Matthew 16:24-28 ~ whoever loses his life for my sake will find it

Matthew 16:24-28

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[soul] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”



Having sat and considered Take up your cross I think I'm beginning to like the phrase.

The disciples surely did not. Except maybe for Simon, the Zealot. Death. Not with hints of glory, instead the Whole Holy Contingency. Death takes a back seat to Jesus coming into His Kingdom. That would be an unusual day for anyone hearing this severe statement.

To the disciples, the cross was indeed an effective way for the Romans to keep the peace. Typically taking three to five days to slowly "have the government upon your shoulders." Which literally means suffocation.

Jesus' opinion,  as God Himself ,understood time is merely a cage for us in this life. Jesus was in the first sentence and the last sentence was declaring this ~

1 Corinthians 15:55
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 

 The Cross to Jesus is the symbol not of death, but HIS Victory over death. 

To us this is saying, we take all the events of our life and we apply the Victory over death. We remind ourselves to carry His blessing and our gratitude as Paul did. Plunging into life. Allowing life to be shaped by HIM. Leaning in His understanding. Claiming in our actions and actually, more difficult, words that HE matters to us that much. 

I love the analogy of life pushing us with tremendous force to being one of riding the Mississippi River. The water pushing is to the Ocean that is God. 

The Cross is us holding on to this in the swift currents of life and directions to be taken in decisions. 

 We still cannot contain that River. We can think we have that under control and actually we exist only in the quiet eddies of our lives. The MS is rolling on down the line.

Anyone with basic understanding of the Bible, knows we are told Jesus spoke of millenniums of knowledge when He said he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Amos could picture this, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amos 6
“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
and stretch themselves out on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock
and calves from the midst of the stall,
5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,
6 who drink wine in bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
7 Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile,
and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”

8 The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts

Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision

Back of the bus time. I just picture very win-at-all-costs people being told  ~

So the last will be first, and the first last.

Who said that? Jesus.

Bad news for the-elbows-out-me-first-generation.

Hebrews 12:17-19
For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.

 
What is in store for the people who put away what was comfortable. The people we read about in the true events of the lives in  "Same Different as Me." A Homeless man, Denver, who would put away the opportunity to walk away from a racist and teach a horrible, horrid, abandoned old man - a black homeless man would bring him to see Jesus Christ as Lord and not christian comfortable mealy mouth. That is astonishing. The horrid man was an eighty year old racist hater. A profoundly successful business man his family threw into the homeless shelter because of his vindictive hate. And Jesus renewed that dire soul.

The opportunity of Homelessness is not one I'd like to experience. What is perhaps more important here, and workable, is the bloom where you are planted theology. These are people HE places with in our lives, not going away. The homeless formerly hateful old man had constant contact in the life of Denver.

I understand, far better, the lessons learned in Bill Hybel's "Walk Across the Room." Rick Warren and Tom Holladay, his brother-in-law and co-pastor, wrote and taught "40 Days of Love." On practical values of forgiveness, the need to use our lives as examples of teachable moment to witness to God's love on a permanent basis.

Bill Hybel's explanation that his own Church helped him reach seekers, but where were the others - those not looking for the Lord. Bill struggled to find how to reach the ones sitting outside the Churches and because of this thought, he loved his friend, a non-seeker,  for two or three years until one day - he looked at his beloved friend and said, by the refrigerator, at a party , "I'm not going to Heaven without you. You need to please accept Jesus Christ as your Lord." And a loving heart opened to Jesus Christ.

What do we receive in this life? For taking up our cross?

People less centered on themselves are happier. Paul said I'm going to see how it goes with me, more relaxed that God will carry them through.


2 Corinthians 4:8
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair

Romans 15:1
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Philippians 2:4
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Being in the thick of life, not as worried about the consequences.  Rather like the statue in the photo...Not to bad a place to be in August!

What is in store for the people who seek Jesus with self-denial.

Matthew 8:3
And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Moses was shown a leprosy trick. And did not Evah do the leprosy trick again. Moses found that a bit too trying. But Jesus. Our Jesus. He stretched out HIS hand and touched.

Poor Peter. He lived with his mother-in-law. (Mine is just great! Thank God. But we are missing out on generations of family.)

Matthew 8:15
He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

Blessed are the eyes that see with faith.

Matthew 9:29
Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

Matthew 17:6-8
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

I do believe we will all spend personal time with Jesus.

Mark 7:32-34
And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

Here in this in life, but more importantly in eternity.

Matthew 25:23
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

1 Chronicles 12:40
And also their relatives, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”


Psalms 47:1
Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!


John 16 ~ Jesus still prays for us and with us.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Galatians 2:20
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. 

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Matthew 16:24-28 ~ see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom

Matthew 16:24-28

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life^[soul] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 

27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Yesterday we looked at Scripture telling us He loves us as we are. How wide, how high, how deep is His love.  Creating us to be uniquely ourselves.

Today we are looking at self-denial leading to Heaven ~ His Kingdom. Suffering is just Not my favorite part of loving the Lord. We had an excellent sermon guest last week, a Baptist Pastor who cried when he spoke of Peter saying crucify me upside down, not as my Lord. And that sight will melt your heart & remind you just how seriously the men who followed the Lord were willing to go.

We will Sing of the Saints of God and I want to be one too, but this is not my favorite verse and I want to tackle this.

Usually my reaction to this verse it to hope, with prayer, a cross is Not required of me. One of the phrases I think about when integrity and determination is required of me ~ "When the line is drawn where will I stand." Will I be happy with myself, feeling I've pleased Jesus. Our Hero. Our Savior. I want to do my best for the Lord, however Passion of the Christ is a wonderful, life changing, soul jerking, sadness to see Innocence and Goodness die for me. I watched that at our house with our Couples Class again. And we sat and cried our hearts out. Jack, a wonderful Christian, said something so profound, "How could we watch that, without knowing Easter is coming."  We are the Easter people and Alleluia is our song. 

We are so cavalier about placing a cross around our necks. God has shaped our world ~ this is victory over death. When Jesus said this He did indeed mean die for our beliefs. In the Early Church, not all chose to die, but to flee, not forgetting to carry the Gospels and New Testament, God spreading His Word in their living determination to please Him.

Jesus turned to Peter, as a lot of disciples left, hearing we were to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Jesus, with His amazing compassion, knows how we react to hard statements. Peter told Jesus, what so many of us know. Jesus has the words of life. And is compassion for the weak.



Matthew 11:13-19
13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”


We are dealing with carrying a cross seriously, not being glib. This is something, if we are honest, we would have to grow into. Peter fled. All the disciples fled. Only John went peacefully into the world knowing he as the beloved disciple had stood for Jesus. Jesus does not ask lightly.

In my entire life, I've only heard one person cling to the verse about carry a cross. And that was a loved one who was dying. And felt equipped for the journey Home. This changed for them from the beginning of the illness, to the hope of redemption. Clinging they said, not to any old cross, But HIS cross. This I understand fully. 

One of the reasons we see almost all the disciples willing to give up earthly lives for Him, the deep breathe of forgiveness given to them. Once they tasted peace, they were unwilling to live unforgiven. 

Solomon said the house of mirth is the house of fools. And Jesus created a New Covenant with God for us. Saying if the Bridegroom is with us, how can we fast. And sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Creating an opportunity for us to face the true and sometimes grim realities the Scriptures tell us exist with an attitude of Jesus in the Ship, asleep, trusting God. Looking to the future with hope, trusting that God will provide and we will encounter suffering with Real Hope. 

Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 


So do we glory in our sufferings? I will tell you this with certainty!!!! I got past those suckers!!  There is a Christian song out there saying You trust me in my problems to look to You. I do believe the Lord could say that to me!  And the song - "Stronger" ~ you bet, crank that song up LOUDER.

Peter so bravely endured a cross given to Him, but Peter's hope was and is Jesus. Who does not want to be seen as being loving. We expect this in Jesus, not calling Him fierce and determined saying He has these beautiful attributes.

1 Chronicles 16:33
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.

1 Chronicles 29:17
I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.


Father God, I'd be dishonest to say - let me have a cross to carry. Forgive me Father God. For asking for comfort. I want to be the beloved disciple.  I prefer Lord, with deep gratitude, knowing You paid the price for me. Knowing nothing I could ever do would save me, only the Goodness of You being innocent and taking my stripes for me. 

I will not fear, but trust You as life unfolds, You dwell with me. 

When my life requires me to be bold for you, be brave, let Your unfailing Love and Steadfast Mercy lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. I so acknowledge each day, I need Your Salvation.  Lord Jesus. Amen. 

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Mark 3 ~ “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

Mark 3

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 

9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

have a small boat ready for Him

 Jesus saw these people doing the will of GOD. Jesus was so approachable - people pressed in on Him.  Verse 9.

God narrows down the crowd, Jesus ministry started in intimate relationship. The narrow gate.

Remembering Jesus did not give up on that family, not in the boat with Him.



Today  - Jesus has the man with the withered hand - stand up. God is calling - not the righteous to be the elect - He is calling the ones willing to stand for Him. God didn't see perfection in the Rock Simon. He didn't think Boanerges, “sons of thunder” were so saintly their mother wouldn't try for a power play.

Standing up is important. Here, Jesus is working with the sheep. Touching them, getting to know them. Jesus is in the midst of the people He wants to know. Many people have come to Jesus.

He is telling us here. Stand up. Say you are depending on HIM. Have quiet times with Him. Go to God. This Godly relationship has to have that quiet time, but Jesus was listening to people all day long. Be willing to look at the parables God gives us in the situations in our lives. When we saw Jesus making disciples, calling people from great distances and crowds, He is really telling us He empowers us to do His will.




Prayer. Jesus told us about prayer more than the Lord's Prayer.

When we go to Jesus in prayer, we can address HIM quietly and personally. And other times in salvation, He says proclaim with your mouth. Jesus asks and tells us “Who are my mother and my brothers?”


Luke 18
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

When we go to God in prayer, He is asking a question. Will He find faith?

Jesus asked us how do we know the family of God - the ones willing to do His will. Prayer. The Key ingredient to prayer is faith, expecting God. Establishing the sovereignty of God in belief God is good.

God told us to acknowledge Him as our Father and know He is Holy. Know He supplies the day. The sufficient day.  Sometimes we have to stretch to find the day sufficient. Jesus had stress in His own life. . He is our Father, go to Him constantly; Knowing we are disciples to HIM. A member of the select. Doing HIS will in our lives. Stand up. Jesus did not require perfection. He said look to Him to be healed. Jesus did not call to the righteous, but to the sinner to look to Him.

Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother. God is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger and full of kindness and truth. 

Drawing the multitudes to Him, and creating the narrow gate.  Another camel through the needle's eye.

Disciples of God are not perfect. A one on one relationship to Jesus. Faith. Hope and Love. I expect Him in faith. Realize the narrow gate is relationship and intend to allow His will to be done. Expecting HIM not to be the lazy judge, the unjust judge, but allowing God to be God and look to Him.

Father God, in hope I expect You. In faith, I believe You. Because You first loved, I am loved and love in return. Trusting You to be God. In the name of Jesus Christ the LORD let us go forth in His Glory. Amen.

Mark 2 ~ And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Mark 2

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.

2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 

3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 

5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 

6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

 
23 One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”

 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

God is orderly.

1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Luke 14:5
And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?"

Jesus is not the radical the children of the 1970s pinned their ideas upon. But He put HIS hands out and welcomed the faithful. Like the little children.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" 

This passage spoke to us of fasting - this is about not having food, obviously. But we have forgotten Jesus was not about immediate gratification.  My son Alexander told us he was so sad to see the Wailing Wall wasn't as huge as American Sky Scrapers. The Temple is still an amazing site. And for those of us not as privileged, we still know Jesus told us, in Him we move, dwell and have our being.

This is where Jesus is at home. And the people seeing Jesus encountered a great light.  Dropping everything to follow Him.  Jesus was known to filled with light. Gathering people to Him, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And He was preaching the word to them.  Jesus was very impressed with the Centurion, but look at Jesus seeing such faith, healing and forgiveness occurred.

Jesus is the Bread of Life. Present in need and want. Giving to those who are with Him.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me,
and those who search for me find me.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.

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Luke 13:18-30 ~ Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter

Luke 13:18-30

 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” 

And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 

26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 

29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”


Today, I had a lovely day going to the house of a friend, who is an artist. Hospitality with the Holy Spirit is... a good thing! And a hearty, good laugh over an outreach, hopeful, project to the younger generation with a resilient recommendation of punch with cookies. Um, no. OKAY! Wine with cheese! Much better!!

My friend has sold her very expensive home in an exclusive golf community to live in a very small, around a thousand square feet,rural,almost barn-type setting. The funds were for her children. And our Church.

Her front door is like the photo above. And all had to enter oh-ing and aw-ing over the front door. The former owners found the antique door & built the warm, lovely cottage around the porch & the wonderfully wood-grained door. Every part of this home has unique flair, from her artistry and knack for warmth. My friend was never told her art was not so perfect and in fact, draws from her talent of valuing herself as she is rather wonderfully unique rather than Renaissance perfection.

Our next set of doors that were so beautiful, I had to ask about them and the story was worth the telling. This is a retirement home, the husband has a job in the healing industry. He calls this "The House Sandra Built." And they gleam saying this. The doors are very pretty and were found while house hunting. 

The builder bought beautiful doors that wouldn't fit. Our lovely friends bought the doors and the builder, in transporting them, broke them horribly. Now the smashed doors were a beautiful ruin and given to them, practically. Not people to give up on broken, when treasure is to be found in the project - they restored the doors so beautifully, they bought another door for their wine and incredibly detailed pantry. Ah. If only I had a photo of the pantry. The one that got away.

Our second home sat on the market for three months after we visited the house. It was delightfully done (by a rather well-known, locally) watercolor artist. The house was swathed in baby blue and baby pink Navaho blanket. Ew. I knew looking at the house, I surely did not want to live there. And was Completely Astonished, going around the corner of massive, amazing, wonderfully aromatic roses, to discover a shed (this photo is artistic license) with the original house front door on the front. I think this caused us, three months later, to bid and buy the cosmetic re-do. Never be afraid of the opportunity to put your own seal on a cosmetic re-do! We loved the shed, probably best. It had a wonderful book shelf we painted rust and still resides in my elder son's bedroom.

I grew up with two front doors, one was an antique salvage from Chicago. A cousin once told me I'd have a married, raise your children house, very similar to my childhood home - where my dad  had drawn our house plans. The first front door was a green, full shutter door. We frequently had comments asking why we had two front doors hiding the good one. My father was an interesting man, he bought salvage Chicago brick for the house, way before people thought to add the word 'antique.' The house was Williamsburg from their honeymoon trip where they were captivated. I grew up wanting French furniture to escape from 'colonial constipated.' Well, we all want to do something different somehow from our parents!

My brother lived in El Paso for five years and was horribly unhappy his first year there. Five years later, when they were called to move out, he wept. He said El Paso was the place he never knew he wanted to live, all his life. He found his stucco-house front gates/doors (to the courtyard garden) in Mexico. The beautiful, worn doors were on a house and John was captivated. He knocked on the door. offered a nice fee and was warmly accepted. He still misses those doors.

This was before you couldn't go to Mexico and no one didn't mention that much. (How can we live five hours from Mexico and not be appalled at the crime and fear of good people?) John worked in the El Paso City Attorney's Office, for a time. His opinion on the thousand a month people murdered in Juarez - that it's actually people hunting. Bonafide sick people hunting people. Do you realize Detroit was the USA murder capital and their total is 600 people murdered in a year. Not monthly numbers. Juarez had this many people dying in a month, way before the drug cartels drove so many innocent business owners and border towns into fear, isolation and bankruptcy. Where is our good neighbor policy? Prayers for the good people in Mexico, please, every time you think of them.

Light, like Love, is a symbol of the Lord. Love covers a multitude of sins. Frankly, I just really like this doorway. But. Isn't there always a but.

Proverbs 17:19 ~ Douay-Rheims, 1899
He that studieth discords, loveth quarrels: and he that exalteth his door, seeketh ruin.

Xander, our youngest son, has had an Amazing summer trip to Israel, an archaeology trip looking around the Sea of Galilee - where he found a 4th century coin. And a trip to Petra.  This photo is in front of the famous Al Khazneh, or The Treasury at Petra.

Job 12
Then Job answered and said:

2 “No doubt you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these?


Petra has its own puzzles, there is a stele telling of arabic gods worshipped, but largely Petra was a city where water was controlled, elaborately in the desert. To get to Petra, even today, you risk your life walking the wadi's. A flash flood is deadly to tourists. The walls tell of many different raids and people argue over the capability of the buildings, left in ruins.

(Settlements began in the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (1550–1292 BC). This part of the country was biblically assigned to the Horites, the predecessors of the Edomites. The second book of Kings 14:7 and the parallel passage Sela is understood to mean simply "the rock" in 2 Chronicles 25:12. Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews iv. 7, 1~ 4, 7) Bishop Eusebius and Jerome, state 'Rekem was the native name and this name appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Rekem inscription was found carved in the walls before it was buried by the bridge abutments and buried beneath tons of concrete.

According to Arabic tradition and pilgrimage, Petra is where Moses struck a rock with his staff to bring forth water. Aaron (Harun), is buried, at Mount Hor. The Wadi Musa or "Wadi of Moses" is the Arab name for the narrow, narrow and can be deadly in flood valley at the head of Petra's site. A mountaintop shrine of Moses' sister, Miriam, was part of the pilgrimage at the time of Jerome, in the 4th century, but its location is lost today.)

My own door, is not so dramatic. We bought our house thinking we were reminded of my husband's very precious maternal grandmother. The front door and rear of the house resemble my childhood home. I painted the door green again, only to find it was too green. After I added black to the mix, it was declared by friends to be Charleston Green. And I noticed again, the beautiful carvings on the door and remembered Edward declared the house to be ours before we ever entered the house. He looked through the glass and said, "This is our house!" Before we even opened the door.

Psalm 107:29-32
29 He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.


Father GOD, help us remember, in the events and predictability of life's slings and arrows of outrageous fortune - to be grateful. The door itself is not the focus, but the opportunities You bring us to draw out gratitude and patience. Weathering the storms, with faith in You, keep us in Your mercies. In the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

Whatever your door looks like is not exactly the point. Narrow is the gate. We need, in our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, to appreciate our lives, talents, and situations as we are the people of God. The Lord loves us as we are. Developing ourselves, appreciating the gifts He bestows so willingly upon us. How high, how wide, how deep is the unfathomable Love of our Father who knows us so transparently.  The gate is narrow because the vastness of a loving Creator, our Father, brings Himself to our door.  In HIM, we live and move and have our dwelling. The Universe He created at your door.

Romans 11:29
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Elisha heard that quiet voice. We must listen to Him.

Proverbs 8:34
Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.

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Exodus 2 ~ he sat down by a well.

Moses Drawn from the Water, painted by Vincent Van Gogh

Exodus 2

Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. 9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water ^{[Moses sounds like the words for draw out]}


11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner ^{[Gershom sounds like sojourner]} in a foreign land.”

23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.


You have to love Robert Duvall. He made a lot of movies, including "To Kill a Mockingbird." And a whole lot of movies which included John Wayne, where he played a lot of low down, shady characters. And after he'd done pretty well, he decided to only make movies holding a meaning for him. "Tender Mercies" is one of my favorite movies, but I went and bought the DVD for "A Family Thing".

A Family Thing (1996)
Earl Pilcher Jr., runs an equipment rental outfit in Arkansas, lives with his wife and kids and parents, and rarely takes off his gimme cap. His mother dies, leaving a letter explaining he's not her natural son, but the son of a black woman who died in childbirth. Plus, he has a half brother, Ray, in Chicago, she wants him to visit. Earl makes the trip, initially receiving a cold welcome from Ray and Ray's son, Virgil. His birth mother's sister, Aunt T., an aged and blind matriarch, takes Earl in tow and insists that the family open up to him.

Earl Pilcher, Sr.: I've never seen a damn Yankee yet that could operate more than a wheelbarrow.

Aunt T.: Nobody ever knows what it's like for somebody else. That's always the problem.

Raymond "Ray" Lee Murdock: I guess everyone is entitled to make a complete and utter fool of himself every now and then.

Aunt T.: If he looks white it's 'cause his daddy's white. I don't know how he look, I can't see him like you can, and don't need to. I don't have the blessing of being able to separate people by lookin' at 'em any more.

Aunt T. sits Earl and Ray down to tell them the dramatic tale of the night Earl was born and his mother, Willa Mae, died. According to Aunt T., Willa Mae knew she was likely to die and Earl's life was saved only by the quick action of his adoptive mother, Carrie, who brought a white doctor to the shack where Willa Mae and Ray lived to help with the delivery. Aunt T speculates that Carrie and Willa Mae agreed that Earl, who was born with white-appearing features, should be raised by Carrie and his biological father. Aunt T. gives Earl a picture of Willa Mae which he keeps near. Earl begins to accept his new family with pride, and he convinces Ray to return to their Arkansas hometown to find their mother's grave. As they share a drink on her tombstone, Earl decides to take Ray to meet his southern family and tell them the unlikely story, ending the movie by joking with Ray that when Earl's white nephew finds out he is part black, he will likely shoot the both of them.

Well, the people in Scripture always act with better sense, when they find out they are not Pharaoh's own son. Except Moses murdered one of the Hebrew oppressors.

Moses was a murderer. Unfit for God. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps God did not know...

God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

People generally do not care for crimes of cruelty.

“Who made you a prince and a judge over us?"

Jesus went to see the Temple after His Palm Sunday, one of the Gospels record His surveillance of the Temple. Jesus spoke a millennium later of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Jesus loved to think and speak of what "was written". Jesus keeps in mind, His Father's Word.

Luke 12
But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

Aunt T.: Nobody ever knows what it's like for somebody else. That's always the problem.

There is One who is Good, who knows. And sees us with compassion.

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.


This is a Psalm of Ascents. We do well to look up to the Lord. It's the Lord who keeps our lives.

Father God, keep me from the nooks and crannies of flaws You are more aware of than I am. Give us the day, in Your mercy, we always see the good You keep in Your plan for us. In the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

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