Missions Paul

Sometimes the more you do the less you seem to advance. The responses can be cruel and hurtful. You wonder if it is worth it. How do you get through? Here are 5 responses from our next 2 verses:-

“At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.” (Matthew 11 v 25-26)

At that time … what time was that? In the context of your relative being in prison. John, the forerunner, preparing the way for you but being rejected by your own people resulting in you also experiencing the same rejection. In the context of reflection that where you have given of yourself the most there has been very little response of appreciation or life-change.

At that time of rejection and gloomy reflection.

1. Focus on your own relationship with the Father. Sometimes when the people in your world disappoint you so much it is all you have left. But it is ALL. There is nothing greater. He is your source. Go to Him. Worship Him.
2. Acknowledge the Sovereignty of God. He is Lord of every activity in heaven and earth and therefore certainly in control of the situation you face right now. If He is sovereign then He is permitting what is happening and therefore there is hope and purpose behind the pain, rejection and lack of appreciation you are experiencing.
3. Turn from the obvious. The wise and learned are not those educated academically but experientially. They have seen the miracles and maybe even had one themselves but still have not understood the life of the kingdom. Take your attention from those who continue to disappoint you the most. They are blind and more than that the truth is hidden from them, they will never see, no matter how persistent you are.
4. Turn to those who look insignificant. The little children are not those in primary school although they do fit the category also. But they are those who don’t look much, they are unimpressive to the world’s standards. They are standing behind the obvious. Perhaps at the back of the line. Overlooked. Taken advantage of. Ignored. Forgotten.
5. Prioritise in line with the Father’s priority. This is how He likes to work (the Message). Often Churches spend all their time and energy on those sheep that bleat the loudest. They complain that there isn’t enough of this and that. They don’t like how it is done etc. This is NOT the Father’s priority. We must prioritise what pleases Him. That is to strategically plan to go to the last not the first, the least not the greatest and the lost not those who think they are found.

There are times when people don’t get you. They will want every ounce of blood from you and still not be satisfied. It is called the cross. But these 5 responses based on 2 sentences of Jesus will help to stabilise your disappointed heart and mind.

The more you do for some people the less appreciative they seem to be. Have you ever experienced that? Some seem to be incapable of being grateful? They receive generosity, grace and love. Yet they either reject it or say it isn’t enough. An atmosphere of entitlement hovers over them even though they are so privileged. Do you know something of what I’m saying?

There is nothing wrong in demanded a response from the investment you have gven.

“Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” (Matthew 11 v 20-24)

A quick look at these cities/towns:

Chorazin – There are no recorded miracles in the Gospels here.

Bethsaida – The man born blind was healed and Jesus fed the 5,000 just outside this city.

Tyre and Sidon – well known cities in the Old and New Testament, now known as Lebanon, pagan, famous for being rejecters of God.

Capernaum – Peter’s mother in law is healed and a man is set free from a demon amongst many other healings and miracles.

Jesus mentions Bethsaida and Capernaum where the Gospel writers record his miracles, Chorazin where nothing is recorded and Tyre and Sidon who everyone knew were doomed historically.

Have you ever wondered at people who encounter a healing, maybe even their own healing, they attribute it to God, but they never surrender their lives to Him?

Do you ever ponder on why people do not carry thankfulness in their heart for all that God has done either supernaturally or through His people/Church? Do you ever wonder why they remain the same and their character doesn’t change even though they have received so much?

If Christ has done a work in you or in front of you then the mission lesson is this: what are you going to do now after witnessing what He has done for you? If you do nothing then it is worse than doing nothing prior to witnessing what He has done.

When my children were growing up the biggest lesson was on thankfulness. Some children are more thankful than adults.

This is not a nice message. It is unpopular with parts of the Church who would never want to offend in anyway. But the truth is Christ expects a return on His investment and as we follow Him on mission so must we. If there is no response then we too may choose like the Gospel writers with Chorazin not to even mention the good that Christ did there, the city was completely forgotten.

Speaking up when you are not getting a return for your investment is a hard lesson perhaps. But Jesus demands our all and that is for all not just a few.

Jesus closes his conversation regarding John by denouncing the generation who are missing what God is doing right in front of their noses.

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.” (Matthew 11 v 16-19)

Next time you watch children play observe their agenda. There can be a number of rules and it seems that everyone is breaking them. Frustrated voices are being raised because no one seems to be following the same rule. There can be a lot of grabbing of toys and shouting ‘Mine!’ In the end they haven’t ‘played nicely’ and it has ended in tears. Selfish childish games are not only for people of a certain age, grown-ups play them also.

John was accused of being too depressive, mourning and even having a demon. They didn’t get it. John’s ministry was God’s agenda but they didn’t want to play. So then Jesus is here, standing amongst them, God with us, the party has started! But again they don’t like this game either. It is too joyful, generous and all encompassing.

Consider your life with its twists and turns. You went into education; you had a lifetime of a variety of jobs, you developed skills and took on activities, you met friends and a few enemies along the way and then you retire to enjoy your last period of time on this earth. The most difficult part of your life has been to decipher and then trust God’s agenda for your life. To realise you don’t set the rules, He does, but you still have to play even if you want to throw your toys out of the pram.

If that generation had only played according to the rules and accepted John for who he was then they wouldn’t have missed the all-important Immanuel. Their lives would have adapted to the new rules and wisdom would have confirmed they were right.

Instead, they kicked back, rejected and ignored what God was doing.

What is God doing in your life? Whatever it is and maybe you can agree by looking back on your life and see that you didn’t always want to play according to the rules God had brought for your life. But now? Will you trust Him that right now He is here, with you, leading you in this season and you will commit to fall in line and play His game not yours? His agenda outweighs yours.

Did you watch it last night? The end of the 6^th series will today cause lots of reviews good and bad! We have been waiting to see who the infamous ‘H’ was who controlled corrupt police officers. It was revealed and it was really clever. I could never have predicted it.

You might be reading this thinking you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about! Let’s move onto something far more important.

But first let’s read some more of what Jesus says about John the Baptist who is imprisoned by Herod.

“For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 11 v 13-15)

The Prophets and the Law (the Old Testament) has a line of duty. Generations had been waiting to see who they were all pointing to. What do you say? Jesus addresses the crowd using a popular phrase meaning ‘Are you really listening?’ Do you see him?

Who is the offspring of Eve who will bruise the head of the serpent and whose heel will be bruised by it?

Who is Isaiah’s virgin who conceives and has a son calling him ‘God with us’?

When Noah saved creation and his family from the flood of judgment who did his character and the Ark symbolise?

Who was the ladder connecting heaven and earth in Jacob’s vision with angels ascending and descending on it?

Who does the bronze healing serpent of Moses raised up in the wilderness point to?

Who is the wisdom of God personified by Solomon’s writings?

Who is the amazing husband in the love book of the Song of Songs?

I could go on. The whole of the Old Testament Scriptures pointing to someone in the line of duty who would be revealed.

The prophet Malachi pointed to Elijah coming again. Some may have thought that was a reincarnation or another trip from heaven for him and still others that this individual would come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

If John the Baptist was true and meant to come, if he was prophesied accurately as the fore-runner and this is him, then the one he prepares the way for is also true. Are you really listening? Do you see him?

Jesus!

Today as you hold the Bible in your hand remind yourself that the central character throughout is Jesus. He is in the Line of Duty. It is all about him. Some will have missed him and they still do. But for those enlightened we realise it is the most beautiful story of God that has ever been written!

We have become accustomed to hearing of a pandemic within the pandemic. As the majority of the world was locked down in their homes the rate of those who experience domestic violence rose sharply.

Maybe you are reading this and the words domestic violence make you shake with fear even after many years. A person you loved hurt you.

I heard yesterday how friends had stopped in their car at some traffic lights and across the road a man was screaming and banging on the door of another car with the woman trapped inside. The trauma of seeing violence has a lasting effect but being the victim of violence can destabilise the rest of a person’s life.

The World Health Organisation define violence as “The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.”

Physical or psychological; death or deprivation. We understood at an early age what violence is.

Let’s now look at the next thing Jesus said in the context of speaking to the crowd of John the Baptist in the ear-shot of John’s disciples. It is one of those verses that are difficult to understand:

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it” (Matthew 11 v 12)

Some interpret this positively in that since those wilderness baptisms and call to repent, people have been entering the new kingdom with courage and enthusiasm. It certainly can be understood that way.

However, I am more in favour of understanding it negatively. In that John is in prison under the threat of Herod Antipas who would soon move violently to have him killed. Jesus is stating a matter of fact. Those in this new kingdom have been and will continue to experience violence.

Are you suffering at the hands or the voice of someone? Maybe you are in the pulpit today and you carry fear of who is in the pew. Perhaps you are fearing the pulpit? Traumatic that this may be but it is still the shallow end of what happens to local churches at the hands of Boko Haram terrorists in places like north-eastern Nigeria on an ongoing basis.

Jesus simply seems to state the fact. It is part of the course of being a member of the kingdom. Violence occurs.

John the Baptists isn’t in prison because he has done anything wrong or that God has deserted him because of sin. He is there because he is part of the kingdom.

Jesus could also be indicating that he too would be experiencing violence soon himself.

Herod not only arrests but will behead John and he will then seek to kill Jesus, mocking him, dressing him up as a royal in one big humiliation. Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea will wash his hands of Jesus. The Jews hated him for his disgraceful behaviour towards their Temple. He brought in the Roman standards into their Holy City; put golden shields of names and images of Roman deities in the Temple and according to Luke’s gospel he killed men in their Temple worship and mixed their blood with that of their animal sacrifice. Caiaphas the high priest, and part of a priesthood mafia.  Caiaphas was responsible for the persecution of Christians but before that was instrumental in the arrest, trial and execution of Jesus. Violent men raiding the kingdom of heaven with violence.

This is a comfort to those who may have experienced some kind of hurt and may still feel trapped today. It can be a huge sign that you were not doing anything wrong, you are simply a subject of the kingdom and you are following in the steps of the King.

Continuing to slowly examine what Jesus said about John the Baptist this next verse has been misinterpreted (again) by the Jehovah Witnesses to prove that John the Baptist never made it to heaven:

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11 v 11)

This weekend many people in Britain will be taking on the ‘100 challenge’. Captain Sir Tom Moore now famously having walked 100 laps of his garden before he turned 100yrs last year and raised nearly £33 million for the NHS charities will not be here to see people like Dame Mary Berry bake 100 cakes. He had inspired Britain with his achievement but having died on 2^nd February will not see stars like Joe Root hit a cricket ball a 100 times or Dame Judi Dench eat 100 chocolates! He had talked with his daughter about this weekend’s challenge to raise more money but he isn’t here to experience it. His daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, said: “He would have loved to have done this. We talked about it and he was really, really looking forward to it.”

It may not be the best example but it helps to reveal what Jesus was meaning.

John the Baptist will always be remembered for being Malachi’s ‘messenger’ who prepared the way for Jesus the Messiah with the message that a new kingdom was near. It is this role that set him apart from all the amazing servants of God. Jesus says there is no one greater in that old era and so we think of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, the prophets and King David. John the Baptist beats them all because of his crucial role in preparing the way for this new Messianic Kingdom. But Jesus also indicates that John is going to die. He won’t make it into experiencing what he foretold. His mission was great in the old kingdom in fact there was no one greater than him. But, as the Message translation helps, “No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him.”

So who are the lowliest people in the new Jesus’ Kingdom? The gospels all reveal even though the disciples at the time may not have perceived it that the least likely are the greatest. The blind, the lame, the deaf, the poor, the widow, the child who accept Christ and follow Him though least are greater than John the Baptist.

But there is one other person who is least and yet who is greater than John the Baptist and all the super heroes before him. You!

You in your own prison of doubt, pain and confusion perhaps.

You who have nothing to give to Jesus except brokenness and sin.

You who feels like a failure and a disappointment to so many.

You, me, we are the least.

You, me, who have and continue to experience grace upon grace. Forgiveness, love, mercy, cleansing, freedom, the words just tumble out. All because of the death and the resurrection of Christ. We are greater than any character in the Old Testament and this one man stuck in prison having prepared the way for Christ, John.

So think on that, the next time you are hard on yourself. You are experiencing what many before you only longed for and you have what many still don’t have, a Saviour, Jesus Christ.

John is in prison, stronger than he thinks; the weak one, the reed blowing in the wind is Herod not the Baptist. When John was in the wilderness he didn’t have finery found in Palaces like Herod’s. But he adapted to the wilderness and survived.

Jesus continues …

“Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you” (Matthew 11 v 9-10)

Jesus is quoting the prophet Malachi whose name means ‘messenger’. Written before the reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah and after the rebuilding of the temple, it is placed at the end of the Old Testament so that it can flow into Matthew’s gospel; the connection being that of the fore-runner and the Messiah, John the Baptist and Jesus.

John cleared the road ahead of King Jesus to come. He removed the obstacles and filled in the potholes as Jesus headed to the Temple, just as Malachi prophesied (3:1).

Now here is my one thought today and I hope it blesses you.

You may doubt at times. You may be in a set of circumstances that mean you feel stuck, trapped and not where you thought you would be. Why doesn’t Jesus get me out of this prison? Jesus doesn’t chastise you for struggling with these doubts. What he does want you to hear is this: He believes in you; He has no doubts about you and your role that you are playing in the big story of God; you are meant to be; “John you were prophesied about” and you? Well, before you entered the world your life was ordained by God who saw you coming!

We are all messengers clearing the road for King Jesus to return. We all find ourselves at times doubting whether He is coming and why He doesn’t do what we want Him to do. But not for a second does He not know who we are and where we are. He believes in you! He is not seeing you the way at times you see you.

When this truth sinks deep into your understanding then it enables you to even go to your own death for Him.

This last year the world has had to adapt within a pandemic. We have changed the way we live. The verse today and this thought has made me realise that as a follower of Jesus there isn’t anywhere we go nor situation that we find ourselves in that we cannot adapt/change our lives in order to continue.

John the Baptist isn’t a reed blown in the wind. That is weak Herod with his reed-emblazoned emblem who put him in prison. John is stronger than Herod.

“If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.” (Matthew 11 v 8)

Again in contrast to Herod in his palace with all his finery looking successful, John doesn’t look like that.

“John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.” (3 v 4)

Fine clothes in a wilderness is out of place. But if God had called you to the palace then that is a different matter.

The point is not that we shouldn’t wear fine clothes but that we should embrace the environment we are in and our purpose for being there.

There are wonderful examples from the animal kingdom of how in order to survive and thrive animals have adapted to their surroundings. For the sake of time, I won’t explain how they do it but just what they do. You can do your own research!

Alaskan Wood Frogs freeze their own bodies to survive the harsh -80 degrees F winters. In spring time they thaw out and come back to life.

Cuttlefish change their colour and texture to blend into their surroundings.

Antarctic fish, the notothenioid make their own anti-freeze to survive the cold harsh waters of the Southern Ocean.

But it’s not just the animal kingdom. Travel anywhere in the world and you will ask the question, how do people live here? Whether that be in the heights of the Himalayas or the scorched places of the deserts. But they do. They have found a way to adapt and it is fascinating.

John’s appearance had adapted to the wilderness years that he lived there and the message that was growing inside him.

When the people went out to see him they saw a man who looked like the wilderness man.

Here is my thought: Within the environment you are in right now (no matter how difficult your circumstance) lies an opportunity for you to adapt. You can find a way to evolve in order not only to survive but to thrive. You may be exactly where God wants you to be and He is waiting, speaking, helping you adapt, change and fit your life into that environment. It may be permanent or seasonal but you can do it. This is not weakness, this is strength. This is not conforming but adapting. It is different. To conform is to fulfil expectations of others and to behave in the way they want you to. To adapt is to adjust to new conditions and it is a huge accolade. You can do this!

Do you ever think you haven’t accomplished all that you wanted to accomplish? Do you ever doubt your life? The circumstance that you are in now is it what you had hoped for? Do you ever feel that there is some hypocrisy attached to you? What people see and who you really are. How have things worked out for you?

For John the Baptist, now in prison and who would never be released, death being very near, these are his thoughts. “Is this the Messiah?” “Will he rescue me if he is?”

John’s disciples are leaving and Jesus addresses the crowd and speaks about John.

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?” (Matthew 11 v 7)

This rhetorical question of Jesus is a wonderful accolade of John and would be a huge encouragement. What Jesus says about you is always far greater than even what you say about you!

Everyone knows where John is. Imprisoned by Herod Antipas (4 BC-39 AD).

Previously John was in the wilderness calling people to repent for the Kingdom was near.

Crowds went out to see him. Many became his disciples. But look at him now.

Was John following the latest fad, speaking the latest teaching, regurgitating what others were saying? Was he simply a showman? With no depth?

The emblem of Herod Antipas was printed on his own coins. The emblem was a reed!

Isn’t Jesus so clever?!

Who was a reed blowing in the wind? It wasn’t John. Don’t look at his circumstance in that way. John is where he is because of his resolve. He wasn’t afraid to speak up, to say the truth and challenge injustice. He isn’t tossed around like the wind. Not John. Now Herod on the other hand ….!

Friends, look at your predicament today. Look at your problem. It isn’t perfect right? It’s not what you hoped for. But that doesn’t make you weak or a lesser of an individual, a second class disciple. You may have doubts and all kinds of emotions because of your circumstance. However, what Jesus says about you is greater. You are not like others who are in better circumstances but blown here and there. You are strong. You are determined. You are a man/woman of faith and are still following the Messiah!

John is in prison. He begins to doubt and those doubts play havoc in his mind.

So he sends his disciples for proof. He just needs to know Jesus is the One. Even if he never gets out of the prison, even if he dies, he needs to know it has all been worth it.

Jesus has given them his response. He has been gracious and encouraging to John. They will return to the prison to confirm that Jesus is the One, the Messiah.

But then Matthew describes in a few words a scenario that will further strengthen John.

“As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John” (Matthew 11 v 7)

They could still hear Jesus speaking and that is the whole point. They would have more things to tell John. Maybe they slowed their pace down as they were listening?! That’s what I would have done.

• What you say about someone is more powerful than what you say to them especially when they get to hear it from others.
• When people are leaving you make sure they leave with the sound of Jesus.
• Changing people’s allegiances isn’t always the most important thing, timing is everything. (They came and left as John’s disciples).
• Your predicament (the prison) entrusted to Jesus can be an opportunity for a crowd to hear the good news.
• Jesus is never embarrassed with your situation but will use it for His glory. (Jesus was more than willing to speak about John even if though he looked like a failure)