Journey to the Cross 2017, Day 36

Tuesday, Day 36:  The Final Week  

Countdown – 5 days

Reading for today:
Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree
Matthew 21:20-22
Mark 11:20-26

Jesus final day of public teaching; teaching in the temple; authority challenged
Matthew 21:23-27; 21:28 - 23:39
Mark 11:27-33; 12:1-44
Luke 20:1-8; 20:9-21:4

Olivet Discourse
Matthew 24, 25
Luke 21:5-36

Jesus’ final message on this specific Tuesday
Matthew 25:31-46

Today is Tuesday, Nisan 12.  Nisan 12 was on March 31 in 2010, and is today – April 11 – in 2017.  I like paying attention to equivalent time. 

I discussed Jesus’ teaching given on the Mt of Olives earlier – but this is actually when it occurred. There was just too much to cover on this one day – and even so, I am overwhelmed with all He covered in his final communication to the then-adoring masses and the increasingly-angry spiritual leaders of His fellow Jewish people.

“If you believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer . . .” yet we are also taught that is contingent on praying in God’s will, getting our direction first from Him – then praying in faith with the conviction of assurance of what He desires.

Mark 11:25 adds something Matthew does not – telling us that when we stand praying, if we hold anything against anyone, forgive – so that our Father in heaven may forgive us our sins.... Verse 26 is a footnote instead of being in the text of the NIV – and it states, ...if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your sins. It is a clear Biblical teaching – even included in the Lord’s Prayer...‘forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors’. I originally learned it as ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’ but I prefer the image of debtor. In either version of the prayer, the point is obvious. Want forgiveness? Grant forgiveness. And the lesson is repeated here with the same terms.

At this point in the journey toward the cross – and Resurrection – I am extremely grateful that I covered some of this territory in earlier blogs. At this juncture the masses are clueless about what will occur in just 3 days – as are the disciples. Jesus warned them well in advance – repeatedly – but their ears have heard the adulation of the crowds and that adulation crowds out any concerns that may try to surface. Still, with the focus of the Passover feast, they have committed time to be with Jesus, and he leaves them with repeated messages that will replay over and over in days soon to come...too soon....

Jesus is walking toward the cross and our salvation with singular purpose and focused intention. But all the while what impresses me so completely is that He keeps on keeping on – just as He compels and encourages us to do.

On Tuesday He taught in the temple...and later His time of instruction was on the Mount of Olives with just 4 of his disciples.

He silenced the religious leaders for the moment by asking them a question about John the Baptist in response to their question about his authority. It was a good tactic. I know that I don’t have to enter every debate or attend every argument I am invited to – that there is a difference between responding to sincere searching versus defiant defenses – one being constructive, and one not. Jesus had already made His claims clear. Their hearts were not receptive and He knew it. In fact, their only purpose in asking the question was to add one more arrow to their quiver with which to pierce Him. They were out for blood.

In yesterday’s reading Jesus cursed a fig tree. Today he uses it as an object lesson for receiving answers to our prayers. I need time to grapple with this – to pray over it, and see what the Holy Spirit might reveal....  It wasn’t even the season for figs, yet He cursed the tree for not having any....

................

Postscript for 2017:

Seven years after first writing this, I still do not have an answer for why he would curse a tree for not having figs when it wasn't in season....  But I do know that we will be held accountable for the gifts – the fruit if you will –  that he gives us.  Just as God did with Moses he asks all of us “What is that in your hand?” 

Postscript on April 12 – the day after I wrote the prior postscript:

Oh my goodness!  I was just granted the insight to understand this thanks to the Holy Spirit’s revelation in response to my query. (Thank you, Lord!)

Jesus, as Creator, knew the trees – just as he knows us – and he would have known that this particular tree didn’t produce any figs in the prior season.  He cursed the tree for not producing any fruit – and it hadn’t been! 

I am reminded that sometimes there are those who profess to be Christians but who aren’t producing any fruit.

That is the proof for Christian faith.  And if the tree is not producing – or in our case, the vine, then it is pruned…. 

Lord, help me be fruitful!

Journey to the Cross 2017, for Day 30 (April 4)

Tuesday, Day 30                                                          April 4                    
Reading for today:
Mark 13:3-37
Mark’s Report of the Message from the Mount of Olives; i.e., the Olivet Discourse.

I am amused to write that, actually. I can’t imagine Jesus using that pompous of language. His audience was his friends – his disciples. They were completing 3 years of being with him – not every single day – but a LOT. The contrast just hits me this morning. Of course, I learned fairly young that I don’t think like other people do – and I don’t mind that. In fact, I find differences and diversity in approach and style fascinating, and don’t seek mirror images of myself as friends. Even my one friend who thinks more like me than anyone I’ve ever met is still very different from me. I like the unique in individuals. When my youngest was 3 or 4, she came in from play one day and said proudly, “I’m U-nook, aren’t I?” I affirmed that she was so unique that she had to create her own word for it...u-nook!

One of her uniquenesses was that she had a half-birthday. Her sisters had birthdays only a week apart in April, and when she was 2 or 3, it was really hard for her to wait for her September birthday. She didn’t understand why her sissies got to have birthdays that were close – and she didn’t – so to solve the problem of her having to wait so long for hers, I created a half-birthday celebration. I baked a cake, cut it in half, and only decorated half of it. Gave her a card cut in half. I thought it was very clever. The first year I introduced it, she cried. I had ruined the cake and cut up her card. But then it caught on and became much anticipated. She still loves when I remember to call and sing “Happy half-birthday to you....”

My earliest thoughts today were simple, pure praise for Who God is. I love those moments, embraced in the simplicity of praise. I wanted to stay there –  not even get out of bed to begin the day – but with a prayer that He would guide this day, I got up. While I was making the bed I saw something move outside the window – and looked out to see two beautiful robins. My response was that tears sprung to my eyes in tender memory. I love robins. Crocuses and robins speak Spring. Spring is a tender time in my life.  My entire being is focused on Easter – but there are some huge boulders in the path before the journey reaches E-day.

Mark tells us which disciples were present with Jesus on the Mt of Olives: Peter, James, John and Andrew. Just as in Matthew’s account, the disciples are warned about what is to come. It must have been really confusing to them. The faithful among the Jewish people had been anticipating the arrival of their promised Messiah for centuries. These men believed Jesus to be that Messiah. But what they believed about Messiah didn’t mesh with what He was telling them.

He talks about the days of distress that will face His followers, and says that for the sake of the elect whom God has chosen, God has shortened them. He warns of false Messiahs who will appear and perform signs and miracles –  to deceive the elect if that were possible. He warns them – and by extension, us – to be on guard. He has told them ahead of time exactly what to expect. Heaven and earth will pass away – but His words will never pass away. And at the end of the recorded caution, He declares, “Watch!”

Very soon, they will need to draw on these memories and forewarnings. The weather forecast has been given, and it would be wise to pay attention.

“I tell you the truth,” this passage declares, “this generation (or race) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”

The word translated generation is just as often translated race. I prefer race. I don’t ever hear any longer of the Perizites or Amorites, the Jebusites or the Hivites, the Hittites or the Zemarites; but I still hear of the Israelites. They are a race that has not passed away, and will not pass away until all these promises and prophecies have been fulfilled. Israel was and is God’s chosen people. We, as Gentiles, are grafted in because of what Jesus Christ did for all of humanity on the cross – but Israel is at the very center of God’s passion – and Jerusalem is the center of the world in God’s point of view. We need to keep that reality clear. Even though His people (Israel) denied their Messiah, He loves them dearly and yearns to draw them to Him.

Humor for today:
His wife’s graveside service had just barely finished when there was a huge bolt of lightning immediately followed by a massive clap of thunder that reverberated long and loud across the countryside.

The little old man looked over at his pastor and calmly stated, “Well, she’s there.”