PENTECOST • 8

What is the work that Jesus is doing?

SONGS FOR PRAYER

reading for: Tuesday Night, 18 July

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

Jesus is doing a work of salvation and healing

  • READ

    Today’s passage is found in Matthew 13:24-30,36-43.  Jesus is here continuing his teaching of the crowd with parables. Parables are short stories meant to tell a message. This message might not be apparent to all those who hear him.

    Matthew 13:24–30 (ESV)

    24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

    Jesus starts with comparing the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field. His enemy came and sow weeds among the wheat and went away. The plants came up and bore grain but the weeds also grew. The servants asked the master how come that were weeds since the master sowed good grain. The master explained that it was an enemy that done this. The servants asked the master if they were to go and gather the weeds. The master said no as in gathering the weeds they may root up the wheat along with the weeds. The master wanted them to let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, the reapers will be instructed by the master to gather the weeds first and burn them, but the wheats will be gathered in the master’s barn.

    Matthew 13:36–44 (ESV)

    36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

    Jesus later gives the explanation to his disciples. The one who sows the good seed is himself, the Son Of Man. He sows good seed into the world, while the devil sowed the weeds.  The harvest represents the end of the age and the reapers are the angels. At the end of the age, the weeds will be burned with fire and gathered out of his kingdom and thrown into the fiery furnace. The righteous will be gathered into his kingdom.

    In short, Jesus was saying that in the world today, he is sowing good seed which will grow good grain and the devil is sowing bad seed which will grow bad grain. Jesus forbade the workers from getting rid of the weeds now because he was afraid that they will pull up the wheat also. This could signify that evil is not always removed in this age. God for his reasons allows evil to grow. However, make no mistake that evil will not have the last word and the Lord will deal with evil and reward the righteous.

  • REFLECT

This world is full of evil and good. There is evilness lurking in every corner of the world. Darkness is prevalent in the world. However, there is also light that is shining in the world. Jesus is sowing good seed in the world that will grow. Jesus is doing a work of salvation and healing so the wheat can grow.

What is one area of your life that he is speaking to you about or shining his light in? Pray that God will give you the strength to obey him in that area. Will we partner him in obedience in that area of our life.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 19 july

Genesis 28:10-19a

Jesus is doing a work through the generations

  • READ

    Our reading for today comes from Genesis 28. Previously we have seen how Rebekah gave birth to two twins and how this twins from the time of their birth was opposed to each other. Today we pick up the story from the time where the two twins have grown up and Esau was scheming to kill Jacob because Jacob had stolen the blessing of his Father from him. Rebekah heard of the plot to kill Jacob and sent for Jacob and asked Jacob to flee to Laban and stay there until the fury of Esau subsides. Rebekah and Isaac also wanted Jacob to take a wife not from the Canaanite women but from one of the daughters of Laban. Jacob thus obeyed his parents and set off for Padan-Aram. On his way there, he came to a certain place and stayed there the night.

    Genesis 28:10–22 (ESV)

    10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

    As Jacob was lying on a stone to sleep, he dreamt that there was a ladder set up on earth reaching to heaven. The angels of God were ascending and descending on the ladder. The Lord stood above the ladder and said to Jacob that the land on which he lied will be given to him and to his offspring. His offspring would be numerous, and in his offspring all the families of the earth would be blessed. This words are close in content to the promise given to Abraham and signifies that the promises given will be through the lineage of Jacob and not Esau. Put it another way, God is working through the generations to bring about the fulfilment of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God never fails to accomplish his promises in his own timing and season.

    More specifically, we know that the offspring that Genesis is speaking about refers to Jesus. Paul points out in Galatians 3, the singularity of the offspring of Abraham as explicitly referring to Jesus. Jesus is the fulfilment of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and it is in him that all the families of the earth will be blessed. This is the work that Jesus did, is doing and will do.

  • REFLECT

    God never fails. Jesus is the fulfilment of all the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is a work that Jesus did, is doing and will do to bring about life and blessing in the earth. This work is not yet complete but assuredly will be completed when he comes again. Will we partner him as his body in his work? Will we pray for his kingdom to come and his will to be done?

reading for: Thursday Night, 20 july

Romans 8:12-25

Jesus is doing a work of transformation

  • READ

    Today we pick up our reading in Romans 8, reading from verse 12 to 25.  Before we look in detail at verse 12 to 25, let us try to look briefly at the first 11 verses of the chapter. Paul starts of the chapter with there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from sin and death. God has sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross, condemned sin in the flesh so that the righteous requirement of the law might fulfilled in us. Paul then declares that they are in the Spirit and not in the flesh and they have Christ in them. In short what Paul is saying is that Jesus Christ has died for them so that they may live in him.

    Romans 8:12–25 (ESV)

    12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

    Paul continues this theme in verse 12 to 25. Paul reminds his hearers that they are not to live according to the flesh but to live by the Spirit putting to death the deeds of the flesh, so that they might live. Paul exhorts them that those who live by the Spirit are sons of God, children of God and heirs of God.

    This is the incredible glory that we have been given as sons of God. That is why the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to this glory. The creation itself suffers and waits with longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Humanity is waiting with patience for the day that we will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

    In short, Paul reminds his readers of what Christ has done for them setting them free from bondage and giving them life. That is why they are to live as people of life now. They are to endure the suffering of this world as people of the Spirit. They are to put to death the deeds of the flesh because they are people who are living. They are living with hope because Christ will one day complete the work that he has already started. Jesus is doing a work of transformation throughout the centuries.

  • REFLECT

    Are we living according to the flesh or living according to the Spirit? Are we partnering Jesus in the work of transformation that he is doing to bring about life? May we reflect on this and pray that we will partner him in this work of transformation.

reading for: FRIDAY Night, 21 july

Psalm 139:1-12,23-24

Jesus knows us intimately

  • READ

    Psalm 139 is beautiful psalm that speaks of the intimacy of Jesus with us. The psalmist speaks of God as a God that intimately knows us and is always with us.

    Psalm 139:1–12 (ESV)

    1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

    Jesus is a God that declares in Matthew 28 that he will always be with us. Psalm 139 puts language to a similar idea. It speaks of God who have searched and known us. He is with us all the time and he knows our words even before we utter it. No matter where we are he is there. He leads us and guides us.

    Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV)

    23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!         

    Jesus is a God that knows our thoughts leading us in the way everlasting.

  • REFLECT

    The psalmist speaks of an intimate relationship with God. He speaks of God as someone who knows and leads him intimately. He has no barriers with God. Does this description characterise our relationship with God? Do we think that God knows our innermost thoughts? Do we trust his leadership and guidance? Do we delight in spending time with him?

    Pray the words of Psalm 139 a few times and ask the Lord to bring this psalm to pass in your life. The words of this Psalm can be a reality in each one of us. The Lord is doing a work of knowing us intimately and leading us into the ways of life.

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