Matthew 24: What I learned as a young Christian

I was saved on October 21, 1973. Unknown to me at the time, Israel was in the midst of fighting for its survival after being invaded by Egypt in the “Yom Kippur” war. I soon learned that Israel’s defensive wars against Arab invaders were understood by many Christians as prophecy fulfilled: “if you want to understand Daniel and Revelation, just read the newspaper,” was a commonly-heard expression. Armageddon was in the air.

The early 1970’s were also an active time for religious cults. The Moonies and Hari Krishna were skilled recruiters who of baby boomers disillusioned with their parents’ weak religion and materialism. The Moonies and an outfit called The Way International were active in Burlington, and I encountered them both as a potential recruit and as an intervenor when they tried to recruit believers even younger than I.

Which brings me to Matthew 24, one of the extended “end times” teachings of Jesus. As a teenager reading my Ken Taylor translation “Living Bible” New Testament over and over, I learned three things:

1)    Anyone who says he is the Second Coming of Jesus, isn’t. Unless he is coming on the clouds and attended by angels.

2)    No-one but the Father knows the day and hour Jesus will return. I was always baffled by the easy certainty with which some “biblical experts” asserted He would return by 1978. The message of the Word may have been “negative” on the subject, but it was clear.

3)    It was the job of all Christians, including me, to watch, serve, preach and if necessary suffer persecution. And wait.

I still don’t know much about the particulars of end-times prophecy. Revelation and Daniel and Matthew 24 tell me we are engaged in Game Seven of the World Series between eternal, sovereign good and eternal, wannabe sovereign evil, and that God bats last, and He will win it in the bottom of the ninth inning. How the rest of the game goes between now and then, I just don’t know. I’m just blessed and grateful to be in the game.

Matthew 23: Seven Woes for a Modern Pharisee

    ¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. ^{[14] [b]}

Sorry, but I don’t have time to hold open the door to the Kingdom of Heaven for people. I’m too busy earning my fortune, polishing my civic image, and being active in church. My goal is to have the most impressive obituary in town.

   ¹⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

What are you talking about, Jesus? I don’t lift a finger to convert anybody.

   ¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

What I hold sacred is my own well-being. I tell the truth when I need to because I’ll be fired or sued if I don’t. Heaven, temples, and altars got nuthin’ to do with it.

   ²³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

“C’mon I go to church, I blog about the Bible five days a week, I don’t have time for justice and that other stuff. Anyway it sounds suspiciously liberal.”

   ²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

Who you callin’ blind, Jesus? Don’t you see what’s about to happen to you? You’ll never see me carrying any cross. I’m taking the right steps, slapping the right backs, saying the right things. I’m going places.

Man – sometimes I think I just don’t know you.

   ²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Jesus, sometimes whitewash is beautiful. As long as no-one knows about my mistress and the money I’m making on the side, what’s the harm? Anyone who counts either doesn’t know or doesn’t care.

   ²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

Jeremiah and I would have liked each other. Neither of us have anything good to say about anyone.

   ³³ “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? ³⁴ Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. ³⁵ And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

Is the world really so wicked? Except for martyred Christians in persecuted countries and jailed opponents of PC politics in the west, I can’t think of any shed blood of the righteous. Unless of course you’re all worked up about 60 million abortions….Anyway, since when am I their keeper? Anything I do for them is strictly “extra credit.”

   ³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[c]”

All those Jews and Arabs killing each other in Jerusalem. Glad they’re not my problem. See you later, I've got important things to do and important people to impress, right here in the good old rock-solid U.S. of A.

Matthew 22 - You Don't Tug On Superman's Cape.....

You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
and you don't mess around with Him

That's my version of the old Jim Croce song that says you should never try to play Theological Gotcha with Jesus. That is the old, usually pointless game in which competitors ask leading questions that mystery-challenged theologians from Augustine to Zwingli have puzzled over without solving: sovreignty of God vs. free will, exact circumstances of Christ's return, etc. In Matthew 22, religious institutionalists - self-appointed Masters of the Game - dropped three zingers on him, and then had the tables turned when Jesus asked one of his own.

The Pharisees asked 1) can a godly man pay taxes to Caesar, 2) how can there be a resurrection if it will result in celestial adultery, and 3) what is the greatest commandment? Did they really want enlightenment? Apparently not - they were "testing" him (v. 35). But the answers of Jesus "amazed" and "astonished" them, so naturally they got out of Dodge (v. 22) rather than mutter, "maybe you've got something there, Jesus, I never thought of it like that."

Groupthink bullies, whether at the Temple two millenia ago or at a large workplace near you, when successfully challenged tend to shut up, hide, and plan their revenge for another day. Which is exactly what the S, P & S (scribe, Pharisee and Sadducee) gang did.

Nevertheless we are glad they asked their questions, because we learn not only good truths from Jesus but also take heart at their authority and originality. Our Lord really does have the goods, doesn't He?

The kicker is when he asks them: so how is it that (Psalm 110) David says, the LORD (Jehovah) asks my lord (Adonai "master"), sit at my right hand? I mean, who ever could David be talking about? And even more scary - who are the footstooled enemies? No wonder that after that "no one dared to ask him any more questions."

A word to the wise from the Only Wise God: Ask Jesus whatever you will, he doesn't mind. As long as you really want the answers for the Kingdom's sake. But if you're just playing an unending game of Gotcha, you'll lose every time. And for all time.

Matthew 21 - And the cursed fig tree stands for.....

Jesus heals the sick and lame in the temple, and the Pharisees who were supposed to nurture Israel.....didn't.

Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees to a son who said he would obey the father, but....didn't.

Jesus then compares the scribes and Pharisees to vineyard workers who were supposed to take care of their master's vineyard, but.....didn't.

So when a hungry Jesus looks for breakfast from a fig tree that was supposed to bear fruit but....didn't -

He cursed it. Call it the Sign of the Fig Tree. People, like trees, are called to bear fruit of compassion, obedience, and faithfulness. All we like fig trees have gone astray, but the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Matthew 20 – Who Will Be "The Greatest"?

The mother of James and John asked Jesus to place one son at his right hand and the other on the left when he came into his Kingdom. Sensing a wide disconnect between the disciples’ ambitious self-entitlement and what He knew the recipient of this honor must first endure, Jesus laid out the qualifications for sitting on his right and left hand in Glory:

1.       Disqualifier:

-          criticizing God’s grace and favor shown to others (v. 16)

-          Lording authority over others (25-26)

2.       Doesn’t matter:

-          Length of service (v. 12)

3.       Qualifier:

-          Drink the cup that Jesus would drink: betrayed, mocked, flogged and crucified (v. 19)

-          Be a servant (26)

-          Be a slave (27)

-          Give your life so that others would be delivered (28)

An employment ad might read:

"WANTED: Two persons to sit at right and left hand of Jesus in His Kingdom. Numerous years of ministry experience not essential. Applicant must not seek any worldly power or authority. Must be a servant and/or slave and eventually be betrayed, mocked, flogged and crucified, doing all with a loving willingness to give one's life to deliver others."

Here I am Lord, send me!

.....Not!

Honestly now - that is just NOT me. I'd be a better candidate for the Russian women's gymnastic team. But - at the risk of sounding howlingly hypocritical to those who know me all too well, I pray, "Lord, lead me, your servant to the world around me - show me the next thing you want me to do, and then show me the next thing after that. I rely on your gracious direction and empowerment to drink the cup you want me to drink, be it sweet or bitter." 

So, who WILL sit at His right or left hand?

Maybe an American slave who willingly suffered beatings at the hands of his pious slavemaster that in the twisted "law" of the plantation deserved to go to another slave who hated him - and did it because it's what he thought King Jesus wanted him to do.

Maybe a Moslem or Hindu who trusted Christ knowing she would be burned to death, and died in the flames forgiving the family members reviling her as she endured their torment.

Maybe a Rich Young Man who gave his money away and spent the rest of his shortened life on the street, begging food and washing floors and giving away his time, talent, treasure, status and comfort to street people who called him a fool, except for the few who were delivered from Satan's grasp into the Kingdom of Light. 

I guess we'll find out.

Two Ways of Looking at the Rich Young Man

Matthew 19 - The Rich Young Man

The cynic is me pictures the story ending this way. A smooth, well-dressed man sidles up to Jesus, puts his arm around his shoulder, gives the Master his most sincere look of concern, and says:

"Jesus, as one ministry leader to another, let me give you a word of exhortation, brother: you missed a golden opportunity, and I do mean golden. Look at your operation - gleaning wheat from fields, catching the occasional fish, depending on your camp following women for support - you need to take it to the next level. And here, right in front of you, an idealistic young rich man is practically begging to give you his money! You almost got it right, what you SHOULD have told him is this: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell all your possessions and follow me by giving me the money." If anyone complains, drop your "The poor will be with you always, but you will not always have me" line on them - that's perfect for that situation."

Jesus probably would have responded with what he often told hypocritical takers: "You have already received their reward." If not something stronger in the "brood of vipers" vein. But he loves generous givers, and he hoped he might find one in the Rich Young Man. What a gift Jesus offered him, that for mere money he could change his identity from minion of the world to citizen in the Kingdom of Heaven. That's like immigration's new EB-5 program, except more so.

The non-cynic in me remembers two giving saints who said "yes", both of whom have gone on to inherit 100 times more and then some. Pop Fenwick was a school janitor and an early member of North Avenue Alliance Church. When the young North End congregation wanted to build its first building, Pop Fenwick mortgaged his house. The large sum, freely offered and given, put the effort "over the top." Years later, yours truly was saved in the "House That Pop Built." I also think of Agnes Kerr, a young woman who gave not money but her life's work to the Vietnamese people as a missionary. Years later she was my French teacher and an early influence on my development as a young Christian. She never married, but she had many "children" in the faith - I hope that in Glory now she is enjoying their company.

"Guest Post" from Tim Steiner of Isle La Motte re: the Transfiguration - a "must read"

Dear One Year New Testament Blog readers:

Tim Steiner of Isle La Motte, a dear brother and one of the original "Jesus People" of the Bethel Commune in downtown Burlington in the early 1970's, has submitted this commentary on the Transfiguration. Insightful and well worth the effort to read....and by the way, all readers are welcome to contribute your thoughts. I would like this blog to be a forum of edification for all OYNTB readers and writers.


The Transfiguration always sneaks up on me in that each time I consider it, new shafts of light emerge.

On obeying the Word, one day I was considering how to validate charismatic words that entered my prayer life, when it came to me how sure I could be of words that were the Word itself.  I can always count on "Abide in Me" being a sure word for all circumstances, for instance.

Some facts that always leap at me from the Transfiguration.  Your thoughts made me think more of the Father in the scene.  He Who cannot be seen speaks directly to men from within a visible manifesation of himself.  It has only happened a few times.  Then the Son Who is the Center of the whole event.  He has taken the three disciples apart from the rest of the world, up on to a mountain, a place where the normal traffic of "path of least resistance" folk--the great majority--never bother to go.  Of course, having all power and knowing all things, it is not at though any human might wander into this scene casually anyway.

Then, there are not three humans with the Son of God Incarnate, but there are five...as Moses and Elijah are providentially invited.  The last time we saw Moses was when he departed to the top of the mountain to die.   There, we are told God buried him so that he could not be found after the devil contended to take his body.  But, now he is here, alive and having this once-in-all-eternity-foreordained-forever discussion with the Lord about the upcoming crucifixion.  God is "not the God of the dead but of the living."  Moses is quite alive, sentient, reasoning and discussing.  Elijah is also ordained to this meeting.  He is one of but two men of whom the Scriptures declare that he was taken to Heaven without death.  Moses, on the other hand, unless he has been granted a dispensation we do not know of, has not come down from Heaven with the bodily Elijah, but has come up from Hades as a soul just as Samuel came up to speak to Saul...the only allowed necromancy in all of Scripture, at God's will, as the poor medium was freaked completely by something her imitating demons had never provided...the real thing.  Yet, Moses has clearly been in communion with God in the Paradise of Hades, and is "in on" the discussion of the impending crucifixion.  The disciples don't seem to notice or report any difference between Moses and Elijah as to their states of being...only being privy to the fact that the Lord and the two of them were discussing upcoming events.

Three quaking mortals, one with the "presence of mind" to try to contribute insight to which God the Father corrects with the right understanding of the scene:  "This is my Son (be still!) and listen to him."  One mortal who has died but is quite alive.  One mortal who has not died (and may or may not need to in the future), but who has been in Heaven, soaked in glory, and in the Presence of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and all the holy angels whilst still, apparently, flesh and blood--though the blood may be permanently altered to the substance called "glory;" we just don't know the fullness of his estate. 

By the way, at that point, only he and Enoch are the only naturally born men to occupy Heaven as the rest of the saints remain in the Paradise chambers of Hades.  Why is Enoch not also there?  "Bye and Bye," we shall have answers to that.  BUT WHAT A SCENE!

Best part is...it is likely we shall all behold the scene in the Eternal Present as part of that "great cloud of witnesses."  Maybe, then, we will see that we were all there, too, maybe comprising the glory cloud that hides the Father.  Whew!