The year my father turned 70 my sister organized a wonderful surprise party for him.  Many of us “snuck” into Vermont the night before the big bash unbeknownst to him.  When Dad walked into the room the following day, he was floored to see siblings, children and grandchildren gathered to celebrate this milestone.  That evening a large group of us gathered for dinner at a local restaurant.  I’ll never forget the exchange between my Uncle John and my son Erick who, at the time, looked like a hippie from the Woodstock days.  His long, ragged hair, scruffy beard, and wrinkled T-shirt hid the intelligent, soft spoken man underneath.  My uncle was convinced by his appearance that Erick was a left-wing radical!  After a particularly judgmental comment, Erick finally spoke up and set the record straight.  Uncle John was flabbergasted, but pleased.  And yes, he did apologize.

            Jesus warned us about “judging a book by its cover” in Matthew 7:1-5.  He simply states, “Do not judge lest you be judged” (v.1).  The word used here is krino (kree-no) and in this passage it refers to forming or expressing an unfavorable opinion about a person or thing.  Others have suggested this word can also mean to criticize, condemn, or find fault.  No matter how severe the judgment, Jesus is essentially saying that there is never a good reason to judge a person this way.  Our knowledge of the inner person is always limited.  We deceive ourselves if we think there is no prejudice in us concerning these types of judgment calls.  There really is a great amount of truth in the old saying, “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.”  We don’t know what temptations a person faces, the life story that has shaped the way they act or react and the intensity of the struggles they face with sin.  Only God knows what inner struggles a person faces and therefore only God can be the judge.

            Jesus continues His teaching with a rather comical illustration (vv. 3-4).  Imagine a man with a 2x4 sticking out of his eye trying to remove a splinter from the eye of another.  It’s a ludicrous picture!   But it humorously drives home the point.  Jesus asks, “Why do you keep looking at the speck in your brother’s eye...?”  The verb tense here is very significant.  It indicates that this type of judging is something we are always doing.   Not only that, our sense of right and wrong is fickle.   We are not fair judges.  Our moral barometer fluctuates with every circumstance.  Instead of judging others, Jesus says it is better “to take the log out of our own eye”.  It is better to take stock in ourselves.  What Jesus is implying here is that criticizing reveals a serious problem- the plank in our own eye.  The Bible offers us some sobering verses concerning our negative thoughts toward others: Ps. 53:2-3; Is. 64:6; Lam. 3:40; Rom. 3:10, 23; 1 Cor. 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Jn. 1:8.  When we are tempted to be critical of others, particularly over “specks”, reading these verses might make us think twice.

            We knew a man many years back who was extremely critical.  He didn’t like the new worship choruses.  He didn’t like anything but the King James Version of the Bible.  He didn’t like the new hymnals.  He didn’t think anybody but a pastor should teach Bible Studies.  He disagreed with the elders on how to lead the church (but refused to be one when asked to serve!).   He was hyper-critical.  Jesus says we should avoid this like the plague!  Why?  It is because there is not much difference between a hyper-critical person and a hypocrite.  The person who criticizes a lot is often deceived about their own short-comings.  And more often than not those who criticize others about certain behaviors, faults or inabilities often lack the same qualities, and exhibit the same behavior, fault or inability themselves.  They easily see the problems in others, but fail to see it in themselves (Gal. 6:3; Js. 1:26 are appropriate for especially critical criticizers!).

            Jesus’ warning is clear in Matthew 7- by the standard of measure that you judge others you also will be judged (v.2).  But more to the point, Jesus is letting us know that no one has the right to judge another in this fashion- period.  The only One who has the right to judge in any way, shape or form is Jesus Himself, because He was without sin (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:14; 1 Jn. 3:5).  It is one thing to express an opinion about what you like and dislike, but it is an entirely different matter when that opinion turns into a way you measure a brother or sister’s walk of faith.  So, listen to Jesus’ words today and examine your own “eye” (i. e. heart) instead of the other person’s (Ps. 51; Rom. 2:1-8; 1 Cor. 13; Js. 3:13-18).  Make sure there are no planks in there!
 
Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            Are you a fan of the Olympics?  I confess that throughout the course of a year I am not one to watch a lot of sports on TV.  I have always enjoyed the “live” version of most sports over a televised version.  But the Olympics are different.  Over the years I’ve noticed that advertising for the Olympics has been just as over the top as some of the ads that air during the Super Bowl.  Advertising is always geared to make you believe you NEED a particular product to survive in this world.  Without that car, that beverage, those clothes, or medication, your life will not amount to much and you will never be happy!  However, according to Esquire in 2014 (don’t panic, I looked this up on line!!) the “things a man should own are simple things that work in simple ways…They function simply.  Yet they confer greatness, or at least competence.”  Some of the articles on their list included, a cast iron skillet, a frisbee, a multi-purpose tool, WD40, jumper cables, $1000 hidden in your home, and a copy of The Joy of Cooking!  These treasures, along with the others on their list, were what defined a happy and satisfied man; one who can befriend neighbors and provide for his family or himself.  I’m not sure that list would be the same in 2022, but I’m certain their list would still be different than the list of things that make a person happy and satisfied in Scripture.

            Jesus offered His perspective on what can make us happy and satisfied in this world in Mattew 6: 19-34.  He begins His lesson by citing two things that were very important in the ancient world: clothing and crops.  A man’s wealth was often noticeable in the fine clothes he wore, but Jesus says that it is foolish to set your heart on something a little tiny moth can destroy!  And the grain one collects from the fields can be tainted by rust in the granary or eaten by rodents and insects, so it’s senseless to set your heart on something a small critter could eat away and pollute.  Likewise, a thief, if he desires your “stuff” badly enough, will figure out a way into your home and take what he pleases, so once again, is it worth placing stock in something that could quickly vanish? 

Jesus admonishes His listeners to store up “treasures in heaven” (v. 20), a phrase that was always associated with a person’s character.  As the old Broadway play proclaimed, “You Can’t Take It with You” so it is better to place both heart and mind in a place where “neither moth nor rust destroys and thieves cannot break in”.  Jesus concludes this lesson by observing that your heart and the things that it is “set on” reveals where your devotion lies (v. 21).  Advertisers know there is a direct link between what our eyes see and what our heart desires.  Jesus also saw this connection.  He teaches us that our eyes are like windows (vv. 21-23).  We all know what a dirty or fogged-up window does to our ability to drive a car.  Jesus warns us that if our eyes are foggy or dirty, the darkness in our soul will be even greater.  It’s a sobering thought- but one that should keep us on our toes when it comes to what we set our hearts on in this world.

            Jesus continues to illustrate His message with another action.  Moving from storing up treasures and clean windows, Jesus draws from another aspect of daily life in the ancient world- slaves.  In the Roman Empire, two masters could not own one slave.  To understand what this implies we must remember two things about the slave in the ancient world.  First, the slave in the eyes of Roman law was not a person but a thing.  He had no rights of his own; his master could do with him as he wanted.  Secondly, in the ancient world a slave literally had no time of his own.  Every moment of his life belonged to his master.  Under modern conditions a man has certain hours of work, and outside these hours of work, his time is his own.  But it was far otherwise with the slave.  He was always at his owner’s disposal.  Using the word that represented material possessions Jesus says that you cannot serve God and mammon.  Either your time will be consumed by seeking material possessions, or it will be consumed by serving God.  You can’t do both.

            Lastly, in verses 25-34, Jesus illustrates the way a life serving God looks in contrast to a life serving mammon.  The former is noticeably carefree because all basic needs are provided by God.  Just like nature which is always fed and clothed well, so too is the man who trusts God for these basic needs.  However, serving mammon is consumed with worry and anxiety, and unpredictable.  Worry is defeated when we acquire the art of trusting God for all things in life and living one day at a time.  If each day is lived as it comes, each task done as it appears, then the sum of all the days is bound to be good.  Jesus recommends we “lay up our treasures in heaven”.  Where have you been putting yours?
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            When my boys were younger one of the ways I kept them occupied in the car was to make them keep track of the state license plates that we saw.  While watching to see what state the cars were from, we’d learn the state nick-names too.  It’s fun to learn how those nicknames came about.  Take my state for example.  Did you know that besides the “Keystone State” which alludes to Pennsylvania’s role in Early American History, that Pennsylvania has four other nicknames?  The Oil State represents one of Pennsylvania’s three greatest industries.  Quaker State Oil is a well-known brand which originated here in Pennsylvania.  The Coal State and The Steel State represent the other two industries for which Pennsylvania is known, coal mining and steel manufacturing.

            The land of Israel also has a “nickname” which is first mentioned in Exodus 3:8.  God calls the land He is about to bring the people to is a land flowing with “milk and honey”.  We often associate the phrase milk and honey with the things that are familiar to us.  We hear the word milk and think of cows.  We hear the word honey and think of the sweet bounty of bees.  But if you were to travel about Israel in the days when God spoke those words to the people of Israel (Dt. 11:8-9; 26:9, 15), you would have a hard time finding cow farms and bee keepers.  Goats were and (in many cases still are) the primary source of milk in Israel and the word that most of our translations call honey was actually a sweet syrupy liquid made from dates.  These two words poetically describe the two general environments in Israel.  The Land of Milk describes the way of life in the southern and eastern regions, and the Land of Honey describes the way of life in the north and the west.

            There are three main characteristics of the Land of Milk:  shepherds and herds, wide open spaces with plenty of room for those herds to roam, and desert areas such as the Negev (Gen. 13:1), the Wilderness of Paran (Num. 12:16), and the Wilderness of Zin (Num. 27:12-14).  There are three main characteristics of the Land of Honey as well: farmers, less or no space to roam, and mountains with lots of water.  Life in the Land of Milk is unpredictable because of its low rainfall and sparse population.  It is a silent and lonely place.  Life there is demanding and exhausting.  It drives home the need for community.  When you are reading about the Red Sea, wadiis and cisterns (Gen. 37:18-24), Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Moses and Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:1-2), you are reading about the Land of Milk.  Life in the Land of Honey though is quite different.  It is predictable with its cycles of seasons and years filled with family events such as weddings and the harvesting of grapes and wheat.  Because there are many villages and cities in this area, it is noisy and congested.  Life here is manageable and busy.  When you are reading about the Sea of Galilee (Mt. 4:18), mountains, terrace gardens (Lk. 8:5), the prophets and Jesus, or Mount Zion (1 Kin.8:1), think of the Land of Honey.

            Jesus moved about these two regions quite frequently during His earthly ministry and many of His parables feature them as well.  Whenever He traveled to Jericho, He was in the Land of Milk (Mt. 20:29-34; Lk. 18:35-43; 19:1-10).  His temptation by Satan started there (Mt. 4:1-11) and two of His most well-known parables take place there (Lk. 10:30-37; 15:3-7).  Whenever He ministered in the Galilee region or around the shores of the Sea of Galilee, He was in the Land of Honey (Mt. 3: 13; 4:12, 15, 18; 9:1; Mk. 1:9, 14, 16, 28; Lk. 4:14, 31; 5:17-26; 8:22-25; Jn. 2:1-11; 4:46-54- and so many more!).  Many of His parables took place in the Land of Honey, using everyday life in this region to illustrate spiritual truths in a way that many could understand (Mt. 20:1-16; Lk. 8:4-8; 15:8-10).  The bulk of His ministry took place in the Land of Honey as well as one of the most revealing moments with His disciples (Mt. 17:1-8). 

            It is still possible to see all the attributes of the Land of Milk and Honey today.  Bedouin still roam with their herds in the Land of Milk.  The Negev is thriving, but there is still a vast amount of land that is undeveloped and breath-taking if you’re able to travel there.  The Land of Honey is still bustling with the cities of Tiberias, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem and the agricultural practice of terrace farming is alive and well around the Sea of Galilee and along the coastal plain.  Being able to walk among these regions or see pictures of them, brings Jesus’ life and ministry to a new level of understanding.  It also strengthens our grasp of the truth He was teaching in His parables or how dynamic His miracles were in the time and place where He performed them. These lessons and the truth contained in them are just as applicable to us as they were to those who first heard them.  So, take some time to visit the Land of Milk and Honey when you take a road trip through the pages of Scripture.  I guarantee you’ll enjoy the ride!

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

          The residents of Littleton had always admired the glamorous mansion on the hill just outside of town.  It was enclosed on a small estate by an elegant stone wall with a beautiful wrought-iron gate at the entrance.  Sometimes young children would peek inside the gate and imagine what it would be like to play on the massive lawn that spread before them.  Grown-ups would walk by and look at the grand antebellum architecture, manicured shrubs and arched windows and picture what the indoors must be furnished like.  All wished they could enter the gates and take a look around but no one was ever invited.  The owner, a former silent movie star, was a recluse and being that they were respectful folks, they never bothered or forced their desires upon the self-imposed exile.  But it didn’t stop them from speculating.  “The door knobs must be made of gold!”  “I’m sure every piece of furniture is a priceless antique.”  “I’ve heard all the floors are made of marble from Italy.”  The only person ever seen on the property was a crusty old caretaker who took care of the lawn and shrubs, but even he was unapproachable and people kept their distance when he was seen in town.  One day an advertisement appeared in the local paper.  The movie star had died and the mansion would be open for one day so that people could pay their respects.  The line stretched for miles as curiosity brought many out to finally see if all their speculations were true.  However, when they entered the glorious residence, they were shocked.  It was completely devoid of furniture, stripped of all its finery and basically an empty shell.  Most surprising of all was the man they thought had been the caretaker, was in fact, the former star who had lost everything- except the ability to make the remaining years of his life look like it was still filled with all his former glory.

            In Matthew 6:1, Jesus issues a warning about outward appearances and drawing attention to oneself in matters of faith.  Many translations use the words “be careful” to translate the Greek prosechete.  This word is in the present tense, and it’s emphatic. Jesus is literally telling us “Pay attention to what I’m about to say”, and make sure you’re doing it!  What is Jesus warning us to do, or in this case, not to do?  Focus on making the practice of your faith merely an outward show, for that kind of faith only garners public attention.  Jesus says it’s more important to practice one’s faith “in secret” because a reward from your Heavenly Father is far greater than the highest praise from man.

            Jesus uses four examples to demonstrate this principle throughout the remainder of the chapter: giving to the poor (vv. 1-4), prayer (vv. 5-15), fasting (vv. 16-18) and earthly treasures (vv. 19-21).  With each example Jesus includes a contrast between what it looks like when you do it for public recognition and praise, and what your Heavenly Father desires which in essence is something you do when no one is looking.  All in all, what Jesus relates is that when you give, pray, fast or accumulate wealth for the recognition of your fellow human beings, that’s all you get.  You are no different from our fictional movie star with the empty mansion.  Giving so others can see how generous you are is not rewarded by God because that should not motivate your giving.  Praying loudly or saying the same thing over and over again, does not impress God if it’s not heartfelt.  Making a big to-do over a religious practice such as fasting does not garner any interest from the Lord, but others will certainly take note of it.  And earthly treasures are transient.  It’s true they can be enjoyed for the time we have them but eventually our concern over whether or not we can keep them will consume us if we’re not careful, and sometimes the desire to have more consumes us as well.  It’s better to be satisfied with what you already have which is what the Lord has given you in the first place.

            So, what are we to do?  What should our priority be?  Jesus says to first, seek God’s kingdom, and secondly God’s righteousness.  This kind of seeking is more than just a casual search.  It’s a concentrated effort to gain what is sought after and it takes top priority over anything else we might do.  The item in question is not an earthly kingdom but a matter of the heart and the endeavor to replicate God’s standard of what’s right within it.  Jesus says the when this is the focus of our life, God will not only grant us what we seek, but He will bestow it above and beyond what we expect.  In other words, “Look after God’s standards in His commands as being the top priority in your life, and those things will be added to you in abundance.”  In summary, if all we do is based on whether or not we’ll be seen doing it that is all we will get from what we do.  But if we are not concerned with what others think and what we do springs from a heart that desires to please God, we will receive more than we could ever imagine or think from our Heavenly Father, who both sees and rewards “in secret”.  Where do you want to start your seeking today?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/