JRMITCH85 Character, Decisions, Hope

Forgiveness: Following God’s Example

As long as people have existed, we have held others to a standard we ourselves often struggle to meet. We find ourselves prescribing a set of expectations for the world around us while, paradoxically, we frequently falter in our attempts to embody those ideals. This fascinating juxtaposition between our lofty standards and human imperfections raises profound questions about the nature of empathy, self-awareness, and the complex interplay between the standards we set for others and those we set for ourselves. This brings us to the passage where Peter approaches Jesus about the need to forgive, and Jesus opens up to the disciples and all of us the standard for forgiveness.

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 18:21–35.

Peter comes to Jesus questioning how far we must go in forgiving each other. Surely, there must be a limit; we all hope there is a limit for those who perpetually cross the line and transgress. Our thoughts mimic Peter in saying the limit must be a generous seven times, but Jesus replies with a response that scoffs at the thought we could put a limit on the ability to forgive, as he doesn’t just give an alternative number, but instead makes that number so much higher that it equates to an infinite retort. Our ability to forgive should have no bounds because Jesus had no limit to His ability to forgive. Even as the people closed in on Him to bring destruction to His body, Jesus did not stop seeking to bring them back to God. We must go above and beyond for Jesus’ sake and follow His example.

Jesus doesn’t stop the lesson on forgiveness with a number but instead shares a parable for us to fully comprehend how far we must go in forgiving. We are placed in the position of the deeply forgiven. Our debt, created by sin, was colossal, and only the sacrifice of Jesus could fill the chasm created by our indebtedness. However, as Jesus walks among us and looks down on us, we don’t act like forgiven people. Instead, we throw those indebted to us in prison, cast them aside, and treat them as unimportant. Our priorities are making things look right in our eyes rather than offering the same compassion given to us, and we fall short of the example Jesus provides in forgiveness. Jesus issues a warning if we continue to live like that.

Ultimately, we must confront our biases and preconceived notions as we comprehend what it means to live a forgiven life. Jesus calls out to us to bring hope to the hopeless and peace to the world while embracing our mission through the love of God. This mission is challenging for us to fully comprehend if we view the world through our modern lifestyle. So many worldviews have emerged, and it may make our heads spin if we attempt to engage without consulting God. God did not send us to Earth to rule over it or dominate society, but rather, we were given the mission to bring the message of God’s never-ending love and a proclamation of forgiveness from sin. Therefore, we need to engage with the competing worldviews from a position of being a forgiven people and sharing that message of forgiveness and peace with the world.

JRMITCH85 Decisions, Faith, Hope

Don’t Cut Corners

When something works, we try and replicate it to varying success. In cooking, this trial and error in making something delicious with the perfect satisfaction is often recorded in a recipe. When we have developed enough recipes, we gather them in a cookbook, and future generations can look at what we have made and replicate it. However, in recipes that are filled with long and complicated steps, people are tempted to cut out some of the steps. Unfortunately, many times, when steps are skipped or altered, the meal does not come out looking the way it was intended.

In the following passage, God delivers a recipe of deliverance for the Hebrew people. Follow these directions, and deliverance will be yours, but if you cut corners and don’t obey this God-given message, things won’t turn out how they would hope. The instructions are specific, and God provides the only way that the Pharaoh will grant them freedom. This will be a day of remembrance for the Israelites, because no corners are cut or instructions skipped. 

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 12:1–14.

Just as God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt, God delivers us from the slavery of sin that bonds us to the punishment of death. To bring freedom to the people of Israel meant that death was coming for many, and even when God sought to have the people freed by many other methods, nine plagues failed to convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Thus, death became necessary. Similarly, we failed to follow God’s previous instructions and guidance for salvation by continuously falling short of the standards in the law and perpetually cutting corners, looking for an easy way. However, Jesus followed the instructions exactly as they needed to be followed and thus provided remediation for sin. No corners were cut, even though Jesus knew the difficulty and what following the instructions meant for His life.

The result of not following the law or cutting corners is death. Nonetheless, it doesn’t stop us from looking for a shortcut. The instructions given to the Israelites in this passage were specific; the instructions from God called out the specific sacrifice, time, and method. Follow these instructions exactly, and death will pass over your homes; if not, the penalty is death. Our minds read this and wonder if maybe we would have cut a corner here and there to be able to get past some of the qualifications. Our society has careers built upon finding loopholes in laws and tax codes to cut as many corners as possible. However, there are no loopholes in God’s law; it requires us to follow it, or the penalty is death. Fortunately, Jesus paid that penalty for us but reminds us that even though we have sinned and subsequently redeemed, we are still commanded to follow God’s recipe to love God and love our neighbor.

According to God, there is no cutting the corner of the command to follow Jesus in loving God and our neighbor. There are no acceptable excuses to follow Jesus in love; it doesn’t matter how difficult we find it to carry out. We must share God’s love with everyone. It is cutting corners to omit anyone from our purview, even if we vehemently disagree with them. God has laid out the church’s mission is to bring the people to the source of salvation, Jesus. However, when the church dehumanizes and participates in the cycle of hatred and violence, it removes itself from love. The church doesn’t get to cut the corner of offering love to those who are hard to love, nor does it cut the corner of striving after unity with all. God has given the church a mission to bring people to an understanding of salvation through Christ Jesus. Through this mission, the church will change the world as long as it follows the recipe of God, not the world’s recipes.

God laid out a recipe for us to help build a beautiful, grace-filled world and even provided the necessary ingredients to make it. God gave us grace through Jesus, a perfect demonstration of what loving people look like, and a church to carry out the mission. The people of God lack nothing to construct a kingdom of love, grace, mercy, hope, and peace, but we must get out of our own way of corner-cutting to make things easier on us. Quit cutting corners and start following Jesus, and the church that will be built on that will look a lot more like Jesus and less like the organizations and governments of the world.

JRMITCH85 Character, Faith, Hope

The Christ Follower Test

Today, loyalty tests are intended to show if you are true to your convictions and beliefs. As a music fan, people will frequently determine your fandom if you listen to obscure demo tapes of your favorite bands or if you have a special edition album and saw them in concert before they were famous. The same type of test has taken root in politics, corporations, and even faith. As Christians, throughout history, we have subjected others and been subjected to many tests to determine if someone is a “true Christian.” However, each instance of implementing something like this has caused a split in the church. While Christians have varying beliefs on many issues, none of us stand in any position to declare absolute authority in doctrine; instead, to follow Christ, our oaths and words should be replaced with our love and care for one another and dedication to worship and prayer.

Following God is not about doing what others think; it requires us to set aside what everyone else might think and give it all to God in worship. Each step toward testing based on the proper doctrine needs to be measured against how Paul told us in Romans about how a Christian should treat others.

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 12:9–21.

To follow Christ requires us to set aside anything that is forced or imitating anything that doesn’t fulfill our true intention in coming to faith. How we live must glorify God, and we cannot act as people who just go through the motions to live such that we mimic what other Christians think we should do. The more we do this, the more we look like someone posing as a Christian rather than living in the way God requires. Paul opens this passage by telling us, “Let love be genuine.” True love cannot be faked; we cannot pose as someone who loves someone; instead, our hearts must be transformed to look more like Christ. Christ’s heart, when encountering evil, fought against it, not by destroying people, but by sacrificing His freedom to overcome evil. 

Typically, a test differentiates us from others, isolating the person who passes from those who fail. However, because of sin in our lives, we have all failed and fallen short of the level necessary to pass the test. Therefore, the Christ follower doesn’t strive to disqualify people from God’s Kingdom but instead necessitates all disciples to bring others into the love of God. Paul reminds us that even those who oppose us must be welcomed in, and we show God’s love more by acting as a contrast to how they treat us. Thus, any tests for following Christ aren’t for us to administer to others; instead, they measure us against the standard to which we hold ourselves. 

Ultimately, the test we must pass is treating one another so that we communicate the Gospel regardless of the person. Is someone hurting? Then, we must grant them comfort. Is there injustice in our world? Our mission is to bring justice and peace. No matter the circumstances where people find themselves, a follower of Christ always brings HOPE to the table and peace to the world, and in all things, they strive for unity and share the love of God. Are you a faithful follower of Christ? Good, then do as Christ instructs you, not for my sake or the sake of others, but for the spread and sharing of the Gospel with the world.

JRMITCH85 Faith

Inside Out

Faith starts with unmerited love from God for the people of God. From Abraham to us here examining the scriptures, the Almighty God has shown us love, even though we never deserved it. Thus, it does not begin with the right action or purpose; it begins with the divine providence of the Almighty. The Christian doesn’t start by becoming good, but rather accepting the ultimate good of the Almighty God into their heart. Thus, the change happening for the Christ follower happens from the inside and demonstrates this goodness through the right actions and words.

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 15:10–20.

Jesus had to confront the Pharisees about their incessant criticism regarding the habits and practices of His followers. At this point, Jesus addresses their obvious hypocrisy because they have spent all the time looking at the part but have not allowed God’s love to fill their hearts; therefore, they are overly focused on the outward appearance and actions to uphold the outward appearance. In our world, this is similar to focusing on whether someone looks the part and uses the right language rather than actually carrying out the mission of Jesus in our world. How we treat one another, and the people we share the Gospel message matters more to Jesus than utilizing perfect diction and penmanship. Wearing the right clothes, learning the right codes, and making the right moves come from mimicking someone else, but the Holy Spirit wants to use us with new abilities.

The problem with an outside-in approach is that the outside will continue to spoil if the inside is spoiled. No amount of hand washing will clean the inside. Sin has to be dealt with at our core, and Jesus provides the only way to deal with that sin. Do we accept that gift? Do we allow the Holy Spirit to route out all the evil within? Without allowing God to cleanse us from the inside out, our lives will continue to get marred by the results of sin. The Gospel guides us to change how we see the world, not from the perspective of looking perfect, but allowing Christ to be the perfecter of our lives from the Inside Out.

JRMITCH85 Faith

Faith Is The Antidote

We don’t have enough faith. Right now in our world when we say we don’t have enough faith, it isn’t about anything else around us, it is only about our hearts and the endless searching for something to fill a void. Unfortunately, people, money, ideology, degrees, and vocation don’t fill us up, and instead we turn to fear. Fear makes us act against our best interest, and it alienates us from one another. We want to get angry and rise up out of fear, but Jesus reminds us in the passage below, that the only reason to rise up is to walk toward Jesus in faith.

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 14:22–33.

Just like Peter, when we focus our lives on Christ the battery of the sounds of the world fade away and our focus blocks them from our purview. The life of faith doesn’t concern itself with opposing viewpoints or struggles, instead it looks to Jesus for help, guidance, and truth. Unfortunately, everything keeps coming at us. The news grabs for our hearts, opinion makers yells at us, we begin to worry about our livelihood, and things don’t turn out the way we want. They all grab for our attention and tell us that our feelings need to be heard, our fear reaches up and grabs us to pay attention. Before long we find ourselves sinking, just as fear wants.

The good news shines through even in the darkness of fear. Faith in the loving hand of Christ Jesus pulls us up when we sink into the depths of fear. We have choices, fear or faith. Faith isn’t just about wearing a Christian themed t-shirt, nor is it about proclaiming your politics, rather faith is a bold proclaimation when no one is watching and your focus is fixed upon Christ. When you fix your eyes on Jesus, you see the hand reaching out to you and reminding you that faith serves as the antidote to fear of others, faith drives out division and injustice, faith guides us toward building God’s kingdom here on Earth.

Faith won’t focus on how the world is burning around us, instead they will offer peace for those affected by the flames. With faith the people of God pick one another up and help guide our eyes to Jesus, forsaking everything else and calling out for salvation from the ills of our world. Faith is the antidote to the poison of our world.

JRMITCH85 Faith, Hope

Jesus Is Enough

“Be Prepared.” The Boy Scout Motto is lived out by walking with Jesus. Even when we lack the ability or materials as followers of Christ, everything must begin with an acknowledgment that Jesus is enough to carry out the mission of the church. As we look at the stories of Jesus and how He cared for the people to which He ministered, we see the Gospel proclaimed without a building campaign or fundraising efforts. Through the power of Jesus, the people heard the Gospel preached and experienced the Gospel enacted through the filling of their stomachs.

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 14:13–21.

Too often, we look for excuses as to why we cannot finish a job. I’m too old, or too young, I don’t have enough money, I’m too busy, or our church is too small are all reasons we give as to why we are limited in our abilities to carry out the mission of the Gospel. Just like the disciples found the desolation of the area as an excuse that they could not feed the people, however, when Jesus wants to show the power of Grace, nothing can hold Him back. The revelation of God’s Glory only took five loaves and two fish. Jesus was not only sufficient for the job but provided an abundance as there were leftovers that exceeded the original blessing.

If God could feed more than five thousand with a small amount of food, imagine what Jesus can do in our churches. The people of God need to set aside excuses and go forth into the world, whether mighty or small, and meek and follow Jesus in sharing the Gospel. The Glory of God can shine through us, but we must let go of our preconceived notions that we need something more to act as the church. Jesus is enough for us to carry out His goal to reach people with His grace.

JRMITCH85 Faith, Hope

What It Means To Be Justified

“I belong”

Many people worry about belonging. It doesn’t just have to be Middle School kids seeking approval from their peers. Everyone wants to have a place where they feel safe and free from the fear of social awkwardness and trouble that inevitably arises in our society. Too many in my generation eschewed social norms because none of us fit into the boxes that try and define us, but that left many lacking belonging.

The Church is intended to be a place where people belong. Jesus’ sacrifice was a justification that we belong in a relationship with God and one another, no matter what circumstance of life we have previously been. Therefore, it is important that the church does not put additional qualifications to become part of a God’s family because Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection were enough to give us proper standing before God.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 8:26–30.

Paul reminds us about the gift Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reminds us that we belong to God and that we don’t have to try and figure out where we fit in the world because the Holy Spirit tells us that through Jesus, we belong to God. We don’t need to have perfect incantations because the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf in all circumstances before God and in the world. Amid our needs, the Holy Spirit gives us everything and works for good in our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we come in contact with God’s glory that reminds us that only God grants the authority to justify and the Almighty says, “You belong.”

JRMITCH85 Uncategorized

There Is No Equal

6  Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 7  Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. 8  Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 44:6–8.

Many will rise and attempt to claim through direct or indirect ways that the power that has been granted to them is unequaled. Throughout history, empires have risen with the understanding that because they have no rival, the Earth is theirs for conquering. Politicians and corporations take the same tactic; however, it is important for us as followers of Christ not to get swept up in the waves of popular sentiment and take the words of the powerful class as equal to the Gospel. Our Lord, the Creator of the Universe, has no equal, and no power structure on our planet can stand against God.

The nations around the Hebrew people came and surrounded them and ultimately conquered them. This taught the people of Israel that the land promised to them could be defeated on their own and that they needed to put their trust only in God, not their own might or past. Even when the land has been vacated, God remains. When nations rise and fall, God remains. Nothing will outlast God, and thus nothing can oppose God. Even God’s people needed obedience as God asked them to represent the Almighty through their living. However, even Israel got haughty and thought they knew better, and they paid the price.

It is important for us in the 21st Century to remember that we cannot think of ourselves or anyone else as equal to God. Our lives must show that we trust God to guide us and lead us out of any circumstance. This circumstance requires each one of us to approach our relationship with God and others with humility. None of us are God’s equals; only God can guide our lives in purity and holiness. Thus, when we cast aside our allegiances to anything other than God, we purely understand that God alone stands when the world around us fades.

JRMITCH85 Hope

The Unprecedented

Greatness often leads to or comes from might and power. Often military might define the great Empires of the World. As empires spread through the world, conquering peoples and nations, they did it through the strength of their armies and intimidated the nations that dared to stand up to them. This past week we celebrated the American founding leaders standing up to the world power of the day and declaring independence. While this may not have been the first time a smaller nation decided to stand up to one with a much larger military, it began a war that would ultimately lead to our nation’s founding. The colonists fought unconventionally but still used weapons, and ultimately with the help of early allies providing military support, were able to win independence from the British. 

However, the greatness that comes through our obedience to God needs no weapons or military might. Our voices of praise will ultimately show the power of the Holy Spirit over the forces of darkness in the world. God’s Power upends the world in an unprecedented fashion. As the people of Israel left Egypt, they did so without raising a fist, but God’s force eventually persuaded Pharaoh to send them away. As the armies of mighty Egypt pursued them, God allowed them to be saved not through fighting but through God’s Power. 

During the prophets’ time, Israel had to fight against armies invading from the outside. However, mighty armies would ultimately rise and defeat Israel, and Zechariah wrote to the people after their return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. The people had previously relied on their might to save them but now return after their humiliation. Below you will find Zechariah’s words reminding the people of Jerusalem that they will not rely on force but on praise, hope, and peace.

9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10  I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11  As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12  Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Zec 9:9–12.

Looking through history, we create heroes and idols of prior greatness. When we don’t give God total praise for our blessings, we are in danger of humiliation or, rather, forced humility. The people of Jerusalem were defeated and sent into exile because they did not grant their whole worship to God. However, God heard the cries for mercy, and they returned to rebuild the city and the temple. The neighbors surrounded them, mocked them, and even tried to stop their work, but when they worshipped and relied on God to lead, the work could be completed. The prophet also reminds us that any work we do for God must begin with worship and praise. 

From worship, God grants the people hope. The assurance that the work will be completed comes from the knowledge that God completed the work of salvation by bringing the people back to Jerusalem and granted them the mission to rebuild the temple so that they could fulfill the call to be a light to the nations. So too, God gives us the call to be a light to our neighborhood and world, and we have the assurance that God will guide us toward success because God completed the work of our salvation in an unprecedented manner by humbly dying on the cross. No matter what tries to hold us back, God frees us to carry out the Gospel and share hope with the world.

When many of the people faced opposition, they might have felt more comfortable if the armies had surrounded and protected them. However, God instructs them that their defense will not come from instruments of war but rather through humility and peace; true power will come from God. Jerusalem would become a place where God would show unprecedented glory to the world. To the people of Zechariah’s day, God was setting down all weapons and instead would change the world through peace. The temple’s purpose was to be a place of prayer and to bring all humanity to peace with the Almighty God. Jesus embodies the temple with His body. Christians see the foretelling of how Jesus would enter Jerusalem in humility and by bringing peace through sacrifice instead of instruments of war as many expected. God reminds us that peace transforms the community and reconciles the world to Himself through peace. 

Zechariah reminds the people that through unprecedented means, God brought the people back to Jerusalem, and through more unprecedented means, God will help them complete their mission. God calls them to worship, hope, and peace to bring God’s glory to the world. God calls the church to set aside the ways the world would use for influence and return to bring God glory through our unprecedented worship.

JRMITCH85 Character, Faith, Hope

Free From Judgment

As we approach Independence Day in the United States, we hear the word “FREEDOM” in the songs we sing, written on clothing and bumper stickers, but as we look at freedom, God reminds us that we are called to proclaim that our true freedom doesn’t come from the Declaration of Independence or The Constitution of the United States of America. Jesus grants us freedom that was purchased with the sacrifice of His life alone. With this freedom, we need to thank our Lord for seeing our need and loving us enough to break the bonds that sin had on our lives and live in a way that proclaims God’s freedom to the world.

Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, during the Sermon on the Mount, reminds us that as we proclaim freedom from sin, we also understand that Christ has freed us from judgment. God’s judgment on our sin would mean certain death, but Jesus interposed His life for ours. We should wake up every day singing about our freedom in Christ. Many of our songs and prayers ask Jesus to break us free from illness, financial hardship, or some other oppressive force. The following passage reminds us that as followers of Christ, we are called to remind people that Jesus frees us and not to become an oppressive force from which people need relief.

The following is Matthew’s recording of Christ’s words.

“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 7:1–5.

When we read the words Jesus spoke to the crowd, there has been a misappropriation of judgment in the faith community. Judgment has a place in God’s Kingdom, but it is not intended for the followers to use as a tool against one another. Judgment is God’s prerogative to determine between that which is good and that which is evil. Good leads us to a greater relationship with God and others, which connects us to the Almighty. As we grow in our relationship with God, we allow God to communicate the areas of our life that need to be cleaned up. However, Jesus speaks to the crowds because judgment was too often used as a weapon against others. The Pharisees judged Jesus for His deeds. Similarly, they judged people as sinners and derogatorily acted toward them, and looked down on them and their associates. As Christians, we too often take a similar tactic, using judgment to boost our ego and ensure we hold onto a higher status over and against others. Jesus warns us against judgment because we will never fully understand another’s situation, and thus judgment shuts down our attempt at connecting with others.

The person that judges places themselves in the judgment seat that belongs to God alone. Jesus was sent to us to bring us peace, and that peace unites people under Christ. The character of Jesus would make Him the only person that could hold up to the standard of judging established in the Gospel. Therefore, only Jesus can judge the world, but time and time again, Jesus uses this judgment to bring peace into people’s lives. Therefore, we need to follow Jesus and help proclaim freedom into the lives of the people in our community as found in the Gospel. When we judge, our focus isn’t on how we can better follow Christ, but rather we focus on others’ shortcomings. This will also be a result of pushing people away as they would not want to live among us, partially due to not wanting to be an object of our scorn, but also that they don’t want to be around someone with such negativity.  Jesus unites people and invites people to come to the mercy seat. In front of Jesus, we are equals, but judging tries to place ourselves above others.

Freedom from sin to live in the love of Christ is the message we are called to share with the world. The law was established by God to guide us toward the truth. However, people viewed the law as a shackle preventing them from accessing the Almighty, but Jesus freed us from the judgment in the law, to live as free to live in God’s love. Jesus looked at how people would sit in judgment with one another and saw how ridiculous people looked judging one another because all of us were mired in sin. Thus Jesus presented this obviously hyperbolic analogy that when we stand in judgment with anyone else, we blind ourselves to our own faults. Our faults alone are enough to keep us out of the Kingdom, and we need a loving God to grant us hope, making peace between us and God. Thus when we judge, we set aside freedom to live antithetically to the Gospel because we proclaim that Jesus’ sacrifice isn’t enough.

The Gospel calls out to us to lighten the load of people by calling them to come to Christ. The judgment adds to the burdens of the world and instead creates division and broken relationships. The Pharisees embodied the way of judgment and created a situation where people not only felt as if they couldn’t live up to the standards but also that they were devoid of hope. Jesus frees us from the burden and grants the world peace that only the Gospel could.