Bring Out The Treasure

Jesus Christ’s parable of the converted scribe describes the role His disciples would play for the Church, and even extends to the ministry of all the members of the Kingdom of God.  

Matthew 13:51–52 ESV ““Have you understood all these things?” They said to him,“Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.””

A New Kind of Scribe

This new kind of scribe is a disciple-of-the-Kingdom kind of scribe. 

What does this mean? It is a statement declaring that a member of the Kingdom is like a teacher of the Law who has come to truly understand the Law in light of the Kingdom. It is a declaration that the members of the Kingdom understand the Kingdom’s mystery which has been hidden for ages and now revealed in Jesus the Messiah!

This new kind of scribe is also like a head of a household. He is able to and desires to bring out treasures from the storeroom. 

What does this mean? Because Jesus has given us understanding and we embrace Him and His teaching, we are able to extract from our heart’s treasure storerooms new and old truths of the Kingdom’s reality. 

Members of the Kingdom are able to speak of glories of the Kingdom from both the Old and New Testaments. “New” is mentioned first because it is the key to unlock the Old; the fulness of revelation and redemption provides fresh and glorious fulfilled insights into the Old! 

We can take the Kingdom perspective of Jesus the Messiah and then faithfully expound all the many fulfillments.

You Might be that Scribe

Jesus’ commission from this parable is clear: We are to enjoy the Kingdom and teach the Kingdom. This is what scribes and heads of wealthy households do, you know. They enjoy their knowledge and display their treasures for all to see and benefit!

As a believer in Jesus Christ indwelt by His Spirit, do you realize how blessed you are in knowing God and understanding His Word?!

If you are a disciple of the Kingdom, then you are a trained scribe and a head of household. You are able to enjoy closeness with God, through precious times in the Word and much prayer. By reliance upon the Holy Spirit, you are able to teach and display the glory of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Especially this time of year, consider who you are in Christ, the amazing knowledge you have been given, and the depth of joy you experience. As this parable of the well-trained scribe teaches us, our valuing and enjoyment of the Kingdom prepares us for, and propels into, our Kingdom ministry to the world.

How To Hear The Word Of God

How do people listen to the Word of God?

Many are polite but indifferent. Many others are not so polite. In fact, some are hard and hostile. Some will even kill you for it, although not often in America. 

Some are inquisitive and make a little progress in understanding, although not as much as you would hope. While there are others who always listen but never seem to learn much at all.

Some are excited by it and thankful you brought it up. But then there are those who are excited because they are excited for the opportunity to mix in their own opinions. Some talk so much it is a wonder they hear anything at all.

Some are so hungry to hear that they take you by surprise. You wonder if they are hearing correctly and their faith is genuine. Their growth is astounding. Others make just as quick a turnaround and close themselves up, or slowly fade away, or come to a standstill.

Some are pure delight and respond with true spiritual understanding. They grow and keep on growing.  God’s love in Christ is abundant in them.

This is a short list.  It seems that each person is a category unto themselves, doesn’t it?

Jesus talked about the rewards of listening well in Luke 8.

Luke 8:16–18 ESV ““No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.””

This section appears in Mark 4, its sayings are scattered throughout Matthew, and are repeated later in Luke. The admonitions to hear the Word well are applied differently in different situations. 

Jesus likely repeated such sayings on many occasions in His preaching tours. Jesus took hearers hearing the Word very seriously. He wants those who hear Him to understand this and listen well.

The Lamp Analogy

Luke 8:16 ESV ““No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.”

A lamp is lit to provide light for those in the room. One does not light a lamp and then put it out again, or go and hide it. Rather, it is put in a prominent place so as to provide enough light for everyone to see.

The light is God’s revelation now shining most brightly in His Son Jesus Christ and His teaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom. This light would continue to shine in the Apostles teachings, the New Testament Scripture and the Church’s proclaiming of Christ until He returns.

The Time of Revelation

Luke 8:17 ESV “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

The time of relative obscurity under the Old Covenant is over, the time of clear disclosure is here in Jesus Christ. The time of God’s vindication of Himself and His plan of redemption for millennia has finally come!

Gospel proclamation is now public and the Old Testament is made clear by Jesus, and shortly it will be made even more public and more clear by the Apostles after His Cross and Resurrection.

Another interpretation of this verse is that the rejecters of God and the sins of their hearts will be exposed for who the are and what they are by Jesus’ teaching. It will be obvious that the Gospel of Jesus is true, and that it is the truth that tying together all of the history of revelation and redemption!

John 3:19–21 ESV “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.””

The Lamp has been placed prominently in world history! We can ask ourselves and others, “how will you hear it?”

The Reward for Hearing Well

Luke 8:18 ESV “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.””

Those who respond by hearing the Gospel well will be rewarded. Those who have gained some spiritual insight will continue to receive even more from Jesus.

The parallel passage in Mark 4:24-25 reads, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Those who have not gained spiritual insight, but only think have, will have their false spirituality taken away. Jesus will take it away from them and stop teaching them. Jesus leaves no place to casually ponder His words as prideful intellectuals. As it is stated in Proverbs 14:6, “A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.”

To become a close disciple of Jesus a person must hear the Word of God with a good heart, hold on to it, and persevere in doing it. Those who are close disciples of Jesus Christ receive the Word and keep on receiving it. He gives them further and further understanding by the Holy Spirit.

Consider this wonderful promise that Jesus is holding out to the world, to those who listen well—that they will continue to receive more and more true spiritual understanding without limit!

DO NOT FEED (Dogs & Pigs)

How do we know when to stop evangelizing someone?  Is there such a point?

Most of us have great love for an unsaved friend or relative, who does not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We eagerly desire their salvation, and so we share the Gospel with them. We do this over and over, using a variety of approaches.

Yet, the person only seems to get more and more annoyed and even grows in hostility. We wonder: is this my fault or is it simply the result of the Gospel itself? We ask ourselves, “should I stop evangelizing?” Is this even a Christian question?

Jesus Gave a Stopping Point 

Matthew 7:6 ESV ““Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

The teaching of the metaphor feeding swine and wild dogs is quite straightforward: holy things are not to be given to the unholy. Why not?  Because the holy things, which are the details of the Gospel of the Kingdom, will be trampled and the giver of them will be torn to pieces.

“Dogs” and “pigs” are derogatory terms, since they are unclean animals according to the Law. Here they stand for people who have a proven track record of hostility toward the Gospel of the Kingdom.

These people are relatively easy to identify because of their characteristic way of treating the Gospel. Pigs trample down pearls, (they criticize and ridicule the precious treasure of the Gospel), because it is not the food they want. Dogs eventually spurn the sacred truths they have been chewing on and turn on the one who gave it to them.  

The teaching of Jesus here is that members of the Kingdom are not to let these people have continued opportunity to disgrace the Gospel. The dignity of the Gospel must be preserved at some point in the process of evangelism.

These people have shown themselves to be unworthy of the Gospel by their response of contempt and hardness toward the Gospel. When this level of resistance is reached in the hearers of the Gospel, we are to no longer offer them the Gospel, so that we may go on to reach those who will receive the Gospel with great eagerness and joy.  

Jesus would later instruct His disciples according to this principle:

Matthew 10:11–14 ESV “And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”

And the Apostle Paul ministered according to this principle in his missionary journeys. Take a look at Acts 13:44-51 when he proclaimed people unworthy; 18:5-6 when he shook out his garments; and 28:17-28 when he indicted people with the words of Isaiah.

A (Spiritual) Wisdom Call

How do we know when the point of stopping is reached? It is a wisdom call. Not human wisdom however, but a spiritual wisdom that comes through the Word and prayer.

We have to proclaim the Gospel first to know into which category people fall. We need feedback from the message. We cannot and should not pre-judge peoples’ response to the Gospel. Once we have their responses we are not to continue to preach the Gospel to those that have proven themselves hard toward the Gospel and contemptuous of it. 

These are not those who are indifferent or mildly unreceptive; we should keep annoying them with the Gospel! These are those who ridicule it without really even listening. They are hostile, even violent, toward the Gospel. 

We do not want the glorious Gospel to be besmirched and ridiculed before the world. We don’t want to bring disrespect to the Gospel by letting people ridicule it. We will not save people by our own efforts no matter how hard we try. We will not honor God’s name among men if we give opportunity to blasphemers.

We also want to be strategic with the Gospel and our efforts in evangelism. We don’t want to fail to proclaim salvation in every situation that we should. We will not be those bringing Good News of salvation, if we stop too soon; and we will not see the power of the Gospel. We want the saving power of the Gospel to be what the world observes!

Prayer is the Answer

Matthew 7:7 ESV ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

What is the answer? It is prayer. Do not take this too lightly.  Many of us do, and that is why we are often so bewildered. Instead of asking too many questions we should pray!  At least, let us pray first!

It is better to pray too many prayers (if there is such a thing) than to ask too many questions and try to answer them in our own wisdom. Prayer will bring the answer of wisdom in evangelism.

In evangelizing difficult people with the Gospel, we should pray first to know how to approach such a person. Then we should proclaim the Gospel boldly and compassionately, praying all the while in our spirit. Finally, we should consider the response we receive. Consider it in prayer that is, not in human wisdom. 

Repeat these three steps prayerfully, asking each time, “Lord, how much longer? . . .  Will you be pleased to save? . . . Should I continue or move on? . . .  Am I honoring the dignity of the Gospel? . . . etc.” 

When it is time to stop proclaiming the Gospel to certain people for a while, keep praying. Keep praying for his or her salvation, yet remain content in God’s ways of working and His timing. Go find new people with whom to share the Gospel of the Kingdom!

The Fig Leaf And The Towel

Everyone looks pretty much the same in the locker room.

You can’t tell who drives what kind of car, what each person does for a living or anyone’s position in society. You also don’t now who is happy, who is going through a hard time, who the intelligent ones are or who are the idiots. 

Everyone looks pretty much the same in the locker room, until they open they mouths and put on their clothes.

Community with a Towel

I remember my fitness and recreation times at the YMCA as a young pastor in Chicago. Those were good workouts. I met fascinating people. We had conversations you couldn’t make up. All types of people used the YMCA, very interesting people from the rich down to the poor. 

These regulars didn’t know much about one another. I played racquetball with many of them, lifted weights with a few others and ran the track occasionally with yet a different group. Observing their interactions with one another was enjoyable, but what made it rally interesting was facilitating their deeper interactions. 

When we sat in the sauna together, everyone looked pretty much the same as the next guy. Sweating together for thirty minutes builds an unusual community. If you have a purpose in fostering relationships this can become a place of reality, life on life. Ask people to tell their stories about the day, the crazy things they did as a boy, or what they are looking forward to. Just have fun, relax and laugh even share helpful advice. Sometimes deep pain and fears come out, so be prepared to comfort and encourage. Grab a towel and join us!

A Proverb for the Locker Room

Proverbs 22:2 ESV “The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all.”

This Scripture verses reminds us of a major theme in Proverbs, and all of the Bible, of the absolute sovereignty of Yahweh the Creator, and the associated truth of our absolute accountability, whoever we are. The rich and poor alike have equal status and accountability before God. Here lies basic human equality.

You can see so for yourself; everyone looks pretty much the same as a baby, or playing sports, or getting a physical, lying in a hospital bed, and eventually lying in a casket. There are many equalization moments throughout our lives. The YMCA locker room was one of mine.

This verse might also be simply stating that God makes both rich and poor, which is true enough, but the verses that follow will focus on discussing the sinfulness of humanity.

The rich and poor “meeting” likely refers to the common bond of humanity and shared dignity, maybe also, that they will meet on the Final Day of God, or that they meet in this life in society, or locker rooms. 

The problem is that they tend to despise one another, take advantage of one another, and even distance themselves from one another. The wise follower of Yahweh cares for community and harmony among all.

The Gospel for the Naked

The guys each went their own ways after the sauna sessions two or three days a week. We all learned about one another. We appreciated one another in new ways as rich and poor alike. We all learned why we all need the Gospel, because I brought it up as relevant to our lives.

People listen when they are sitting there vulnerable.  Tell them the truth, about our common bond of humanity but also how we all are naked before God. It is in Hebrews 4:13 ESV “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” 

You might begin at the beginning with Genesis and the parallel between the fig leaf and the towel.

Genesis 3:7,10-11 ESV “Then the eyes of both [Adam and Eve] were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. . . . And he [Adam] said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He [God] said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?””

Or, you might begin with The End with the words of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:17–18 ESV “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”

Wherever you start the conversation, make sure to talk about the person and substitionary atonement of Jesus Christ the Son of God on behalf of shameful sinners. Encourage them to look “to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

The YMCA experience was so long ago that I don’t remember how well I took advantage of the situation to talk about Christ. But, I do know that I would do a lot better today with more knowledge and life experience, and being more comfortable in my own skin. 

The Lord used these meetings over the course of a couple years to create in me a compassion for everyone, to teach me how to interact with and help all sorts of people, and to train me to be always thinking seriously about how to effectively share the Gospel that is intended for all of us. 

They Kept A Record Of Wrongs

Have you ever been asked to solve other people’s relational problems?

Sometimes you can help people, and other times once you get into a conversation you discover first-hand why they have the relational problems they have.

Sharing the Notepad

Eager to meet, this couple arrived early for their appointment. They wanted help from me in resolving their relationship problems with another couple. Wonderful! Getting help from others, even your pastor, when having relational troubles is an excellent choice.

Their problem was mainly between the wives, and all four of them had apparently met a number of times to work out their difficulties. The husband and wife in my office were deeply troubled because, in their view, they had tried everything to find resolution but were unable to get there.

Then he opened the folder. They were more than troubled, they were greatly offended. He mentioned to me that he had a list of all their interactions with the other couple, the offenses and their discussions with dates and notations. He wanted to review all three to four pages in his notepad with me, along with some biblical references.

I have never seen such a thing before. My first thought was that they were crazy—who does that?! My second thought was 1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV “[Love] keeps no record of wrongs.” I didn’t think the Apostle Paul was indicating that people would literally keep lists! The most disturbing observation however was that they didn’t seem to see anything wrong with their recording of others’ wrongs against them.

I refused to look at it or hear any of it, which baffled them. They kept insisting I examine the evidence and I kept resisting, trying to move to conversation in a more positive and productive direction to help them find better biblical resolution to their grievances. Their ire got the best of them and I just put a stop to the whole meeting.

Giving Departing Advice

Maybe I was too direct at this point, but I honestly felt very little compassion for them and was disgusted by their unbiblical approach of keeping an actual list of wrongs along with gross bitterness toward others. And this is because I loved them.

I knew both couples very well and was actually surprised that they couldn’t work out matters. Yet, I never heard a thing from the supposed offending couple. Later, when I mentioned my experience to them they seemed surprised to learn that their relationship with that couple was that bad. And they confirmed my conclusion that this other couple was emotionally unhealthy and spiritually immature.

Back to my office. They were beyond taking any counsel, but I thought it best that they hear some truth from me as their pastor before they left, and as I knew at this point, they would also leave the church.

So, I tried to gently point out to them that it seemed to me that they have had troubles with a number of other people in the congregation over the years, as well. They acknowledged it but were defensive about it. They demanded to know who and when and all the facts about each every situation—apparently I was supposed to keep such lists!

A second time I tried to help them see that they themselves were the common denominator in all my examples. Often when there were relational problems in the church, they were involved. They were confused. I further pointed out that others were able to get beyond disagreements because they didn’t keep lists. Lists will destroy the list-keepers and cause them to hate instead of love their brothers and sister, to keep grudges rather than forgive.

They were intent on leaving the church anyway, which was probably best for us all.  So I gave them some parting advice to work on their issue, because it would follow them wherever they went. It was not our church’s problem, but theirs and their future church experiences would be the same, if they didn’t face it and work on it. In fact, they could damage other churches, and continue to hurt others and themselves.

The meeting didn’t end well at the time. But, as the years have passed, I am more hopeful that it actually ended very well. It spared our church from divisive people and it has likely helped this couple heal and grow over the years. I still pray for them every time I remember this story and our uncomfortable conversation.