Judge Not!

Matthew 7:1-5

 

 

In the Late 1990s, a scandal of unprecedented proportions broke within the LAPDs Rampart division. The scandal went deeper and wider than anyone thought possible and was centered on two police officers. When all was said and done, nearly 100 convictions were over-turned due to corruption such as witness tampering, evidence planting, bad shootings, improper arrests, and others. The estimated total cost of the Rampart scandal topped 125 million dollars. Additionally more than 15,000 cases are being investigated for possible corruption.

Recently, Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois was removed from office for federal corruption charges which included: attempting to auction off Pres. Obama’s house seat, blackmailing the Chicago Tribune into firing columnist he considered overly critical of himself, and strong arming to get his wife a high paying job. Later, His appointment to congress, Burris, is of questionable legitimacy because of who appointed him.

·     Hypocrite: the man who murdered both his parents... pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.  ~Abraham Lincoln

·     The world is full of fools and faint hearts; and yet everyone has courage enough to bear the misfortunes, and wisdom enough to manage the affairs, of his neighbor.  ~Benjamin Franklin

I wonder if you’ve ever seen the scales of justice.  They are usually represented by lady justice holding a scale in one hand, a sword in the other having a blindfold. The purpose is to show how the law is to be true and impartial.

When the rule of law is undermined or the basic fabric of our judicial system is unraveled it is like:

·       A sail with no wind

·       A hotrod with no fuel

·       A refrigerator with no food

·       A bank account with no money

·       The extended discussion of how delicious and wonderful a juicy steak is without actually taking a bite

·       A baseball player taking a swing with a rope

·       A rifle shooting blanks

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5 NKJV

In our society of so called "tolerance," we are often struck with an opposition of people who cry that we have no right to judge them. In fact, I've even heard some go so far as to claim that "Jesus never judged people; He even taught that we are not to judge!" Strangely enough, they will quote Matthew 7:1 in attempts to convince others that Jesus has condemned all judging.

In the first two words of this passage, Jesus does tell us to "Judge not..." But these two words have been perverted and twisted to teach that when one calls the actions of another error and expresses that continuance in such ways will condemn the soul, that individual is judging, which is supposedly "condemned" in the Bible. But from the context of this passage, what judging is forbidden?

If we take the view that judging is completely and totally forbidden, then that would make the doctrinal and moral purity of the church impossible to maintain. This would violate other teachings and divine examples that Christ has revealed in His word:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ^You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ^A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ^Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ^Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:15-20

This stance would commit us to neutrality and that is the very opposite of the stance Christ wants us to take.

As a matter of fact, Paul’s stand in Chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians would make not sense at all if we were never to judge! But what gave Paul the authority and right to judge? It was that he lived in the fullness of God’s Spirit with a pure conscience before God. Other wise, he could have never said, emulate me as I emulate Christ!

What many fail to realize is that Jesus taught, that we are given the right and responsibility to make judgments in order to help our fellow man with their problem of sin, provided we have first "remove the plank from our own eye." Jesus expects you to be able to see clearly, so that you can "remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:5). So there are judgments to be made, within ourselves, and of others.

But then, what judging is the Lord telling us not to practice? In our text, Jesus is forbidding the judging that is for the purpose of putting down others to exalt one's self. It is the habit of finding fault in others when really there are more faults within you. How can you expect to help a person with a few transgressions when you are overwhelmed with many transgressions? Jesus simply teaches that in order to pass righteous judgment on another, we ought to first examine ourselves. Let us remove the plank in our eye. Then, and only then, can we see clearly to remove the speck in our brother's eye.

In John 8, the scribes and the Pharisees seeking to test Jesus brought to Him a woman caught in the act of adultery and asked the following question: “Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” Jesus responded by saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (v. 7). “Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one. . . . When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’” (vv. 9-11).

What are the lessons we can learn from this story? What does it say about sexual immorality; is adultery no longer a sin? Are we to conclude that it is wrong for Christians to judge behavior and condemn sin? Are there no longer any consequences to sin in the New Testament era? What would Jesus say?

JESUS DID NOT EXCUSE ADULTERY. Although Jesus said that He did not condemn the woman, she was unquestionably an adulteress. In other Scriptures, Jesus says that adultery is on par with things that are evil and wicked, and, like murder, adultery defiles a man. Jesus says that adultery is a sin that can cast you into hell (Matt. 5:27-30). Whatever the lessons of John 8 are, one cannot conclude that Jesus does not consider adultery a sin.

JESUS DOES NOT CONDEMN JUDGING, BUT UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. The woman in John 8 was an adulteress (John 8:3-4), but her accusers were not motivated by righteous judgment or disdain for sin, but a desire to test Jesus, “that they might have something of which to accuse Him” (John 8:6). The scribes and Pharisees sought to trap Jesus by His answer to their question. Jesus did not immediately answer the question, but gave the appearance of ignoring it (John 8:6). Not wanting Jesus to escape, the scribes and Pharisees repeated their question until Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” No one threw a stone and all of the woman’s accusers left her and Jesus alone (John 8:9-11). In their zeal to trap Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees had allowed their own improper motives to blind their judgment. With one statement (“He who is without sin among you…”), Jesus caused the woman’s accusers to be “convicted by their conscience” (John 8:7, 9).

Jesus’ statement to the accusers did not condemn judging, but caused the accusers to consider their own motives. The men came to realize that they were actually willing to kill a woman if necessary to discredit Jesus. Jesus did not fault the scribes and Pharisees for accusing the woman of adultery because the accusation was true. Rather, Jesus pointed out that the reason why they brought the adulteress to Jesus in the first place was hypocritical.

Jesus does not condemn judging, but emphasizes the need for righteous, genuine, and sincere judgment. One cannot know the difference between good and bad fruit without judging (Luke 6:43).

Matthew 7:1-2 is often misquoted by people who believe judging is unscriptural. “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Verse 2, however, emphasizes the importance of sincere, non-hypocritical judgment.

Righteous judgment is a necessary activity for a spiritually healthy Christian. The Christian first looks inward and judges himself, and removes “the plank from his own eye” (Luke 6:42).

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ^For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29

 

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

2 Corinthians 13:5

 

For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ^But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  Galatians 6:3-4

 

The teaching of Jesus in this passage is concerned with the attitude of a man, not a complete absence of our judgment. Christ is not permitting us to avoid making hard decisions or taking difficult stands. He is warning us not to have a bitter, hyper-critical, faultfinding spirit. That is a haughty attitude God will not tolerate.

However, as God's children, although we must be cautious in our judgments concerning ourselves and others, we cannot ignore our Lord's commands that instruct us to make judgments. In John 7:24, Jesus said "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” Here we are clearly commanded to judge with righteous judgment.

But what does it mean to judge with righteous judgment? Jesus revealed this earlier in John 5:30: Jesus spoke, saying, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."

If we seek and follow the true will of God, which can only be found in His word, then when it comes time for us to help people discern between right and wrong, then we will not judge with our opinions or what we think is right, but just like the mind that Christ had, we will only seek to do the will of the Father. Following the limitations for judgment that are taught throughout the scriptures, all we are to do in order to judge righteous judgment is to hear God's word, and judge using His standard.

How can anyone honestly say that Jesus didn't judge? For that matter, when our Lord's true followers make righteous judgments, based on His word, in order to expose sin and help the lost to be saved, why would anyone ever think that Jesus would condemn them for that? Jesus has plainly revealed that those who abide in His ways will judge with righteous judgment.

 

Side Roads

A few weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to spend 4 hours driving with a dear saint in her mid 80's. She and her husband were precious saints in my church for several years and he just recently passed away. I was honored to be able to do the home going celebration for him as he was one of my very favorite people in the world! At the age of 90 his wit and humor always kept me laughing and his playful jabs always kept me humble!

On this particular occasion I was taking her to central California for her brother's funeral. On the road she began to open up about how wonderful her precious Richard had been and how thankful she was to God for granting them 10 wonderful years together. After both she and Richard's first spouses had passed on the Lord brought the two of them together and what a beautiful couple they were! As she opened up to me about their life together she shared with me about Richard's love of traveling. He wanted to go for a ride in the car nearly every day. They drove all over California and several times across the country!

She shared with me how they didn't like taking the quickest or the most direct routes on their trips. Often they would find a side road off the freeway that led to a small town or an attraction of some kind. Over the years many of the small towns across the country had by bypassed by freeways and highways and most people just raced past them now. She shared with me how very often they would find some of the most amazing little towns and places off the beaten path. Little stores with treasures almost forgotten by the outside world, or cottages almost unknown to travelers racing by on the freeway. She said they had discovered little ponds and parks and other little secluded places of beauty that would not be detectable from the main road.

This reminded me of a passage in the scripture that speaks of the hidden treasures stored up for those who trust the Lord. Psalm 25:14 declares that God reveals His mysteries to those who fear Him. He also goes on to declare through the prophet Isaiah:

"And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—
secret riches.
I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name."   -- Isaiah 45:3

God delights to reveal His wonderful treasures and mysteries to those who are willing to press into Him deeper than a surface or cursory glance. He has unspoken and untold riches stored up for each of us if we are willing to take some of the side roads or the roads less traveled. Many are they who travel on the highways and freeways of life. It's faster, wider, and more convenient. But, as my dear friend conveyed to me, we often miss those small miracles and treasures of life when we are in such a hurry. God has promised to reward those who press in more diligently and deeply into Him with a greater understanding of who He is. (Hebrews 11:6) He IS the treasure!

The majority of those in the world travel the wide road. But Jesus challenges us to take the narrow road and the road less traveled. It will be harder...and it will take considerably more time, but it is worth it! Don't be afraid to take some side roads...you just might discover a wonderful treasure around the next bend!

Blessings!

Ryan

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

The camera pans from left to right down a busy city street and settles upon an inviting first-story establishment on a corner. The windows and stairway leading to the front door are adorned with orange and white awnings and the sidewalk is lined with classy lampposts and a large American flag hangs fluttering in the breeze from the second story. The modern scene then morphs to a late 19th century era where the cars turn to horse-drawn carriages and the men that line the streets are dressed in classy suits with top hats and canes. A piano plays simple notes in a familiar tune: "Making your way in the world today, takes everything you got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away?" The music then builds and everybody joins in: "Sometimes you want go, where everybody knows your name. And they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same, You wanna be where everybody knows your name."

This is, of course, the opening jingle for the hugely popular sitcom "Cheers" which ran for 11 season from 1982 to 1993. The show was hugely popular earning some 28 Emmy Awards and a then-record 117 nominations. The show was successfully syndicated world-wide and in 2002 TV Guide name the show 18th on its list of the 50 greatest TV shows of all time.

So what's all the hype? Why is this show about a bunch of regulars at a Boston Bar such a hit? The opening jingle melodically draws one into the show with an almost "Leave It to Beaver," home-cookin' and apple pie tagline. What is it about this show that grabbed America for so many years? Could it be the bucket loads of huge stars that came through the doors like Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, and Kirstie Alley? Was it the amazing acting? Or was it something a little more visceral? Did it grab at something deep down in each of us?

The answer to this came in a most unusual way for me. I recently returned from a grand two-week tour of three states with some of the most breath-taking and picturesque beauty anyone has ever seen. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration. It was actually Eastern Pennsylvania, Western South Dakota, and North Eastern Wyoming...in January! Not exactly to most picturesque time of the year in any of those states! Not to mention the temperatures were in the minus 150 degrees range with light breezes gusting to 50mph! It is what folks in Wyoming call "a bit chilly." I remind you that I hail from this frozen wonderland that is somewhere between the frozen peas and frostbitten Neapolitan ice cream in the deep freeze! But, I digress.

As I was saying before my journey down adjective lane, the answer to the question regarding the draw of Cheers came in an unusual way. I visited my Grandparents on the Krause side of the family first, in Allentown, Pa. My Gramps, now 82, can barely get around because of several hip replacements, knee and back troubles, and a nasty case of congestive heart failure. His aluminum walker now accompanies him everywhere. My first day there he and my dad took me down the street a mile or so to a local diner called the "Top Diner." There was nothing really too remarkable about this place other than its uncanny resemblance to "Mel's Diner," complete with a red-haired waitress with a bee-hive hairdo that I was sure was going to be named "Flo!" Certainly, nothing that I could see gave me a reason for the diner's lofty name: "Top Diner."

We sat down in the moderately clean, overly busy eating establishment and this is when I began to experience what it meant to go to a place "where everybody knows your name...," literally! As we ate our omelets and breakfast potatoes there came one by one past our table the Top Diner's version of Norm and Cliff... From the waitress who called my Gramps "Bunky" to the dozen or so people standing in the isle next to our table waiting to pay who one by one said "How ya doing Bunky?" It seemed as though everyone in the place with the possible exception of the bus boy knew my grandpa like he was their grandfather! Then, as we got up to pay...you guessed it, the bus boy came by and he too was a baptized, card-carrying member of the "Bunky" fan club!

This was not a scene I was used to seeing...ever seeing, at any time in my life! I am used to ordering a fat burger from Applebee’s and being lucky if I can get the people sitting around me to make eye contact much less come by my booth and greet me with a special nick name. Most people who make eye contact with you causes you to wonder if they might later stand up to reveal a short sleeved white dress shirt and tie with a name tag that says: Latter Day Saints: Elder Zedekia. Then the secret came out. No doubt as my dad saw the look of amazement on my face at what I was witnessing. My Gramps has come to this same diner in his neighborhood for 50 or 60 years. Apparently, after 50 years you start counting in decades rather than years. He has outlasted 4 owners and certainly the current decor. The waitress, who I was sure carried the name "Flo," had been there 26 years! Now that was simply amazing to me!

I was literally experiencing firsthand what the cheers jingle made us all believe was possible. I was watching literally everyone who passed by my gramps call him by his nickname "Bunky." A week later I found something almost as amazing when I popped into Rapid City, South Dakota to visit with my grandparents on mom's side, the Wipfs. They are regulars in a restaurant called the "Millstone" and the waitresses and manager greet them by name when they come in and have my grandma's favorite slice of pie ready for her. Amazing!

This phenomenon so captured me that it has been percolating in my spirit since coming home three weeks ago. This "cheers" phenomenon is no mystery really. It is a need that is built into each of us for acceptance and love. We were created to be social and interactive with others. We were born with a deep need for connection and to be fulfilled by closeness with others. This is most clearly seen in marriage relationships. There is a deep sense of longing for companionship that we are "hard-wired" for from the time we were born. The scriptures speak of this very early on when God created Adam and then said: "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Genesis 2:18

Over and over again in the New Testament we find a term that describes this deep need in each of us to be with other people and to love and feel loved. The phrase is "one another." The bible gives gobs of examples of what it means to "one another":

• Wash one another’s feet—John 13:14.
• Love one another—John 13:3; 15:12, 17; Romans 13:8; I Peter 1:22; I John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11.
• In honor preferring one another—Romans 12:10.
• Don’t judge one another—Romans 14:13.
• Receive one another—Romans 15:7.
• Greet one another—I Cor. 16:20, II Cor. 13:12, I Peter 5:14.
• Serve one another—Gal. 5:13.
• Don’t provoke one another or envy one another—Gal. 5:26.
• Bear one another’s burdens—Gal. 6:2.
• Forgive one another—Eph. 4:32, Col. 3:13.
• Teach and admonish one another with song—Col. 3:16.
• Comfort one another—I Thess. 4:18.
• Edify one another—I Thess. 5:11.
• Exhort one another— Heb. 3:13; 10:25.
• Consider one another—Heb. 10:24

Apparently, there are a whole lot of reason to be with others. The world has the deep need for love and acceptance that plays out in all the wrong ways. The deep need for acceptance and love drives people to harmful relationships, dangerous habits, and destructive behavior. Cheers very clearly illustrates the human need for acceptance that we all have inside. Sadly, the Norms and Cliff's of the world will search for a lifetime and never fully find what they're looking for until they settle of Christ. Augustine once said: "Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee." 

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name...Perhaps we should run to the only One who truly knows our name and every detail of our lives. Jesus is the only one who can truly satisfy the deep longing we have inside us. Jesus said the woman at the well: "Whoever drinks this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks the water that I give will never thirst again." John 4:13-14

God's best!

Ryan Krause

Rebuilding the Ruins

Rebuilding the Ruins!

God brings beauty from the ashes of our life

“And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.”

Isaiah 61:4

When our world falls apart around us, how can we experience peace? How do we pick up the pieces when our world seems to have fallen apart? Today I want to probe this all too common question with you; How can we have peace in the storm?

I recently came across a book from a Pastor and his wife and their horrific experience of losing 3 of their 5 children in a catastrophic flood that took place in Rapid City, SD on June 9^th, 1972. The book is entitled “Some through the Flood” by Pastor Ron and Lavonne Masters was published in 1992.

In an interview LaVonne Masters stated: "The thesis is, there is recovery, there is hope after all hope is gone."

The flooding in and around Rapid City on the edge of the rugged Black Hills killed 238 people and injured more than 3,000. It destroyed more than 1,300 dwellings and 5,000 vehicles.

Among the victims were the Masters' three sons: Stephen, 12; Jonathan, 8; and Timothy, 2. Daughters Karen, then 14, and JoAnn, 10, survived.

The night of the flood, water began rising around their house near Rapid Creek and they fled in their four-wheel-drive vehicle. Upstream, Canyon Lake Dam had ruptured.

"The first wall of water caught us," Masters recalled.

The car floated and was caught in cottonwood trees in about 10 feet of water. "Quicker than I can tell it, another wall of water came," Masters said. "In a matter of seconds, the water was up to our necks in this vehicle."

"My oldest boy, Steve, said 'Dad, this is all in God's hands.' That was the last words we ever heard from Steve."

Masters kicked out a side window, squeezed out and reached back inside to pull out his wife.

Next, he grabbed Karen, who was holding 2-year-old Timothy. When she came through the opening, the water tore the baby from her arms and he was swept away.

Before Masters could extract the other three children, another wall of water roared through, submerging the vehicle in the blackness. The Masterses and Karen spent the next five hours or so clinging to the trees.

"If a man never believed in hell, he would believe in it after that night," Masters said. A girl trapped in a nearby tree screamed all night. Lightning provided glimpses of bodies, trees, cars, parts of houses and other debris floating past.

Just before daybreak, the water started to drop. "Suddenly, from beneath our feet, I heard the sound of a voice. I couldn't believe it," Masters said.

JoAnn had survived the night in an air pocket at the back of the vehicle. She said her brothers had shared the air pocket, but Stephen eventually stopped talking and then Jonathan was gone. Masters said he'll never forget the look of terror in his daughter's eyes. "It just pierced your soul."

National Guard troops soon rescued them.

This story has a particularly personal meaning to me. You see, on that fateful day in June, Peggy Lee Wipf was 8 months pregnant with her first child. For some scary moments she was in danger from the horrible waters that night that swept through Rapid City killing nearly 250 people and injuring more than 3000.

Peggy is my mother and in those horrible hours and days following that disaster, she and my dad helped several people with food, water, and a place to stay. My Father was in the Air Force and was part of the teams that were conducting search and rescue, and eventually recovery operations.

This devastating flood claimed the lives of Pastor Ron and LaVonne Masters’ three sons, and, had circumstances been different, could possibly have taken my mother’s life just before I was born. I was born 40 days later on July 20^th, 1972 in the Baken Park Hospital that stood directly in the flood path some 6 weeks previous.

How did Pastor Masters and his wife LaVonne find peace in the storm of devastation? How did they go on to encourage so many in the community and around the nation after such a tragic loss? Had they allowed their dreams to wash down stream with their three precious boys and everything they owned, they may have missed the miracles God was still to perform through their lives.

What happens when the setbacks in our lives seem too catastrophic to recover from like what happened with Pastor Masters and his family or Pastor Greg Laurie and His family, or Kellee and I? What do we do when it seems that everything is done? How do we regain our footing and find the courage to go on?

The setting is Israel nearly 2000 years ago. The situation for the Jew was a nearly impossible and hopeless one of tyranny, corruption, and religious hypocrisy so deep that the common man could not break through. Those who you thought could help looked at you like a second class citizen.

But then, something happens. You begin to hear about a man who does miraculous things all around the nation. You hear stories of the sick, and the blind, and the lame being healed. You hear that this man’s preaching is putting the corrupt religious leaders in their place. You hear that massive crowds are following Him wherever He goes.

You hear that he sits and shows mercy to those who are rejects of society like prostitutes, lepers, and beggars. You see that He even goes to the home of Tax Collectors and changes their lives. He even speaks powerful words to the enemy, the Romans!

There is even talk by some that this man could be the Messiah, the Son of David! He could be the hope of all Israel! The long awaited King! You finally make it to hear Him speak and your heart is amazed at the truth of His words and the power of His teaching. Even the soldiers and leaders of the nation are amazed by the authority with which He speaks.

The whole nation seems to be in an uproar about this man. He is radical and powerful in all He does. Every chance you get you hear Him speak and you follow Him. You even begin to believe that you could give up everything and follow Him. It gets to the point where everything in you longs to be near Him and to take in each word like a breath of air and a drink of cool water.

One day He comes riding into Jerusalem and he is hailed by all as a King! You even find yourself shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” You are now convinced with everything in you that He is the One who will deliver the nation and your family. Finally, the Messiah, the Redeemer and Restorer of Israel is here!

Then, suddenly, it all changes. In one horrible moment, your hopes, your dreams, your whole life seems to stop as you see Him die as a criminal on a cross. How can this be? How can the hope we have all had be dashed to pieces when everything was racing toward a glorious victory? How can it all be dead now? You are shattered. You whole life seems to be devastated.

Now, to make matters worse, his body was now missing from the tomb and there were rumors flying everywhere. This is where we pick up the story on a certain road leading to a town called Emmaus, some 7 miles from Jerusalem.

Read Luke 24:13-36

In the story we see that Cleopas and his companion were so distressed by the recent events that they could not even discern that it was Jesus Himself who was walking with them and who, in fact, by His very presence confirmed the reality of the rumors they were hearing. Their grief became a blindfold to the reality of God’s work in and around them.

We find a similar thing taking place at the tomb when Mary Magdalene, full of grief, does not recognize Jesus as He speaks to her. Her grief was a sort of blindfold and she nearly missed the miracle!

“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).”  John 20:11-16

Many times in our grief we unknowingly take a blind fold and place it over our spiritual eyes to where we can’t see the reality of what God wants to do in our situation. Many times it is because of intense pain or sorrow, or sometime even anger at what has happened to us. Our circumstances are many times so overwhelming that we can’t see the forest through all the trees. We see bark everywhere, but the beauty of the creation of God around us is lost in the mire of our despair.

As we look at our passage in Luke 24 we find a number of truths about how God relates to us in our times of great need and when we find ourselves in a spiritual state of blindness due to our circumstances.

The first things we notice is in verse 15 where it says that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. Jesus knows our pain and our hurt. He knows the confusion that we feel and the questions that we have and it is He who takes the initiative to come to us in our time of great need. He hears our cries and our prayers and He comes as a result of our deep hurt. He knows our hurts and has been there too!

a.  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16

The second thing we find is that He stays close to our pain. Not only did he walk with them but he came to them on the third day, perhaps only hours after His resurrection. He never leaves us alone in our grief but walks with us. He is always near and has given us this promise throughout the Word of God.

b.   “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ^So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

c. “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deut. 31:6

d.   “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.”  Joshua 1:5

e. "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Genesis 28:15

The third thing we find is that in our times of trouble, Jesus takes us back to those altars of remembrance in our lives. You know, all the times He has been faithful and true in our past to remind us that He will continue to be faithful and true in our today and our tomorrow.

f.    He lets Cleopas testify of all that was in his heart and then Jesus explains things in detail from the scriptures. In our times of trouble, we must find that anchor, that foundation that is true and stable to help us gain perspective.

                                                  i.     Hebrews 6:19 says that the hope of Jesus is the Anchor of our souls. It keeps us tethered to that which does not drift.

Lastly, Jesus uses our pain and hurts to reveal His greater purpose and to open our eyes to what He is going to do in our situation. He removes our spiritual blinders if we are willing and allow Him to work in our lives, so the we do not miss the miracle! If we will allow Him, He is more than willing and more than able to bring us through our circumstances to a new glorious future. It will be different, it will be new, but it will be better than we could have ever imagined.

Remember, these two who walked with Jesus were not bystanders. They were two disciples that had been with Jesus and walked with Him in His ministry. They were among those who had not turned back from following Jesus when many other did. These were seasoned, mature, and committed disciples of Jesus and in their grief and confusion they had failed to discern the voice of God Who walked with them for 7 miles!

We can be strong and mature believers and still get derailed by devastating circumstances. We can easily take our eyes off Jesus if we’re not careful. It is imperative that when times are good that we send our roots deep that when the trials of life come we are not blown over and toppled in our faith.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes;   But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.  Jeremiah 17:7-8

Remember, Jesus’ main mission when He came to this earth was rebuilding and restoring the heaping piles of devastation in our lives. When Jesus started His public ministry in the Synagogue in His home town, He quoted from Isaiah 61 which says:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,

    Because the Lord has anointed Me

    To preach good tidings to the poor;

    He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

    To proclaim liberty to the captives,

    And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

²  To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

He leaves off here in the Gospels…but the remaining years of His ministry tell the rest of the story…

    And the day of vengeance of our God;

    To comfort all who mourn,

³  To console those who mourn in Zion,

    To give them beauty for ashes,

    The oil of joy for mourning,

    The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

    That they may be called trees of righteousness,

    The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

⁴  And they shall rebuild the old ruins,

    They shall raise up the former desolations,

    And they shall repair the ruined cities,

    The desolations of many generations."

Jesus came to rebuild the ruins and devastation in our lives. He has taken the old burnt stones from our lives and rebuilt us better than ever!

It is my prayer that today that as you hear the voice of God speaking to your heart that you will not harden your heart, but that you will take warning and push the roots of your faith deep into the soil of God and allow Him to establish you strong and mighty. For there are coming times that are going to be difficult for all of us that call Jesus Lord. We must be ready to endure hard times and to prevail. Allow the Word of God to burn in your heart and yearn for Him more than anything in life. Do not cling to the things of this world but cling to Him.