Our traveler continues to sit and think on the recent things he has been told that the Messiah has said.
John 5:43-44 ESV
[43] I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. [44] How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Jesus came in the name of God. At every turn He pointed people back to the Kingdom. Yet. Yet we continued to deny Him. We said He can’t be God for one reason or another and yet He did God’s will, he performed miracles no one could explain. People have come in the past and claimed to be god. They don’t do miracles. They don’t teach about serving others and preparing your soul for Heaven. What they do manage to do is talk, a lot! Yet people believe their words even when they are clearly the words of someone out for their gain. What did Jesus gain? Death on a cross. What have false teachers who claim to be god gained. Riches, popularity, over priced statues you can put in your house. Jesus warned us. He said that others would come in their own name and we would receive them. Yet Jesus, who came in God’s name, we deny. People are so easily swayed, so easily lost. Thankfully Jesus never gives up on us. He is paitent even when we deny Him and follow an idol. We still have time to change and to come to Jesus, but not a lot of time. Don’t miss your chance to run into the safety of His arms.
Category: lent
Following the fourth Wiseman- those who believe are truly free
Our traveler is amazed as he ponders all the things the priests complained about the Messiah saying.
John 5:19-21, 24 ESV
[19] So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. [20] For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. [21] For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
[24] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
He had never heard such words before. Now we who believe have passed from death to life. It is so simple. All the sacrifices at the temple, vanished with the words the King spoke. He would free them from judgment by His own power. Our traveler stopped for a moment.
“But how? What sacrifice will take the place of all of these?”
We know that Jesus is God. Yet there were many back in Jesus’s time and there are still many now who want to claim otherwise. They say He was just a nice man, a prophet, a magician, a rebel, an outlaw. People are afraid of Jesus. His purity and complete love and forgiveness is so different from what this broken world shows and teaches that people don’t want to touch it. It scares them. Yet despite that Jesus keeps reaching out. Like a person reaching toward a dog that does not understand good intentions, Jesus relentlessly stretches towards us. Just like that dog we bite at His hand and run away. But because He loves us He chases after us. Paitent and determined. He is always reaching out, all you have to do is reach back.
Following the fourth Wiseman- Are you still at the pool?
We rejoin our traveler as he walks the darkened cobbled path that he had been directed to by a merchant in the market. The groans of the ill and the smell of the street makes his stomach turn.
“I believe He can do it again!” Says a man laying on the stones, his legs bandaged.
“It was a fluke. Some strange medicine from another land.” Replies another.
“Medicine that could make a man you and I have seen to be crippled for all the years we have been here, get up and walk?”
“You think too much.”
“I have hope. If He healed one He may return to heal more.”
Our traveler walks over to the two men who are speaking and asks them of what they speak?
“None of your business.” The one replies, but the other, smiles.
John 5:2-3, 5-9 ESV
[2] Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. [3] In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.
[5] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. [6] When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” [7] The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” [8] Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” [9] And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
“Can you believe it?” The man asks excitedly.
Our traveler nods his head, “Yes. I certainly can.”
Our traveler goes back to the market and buys bread and fruit and returns to the alley where he dispenses the food between the people there.
I have always had trouble with the pool of Bethesda. Not the mystery of it, there could have been something God was doing there, or ot could have been a mineral pool. We do know there were stories of people who went in and came out healed. What bothers me is the healed man. There were most likely many people there. Near that exact spot. All of them. Every. Single. One. Needed healing. Yet, Jesus chose to heal only one. I don’t understand that. I never will. Sometimes we see someone receive something that we deserved. We were just as good, we worked just as hard. Yet we walk away with nothing. Why? We cannot always understand God’s will. There are times when it confounds us to the place of doubt. Yet He is still good. Remember what the three Hebrew boys said in Daniel? “And if not He is still good.” To have that faith. To watch the Messiah heal one man and walk away when there were many others there who needed Him just confuses me to no end. But He had a reason. We still don’t know what that reason was. Was it the man’s faith? Jeuss does not say so. Was it because he was Jewish? There were probably other Jewish people there. Was it simply because he had been there the longest? Perhaps he had prayed and Jesus had come in answer to that prayer? We won’t know the answer until we see Jesus ourselves and ask Him. Even if you are the man in the alley, still crippled; or the woman on the stairs, still blind. Jesus has not overlooked you. He sees you. He has a plan and a purpose for your life just as you are now. Would a miracle be great? Of course. But sometimes He only heals one, yet He still has a path for the others. Don’t lose hope because you are still sitting by the well. He sees you, He knows you, He understands you, and He has not forgotten you.
Following the fourth Wiseman- John 3:16
We find Our traveler sitting on the beach today. His eyes are looking at the clear water and the way the breeze moves it, but they are not focused on that. His mind has full control over him, he has heard words from His Messiah through a passerby. The words were nothing he had ever experienced before, and he now can do nothing but sit and think on them.
John 3:16-21 ESV
[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. [20] For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. [21] But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
What was your first thought when you read this verse for the very first time? For God so loved the world. He have us Jesus. We wouldn’t give our place in a Tim’s lineup to people, and God gave us who are so unworthy, His Son. He sent Jesus to save the world. God knew what Jesus had to say would be hard to swallow. He know that people would feel like they were being condemned to death by how narrow the path is, so Jesus reminded us that He came to save the world. He is the light. Yes, the path is narrow, but it is possible for those who know and love Jesus. Run to the Light. Run toward Jesus. This verse, John 3:16-21 is the whole gospel in a nut shell. Jesus came to save us because He loves us and we weren’t making it on our own. He came to be a light to show us the way. The only way to Heaven is by knowing and loving Jesus. Those who love their sin will hate Jesus and will hate those who love Him. But Jesus will continue to shine bright, so even those who once hated Him can come to love Him. Those who love Him, walk in light.
We quote John 3:16 to the place where it’s almost over used. Non Christians quote it as a joke. Athletes put it on their jerseys (which is wonderful). It’s written in the air by sky writers during big events. We hear it all the time. But do we take it in? How do we feel? How did you feel when you first read this verse? Do you still feel like that? Our traveler is lost in his thoughts of overwhelm because of the mesmerizing words. Do these words still overwhelm us? Or have we forgotten how precious they are?
Following the fourth Wiseman-Nicodemus
As our traveler makes his way through the city he is stopped suddenly by one of the Pharisees. Our traveler is concerned, he knows his beloved Messiah is not someone the Pharisees approve of. Perhaps he is about to be accosted because he has been seen as one of His followers?
“I hear you have been wandering around and asking questions about the man from Nazareth?” The Pharisee inquires.
Our traveler nods his head.
“Why?” The Pharisee presses.
“Because I believe He is someone I… no…we, have searched for for a long time.”
“You must keep such thoughts to yourself. You would not be safe saying them to anyone else.” Our Pharisee smiles. “That being said. Would you like to hear of my own meeting with Him?”
Our traveler smiles back, “let’s go someplace quieter.”
The two strangers find a safe side road and begin their conversation.
John 3:1-5 ESV
[1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” [3] Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Our traveler is anxious little confused and very excited. “He said these things?”
“Yes, and more. I feel… like I am new after speaking with Him.”
“Which direction did He go when He left?”
“I’m not sure. I was in such awe I did not watch Him leave. If I learn more of Him I will seek for you and let you know.”
Our traveler thanks the Pharisee and leaves.
Jesus often spoke in riddles so that you could not understand without the teaching of the Holy Spirit. He did this as part of the narrow road. That may not make sense to all, but we must we recall the verse where He says this. It was also a custom of the time to speak in parables. The reason Nicodemus was confused was not because he was unskilled or uneducated, he was a priest and very knowledgeable. Yet Jesus’s words confounded him. Why? Because Jesus was speaking of a kingdom that the Pharisees and other leaders had not even thought of. A kingdom where all who come to the narrow gate may enter Heaven if they are washed by the blood of the Lamb. The gate is still open and still confounds some, but others find it and understand. Don’t ignore the open gate. There will come a time when it closes. Walk through it, and be with Jesus.
Fourth Sunday:
Following the fourth Wiseman- And all the rest
Our traveler left his new friends with a joy in his heart that replaced the sadness and disappointment of that morning with a burning fire. Our Traveler walked a ways until he found a small hillock and made camp for the night. As he lay on his back with his camel by his side, his eyes stared at the stars and he wondered how many more his Messiah would call and who they were?
Matthew 10:1-4 ESV
[1] And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. [2] The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; [3] Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [4] Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
We hear specifically about the calling of eight of the twelve deciples, but we don’t really have a lot of information on the others. We know that Simon was a zealot and it is suggested that Judas too may have been. We know James number two was the son of someone named Alphaeus, where Thomas and Thaddaeus were just names in the list. Actually, though he comes later, Bartholomew can also be added to Jesus’s deciples. Who were these men? What had their lives been before Jesus called them? Were they married? Did they have girlfriends or children or pet fish that they left behind? Was it a great sacrifice to follow Jesus? Or did He lead them out of bad places and into the safety of His presence?
We really don’t know. There are side texts and historical records that point to some of them, but there is nothing Biblical record. I suppose that is sort of what it is like to follow Jesus. Once you choose to go with Him who you were before does not really matter. Who you are once you give your life to Him, the things you do after, these are what count. Simon did not stay a zealot. Peter did not remain a fisherman. Matthew gave up being a tax collector. These were what had previously defined them. Now the only thing that defines them is Jesus.
Who you were does not matter. What you did before you met Jesus no longer counts. He has washed it all away, now you are someone new. Loved and chosen.
Following the fourth Wiseman- the tax collector
Matthew 9:9-13 ESV
[9] As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. [10] And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
Our traveler was shocked and stood in sadness at what he had been told. The Messiah he was looking for, the one he had just considered following once he found Him, He was acting like one who was not pure. Our traveler was angry with himself for all the years he had spent. For the true Messiah was to be Holy, yet this man sat with the sinner.
The two men accounting what they had heard and seen of the calling of the deciples spoke calmy to our traveler.
“Just wait. We are not yet finished in our tellings. Sit, please.”
Though still upset, our traveler sat down again and listened as his companions began speaking again.
[11] And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [12] But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. [13] Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Our traveler’s eyes felt warm as he held back his tears. He realized in those simple words, that he too would be welcome at the table of Jesus. He was a righteous man, one who sacrificed to God and honored Him. Yet he knew that he was broken and full of sin. There were days when he felt no amount of sacrifice could pay for his guilt. Yet the King he sought after was seeking out the lost and those broken by sin and was offering them a chance to change, He was offering love and hope. He was not impure, He was not making Himself unclean and sinning with those who had chosen to not serve God. He was offering to those who were ready to let go and come to Him a way out from their pain.
“I too am a sinner. I have worried about when I meet Him because of this. Yet now I know that I be with Him and He will help me change.” Our Traveler stated through a mix of joy and tears.
The other two men smiled and nodded their heads, they had been where he was and had gone from anger to peace at the realization of what Jesus had meant.
There have been so many who want to claim the tax collector’s table. They say, “Jesus will welcome me there just as I am.” But then they go no further. They remain at the table of the sinners. Yes, Jesus is sitting there, but He will not remain there. Jesus is sitting at that table because it is the place the broken are willing to come, but He has planned a better table with a great banquet, yet to be seated at this table you must be willing to change.
Here Jesus calls Himself the physician there to heal the sick. You do not seek out a health care professional so they can say, “ya you’re fine, go on the way you are.” You seek them out so they can tell you your illness and help cure you from it. If I go to a doctor and he says, “I can’t see anything wrong with you.” I not only feel like I have wasted my time but I also question his qualifications.
Jesus was not saying, “I like sinners and their sinning and I want to sin with them.” He was not saying, “I see you and don’t judge you.” He was definitely not saying, “you be you bo.” He was saying, “yes these people are sinners, but I love them and have come to heal them.”
The calling of Matthew was a radical move. But look closely. Jesus calls Matthew and Matthew gives up his tax booth and leaves all of that behind and follows Jesus. Matthew is exactly who we are supposed to be. We are all sinners. All of us. The fact that Jesus will forgive us and let us come to Him, that’s what’s amazing.
Imagine being Matthew. Everyone hates you. Your people hate you because you cheat from them and work for the Roman’s. The Roman’s hate you because you’re not Roman. Then one day someone looks you in the eye and says. I love you. Follow me.
Amazing.
Guess what? He loves you. Follow Him.
Following the fourth Wiseman- the fig tree
Our traveler is anxious to hear more! His Messiah is calling people. When the two men with him had first began telling what they knew of Jesus’s calling of the first deciples our traveler had been confused by the “band of un-schooled ruffians and old fishermen,” but now as he listened a new thought came to him, and it filled him with such excitement and joy that he could hardly contain it. If Jesus was calling others, people of low standing and no formal training in the law, perhaps he could join and follow Jesus too?
The two men with our traveler continue speaking. They relate the way the next deciple came to follow Jesus.
John 1:45-51 ESV
[45] Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” [46] Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” [47] Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” [48] Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” [49] Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” [50] Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” [51] And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Here in this verse we can assume that Jesus said ‘I saw you while you were under the fig tree,’ because Nathaniel was sitting under a fig tree when Philip found him. However, I like the way The Chosen series portrays this scene, Nathaniel has just lost everything, he literally sets fire to his ambitions and dreams and then in tears gathers the ashes and pours them over his head, all while under a fig tree. Do you know why I like this? It’d because it gives so much more meaning to the moment when Jesus says, “I saw you under the fig tree.”
When we are in desperation, and our dreams have gone up in flame, and we sit alone and crying, we can feel no one in the world sees us, nor cares. Yet in the moments we are closer to Jesus than any other time. Why? Because we have nothing else, so we draw nearest to the only one who has stayed beside us, the only true thing that has not disappeared with all the rest. Jesus says He draws near to the brokenhearted because it’s in those moments that we feel no one sees us, yet the King of the world is saying, “I see you when you think you are all alone and no one cares, I care.”
I do not know the true path that lead to Nathaniel’s door, but I know that anytime I am having a fig tree moment, my Jesus is with me.
Following the fourth Wiseman- when Jesus says follow me, will you stop what you are doing and go?
John 1:43-44 ESV
[43] The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” [44] Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
It has been said that Philip was most likely a follower of John the Baptist. We could then produce the hypothesis that Philip might have previously met Jesus through John before, though there is no evidence to that thought. In my mind I see Jesus walking through Galilee and seeing Philip and going up to him and asking him to follow. Jesus was never demanding people to follow Him, they could have said ‘no,’ but each one of them knew in their hearts that this man was different, and each one of them followed Him willingly. We do not know much of Philip, all we know is that Jesus said ‘follow,’ and he did.
Following the fourth Wiseman- The calling of the first deciples
The calling of the deciples.
Our traveler walks in disappointed silence. He was sure that he would the Messiah in the nearest city to where the man in the camel skins had been proclaiming about him. Yet, when our Wiseman reached the city he found no one. He searched for days and was left with nothing to shore for his effort. He had then made his way to back to the oasis he had seen the man. From a fair distance he could make him out and someone was with him. A thrill went up the spine of our traveler as he felt in his spirit that this was the man, this was who had been searching for.
All weariness left our traveler as he pulled on his camel and began running toward the people in the distance. A clap of thunder sounded and in terror the camel turned and bolted. Our traveler’s hand was bound in the animal’s tethers and he was dragged behind him away from his Messiah. He screamed and cried in desperation, trying to peel the leather from his hand and return to his King, but it was no use. All he could do was try his best to calm the charging animal and pray that it would not harm him in its panic.
After several hours he returned to only find two men walking past the spot he had seen his Messiah. He asked them where they were going and if they had seen the man in camel hair and the other who was with him.
The two men laughed, “seen them? Of course we’ve seen them, did you not hear what happened?”
Our traveler shook his head and the men sat him down, offered him water and food, and began to tell their story.
They too had seen Jesus baptized.
John 1:35-39 ESV
[35] The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, [36] and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” [37] The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. [38] Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” [39] He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
The men exchanged excited looks, “but that’s not all. We were curious and chose to follow behind a ways. You will not believe what happened next!”
Luke 5:3-11 ESV
[3] Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. [4] And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” [5] And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” [6] And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. [7] They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. [8] But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” [9] For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, [10] and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” [11] And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Our traveler sat in rapture at the tales the two men shared. So the man he was seeking was gathering an army? To overthrow Rome perhaps? But, why these men? Two followers of a man who liked to live in the wilderness and a set of common fishermen. These were not the men he thought a King would use to begin his army. He shook his head. Who was he to judge who would be a good soldier and who would not. What was important was that the Messiah was there. He was closer now than he had ever been to finally meeting him.
We can never tell why God will permit us to draw close to something we long for only to make us wait. How often have we been our traveler? Longing to reach out and touch our vision only to be pulled away by something else?
When our traveler sees Jesus from a distance and all his weariness fades away and he begins to run to Him, that is how I see heaven. We finally reach the finish line. We are weary from the fight to survive this world. Then we see Jesus. All the pain, sadness and fear leaves our bodies and we run, we run with everything we have in us and He lifts us up, spins us around and holds us tight as we laugh together. The road is simply what we walk until we reach Jesus face to face. It can be hard and it can hurt, but in the end, paradise.
Carried in the cross 