I heard a song once that went, “sometimes I pretend we never met, because it’s harder to forgive than to forget.” Pretty sad, right?   If I were to ask you if you are currently harboring any ill will towards someone in your life right now, what would you say? We have all been mistreated, and we have all mistreated others. So how does the Bible suggest we handle this? Should we just simply “forgive and forget”? Is that what God does when we sin against Him?   Forgiveness can be defined as “stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for (an offense, flaw, or mistake)” or “cancel (a debt).” Think about how final and clear these definitions are. If a debt is cancelled, the balance is zero. There is no debt. If you “stop” something, it does not happen anymore. To paraphrase Newton’s first law of motion, “if a thing is stopped, it stays stopped unless acted on by an outside force!” We can think about forgiveness two ways: God’s forgiveness of us, and our forgiveness of one another.   To understand what the Bible says about forgiveness, we have to understand what it says about sin. Sin is often described as “falling short,” “missing the mark,” or “committing a trespass.” When we sin, to put it simply, God has a mark against us! We have a debt that must be paid or a grievance that needs to be cleared. The beautiful thing about God’s grace and forgiveness is that He will forgive us!   1 John 1 speaks clearly about how God views sin, but also what He has done about it:   “…if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” ( vss. 7-10 )   Here, we learn several things: first, all have sinned (see also Romans 3:23 ). Second, it is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us. In this way, we learn that we cannot wash away our own sins. God is the judge of our righteousness, meaning the debt is to Him. Just like financial debt, we cannot cancel it ourselves. Third, while we cannot declare ourselves righteous, there is something we can (and should) do in order for our sins to be forgiven: confess! While God already knows that we have sinned the moment it happens, He wants us to confess our wrongdoings to Him, and thankfully, we can rest assured that “He is faithful and just to forgive us.”   We get more insight into what God’s forgiveness looks like in passages like Hebrews 8:12 , (“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more”) and Isaiah 43:25 (“I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins”). Now, it can be easy be confused by the idea that a sovereign, omnipotent God can “forget” something, but this is not as if our misdeeds just slip His mind sometimes. The idea of forgetting I think is meant to show the completeness of His forgiveness. If something is forgotten, it is simply not there! God is so just and exacting in His measurements of righteousness, that if He is going to declare us “forgiven,” He is going to forgive us completely, as if He has forgotten the sin ever happened.   All this brings us to our sins against one another. We desperately want forgiveness when we sin against God, and we do not like to offend or hurt others. I do not know about you, but when I know I have done something wrong against someone, I get all panicked until I know I have made it right. However, admittedly, sometimes when the roles are reversed, I am not as eager to forgive as I am to seek forgiveness. We cannot blot out memories of wrongs done. Some sins against us personally hurt very badly, and may cause major chaos and drama in our lives. Even “smaller” slights can completely change the way we view certain people and tempt us to hold on to those things for years. So what are we to do?   Jesus says to His disciples, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” ( Matthew 6:14-15 ). People can hurt us in a multitude of ways, and hurt us badly! But at the end of the day, we serve a God that is gracious, merciful, and forgiving. When He forgives, He forgives completely. When I find myself “remembering” past grievances I thought I had forgiven others for, I remember the forgiveness of sins I have by the grace of God through baptism. I remember His faithfulness and justice in forgiving His people, and that helps put any wrongs that I have a hard time forgiving into perspective.   Somethings we may not be able to forget, but we are called to forgive.

How would you respond if someone called you Satan?   That would be quite a shock, right? Did you know that at one point Jesus called His apostle Peter Satan?   This may sound like Jesus lost His temper or misspoke, but He did not! Why would He say such a thing? To understand this, we need to go back to the very beginning of Scripture, to the garden of Eden. Consider Genesis 3: 1-5 :   “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”   At his core, Satan’s main purpose is falsehood, chaos, and rebellion. If God says something is one way, the Devil will say it is another. If God says you should go right, Satan will do everything he can to make you go left. If God says something will kill you, Satan will make you think it will enlighten you. The thing about Satan though, is that while circumstances and world landscape may have changed, his tactics have not. There are so many sins in modern times that people think may them enlightened or brighter than those around them in one way or another, but God has always made it clear: if we do something He says not to do, we WILL surely die! Satan’s game in Genesis 3 is to make the fruit look “good,” “delightful,” and “desirable,” to Eve, by outright lying about what God had told her. Unfortunately, as we well know, he succeeded; she ate, her husband ate, they were expelled from Eden, and the rest, as they say is history.   Which brings us to the New Testament. Again, all throughout the ages, Satan’s tactic of sowing doubt, sorrow, and lies where God has planted surety, hope, and truth has not changed. When Jesus comes to earth and begins His ministry, Satan not only attacks Jesus directly (Matthew 4:1-11 ), but does what he can to get at the apostles as well. Luke 22:3 and John 13:27 for example, both describe the moment Judas decided to betray Jesus as “Satan entering into him.” Other than the example of Judas’ betrayal though, one of the clearest moments we see Satan’s influence on Jesus’ inner circle is in Matthew 16:21-23 , which says:   “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” (See also Mark 8:31-33 )   Now, returning to our original question: why does Jesus call Peter Satan? Is that language too strong? I do not think so. Do you notice what Peter is doing here?   Jesus said multiple times that He was going to die. As His ministry continued, in fact, He was even clearer about what was going to happen, even indicating above that it would be the Jewish leadership that was primarily responsible for having Him killed. Mark 8:32 even tells us that “He said this plainly.” Jesus often used parables or metaphors to teach, but His prediction of His death was a prediction, not an analogy. But how does Peter respond? Similar to Satan in the garden, saying, “you will not surely die.” God said that if Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they would die, and they did regardless of how Satan tried to twist what God had said. With Peter and Jesus, what Peter lost sight of in that moment, was that difficult as it may be, if Jesus said He was going to die, then He in fact was going to die, no matter how upset Peter got, no matter how much he tried to rebuke Jesus for saying such a thing. Jesus had to come to earth to die for our sins, and not even Satan himself would stand in the way of Jesus accomplishing His Father’s will.   Jesus’ summation of Peter’s shortsightedness is that his mind was set on earthly things, not the things of God. The “things of man,” are pride, fear, anger, revenge, and self-preservation. The things of God are humility, sacrifice, service, and love. When we look at our lives and how we can be tempted to react when Scripture says something difficult, counter-cultural, or counter-intuitive, we must remember Peter and Jesus’ interaction here. As Christian’s, we take the route of sacrifice. We pick up our cross and follow Him, without letting anyone or anything stand in our way.   When trials, temptations, and bad influences cloud our vision of the cross, we have to recognize where those obstacles come from and say what our Lord said: “Get behind me Satan!”   And then keep moving forward. Onward and upward.

You sit down across the table from someone you just met. You just happened to strike up a conversation in a public setting and decide to sit down together to talk some more. After just a couple of minutes, the conversation takes a turn, and this person starts telling you your own life story! Imagine they make a comment about your past, so specific that you are stunned because there is no way this stranger could have known that. In fact, it is something that very few people know about you, and you do not talk about often because it is embarrassing. How do they know? Why do they bring this up? What could all this mean?   Two thousand years ago, just outside of a town called Sychar in the region of Samaria, there was a woman, whose name we are not told, who had an experience quite similar to the one mentioned above when she met Jesus at a well. First, it is important to note the social dynamics at play between these two people. Jews and Samaritans had great social tension between them that went back centuries. They did not like each other at all. Jews especially viewed Samaritans with intense hatred, and would go to great lengths not to have to travel through Samaria. As John puts it in John 4:9 , “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”  Despite this, Jesus takes His apostles through Samaria, sits down at a well to rest, and sends His apostles into town to buy food (4:6-7). The woman quickly acknowledges the unexpectedness and abnormality of Jesus addressing her at all, much less striking up a conversation with her, when she says, “How is it, that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” ( 4:9) . Jesus answers by referring to “the gift of God,” and “living water,” and His comments seem to confuse the woman at first, but over time, she becomes convinced that He is the Christ. Her main reason for believing He is who He claims to be? As she puts it, “He told me all that I ever did.”   What happened was, after speaking to the woman about eternal life, Jesus asked her to go get her husband and come back to Him to talk some more. She had not mentioned this ahead of time, but He knew (as the Omniscient God Incarnate) that she had in fact been married five times and was currently living in a sinful relationship with a man she was not married to. We are not told why she had been married five times or what the exact situation is with the man she is currently with is, but we can imagine that her past would have been a source of great shame and heartache for her. Imagine the awkwardness, sadness, bitterness, and pain that would come from five failed marriages. Then add to it the guilt associated with her current relationship. Beyond all of that, though, her painful past is being trudged up all of a sudden by a man who from her perspective, does not know her at all! The truth, though, is that He knew her before she was born! What a powerful thought!   We all react different ways to feeling guilty. I would imagine for many of us, if our past sins were brought up unexpectedly in a conversation with a stranger, we might take offense to that and not want to keep talking, or just be so embarrassed and ashamed that we look for an escape. However, as this woman talks with Jesus, she is appropriately convicted of her sin, and His talk of eternal life and God’s gift to mankind starts to make sense. He was here to save people from their sins, not by sweeping them under the rug, but by addressing them head-on and overcoming them with His own blood! She certainly did not understand all that that meant just from their interaction at the well, but the ball was rolling. All because He told her all that she ever did.   As we look at the skeletons in our closets and the shameful parts of our pasts that only God Himself fully sees and comprehends, may we first be convicted of the high price that sin has, but also find overwhelming comfort in the fact that Jesus died for us, “while we were yet sinners” ( Romans 5:8, 6:23 ).   It is only when we look at Jesus’ description, price, and payment for our sin that we can fully acknowledge that He is “indeed the Savior of the world” ( John 4:45 ).

James, the half-brother of Jesus, inspired by the Holy Spirit says in James 1:26-27 , “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Sometimes, people say “Religion” is a bad thing. Certainly, there have been terrible events that have happened in the name of religion. However, one must define what they’re referring to when speaking about religion. Let’s make some observations from the passage above to see what we can learn from James about religion. The word refers to one’s holy service and exercise of devotion to God. The word Religion and Religious are used a few times in the New Testament . We have it here in James and in Acts 13:43  where it says, “Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing (religious) proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue to in the grace of God.”  The word “Religion” is used in five passages, Acts 26:5, Galatians 1:13-14 , and the passages in James. James says Religion is a good thing! There is such a thing as pure and undefiled religion! As We think about being religious, we need to consider what God sees!  One can think himself to be religious, but his actions must also align with his words. It’s not enough to be say we are religious, but we should be living in a way well-pleasing to the Lord. Specifically, James speaks about the tongue (James 3). We can deceive ourselves when it comes to being religious . What we say is what is in our hearts, Mark 7:21-23 . The apostle John spoke about the dangers of Christians deceiving themselves (1 John 1:8). While a person may deceive others and even themselves, God can’t be deceived. God sets the standard for religion ! God tells us what He’s looking for in His people. He’s looking for purity, helping the needy (which requires action), and to be in the world but not of the world. This is the religion that God will accept. James has already spoken on speech in James 1:19  and returns to it again as he speaks about pure religion. We should take seriously what we say. Widows and orphans were often singled out in the Old Testament. In Psalm 68:5 , it says, “A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation.”  Like our heavenly Father, we should be concerned for widows and orphans. We are to be unstained from the world. James will speak of heavenly wisdom and worldly wisdom later in James 3 . We must guard our actions and our hearts from the things of the world if our religion is going to be pure and undefiled. True religion is both inward and outward . One who is going to be religious and accepted by God must be hearers and doers of His word, James 1:21-25 . We must submit ourselves to the teaching of Jesus and His apostles. A transformation of the heart must occur and when it does, the proper fruit will be demonstrated outwardly.   “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

“I’ve considered being a Christian before, but there are too many hypocrites in the church.”   Have you ever felt this way?  Or maybe met someone in your life who felt this way? I have.  This can be a challenge for many people who engage in spiritual discussions.  This is actually a very common reason why many people either leave the church or refuse to join it altogether.   How should we respond to this argument: that the church is full of hypocrites and therefore the church should be rejected?  If you feel this way yourself, consider, is this a valid justification for refusing to acknowledge Jesus?   When someone says to me, “there are so many hypocrites in the church.”  My first response would be this….   YOU’RE RIGHT!   The church is made up of men of many different types and personalities. Are some of them hypocrites who aren’t practicing what they preach?  Yes I'm sure there are. However, does that discredit the church?  No way!   Let me make a simple illustration.   If I start teaching that 1+1 = 3, what would you say?  You should  tell me that I’m wrong.  But here’s the real question; just because I’m teaching error regarding this simple math question, does that mean that math as a whole is to be thrown out and considered “not worth our time?”  Silly example, but it’s the same logic. Applying this example, does the existence of a few individuals teaching or practicing error discredit Christianity as a whole? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Christianity, the way God designed it , is perfect and has no error to it. Error enters the picture when you introduce men into it. Because men aren't perfect. Christianity, the way some men often practice it , has error. Romans 3:23  tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  This mindset that we are discussing is one that becomes prevalent when we place our trust too strongly in men instead of God. Because sadly, there are many men in the world today who claim to practice Christianity, who really don’t.  However, if we dismiss the entire notion of Christianity on this basis, then we are simply distracted from what’s important. Men are not infallible as God is, so men will mess things up. There are many different teachings and beliefs in the world today that men call "Christianity" that don't line up with the Bible and what it teaches as truth. It's important to note that errors made by men, or sinful lifestyles that people adopt that they call "Christianity," don't discredit Christianity, the Bible, or God. There is a true and correct way to be a Christian, and its authenticity and validity are not to be questioned due to any individual or group being in error. To question Christianity on this basis is a logical error. 1 John 1:8  says that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  No one should be too arrogant to admit that sin exists in their life.  Because we all sin!  Because of this fact, we should expect to find sin amongst brothers in the church, and not be surprised by it.  This doesn’t mean that we tolerate it, it just means we shouldn’t be surprised when we see it. So, to the one who finds hypocrites in the church and is upset by it; here are two Biblical principals to remember: 1.      We can point it out to them and help them!  In Matthew 7:1-5 , Jesus talks about this very thing.  He cautions us first to check our own lives first to resolve sins that we may need to rid ourselves of, but then teaches that if we have dealt first with our own sins, then we can help others with theirs.  So if we see sin in the church, lets deal with it and get rid of it together! 2.      Ultimately, we can trust God to separate the weeds from the wheat.  Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 13:24-30 about the separation of weeds and wheat.  Ultimately Jesus is talking about the church and the fact that there will always be a mix of good faithful people (the wheat) and sinful people who need to be removed and “thrown away” (the weeds).  God is a righteous and all-knowing judge who will be fully capable of sorting out the truly faithful from those who are not. So if we see sin in the church, and consider avoiding God as a result, think again!  We are still expected to be faithful, even amongst the weeds.  God will take care of the weeds later. Finding sinful or hypocritical people in the church is NOT AT ALL a valid excuse to dismiss Jesus all together. It’s not sound logic, nor will God be accepting of it.

It is impossible to fathom just how powerful God is. When we think of His size, Isaiah 40:12 asks rhetorically, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” While I do not imagine that God literally has a cosmic-sized scale to measure the weight of the mountains and hills, we do know that He is omniscient, meaning that He knows everything from how many galaxies and stars there are (He made them all!) to how much the mountains weigh, to how many hairs we have on our heads (Matthew 10:30) !   Even in the resurrection, the foundation of the Christian faith, we see His immense power. He is able to defeat death, and that was 2000 years ago! In modern times, there is a general arrogance that goes with scientific and technological advancement that over the past century has had man believe that it is only a matter of time before we “have it all figured out.” However, a simple look around at the manifold problems around us makes it clear that while we have new technology and have discovered some of the details of how biological and chemical processes happen in our world, there is less certainty than ever before in human history as to the “how” or “why” behind human life. The more knowledge science gains, the more it realizes for itself that there are no limits to the intricacies of our universe. From the molecular level to the cosmological: the more we learn, the more apparent it is that we know relatively nothing! While remarkable medical advances are made all the time, science will never be able to produce an “answer” or “cure” to death. This side of eternity, there will always be more to learn, understand, and “fix.” This is the reason faith in God is so important. He is so far beyond us that we have no reason to fear what we do not know, because He knows everything! Humanity will never come close to knowing a fraction of what God knows, and while to some that may sound daunting, there is actually great comfort in that!   Look at what Paul says in Ephesians 3:14-21 … “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”   Paul is praying for the Ephesians to be strong in the Lord, “according to the riches of His glory.” In the natural world, we see the richness of His glory, and the very power of the natural processes set in place and maintained by God Himself is the same power Paul is invoking to strengthen the Ephesians, because it comes from the same source! Put another way: the power that created the world and holds it together and the power that keeps us moving forward in Christ are from the same source: God Himself! He has demonstrated His power to us in a multitude of ways that we cannot even see or understand, and Paul is confident in His use of that power to strengthen His people with power, even to their “inner being.” What an encouragement to think that God is using His incomprehensible power to comfort and strengthen us as we go through day-to-day life serving Him.   Paul goes on to appeal to the Ephesians to be “rooted and grounded in love.” We know that “God is love” ( 1 John 4:8 ), and again, when we look at creation, the cross, and God’s daily provision for our needs, we see His immense love. There is nothing more stabilizing in this world than the love of God. When we set our eyes on Him, and take a moment to meditate on and absorb all that He is, does, and has done for us, we can rest assured in the fact that if He loved us enough to send His Son to die for us, He will be faithful in His blessings to us. Beyond that, Paul says that because we belong to Him, we can be filled with all the fullness of God! Things may not be perfect in this world, but we have the power of God at work within us, and He cannot be stopped!   Finally, Paul glorifies God and takes a moment to remind the Ephesians (and us) just how powerful He is. He is able to do “far more abundantly than all we ask or think”!  Paul reminds us in the most extreme language he knows to use that God is infinitely, immeasurably more powerful than we can imagine. He is eternal, His ways are “unsearchable,” and yet He created us so that He could love us and so that we could be His. What a blessing to serve a God that is “immeasurably more” than we are, in every way imaginable!

“For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you…” 1 Peter 1:18   In 1 Peter 2:13-14 , Peter then says: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.” Notice what the apostle does here as he encourages the saints. First, he reminds them of what Jesus has done for them (and for us.) What a blessing to be reminded of the great love of God. We’ve been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is not something to be viewed as cheap or common. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. He was unblemished and sinless. He appeared (that is He came to earth) for our sake or for our benefit! Peter emphasizes the great salvation we have and what we have to look forward to when Jesus returns for His church one day. Second, Peter encourages the saints with having the proper response to this great gift given to us by Jesus! How? We are to live a certain way for the sake of the Lord. Specifically, we are to submit ourselves to every human institution. This can prove quite challenging for some, and yet we are called to do this. This could have proved challenging for Peter’s listeners because of suffering they were experiencing. But for the sake of Jesus, this is how we respond. In fact, in 1 Peter 1:17 , Peter says, “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” Why? For the sake of Jesus and what He’s done for us. Finally, consider what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:18-19 : “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.” Let us bear up under sorrows for the sake of conscience toward God. Other translations say: “…Because of a consciousness of God…” CSB “For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.” NIV “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.”   Jesus suffered unjustly for our sake. Let us be willing to do the same His sake. Jesus appeared for our sakes! One day He will appear again. In 2 Peter 3:10 Peter says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” Why will Jesus return to bring His people into heaven with Him? For our Sakes. Therefore, let us live our lives for His sake.

What is a Parable? A parable is often defined as "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning." Jesus frequently used parables to convey spiritual truths in ways that were relatable to everyday life. He spoke of planting seeds, losing something valuable, and other simple, timeless scenarios. These stories are easily understood and still relevant today, showing how basic and universal their messages are. But the challenge lies in uncovering the deeper, spiritual meaning behind these relatable stories. The earthly part is easy to grasp, but what spiritual lesson is Jesus trying to teach? Why Did Jesus Use Parables? Why didn’t Jesus just state the spiritual truths directly? In Matthew 13 , the disciples ask this very question. After hearing the Parable of the Sower, they wanted to know why Jesus spoke in parables. Jesus explained that the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to those who are willing to seek them. The gospel is for everyone, but only those willing to seek the truth will understand it. This doesn’t mean that some people are excluded from understanding. The truth is available to all, but it requires a heart that is willing to seek, ask questions, and think critically. Jesus wasn’t trying to hide the truth from people. In fact, He explained the meaning of His parables to those who sought understanding, like His disciples. In Luke 8:16-18 , Jesus emphasizes the importance of listening carefully and seeking the truth. Nothing He taught was meant to remain hidden; it was all there for those willing to put in the effort to understand. "He Who Has Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear" This phrase, often used by Jesus, is a call to truly listen and seek understanding. It’s not just about having physical ears but about having a mind and heart open to the truth. Whether you’re listening to a sermon, reading the Bible, or studying on your own, the key is to be attentive and willing to learn. Albert Barnes, in his commentary, explains that "He who has ears to hear let him hear" implies that it is every person’s duty to pay attention to what is being spoken. Jesus wasn’t responsible for making His teachings easy for everyone to understand. Instead, He expected people to seek the truth within his teaching themselves. What Hinders Understanding? Several factors can hinder our understanding of Jesus’ parables or any other teaching: - Unwillingness to Learn : If we don’t feel the need to learn from Jesus, we may miss the point of His teachings. - Complacency : Believing we already know enough can prevent us from truly understanding. - Arrogance: Assuming we have all the answers closes our minds to new insights. - Preconceived Ideas: Thinking we know what’s being said before fully listening can lead to misunderstanding. These attitudes were present in many of those who heard Jesus' parables but didn’t grasp their meaning, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees. They missed the deeper truths because they weren’t willing to seek them. Conclusion Understanding Jesus’ parables requires more than just hearing the words. It requires a heart and mind open to seeking and understanding the truth. Anyone can understand the truth, but not everyone will. It’s up to us to be the kind of people who stick around, ask questions, and seek deeper understanding. In doing so, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven will be revealed to us.

There are few displays of God’s power and might that are quite as amazing to see as storms. While they can be scary and dangerous, they also show just how powerful of a God we serve. David uses storms to describe God’s power in delivering him from his enemies in Psalm 18:12-16 :   "Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters…"   Throughout the nation of Israel’s history, there are many examples of God doing incredible things for them. Even within just a few chapters in Joshua, for example, He destroyed walls while the people marched in circles, held the sun in the sky, and used hail to destroy Israel’s enemies. Joshua was a faithful leader that helped encourage the people to have faith in God’s power over their own, even when they were outnumbered ( Joshua 10-11 ). Up to this point in their history, they had gone from a family of twelve brothers to a mighty nation in just a few generations, seen the plagues and other miracles to get them out of Egypt, been sustained in the wilderness for forty years, and then were being given the land of Canaan without much effort or any military expertise on their part.   Centuries later, David shows himself to be “a man after God’s own heart,” in part meaning that He relied on God’s power rather than his own ( 1 Samuel 13:14 ). He knew that despite his personal shortcomings and moral failures, God was eternally holy, upright, and good. Not only that, He had immense historical and personal evidence of God’s working on behalf of His people. To this end, he is honest with himself (and appropriately humble) about the role his own faith had God working on his behalf. He says in verses 20-24 :   "The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight."   While it is untrue that the righteous will never experience suffering or hardship, we do know that the Lord protects His people and works powerfully on their behalf. Whether we are observing the power of a thunderstorm, lose electricity, experience hail or wind damage, we can take courage knowing that the Omnipotent God that controls creation is still and will always be on His throne in Heaven.   When we look at our lives, do we have the same confidence that David did that we are presenting ourselves as blameless before God? It is incredible to think that as Mighty as God is, He still cares about and loves us. He has communicated His will to us through His Word, and has expectations for our lives and how we use them for His glory. David obviously knew what it was like to turn his back on God, ignore His laws, and make horrible mistakes, but he also knew that the way back into God’s favor was repentance and continued obedience. When we see God’s power on display, do we put our faith in Him and “keep ourselves from guilt?”   Praise God for saving us, cleansing us, and always working on our behalf. May we trust and serve Him faithfully as He continues to powerfully provide for our needs and act as our Refuge, Shield, and Fortress throughout life’s many storms.

There are many common phrases in modern vernacular that come from the Bible, one of which is “the blind leading the blind.” We often use this idea to talk about a situation in which someone is helping a group of people and no one in particular is better equipped to lead or teach than anyone else. For example, if I were to teach someone piano, it would be the “blind leading the blind.” I cannot play piano! It would just be two novices messing around (and it would sound pretty terrible)!   This phrase is first found in Matthew 15:10-20 , and in the context, Jesus is talking with the Scribes and Pharisees, who have taken issue with the fact that his disciples do not wash their hands before they eat, thus “breaking the tradition of the elders” (vs. 1). Jesus then cites an example where scribal tradition had gone directly against something that was explicitly commanded by God. By making this point, Jesus brings to light the importance of staying true to the word of God, no matter what “traditions” man may have made from it. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with traditions (as long as they do not go against God’s word), but fidelity to the scriptures and obedience to God’s commands has always been of the utmost importance. At the end of the day, though, it was precisely due to this intense affinity for their rabbinic traditions that caused the Jewish elite to lead their followers “into a pit,” so to speak. They cared more about their extraneous regulations than they did about the straightforward laws laid out by Moses.   Jesus uses this discussion as a teaching moment in which he informs his disciples about the danger of the Scribes and Pharisees’ approach to teaching: they are selfishly putting their interpretation of God’s word above the self-evident truth of the Word itself, and leading themselves and those that listen to them toward destruction.   Jesus uses several metaphors in this passage, but here are some key takeaways: - Uncleanness: Cleanness and purity laws were a core aspect of the Old Law. Many of these laws had to do with physical contact with people or objects that were unclean. However, the point of these cleanliness laws was always to point to the purity of heart that God expects from His people. We are to be holy, for He is holy ( 1 Peter 1:15-16 ) Food is ingested and excreted; this is a normal biological process that says nothing about our heart. - Roots: We are to be “rooted and grounded in love” ( Ephesians 3:17 ). We are “established in the faith, just as [we] were taught,” being “rooted and built up in [Christ]” ( Colossians 2:7 ). Christ is the Rock upon which our lives are build ( Matthew 7:24-27 ). There are so many ways in which our lives are built on Christ: He impacts everything: how we treat people, how we make decisions, even how we view life itself! Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 15 that His Father has specific intentions for the type of fruit His followers will bear. He defines what productivity and success looks like in His vineyard. If we are not rooted in Him, we are not rooted at all. - Blindness: This lack of roots leads to blindness. Without a “home base,” we are aimless wanderers, headed into the abyss with our eyes shut. People who claim to know they way to eternal life, glory, or deep-seated joy are blind frauds. Jesus tells his disciples to leave those kinds of people alone ( vs. 14 ). They are truly the blind leading the blind: people that know nothing about the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and both they and those that follow them will end up falling into a pit. In other words, there is no way but Jesus’ way!   Jesus concludes this section by defining what does in fact defile a man: sin. Sin comes from the heart and can take many forms. Whether ungodly thoughts about others, unbridled anger, lust, envy, etc., all sin separates us from God and “defiles” us. That is why we must guard our hearts so closely.   Jesus makes it clear that the issue the pharisees were originally so worried about was not a problem at all. There is no spiritual problem in eating with unwashed hands. An unclean heart, however, leads to all types of issues. For this reason, whether we are teaching or learning about God’s word, we must be careful to do exactly as it says, or we may just find ourselves leading others or being lead other right into a pit…

Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, ‘There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.’ Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, ‘As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.’ Nathan then said to David, ‘You are the man!’ 2 Samuel 12:1-7   This is the parable Nathan gave to King David to help him to see his sin concerning Bathsheba. There are a few thoughts that stand out in this story. It was a great approach to get King David’s attention. Jesus often taught in parables. It’s good for us to do the same. David could clearly see the problem of the rich man in the story yet couldn’t see his own. Why is it easier to see the problems of others, but not our own? Pride? Denial? Lying to ourselves? David knew exactly what the rich man in the story was to do. Yet David failed to do what was right. Because of David and his sinful choices, Bathsheba was taken, her husband Uriah was killed, David and Bathsheba would lose a child, and the sword would never depart from King David’s house. David was the problem. Sometimes we may find that in relationships we are the problem. That can be hard to admit. In fact, many have denied that they are the problem. Consider some examples:  “When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is this you, you troubler of Israel?’” 1 Kings 18:17 Elijah was innocent. He was doing God’s will. It was easier for Ahab to say the prophet was the problem instead of himself. “But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him? The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophecies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla. But Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.” 2 Chronicles 18:6-7 The prophet wasn’t the problem: the King was! Yet he failed to see or acknowledge his wicked ways! “Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:4-7 Was Abel the problem? No! Yet Cain took out his angry (not justified) out on his brother. Cain was the problem but failed to heed God’s warning. When challenges and difficulties arise, we may find that we are the problem. How are we to respond? Not like Cain or Ahab. But rather like David. David heeded the words of Nathan who helped him to see his sin, 2 Samuel 12:13. David could have ignored the words of Nathan. Many kings ignored and rejected the words of prophets. We too, if not careful can ignore wise counsel from God’s word and godly people. We will all need a Nathan in our lives at some point. Let us be wise and listen when what is shared is valid. David acknowledged his sinful behavior, 2 Samuel 12:13 . There was no one for David to blame. He took ownership of his sin. We must do the same. David remained with the LORD even through the difficult consequences, 2 Samuel 12:16-24 . David didn’t get angry at the LORD. Rather, he turned to the LORD. When we are the problem, we can still turn to the LORD for forgiveness. We can run back to HIM! When we find that we may the source of problems, there’s a right way and a wrong way to respond.

In Luke 18:10-13 , Jesus shares the following story:   “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’   If you are unfamiliar with this type of story, it is referred to as a “parable.” You can somewhat think of a parable as a sort of “spiritual fable,” so to speak, in the sense that the story is not meant for entertainment, nor is it a factual anecdote of something that Jesus really saw. It is a story meant for demonstrative and teaching purposes. In the context, Luke tells us that this parable was told “to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” ( vs. 9 ). First-century Pharisees were notorious for this type of attitude, so much so that people with such an attitude of hypocrisy, virtue signaling, and moral condescension are referred to at times as “pharisaical.”   This is precisely why Jesus appears to use them as an example in His parable. Jesus was keenly aware of people’s hearts, and we know that as God, Jesus could read people’s hearts ( Luke 16:15 ). On the one hand, I am sure many of us have known people where we thought they were a good person, maybe we even looked to them as a role model, and then something happened that made it clear that their heart and mind was corrupt and much different than we would have suspected. On the other hand, maybe you have had the experience where you assumed the worst about someone, but then they turned out to be a really great person. I will be the first to admit I have had that experience. This is the precise phenomena Jesus is expressing in His parable. See, while Pharisees were famous for being highly educated Jewish teachers and religious figures, tax collectors were known essentially as traitors of the Jewish people. At the time, the Roman Empire was occupying Jerusalem, and tax collectors had the job, as the name indicates, of collecting taxes from the citizens for the Roman Empire. As you can imagine, these taxes were often steep, unfair, and the punishment for not giving Rome their money would be harsh, making these tax collectors even less popular than the modern IRS! They were viewed with great contempt, essentially as sellouts working for the enemy. However, go back and read the parable itself again. Between these two men, whose attitude do you think is more Christlike: the Pharisee or the Tax Collector? More simply, which man’s attitude is more palatable? I would imagine many of us have great distaste for outspoken arrogance like that of the Pharisee. Maybe we find it difficult to even fathom going to God in prayer and being so bold as to talk about our own righteousness, while talking to The Eternally Righteous One. The two men in this parable are not only contrasted by their attitudes but by their social standing. They are not only juxtaposed to each other but to themselves—the Pharisee, an outwardly religious man who ironically exalts himself before God, and the tax collector, a likely wealthy and somewhat powerful man who begs God for mercy. It is because of this Jesus explains the meaning of the parable by simply saying, “I tell you, [the tax collector] went down to his house justified, rather than the [Pharisee]. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”   Jesus makes it clear in this parable that God is the one who exalts, not us. We must always be careful and cautious that we do not get to the point that the Pharisee reached where we are so overzealous about our holiness that we are boastful. On the other hand, may we look at God with the eyes of the tax collector and allow ourselves to be humbled by His holiness and overwhelmed by His mercy. We need not proclaim to God all that we have done, as the Pharisee does; He already knows. The only appropriate response to being in front of The Almighty I Am is to fall on our faces and plead with Him to bless us. He assures us that if we do this, He will exalt us well beyond any social status, career, or financial gain this world can provide us.   We were dead in our sins. God is unlimited in His mercy. Keeping that in perspective is of the utmost importance.   “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” ( Romans 5:6-11 )