Matthew 7:21-24 Party Crasher

Matthew 7:21-24  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock”. (NASB)

We’re having what could be considered a “National” meeting for the small group within the company for which I manage one commercial geography.  This year it is our turn to host the event so I chose to bring the group to California.  Last evening was the first official gathering of the group with a social welcome reception including hosted beverages and hors d'oeuvres before optional scattered dinners.  After gathering together for a bit the plan was to have our west coast business head make a few remarks

Here’s the twist … We had a crasher. 

From the time I arrived I spotted this guy with his computer backpack and clothes that weren’t quite up to “Business Casual” standards.  But, it had been a travel day and one of the other managers had asked if jeans would be okay for the evening to which I had replied they would.  So, the guy could have been legit; one of the new hires perhaps.  But who was he?  I started asking around and no one seemed to know him and no one introduced me to him.

Well, I got busy and started talking with others playing host but in the process found out this guy was supposed to be some University guy working on his doctorate at a local school.  Okay, go ahead and chit chat with a couple of our guys I thought, no big deal.  About forty five minutes into the reception though it came time for me to gather everyone up to have our business head make a few prepared remarks.   As I asked everyone on the patio to move inside, I figured the guy would move along but I was wrong; the guy slithers into the room with everyone else.  I send an emissary to nudge him out but by then I’m tinkling my glass and getting everyone’s attention.

No time

“Do I know you”? I said.  “This is a closed company meeting” and with that he gathered his backpack and moved along.

I have to tell you the experience rattled me a bit as a manager to have an interloper attempt to sit in on company business like that.  But beyond that, the situation serves to illustrate the Scripture from this passage in Matthew’s Gospel.

Our crasher had no business being at our function in the first place.  He wasn’t an employee, an invited guest etc.  He just sort of moved in and pretended to belong.  Later, others in our company and those on staff with the resort said they didn’t know he was a crasher.  But I knew.  I knew he was out of place from the moment I arrived and saw him there talking to one of our people.  I allowed him to stay and mingle, drink my drinks and eat my food.  That wasn’t a problem for me.  But when the real important time came, he was not welcomed.

Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” and again, “Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles”?  So those Jesus is talking about act just like our crasher in the Church.  They act the part; they play the church game and seem to fit in.

But they like our crasher do not fool the host.  When the important business is at hand the acute awareness that Jesus has not been taken for a fool is revealed, “I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.”

Jesus leaves us with these words regarding this parable and warning which need no further clarification from me, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  AMEN!

Matthew 27:27-31 Humiliated, Scourged and Crucified

Matthew 27:27-31 "Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.  They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.  After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him". (NASB)

Today is what is referred to as Palm Sunday in Christendom.  It signifies the day when Christ triumphantly entered into Jerusalem to cheering crowds waving palm branches and shouting hosanna!  Seemingly everyone knew who Jesus was and everyone was on the band wagon.  As he rode that little donkey into the town it was a truly joyous moment.

What a difference just a few days would make.

This was the topic of the sermon shared today in our local service.  In particular we spent time looking through the Scripture including the one I am sharing today of the event leading up to the actual crucifixion of Jesus.  Sometimes, it seems we read past some of this not fully understanding what is being said because it isn’t a part of our culture or vivid historical understanding.

In today’s discipleship class for the junior high and high school we discussed the impact of the visual media in our lives.  We shared a brief clip from the movie, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and contrasted it with the written story several of the students had read several years previously.  The essence of the discussion was that the vivid portrayal present in the video helped to bring out the message in a stronger way by touching more of our senses and actually bringing us into the story.

In the case of the Gospel message it was observed that the Jesus Film project has been extremely effective for this very reason; allowing viewers to identify with the Gospel message as never before.  At the end of the BLOG today will be a link to a You Tube video.  Maybe that will help bring this Scripture and the message to a deeper level of understanding.

The Scripture today says they, “Took Jesus into the Praetoriam and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him”.  Likely this represented hundreds of soldiers; someone speculated more than 500 of them would have been present.  Then they, “Stripped Him” of his own clothes and, “Put a scarlet robe on Him”.  Earlier He had been questioned about being King of the Jews and in following this line of questioning the soldiers, “After twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in his right hand” they then “Knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying ‘Hail, King of the Jews’”.

John’s Gospel records that this period of mocking and humiliation including a scourging.  And that is the thing that I think we miss sometimes in our sanitized understanding of what Jesus suffered.  The scourging was a whipping with a whip that was laced with metal or bone designed to penetrate the flesh.  The whip had multiple tails so each lash would have inflicted several wounds.  A typical scourging would have included 39 lashes.  They would have been severe blows on the back, buttocks and legs leaving the individual bruised and bloodied.  Scourging was nearly always a precursor to a crucifixion.  Many died from the injuries inflicted there and never made it to the cross.

Jesus was scourged and mocked before being forced to carry his own cross to Golgotha for the actual crucifixion.  Remember, He was too weak to make it all the way there carrying that cross.  The scourging he had been given was the reason why.

Why worry about all of this Dale?

Here’s the deal.  Sometimes I think it is a little too easy for us to just say, “Jesus died for my sins”.  I don’t think we give it the appropriate gravity many times; we don’t appreciate what He went through for us.  The bottom line is this; I don’t think we appreciate it appropriately.  What Jesus went through for you and for me suffering that humiliation, that scourging and finally that painful death was a tremendous sacrifice.  Jesus made that personal sacrifice for me.  He suffered pain, He suffered humiliation and He suffered death all for my benefit.  His Father also turned his back on Him briefly as He paid this price for sin.  Such a sacrifice!

In this life we will never be able to fully appreciate the great gift of salvation that Jesus gave to any who would believe when He submitted to that humiliation and death.  Take a few minutes to follow the link I’ve included today.  Not only does it share some of the imagery that may help you to more fully appreciate what Jesus has done for you, but it also gives the perspective of resurrection hope.  AMEN!