Contemplative Bible Reading

Matthew 3:13-15 (Christian Standard Bible)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”

15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.

This is part of the (hi)story of the immersion of Jesus in water by John the Baptist. This translation uses the word “allow.” Jesus asks that John “allow” Jesus to be baptized. John then “allowed” Jesus to be baptized.

For now, substitute the word “accept” for “baptize.” Jesus wanted to be accepted by John in front of all those who were with John in the wilderness. John resisted as John wanted to be accepted by Jesus. John relented and accepted Jesus.

I think that sometimes we confuse the order and meaning of words regarding baptism. We tend to say, “I was baptized.” We rarely say, “This group of Christians baptized me.”

I know there are others who know much more about the depths of discussions regarding baptism and salvation. For this little blog post, consider the ways we talk about baptism, allowance, and acceptance. Perhaps baptism is a sign of acceptance from a group of Christians that admit a person into the group of those who—with many trips, stumbles, and falls—are following after the Son of God. We want to be identified as a follower of the Son of God. We are accepted as a fault-filled person into a group of persons who are also filled with faults.

Again, there are those who know this topic much better than me. As a fault-filled person, I ask that they accept me.

Zephaniah 3:19 (Christian Standard Bible)

19 Yes, at that time
I will deal with all who oppress you.
I will save the lame and gather the outcasts;
I will make those who were disgraced
throughout the earth
receive praise and fame.

Jehovah the God of Israel is speaking to the people through the prophet Zephaniah. There will be a time coming when Jehovah will live with the people. It will be a glorious and joyful time.

I like the phrase in the middle of this verse about saving the lame and gathering the outcasts. The lame and the outcast lived in a sorry state at the time of this message. They were not fit to enter the Temple and be nearer to God. They were literally cast out by society.

Sounds like me. I am not fit to be near to God. My sins soil my clothes to the point where I cannot ever clean them. And there is no clothing store nearby to sell me nice, new, and clean clothes. I am cast out.

Jesus Christ, however, brings me in. Jesus Christ cleans my clothes. I am no longer lame; I am no longer cast out by society.

This is pretty simple. This doesn’t make any sense. This is true. Some days I accept it while some days I just don’t …

And there are days when I cannot enable anyone else to understand this, either. Please God, help me to understand and help me to live in such a way that others around me can understand as well.

Luke 3:23 (New Living Translation)

23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.

Jesus was about half the age of life expectancy when He began His public ministry. Three score and ten is seventy years of age. The life expectancy in Jesus’ time and place was much less than seventy. Jesus was practically middle age or past His prime or a “has been.”

Jesus was the Son of God and did all things well and … well, you know … Jesus was Jesus.

Yet Jesus had to wait until He was about thirty years old. That required great patience to wait that long. That is what Jesus did; He waited and waited and waited. Jesus waited until Peter, James, and John and others were ready to hear Him. Jesus waited until just the right Roman rulers were in just the right positions of power. Jesus waited for the lame to be in just the right place at just the right time. And Jesus waited until Judas was the right age to be the treasurer and the betrayer.

I’m in a hurry—too often. Waiting until just the right time and place … that is a tough job. And what makes it tougher is that I don’t know just the right time and place for the other person and everything. Thinking back on my life, God put me in just the right time and place to love and serve just the right person.

This is all too complicated for me. How does God do this? I’ll never understand. Please God, help me to trust and obey.

Mark 3:20-22 (New Living Translation)

20 One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons…

The family of Jesus was concerned that “He’s out of his mind.”

The teachers of the religious law said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons…”

There was much happening at the time, but one thing that is listed before these statements is that Jesus and the disciples “couldn’t even find time to eat.” Again, much was happening, but this is what was mentioned specifically—time to eat.

Eating a meal has meant different things in different cultures at different times. From this (hi)story, it seems that eating a meal was pretty darn important in the time and place of Jesus’ ministry. The absence of “time to eat” brought all sorts of concerns from mental health to demon possession.

Simply, Jesus and the followers were serving, not being served. Does anyone accuse me of serving too much? Perhaps I don’t want to know the answer to that question.

Matthew 8:16-17 (New Living Translation)

…and he (Jesus) healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said,

“He took our sicknesses
    and removed our diseases.”

Told many centuries earlier, the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who would take away the sins of mankind, the Christ would take our sicknesses and remove our diseases. And Jesus of Nazareth did these things.

People became well. What’s more, their diseases went to Jesus. Jesus removed the sickness from the people and took the sickness into Himself. Jesus bore the sickness Himself. Jesus became sick so that the people would not be sick.

Only whole and well people could enter the Temple and be in the presence of God. Jesus was not just being the world’s best doctor. He was changing the state of the people so that they could be in the presence of God. Jesus continues to do this for me. Jesus takes my dirty sins away so that I am clean enough to be in the presence of God.

That is a miracle. That is only something the Son of God could do.

Micah 6:8 (New Living Translation)

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

There are acts that the people wanted to do for God. Imagine that—we could do something for God that God needed, how silly.

“No,” God tells the people through the prophet Micah. The LORD God has told the people what is good. Let’s repeat it one more time.

Righteousness. Mercy. Live humbly with God.

We know what is right. There is no teaching required. It is plain to us. Simply do it.

Love mercy. Keep mercy in our hearts. Show mercy in our lives.

Walk with God in a posture that shows that God is God and I am not.

Pretty simple stuff. It is good.

Matthew 8:32-34 (New Living Translation)

32 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.

This is part of the (hi)story of Jesus casting the demons out of two men. The demons departed into a herd of pigs and the pigs charged down into a lake and drowned themselves.
Try to imagine this scene as the herdsmen saw it. They didn’t see the spiritual battle. They saw a herd of pigs charge down a hillside and drown themselves in a lake. Picture that. It is crazy; it is violent, and it is a frightening display. This Jesus fella’ shows up and crazy, violent things happen.

In fear, the herdsmen fled.

In fascination, the townspeople came to Jesus.

The townspeople didn’t want to meet Jesus and hear what Jesus had to say. Instead, they wanted Jesus to go away and leave them alone. One crazy, violent event was enough for them. Go away. Please.

The power of God can be terrifying. We have science fiction movies with super heroes transcending reality and doing crazy, violent acts all the time. Old hat, blah, so what? Yeah, well let’s witness something real. Not so blah. Terrifying.

And, as usual, it’s not the event, it’s the reaction. How do we react to the power of God? Come near to God? Tell God to go away? Dear God, help me to come near to You.

Jonah 3:10-4:1 (New Living Translation)

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened. 1 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.

Jonah was a reluctant but successful evangelist. God saw the people of Nineveh repent. God changed His mind and did not destroy the great city and all its people.

Jonah didn’t like God’s new plan. Jonah wanted his plan to be executed.

That’s about the way it is, folks. I (like Jonah) have my plan; God has His plan. I am not God. That can be downright aggravating at times. God does what is best. I admit that, but sometimes, I don’t like it, and I don’t understand it, and you know …

God, help me in my lack of understanding and dislike of Your plans. Grant me the humility to know that I am not You. These things seem so simple, but sometimes just don’t sink in.

Matthew 20:28 (New Living Translation)

28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus concludes a discussion on what we value with this statement about His own life and ransom.

One definition of ransom is “something paid or demanded for the freedom of a captured person.”

All of mankind for all of history was captured by death. (There is much about death we could discuss, but not today.) To be freed from death, a ransom was paid. The ransom is something valuable, but not as valuable as the persons freed. I value the captured persons more than I value the ransom, so I give up the ransom to have the persons freed.

Let’s step back a moment and consider this. God valued the life of His Son less than the souls of man. Hence, God gave the life of His Son in exchange for the souls of man.

Yes, I am a tiny part of the souls of mankind, but I am a part. God values my soul more than the life of His Son. And what am I doing with this soul that was freed at such a price? Yikes. Do I have to answer that?

Perhaps I can start by giving a drink of water to a thirsty person. Perhaps I can put a blanket on a cold person. Perhaps there are many ways I can show appreciation for being ransomed at such great a price.

Jonah 3:10-4:1 (New Living Translation)

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened. 4:1 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.

This is one of those odd chapter breaks in the way man has divided the scriptures for ease of reference. It is one thought on two pages.

God saw how the people of Nineveh repented and put a stop to their evil ways. God repented, i.e., changed His mind, of the intent to destroy the city. Life instead of death. Joy instead of mourning. Who wouldn’t be happy about this? Jonah wouldn’t.

Jonah “threw a fit.” Jonah was so mad that he wanted to die, well, maybe not literally die, but…

Sometimes I wonder about God. Sometimes I wonder, “What is wrong with God?” Look at the human suffering on a personal level. Surely God will heal this one person here. That would make life so much easier for that person and the dozens of people around the ill person. Surely God will.. and God doesn’t. Why not? I wonder.

Jonah didn’t like the people of Nineveh. God loved the people of Nineveh. Perhaps “like” and “love” are the key words. I would like some things to happen. God loves some things to happen. And God has a much better view of the entire situation.

Jonah sat on that hill outside of the city and baked in the hot sun. He was greatly upset that God had changed plans for Nineveh. Those folks wouldn’t “get what they had coming.” And Jonah wouldn’t get what he had coming either. He had disobeyed God and run off to the far ends of the earth. God forgave Jonah. God forgave Nineveh.

Some change of plans seem right to me, some don’t.