“but afterward he regretted it and went.” (Matthew 21:29)

When I was young, I hated broccoli.  It was green, the texture was strange, and they looked like tiny trees – also my parents wanted me to eat it.  I was not interested.  Over time, I’ve grown to love broccoli.  It took a while, but I came around.

There is a gift hidden within the parable of the two sons.  Jesus shows us that there is room for repentance.  The second son initially rejects the command of his father, but after time and thought, he realizes the error of his rebellion and goes to work.

God recognizes that some of us are a little slow on the uptake.  Repentance, by definition, means you can change your mind.  God is patient and merciful.  If today, you regret things you’ve done or left undone – it isn’t too late to go to work.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” (Matthew 20:28a)

No one considers the waiter to be the greatest person at the table, but the meal doesn’t happen without him.  Whisking plates to and from tables, filling glasses, and meeting requests before they are made, a good waitress makes the event happen.  Good table service makes you feel that you are the center of their attention – no matter how busy the restaurant may be.

Jesus is the ultimate servant.  He died for the whole world, yet lived in a way that made everyone around Him feel they were individually loved.  His service was sacrificial and personal all at the same time.

In what ways can we emulate Him?  Make your service personal.  You don’t have to make a difference with everyone – just start with someone.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?” (Matthew 19:4)

This is Jesus quoting from the Old Testament.  This is the Son of God ratifying the truth that gender exists because God made it so.  We must speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent.

Man has decided to take things like homosexuality, alcoholism, lust, etc. and cry, “We have no choice – it’s how we are made!” and inversely declare, “Gender is a choice!”  This is blasphemous and against the Word.  God gives us choice in sin but not in gender.  You are born that way.  God made us male and female.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.” (Matthew 18:15)

I like winning.  I like it a lot.  A spirit of competition has a way of enhancing an experience. Even skipping stones is improved by saying, “Who can skip the furthest?”  Gamification changes the tone so that I start thinking about achievement instead of frustration.  It flips the script.

What if we started to think about the faults of others that way, too?  What if we thought about people’s problems as a chance to win them over to Christ?  When someone injures me, I need to play the game.  Win them, redeem the relationship, and glorify Jesus.

Compete for each other, not with each other.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21)

It is interesting to me how science often stumbles upon the earthly benefits of spiritual things.  Prayer under the guise of meditation and “sending good vibes into the universe” has been touted as a wonderful tool to improve your health and quality of life, reducing blood pressure and helping to reorient your mental disposition.

Likewise, fasting is now all the rage in health circles: from intermittent fasting to fasting retreats where patients are monitored during long durations (as much as 40 days!) as they detox their bodies, reduce stress, and lose weight.

We should not be surprised that there are earthly benefits to God’s injunctions, but I fear that we have watered down the spiritual to hijack the earthly benefits without submitting ourselves to the Creator of heaven and earth.  The earthly benefits should be the happy side-effect, not the goal.

Consider your spiritual health.  Prayer and fasting are excellent tools of the well-equipped servant of God.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28)

There is a lot in this verse, but I’d like to draw your attention to the phrase “taste death”.  The Bible uses many different sayings to describe death, all of which have their own unique flavor (pun intended).  Death is compared to sleep. There are several connections to be made between our nightly slumber and the “big sleep”. It is referred to as “going the way of all men” or “resting with our fathers”.  Each of these analogies lend themselves to pointing out a particular aspect of death worth considering.

Here death is compared to a food that is to be tasted.  Taste is an interesting aspect of being human.  Two people may both taste the same thing and come to different conclusions.  One person likes the taste of lemon; another finds it bitter and unappealing.

In the case of death, some will find the taste sweet as they will enter into the joy of their Master. Others will gnaw at their tongues because of the bitterness of regret and the finality of their separation from their Creator.  We must all taste death, but the flavor will differ according to the life you have lived.  It is as if death is an acquired taste, like coffee, that only becomes enjoyable through effort.  Perhaps this is why Christians are called to “die daily” for the cause of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:31)… perhaps it is that our daily sacrifices for Him help prepare our tastebuds for the feast of eternity.  I don’t know that such is the case, but it is a thought that helps propel me toward greater discipline and sacrifice.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” (Matthew 15:9)

All worship is not equal, and all worship is not pleasing to God.  There is a type of worship that God despises.  It is the worship that is according to man’s desires, instead of God’s precepts. A ‘precept’ is a rule intended to regulate behavior.

God has rules for worship, and our behavior should be regulated by those rules.  Christianity’s rules for worship can be found in the commands and examples of the New Testament.  The New Testament is intended to regulate our worship so that it does not become a vain idolatrous act.  These regulations, by definition, set boundaries upon how we may worship God.  At times, these regulations can feel restrictive, but just like the rules of the road, the restrictions keep us safe, allowing everyone to get to their destination in one piece.

We must all ask ourselves, “Where do I get the precepts for my worship?” If our worship is regulated by tradition instead of Scripture, it is worthless.  If our worship is unregulated, then it might be passionate, but it is also dangerous.

Only true and doctrinal worship found in the New Testament can bring both joy to us, and more importantly, glory to God.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Having been prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.’” (Matthew 14:8)

We are told that children are like arrows in the quiver of their parents (see Psalm 127:4).  Herodias sure pointed her daughter in an awful direction.  Can you imagine prompting your child to ask for a man’s head as a gift?  Can you imagine finding joy in murder?

Can you imagine prompting your child to watch violence and find it entertaining? Better watch your television choices.

Can you imagine prompting your child to hate and envy others? Better guard your tongue from gossip and slander.

Can you imagine prompting your child to hate the church and despise what Jesus died for? Better speak kindly of the brethren.

Can you imagine prompting your child to be an idolater who is apathetic toward God? Better make sure you aren’t making excuses to skip worship for less worthy tasks.

We all prompt our kids by our actions and our examples.  Point your arrows faithfully.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:17)

It is easy to forget how good we’ve got it.  Things that we take for granted just one or two generations ago were unheard of.  Less than four generations ago, nothing traveled faster than a horse.  Less than three generations ago, most people didn’t have indoor plumbing.  Two generations ago existed without microwaves, and just one generation ago, we didn’t have the internet or any other instant information technology.

Most of human civilization lived without the gospel of Jesus Christ.  No Sermon on the Mount.  No message of heaven and forgiveness in Christ.  No hope and anchor for the soul.  They were left to wait for the Messiah who hadn’t yet been revealed.

We are blessed with what prior generations would have never imagined possible.  Don’t take for granted the gift.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.” (Matthew 12:14)

Do you know what we call when people conspire together? We call it a conspiracy.  There was a conspiracy amongst the wicked to destroy Jesus, and it wasn’t a theory.  It was a reality.

Do you think there might be conspiracies to attack Jesus and His people today, too?  I’m thinking it is more than a theory.  Jesus said that if they persecuted Him, they will persecute His servants, too (see John 15:20).

Ever feel like there seems to be a concerted effort to attack Christian values? Or destroy godly homes? Or label our faith in Christ as ‘hate’?  Just because you are paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.

Yet, take courage, the forces of wickedness in the heavenly places have always rattled their sabers and plotted their conspiracies.  They did against our Lord, but the tomb was still empty on Sunday morning.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites