Ephesians 6:12
"but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful."
Mark 4:19
"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light."
2 Corinthians 11:14
From the final stanza of the poem Alas my Love written by Kevin Max of DC Talk:
Taking on a multitude
That had left Him high and dry
No candle burning vigil could light the way
Darkness hit the ground like a fallen satellite
He wrestled until morning
With human souls and dark angels
And there He finished His work
On the third day
That had left Him high and dry
No candle burning vigil could light the way
Darkness hit the ground like a fallen satellite
He wrestled until morning
With human souls and dark angels
And there He finished His work
On the third day
Matthew 12:38-45
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house empty, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
In Matthew 12 the confrontation between the Jewish leaders and Jesus has come to a head with their accusing Jesus of doing His works by Satan’s power, and His warning them of the unpardonable sin. The point that Jesus was making was that the Kingdom of Heaven had come and that they were going to be excluded if they persisted in their rejection of Him. This warning troubled them, but they were still not convinced that He was the Messiah--far from it. So they demanded a sign from Him. And that is the occasion of this short section in which Jesus rebukes them for asking for a sign instead of believing, assesses their spiritual condition, and pronounces sentence on them.
Jesus spoke of a generation or rather an entire culture of the flesh. Of nonbelief. Of those things were written in Paul's letter to the Galatians. The characteristics of a life lived in the flesh read like a criteria list for a DSM manual used to diagnose deviant behavior. From Galatians 5:
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
These are the traits of an individual separated from God and his grace. I am tempted on many occasions to respond to my circumstances in ways that reflect some of those mentioned. Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, and one not mentioned but critical to the others, doubt and disbelief.
Many times in my life, I have been in precarious situations and trying times. Times when worry and self-doubt creep in and I am tempted to think God is nowhere to be found. My response, for the most part, is quite the opposite and characteristic of many Christians. I find myself reaching out more for God and his grace. That to me is just as much a reflection of my walk as anything else. The fact that I put God on the back burner when times are good and tolerable and then pull him out when things are chaotic, stressful, and destitute. We must learn over time through faith that God is here for us when we are there for him. He is faithful. His grace is sufficient.
God's grace is sufficient. I have over the years come to understand that God gives me what I need when I need it. So I remain faithful. I do not mean we are not required to do the work so to speak. We must live our lives and not become complacent in our faith in such a way that we expect God to "make it happen". There is an old saying from the Taoist philosophy, "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water.". We must live our lives no matter the perspective and relationship we have with God. Our path is our own yet there are moments of clarity when we actually see the will of God at work in our lives. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jerimiah 29:11. He has a plan. His plan. His will. We go through so much in our lives and at times are overcome with a propensity to complain or wonder why all of this is happening to us. See Joseph and his ordeal found in the 50th chapter of Genesis. "
19But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? 20"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21"So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them." Joseph learned the pain, the betrayal, the difficulties, the moments of doubt, were the pathway to great blessings. God's grace.
It is sufficient.
When Jesus endured all he endured. When he died on the cross he gave us the sign of Jonah. Three days in the belly of the beast so to speak. He battled principalities and the underworld occupied by the adversary. The devil. He taught the spirits locked away according to Peter and he returned victoriously from
death. The truth of our faith. Jesus was not just a prophet as some may claim or a philosopher of note. He was the key to our salvation and the trouble he endured and the pain he went through was for the grace of God to reveal itself. For the blessing to come as it does for all people who remain faithful and hold on for his grace. The will of God is at work in all of our lives and the flow he has created for our spirit to follow is sometimes interrupted by the flesh. That aspect of who we are that serves to separate us from who God calls us to be. But the flow and the faith we have (sometimes as small as a mustard seed) resurrects within this individualized expression of God called Mark or Sally or Ronnie or whoever you may be and we slip back in. Sometimes in profound ways where we are tempted to proclaim it a miracle. Sometimes in ways so subtle we fail to recognize it at all. But usually it can be found in the events of everyday life and the smallest of things that present themselves to us as opportunities to show where we are in the faith.
death. The truth of our faith. Jesus was not just a prophet as some may claim or a philosopher of note. He was the key to our salvation and the trouble he endured and the pain he went through was for the grace of God to reveal itself. For the blessing to come as it does for all people who remain faithful and hold on for his grace. The will of God is at work in all of our lives and the flow he has created for our spirit to follow is sometimes interrupted by the flesh. That aspect of who we are that serves to separate us from who God calls us to be. But the flow and the faith we have (sometimes as small as a mustard seed) resurrects within this individualized expression of God called Mark or Sally or Ronnie or whoever you may be and we slip back in. Sometimes in profound ways where we are tempted to proclaim it a miracle. Sometimes in ways so subtle we fail to recognize it at all. But usually it can be found in the events of everyday life and the smallest of things that present themselves to us as opportunities to show where we are in the faith.
My favorite verse brings it all full circle. It is a verse I use daily as a tool to keep me in the flow. I use it to check my motives and my actions. It is there for each and every one of you and it is rooted in this day of resurrection. 2 Corinthians 13:4-6.
"4For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. 5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test? 6But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.…"
It tells us to be aware of who we are in perpetuity. To examine who we are. To understand that every difficulty we may face is a chance for growth. A chance to represent and demonstrate who we are. Where we are. A chance to pass the test. The tests of life.
Pass the test.
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