Seeking the Life in Christ: January 2020

Friday, January 31, 2020

My Final Words About the Kingdom - Part 2:

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 31, 2020

My Final Words About the Kingdom - Part 2:

Parable of the Three Servants

Page 250-251

Matthew 25: 14-30

Today we read the parable of The Three Servants. Some translations of the Bible may refer to this as the parable of The Talents. That can be a bit misleading as the word talent connotes to us something to do with skills and abilities. In Jesus’ time, the word translated talent was a unit of measure of money, roughly the amount a laborer could earn in fifteen years. However, the three servants were not judged by their master for how they used their particular abilities to care for his property. What then was the master expecting when he returned?

In Jesus’ story, the master was away for a long time. Jesus is saying that it is important to God how I live my life, and thus this parable is yet another reminder that Jesus’ invitation to come into the Kingdom of God is an invitation to willingly submit to the rule of God in my life each and every day. When I consider the whole of the Gospel that we have read so far, I see continuity in Jesus’ invitation to come and live under the reign of God. I am again hearing echoes of the Sermon on the Mount: “But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand” (Matthew 7:26).

This parable also emphasizes that ultimately, the only important thing in life is what I believe about the character of God. If I believe God is generous, gracious, loving and faithful, I will then embrace the Gospel as truly Good News and joyfully enter into the Kingdom of God. However, if I see God the way the third servant perceived his master, I then believe God is an evil task master, tough and uncaring, and like that third servant, my destiny would be to live out my life in fear.

Every action God takes is motivated by His great love for us. The promise of God is that He is using every circumstance in our lives to transform us to become like Christ. (Romans 8:28-29) God is at work in us. (Philippians 2:13) Our challenges in life may be different, but the reality of God’s love for us is unchanging.

My Takeaway: As we seek to live under the reign of God, we will encounter challenges, big and small. These challenges in life are always accompanied by a crisis of belief because how we respond to the challenges reveals what we truly believe about the character of God.

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

My Final Words About the Kingdom - Part 1:

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 30, 2020

My Final Words About the Kingdom - Part 1:

Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

Page 250

Matthew 25: 1-13

In our reading yesterday, Jesus told us God will fulfill his promises to make all things right at the end of this present age. Jesus said our mission is to be prepared for the return of the Messiah. To emphasize this, Jesus brings his teaching about the coming Kingdom of God to a climax in a series of four parables: the parable of The Wise and Faithful Servant, the parable of The Bridesmaids, the parable of The Talents, and the parable of The Sheep and Goats. Our reading for today is the parable of The Bridesmaids.

I have a friend who grew up in a very strict church. The church took just about everything in the Bible literally, and they had a long list of things not to do, such as no movies, dancing, drinking, etc. He said every time he left the house, he could remember his mother saying, “Be careful what you do. If Jesus comes tonight, you don’t want him to catch you at the movie theater.”

Whatever Jesus had in mind when he gave these end-times parables, I believe my friend’s church missed the point; that is not what Jesus had in mind for us. However, Jesus’ final words to the foolish bridesmaids echo his words in the Sermon on the Mount: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven… But I will reply, ‘I never knew you” (Matthew 7: 21-23). Obviously, Jesus wants us to take him seriously. What then is his point in this parable?

I believe Jesus is making the point in this parable that every day is Game Day, and I must stay prepared. This is not a parable about whether I can lose my right- standing with God. This parable is a reminder that Jesus’ invitation to come into the Kingdom of God is an invitation to willingly submit to the rule of God in my life, each and every day.

My Takeaway: I would do well to model my life after the Apostle Paul, so I too can say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4: 6-8).

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

I Revealed the Future to My Disciples - Part 2

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 29, 2020

I Revealed the Future to My Disciples - Part 2

Page 248-250

Matthew 24:32-51

My dad was a pilot in the Air Force. He retired the summer after I graduated from Plattsburgh High School in upper New York State. In 2004, I returned to Plattsburgh for a reunion and drove out to see the old Air Force Base. At the end of the flight line, the old Alert Building, or Mole Hole as it was known, was still standing. Most of the building is under ground with long tunnels rising to the surface. We were stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base during the era of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Flight crews were stationed in the Mole Hole 24/7. Their B-47’s were parked nearby and stayed in a constant state of readiness. When the Klaxon sounded, they never knew if it was a practice/readiness alert or the real thing. They knew they had fifteen minutes to be airborne. They stayed in their flight clothes 24/7 and at the sound of the Klaxon, ran to their vehicles parked at the end of the tunnels. Once the whole crew was in the vehicle, they drove to their waiting airplane and made final preparations for take-off.

My dad was a Squadron Commander, and would know if a practice/readiness alert was planned. On one such occasion, he took me with him and we stood at the end of the runway as a whole squadron of B-47’s took off within fifteen minutes of the alarm. It was a sight to behold, watching the huge jet bombers rumble down the runway. Then as the pilot ignited the JATO bottles, the B-47 just jumped into the air. (JATO is an acronym for jet-fuel assisted take off. It is a system for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets.)

Because of the very real threat, the alert crews were highly motivated to stay in a constant state of readiness. In our scripture for today, Jesus is telling us God will fulfill his promises to make all things right at the end of this present age. The mission of the church is to stay in a state of readiness, 24/7. That is hard to do, very hard to do, especially in light of the enormity of the issues facing our churches in these days. These words of the Apostle Paul encourage me to maintain a state of readiness as I seek to keep the faith and finish the race with Jesus:

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

My Takeaway: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

I Revealed the Future to My Disciples - Part 1

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 28, 2020

I Revealed the Future to My Disciples - Part 1

Page 246-248

Matthew 24: 1-31

Jesus’ mission as the Messiah fulfilled parallel purposes for God. In the first purpose, Jesus pronounced God’s judgment upon Israel for her failure to be the light to the nations for which she was created by God. The second purpose was the establishment of the New Covenant; God’s plan of redemption for the whole world. Through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, his followers can be the New Israel as we proclaim the Good News and become a light to the world.

Naturally, the disciples wanted to know when the Messiah’s purposes would be accomplished. Whenever we experience events that are international in scope there is no shortage of people interpreting the events as signs that the end of time is near. The event may be an earthquake, or recession, or war. When the Gulf War began in 1990, TV preachers were lined up with their maps trying to show how the war had been predicted in the Book of Revelation; so therefore, the end was in sight. Nonsense! (In My Humble Opinion)

In response to the disciples’ questions, Jesus made three points I think are worth pondering.

Jesus said that wars, oppression, and natural calamities are the normal cycles of history. They are not an indication the end of time is near. Jesus mentions only one condition that will be fulfilled before the end of this present age. The Good News will be preached throughout the world and every nation will hear it. (verse14)

Jesus’ second point was that when the Son of Man comes again in glory, no one will miss it. It will not be a secret, or an event reserved for just a select few. The world will know that the King of Kings has come.

It is important for us to remember that many of the events described in Jesus’ response were not predictions of what would happen in ages to come. These events were fulfilled at the very time Matthew’s Gospel was written and first circulated within the new church. At that time, Rome was destroying Jerusalem and Israel. People were fleeing to the mountains to be safe. In the midst of this turmoil, Jesus’ words provided a comfort for the suffering church. As the third point, Jesus’ words are a reminder that the Gospel is all about hope.

The Christian has a hope, grounded in the Gospel, that new life in Christ is stronger than death. The Christian has a hope, grounded in the Gospel, that God’s justice and mercy are stronger than the oppressive power exercised by tyrants. The Christian has a hope, grounded in the Gospel, that God will comfort the brokenhearted and that “God will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious” (Matthew 12:20).

My Takeaway: The Christian has a hope, grounded in the Gospel, that Jesus will come again in Final Victory and vindicate all those who have put their trust in their Risen Savior.

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Monday, January 27, 2020

I Again Spoke of My Impending Death

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 27, 2020

I Again Spoke of My Impending Death

Page 245-246

John 12: 20-50

The Greeks, in Jerusalem for the Passover, were curious onlookers. They had heard about the wondrous deeds of Jesus and wanted to meet him in person. Perhaps if they had come to him sooner, Jesus may have taken the time to chat with them. However, the festival of Passover was Jesus’ time, and he was fully focused on fulfilling the final steps in his Messianic mission. He had no time for casual debates on the philosophies of the day. It was the time for commitment.

On Easter Sunday, congregations sing ‘Christ the Lord has risen today’, and the faithful feel tears rolling down their cheeks. Others mumble the words. While many in the congregation open their hearts to drink in the majesty and mystery of the celebration, still others respond with ‘ho hum.’ Such is human nature. As you meditate on today’s passage, recall the signs and miracles that revealed Jesus as the Messiah. Because of these signs, many people believed in Jesus as the Messiah; many did not, and some believed, but wanted to keep it a secret. How do you explain the differences? The reference to God closing hearts and minds is figurative, not literal. Jesus used this expression to emphasize how remarkable his miracles were and how much more remarkable it was that some still did not believe.

Jesus’ comments in this passage help us understand the connection between faith and signs. Last night when I went to bed, I did so believing the sun would rise this morning. It did, not because I believed it would, but because that is the nature of the sun. It rises and sets each day. My believing opens the possibility for me benefiting from the warmth and light the sun will bring.

The Prophet Jeremiah writes, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). My believing this passage does not make it real. God’s mercies are new every morning whether I believe it or not. My believing opens the opportunities for me to experience God’s mercy anew every day.

My Takeaway: Many people did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. Nevertheless, Jesus was the Messiah, and he continued with his mission to birth God’s New Creation. Those that chose to believe benefited greatly. They still do.

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Friday, January 24, 2020

I Denounced Religious Leaders

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 24, 2020

I Denounced Religious Leaders

Page 240-242

Matthew 23:1-36

In this passage Jesus used the expression, “What sorrow awaits you,” seven times as he criticized the religious leaders and teachers of law. However, Jesus wasn’t speaking to the religious leaders! He was talking to his disciples and the crowds gathered around him. I recall hearing about a music teacher who began her class and noticed that a few of her students were missing. She said, “Woe to those who do not practice every day. They will soon lose their gift of music.” While her words were directed toward the students not present, her words were also intended to encourage the students who were present.

The seven woes Jesus pronounced contrast the difference between living under the law and living under grace. The difference is like a “chain-gang’ of prisoners cleaning a roadside ditch. On each end of the group of prisoners is a guard holding a shotgun. The prisoners work under the watchful eyes of the guards. Jesus said the religious leaders laid on the people a heavy burden of religious and social rules and regulations for daily life. Then they stood by and did not lift a finger to help the people fulfill these standards.

Contrast the “chain-gang” with a father and his son working side-by-side as they clean out the culvert of their driveway. The Apostle Paul defined living under grace this way: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). Do you see the difference? Under law you work alone. Under grace, God comes alongside of you and helps you.

When Jesus spoke of titles such as rabbi and teacher, he didn’t want to be taken literally. Not long after this, some of his own followers would be called Apostle or Bishop or Deacon or Pastor or Teacher or Preacher. The difference is whether the title is used to denote function within the Body of Christ, or perceived status.

My Takeaway: When Jesus chastised the religious leaders, the disciples were not cheering him on, shouting “Yeah! Give it to them Jesus.” They are thinking about their own life. I need to do that as well. Perhaps there is something in these pronouncements of Jesus that might apply to my life. Perhaps there is something within these seven woes that will help me become more of a fully-devoted follower of Jesus: Maybe I need to read them again.

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Beware of Religious Men & a Widow’s Offering

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 23, 2020

Beware of Religious Men & a Widow’s Offering

Page 240

Mark 12:38-44;

Luke 20:45- 21:4

Jesus made these comments about the hypocrisy of self-righteous religious men after his encounter with the Pharisees and the Sadducees. At the conclusion of Jesus’ teaching on the greatest commandment, he commented on the Messianic title ‘Son of David’. Jesus only needed seventy words to delight the crowd and confuse us (Mark 12:35-37). Unlike the crowd, we are not familiar with the Messianic prophecy of Psalm 110 that Jesus quoted. This Psalm helped the New Testament church realize that Jesus, the Messiah, was the Son of God. This a crucial point because it opens the door to begin realizing Jesus is not just the Messiah King, the natural born heir to King David’s throne; he is the living embodiment of Israel’s God.

The story of the widow’s mite is certainly a beautiful example of giving from the heart and very compelling in its own right. However, following Jesus’ reference to Psalm 110 we can see that Jesus wants us to look below the surface. The widow didn’t put in just two copper coins. She gave all she had. The Messiah is not just a descendant of King David, another human king among human kings; he is Israel’s God who has given all he had. (See Philippians 2:5-11)

My Takeaway: When I read, “he is Israel’s God who has given all he had”, I again recall the lines in my favorite prayer: “I acknowledge you to be my Creator and my God. I render to you the reverence of my being and my life. I am not my own. I am yours. By creation and redemption, I am yours. I will devote myself to your service this day and forever.”

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

A Pharisee Asked About the Law

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 22, 2020

A Pharisee Asked About the Law

Page 239-240

Matthew 22:34-46;

Mark 12: 28-37;

Luke 20: 41-44

G. K. Chesterton noted, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." At first reading, Chesterton may seem a bit cynical, but on closer reflection he is not far from the truth. The Pharisees in today’s reading certainly stand indicted by his insight. The Pharisees had compiled 613 commandments, and while they were quick to affirm that Jesus had correctly identified the greatest of their commandments, they were slow to discern that fulfilling the commandments was more important than reciting them, especially when it comes to loving your neighbors.

This lack of discernment carried over to the discussion of David’s son. The common expectation of the Messiah was that he would be the successor to King David’s throne and, thus, the one to defeat Israel’s enemies. However, if the Messiah was only David’s heir, the oppressive Romans would have been his only enemy. What if the Messiah were both David’s heir and King David’s Lord? Then the Messiah wouldn’t be limited to a regional foe like Rome, but as the Son of God, the Messiah could take on the ultimate enemies of all human life: sin and death.

The one person God sent to demonstrate the possibility of a new way of living was standing before the Pharisees. The one person who could actually love God with his whole heart, soul, and mind and love his neighbor as himself stood before the Pharisees. Not only could this one person love God and others so completely, he would make it possible for all of his followers to become people of such love. But the Pharisees missed seeing this one person because “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 KJV).

Chesterton was right, the Christian ideal is difficult. It is not easy to make the life in Christ become our way of life. Therefore, in our quest for new life in Christ, we never want to lose sight of Jesus’ promise that, “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). We are not alone on our journey: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13).

My Takeaway: We can be assured that “God will transform (us) into a new person by changing the way (we) think. Then (we) will learn to know God’s will for (us), which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

A Plot to Trick Me

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 21, 2020

A Plot to Trick Me & Sadducees Asked about the Resurrection

Page 237-239

Matthew 22:15-33;

Mark 12:13-37;

Luke 20: 20-40

At the time when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem, the Jews had lived their entire life under Roman oppression. The Jews hated the Romans. Adding insult to injury, the Roman coin had an inscription of the Roman Emperor with text affirming him as divine. Because the Jews were forbidden to make an image of their God, just to hold a Roman coin was offensive to a devout Jew. (Interestingly, the Jewish leaders had no trouble producing the Roman coin when Jesus asked for one.)

The Jews were burdened with Roman taxes, local taxes, Temple taxes and taxes to King Herod. The Pharisees thought Jesus had no choice but to anger the Romans, King Herod or the Jews by his response. However, Jesus’ response went in an unexpected direction. On the surface, Jesus’ reply seems simple enough: pay your taxes. On a deeper level, it is important for us to grasp what Jesus intended, and what he did not.

Jesus was not making a statement about separation of church and state. Jesus asked the Pharisees whose image was on the coin. Because Caesar’s image was on the coin, Jesus said “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” The image of God is not on a coin, it is within human beings. We are created in the image of God. When Jesus says “give to God what belongs to God,” Jesus is teaching us to give ourselves to God. This understanding inspires the lines in my favorite prayer: “I acknowledge you to be my Creator and my God. I render to you the reverence of my being and my life. I am not my own. I am yours. By creation and redemption I am yours. I will devote myself to your service this day and forever.”

Whose wife is she? One simple question revealed the utter ignorance of a group of self-righteous scholars. Jesus points out how they are limiting God’s power when they presume there cannot be a resurrection. Second, they do not understand God’s purposes when they presume that if there were a resurrected life, it would simply be an extension of their present culture. In their question, the woman is treated as a piece of property, and in the ‘after-life’, they assume she is still someone’s property. Jesus says that all things in the Kingdom of God will be radically different than they are now. In our bodily resurrection in the coming Kingdom, we will have been completely transformed into the image of God.

My Takeaway: The church has continued to tell this story of Jesus’ encounter with the Sadducees because Jesus’ resurrection proved that all things are possible with God, even the reversal of our death sentence.

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Monday, January 20, 2020

I Began to Teach in the Temple

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 20, 2020

I Began to Teach in the Temple

Page 235-237

Matthew 21:23 - 22:14;

Mark 11: 27 - 12:12;

Luke 20:1-19

The Pharisees hoped Jesus would say something that they could use against him; they were not really looking for truth. Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, both in refusing to answer their question directly, and in the parable of the vineyard. In Isaiah Chapter 5, Israel is presented as a vineyard planted by God. Instead of producing good fruit, the vineyard produces only wild grapes. Everybody present knew Jesus’ parable was about the rebellious nature of Israel and the judgment of God against Israel’s sins.

Most of the parables of Jesus are straight forward, and it is not difficult to identify the subjects of the metaphors Jesus used. However the parable of the wedding feast is much more of an allegory in which each character or event is representative of something else. Correctly identifying the cast is essential in interpreting this parable. Here is my understanding of the cast:

The King represents God; the son represents Jesus; the marriage feast is the great feast of the Lamb and God at the end of time, envisioned in Rev. 19:9; the slaves are the prophets of God; those who were invited are Israel; the violence is the rejection of the prophets by Israel; the city destroyed is the fall of Jerusalem; the gathering of all people, good and bad, are those brought into the church through the evangelistic mission of the church; the wedding hall is the church; and the wedding garments represent the Life in Christ.

Many people in our culture are troubled by the man without wedding clothes who was thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:11-13). If Israel was judged by God for her failure to fulfill God’s purpose, so also will there be judgment for those who receive the invitation of new life in Christ, but are not willing to surrender their lives to God. (See Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:24, and Col. 3:10-12)

As followers of Jesus, we have received an anointing from God to fulfill our destiny as His children. We are the ones in our generation who God has appointed to be a light to the nations. We are surrounded everyday by scores of opportunities to speak truth into the issues of our times. The economic issues, the political issues, issues of poverty and homelessness, issues of discrimination and bigotry; these permeate out culture. Today and everyday God is asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people?” (Isaiah 6:8).

Who will speak for God? We are surrounded by naysayers who cultivate fear and mistrust. Who will share the Christian perspective on the issues of our times? God is looking for all of his children to speak His word to their neighbors, their children, their grandchildren, and their representatives in government.

My Takeaway: Isaiah responded, “Here I am. Send me.” This is how I will respond.

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Friday, January 17, 2020

The Withered Fig Tree

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 17, 2020

The Withered Fig Tree

Page 235

Matthew 21:19b-22;

Mark 11:20-26

Remember that Jesus did not curse the fig tree in a fit of anger because it offered him nothing to eat. The barren fig tree represented Israel, which had become barren in fulfilling her mission to be a light to the world. Cursing the fig tree was representative of the judgment of God, which was central in the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.

Jesus does not leave us with the brown taste of judgment in our mouth; Jesus leaves us with hope. His closing words today remind us that even in the face of a barren world, his followers can plant seeds of hope where the world only sees despair. Jesus says we can look directly into the face of death and a mountain of grief, and proclaim that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. We can cast despair and grief into the sea.

Jesus concludes with an instruction on prayer. He begins the instruction with “Have faith in God” and ends with “forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:22-25). The inference for me is that my prayers will be answered with the power of God when my prayers reflect the heart of God for His church and His Kingdom.

How do we get to the place where our hearts reflect the heart of God? A little verse in today’s passage is enlightening for our journey to make the life in Christ our way of life:

“The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up.”

Mark 11:20

God’s judgment against sin is complete. There is absolutely nothing in our flesh, our life apart from God, that can be rehabilitated. When we come to God, we start anew: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Apostle Paul teaches us that when we come to God through faith in Christ we leave our old life behind: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

My Takeaway: The truth I glean from today’s reading has caused me to make this passage from Philippians my life verse,

“Let your bearing towards one another arise out of your life in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 2:5 (NEB 1961)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

I Cursed a Fig Tree

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 16, 2020

I Cursed a Fig Tree & Cleared the Temple for the 2nd Time

Page 229

Matthew 21: 12-17;

Mark 11: 15-19;

Luke 19:45-48

The images of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem can be a bit confusing. In the humility befitting the servant leadership Jesus modeled, he rode into the city on a donkey. Then as he arrived in the Temple area, in a fit of fury, he drove out the people who were performing a service necessary for the Temple functions of making sacrifices and offerings to God.

The response of the religious leaders is helpful in understanding Jesus’ actions. The leaders were annoyed at the disruption caused by Jesus running off the animal sellers and money changers, but they were most upset over what happened next. Jesus welcomed the blind and lame as he healed them. Children ran with joy shouting praises to Jesus the Messiah. This represented God’s will for the Temple as a House of Prayer, but through the religious leaders, the Temple had evolved into something far less.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was in the early spring time, so Jesus would not have expected any fruit to be on the fig tree. Jesus cursed the barren fig tree because it represented Israel, which had become barren in fulfilling her mission to be a light to the world. Because the intended role of the Temple had become corrupt at its core, Jesus “knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves” (Matthew 21:12b). Jesus’ action effectively shut down the Temple activities for a while, which was Jesus’ way of demonstrating God’s judgment against the Temple,

The key phrase in understanding Jesus’ actions is, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13). The Lord intended Israel to be a light to the nations; instead, she had become prideful and exclusionary.

My Takeaway: Today’s readings give me pause to remember, God created my church to be His people of the New Covenant. What if Jesus came to my church this Sunday? Would Jesus stop by any fruit trees on the way to my church? Would Jesus interfere with our worship services?

What if he visited your church?

Sē’lah

<>< <>< <>< <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Friday, January 31, 2020

My Final Words About the Kingdom - Part 2:

Thursday, January 30, 2020

My Final Words About the Kingdom - Part 1:

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

I Revealed the Future to My Disciples - Part 2

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

I Revealed the Future to My Disciples - Part 1

Monday, January 27, 2020

I Again Spoke of My Impending Death

Friday, January 24, 2020

I Denounced Religious Leaders

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Beware of Religious Men & a Widow’s Offering

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

A Pharisee Asked About the Law

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

A Plot to Trick Me

Monday, January 20, 2020

I Began to Teach in the Temple

Friday, January 17, 2020

The Withered Fig Tree

Thursday, January 16, 2020

I Cursed a Fig Tree

Seeking the Life in Christ

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