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Reflection on Matthew 21:33-46

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Scripture

“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing
and is wonderful to see.”

Observation
Jesus tells a parable about a man who develops a vineyard with every conceivable facility and then leases it. When harvest time comes he sends some servants to collect his share of the harvest. The tenants beat up the servants and send them away, so the owner sends a bigger group of servants with the same result.

Finally he sends his son. The tenants think that by killing the son they will gain ownership of the vineyard.

Jesus asks his listeners what they think will happen next. They reply that he will kill the tenants and lease the vineyard to someone who will give him his share of the harvest.

The leaders realise that the parable is a word against them. Ironically they respond by wanting to kill Jesus, but they are afraid of the people.

Application
The Jewish leaders had been entrusted with leading God’s people. But they had broken this trust by using their position for their own gain. Jesus says they will be dealt with by God.

Christians can feel entitled in the same way that these leaders did. We can be tempted to feel that God is blessed to have such good people as us in His kingdom. We might feel that following Jesus makes us better than non-christians.

God will surely judge all forms of pride and self-righteousness.

Prayer
Father, show me if there is any attitude in me that is based in false pride. I repent of these things and ask for your forgiveness. Amen.

Reflection on Philippians 3:1-14

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Scripture

More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Observation
Paul was against those who put their trust in circumcision. This is a work of the flesh. Paul was the most Jewish of Jews, zealous in everything, but this did him no good.

Now he sees that everything is loss compared to knowing Christ. He just wants to know Christ and to share in the power of the resurrection.

He hasn’t yet reached this goal but he presses on. His goal is the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Application
Paul’s overarching aim is to know Christ more, but not in a fleshly, self-directed way. He longs for a deeper fellowship with Christ. All of his work and his suffering come from this desire to know Christ more.

I need to make that my aim also. There is no disappointment, no sense of failure, no conflict of interests when all we want is to know Him more.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, come and reveal yourself more fully to me. Help me to make Paul’s desire my own. Amen.

Reflection on Psalm 19

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The stars call out

Praise to our God

The sun and moon

Adore Him

The birds of the air

Sing glorious hymns

And all creation

Bows down to the King.

Your word O God

Is finer than gold

You reveal yourself

Unmask the sins of men

You show the way to salvation

And lay out the path of holiness

I will praise you

With all my strength

And worship you

Reflection on Exodus 20:1-21

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Scripture

Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Observation

From the holy mountain, the Lord gives Moses the ten commandments. These commandments are to be the foundation of all relationships in the land.

The laws were not given capriciously. Some come with blessings for obedience or curses for disobedience. There are consequences that flow from living in covenant with the Lord.

The people see the smoke and lightning and hear the powerful sounds of God’s presence and they are afraid. They ask Moses to speak to them on God’s behalf. Moses exhorts them to seek God’s presence for themselves but they refuse.

Application

It is right to be afraid of God. He is the one who can destroy not just the body but the spirit also. We must always remember that God is holy- very different to us.

It is important also to recognise God’s immeasurable love for us. The people saw the manifestations of God’s holiness and they were afraid to draw close to Him lest He kill them. But Moses pressed in, attracted to God’s holiness and love.

Holding back from God out of fear holds no blessing. Pressing in, regardless of the cost brings awesome relationship with our Lord.

Prayer

Today Lord I choose to press in, to draw closer to you. I bring my worship, but also my body and spirit, laying myself before you as a living sacrifice. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 17:1-7

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Scripture

So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

Observation
The Israelites move on at the Lord’s command. They camp at Rephidim but there is no water there.

The people complain against Moses and demand that he supply them with water.

Moses goes to the Lord who tells him to take his staff and use it to strike the rock at Mount Sinai. Moses does this, and water comes gushing out of the rock.

Application
The people move through the wilderness at the clear direction of the Lord- cloud during the day and fire at night moving ahead of them. They are fed daily by God’s miracles. They escaped Egypt miraculously.

Despite all of this, they never seem to get the message that God is with them and will supply all they need.

Even when we have experienced the provision and bounty of the Lord, we often forget He is wonderfully kind and supplies all we need.

We need to keep on reminding ourselves of all that God has done in the past to remind us to trust Him in the present.

Prayer
Father, thank you for all that you do in my life each day. Please help me top trust you in all things. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 20:1-16

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Scripture

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Observation
Jesus tells a parable about a man who employs labourers for his vineyard at different times of the day, promising to pay each one the same amount.

When the time comes to pay them, he arranges for the last employed to be paid first. The men who worked all day are outraged that they receive the same as those who worked just one hour.

The owner points out that they received what they agreed to. As the owner he can do what he pleases with his money.

Application
Grace can be annoying, especially when other people receive it. We think it’s fine for God to forgive us, but struggle to cope with the idea that God might also forgive paedophiles, murderers, sex traffickers and other really bad people.

This is the scandal of the cross- Jesus pays it forward for everybody.

Is it fair that some mass murderer confesses on his death bed and gets into heaven scot free?

Of course it’s not fair, and that is just the point. It’s not fair that God chooses to overlook my sin in the same way.

It has never been about justice. It’s all about God’s extravagant love.

Prayer
Father, your grace is truly amazing. I deserve nothing from you, but you give freely. Thank you. Amen.

Reflection on Philippians 1:21-30

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Scripture

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Observation
For Paul the choice between living and dying is equally weighted. To live means achieving more for Christ. To die means to be with Christ.

He encourages the Philippians to live their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel. They are to be united in mind and spirit, contending for the faith.

God has granted them the privilege of believing and also suffering for Christ.

Application
The high point of faith is to have the attitude of Paul that whether we are in this life or the next, Christ is all in all.

Too many christians can only see what is happening in this life and so become discouraged or confused when things don’t work out the way they expect.

For Paul this is all in God’s hands. He desires to be with Christ, but in the meantime he will do all he can to serve Christ.

It is this attitude of Christ at the centre of all we do that makes for a person of faith and maturity.

Prayer
Lord Jesus. It is so easy to take my eyes off you and become distracted by the world. Please help me to put you at the centre of all things. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 16:1-15

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Scripture

As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

Observation

The Israelites move out of Elim and into the wilderness. There, the people complain against Moses and Aaron, already longing to return to Egypt. They forget the hardship and the forced labour and look nostalgically to the “good old days” which were far from good.

The Lord promises Moses that He will provide food for the people each morning and each night. Moses and Aaron summon the people, and as they are talking, the glory of the Lord appears.

From that day, the Lord provides manna each morning and quail in the evening.

Application

Change can be difficult. At times we are tempted to resist what God is doing and go back to the past. Sometimes we will even lie to ourselves about how much better things used to be.

As hard as change is, we can look forward to God leading our ways and providing what we need. Bread and meat every day! Supernatural guidance!

The hard part is that we have to be prepared to yield control to God. We want to make our own path and secure our own provisions. It is only when we follow God’s path and really really trust Him to work it out (with no Plan B’s, just in case He doesn’t come through) that we find the miracles.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to place all of my life into your hands and to trust you for the way forward. I yield all my Plan B’s to you. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 18:21-35

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Scripture

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

Observation
Peter asks Jesus how many times he is required to forgive someone who sins against him. He suggests seven times, but Jesus says “Not seven times but seventy times seven.”
Jesus then tells a parable about a man who is forgiven a huge debt by a king. The debt is so big that nobody could ever expect to pay it off, but the king forgives him. The man finds another servant who owes him a few thousand dollars and refuses to show the same grace that he has received. The result is that the king rescinds his previous decision and has the man thrown into prison.

Application
Forgiveness is at the heart of the gospel. Firstly God forgives us of our entire catalogue of sin. Then he expects us to live out the same grace in our daily lives.
To harbour resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness is to show that we have not allowed the grace of God to deeply penetrate our hearts.
Forgiving other people is hard work. It goes against our human nature to do this. Most of us want to keep a record of wrongs to justify ourselves. The deeper the hurt we have suffered the longer it will take to move to the place of letting go.
God’s commandment is that we must love our enemies, and His kind of love keeps no record of wrongs.

Prayer
Father please help me to respond to your forgiving grace by forgiving those who sin against me. Rescue me from all forms of bitterness. Amen.