8:20 Suffering on the Glory-Road

Matthew 8:20
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

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In my own evangelism, I want to convey three things to people about the decision they must make about the Gospel:

First, the decision is costly (and therefore must be carefully considered, see Luke 9:62);

second, the decision is urgent (and therefore must be made, see John 3:18, 36);

third, the decision is worth it (and therefore should be made, see John 10:10).
Mark Dever
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

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I find it curious that Jesus sometimes tried to talk people out of following Him by declaring the hard realities of discipleship.

After the scribe said to Him, “I will follow you wherever you go” (v. 19), Jesus’ replied, “No you won’t.”

We don’t know why the scribe would have quit, but it’s probably fair to assume that his perception of following Messiah was unrealistic.

The same is true for anyone who latches on to a feel-good gospel, where Jesus solves all your earthly problems and promises a pain-free life on earth.

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Last month, our family traveled to Panama City Beach for a refreshing week together.

Getting to our beach paradise, however, required 14 hours of travel each way. Therefore, Jeni and I had to mentally prepare our kids for two long trips. They needed to know that getting there and getting home would not be fun, but that the delight of our beach paradise was a worthy trade-off for 28 hours on the road.

They accepted the challenge, and we had a marvelous time.

Let us share the gospel in the same spirit; one that proclaims that the glory-road will not be easy, yet worth it (see also 8/18).

8:19 A relevant and deadly choice

1 Samuel 8:19-22
But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.”

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Despite Samuel’s warnings about the drawbacks of human kings (vv. 11-18), Israel’s thirst to be like the pagans (i.e., relevant) remained unquenchable.

God’s chosen people wanted weak and imperfect men to rule them and fight for them, when the Undefeated Champion of the Universe offered loving rule and certain victory.

Yahweh’s response:   “OK.”

Don’t let anyone convince you that a good God will protect you from your evil desires.

Instead, choose wisely.

8:18 A bad day in heaven is better than a good day . . .

Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

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His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flower
William Cowper,
“God Moves in a Mysterious Way”

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Sometimes the pain of this world seems unbearable.

Illness, heartbreak, depression, job-loss, sudden death . . .

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But there is hope beyond the pat-answers.

Pilgrims have the promise that even our darkest days will not compare to the bright comforts of our future home, where righteousness will dwell.

8:17 Where Credit is Due

Deuteronomy 8:17-18
Beware lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.” You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

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I have a friend who is a blind diabetic, who is also vulnerable to illness because of two kidney transplants.**

Needless to say, his prospects for employment are quite limited.

Most of us have more flexibility than he, but Moses reminds us that it is only by God’s sovereign goodness that we can even get out of bed in the morning.

May we remember that everything we have is from Him, and belongs to Him.

And may we share our prosperity with others, knowing that He has done so for us.

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**His immune system is held at bay, so that his body will not reject the transplant. Because of this, he is susceptible to contagious illness.

8:16 Too Close to Home

Zechariah 8:16-17
These are the things that you shall do:
Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.

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So . . .

Speak the truth to one another. Does this apply when I’m trying to sell my car for top dollar?

Treat the “little people” with an equity that yields peace. How did I treat that single mom who waited on me at the Greasy Spoon?  Did I show her grace in my voice and in my tip?

Don’t conspire against people. Does this include tiny morsels of gossip?

Keep your promises. With three kids who remember everything I say (including a promised trip to the Ice Cream Palace after dinner), I’m learning just how much I tend to hot-fudge on this one.

8:15 The Soiled Heart

Luke 8:15
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

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The last four words of this famous parable provide us clues to Jesus’ intent.

It’s not a parable about simply applying something you read in a devotional or hear in a sermon.  It’s a parable about the heart’s long-term conformity to God’s good character (“with patience”); one that becomes conformed to the image of God’s Son over a period of years, becoming increasingly receptive to His Word, as it is cultivated by a glad submission to His Spirit.

There is nothing good about the first three soils. The seed may last a little longer on some than others, but Jesus’ desire is long-term fruit-bearing, not temporary excitements grounded in emotion alone.

What kind of soil is your heart?

8:14 Reality Check

Ecclesiastes 8:14
There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

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If wealth is a dependable sign of God’s approval and lack of wealth shows his disapproval, then Jesus and Paul were on God’s blacklist, and drug dealers and embezzlers are the apple of his eye. …… Randy Alcorn

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One of the reasons the “prosperity gospel”** is so unhealthy is that it directly contradicts certain Scriptures, such as today’s.

As Asaph also records in Psalm 73, this world is filled with righteous people who suffer and unrighteous people who don’t.

One day the Lord will turn the tables on both, punishing wrongdoers and rewarding the righteous (cf. Ps. 73:16ff), but on this side of His judgment, inequity sometimes prevails.

This must be why our New Testament is filled with so many exhortations to trust and endure.

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Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

**The belief that sickness and poverty come from unbelief, while perfect faith guarantees earthly health and wealth.