For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
If. What a huge word. The unknown “if”, of course, implies choice, options, possibilities. Some options are out of our reach, only to be completed by the One who has the power to direct our lives. Some options are open to us, and yet knowing the Lord’s will, may become untenable though possible.
Paul speaks of choosing in this passage, and it seems he is considering the desires of his heart, not the actual decision to live or die – No that is beyond him. Authorities above him will determine his time of death. I speak as a fool here, for we know the Authority Who determines our time of release.
It is the desire of living for Christ or dying that he is hashing out in his mind. He is looking at two options, both of which a good options in his mind. This is instructive to consider.
When you approach a fork in the road, do you consider one way to be wrong and one way to be right? Surely this may occur, yet I would suggest that forks in the road of your life may both be beneficial. The decision may be difficult only in that you seek God’s will, but that either path will be of good effect on your life.
This is the conundrum Paul faces. Are you in the midst of a conundrum? Work it out, looking to the Lord for resolution, or to find peace in the matter.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
One of my first memory verses, primarily due to its shortness. Yet it packs a tremendous truth.
Life and death. How does a Christian view death? Is it the enemy? Yes. Yet Jesus conquered the effects of death on our lives. We still have to pass through death’s door, and it is important to realize that the enemy (death) is not to be entered on a whim. It is a great reality!
What are you speaking of Carl?
Consider the Lord’s entrance to the experience of death. He sought the Father’s will, and yet asked for “this cup” to be removed from Him. Death was staring Him in the face, and He sought God’s will above succumbing to the very real presence and fear of death.
Paul was also looking death in the face, and realized that without Christ, He may succumb to fear and shame. Yet His hope was in Christ, who entered death and rose the victor.
Death will come knocking my friend, either through natural causes or other means. Look to the One who has supplied all your needs for the strength and courage to avoid a shameful death.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
From the previous verse Paul stated he expected deliverance. He now speaks of his expectations and hope of not being ashamed. Might the deliverance Paul speaks of in the previous verse be a deliverance from shame?
The next phrase seems to clear up the issue of Paul’s expectation of physical deliverance, since he is suggesting this deliverance may be accomplished by death.
Paul seeks to honor Christ in his body.
If I am reading this passage correctly, he is more concerned of experiencing shame than death. This is enlightening to me, since shame is not a topic we speak of in the modern church to often. Shame and courage are directly linked in this verse, and associated with the Messiah. To be courageous is to relegate shame to the rear. We all have areas of our lives that we have experienced shame, those times when we performed deeds we want no one to know of. Yet the Lord knows and forgives.
Paul is looking to avoid the need for forgiveness, through faith and courage. As death approaches Paul, he resolved to look to the Master for his strength.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,
Paul is here speaking of the divine human cooperative. The prayers of the saints, and the work of the Spirit of Jesus Christ will cooperate with each other in the deliverance of the apostle. Paul knows this will produce a deliverance for him, he is confident in this. He does allow for some leeway in the type of deliverance, allowing God’s will to be done. This is acceptable to Paul, since he seeks to be under the will of God, and realizes the promise of God, when saints join together in prayer, God listens and acts.
Paul ties these two parties (man and God) together in expecting his deliverance, although he has yet to define the deliverance. This generality in Paul describing his delieverance, especially in the next verse, allows freedom to recieve God’s will in his life.
I have often heard the statement, “Be specific in prayer, in order for God to specifically answer” Many times the Lord has answered specific prayers in our lives, and yet there is wisdom in allowing God’s will to play a part of the answer.
Paul was general in his expectation, and yet had confidence in the working of both the prayers of the saints and of the Spirit of Jesus.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
Paul comes to a conclusion, that admittedly, I do not understand. It must be a deliberate decision on his part, that given the circumstances, he has concluded he has nothing he can do at this time but to rely on the Lord for working in the brothers of rivalry, and to give thanks for those who are preaching Christ out of good will.
In both cases, he rejoices in that Christ is proclaimed. The name of Christ is published amongst folk that need to hear of Him, and Paul realizes this is God’s work, and God’s will is being accomplished, even in the midst of bad relations and wrong motivations.
This is somewhat relieving/encouraging for myself, for this exhibition of the greatness of God in working with the less than perfect seems to fit in with my situation. In case you may not know, I am less (far less) than perfect. And although I do not knowingly harbor any rivalry with Paul, I am sure my motivations are not always of the highest good will. Nevertheless, God is good and he works with both donkeys and prophets.
How about you? Do you seek to take another’s place in the kingdom, seek to have power over someone, or simply an ambitious Christian, looking for status amongst the brothers and sisters of the Lord?
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.
Paul returns to the brothers who were preaching out of envy and rivalry (vs 15). As mentioned earlier, these brothers were fueled by selfish ambition.
In our modern church, I fear we are witness to the same two types of brothers. Those that preach out of good will include many godly, humble men who serve silently and without fanfare. Thiers is a life of servanthood and quiet periods of prayer, visiting with those who are hurting, and seeking to encourage those who are downtrodden.
There also are those who, by Paul’s own description, see the ministry as a career, an opportunity to have influence over others, to chase after the larger congregation, the larger church, a TV / Internet ministry, to be n the spotlight, and to draw attention to themselves, (for the sake of Christ of course!)
At this point in my Christian walk, I am somewhat jaded toward these so called ministers. I understand that the prevailing winds of Christianity almost require this conformity to seeing the church as a corporation, a business venture, or a organization. I get that, but I can’t seem to give up on the idea that the church is a living organism, and that those who preach for selfish ambition are not the highest example of Christianity.
I need some of Paul’s vision, (see vs 18) in understanding the will of God, even amongst brothers who base thier ministry on rivalry with their brothers, even seeking to afflict their leader for their own benefit.
To afflict the apostle? What is going on with these guys?
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
The brothers who found confidence in the life of Paul during his imprisonment, preaching Christ with boldness and of good will, were doing this service out of love. Love was the root of this service, and the fruit of righteousness was developing in these brothers!
As we have spoken of love in this epistle, note the number of times this topic repeats itself, over and over again as Paul shares his heart with the Philippians. These brothers were preaching Christ, in part due to the life of Paul in prison and their devotion to him and the Savior.
Paul could not have been happier, or to put it in the language Paul preferred, he could not have had greater joy.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.
Some of these brother’s, those that had become confident due to Paul’s example, these brothers reacted to Pauls example in two ways.
Envy and Rivalry
To envy is different than to be jealous. See Love like Jesus – Without Envy for further details. To envy is to want what someone else has or is. Some of these brothers saw personal opportunity since Paul was off the circuit, to rise in the ranks of importance within the fledgling church. With Paul out of the way, these brothers might gain influence and personal power over others. If I appear to be a bit harsh in my estimation of these brothers, consider verse 17. I will not comment at this time.
These brothers also preached out of rivaly. Strife, contention or debate seems to be the idea here, and though this is not the highest goal for the preacher, at this time, Pauls was looking for victories, and the name of Christ was being published. For this, he was thankful.
Good Will
A portion of the brothers were preaching of good will. For this Paul was much, much, more thankful. They were mimicking the apostle, not seeking him harm. But either way, the name of Christ was being published abroad and the gospel was advancing.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
In our last verse we considered the effect Paul had on the imperial guards, while in this verse we are considering Paul’s impact on the brothers, at least on most of them. Seeing Paul react to his imprisonment with joy and focused on the advancement of the gospel, lit the brothers up also.
I was in a class this morning where a brother spoke passionately, and with great volume and force, of our responsibility to evangelize, that it is incumbent on all believers to evangelize, and if you don’t shame on you (to be fair, he didn’t say it – I just felt it!)
While I wholeheartedly agree, I don’t remember a time when he brought someone to church, asked for prayer for someone he shared Christ with, or exhibited any burden to reach out in a ministry to the lost. Granted, I am guilty in many ways also. In my past, I used to do bunches of neighborhood evangelism, and occasionally share the gospel with others I rub shoulders with, but my passion has dwindled. I have grown cold and need to straighten up.
With all that being said, my point in speaking of this is to share that Paul may have never taught the brothers the Romans road, or provided the four spiritual laws tract to distribute. But the brothers caught a glimpse of Jesus in Paul, realized that the imprisonment of Paul was beneficial, and caught a wiff of the joy exuding from Paul. It was contagious, not due to teaching, but to the focus of Paul’s life.
The brothers “caught” what couldn’t be taught. Paul’s example led the way.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
Paul’s imprisonment was common knowledge. Nothing was hidden from those who were in his vicinity. Of course, some of the imperial guard would know of Paul’s imprisonment through their direct orders to guard him. The remaining imperial guard depended on gossip through the ranks.
Yet, it is hard to imagine (and this is my imagination!) the soldiers in the imperial guard, hardened disciplined men of the highest caliber of soldier, would be susceptible to common gossip. Paul’s imprisonment caused a major stir that rippled through the ranks, primarily due to the conversions of those guarding him. Those who had no contact with Paul, were in contact with guards that had become believers.
This, if understood by the leadership of the Romans, would give reason for concern, for the Caesar was to be considered god, and the guards were changing their allegiance.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,
With this verse we listen in on the apostle Paul’s interpretation of the trials he has entered into, through his travels and the current imprisonment he was experiencing. It is important to understand that Paul wants to encourage his friends with progress in the midst of trials, and not simply for the sake of his friends, but to see through the eyes of Jesus, what is actually happening for the sake of the gospel.
Paul is not going to dwell on his personal sufferings, other than to inform his friends that he is in prison. He does not describe the condition of the prison, the lack of food or clothing, the loneliness or any other aspect that he may be experiencing, since this is not the focus of his message.
Paul is so focused on advancing the gospel, that he does not accept his current condition as a set back, but actually understands the benefit of his imprisonment for the sake of the gospel.
His imprisonment is advancing the gospel.
How crazy is that? How upside down is the kingdom of God in comparison to our modern way of thinking. It is too much for me at times.
In your own life, has there been a set back? A seeming defeat? Consider a refocus.
Story Time
Years back, a brother spoke of the reason the Dead sea is dead. You see, the dead sea receives water from the Jordan, but has no natural outlet and is unable to provide water to any other body of water. There is no outlet from the dead sea, other than by evaporation, which causes all the salts carried by the Jordan to remain in the Dead Sea, making it useless for life.
Life requires expression, an outlet to give to others in order to maintain, even expand our life. Receiving, or focusing only on ourselves, is a great way to die!
Paul looked for an outlet in his circumstances. May we also take on this attitude, and find life in the giving.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Fruit of Righteousness. It is interesting that Paul speaks of righteousness as a living, growing fruit and not some deed or act or work that is to be dutifully, religiously, ceremonially performed.
This fruit, to carry the metaphor Paul began, finds it sustenance from the root, the Lord Jesus. All nourishment the fruit requires for maturity is from the root alone. Paul desires his church, his friends to be filled with this fruit, to bring glory to God.
Remember, we began this portion of Philippians in verse 9, speaking of Pauls desire for the Philippians love to abound more and more. This fruit of righteousness, in my thinking, is synonymous with a loving sacrificial giving life. This is the nature of our Savior, for He gave all to deliver us.
Paul will return to this teaching over and over again in this letter to his friends. It would be wise for us to mimic the Lord Jesus, through His strength and nourishment and give of ourselves for the sake of others.
In doing so, the fruit will increase. And we will have joy.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
Remember from our last verse that the topic is to abound in love more and more. In increasing our knowledge and exercising discernment, Paul open up the option for each believer to approve what is excellent. Paul was not a micro-manager. He trusted that those in Philippi would come to godly conclusions from their walk with the Lord, and that when various decisions would be required, this knowledge and discernment would serve the young church in testing the facts and finding the best route for this church.
The intent of exercising this knowledge and discernment was for love to abound, and in this effort, these Philippians would be pure and blameless in the day of Christ
Pure.
To be “pure” here is synonymous to sincerity. An element of genuineness is included in this Greek word.
Blameless
To be blameless is to be without offence. This term always troubled me until I understood the concept of keeping all my known sins confessed both to God and to those I have wronged. To err is human, and we all fall into times when we may offend God or a fellow man or woman, but to let this fester and remain unresolved is to be blameworthy. To request forgiveness is to remove this blameworthiness. Offenses may be removed through the power of forgiveness, which is exercised through love.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,
Abounding Love.
Paul consistently emphasizes one Christian characteristic over all others in his writings. If he speaks of knowledge, it was to increase love. If he speaks of discernment, it was to increase love.
To seek knowledge and discernment is a godly exercise, and yet if it gets derailed, or becomes an end game of its own, it is short sighted and misses the mark. Each endeavor of the Christian is to focus on love towards the Lord Jesus and to His people. Love is so primary in the Christian life that it would be accurate to state it is to consume the saint.
Each saint may find differing ways of expressing this love, either through service, or administration, teaching or acts of mercy, but each act of the Christian is to be motivated by love. A self sacrificing, joy filled love that reflects the Lord’s nature and character.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Paul is calling upon God as his witness, the One who is the observer of an action, any action, as a matter of fact, of all actions. Paul is calling on God as a witness of his emotions for the Philippians, of his great longing for his friends in Philippi.
Human witnesses observe physical actions and happenings. God is a witness of emotional truths, of the inner heart and mind, of the heart of the apostle. Those inner yearnings of the apostle towards the Philippians are sourced of the Christ, and this Greek word speaks of tenderness, compassion, kindness and compassion. Paul described his emotions using a word that speaks of mercy and affection.
Have you considered that the affection of Jesus is such for you?
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Unity
Paul speaks of this church, this group of people as being in his heart, that he feels a certain way toward them, and that they all are partakers with him of grace. Again, he uses this term Koinōnia, but with a prefix, that speaks of these folks as being with him in the participation of preaching and imprisonment.
Their partnership in providing gifts brought them into a poverty, and both Paul and the Philippians suffered in their efforts for the furtherance of the gospel. And in that suffering, all partook of grace.
In this unity of suffering and advancement of the gospel, grace was provided to all.
Enter into someone’s suffering today, even if only with a listening ear, willing to give some of your time for someone else. Be one with that soul who may be struggling, and watch for the Lord in it.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
After considering my last post, you will understand I believe this good work Paul refers to as the Philippians giving gifts of love to their apostle. (In other words, I do not see any context here that drives an eternal security teaching.) See the post Conditional Security – Philippians 1:3-11 for supporting nformation for this statement.
Nevertheless, Paul was confident because they had already proven themselves to be faithful to their calling of supporting their beloved apostle. He had no doubt this body of believers would continue. God was at work in these believers in supporting thier missionay apostle. No documentation was necessary, no promissory notes were signed, no contractural commitments negotiated.
They loved him and gave gifts every chance they had. And Paul was so thankful.
A sharing with someone else. I believe this verse hints at Paul’s thankfulness for a very specific partnership the Philippians participated with Paul in. I think he is broaching the topic of dirty mammon, filthy lucre, cold hard cash. (For my reasons for thinking this way, consider the post Conditional Security – Philippians 1:3-11)
If my thinking is correct, Paul is speaking of a very real world need in a beautifully wrapped phrase which the Philippians would understand without him having to blurt it out. Classy. Subdued. Humble and gracious.
This verse speaks of the Apostle using a specific word with intent meant for the audience. Only after getting involved with the book, and Paul’s intimate history with this church, do we understand what the Philippians understood.
Grace in our speech. A message to his loved ones, expressing gratitude for their real world gifts.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,
Prayer
Paul prayed for his church. No, that statement is not true, if I understand Paul.
He prayed for his friends. He prayed for individuals that were on his heart. I do not understand Paul as thinking of the church in Philippi as an organization that needed to meet some arbitrary budget, or that his authority in the church needed to be stengthened, or that the expansion plans were not hitting goals.
Nope. He prayed for people. And in those prayers, the predominant theme he naturally expressed was that of joy. Joy is the theme of this letter and I find it interesting, even revealing that it is associated with prayer at it first occurrence.
Pray for people, and remember the joy of loving those you pray for.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
Thankfulness.
I was sitting with my favorite the other night and began to tell her how thankful I was for the many things she does for me, and for her strength and love. I didn’t let her reciprocate, since it was naturally coming from my heart. It was a very enjoyable chat for me, but after a while I sensed she became a bit uncomfortable.
Many reasons are possible for her discomfort, but I think primarily that she is one who gives without thinking of receiving. Maybe I just haven’t been the thankful husband she deserves.
Either way, it was a bit surprising to me that she became uncomfortable, and it made me think of believers thanking God. I do not think God is ever uncomfortable in receiving thanksgiving, for He truly is the source of all good things.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. It is an enjoyable experience to give thanks!
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
As mentioned earlier, Paul is writing to a church that has planted itself into his own heart, and that he wants to establish in grace and peace. Throughout Paul’s writings, he emphasizes grace and peace to the churches, (and adds mercy when writing to preachers like Timothy and Titus)
Paul’s emphasis on grace and peace would do us well to be remembered, for we may often think of how we disappoint, frustrate or displease the Lord of Glory, while all the time, the grace of God is there to encourage, strengthen and admonish us to be His people, and do better things for Him.
Grace and peace. Grace is unmerited favor, favor of the Lord that we do not deserve, that we cannot earn, and that is dependent on the character of Jesus and not own frail efforts.
I often consider peace to be somewhat equivalent with wholeness, or balance, or restfulness. A sense that God is taking care of those things that are beyond our strength. As we get older and hopefully wiser, we begin to realize that our strength is a weakness, and that God has been in the midst of it all. With this realization, the peace we experience becomes a settled condition.
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
Paul loved this church and knew each of the founding members, along with those who joined as the church grew and he visited. He was there in the beginning, like so many of the churches he writes to in the New Testament, and I dare say, this may have been the church that settled in his heart the deepest.
He sends this letter of joy to the saints in Christ Jesus, along with the church leadership. I find this challenging, since my background would expect a church planter and apostle to send directions directly to the leadership, and allow them to disseminate the instructions to the laity.
It seems this structure is not at play in Paul’s mind.
Should a hierarchy be accepted in our mind? What thinkest thou?
I have learned much in our journey through the parables. Not enough, but much. As this is the last of my posts in this series on the parables, I would appreciate your thoughts and comments. I am considering a series on the miracles of the Lord Jesus and would appreciate if this is of interest to any who may be following.
On to our parable! This parable is of sheep and goats. Two animals that are easily distinguishable. I think!
Lets read the passage and then dig in.
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
The disciples, those who were following Him.
When did the Lord give this parable?
Jesus spoke this parable two days prior to the Passover.
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” – Mat 26:1-2 ESV
Where did the Lord teach the parable?
Jesus had been teaching His future apostles, those who would lead the ekklesia, truths on the mount of Olives
As he sat on the Mount of Olives the disciples came to him… – Mat 24:3a ESV
Why did the Lord give this message?
The purpose of this message as I understand it, is to instruct His men of the extent and power of His Kingdom, of the coming judgement, of His method of judging and can be outlined as follows
The King has authority of all nations (The nations are gathered before Him)
The King divides the nations into two groups (This implies they were together previously)
The King rewards both the groups on behavior towards the “least of these my brothers
The King judges based on linking the least of these my brethren with the King
The King will judge with surprising outcomes for both groups.
What was the message for the original audience?
During the time of this parable, goats and sheep were not as we see them today. Their appearance was not as distinct as we find today. Consider Genesis 30:32, where Moses describes both sheep and goat as being speckled and spotted.
let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. – Gen 30:32 ESV
It was not uncommon for a flock to contain both sheep and goats during this time and this parable would ring true to the original hearers.
Consider Leviticus 5:6
he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat… – Lev 5:6 ESV
The original audience, the disciples were listening to the Messiah speak of the separation of two types of animals from a flock, not based on appearance, but based on the actions of the animal. What they did.
But I must ask. The sheep did things for the least of these my brothers. These things that were performed on the weak and powerless were acts of mercy and kindness. That seems obvious at this point.
But I need to understand who the Lord is referring to when he mentions “the least of these my brothers”?
I have always, until forced to consider it in this post, assumed the “the least of these my brothers” to be the physical, national brothers of the Messiah. Those who have their roots in the nation of Israel. Of course this is a result of my previous fascination with dispensational theology, which I have abandoned.
But ideas linger, and this is one that may be challenged with this passage. This needs to be discussed a bit later, as I am drifting a wee bit!
What is the message for us today?
One item that I have always assumed is that those who are “the least of these my brothers” is referring to the poor, weak and imprisoned, sometimes defining the least of these my brothers as Jewish “brothers” of Jesus.
As an aside, as many of you know, I live in Houston Tx, and the streets are full of the poor and destitute. My wife, who works in a store on a busy intersection, often comments on the organized efforts of the “poor and destitute” beggars who drive up to the intersection and pile out of a relatively nice vehicle, and take their stations for the day. Scam artists are out there and we need to have discernment in our efforts to be loving and kind. One characteristic we watch for are the condition of the shoes. If the “beggar” has nice shoes, it seems apparent they are not poor and destitute.
But I digress
Who are we, as believers to consider as “the least of these my brothers“, when we hear the Lord speak in this parable. I find it curious that the Lord appended His description of “the least of these” with “my brothers” Of course I can find no specific instance in the New Testament where national Israel is defined as Jesus family/brothers, but I do find multiple instances where the New Testament describes believers as His brothers. Consider Matthew 12:48-49, where His mother and brothers were requesting His presence while He was teaching.
48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! – Mat 12:48-49 ESV
Another passage that comes to mind is when the author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is not ashamed to call those sons that He is bringing into glory his brothers.
11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, – Heb 2:11 ESV
Jesus’ family are those who are His disciples. His brethren (and sistren) are those of faith, not of the flesh. This may seem obvious to some, but I did not catch this truth in the story of the sheep and goats for decades.
Please understand this specific teaching in Matthew 25 does not allow us to ignore the needs of the general population. This is not the intent of the parable nor my wanderings in this post. Each of us are to seek to relieve others of suffering, but as the apostle Paul teaches in Galatians, there is a priority of believers for believers to minister to.
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. – Gal 6:10 ESV
One concluding thought.
If Jesus is referring to believers as the poor and destitute that are receiving the mercy, that tells us that it is the believers that are in the prisons, that are hungry, thirsty, poor, naked and sick. Believers are not exempt from the suffering of this world, and may be exposed to greater suffering based on our identification with our Brother Jesus.
As believers, we need to prioritize our efforts on those we know as followers as the Lord leads us. My understanding of this parable has taken a turn for the better after my simple rumination. Will you look for ways to bless those in the Body of Christ, those in the Family of the Son, who are suffering, and going without.
May the Lord help us all to know the best way to minister.
Please don’t forget to let me know your thoughts on a future series on the Miracles of the Lord Jesus. Your input and suggestions are always welcome.
Being an engineer in my day job, you can imagine that when numbers show up in the Word, I “calculate”. As we read through this parable, we see that each of the servants are provided a quantity of resources to use for a fixed period of time. Upon return of the Master, a time of reckoning falls on the servants. The Master judges each of the servants and doles out “rewards”.
Is that what this parable is about? Servants doubling their Masters resources and receiving proportional rewards?
Or is it about something else? Let’s read the parable before we make any assumptions.
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
Jesus was teaching His disciples. Those who were His servants.
When did the Lord give this parable?
This teaching was provided during the last week of the Lord’s life on earth.
Where did the Lord teach the parable?
As Matthew 24:3 teaches, the Lord gave this teaching outside of Jerusalem.
Why did the Lord give this message?
Jesus began this parable by likening the Kingdom of God to this story. Jesus was about to leave this world and release the Spirit of God into His Kingdom, providing an inestimable “resource” for His servants. The Kingdom of God was about to explode on the scene, and His servants needed to have a clear understanding of acceptable behavior for a servant, but more importantly, they needed to understand the unacceptable perception of the Master.
But I am getting ahead of myself
What was the message for the original audience?
The first two servants, in doubling the Masters resource were rewarded “with much”. The servant that doubled the Master’s five talents, thereby providing the Master ten talents, received authority over ten cities. Likewise with the servant who doubled His Master’s two talents. He received authority over two cities.
As you can see, this is where my initial thought of proportionality was spawned. But I was not considering the point of the parable. This background information was describing the grace of the Master, revealing the Master’s character.
A talent is a huge sum of cash, equal to 6,000 denarii. One denarii was a full days wage. Therefore, a talent represented approx. 20 years of wages!
The audience in Jesus day would consider the initial trust of such wealth to be unthinkable, and the reward to be unbelievable, for servants worked without the expectation of rewards.
Peter and the gang must have been delirious with this parable!
But alas, the focus of the parable is the third servant. Let’s reconsider this servant’s perception of the Master.
‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ – Mat 25:24b-25 ESV
The servant approaches the Master with a bold defense, claiming it is the Master’s fault for his lack of profit. This fellow is the ultimate “victim” This is quite the claim, since “hard” may be understood as fierce, harsh, or stern. This servant approached the Master, proclaiming his fear due to the Master’s character, and returned the single talent back. He knew the Master would expect profit, and this created fear in this fellow, but this fear supposedly “froze” the servant in his endeavors.
The servant was afraid due to his perception (right or wrong) of the Master.
The Master did not accept the servants claim of fear causing his lack of service. The reason the servant came back empty handed was that he was wicked (evil, bad) and slothful (sluggish, indolent, grievous)! This had nothing to do with the Master’s character, for as the parable describes Him, He is one who entrusts His servants with responsibility, and rewards them richly.
Amazing that the servant was described as “worthless” in a parable describing profits, resources and rewards!
This did not turn out well for the third servant, for the talent was taken from him, given to the first servant (thereby blowing my proportionality theorem!) and was thrown out.
The servant was thrown out! When I read that, I was shocked! This was a servant of the Master! How could that be?
I will not repeat my previous findings on the consequences of this servant’s perception of the Master here. If of interest to the reader, please refer to Parable Surprises – Wedding Banquet.
Suffice it to say, I think the original audience understood that their perception of the Master was key to avoiding failure in the Kingdom.
What is the message for us today?
What is the parables message to us today? The core message I have come away with is not that we are required to double any resources we may have been granted. This is not the intent of the parable. The talents are simply a vehicle used to describe the Master’s gracious character towards His servants.
The key message from this parable is our perception of the Master!
Our Perception of God
How do you “see” God?
Do you see God as the third servant saw his master, as a hard man, reaping where He does not sow, and gathering where He scattered not seed?
When you consider the One above, who came to earth, who took upon Himself the form of a man, and became a servant to His enemies, who loved those who crucified Him, who suffered and bled, do you see Him as “hard”?
I am a weak and sinful man blundering through this existence of mercy, but the Scriptures have a constant witness we are wise to avail ourselves of. The Word speaks of God as ever loving, kind and merciful to those who look to Him.
As we seek to serve Him, we must understand His character in order to serve Him and our fellow man properly. He is like no other, and we must be constantly reminded of His “otherness”, of His not being like us.
But what is the nature of our God?
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:8
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. – 1 John 4:16
The fruit of the Spirit is the natural outflow of the nature of our God!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Gal 5:22-23 ESV
To attribute other than these characteristics to the Lord would be an exercise in contradiction. If we see Him as unwieldly, austere, fierce, harsh or stern, as this third servant saw his master, we ourselves shall suffer for this, and eventually end up using this lie as an excuse for our wickedness.
You see, the Scriptures teach us that what we worship is what we become. Now I am not saying if we worship God we become God, but the Scriptures do inform us of the opportunity to be conformed to the One we worship.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
But what if we avoid or ignore the witness of the grace of God. What may we be transformed into other than confirming our own likeness, of hardening our opinion of ourselves as being right, pure and good? This is a great danger!
But wait – there are implications of this decision to consider our own opinions as being correct as opposed to the Word. What might be worse is that we may project our character on Him? Make the One we worship identical to ourselves! How utterly disastrous for us and for His name!
To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. – Isa 40:25
He is the Holy One, the ever living One, the One who changes not! How can we ever be conformed into the image of the matchless Son of God if all we see is an image of ourselves!
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. – Rom 8:29
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:10
What is your perception of God?
When you fall into a time of trial, do you see Him as One who brought the trial into your life, or as the One who will suffer with you through it?
When you fail in some endeavor, do you see Him as One that will mock you, judge you condemn you, or do you see Him as One who is kind and compassionate, willing to forgive, and inviting your repentance, providing your renewal?
Your perception of God determines your relationship with Him. Your perception of God determines your destiny.
Considering the Bible 