1 Timothy 5:9-16: Saved for good works.
This church was organised to care. That much becomes evident as you read through chapter 5. It reminds me of the caring structure established in Acts 6:1-7, and that move, of course, led to further evangelistic expansion. A lot is at stake in the caring ministry of the church. The larger the church is, the more likely it is that there will be a need for careful planning to ensure that people do not fall through any gaps. God loves people and the church is to reflect that love. We can’t afford to be careless about caring!
But the care was not indiscriminate (9, 10). There were certain parameters built around the help on offer. These may change from generation to generation and culture to culture, but any caring ministry will require certain criteria to be observed if the church is not going to be overwhelmed. The church looked after widows who were ‘’really in need’’ (2, 5, 16). Again, the principle is repeated that families should take care of their own (16).
Good deeds are important in the Christian life (Ephesians 2:8-10). We are not saved by them, but we are saved for them. This chapter shows the church being organised to do good to their widows in genuine need. Life expectancy was not all that great at the time, and no doubt the care of widows was a pressing need. You can imagine that they would have no support whatsoever after their spouse died, but for that given by close relatives, or the church. There would be no pension or death benefit etc.
The passage also shows that the widows to be helped had to have a good standing in the church (9, 10). They needed to be known for their good character expressed in a variety of good deeds. The next section concerning the younger widows goes on to point out that it is possible to live in such a way that it gives the enemy opportunity ‘’for slander’’ (14). Clearly Paul was not happy with that prospect. Satan is always ready to seize opportunities to undermine God’s work. Let’s take care that we don’t play into his hands. (Paul, by the way, seems to be thinking about younger widows who offer for some form of Christian work, verse 11, and who would then be placed in a difficult position if they wanted to marry. They would be seen to go back on their ‘’first pledge’’, verse 12 – their commitment to some form of Christian service.)
The chapter closes in an intriguing manner. As Christians we are called to offer secret service, but truth will out (25). This applies to the good as well as the bad. You can’t really hide who you are.
‘’Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.’’ (Galatians 6:10).
1 Timothy 5:1-8: Practical as a pair of shoes! (please click here for todays passage)
‘’…let them learn that religion begins at their own doorstep and that they should pay back with gratitude some of what they have received. This pleases God immensely.’’ The Message
It is said that ‘’charity begins at home’’, but true religion starts there too. The eighth verse is such a strong statement: ‘’Anyone who neglects to care for family members in need repudiates the faith. That’s worse than refusing to believe in the first place.’’ The Message. In a section of practical instructions about different relationships in the church, Paul states clearly that Christian families should look after their own. This is a sacred responsibility (4).
But where someone is truly destitute (3, 4); where there is ‘real’ need, the church should do what it can. Let’s remember that Paul was writing in a context where there were no state benefits to be had. But the principle still applies in our culture. Where there is genuine need we can show we are Christians by our love (John 13:34, 35; Acts 4:34a).
Ethel Barrett writes: ‘’Christianity is as practical as a pair of shoes – not just for putting on and showing, but for getting up and going.’’
D.L. Moody said: ‘’Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather!’’
Our ‘’religion’’ must be ‘’put into practice’’ and it starts at home, which may be, for some, the hardest place to walk it out. But we only believe as much of the Bible as we do.
It pleases God when we remember the good things done for us by parents and grandparents and we honour them in our conduct towards them. Even if they don’t need 24 hour care, they should know that we love them; that we appreciate them. ‘’…this is pleasing to God’’ (4).
In the opening two verses we find wisdom for young men in ministry (but not exclusively for younger men.)
In (5) there is a principle which applies more broadly. When anyone, or any ministry, is ‘up against it’ and doesn’t know where the next penny is coming from, they are thrown back on God, and their prayer life intensifies. God answers prayer, and He does it through His people. Where we know of genuine need and we can meet it, it is surely not up to us to pray about it, but to dig into our pockets and put our religion into practice.
Prayer: Lord God, please strengthen me to live out my faith at home today.
Luke 3:23-4:13: Resistance movement.(please click here for todays passage)
Again, Jesus is seen to be rooted in history (23-28).
The Holy Spirit, who came upon Jesus at His baptism, led Him into ‘’the desert’’ (1). We must understand that God’s Spirit will sometimes guide us into challenging and difficult circumstances. We can expect this, and should not be surprised when it happens. He is the One who will also enable us to come out victorious at the other end of the ‘tunnel’ (4:14).
Times of physical need and weakness are also times of vulnerability, and we should not be surprised if Satan tries to capitalise (2). Every day in the wilderness Jesus was tempted. In (3) you can observe the same tactic employed by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, trying to cast doubt on God’s Word. God had clearly said that Jesus is His Son (3:22).
Note that Jesus did not dispute the devil’s claim to be able to do what he offered in (5-7). Satan is the god of this world; the prince of this world. But Jesus asked on another occasion what profit it was for someone to gain the whole world but lose their own soul. Our Lord would not capitulate in the face of Satan’s subtle wiles and advanced marketing techniques.
How did Jesus resist the devil so that he fled from him? Three times he wielded what Paul calls ‘’the sword of the Spirit’’ in Ephesians 6, i.e. the Word of God. There was so much Scripture in Him. He was steeped in it; immersed in God’s Book, and was able to draw on just the right verses at the critical time of need: ‘’It is written…It is written…For it is written…’’ They all came from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. This raises the question, ‘How much of the Bible is in us? ‘’Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…’’ (Colossians 3:16).
No look at the temptation of Jesus can be complete without there also being reflection on Hebrews 4:14-16. Have a look at it now, if you can. Ask yourself, ‘What does Jesus’ success in temptation mean for me?’ I’m sure you will be encouraged.
Prayer: Thank you Almighty God for the revelation that Jesus, the Overcomer, lives in me, and in Him I never need be a slave to sin again.
Luke 3:1-22: Plain speaking.(please click here for todays passage)
This chapter opens with another detailed historical note (1, 2). This is Luke, the careful historian, showing that the events surrounding the coming of Jesus were rooted in history. There is a theological as well as a historical point to be made however. It is that before ‘’the word of God’’ can come through you, it must first come ‘’to’’ you (2).
John the Baptist’s ministry was in fulfilment of prophecy (4-6). His speech was direct and plain, and potentially offensive (7-14). In the end he paid a high price for his honesty (19, 20). Darkness does not like to be exposed by light. Rich and powerful got caught in the headlights of his preaching, and they used (or abused) their power to remove him.
John called the people to not rely on any supposed spiritual pedigree (8, 9). You can’t get into heaven on your parents’ ticket (or that of any ancestor). He preached repentance and judgment; the need for repentance in the light of coming judgment. He said that people should show their repentance by changed lives, and he spelled out in concrete terms what repentance would like for different people in differing circumstances (10-14). He left nothing abstract and unclear.
Most important of all – and this was the pulse of his ministry – John glorified Jesus (15-17). He had come to prepare the way for Him and he pointed to Him. He was a witness; a signpost to Christ. What an example he is to us all. Charles Spurgeon, the great Victorian preacher, shared John’s heartbeat. He said: ‘’I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need.’’
When Jesus was baptised (21, 22) there was a further declaration of His unique identity as God’s Son. As we work through this third gospel we will discover that two of Luke’s key themes are prayer and the Holy Spirit. Here they are inter-linked.
Prayer: Lord, by your Spirit, help me to glorify you.
Jeremiah 23:9-40: Man-made religion.(please click here for todays passage)
A primary way the false shepherding showed its head was in the kind of teaching being given by people who claimed to be prophets, but really were not. They were cooking up the wrong kind of ‘food’, containing bad ingredients, and the people were being poisoned. An extended section from The Message will take us to the heart of the problem:
“Don’t listen to the sermons of the prophets.
It’s all hot air. Lies, lies, and more lies.
They make it all up.
Not a word they speak comes from me.
They preach their ‘Everything Will Turn Out Fine’ sermon
to congregations with no taste for God,
Their ‘Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen to You’ sermon
to people who are set in their own ways.
“Have any of these prophets bothered to meet with me, the true God?
bothered to take in what I have to say?
listened to and then lived out my Word?’’
True and effective preaching comes from a relationship with God in which we listen to Him and say what He tells us. We also seek to live His Word. We are not free to change what is written in God’s Book, or to invent our own material. The false prophets were popular because they were saying what people wanted to hear. But to pronounce that judgment would not come did not stop its arrival. It made people feel good for a short time, but it did not save them. By contrast, Jeremiah suffered for his preaching, but if the nation had heeded him they could have averted disaster.
“I never sent these prophets,
but they ran anyway.
I never spoke to them,
but they preached away.
If they’d have bothered to sit down and meet with me,
they’d have preached my Message to my people.
They’d have gotten them back on the right track,
gotten them out of their evil ruts…I’ve had it with the ‘prophets’ who get all their sermons secondhand from each other. Yes, I’ve had it with them. They make up stuff and then pretend it’s a real sermon.’’
It’s been said that the gospel message is ‘bad news’ before it is ‘good news’. Let’s make sure we don’t delete the bad news or edit it out altogether. People need to know how sick they are before they will be prepared to call the doctor.
You can shout loudly and confidently that the on-coming juggernaut will not run you over, but it will do.
Jeremiah 23:1-8: True Shepherds
We have seen how chapter 22 is a kind of ‘rogue’s gallery’ of the final kings of Judah. In the Old Testament kings were shepherds. That’s how they were regarded. They were to love the people and lead them with compassion, tenderness and care. All the kings mentioned in the 22nd chapter, apart from Josiah, were bad shepherds. God was going to punish them for what they had done, and He prophesied a new day of shepherd care with different shepherd leaders, but ultimately the coming of the Messiah Himself, the ‘’good shepherd’’ (John 10).
So chapter 23 needs to be seen in contrast with chapter 22. This section of it:
- Shows how much the quality of shepherding matters to God – He who is Himself the Shepherd of Israel (Psalm 23);
- Challenges all leaders about how they shepherd the flock of God. We cannot do this carelessly or lightly;
- Looks forward to a new and greater ‘exodus’ from Babylon and other lands. God’s dispersed people will come home. Even in the middle of messages of judgment, we can hold on to this note of hope;
- Anticipates the coming of the Messiah. Matthew Henry points out that there aren’t as many Messianic predictions in Jeremiah as there are in Isaiah, but this is certainly one of them. Jeconiah may not have had sons to succeed him on the throne, but David’s line would continue; the promises made to David would be fulfilled. However bleak things may look, you can hold on to God’s Word. It will be fulfilled.
Prayer: Lord Jesus be my shepherd all the days of my life.
Luke 2:41-52: Holy habits.(please click here for todays passage)
Here are some further thoughts from my recent reading in Luke:
- Consider phrases like ‘’used to go’’, ‘’as usual’’ and ‘’according to the custom’’ (42). This speaks of holy habits of public worship. Jesus grew up in that atmosphere, where there was a commitment to attend the recognised gatherings. Although we don’t have ‘laws’ about church worship, we could learn a thing or two from the Jews about the importance of regularly coming together before God. Furthermore, we know that we should not give up on meeting together. Hebrews 10:25 is surely a word for these times. For Joseph and Mary, going up to Jerusalem for the Passover meant a 60-70 mile journey. It took effort. It was also a step of faith for many of the worshippers, trusting God with their land and work while they were away from home. We can afford to take time out to praise God with others. While we are resting, He will keep the universe running. It does not rest on our shoulders. In one sense, ‘Sabbath’ time is a necessary and humbling reminder that we are not God.
- We (as individuals and as churches) can ‘lose’ Jesus in a sense, and not realise it for a time (43b, 44). We can lag behind Him. We can also (as here) move on ahead of Him. The key is to keep in step with Him.
- Jesus’ primary submission had to be to the Father (49; cf. John 14:31). Nevertheless, the passage emphasises that He was an obedient boy.
- Sometimes, a good question can be more potent than a good answer (46). I often pray that God will help me to ask the right questions. We have thought recently about how God blesses and uses older people. It’s important to know that years on the clock don’t mean you are finished. But here we see how God’s Hand can be on young people. Jesus was just ‘’twelve years old’’ (42).
- For a second time in this chapter we read about Mary ‘’treasuring’’ (51) these things in her heart (see 19). ‘’His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself.’’ The Message.
- Finally, here are three great things to pray for your children, whatever their ages (52; see also 40 and 1:80).
Prayer: Let my heart be full to overflowing with thoughts of Jesus
Psalm 119:73-80: The faithful wounds of a Friend.(please click here for todays passage)
‘’In affliction the psalmist himself reaped benefit.., but now we find that he is concerned so to live in affliction that the benefit can touch others also. The same human agents of affliction reappear (78, cf.69) but he prays to bear with their hostility in such a way that those who fear you may experience joy through his steadfastness of hope (74) and gather to him in fellowship (79).’’ J.A. Motyer: ‘New Bible Commentary’, pp.568/569.
‘’…in faithfulness you have afflicted me.’’ (75b).
Previously we have read:
‘’Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.’’ (67); and
‘’It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.’’ (71).
He recognised God’s faithfulness behind His troubles. He came into a deeper relationship with his Bible because of them. So in today’s passage we see him:
- Pinning his hopes in God’s Word (74b);
- Claiming God’s promises (76);
- Delighting in the Word (77);
- Meditating on the Scriptures (78);
- Seeking to live the Word (80);
- Praying for more understanding (73b).
His suffering caused him to cling more tightly to his Bible, and to the God who wrote it. See how his heart’s desire was that in his sufferings he would be a blessing to others (74, 79). Today he is to us!
Prayer: Help me to live in such a way, Lord, that in my troubles I may bless others.
1 Timothy 4:6-16: Embody the message.(please click here for todays passage)
‘’Restlessness is discontent, and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.’’ Thomas Alva Edison.
Timothy was given a tough assignment. He had to work in the same arena where the false teachers were active and stand his ground. Here are some things he was told to do:
- Teach the truth (6, 11, 13, and 14). Where there is darkness the entrance of light will dispel it. Whereas Timothy was to teach God’s Word verbally, he also was expected to do so visually; to live it out before men. ‘’Teach believers with your life…’’ The Message. He was called to lead by example (12); to embody the message. Indeed, Paul wanted people to be able to see Timothy’s ‘’progress’’ (15), both as a preacher and as a man. Apparently the godly Scottish pastor, Robert Murray McCheyne , said, ‘’What my people need most from me is my personal holiness.’’ It remains the case that leaders/preachers should ‘’Watch’’ their lives and doctrine ‘’closely’’ (and) pursue growth constantly. ‘’Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it.’’ The Message. Timothy’s teaching was to have at its heart the gospel message of salvation in Jesus (9, 10)
- Turn away from error (7). We can’t help others reject heresy if we are enamoured by it ourselves. There can be an unhealthy fascination with unimportant speculative material.
- Train to be godly (7b, 8). The idea of training implies work and effort. You think about an athlete training for a big race, and how he or she is disciplined; how they keep working, working to improve their time, even if only marginally. They are constantly straining to get better, and make numerous sacrifices in the process. They push themselves. They don’t take the easy option. We should all want to become better people, more and more like Jesus. Those of us who lead ought to have a strong desire to get better at what we do. This involves trying alongside trusting. We try even as we trust solely in Christ’s power. ‘’Exercise daily in God – no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this.’’ The Message. Timothy had the example of Paul to copy as he read his words, for the great apostle (and his team) certainly put their backs into their ministry (10): ‘’This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally.’’ The Message.
‘’If believers would put as much effort into the spiritual life as they do their recreation and hobbies, what a difference it would make! Physical exercise is important, but spiritual exercise is even more essential. Both discipline and devotion are needed to make a winning athlete and an effective Christian.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.799.
Prayer: May other see Jesus in me more and more.
