Despise Not the Little Ones

“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 18:10 NLT). In order to understand this command, we need to understand the context of “these little ones”. Going back to verse 1, we find the disciples asking Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Using a child as an example, Jesus explains that whoever humbles himself like a believing child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This, I believe, establishes the context of childlike faith.

Looking at the verses that follow verse 10, we have the parable of the lost sheep, but what is a lost sheep and how might they relate to these little ones that we are not to despise or look down on? Everyone may not agree with me at this point, but a lost sheep is a person the Father has chosen for salvation and is yet to be born spiritually. A lost sheep is one who has been spiritually conceived by God and is in their spiritual gestation period, growing in spiritual awareness to the point where they are ready to be born spiritually.

These little ones are the lost sheep we are commanded to go into all the world and find and make disciples of. They are of little faith and need our help in becoming spiritually mature. We are not to despise them for their immaturity, but we are to encourage their spiritual growth. Special care for the health of a child before and after physical birth is necessary as it is for spiritual birth. Heaven waits with anticipation for these little ones, these lost sheep, to be found and nourished to the point of spiritual birth.

Prayer

Father, when the context of a verse like this one is seriously considered, an interpretation may be quite different than first expected. If we are great in the kingdom of heaven we will be humble servants, seeking out these little ones in faith to bring into fellowship with spiritually born believers. We are not to despise them, but patiently provide a nourishing environment to stimulate spiritual growth. Father, how focused we have become on our own wants and thus fail to meet the needs of these little ones. Father, have mercy on us.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Deny Yourself

“And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”” (Luke 9:23-25 ESV). We may say we are followers of Jesus, but does our lifestyle support that claim? What does Jesus expect from those who follow him? He gives three things we should do if we decide to come after him. First, we are to deny living for self and humbly submit our will to God. We are to live out the Lord’s prayer, which says, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We are to be as committed as Jesus was when he prayed in the garden and said to his Father, “Not my will but yours be done and then he willingly went to the cross to die for us. We are to be willing to step aside from our rights and be willing to be a sacrifice for the sake of the gospel and the needs of others.

Second, we are to take up our cross daily. The cross is not a symbol of a burden we are to carry; it is a symbol of death by the most painful and humiliating means humans could devise. To carry the cross is to carry your own execution device among those who ridicule you for your belief. We are to be willing to die too self and even to die physical in order to follow Jesus? Jesus made this point clear when he said, “whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. We see this being lived out daily in countries of persecution where believers are suffering and even dying for their faith.

Third, we are to follow Jesus. At the time when Jesus said, “Follow me”, he was inviting them to stay with him as he taught and traveled from place to place. In this way they could listen to him and watch how he lived and learn how to live as one of God’s children. Today we have the Scriptures from which we can learn about him and then as believers. We are to take his yoke and as we walk and work with him we are to learn from him. To do this we are to be crucified with Christ and allow him to live in and through us. For me to follow Jesus at a particular time in my life required me to spend time with him ministering in China.

Prayer

Father, following Jesus has been quite an adventure as it has taken me to different parts of the world to minister and to learn about people there. To follow him I had to let go of certain desires and even do some things I didn't want to do, but I learned from doing them. Today as I follow him, he has taken me in to social media to write Bible studies, providing a witness for him to readers in a surprising number of countries. Following Jesus comes with restraints, but through those restraints I find a different kind of freedom in a life of purpose, meaning and value. Father, thank you for choosing me and giving me to Jesus to become like him.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Choose the Narrow Way

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV). This command relates to our salvation. When we are born physically we are by default on the way that leads to destruction and unless we obey this command and enter by the narrow gate we will continue on to eternal destruction.

A verse that adds meaning is: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 ESV). In Romans 3:23, Paul tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and the wage of that sin death. We are born spiritually dead and as we live out life we continue to sin until we die physically, but while we are physically alive we have the opportunity to enter by the narrow gate, which is Jesus Christ, and be born spiritually and receive eternal life.

In countries of persecution, that choice could result in great hardship, even death. The way that leads to life is hard and those who find it are few. Here in the west very little is said about the Christian life being difficult. Here salvation is seen by many as a ticket to heaven and a life of safety, security and comfort here on earth. An emphasis is not made that as new creatures in Christ we have an assignment to carry out. As members of the kingdom of God, we have kingdom work to do, part of which is to go and make disciples. We are to pick up our cross daily and remember that by faith we have been crucified with Jesus Christ and we are to allow him to live his life in and through us (Galatians 2:20).

Prayer

Father, thank you that through Jesus Christ you have provided a way of salvation. It is given as a free gift, which we must accept if we are to obey the command to enter through the narrow gate. It is a gift that comes with responsibility and as your children we can expect times of discipline as you develop a Christ like character in us. Yes, the gate is narrow and the way is hard, but Father, the benefits are more than worth the hardship. Thank you for the gift of salvation.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Bring in the Poor

“He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."” (Luke 14:12-14 ESV). The command before us today is to bring in the poor.

I believe the implication of this command goes beyond the context of our verses of who to invite to dinner or a banquet, but to who we become involved with and for what reason. An interesting thought that just came to mind is, “Don't do for others what they can do for you, but do for others what that they can’t do for you.” This brings to mind an event that occurs each year that is a very difficult time for me; that event is Christmas. The practice of giving gifts to each other is the same idea as inviting to dinner those who will invite you back. That is not truly giving but an exchange. As I watch people do it and see their reactions I have to force myself to remain during this time of celebration because my heart is breaking for those who are suffering because of evil and have such great needs. This exchange of gifts will become extreme when the two witnesses die and the world rejoices (Revelation 11:7 – 10).

The emphasis of this command is to reach out to those in need who cannot repay you; to establish a relationship with them for the purpose of encouraging an interest in spiritual things. Because of our sinful nature we tend to look out for our own interest and fail to give adequate attention to the interest of others (Philippians 2:4).

Prayer

Father, as I wrote about this command I was reminded of the tendency we have of wanting to identify with or associate with those who are equal or better off than we are for the purpose of how we might benefit from them. This command is a reminder that life is not about ourselves but about Jesus Christ and others. As believers we have been given the assignment of searching for lost sheep and making disciples out of them.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Beware of Leaven

“Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."” (Matthew 16:6 ESV). The command from this verse is to watch and beware of something that leaven represents. Normally we think of leaven as a substance like yeast that is added to dough to make it ferment and rise. That is what the disciples thought, but Jesus had a different meaning in mind. He was thinking of a pervasive influence that would modify one’s behavior negatively.  With the emphasis on watch and beware, one realizes the influence by the Pharisees and Sadducees was inclined toward evil. Looking at the last verse of this section that our verse is from, verse 12, we see that Jesus was referring to the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The application of this command for us is that we are to carefully evaluate what we hear and determine if it is really true so as to not be led astray. If it is true it will encourage freedom, otherwise it will lead us toward bondage. Consider the following verses: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1-3 ESV). In addition to this test we need to determine if there is any conflict of the message with Scripture.

Prayer

Father, today we seem to be willing to accept what we hear if we find it agreeable to our thinking. Even Christians are becoming a standard to which a message is evaluated, not truth as found in the Scriptures. As we drift away from Jesus, the source of truth, we drift away from an interest in truth and the ability of discern right and wrong. Father, you provided us with salvation, but with it came the handbook of life. We need to spend more time learning how to live by the handbook if we are to obey this command.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Beware of False Prophets

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:15-16 ESV). This command, “Beware of False Prophets”, is found in a lengthy teaching session called “The Sermon on the Mount”, which begins in chapter 5 verse 3 and comes from a section titled “A Tree and Its Fruit”.

This command is a warning about a danger that could harm us and the context provides information about recognizing that danger. The danger is from people who present themselves as believers, but are not. These people are referred to as false prophets dressed up to look like sheep, but inside they are ravenous wolves determined to destroy you. They are workers of the evil one, determined to destroy the church through false teaching or as we see today, they gather information on who the real sheep are, where they live and what Christian materials they have for the purpose of a future arrest or some form of persecution.

These wolves can be recognized by their fruit. The example given is the ability to know a tree by its fruit. Inspection of the fruit determines the kind of tree and its health. One of the best test available is found in Galatians 5:22 – 23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” If the fruit is good it will display these characteristics. These characteristics must, however, be inspected to be sure they are genuine and not fake, otherwise they are only sheep clothing and not heart qualifies and the person is actually your enemy.

Prayer

Father, it appears possible that there are people who think they are sheep but are not. These people speak the Christian language and even do Christian work, but they are not born again. It seems that the intent of these people is not to deceive others, as are those labeled above as wolves, but they themselves are deceived. Their danger is their emphasis on religion and not relationship with Jesus, which allows impunity from the world to creep into our churches causing unhealthy conditions that we see in the western church. Father, we need your help in overcoming this.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Beware of Covetousness

“And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."” (Luke 12:15 ESV). In this verse, Jesus commands us to beware of covetousness or to wrongly desire something, possibly without regard for the rights of others. This command comes out of a request made by someone in the crowd listening to Jesus, who wanted help in getting part of an inheritance from a family member. In this context Jesus gives a warning against equating a good life with the accumulation of things.

Jesus illustrates this command with a parable of the rich man who should have a very good harvest and decided to tear down his old barns and build larger ones so he could store the harvest and enjoy a good life for many years. Jesus calls him a fool because his focus is on the benefits of his harvest and not on the needs of others or on his own preparation for eternity. Jesus refers to anyone who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God as a fool.

Prayer

Father, living in a country of great wealth, it is easy to covet things and build your life around them and be distracted from preparing for life after death. With such access to things, we have become comfortable and lose sight of the importance of spiritual growth and the need to share the gospel with others. Father, my concern for the western church is that as we covet things and refuse to share the gospel, we are opening the door for persecution to come upon us as judgment. Father, have mercy on us and draw us back to you.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be Wise as Serpents

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16 ESV). The command we are looking at is “Be Wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” The context our verse is from is about persecution. As believers, we are described as sheep that are being sent out in the midst of wolves to share the gospel. As a result of this threat to our safety, we are commanded to be wise and innocent in the face of persecution. Looking ahead in this section, we also find that in the face of persecution we are to beware of men, not be anxious, not be afraid but to endure with love and forgiveness.

Selecting the serpent as a symbol of wisdom is found in the early parables of most eastern nations. We find the serpent being described in Genesis 3:1 as being craftier than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. We are to be wise in how we live among those who would persecute us. We can gain this wisdom by walking close to Jesus and learning from those who face persecution today. We need to understand our enemy and how to maintain a strong position with the Lord. If overcome by the enemy, we will also need wisdom to know how to respond.

The dove is a symbol of innocence. The dove, as a symbol of the Spirit of God, descended and came to rest on Jesus at his baptism; this Jesus being innocent of any crime was condemned to die on the cross for our benefit. In the face of persecution, we are, like Jesus, to maintain a life of innocence.

Prayer

Father, as we live in the face of evil we are to be wise in our walk and innocent in our behavior and if we are forced to suffer for our faith I pray that we would maintain our witness through our love and forgiveness. Maybe this is the only way the one persecuting us will have to experience the gospel. Father, I pray for my brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith, that they would be encouraged, would be able to endure the trial, and would stand steadfast in their faith. 

Be Servants

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28 ESV). The mother of two of the disciples came to Jesus and asked if they could sit, one on his left and one on his right, in his kingdom. This provided Jesus with an opportunity to point out that a position of power is not as important as the humility of a servant.

Jesus, as the Son of God, spoke the universe into existence, but yet he came into his creation, to earth, as a humble servant. He did not come as a powerful political figure, but one who would bear the shame of the cross and die for our salvation. If God, the most powerful agent in existence can humble himself to that extent, then we, as his children, must be willing and committed to the role of servant, which in his kingdom is a position of power and greatness.

Prayer

Father, how difficult it is to walk in humility when the flesh wants the attention of others. Father, how important Galatians 2:20 is in this walk: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (ESV). The only way that I can walk in humility is to die too self so that Jesus can live in me. He's is the key that opens the way to walk in humility as a servant with joy and peace.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be Reconciled

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.” (Matthew 5:23-25 ESV). The command of Jesus before us is, “Be reconciled.”

A person has brought their gift before the alter to offer a sacrifice and then remembers being out of fellowship with a brother. Jesus makes it clear that it is more important to leave the sacrifice unfinished and try to reconcile with the brother. Paul also points out the importance of living peaceably with one another: “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; . . ." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21 ESV).

Prayer

Father, because of our sinful nature it is so easy to live for self and overlook the rights and needs of others and allow a breach to develop in relationships. Father, help me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others, especially those of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:4, 21 ESV) and when I offend another, encourage me to mend the relationship by seeking forgiveness.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be Perfect

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:46-48 ESV). What does it mean to be perfect? One might think of being faultless or flawless, but the idea here is that of completeness of our being. In this life we are to be born again and then grow in spiritual maturity. We are to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ to be seen as complete now, then through the resurrection we will have eternal completeness of being; we will be perfect as our Heavenly Father is. Then we will be partakers of his divine nature and be able to love as he loves.

Prayer

Father, it is hard to imagine what it will be like to be perfect as you are and live as Jesus lived. Being born spiritually was a big change in life, but to be like Jesus is more that I can understand. When I think of this I realize how far short I fall. Father, I seek your forgiveness and ask for your help in doing better.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be Born Agin

“Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'” (John 3:5-7 ESV). Life comes in two stages: first is physical life, which provides the possibility of spiritual life. Everyone physically born is born spiritually dead and needs to experience spiritual birth before physical death occurs.

The command before us is: “You must be born again.” If we ignore this command we remain in our sin under the wrath of God, “[but], if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 ESV), being in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV). That new creation has eternal life, the result of obedience to the command to be born again.

Prayer

Father, I believe salvation is a gift that is given, not something we can work for. Being born again is an event in our lives caused by you, not something we can do. To obey the command to be born again is to realize that it is a life and death event that we must be involved in. To ignore the command is to remain spiritually dead. Father, thank you for the gift of salvation.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be a House of Prayer

“He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."” (Matthew 21:13 ESV). Jesus comes into the temple and finds an area where Jews and Gentiles could come and pray filled with money changers and people buying and selling items for the sacrifice. In righteous anger, Jesus drives them out and stating, from Isaiah 56:7, that this is to be a house of prayer, but instead the space was corrupted through merchandising and cheating.

Jesus commands they use the temple as a house of prayer. This command applies to us as believers because our bodies are described as temples of the Holy Spirit. I would broaden this to include our churches and ask you to think about the decreasing importance of prayer in both cases and how it is being replaces with other activities and interest. How many churches still have a midweek prayer service or even a Sunday night service. How many of you see the importance of time each day for prayer? I believe this command of Jesus applies to us in that we are to keep our temple from pollution and embrace the act of daily prayer.

Prayer

Father, in the same way that corruption crept into the temple it is creeping into our churches and our lives by replacing the activity of prayer with some worldly practice. The changes I have seen and experienced during my 80 years of life is truly disturbing. For most believers, prayer to involve God in our activities and ministry has been replaced with our own effort. As a result, what is accomplished is only a reflection of our efforts, not a joint effort with God.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.