马太福音

Meditative Reflection
Seeking God's Will

I was talking to someone who is contemplating entering into full-time gospel ministry, and he shared with me that he was told to consult as many people as possible.

I understand that the need to have the confirmation by the faith community if we are truly called of God. But ultimately, the most important deciding factor is not someone else’s opinion, even if it is Billy Graham’s, but God’s own confirmation in our heart.

In fact, the more we try to seek others’ opinions, the more restless and peaceless we will become. It goes again to Isaiah’s powerful reminder to King Hezekiah that,

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says,
‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength' …” (Isa. 30:15)

God does not play games. He is in the business of recruiting workers for His harvest (Matt. 9:38), perhaps, desperately. If He has called a person to enter into full-time gospel ministry, would He not be more eager than ourselves to make sure that we would unmistakably understand His call? Why would He play hide-and-seek with us? When we are unclear of His will, often it is because of our own preferences, self-will, self-centered motives or agenda that cover the sun like clouds. When we spend much time, using prayer and scriptural meditation as a process of submission to repent of all things that are self-centered, we will be able to see the sun as it is.

Meditative Reflection
The Destructive Power of Jealousy

On the face of it, the religious leaders were determined to have Jesus killed, because they thought that by claiming Himself as the Son of God, Jesus had committed blasphemy. Therefore, in their opinion, even though they were under Roman Law, the Law of Moses trumped human law anytime, especially when it came to the blasphemy of God. This, as we know, is exactly the mentality of extreme Muslims when they consider that their prophet Mohammed is being blasphemed. They have no problem in taking their Sharia Law into their own hands.

However, the Bible repeatedly points out that those who persecuted Jesus and His followers did so out of envy (Matt. 27:18; Acts 5:17; 13:45)

Indeed, they might have begun their attack on Jesus and His followers based on their zeal for the Law and perhaps, even for God. But when confronted with undisputed miraculous healings and signs, the impeccable life and the powerful preaching of Christ, if their hearts were in the right place, they had to take a second look at their own position. And when the temple’s curtain was torn, coupled with earthquake and resurrection of some of the dead, they had to wonder if they had acted correctly, not to mention having received first-hand report from the guards about seeing an angel roll away the stone from the tomb of Jesus. Yet, they continued to be bent on their erring way. Why? They allowed their jealousy to take over not only their reasoning, but their conscience. The power of jealousy is indeed powerfully destructive. And I have seen it play over and over again in church politics.

Whether it is about the appointment of a new pastor, the renovation or relocation of the church, or amendments to the church constitution or bylaws, what begins as sensible disagreements often degenerates into irrational attacks, sadly often disguised in spiritual language or even in Biblical quotations. In many church fights that I have witnessed or have been asked to intervene, jealousy and “face” often are the underlying real problems. If we are guilty of such, may God be gracious and allow us to humble ourselves before we become the true blasphemers, and if we are at the receiving end of the destructive power of jealousy, may we follow Christ’s example of gentleness. Even though He could have asked the Father to send 12 legions of angels to deliver Him, He would rather remain silent and await vindication according to the Father’s way and the Father’s timetable.

Meditative Reflection
Death by Crucifixion

There was no more terrible death than death by crucifixion. Even the Romans themselves regarded it with a shudder of horror. Cicero declared that it was “the most cruel and horrifying death. Tacitus said that it was a despicable death. It was originally a Persian method of execution. It may have been used because, to the Persians, the earth was sacred, and they wished to avoid defiling it with the body of an evil-doer. So they nailed him to a cross and left him to die there, looking to the vultures and the carrion crows to complete the work. The Carthaginians took over crucifixion from the Persians; and the Romans learned it from the Carthaginians.

Crucifixion was never used as a method of execution in the homeland, but only in the provinces, and there only in the case of slaves. It was unthinkable that a Roman citizen should die such a death. Cicero says: “It is a crime for a Roman citizen to be bound; it is a worse crime for him to be beaten; it is well nigh parricide for him to be killed; what am I to say if he be killed on a cross? A nefarious action such as that is incapable of description by any word, for there is none fit to describe it.” It was that death, the most dreaded in the ancient world, the death of slaves and criminals that Jesus died.

The routine of crucifixion was always the same. When the case had been heard and the criminal condemned, the judge uttered the fateful sentence: “Ibis ad crucem,” “You will go to the cross.” The verdict was carried out there and then. The condemned man was placed in the centre of a quaternion, a company of four Roman soldiers. His own cross was placed upon his shoulders. Scourging always preceded crucifixion and it is to be remembered how terrible scourging was. Often the criminal had to be lashed and goaded along the road, to keep him on his feet, as he staggered to the place of crucifixion. Before him walked an officer with a placard on which was written the crime for which he was to die and he was led through as many streets as possible on the way to execution. There was a double reason for that. There was the grim reason that as many as possible should see and take warning from his fate. But there was a merciful reason. The placard was carried before the condemned man and the long route was chosen, so that if anyone could still bear witness in his favor, he might come forward and do so. In such a case, the procession was halted and the case retried.

William Barclay

Meditative Reflection
And Can It Be?

As we have been reflecting on the suffering of our Lord, I invite you today to reflect richly on the lyrics of this marvelous hymn by Charles Wesley:

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.

’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:

’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.

I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,

Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Charles Wesley 1707-1788

Meditative Reflection
Conversion of the Most Unlikely

In reading some of the more reliable historical materials on the Roman soldiers who happened to be stationed in the Jerusalem vicinity, I have come to understand that these soldiers were of German descent.

I am just curious about the world-wide impact of the crucifixion, even in Jesus’ time. It would have been viewed as an entirely Jewish internal affair, religious squabbles that highlighted the fanaticism of the prevailing leaders of Judaism (no different from what we have seen in today’s Islamic world). This much is what would have been noted by the Roman world, if not for the presence and the conversion of these Roman soldiers, presumably not of the centurion alone, according to Matthew.

One does not need to read up on what traditions might have to say (or speculate) on these Germans. Since they had become believers, and when they were relocated back home or to other colonies of the Roman Empire, they would lend credence to the gospel which eventually spread to the whole empire. After all, they were first-hand witnesses.

Hard-core, ruthless bullies could even be used by the Lord. But isn’t this always the way of the Lord? Some years later, a ruthless Saul with blood-stained hands would become the most important apostle who was responsible for bringing the gospel all the way to citadels of the Roman Empire.

Meditative Reflection
The Events on Easter Morning

Perhaps, it is helpful to set out the order of events on Easter morning, combining the accounts of the four Gospels:

• ·In the early morning, the women went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body. (Mk. 16:2-3, Lk. 24:1)
• The three women were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James) and Salome, followed by other women. (Mk. 16:1 and Lk. 24:10)
• The three women found the stone had been removed by an angel (Matt. 28:2).
• Mary Magdalene hurried to tell Peter and John, who ran toward the tomb. (Jn. 20:2-4)
• Then, Mary (the mother of James), Salome and then the other women arrived at the tomb, entered it and saw angels who assured them Jesus had risen. They ran in joy and fear back to inform the disciples (Matt. 28:8)
• Peter and John arrived and saw the empty tomb without understanding and left (Jn. 20:4-10)
• Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb (outrun by Peter and John) and stood there weeping, and Jesus revealed Himself to her (Jn. 20:11-18).
• As the other women returned to tell the disciples, Jesus appeared to them (Matt. 28:9-10).

It is quite obvious that while the disciples had to continue to fret and wonder for a bit more time, all the women saw Jesus that resurrection morning. I believe the Lord delights in rewarding the simple of faith, and especially those who love Him.

Meditative Reflection
I Am with You Always

It is most puzzling to read that after His resurrection and showing Himself to the disciples, there still could be doubters among them. These facts, at least, are beyond doubt:

• That Jesus had died
• That Jesus had come back to life, just as He said
• And this life is no more a physical life, but one of the Spirit.

In order words, Jesus has proved who He claims He is ― the Son of God and the Messiah.

As some of the disciples still had doubts, Jesus gave them the Great Commission, beginning with the words that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”, ending with “And surely as I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

With these reassuring words, it appears that those who doubted worried about

1. How they could carry on Jesus’ mission by themselves: They understood that Jesus would not be physically present with them as before. They could no longer present Jesus to the people and have Him solve all their problems and face all their challenges as before. They doubt if they would carry on the work of Jesus; and
2. How they might be able to follow Him from then on: Following Jesus was tough before, but at least it meant wherever He went, they went; wherever He slept, they slept; whenever He stopped they stopped, and whenever He moved, they moved. But now, Jesus would disappear from them and be taken up to heaven, how then could they follow Him?

These were basically very practical questions and I will not blame their doubts for a moment. Even for those who did not doubt at the time, it would take quite some time, as they obeyed and returned to Jerusalem, to find out and experience the truth that all authority in heaven and on earth has indeed been given to the Lord. The invoking of His name in driving out demons and baptizing people with the Holy Spirit were powerful experiences that would permit them to come to greater confidence in Christ. And the continuous communion with the Lord through prayers and waiting, especially in times of suffering, would further enable them to experience the reality of Christ’s ever presence in their lives.