God 10% of all the assets he recovered from a battle with an invading army.  Abraham knew God was the one who gave Abraham success in battle.  The tithe was a way for Abraham to thank God for the victory.

 Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, also practiced tithing.  God promised in a dream to bless Jacob with land and many descendants.  In gratitude, Jacob promised in Genesis 28:22, “I will give God a tenth of everything he gives me.” 

The tithe became the standard for giving throughout the Old Testament and was codified as part of Jewish religious law.  Leviticus 27:30 – “A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.”  And verse 32 – “The Lord also owns every tenth animal counted off from your herds and flocks. They are set apart to him as holy.”

Besides being a way to show gratitude to God, the tithe was also used to support people who had no other means of support—priests, refugees, widows, and orphans (see Deuteronomy 14:28-29).  The Bible says the practice of tithing also taught people to trust and revere God (see Deuteronomy 14:23).

Tithing continued in the New Testament and is still the standard for giving in churches to this day.  So if the question is “How much money should I give to the church?”  Many Christians would answer, “10% of your income.”  So for example, a person who earns $50,000 per year would give $5,000 per year to the church (or about $96 per week).

Now, I could spend the next 10 minutes trying to convince you why you should give a full tithe to the church; I could quote Bible verses and speak of my own personal experience with tithing and what a blessing it’s been.  And it would be very challenging, because most people in the church don’t tithe and it’s not easy to give away 10% of your income.  But the truth is, that message wouldn’t be challenging enough.  God has a greater challenge than just to demand you start giving 10% of your income in the offering each week.  So I want to read to you from the Gospel of Mark 12:41-44.

Mark 12:41-44
⁴¹ Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. ⁴² Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

⁴³ Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. ⁴⁴ For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

The Collection Box in the Temple
In the Temple in Jesus day, the collection boxes kind of looked like a trumpet on top of a box.  The “horn” was made of brass.  So as you dropped coins into it, the metal coins would rattle against the brass horn as they went into the box (and back then all money was coins; there was no paper money).  So as people entered the Temple, it was all designed to show off how much money people gave (and by implication, how wealthy were the people who gave). 

You can imagine the scene:  Maybe one person drops a small bag of coins into the collection box and you can hear the sound of numerous coins rattling down the horn.  And everyone hears it and thinks: “Hmmm…”  Then a wealthier person empties a large bag of coins into the box and it really makes a lot of noise.  And people think, “Wow!”  And the family that dropped that money in can stand a little taller—proud of their wealth and the fact that everyone also knows it.  And the Bible says Jesus was sitting there near the collection box watching people drop in their money.  

That’s an interesting thought.  Jesus was interested in what people did with their money.  In our day, we are very private about what we give to the church.  We are very careful at Pleasant Grove to keep your financial giving confidential.  There’s only 2 people in this whole church that can find out specifically what you give.  And we keep that information very confidential.  But Jesus also knows what you give.  Jesus knows not only what you give, but what you can give and why you do or don’t give.  Jesus knows your heart.  Just as Jesus watched as the crowds giving their money to the Temple, Jesus watches as people give money in the Church today.  And just knows not only what you give, but He knows your heart as you give.

In the story from Mark, Jesus wasn’t impressed by all the rich people giving their money at the Temple.  He knew most of them had so much extra that they could give and it didn’t even hurt.  It might sound impressive to hear such a loud clanging as a sack full of money rattled down into the collection box, but Jesus knew it was money a rich man would never miss.  And Jesus knew their hearts.  Maybe Jesus wasn’t impressed because He knew many o the richest givers cared more about what people thought about them than what God thought.  Maybe Jesus knew the richest givers really didn’t care about the poor or the needy, they just wanted to be admired.  Jesus knew their hearts.

And then a poor widow came to the collection box.  She dropped in two small coins—what we might think of as a few pennies.  Yet Jesus admired her because He knew it was all she had to live on.  Jesus said:  “This poor widow has given more than everyone else. They only gave a tiny part of their great income; but she gave everything she had to live on, even though she is very poor.”  The law only required 10%, but the widow gave everything she had.

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to him.”  God already owns everything.  He’s the only person in existence of whom you can truthfully say, “He’s independently wealthy.”  He doesn’t need your money or my money or anyone’s money. 

And He certainly doesn’t need a poor widow’s 2 cents.  But the widow’s gift is remarkable because it shows she is content with her life the way it is and she figures she can live just fine without those 2 pennies.  She believes God will take care of her.  She had incredible faith.  She trusted in God rather than her money.  And so she already gave God what He wanted most of all—her heart.

Your Heart. Not Your Money.
It is far better to give someone your heart than your money.  How much better off would we all be if everyone understood this principle?  It is better to give your heart than your money.  How many marriages have deteriorated into emptiness because the husbands do not hear the silent yearnings of their wife when she says, ‘I don’t want your money.  I want you.’?  How many parents have lost their children because they failed to interpret the signs, ‘I don’t want your presents, [Mom and Dad].  I want you.’? [i]  Too often we try to buy people off—but no amount of money can substitute for our heart. 

The biblical standard for financial giving is 10%.  10% is the minimum, not the goal (and et so few do the minimum).   According to a national survey by the Barna Group, Christians in America only give, on average, 2.2% of their income to the church.[ii] Why do you have so little faith?  Do you not trust God enough to give what He asks?

Others may feel very proud they do give a full tithe on their income.  They are true tithers.  They’re giving at least 8% more than most other Christians. They may feel like they’ve done their duty and they aren’t challenged to do more. “Why, look at me!  I’m a tither!”

Whether you do or don’t tithe, don’t miss the heart of Christ’s Gospel.  In Jesus Christ, God says, “I don’t want what you have; I want you.”[iii] 

What is it that John 3:16 says?  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but… give Him 10% of their income…  No!  That’s not what it says.  What does it say? So that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life.” 

And where would this eternal life be?  With God, forever.  God didn’t send His son to die on the cross of Calvary so that He could just have 10% of our income.  He did it because He wants you—every part of you.  And God doesn’t just want you 10% of the time; He wants you all of the time and for all eternity.  You see God doesn’t want your money.  He wants you!  And where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.[iv]

What’s more, Jesus didn’t just come to save you; he came to save the whole world.  And He appointed the Church as His Body to carry out His mission.  He said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations…”[v] We are nothing less than the Body of Christ.  His mission has become our mission.  His passion has become our passion. What an awesome responsibility; what an incredible honor—to spend ourselves and all we have for the souls of our brothers and sisters here in Whitfield County and even to the ends of the earth. 

The Apostle Paul understood the full ramifications of this. He said in all sincerity, “I will gladly spend myself and all I have for your spiritual good…”  That is the attitude I pray we will have.  How far are we willing to go for the spiritual good of the person sitting next to us today?  Are we willing to expend ourselves and all we have for the people in our community? 

The True Amount = Everything
You see, the real question is not: “What amount of money should I give to the church?”  In light of our purpose as Christians and the tremendous need around the world, the question is: “How much dare I spend on myself?”  The question is not: “Can I afford to give 10% of my income to the church?”  The question is, “Can I justify to Jesus the lifestyle that consumes 90% of my income?”  

We live in one of the most prosperous nations in the world, and a lot of good has come of it, but is it enough?  Have we done all we could do with the vast wealth God has given us?  Have I done all the good I can do with the wealth God has given me?

A lot of people would say the problem with the church today is that only 2% of Christians actually tithe.  I disagree.  The problem isn’t whether or not we tithe.  The problem is we haven’t followed the example of the widow.  We haven’t given everything to God. 

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[i] John Wilkerson, “I Seek Not What is Yours, but You”

[ii] According to The Barna Group – http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=36

[iii] 2 Corinthians 12:14

[iv] Mathew 6:21

[v] Matthew 2:19a

Christmas in July - The Wisemen

Introduction
One of our beloved Christmas traditions is the Three Wisemen bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus as He lay in the manger.  I started praying about this message way back in April—seeking the Lord’s direction about what to say.  He led me to preach on the story of the Wisemen for Christmas in July at my church.  The story comes to us from Matthew 2:1-12. 

Now, I want you to try and read to this story as if you’ve never read it before.  We will find that our Christmas traditions have added quite a bit that the Bible doesn’t say.  See if you can detect the differences.

Matthew 2:1-12
¹ Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ² “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

³ King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. ⁴ He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

⁶ ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
    are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
    who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

⁷ Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. ⁸ Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

⁹ After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! ¹¹ They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Jesus Born in Bethlehem in 4 BC
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod around 4 BC (give or take 10 years).  Scholars can determine a fairly accurate date based on the verified dates of King Herod’s reign and death, and other verified dates from events in the Gospel of Luke.

However, we don’t know how old Jesus was when the Wisemen came.  Matthew doesn’t specifically say.  Matthew does tell us that Herod was mad the Wisemen didn’t come back and tell him where to find Jesus.  Herod had every male child in Bethlehem 2 years old and younger killed. (Matthew 2:16)  So we can assume Jesus was not older than two.  He could have been a baby, but He could also have been a toddler. 

These Wisemen were from the East.  In the original Greek they were called Magi.  Magi were Scientific theologians from the ancient Persian Empire who sought God.  These were men who devoted their lives to try and figure things out.  They studied religion, astronomy, and nature to find out divine truth.  The tried to figure stuff out.  

Are you tying to figure some stuff out?  Then you are a lot like the Wisemen in the story.  Guess what:  God loves people who are just trying to figure stuff out.  He loves people who search for Truth.  That's why Jesus said, "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

The Magi were from Babylon in Persia.  Persia was once the greatest Empire on Earth.  We often think of the greeks or the Romans as the greatest empires.  However, before the Roman Empire, before Greece, there was Persia.  In fact, much of what we admire about the Greeks and Romans, they copied from the Persians.  

Because the Persian empire was so vast, officials needed to be able to travel from one side to the other quickly.  So, the Persians developed state roads that were safe and equipped with supply stations along the way.  They invented passports for officials to present at supply stations so they could be resupplied with a fresh horse and food and shelter so they could travel lighter and faster.  They worked out many of the important bureaucratic details of how to administer government.  And they were avid students of science and learning.  But in Persia, science was not divorced from religion as it so often is today.  The Persians used science and religion together.  And that's where the Magi come into the equation.  

The Magi in Matthew's Wisemen story followed a star.  They studied and used astrological signs to try and figure things out.  And these Magi discovered a sign in the heavens that foretold something world changing was taking place in Israel.  It was so important, they had to investigate.

Persia was often on friendly terms with the Jews in Israel.  The Babylonian Empire before Persia destroyed Jerusalem and took its citizens into captivity.  When the Persians conquered the Babylonians, ti was the Persian emperor Cyrus who set the Jewish captives free to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.  The Persians even financed the project.  And the Jews and Persians maintained close relations and deep respect for each other after, until the Persian Empire was consumed by the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great.  

The Magi were the priests of Persia and they practiced a religion called Zoroastrianism, which taught God created a perfect world which is engaged in a war between good and evil that evil will be defeated at the end of time and a the world will be restored to its once perfect, original state.  It was very similar to the Judeo/Christian religious narrative.  It seems likely that the Persians and the Jews (and later Christians) influenced each other's religious thought.

These Magi who came seeking Jesus from Persia in the East, traveled around 800 miles to find Him.  It would have taken at least 4 months to travel Persia to find Jesus. We can assume from how far they traveled that they were serious about their mission.  How far would you go to find God’s Truth?

Unlike the Wisemen, the important, powerful people in Jerusalem who should have known and been paying attention to this stuff had no idea what God was doing in their own country.  And when someone from outside told them, all they wanted to do was stop it from happening.

But the Magi, from the East, were deeply interested in Jesus, the new King of the Jews.  They believed His arrival would change the world forever.  He was not only the King of the Jews, Jesus was these Persian Magi’s King too.  He was to be King of the whole world.  So the Wisemen brought Him gifts.

Three Gifts
it is tradition to say there were three Wisemen.  But the Scripture does not say that.  There were three gifts named, not three men.  There may have been three gift or there may have been more or less.  The text just says there were some Wisemen (Magi).  But we know there were three gifts.

What the three gifts actually mean is not exactly known.  People have often speculated about their meaning.  Gold is an obvious gift to give a king because people gave their very best as tribute to the ruling king.  You didn't give your second best.  And gold is the very best metal.  So you give King Jesus your very best or do you give Him what you have left over?

Frankincense is a fragrant and valuable incense used in worship  Myrrh is an anointing oil, often used for embalming the dead.  It’s not in the Bible, but a very old Christian tradition going all the way back about 200 AD to a very wise and devote church leader named Origen says Gold marked Jesus as a king.  Myrrh showed He was mortal and would day be buried.  Frankincense showed Jesus is God and would rise from the grave and be worshipped.

Who are You in the Story?

After the Wisemen—these Magi from Persia—found Jesus and worshipped Him, it says they returned to their own country.  I’m sure they went home preparing their people to receive Christ as Lord and Savior when the time came.  A few decades later, Christian missionaries started arriving to share the Good News that the baby Jesus grew up to become a great teacher and healer and worker of miracles.  He lived a perfect life, yet the religious leaders arrested and tortured Him and nailed Him to a cross.  He died and was buried, but on the third day He rose from the grave and has ascended to Heaven where He rules at the right hand of God.  One day, Jesus will return in glory to judge the living and the dead and to restore all creation to God's perfect plan.  And Jesus will rule as Lord forever.  And many Persians believed and became Christian.

 

But what about you?  Who are you in the story?  Who do you relate to the most?  Are you like the Wisemen—just trying desperately to figure some things out?  Jesus is the one with the answers.  Seek Him today and He will find you.

Maybe, you’re you like all those people in Jerusalem.  They were just going about their busy lives—trying to make ends meet, trying to take care of family, consumed with the ins and outs of life and the hot topics of the day, all the while oblivious to the eternity changing things God is doing.  Is that you?  Jesus is alive and actively working in the world all around you.  Are you too busy and distracted to see Him?  You better wake up!  You don't want to miss what He is doing!

Or maybe you’re like Herod--concerned only with protecting your hold on power and the security of your “little kingdom” at all costs.  You’ll do anything to protect your little world—even if it means fighting against God’s plan.  God's plans are so much better than yours and His Kingdom is so much better.  Why fight against Him?  You shouldn't even want to.  You better repent and turn from your selfish sin and turn to God!  God is going to triumph in the end.  Who's side are you going to be on?

 Take some time to honestly consider what God is saying to you today.  
Then, talk to God about it in prayer.