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Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 59

The Lord Jesus Christ (according to Matthew)

Scripture Matthew 4:1-11 NIV 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.   6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you,    and they will lift you up in their hands,    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

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We live in a world in which tests and temptations come from a range of sources. Christ was not exempt from this baggage. We cannot turn round to Him and say” You do not understand, “ (Hebrews 4:15). The complete Saviour suffered the complete range of trials and temptations.

The accounts of the temptations are not in the same order in Matthew and Luke. For the second temptation Matthew takes us to the Temple, But Luke goes to a high mountain to view the kingdoms of the world. In Matthew our Lord’s Jewish background shines through. Luke is addressing his account to a man with a Greek name.

In both accounts the temptation about the Word of God comes first. People are not only collections of physical needs. Deeper dimensions should take priority. We are not only body but also soul and spirit. All three need care. There is much to learn from our Lord’s use of Scripture. He quotes the book of Deuteronomy, written about the desert. They are guiding His responses to the temptation. The reading and study of Scripture is more than an intellectual act. It is profoundly spiritual and is a development of our relationship with God.

We are children of the enlightenment and the scientific revolution and are tempted to ask for physical tangible proof of Christ’s divinity. Love of God is what is required. A spectacular act using the very symbol of God’s presence with His people, the temple would possibly do more harm than good. For man to love God the cross is required. Anything less is an understatement. Satan’s seductions seek avoidance of Calvary and his defeat. Thank God Jesus is the victor.

Questions

1. What do we learn about what should be our attitude and use of Scripture from this passage ? 2. What sins was our Lord tempted with and do we face similar ones ? 3. What do we learn about bearing trials and resisting temptation from this passage ?

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Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 58

Elijah

Scripture 1Kings19:3-5 NIV  Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”

1 Kings 19: 12-18 NIV 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

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In Luke 9 our Lord meets with Moses and Elijah on a mountain. They represent two great strands of Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets. The Lord Jesus fulfilled both strands . The folk through whom the revelation was given were not without their problems. Christianity does not offer immunity from mental ill health anymore than it does from the common cold.

We are witnessing a pivotal point in God’s dealings with Elijah. Horeb in Sinai is the mountain of God. Forty days and nights was period of divine judgement and dealings.

1. Humanity: Elijah’s State of Mind I am amazed that here in Holy writ , Elijah’s little speech is recorded twice whereas the words of the Almighty only once. Elijah expresses feelings that are not unknown to us in the 21^st century : fear, isolation and a horror at things that are going on. His self esteem is at rock bottom and he wants to die

2. Divinity : God’s response Before God deals with His depressed prophet He provides sustenance for the trial and suitable accommodation. Often we long that God might rend the heavens and come down. We long for the wind, the earthquake or the fire but that is not always God’s way. He chooses the weak to confound the mighty. We look for the miraculous but God is speaking in the mundane . God starts with the question “ What are you doing here ?” It’s a question we might ask ourselves. Elijah is then told to go back the way he came. Sometimes we have to face mistakes of the past so we can go forward. God then gives Elijah some work to do which leans on His mighty power and finally Elijah is assured that he is not on His own.

3, Remedy
Elijah is confronted by the same pains as we have today and is comforted by the same gracious and loving God

Questions

1. What pastoral lessons are there for us in how God deals with Elijah ? 2. Comfort do we derive from this account ? 3. What in this account deals with issues we face today ?

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Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 57

Moses

Scripture Exodus 19:3 NIV

3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel

Exodus 20:1-17NIV

20 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

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The work God did on Moses resulted in the moral compass that has been used by billions. Volumes have been written. I shall make three basic observations .

1. Unity The Law is not like an old fashioned school examination in which you can chose the bits you attempt. If you break one bit you have broken it all. ( James 2: 10) It may be convenient to think of the first five commandments as about our relationship with God and the others about our relationship with our neighbours. But the prodigal in Luke 15 realised that a sin against his earthly father was a sin against heaven. In Matthew 22: 37-39 our Lord shows how the Law’s demands to love God are inter-related the love we should have for our neighbour. Indeed the Law forms the basis of all divine revelation,

2. Eternity In Matthew 5 : 17-19 Jesus explains that the Law stands through out His dealings with us. The Law is always there. There is no mitigation. In His teaching He deepens the law to our very thought lives. ( Matthew 5:28 New King James Version  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.)

3, Remedy
New King James Version Galatians 3:24 " Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." We have all sinned. The Law lies broken at our feet, Only when we are broken by the Law will God’s grace come in to save us. By this I mean when the Law has opened our eyes to our sin then the grace of Christ saves us through faith.

Questions

1. If the Law does not save us, what use is it? 2. Do the ten commandments apply only to individuals ? 3. What part does the Law play in our salvation ?