Money, Power and Camels
Notes
Transcript
Jab 1
Jab 1
Vocabulary is something that is interesting have you ever thought about how much language has changed in the last 300 years?
Vocabulary from 1700’s
Even the last 10-30 years.....
Here are some words that didn’t necessarily originate in 2019, but are words that are being added to the dictionary.
Slides with New vocabulary
Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “ ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.
CONTEXT:
The Jewish people of Matthew’s time were experiencing
Pressure to choose between their Jewish heritage or Follow Jesus
The audience of Matthew’s gospel has already been indicated in the earlier discussion of date and place. Matthew wrote to Jewish believers who were under pressure to choose between faith in Jesus and their Jewish heritage. It is possible, though not necessary, that these Jewish believers lived in Galilee or somewhere in Syria. It is most likely that they were living through the efforts of the Pharisees in a.d. 70–90 to force them to abandon faith in Jesus or abandon their claim to Jewish identity. It is likely that those who clung to their faith in Jesus, and to their Jewish identity, were tempted to abandon or downplay the Gentile mission.
Confusion in what it meant to relate with God and others
Another goal of Matthew was to organize Jesus’ ministry and message in a form that could be easily used to instruct his community in the meaning of discipleship.
“Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “ ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.
Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”
613 laws the pharisees established to help them follow the 10 commandments, but they had become the law itself in the eyes of the people.
When Jesus looked at the man and asked him to sell all his possessions give them to the poor and come follow him.......what was Jesus asking this man to do?
Jesus was asking him to identify himself with the person and mission of Jesus.
-described as Rich
-young
-man
the benefits and power that came from 3 three identifying pieces in this man’s life Jesus was asking him to no longer be known for that, but to be known as
-Lover of God
-Follower of God
-Compassionate as God
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus warned again in
Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
Luke 12
he was not asking the rich young man to give up his wealth for the sake of being poor......
-but in finding his identity in God the Father who was shown to us through the person of Jesus.
Jesus then turns to his disciples and gives us something that is a pretty popular phrase in church culture.
Camel through eye of a needle
-this was a gate inside a gate in the wall of a city
-allowed the city to remain secure after the gate was closed at night
-if a camel was going through the gate you would have to stake all the baggage it was carrying off first......get on all fours and crawl through the whole one of the most un natural things for an animal that large to do.
If people wanted to go through they left everything outside the gate for the night.....so they wouldn’t be a threat to the people in the city.
this is what people would be thinking about when they heard Jesus talking about going through the eye of a needle.
God speaks ......do we listen?
I have talked with individuals in the past who have asked me what is God’s will for their lives......I asked them what God’s word says he wants for their lives
The rich young man honestly wanted to know......he was told to do what God had revealed in scripture.
He had followed the steps he needed in his religion, but his heart was not willing to sacrifice in his relationship with God.
What is it that you identify yourself ?
-job
-place in life
If we can daily place those things in the hands of Jesus
-Little King will
-We talk with Jesus and he tells us what he thinks
-He shows us the way and we do what he shows us in those times with him
When we leave our throne and surrender that to Jesus there is nothing that is too difficult for us to do......
-He will empower and equip us to do what he has asked us to do
Where in our lives are we still in control......not allowing Jesus to be King.....not even having him at the table for the discussion?
-Can we surrender that today?
We can transform the world, but first we must be transformed daily in our relationship with Jesus.
Jesus left his throne for you so you could daily leave your throne in love to others.
