It has been said that there are two things which are inevitable in life.  They are death and taxes.  Although that may be true, I believe the number count is off by one.  The third thing every person must come to grips with is the answer to the question, "Who is Jesus?"  Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, people from a wide cross-section of society must answer this question and then decide how they will respond to the answer.  Here are some examples:

            Matthew 8:23-27.  Jesus Calms the Sea:  Jesus and His disciples board a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee.  One of the Sea’s infamous squalls kicks up while Jesus is sleeping in the boat.  The disciples wake Him in a panic questioning if He is going to let them perish in the storm.  Jesus rebukes the wind and settles the raging water which causes the disciples to ask, “What kind of man is this that even the wind and sea obey Him?”

            Matthew 14:13-21.   The Feeding of the 5,000:  Many people are now following Jesus but His opponents are also growing in number.  Jesus tries to withdraw from the public spotlight but the crowds find Him.  At the close of the day only a small amount of food is available.  The disciples advise Jesus to send the crowd away, but instead, Jesus blesses the food and has it distributed.  The supply multiplies beyond what is humanly possible.  The event must have caused many to ask, “Who else but God could do this?”

            Matthew 16:13-28.  Peter's Confession and Jesus' Teachings on the Cost of Discipleship:  Jesus and the disciples have retreated to a quiet place to pray.  Jesus asks the disciples about the crowd's opinion of Him.  They say the people perceive Him to be a prophet like Elijah or John the Baptist.  Jesus then asks the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"  Peter speaks for the 12 and states they believe Jesus is the "Anointed of God" (Messiah).  Jesus recognizes the truth of this confession but admonishes His disciples not to reveal His identity at that time.  He affirms that Peter and the disciples will continue the proclamation of the Good News in spite of the opposition they will face.  He continues to warn them of the suffering both He and His disciples will encounter as they proclaim the Good News.  The cost of discipleship is high, but its rewards are even greater.  Whether or not you will accept the cost of discipleship depends on how you answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”

            Matthew 17:1-13.  The Transfiguration:  Jesus takes Peter, John and James to a quiet mountain to pray.  During this time these disciples are introduced to a side of Jesus they have never seen before.  Elijah and Moses also make an appearance prompting Peter to offer temporary housing for the trio.  God the Father affirms Peter's confession in Matthew 16 by instructing the disciples to listen to "My Beloved Son" in a scene reminiscent of Jesus' baptism (Mt. 3:13-17).  The Transfiguration occurs after Peter's confession and the teaching on discipleship which demonstrates that Jesus is God and His glory far surpasses any earthly suffering.  Many people like to label Jesus as a great teacher, but that is only partially true.  He was not a misguided revolutionary either as some like to speculate in order to avoid some of the challenges He spoke concerning sin and personal accountability for it.  The Transfiguration proves that Jesus was more then that; more than a mere mortal and that He has every right to make the demands of His disciples that He does.

            The question of Jesus' identity is central to all the Gospels and to those who want to be His disciples.  It is similar in principle to the idea of an interpreter.  You wouldn't hire an interpreter who didn't know the language you wished to communicate in.  In the same way, you would not want to be the disciple of someone who was delusional or an all-out liar.  If you are to respond in faith, you must believe in something or someone who is completely trust-worthy.  When you read through the Gospel of Matthew (as well as Mark, Luke and John), watch for the ways Matthew authenticates Jesus' claims and proves them to be true.

            Discipleship, however, is more than a mental assent that Jesus is Who He claims to be.  If that were so, then centuries worth of creeds and faith statements, but even more importantly Jesus’ own words, would not have turned the world on its heels. Discipleship is a total lifestyle change and commitment.  It is reshaping the way we look at the world and interact with it.  It reorients our priorities, thoughts and actions.   And so, just as Jesus questioned the 12, He asks us today as well, "Who do you say that I am?" (Mt. 16:15)  How we live as His disciples answers that question every day.

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

            I have a picture in my mind, a memory actually, of my sisters and I gathered around the dining room table with our heads bowed and my mother saying “grace” with us.  My father and mother usually dined later when he arrived home from work, but “the girls” ate earlier so we’d be in bed on time.  While we had that prayer memorized, there was still something quite personal about it and it instilled in us the belief that we should be both thankful for the food on the table but unafraid to ask God to take care of us each and every day.  We truly believed He was listening and that He answered our prayers.  (And we were right!)    

            Prayer can be beautiful and poetic but routine if not kept honest, simple as bedtime prayers spoken by a child, or as desperate as someone facing a crisis they’re not sure they’ll survive.  Prayer can be taken lightly or seriously, spoken as part of a daily routine, or casually remembered as part of a yearly ritual.  The latter two forms are perhaps the most ineffective because they not only disregard the power of prayer, but they also disregard the One to whom the prayers are directed.  Whatever approach a person takes in their prayer life reflects and discloses what they truly believe about prayer itself. 

            Jesus introduced one of the most important perspectives on prayer in what we call the Sermon on the Mount which is more of a collection of His teachings than it is one discourse delivered on a hillside.  The traditional site which is located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee is a beautiful setting and one can easily imagine Jesus there speaking to the crowd surrounding Him.  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?  So, if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”  (Mt. 7:7-11)

            There are four prominent action verbs in this passage:  ask, seek, knock and give.  The first three are a special verb form in Greek which could literally be translated as, “the asking one, the seeking one, and the knocking one” and it’s obvious why our English translations smooth it out for us, but the tense drives home the aspect of prayer which is persistent and personal.  Spiros Zodhiates noted that this type of prayer is not demanding but humble.  It involves the same type of trust exhibited by a child when he/she asks for bread or fish (two basic staples of the audience in Jesus’ day). 

            The fourth verb, give, is a key word throughout the passage, appearing 5 times and relating back to the verses that appear just prior to this passage which speaks of the “good gifts” God gives to those who are seeking His kingdom and righteousness (6:33).  Jesus’ teaching here also corresponds with the prayer He taught at the beginning of chapter 6 whereupon faithful disciples ask the Lord for “daily bread” (6:7-8) with full assurance that the Lord will supply for their needs.  God’s good gifts do not necessarily match what we ask for word for word, but the teaching here implies that God will give us what is best for us.  The parallel passage in Luke adds further insight by replacing "good gifts” with “the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 11:13)-the preeminent example of a good and perfect gift coming down from heaven above.

            There are two other interesting aspects of prayer here.  First, the word “son” which we often think of as a child, is not a young child who might not know the difference between a “good” and “bad” morsel of food, but an older one who would naturally be able to distinguish that a stone and a snake were not edible.  Therefore, we can conclude the one asking, seeking and knocking will know when the answer is given or the answer is found and when the door is opened.  And secondly, the obvious contrast between a Heavenly Father and an earthly father.  Jesus assumes that an earthly father, even with his faults and failures, knows what is best to give his child when he needs food.  So, then, wouldn’t a Heavenly Father who is holy, just and loving, give gifts that were even better?

            The struggle we have is that we often think we know what God should give us!  We never ask with the idea of patiently waiting to see how God will answer our prayers, rather we basically send up a list of what God should do and then complain He hasn’t answered when that list is not fulfilled.  Jesus promotes that prayer is an action that God will respond to and that our trust in His ability to give good gifts should compel us to continually ask until we recognize the answer.  This approach to prayer is a powerfully dynamic one filled with complete trust.  God hears.  God answers.  We will see  and recognize it when the answer comes.  Is this how you are praying?

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

            When it comes to the nature in my backyard, I confess it does not take much to entertain me.  While my birdfeeder is not the most important thing there (that would be the woodpile) it does provide me with some fun things to watch.  Not only do I enjoy the variety of birds that like to visit it, but thanks to its “squirrel proof” design, the furry gray critters who try to raid it also bring about some humorous moments as well.  I think the person who defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results” may have been drawing that definition from the squirrels who attempt to get the sunflower seeds out of my bird feeder.  They will climb, stretch, and maneuver themselves into the most awkward positions trying to get the black seeds out of the little holes to no avail.  Yet, they will not give up!  Sometimes they lose their balance and awkwardly drop to the ground.  It’s like a burlesque comedy show at times.  The smaller feeder outside my kitchen window which is filled with a suet mixture during the winter months also provides similar entertainment.  A number of birds like to visit this feeder throughout the day, but, the most consistent patrons are a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers.  It's always fun to watch them maneuver their way across the feeder.  As the suet gets lower, they must find some pretty acrobatic poses in order to keep their balance while feeding.  Many times they will use their tail feathers, making a V formation with their body, to accomplish this.  Who would have ever thought a bird would use its tail like that?

            Sometimes our lives demand that we perform a balancing act.  All sorts of things can fight for our attention and pull us off balance.  Demands at work, home, and our own desires can cause us to tilt, slip or fall into unbalanced and unhealthy behaviors.  Matthew 6:33 states there is only one way to keep our lives balanced, and that is to seek God and His ways first. But this thought is echoed in numerous passages throughout God’s Word (Ps. 123: 1-2; Prov. 2: 1-7; Is. 55:6; Col. 3:1-2; Phil. 4:18).  The concept here is not much different than unbalanced wheels on a car.  Wheels that are balanced assure you that your vehicle is safe, rides smoothly and you get the best mileage with all that expensive gas you’re pouring into it to make the motor go.  But unbalanced wheels not only wear out faster, they can even cause accidents.  So having your tires checked and rotated on a regular basis is a good idea.  Jesus suggests we check and rotate our “life-tires” too.  He points out in Matthew that when your inner life is not balanced, your outer life will not be balanced either.

            So how about a spiritual check-up this week?  Ask yourself some of the following questions to see if your life is balanced as it should be.  If it is, GREAT!  If it isn't, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to healthier choices for the balance in your life and seek out a Christian friend whom you can trust and ask them to keep you accountable as you fine tune your balance.
            1.  How is my relationship with God?
            2.  Have I been reading my Bible?
            3.  What has God been saying to me as I read His Word?
            4.  Where have I been resisting Him these days?
            5.  What is the state of your perspective and desires?  Tempted?  Dealing with fantasies?  Are you more focused on amusing yourself or serving the Lord?
            6.  What challenges do you see yourself facing in the coming week or month?  In what ways will you meet that challenge?
            7.  What things take priority over spiritual matters in your life?  Why?
            8.  Are there any unresolved conflicts in your circle of relationships right                                   now?  Are you able to reconcile them in a Biblical manner?

            Gordon MacDonald wrote, "If the private world of a person is in order, it will be because they are convinced that the inner world of the spiritual must govern the outer world of activity."  No one knew this principle better than King David.  After a disastrous encounter with Bathsheba, he was confronted by the prophet Nathan and then wrote Psalm 51.  If you should find yourself "unbalanced", follow David's footsteps and then rest on the promise of 1 John 1:9.  No one said the path of a disciple would be easy, but with God's grace, it can be balanced (Phil. 4:13).

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

            Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!  That little ditty ran through my head several times during the first full week of March 2011.   Not only did we see record rainfall here in the Northeast, an earthquake in Japan set off a tsunami which destroyed property and beaches in the Northwest.  The rainfall coupled with melting snow caused rivers and creeks to overflow their banks and commuters to detour around the more troublesome areas of flooding.  Thanks to the fact that I had to drive up Route 209 more than once that week, I was able to see the rising waters first hand.  Saturday afternoon found me stopping at the Bushkill Access on the Delaware River to take a rather comical picture of a Stop sign submerged in four feet of water with debris caught on the One-Way sign below it (going in the wrong direction of course!).   There was lots of water, but not much of it was worthy to drink.  And it appears that the first week of June this year is going to give 2011 a run for its money.  The ground in my backyard is so saturated it looks like I might have a pond soon!

            Sometimes I marvel at people who build houses along the coast or next to a river.  They must know about the risks, but the setting is so appealing, it's worth taking them I suppose.  I have to confess I've daydreamed about living near the ocean.  I love the vast horizon, the sound of the waves, and the shells!  There is an appealing place like this in Israel too.  It is mentioned in Psalm 23 verse 2.  The word for this location is usually translated as two in English, "green pastures", but the Hebrew word actually relates to the well-watered and green area at the bottom of a wadi (wah-dee).  I suppose translators knew most of us would not relate to this unique place and word so they used this English “equivalent, but in a way, they’ve done us a disservice by doing so, because Jesus uses this beautiful but dangerous spot to illustrate a very important point.  But first…

            "What's a wadi?" you ask.  Wadis are like gorges, but not as wide.  They were carved out of the limestone rock in the wilderness areas of Israel in the same way the Colorado River carved out the Grand Canyon in Arizona.  Shepherds who raise their flocks in these areas of Israel must know the layout of a wadi inside and out, because although they are a great water source and provide some nice vegetation for grazing, they are dangerous.  Rain which falls miles away will eventually travel into the wadi which, if there’s a lot of it, can cause flash flooding.  So good shepherds know it is wiser to get your water and leave, rather than make yourself comfortable and stay.

            Jesus had this geographical characteristic in mind in Matthew 7:24-29 (cross reference- Lk. 6:46-49).  Maybe you remember singing this as a child:  "The wise man built his house upon the rock...".  It's not necessarily convenient to build on the top of those rock walls that line the wadi.  It would be far more pleasant to build down in the gorge, next to the water source if you’re planning to stay for a while.   When you build next to the water, you don't have to lug those big water urns up and down the path.  It's easy.  It's comfortable.  But Jesus warns us that building in the sand at the bottom of a wadi is unsafe!  When the rains come down, and they will, your house will wash away.  Likewise, it's tempting for us to "build our lives" in the conveniences of the world.  We think life should be easy, comfortable. The trouble is, putting trust in the comforts of this world, is exactly like building a house in the bottom of a wadi.   When storms come rushing into our little world, its sandy foundation is washed away with the water.

            What should disciples build on?  Jesus says in verse 24 that those who come to Him, hear His words, and act on them have built their life on the rock.  Their foundation is so solid that when the storms come, the house withstands the onslaught.  In other words, if we are letting the Bible (Jesus’ Words) guide us in the way we live and what we believe, when the storms of life come (and they will come), we will be able to weather the storm.  But this is not an easy or convenient way to build.  It is certainly more popular to build on worldly things.  It's easier, more comfortable and advertisers do their best to show how appealing it is.  But building a life this way is unstable.  Today's fads are tomorrow's history lessons.  The latest trends are forgotten tomorrow when the "next big thing" becomes news.  And do those modern conveniences really help when we are slammed with loss, sorrow, turmoil or loneliness?  No.  Why build on the shifting sand of pop culture and the “latest thing”?  Build your life on God's Word so that you will stand firm when storms come your way (Proverbs 3:1-8; Colossians 3:2).  So, what’s your building plan today?

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

             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/

            What would you say are the top 10 things people pray about?  Would you list any of these: health, money, relationships, jobs, children, unsaved family or friends?  What else would you include?  People generally resort to prayer in times of need, because they have a sense that it works, or that it is important. “I’m praying for you” or “I’ll be praying about that” is a popular thing to say today even if one does not necessarily believe there is a God in Heaven who listens to them!   The disciples also recognized that prayer was important because they saw Jesus praying frequently.  While Jesus prayed, something in Jesus' prayers caught their attention.  They knew they wanted to pray like Jesus, so in Luke 11:1, they asked Jesus to "teach them how to pray".  His response is what we have come to call the Lord's Prayer.

            However, the title is a misnomer.  It was not really a literal prayer that Jesus said rather, it was a teaching tool He passed on to His when they inquired about the supplications a disciple should bring before God, the Father.  Many recite this prayer on a daily basis; others once a week.  Its recitation is a treasured Christian tradition.  It’s even popular now to bash the repetition of it and remove it from worship altogether, but if Jesus taught us to say it, is that the right thing to do?  However, when we do say it, do we really listen to the words and mean what we say?  And what was Jesus teaching us about prayer when He used this prayer as a model for His disciples?

            So, if I could be so bold as to rename it (as others before me have suggested), The Disciple's Prayer can be divided into 2 sections.  The first contains 2 declarations about God and His glory.  The second contains 4 requests that have to do with our daily necessities.   In other words, God is first given His supreme place in our lives, and then we turn our attention to our needs and desires.  Sadly, we often approach God with a list of things we'd like Him to attend to without first acknowledging Him above all else.  William Barclay wrote, "Prayer must never be an attempt to bend the will of God to our desires; instead prayer ought to always to be an attempt to submit our wills to the will of God."

            A quick walk through this prayer reveals first that it can be both an individual or corporate prayer.  That is, when Jesus says, "When you pray," He uses the plural form of you,  which can mean the community of believers (first the disciples, and now the church) or you in the singular (as in each individual disciple, or each believer as in you and I).  Secondly, we are to declare the great truths about God.  He is Father.  His Name is holy.  And we desire to see the fulfillment of His kingdom.  Thirdly, in asking for our daily bread, we recognize that God is the Provider of it, not ourselves.  Fourth, forgiveness has two sides; a side that gives and a side that receives.  The Disciple's Prayer includes both a request for forgiveness and a call for forgiveness.  And lastly, God is recognized as our Protector in that only He can keep us from succumbing to the temptations thrown our way by Satan (1 Pet. 5:8).  The prayer emphasizes the desire to follow God and not to be overwhelmed or destroyed by sin.

            Another commentator wrote, "It was the regular custom for a Rabbi to teach his disciples a simple prayer which they might habitually use.  John (the Baptist) had done that for his disciples, and now Jesus' disciples came asking Him to do the same for them.  Luke's version is shorter than Matthew's, but it will teach us all we need to know about how to pray and what to pray for."  The "Disciple's Prayer" is one of the most thorough passages in all of Scripture dealing with the great subject of prayer.  It is a passage that should be studied time and again.   When we say it together as a congregation, or if we say it on our own, let's keep in mind that Jesus Himself gave us these words to pray.  Although many centuries have come since the initial 12 disciples asked Him to teach "us" to pray, the lesson He gave to them is also meant for us today.  Let's not say them lightly.

            Think about your prayer life this week.  How often to you converse with God?  How deeply?  Do you listen for His response?  Is your prayer life composed of a list of requests or do you include other aspects, such as praise and confession, into your prayers?  One of the beautiful things about prayer is that it is profoundly individual.  There is no "one size fits all" formula that everyone must do in order for it to be done right.  I know people who have a quiet time every morning and prayer for an hour straight.  I also know others who pray while they commute, clean the house, or take a walk.    As you pray this week you may want to begin your prayer time with “The Disciples’ Prayer”.  However, or wherever, you pray, take time this week to listen to God's response.  He hears and He answers.
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            I don’t know about you, but I hate it in the Fall when the clocks get changed and darkness comes earlier and earlier.  When the days are short like that, I often feel as if I haven’t accomplished anything when the streetlights turn on in the late afternoon.  I don’t like the “cold” feeling the house gets when the shadows are long and the sun goes below the horizon either.  The only remedy for the darkness which enters my home is the light of my lamps.  Several of them I inherited from my mother and grandmother, two were wedding gifts and one was “inherited” from a neighbor across the street when they moved.  When Hurricane Riley blew through a few years ago, we lost power for six days.  During the day it wasn’t as noticeable when the sunlight was streaming through the windows.  But at night we really missed the power until our neighbor hooked up his generator.  Just one lamp truly made a huge difference in our “comfort” level!

            While most people are drawn to the light of a lamp, there are some who seem to prefer the darkness.  It could simply be an attribute of human nature, but I think the power of light and its positive effect on our inner being, or the adverse with darkness, has spiritual overtones.  The key component to seeing either, of course, is the eye.  And just as the eyes see physical light and darkness, they are also the instruments which introduce both godly and sinful thoughts into our lives.  Jesus illustrated it in this way, “The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great the darkness!” (Mt. 6:22-23).  Simply put, what goes into you through your eyes has a direct effect on both your heart and mind.  So, as the children’s Sunday School song goes, “Be careful little eyes what you see.” 

            Several words in Jesus’ admonition drive home this point.  While the word “eye” is obviously the bodily organ which causes us to see.  What we traditionally think of as a lamp did not exist when Jesus spoke these words.  So, what was Jesus talking about?  A “luchnos” was a small, portable clay “pot” with a hole on top to pour oil in and a spout out of its side where a wick would come out.  They looked like a miniature tea pot without the lid.  The wick would be lit and the light produced by it was surprisingly strong.  The word “haploose” which gets translated as clear in our English translations concerns the clarity of how we see.  It literally means to “see things the way they are”.  The adjective “bad” in verse 23 describes a moral condition.  It can be used of people (Mt. 5:45; Lk. 6:35, 45; Acts 17:5; 2 Thes. 3:2), evil spirits and malignant demons (Mt. 12:45; Lk. 7:21; 8:2; Acts 19:12, 13, 15, 16), or Satan when combined with the definite article “the” (Mt. 13:19, 38; Eph. 6:16; 1 Jn. 2:13), things such as the eye (Mt. 20:15; Mk. 7:22) and thoughts or words (1 Tim. 6:14; Js. 2:4; Mt. 5:11; Acts 28:21; 3 Jn. 1:10).  Jesus also makes a figurative contrast between light (as in knowledge which enlightens the mind- Mt. 6:23; Lk. 11:35) and darkness (as in ignorance or error- Jn. 3:19; Rom. 2:19- or a person’s spiritual state- Mt. 4:16; 8:12; Lk. 1:79; Acts 26:18; 1 Thes. 5:4; 2 Pet. 2:9, 17).  Simply put, Jesus is concerned about what fills the lamp.  If the eye is filled with light, then the eye is healthy, but if darkness, the eye is in desperate need of attention.

            We’ve all experienced times when light and shadows have played tricks on our eyes.  A coat, blanket, or clothes thrown over the back of a chair appears to be a monster to a child; bushes shrubs or trees take on human form in the night.  Each makes us think it’s something that it’s not.  But by shedding light on the situation we are no longer fooled by the illusion.  It drives home the point of how important the lighting is.  A flashlight with weak batteries for example might not reveal the pile of clothes or the bush, but one of those magnum titanium mega lights “as seen on TV” most certainly would.  What then should we be using as a lamp to enlighten our souls?

            In one of the most powerful scenes in the New Testament Jesus encounters Satan who attempts to change Jesus’ lamp so to speak (Mt. 4:1-11; Mk. 1:12-13; Lk. 4:1-13).  No matter what Satan enticed Jesus with, fame, power or pleasure, Jesus steadfastly refused Satan by quoting God’s Word.  Jesus knew that Satan’s promises were optical illusions and the clearest way to see them was through God’s Word.  Like a lamp turned on in a dark room, God’s Word dispenses light that shows everything for what it truly is.  There was a commercial a while back where a band of crazy Vikings would come crashing into a modern scene and demand, “What’s in your wallet?”  Jesus is not concerned with what’s in your wallet.  He wants to know “What’s in your lamp?”.

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