January 14, Reading Notes

Genesis 30:1-31:16

Unknown to me, I made comments yesterday that apply to today's reading.

Not much to say in this sad tale of woe, but for me as a follower, to note that honesty and resting in God and His word is better than being crafty and clever. Even those knowing the promise and having a mission can ruin and complicate their lives by not putting Christ first. It will continue to get worse for Jacob.

It was good that they had an enemy like Laban to bring them together. A lot of churches are like this, too - bashing the government and lamenting a sinful world, but reaching no one. They are unified in their enemy, not in the Love of their Savior and His mission for them. How sad.

Matthew 10:1-25

Matthew puts the calling of the 12 here to preface Jesus' sending them out. Luke is more chronological and the selection of the 12 was really just before the Sermon on the Mount.

Just a couple of notes here:

First, Jesus sends them out with nothing. Why? The focus is to be on the mission. They need to learn that God will provide. This is almost impossible to learn here, in the western world, where we have so much and can get a line of credit when we need it. We are so surrounded by all manner of distraction that you wonder how God ever teaches us this focus and dependence on Him. Many never get it and never develop as disciples.

Second, since many don't develop as disciples, they are never really persecuted. Paul says, "all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…" A godly life involves living for the mission, sharing the message with the lost, becoming and making disciples. This will automatically bring persecution (and reward). The fact that our lives are so quiet and peaceful on this planet of death is almost an indictment against us as disciples.

Psalm 12:1-8

We usually don't sense the pressure of living in a world that is totally marinated in sin. It is a part of everything, and it rules everything. Sin is closer to us than our noses. To say this, seems objectionable and like something the religious would say. But when you read, "None is righteous, no not one. No one understands, no one seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong. No one does good, not even one," you realize this is reality. Our hearts and lives are fragile because of the sin in us and around us. Only the Love and Grace of God, and His Spirit, sustain us. While wanting to stay true to God (understanding by His grace alone, what "true" is), as disciples, we need to have compassion on those who are lost and have no clue. They want us to be like them so they can feel better about themselves, not realizing they are really dead in their sin. God will guard us, if we let Him, by hearing His Word and doing it. Only then can we reach out to help those who are lost.

Proverbs 3:13-15

Do we really believe that wisdom from God is something to strive after and that it is more precious than anything on this silly planet?

This sounds like Jesus talking about the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price….both of which are Him as Savior and Lord. Is He precious enough to us to forsake everything on this planet and follow Him in the harvest, without stuff, dependent on Him alone, totally focused on His mission for us on this dying planet?

I'm writing these comments to and for those at New Song who are following a One Year Bible and involved in a discipleship cell. We're meeting weekly and discussing the texts, not necessarily my comments. We're growing together, learning to become and make disciples who make disciples. We will all be leading others in this process and training them to do likewise.

The comments I'm writing are in no way exhaustive, but meant to give some leading thoughts on how the text applies to us as disciples and to encourage and stimulate our growth in reading the Bible, with the effect that we will grow as disciples and encourage the growth of others as disciples growing in the word. If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible, in fact, no one in our church reads the version I do, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.