Holly-Rae Van Hoof

Jesus is Tempted

In today’s scripture covering the words of Jesus, we look at Luke 4. This is a continuation from yesterday’s message in Luke 3, where John the Baptist taught about repentance, turning from sin, and being baptized. Luke 4 picks up after Jesus’ baptism and goes right into Jesus being tempted by Satan in the dessert. I love this picture of the human side of Jesus, and I’m going to look across the other gospels to show this full picture, because I love everything about this passage!

Matthew, Mark, and Luke each record different aspects of the temptation. Most bible scholars agree that Jesus was fasting in the wilderness for 40 days, during which time Satan was tempting him. At the end of the 40 days, Satan tempted him with three specific things that are recorded in detail (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-18).

The situation is intriguing from the very beginning. The Holy Spirit directs Jesus to go to the wilderness to be tempted. Jesus was sent there for a purpose! A lot of times I think we create and walk right into our own messes – we made choices that lead to the storm we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of… But there are other situations that truly pop up out of the blue, and we are left scratching our heads with questions like… Why am I here? How did this happen? What am I supposed to make of all of this? Just maybe we are led there for a reason. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into this temptation for a purpose. And we shouldn’t underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us to places that have tempting situations. Why? Why would He do that? God uses victory over temptation as an example for others. What example is God using in your life for others? Is there an area you need to take a more black and white stand, as an example for others? Are you tempted to stay silent when you need to speak truth into a situation?

Next, we look at how Jesus was tempted. Sounds pretty familiar to the same types of things we are tempted by… physical needs and desires (bread), power (the world), and lastly, He was tempted to test God (throw Himself off the mountain). Jesus was tempted in the same ways that Satan tries to tempt us today. It’s pretty cool that Jesus walked before us and showed us exactly what to watch for! When you think of these three areas of temptation, is there one you need to take hold of today and claim victory?

How? How can we overcome? BAM – Jesus shows us! He responds to each temptation by reciting scripture (we find it in Deuteronomy) back to Satan. What an awesome example for us to keep the Word of God in our hearts and overcome Satan. Do you have some go-to scriptures that you can use when you’re feeling tempted? Here are a few of mine:

Keep thy tongue from evil. Psalm 34:13

Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord. Romans 12:19

Whatsoever things are good, whatsoever things are lovely, think on THOSE things. Phil 4:8

Fear not, I am with thee. Isaiah 41:10

Depart from evil and do good. Psalm 34:14

My God will supply all your needs. Phil 4:19

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you. Luke 6:27

As cheesy as it sounds, I like to say them out loud. There’s power in verbally declaring victory over the enemy!

The last piece of Jesus’ temptation is His Father’s care and compassion. After Jesus endured the temptation, God sent help (His angels) to comfort and minister to Jesus. I really don’t know exactly what this means (not much is explained), but I’ve always envisioned some sort of angel cheerleading situation. V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, GOOOOOO JESUS! Oh, and I also picture them carrying lots of bread. All the bread. As a grain-a-holic myself, my version of this story is with a satchel full of naan, baguettes, bagels, all of it. I mean, Jesus was fasting for awhile!! In all seriousness, when we are in the middle of a temptation, we can look forward to being replenished by our Father. God will restore our weary souls. Can you look back and see this provision in your life?

God is so gracious to give us this fully-man Jesus to walk before us and show us how to do life on earth. It’s no coincidence that this temptation by Satan occurred right after Jesus’ baptism. The enemy doesn’t want us to gain any ground in our faith walk. When we declare our commitment and belief in God, the enemy will work to shake us. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and be ready, armed with the Word of God!

Feeding the Multitudes

Mark 8 opens with the miracle of Jesus Feeding the Multitudes of people with just some loaves and fish. Back in the days of Sunday School flannelgraph lessons, I never knew there were two separate events of this miracle! Jesus fed thousands – TWICE!

All four gospels record the Feeding of the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, near Bethsaida (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-14).

Then in Mark and Matthew the second miracle of Feeding the Multitudes was recorded – 4,000 people fed with 7 loaves and 3 fish ( Matthew 15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-9).

We know this is two separate accounts because later in Mark, verses 18-20, Jesus reminds the disciples of the two different accounts and questions why they’d be worried about having something to eat when they just witnessed these two miracles.

Have you heard of the book or seen the quote “All I Ever Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”? Well… I’d like to think that it’s really “All I Ever Need to Know I Learned in Sunday School”! So much of my adult experiences can be traced back to some of the true stories we learned in Sunday School. The Parting of the Red Sea… Danial and the Lion’s Den… David and Goliath… Feeding the 5,000.

This one is especially close to my heart, because God has continued to be so faithful in meeting my needs – making something out of nothing, when I least expect it.

Miracles of supplication and abundance have been in my life since I can remember: food on our table, a roof over our head, and clothes on our back, even when times were bleak (by western standards). I have continued to see this through adolescence, as a young adult, and as a wife and mom. These miracles have no bounds, covering me physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It’s no coincidence that in each stage of life I’ve been blessed by spiritual mentors and discipleship. People caring for me as an “angel unaware” (Heb 13:2), at times, taking me by the hand and showing me the way. Giving grace when it wasn’t deserved. Sharing their abundance when they had nothing to gain from me. Praying on my behalf.

I witnessed miracles as a kid, with my parents sharing their little loaves and fish and God making it more than enough. There was an old school bus they acquired in the 80s – my mom would make these massive pots of beef vegetable soup in the winter and load it onto the back of the bus. We would run it in downtown Dayton, heat it up and the homeless would get warm and have a bowl of soup. My siblings and I would tell bible stories and sing songs to the homeless people. I was seven and we were one paycheck away from being homeless ourselves. We always had enough soup and our bus never ran out of gas, it would run on fumes much longer than it should have!

In recent years there have been countless situations where God was there, turning loaves and fish into more than enough. When I left my corporate career after 13+ years, we had no idea how we would makes ends meet and manage the debt we would incur. We felt a strong leading to make this change, but financially could not make the numbers work. And mirroring the loaves + fish, God stepped in and turned the single income household into more than enough. Only by this miracle did we not go in the red. Every month we were astounded at how the numbers worked out. True miracles, not luck or coincidences. The biggest miracle in this, is that we did not change our giving habits!

The Feeding of the Multitudes was a HUGE testimony to the thousands… but imagine the little boy that shared his food. How much more did this mean to him, seeing Jesus use his willing heart for others? Can you imagine the testimony he had for the rest of his life?

Each year our church takes up a special collection designed to expand ministry across the globe. Each year Tim and I pray for unexpected funds to come in that month, with the intent of giving whatever that surprise is. Every single year, a large amount comes in, completely out of the blue. An overpayment from something from years before… a surprise bonus not at normal timing, etc. Each year it’s become a fun game to see where the money will come from that special month and what we will be able to give. I share all of this purely as a testimony of God’s faithfulness and not in the least from our doing.

Whether it’s sharing and serving in our circle, or way out of our circle, God has a plan to use what He has given us. What loaves and fish do you have?

Do you have a life experience that God intends to be shared with someone walking thru the very same thing? Do you have a heart for prayer and can be a warrior for someone else’s battle? What purpose does God have for the talents He has given you? Maybe you have one of those smiles that light up a room, desperately needed in dark place today. If you are reading this and feel like you don’t have much to share, let me encourage you – YOU DO! Do you think the little boy thought he had a purpose on that day, or that his little lunch would make a huge difference? Seek the Lord and ask Him to show you what things He has given you that are intended for His kingdom.

God, you are the perfect provider, and your timing and ways are far beyond ours. Help us to trust You more and open our hearts and hands to be used miraculously for your kingdom. Give us a heart for stewardship with all the talents and blessings you’ve given each of us. Forgive us for doubting Your provision (just like the disciples) and thanks for the reminders of your faithfulness in the past. Amen.

Offended

Matthew 24 records Christ’s outline of the temple being destroyed (1-3), what will lead to the destruction (4-28), and additional things to watch for with His second coming (29-41). This chapter is theologically heavy and we could spend 800 words on each verse. But DON’T WORRY 🙂

Verse 10 pricked my heart and covers something I’ve wrestled with over the recent years:

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another”.

I don’t know that it’s as linear as A leads to B leads to C… or even A + B = C. But when I think of my own circumstances of being offended or being the offender… I can quickly see the path leading to betrayal and hatred.

In a time where there is great division as a church, as a nation, as a world, and on SO MANY DIFFERENT TOPICS, offense sure has a lot of places to hide and take root.

I love healthy dialogue, talking through hard issues, listening to a position different than my own. But we all know that those conversations can quickly escalate and go south.

Offended is described as resentful or annoyed, typically as the result of a perceived insult.

I don’t think there’s a question about the bigger, black and white offenses that occur. God doesn’t call us to be doormats. Persecution for sake of the kingdom – YES… Doormat… NO. I believe we are called to use our voice when we can, especially for the kingdom’s sake. To protect the weaker. To stand for truth. But it’s in those smaller things, it seems to get a little grey. And also in those smaller things that bitterness and discord can take root in the body of Christ. I wonder if this is exactly what Jesus is warning about – destruction will come from offenses, betrayal, and hatred. And let’s face it – we’ve all offended someone and we’ve all been offended.

I need wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit to know when I need to just move on from an offense and rely solely on the Lord to heal my heart… and when I need to have a conversation, set healthy boundaries or share my truth. There are relationship we care deeply about and don’t want an offense to continue and cause more damage.

Some questions I’ve been asking the Lord to reveal to me – Where have I allowed offenses to take up space in my heart? And am I more offended when people sin against God or against me? Am I aware of the ways I offend others?

For a small example… when I learn that a friend has said something hurtful about me, gossiped, or made inaccurate statements, do I address it as an offense or let it go? And by let it go, I mean pray like crazy to not hold a grudge, but often it still creates distance and the relationship feels strained. It can take time for the heart to heal.

Personally, I’d prefer someone come to me if I’ve hurt them, even with a small offense. I’d like the opportunity to learn from it and make it right. I’ve talked to other people on this topic that do not want conversations about small offenses…it’s exhausting and there’s an unspoken level of grace and forgiveness among friends. Not to mention, resolution doesn’t always occur.

Take a really minuscule offense, for example’s sake, of going to the DMV to renew your driver’s license. You know the drill. Line A so you can get in the right line for what you’re there for. Line B to show you have a license, prove you live at the same place, etc. Line C to get your photo taken. Then you wait for your number to be called for Line D, to actually get your license. You’re SO CLOSE and then the employee at Line D tells you that you can’t renew your license because you have an unpaid traffic violation from 2000. Yes, EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO. Sure, the “said person” has renewed their license several times since 2000 and can’t recall the ticket, let alone not paying it. The DMV has no info on the ticket, only that it was only reported to the DMV in 2015 and the state lost a lot of records for 15 years and then suddenly caught up. The ticket has to be paid in the county it was issued (an hour away).

In this scenario, do you just leave with kindness and a smile and give them the ol’ Chik-Fil-A “it was my pleasure to spend 45 minutes with you today”. Or, do you (in the least snarky way possible) ask if this could have been figured out in Line A or even Line B and saved everyone’s time? I mean, really? Why do I feel the need to go all Six Sigma on the DMV? What value or gain is there? I mean, this “said person” – whoever they are 😉 are they really going to change the DMV? While this is just a small and humorous example, it plays out the same way in bigger things.

Somewhere rooted inside of me is this spirit of truth, record setting and harmony. It all sounds good, until it turns into a spirit of self-righteousness, obsessing over the facts, or carrying around the heaviness of my own offenses to others. I’m in a season of prayer, asking God for peace over both sides of offenses (offender and offended). To take away the weight of my offenses to others that I’ve sought forgiveness for. And to show me the difference between addressing offenses that will bring good, and when to LET. IT. GO. This meme captures the humor of my brain at times.

Lord, thank you for forgiving me of my offenses against You and Your children. Thank you for walking with me when I’ve sought forgiveness of those I’ve offended. God, I need your healing from hurts I’ve felt. Please show me when and how to address offenses that need to be addressed. Please protect my heart from any root of bitterness, betrayals, or hatred. Fill my heart with gratitude for your grace and leave no room for an offendable spirit. Amen.

The Sabbath

Matthew 12

In Matthew 12, Jesus tackles both the Pharisees misunderstanding of the law and the Sabbath.

Keeping the Sabbath holy was one of the Jewish laws that was taken very seriously. And an easy target for the Pharisees to use against Jesus, as He was performing miracles on the Sabbath. Read through this chapter – do you wonder if Jesus had any sarcasm in his tone? Or were His responses simple and straightforward?

John MacArthur delivered a sermon in 1986 that has stuck with me the past 20 years since I first read the transcript. The focus of the sermon is making decisions when things may be gray. In the intro he shares a humorous story from his youth:

There are people who think that if you do anything on Sunday other than sit and read the Bible, you have entered into sin. When I was a little guy growing up, I can remember when you were not allowed to do anything on Sunday that even remotely resembled recreation. We came home in our Little Lord Fauntleroy suits, with the little stiff collar, and a little tie, and sat on the couch all day. Couldn’t read the funny papers, couldn’t read the sports page, couldn’t look at television, couldn’t go out in the yard and play catch, couldn’t take a walk. We sat. The only sin we could commit, and we could commit that sin all we wanted, was the sin of gluttony. We could literally gorge ourselves on Sunday. And, of course, most of the women spent all morning cooking up this massive meal by which we sinned all afternoon, but couldn’t – but couldn’t run it off. And so we were stuck with the consequence of our evil. But that sin was tolerable.

When we read Matthew 12 (or even John MacArthur’s experience) we may scratch our heads and think “come on, Pharisees, WAKE UP”! You’re missing the spirit of the law by focusing on the letter of the law! Jesus came to fulfill the law – what is so hard about this to understand!

But when we start to examine our own hearts and even the modern church, we can still find ourselves in a place of judgement and missing the intent of God’s ways. As much as we want to be everything but a Pharisee, our perfection-seeking, works-based theologies can lead us to the heart of a Pharisee.

This past spring I was in the thick of a marathon training cycle, filled with Sunday morning long runs. I love my time on the road – time to think, pray, meditate, sing, focus, oh…and RUN! At the same time, these runs left Sunday mornings a scramble between getting my family to church on time, not being exhausted the rest of the day, etc. While I love the run, it did make my Sundays “fuller” than I would prefer. I mean, nothing says rest like a 20 miler before 9am church! In this same cycle, my training “rest days” of no activity for muscle recovery were Fridays. For some reason, Fridays were anything but restful. While I wouldn’t be pounding the pavement, the days were full of other responsibilities that were anything but restful.

I left the training cycle with an idea.

As much as we try to protect our Sundays as a Sabbath and day to rest in the Lord, oftentimes it’s just NOT. Between the rush to church, serving others at church, prep for the week ahead, and other commitments, it’s never a true and full day of Sabbathing.

Idea: What if our family had one day set aside as a full and complete true Sabbath day. No commitments, school, sports, activities, training. No place to go, no chores, no laundry, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Not even church. Technology free. Meals prepped, clothes laid out, ready to Sabbath. Just people spending time with the Lord, doing whatever the day brought with time praying, listening for promptings from the Holy Spirit, dreaming, sharing. Doesn’t that sound so wonderful!? We have a Saturday selected this fall and we are going to make it happen!! I don’t want to wait for a vacation away for a true full day of resting in the Lord.

Do you have any ideas on creating a Sabbath experience in your world? Here are some additional passages about the Sabbath:

Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11, Leviticus 23:3, Mark 2:27, Hebrews 4:9, Romans 14:5, Colossians 2:16-17

Wave Walker

Matthew 14:25-31

Two weeks ago our family had a trip to Wisconsin, where much of the time was spent on the water, swimming, skiing, tubing, etc. When my 8 year old was out on the water skis, we could see her from the boat smiling and singing this song from Citizen Way:

I can’t help but think of Peter singing (shouting) this song as he was helping to build the early church! From the moment he was called by Jesus to be a disciple and follow him, he was a learner. Peter asked all the questions, had doubts, and had real fears. Jesus continued to surprise Peter with his parables, life lessons, and responses to his questions – even down to Jesus telling Peter he would deny him three times. Can you imagine? And then to experience everything Peter did through Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and then the Holy Spirit coming to them. He had quite a testimony! As he was building the early church with Paul, I have to think that his time walking on the water with Jesus was huge in his faith journey, and a point he could always go back to. When things would begin to crumble around him, Peter could remember that he is a wave walker! Jesus not only did miracles in front of Peter – he did miracles THROUGH Peter.

When I asked my daughter what she knows about the real story of the wave walker, she quickly replied that Peter was in a boat and a storm came and Jesus was there and walked to the boat from the shore. He gave Peter the power to walk on the water, and as soon as Peter took his eyes off Jesus he would start to sink. But if he kept his eyes on Jesus he would not sink! I love the matter of fact faith that kids have – it’s humbling and challenges me to not overcomplicate things. . Pure and simple, keep our eyes on Jesus and we can be wave walkers too!

What miracles has Jesus done in your life? What’s your anthem of praise for who He has created you to be?

Let the Word of Christ Dwell in Us Richly

Colossians 3:12-17

The past two weeks I’ve been reading this passage over and over again…and WOW – I can’t get through it all in one sitting because there is just so much goodness to take in and meditate on. My heart keeps going back to verse 16, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

How amazing that God gave us hearts and minds that can absorb truth! Paul’s encouragement is for us to LET the word of Christ dwell in us richly. We have to allow it. God wants us to be filled with the Word, himself, but we have to allow it in. Invite it in. Let it in.

Guess what else BLEW MY MIND?! Thinking about the word of Christ. Is that the same Word in John 1, that was present at creation and also became the flesh (Christ himself)? Is it the red letters in my Bible?

Lastly, I love the word used here – dwell. Webster defines dwell as reside, live, be settled, be housed, lodge, stay. I don’t know about you, but I want Jesus’s word to live in me, to stay with me, and to be settled in me! This isn’t a “Let the word of Christ stop by from time to time” or “Let the word of Christ be an occasional visitor in your world”. This is a DWELL. STAY. BE SETTLED. And if that wasn’t enough, he adds “richly”. Abundantly, greatly, strongly, deeply, EXTRA.

How can we do this? Here are some areas of focus for me:

Pray for a passion and desire to let the word of Christ dwell in me richly.
Read the Word. And if it’s going to dwell + stay, I need to read more frequently and consistently.
Speak, write, and sing the Word. We all learn in different ways – reading it, writing it, and singing it, talking about it, can help me retain memory. Proven by my ability to recite the entire dialogue and songs from Psalty’s Camping Adventure, that I watched a million times on VHS (age 8).

I love that God gives us the ability to keep His Word in our hearts. He knows the power of the Word, the wisdom and peace it brings!

Francis Chan’s book Forgotten God shares a brief outline of Esther Ahn Kim:

Esther Ahn Kim’s biography is around the most powerful testimonies I have ever read. It was during WWII, and the Japanese occupation of Korea, that Esther’s journey of Faith really began. She refused to bow down at the shrines set up in every corner of her country and was eventually imprisoned for six years, from 1939 until 1945. Knowing she was destined for prison for refusing to bow to idols, Esther spent time training herself both physically and spiritually. She memorized more than 100 chapters of the Bible and many hymns because she knew she would not be allowed to keep her Bible. She spent countless hours seeking God though fasting and prayer. These times when she read the Scriptures led to greater clarity and she was able to surrender her fear of being tortured. When she was eventually taken to prison, God used her in countless way.

Esther let the Word of Christ dwell in her richly, and when you read more of her testimony, you can see just how powerfully the Word was used in her life. There’s nothing better we can fill our hearts and minds with than the Living Word!

God, thank you for providing your Word for us, and it’s ability to dwell in us. Help us to seek your Word and let it dwell in our hearts. We want to know You more and Your ways to become our ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Unity vs. Uniformity

Two weeks ago, my daughter posed this question:

In light of being frustrated with herself (and likely a squabble with her little brother), she wanted to know why we couldn’t all just be the same, think the same, and make good choices every time. I can’t say I blame her line of thinking. Even as an adult, I have found myself scratching my head wondering why God wouldn’t just make me to do exactly what He wants me to do… or why He gave us all different minds and two people could process the exact same situation wildly different. Ummm… any spouses feeling me on this one?

Paul describes God’s design in 2 Cor 12:12-27.

One Body with Many Members

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves^[a] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts,^[b] yet one body.

²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²²On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Her 8 year old brain could process that God DID create us differently, and she understands that He gave us all the option to choose Him or turn away from Him. But her question is in the WHY.

Baby girl, there are just some things about God’s ways that are so far above our own ways, we may not understand till we are in heaven.

(I wonder when that line will get old…)

I asked her what she thought and we had a great conversation about robots. God could have created a bunch of people that were all identical, perfect, and He programmed to love Him. But how much cooler is it that God created each person unique, and with a choice. Wouldn’t you rather create something that can choose to love you, than create something you force to? And wouldn’t you rather make 100 different rainbow loom bracelets, each with their own pattern and colors, rather than have 100 identical pink bracelets?

God is so powerful and so creative that He uniquely designed each one of us. AS HE CHOSE. Did you catch that in verse 18? King James Version says “As it pleased Him”. So the answer to the “why”… because He wanted to. It made him happy. He chose it.

We can speculate about His creativity and being created in His image, and so many other attributes of God. And verse 24 tells us that He composed the body so that it would be different but unified. He gave us our bodies as an example of how we come together as the church. Even the parts that seem less honorable, He bestowed more honor.

God didn’t create us to be uniform, He created us to be unified.

In His perfect wisdom He designed us uniquely so we could be better together. Learn from one another. Serve one another. God designed us to synergize long before that was a business buzz word. We are greater together than the sum of our individual parts.

We can come up with a list of benefits of His “One Body with Many Members” design – but what would your list look like for the WHY behind it?

Because He Can.

Because it pleased Him.

What else?

The Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13 and Psalm 135

Clearly Jesus wants to press upon us to BE READY – He gave us so many great teachings on this topic. In a world that is more than ever prepped, organized, and connected…we really seem to have our stuff together on the outside. And social media is such a great place for our highlight reel of all things filtered and cropped perfectly.

Like these ten virgins, we are all prepped, ready and waiting for the party. But when news comes that the party is FINALLY about to start, panic mode sets in. While we have the right dress, the lamp even… half of us do not have the oil to make the lamp burn. Job Number One: BURN ALL THE LAMPS! It’s more than just showing up appearing put together – you have to show up with the oil!

I have heard different analogies for what the oil represents for Christ Followers. Faith. The Holy Spirit. Obedience. I can’t help but think of the lukewarm that John talks about in Revelation.

We aren’t told why these virgins (think bridesmaids) showed up without the oil. Maybe they were so consumed with doing their hair that they ran out of time. Maybe they were going around worrying about how everyone else’s dress looked that they lost sight of Job Number One. Whatever their reason for not having the oil – the bottom line is, without it, they could not enter the party.

I’ve been in a season of box checking and having so many holy “habits” that I found myself losing sight of holy union. Sure I had the right dress on, my hair was in place, and I even had my lamp. But when it was time to actually do Job Number One, I had no oil.

In motherhood this looks a lot like stretching ourselves so thin with lots of “good” things (teach Sunday school, weekly BSF, Bible Journal, etc)….but then losing our minds on our kids when they clog the sink with silly putty. Or missing out on quiet moments with them because we have run ourselves so ragged that we collapse in an instant.

What’s keeping you from Job Number One today in your walk with the Lord? Are you walking around appearing to be ready – you’ve got the dress, hair, and your lamp is GORGEOUS… but in secret you’re out of oil? Don’t wait for THE BEST PARTY EVER to start before you announce you’re out of oil. Get your oil NOW and BE READY!

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Loving the Lost + Found

Luke 15:11-32 and Psalm 123

Sermons, books, paintings, and more, have detailed the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15. I’m guessing this is such a popular teaching of Jesus because each of us can relate to one (or all) of the characters.

Maybe we once set off on a path of selfishness and irresponsible choices and hit rock bottom.

Maybe our self righteousness got the better of us in a weak moment of judging others.

Or maybe we have experienced the joy of reconciling a relationship.

What’s so amazing about the Word of God is that it is LIVING. It is ETERNAL. It has POWER. The Word is God and is not bound by time. While the Word of God does not change – our response and our experience with the Word does change. We receive, relate to, and understand the Word differently at different times in our lives.

I can think of seasons where I could really relate to the son and his disregard for others or himself. I can relate to the brother – who is working so hard to earn his father’s favor and yet harboring resentment and self-righteousness. And I have celebrated estranged family members that have reunited.

Within each of these characters, the Lord is at work. He was at work in humbling the Son, He was at work providing grace for the Father to extend, and He was at work in the brother’s life, giving him a second chance to join in the celebration.

How is the Lord working in your life? Do you need to take steps forward like the Father for a deeper reconciliation? Or admit your sin against God and against man and seek forgiveness? This story is layered with wisdom and life lessons.

The overall focus of this lesson appears to be the joy of the salvation for the Son. This series started with the lost sheep, then the lost coin, and now the lost Son. While there are many more sheep, many more coins, and even many more souls, God stops and celebrates the ONE. Each are greatly valued, while in the midst of other greatly valued things. But even the one “lost and then found” item or person is still abundantly valuable to the kingdom. And to be celebrated! Can you imagine the party happening when one soul makes a decision to turn from sin and turn to salvation? How would our lives look and feel differently if we really celebrated the “found” in our world?

As a parent I can relate to the joy of the Father that his Son is physically back home. I have felt gratitude for a kid that comes with a humble heart seeking change. I have even celebrated spiritual steps forward in our children’s faith journey. Parenthood comes with an unconditional love that leaves our arms and hearts open.

As we are all God’s children, and He sees us all with this same love, how can we see each other through those same Father’s eyes? How do we get our arms open and meet people in the middle, when they aren’t our children? How do we celebrate the person that once sinned against us but is now seeking change? It seems easier when they are our children – which gives us a glimpse into God’s perfect heart and perfect ways. The love I have for my children is an imperfect version of the love God has for me. And even for my enemies.

God, thank you for your living Word that moves and changes us. You are the perfect Father, with perfect love and grace for all of your children. Help us to shine that same love to all of your children while we are here. Amen.

A Parable about the Parables

Matthew 13:52 and Psalm 111

And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

As we continue through this series of parables, we come to a moment where Jesus pauses and asks his disciples if they get the parables up to this point (verse 51), to which they reply a simple yes. I try to put myself in their shoes – would I have the faith to say yes? Or would I have had ten follow up questions to better understand? Even though we know that the disciples didn’t FULLY comprehend everything Jesus was telling them, they knew enough and had the faith to answer yes. And then we come to verse 52 where Jesus shares a parable about all of the parables!

In this mini parable break, Jesus is encouraging them to not replace everything they learned before with all of these new teaching and parables. Instead, add these new parables and teaching with the old (law). Similar to how we have both new things in our home along with family heirlooms. One doesn’t replace the other – it’s all part of the collection.

I will admit that I have tried to line up God in the Old Testament with Jesus in the New Testament. The bright light that we can’t look upon and need to remove our shoes for, with the man that is fishing and eating with the lowest of the low. In my heart I believe and know they are one and completely unified, but sometimes my brain goes into overdrive trying to reconcile the two and figure it all out.

Recently a preacher shared this and it’s SO TRUE! Our human (barfo) nature wants our view of graceful bear hugging Jesus to deal with our own sin…. And we want OT fire + brimstone God to show up and deal with people that sin against us. OUCH – that was a ZINGER! I can think of a time I had those thoughts.

Truth be told, they are perfectly unified. Balancing OT (law, teachings, etc) with the NT (parables, grace, etc) is similar to understanding the trinity. What a beautiful mystery!

Does anyone else love Paul’s comments to the church in Corinth about “now we see through a glass darkly…” – I can not WAIT for heaven, when it will all be crystal clear. Will we be like the disciples and simply say “yes, we understand”, or will we have a million questions?

As Jesus continues to fulfill the law, with his teachings and ultimately his sacrifice, my prayer is that we can have wisdom in balancing the old and the new. The Psalm that is assigned with today’s reading is Psalm 111. I love when the two readings come together so beautifully. Here are a few lines that really spoke to me in light of the parable about parables.

2 Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.

4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.

God caused us to remember the law in the Old Testament and Jesus’ parable of parables reinforces this. As we seek wisdom and understanding, knowing who God is and having fear and respect for Him is our first step in understanding.