Bible Devotion

Day 1

Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 6:16–24

1. Of almsgiving, prayer and fasting, which one tends to be the one which Christians use to gauge their own spirituality? Why?

2. Since Jesus includes fasting in His warning to us against using it as an “act of righteousness” (6:1). What then should their attitude concerning fasting be according to Jesus?

3. Pagans also practice fasting. How should ours be different from theirs?

4. Jesus’ teaching of not storing up treasures on earth is a familiar one:
a. How would you define “store up”?

b. Are you then storing up treasures on earth?

c. What is meant by “where your treasure is, there your heart will be”?

d. According to your definition, where then is your heart these days?

5. According to Jesus, what leads to “great” darkness? Why? (Note: Jesus does not say, “the light within you becomes darkness”, but “is darkness”. What does that mean?)

6. How would you define “master”? What might be the signs that something or someone has become your master?

7. Using the signs you have come up with, is God or Money your master?

8. What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?


Meditative Reflection
Fasting

In the last few decades, fasting as a form of spiritual discipline seems to be in vogue among evangelical Christians again, perhaps rightfully so.

It was practiced by the people of God in the Old Testament (1 Sam. 7:6; Jer. 36:9; 1 Ki. 21:9, 12, 27; 2 Sam. 12:16), even after their exile (Est. 4:1-3,15-17; Neh. 1:4; Dan. 9:3) and was in fact mandated as part of the Law of Moses (Lev. 16:29, 31; 23:27, 32; Num. 29:7). The New Testament believers, including the Apostles continued to practice it as part of their church life (Acts 13:2,3; 14:23).

And yet, Jesus chooses to warn us against practicing it as an “act of righteousness”, whether to impress God, ourselves or others.

I think most Christians would not practice fasting to impress others. But to safeguard against this pitfall, Jesus commands us not to show others any sign of our fasting (let alone telling people that we fast).

But the danger of impressing ourselves does exist. I have come across many Christians who practice fasting as if they would not be quite complete without it, but with it, they would be closer to God.

And the danger of impressing God also is real, in that, we may think that we are able to twist God’s arm into submission to our agenda, our will or our desire.

As we carefully consider all the examples and teachings given in the Bible, the overwhelming focus on fasting is repentance. Indeed, the abstinence from food or drink and from our work or routine is purely an expression of our genuine sorrow over sin.

The Chinese Bible beautifully translates “fasting” on the Day of Atonement as a “bitter denial of one’s heart”. Such is the essence of fasting according to most of the examples and teachings in the Scripture concerning this practice.

While the rest of the passages about fasting, like those in the Book of Esther, Nehemiah and Daniel, do include a desire for divine intervention or wisdom, they are still grounded in sorrow and repentance.

Indeed, regular fasting from food or drink or any of our routines that would be a distraction from a time focused on God is very helpful in drawing us close to God, but we should never use a work mentality that by fasting, we can somehow twist God’s arm into loving us or accepting us more, let alone answering our prayers.

We do not have anything to offer God, except “a broken and contrite heart.” (Ps. 51:17)

Day 2

Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 6:25–34

1. What is “life”, physical, emotional and spiritual, to you?

2. What aspect of life was Jesus addressing?

3. How would you define “worry”?

4. What does the example of the birds illustrate? Does it mean that we don’t have to labor and plan ahead?

5. If we have food, drink and clothes, does it mean that you will be free from worries? Why or why not?

6. What does the example of lilies illustrate? What do the birds and the lilies have in common?

7. Why did God make us different from birds and lilies? How different are we?

8. Who are the pagans and what are their characteristics?

9. How should we be different from them?
a. What is meant by “to seek”?

b. In 6:33, what is first and why? What is second?

c. What is meant by seeking His Kingdom?

d. What is meant by seeking His righteousness?

e. How do we know that we are “seeking” something? Do you know or really trust that “these things” will be “added” unto you? If so, why are you still seeking them?
10. Will tomorrow worry about itself? Really? How? Why?

11. Can I worry about today then?

12. How then should you face tomorrow then — family, relationship, career, school or anything that might bring you anxiety, unease, trouble, agitation or a lack of peace?

13. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Meditative Reflection
Serving Two Masters

In my secular career, I worked for a few family businesses. The benefits of working for a family business included a much cozier working environment, with less of a bureaucratic structure in decision making and more of a relational approach to line and functional management. I found it more comfortable in such an environment as a Christian. However, it also had its pitfalls and the most important of them was having to answer to more than one boss unofficially.

Officially, I reported to the chairman of the company who was the father of the family, but unofficially I had to answer to the other members of the family, who often had competing interests. In one such company, as much as I enjoyed my work very much and the complete trust of the chairman, I had no choice but to resign, because it is true that, “No one can serve two masters (or more).”

However, as much as I have had this first-hand experience, I have found myself very comfortable in serving two masters in my personal life.

I am familiar with the teaching of 1 John 2:15, “do not love the world…If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Since my conversion in my late teen-years, I learned to memorize this verse. But as I reflect on my secular career, as successful as it was for the most part and one in which I invariably gained the trust of my boss, I, imperceptibly, had engaged in the rat race, just like many others in the corporate world.

Yes, I joined short-term missions, I sought to share the gospel at work and even led Bible study in my office, and I served actively in the church. While I might even be able to maintain a good reputation as a good Christian at work, deep down, I admired, I pursued and I sought after fame, fortune and power. The only difference was that I was able to hide it quite well in the eyes of my colleagues, but not in the eyes of my Lord.

Indeed, “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.” (Matt. 6:23)

All along, I “saw” myself as a good Christian, but what I saw was, in fact, darkness, that is, false light. How great had that darkness been!

It was not until I learned to set aside time for regular prolonged self-reflection and examination (in addition to my daily rush-devotion time), that I came to see my folly. As a result, when I was invited to speak at my son’s wedding (he is an accountant married to another accountant, just as I am), I said to him, “Do not follow my footsteps to a tee.”

I was referring to how I tried to gain the world and the Lord at the same time.

Day 3

Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 7:1–12

To Judge or not to Judge:
1. What is the definition of judging, and how is it different from forming an opinion?

2. Jesus is obviously using an exaggerated analogy. Why would He choose to use such an exaggeration? What is His point?

3. What is the definition of a hypocrite?

4. Jesus does not appear to stop us totally from judging; we may only so long as we remove our “plank” first. What if we really look at ourselves and remove our “plank” first; what would it do to our “judging” of our brothers?

The Warning:
1. Who are the dogs and pigs (v.6)? (See Prov. 26:11 and 11:22.)  What does Jesus mean here?

2. In Jesus’ case, who trampled the sacred and ended up tearing Him to pieces?

Seek and It will be Given:
1. Consider these similar sayings.
a. “What you do not want done to you, do not do it to others.” (Confucius)

b. “What is hateful to yourself, do to no other.” (Rabbi Hillel)

c. “What thou thyself hatest, to no man do.” (Tobit 4:16)
How does what Jesus say in v. 12 differ from the above?

2. V. 12 is linked to the preceding verses on prayer by the word, “therefore”. How does it sum up the Law and the Prophets? How is it tied to our attitude of prayer and the fact that we are “evil”?

[If you have time, you may wish to consider the following as well:
•    What will happen to us, if we are serious in obeying this “sum”?
•    How can we do this?
•    Look up Mark 12:29-31 and Luke 10:27. What aspect of the Law and Prophets is being emphasized? The negative or the positive?
•    Therefore, the Law, if rightly understood is about “relationship”. Do you agree?]
3. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?


Meditative Reflection
The Sum of the Law

In today’s scriptural reflection, I ask about the main difference of Jesus’ teaching —“So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…” (Matt. 7:12) from the following:
1. “What you do not want done to you, do not do it to others?” (Confucius)

2. “What is hateful to yourself, do to no other.” (Rabbi Hillel )

3. “What thou thyself hatest, to no man do.” (Tobit 4:16)
It is obvious that these proverbs focus on the negative, while that of Jesus focuses on the positive.

But the difference goes much deeper. In the latter sayings, one seeks to avoid doing things that are wrong, and to do the things that are right (for us). Doing right is at the center of the decision and so we ourselves are still central in the decision. But Jesus teaches us to make others the center of our decision, and “others” include those who might have made us their enemies (as mentioned in Matt. 5:44 earlier).

But the sum of the Law and Prophets is that of love.

The Jews of Jesus’ time, especially their teachers, approached the Law and Prophets based on observance, making their religious life a set of “dos and don’ts”.

But Jesus is saying that if we truly love God and love people, then, essentially, our actions will more than meet the letter of the Law, and the very heart of our Heavenly Father also.

This is why I am very leery of the church trying to set up too many “dos and don’ts”, instead of teaching the people to love God and their neighbors whole-heartedly. It is perhaps also a reflection of how we approach the raising of our children at home. We take pride in their obedience, their academic excellence and their career achievements, as if somehow it would lessen the pain of knowing that they do not really put God first in their life.

Day 4

Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 7:13–29

Matthew concludes the recording of the Sermon on the Mount with a series of analogies based on contrast:
  • narrow versus wide gates/roads
  • good and bad trees
  • good and bad foundations
1. What are the two kinds of people being contrasted by the above?

2. The two kinds of gates/roads:
a. Why does Jesus use gates and roads to describe the fate of the two kinds of people?

b. What does the use of size point to?

c. What does this message mean to you?
3. The two kinds of trees (teachers):
a. From the description of v. 22, can you tell what do not constitute fruits?

b. What then are the fruits that Jesus is talking about based on v. 21?
4. The two kinds of foundations (presumably as a conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount)
a. Try to highlight all the words and phrases repeated here, and also, the words and phrases that denote contrast.

b. What do they tell you about life?

c. “Everyone who hears these words of mine”. Sum up the essence of what they have heard about:
  1. The beatitudes and being salt and light
  2. The error of outward observance of the law and being perfect as the Father
  3. The futility of outward “acts of righteousness
  4. Who their Master is — Money or God.  Is it expressed in their focus of life by worry or seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness? How?
  5. Relationship with others — no judging
  6. Relationship with God — trust as our Heavenly Father
  7. The two ways of life, the two kinds of teachers, and now the two kinds of believers.
Now Jesus urges them to put into practice what they have heard. Could they? Can you?

Can you sum up the Sermon on the Mount in one sentence?

5. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Meditative Reflection
Lord, Lord!

“Man of Vision” is a book about the founder of World Vision, Bob Pierce. He was obviously a very successful and influential man. He obviously preached in the name of Jesus. He might not have driven out demons, but he certainly performed things that very few could match — the setting up of World Vision that has greatly impacted the lives of many in the Third World, especially children in abject poverty.

But in the book I just mentioned, his daughter honestly tells of how he could not get along with other people in leadership, how he ignored his family and contributed to the suicide of one of his daughters. While he might have helped millions of families, he ruined his own. It was by the extreme mercy of God that he was able to reconcile somewhat with his family before his death.

Bob Pearce’s life is a warning to us, especially those in Christian leadership. Jesus is not looking at the fruit of our lavish claim about Him, our effective preaching and teaching ministry, our great sacrifice for Him nor any achievements recognized by the world. He only looks at our relationship with Him, if we are obedient to Him and His will. That is the only fruit He looks at.

Day 5

Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 8:1–13

The healing of the leper:
1. How did the leper come to Jesus?

2. What did he ask for?

3. What might it say about him as a person, physically (health, possession, work etc.), emotionally (relationally-family, friends, dignity, companionship etc.) and spiritually (attitude toward God)?

4. How did Jesus heal him? Were there any other ways that He could have healed him? Why did He choose this particular method?

5. What might be the significance of asking the healed leper to follow the practice of the law?

The healing of the centurion’s servant:
1. What are the differences between the healing of the leper from this healing of the centurion’s servant in terms of
a. Who made the request?

b. Why they made the request?

c. How they made their request?
In what way(s) can you see the greatness of the faith of the centurion?

What truth did Jesus choose to expound on using this occasion? How significant was it to the large crowds (of Jews) that would have heard His words?

2.  What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?


Meditative Reflection
Does Jesus Care?

Today, I invite you to reflect on the lyric of this old hymn:
Refrain
Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?
(Source: hymnalaccompanist.com)
History of author, Frank Graeff (1860-1919):

Is God really present and concerned during my times of hurt?  Does He care when the burdens weigh heavily on my every thought and activity?  Does He care when I can no longer endure some strong testing?  Does He care when I must say a final farewell to my dearest loved one on earth?

These questions and doubts are common to nearly all of God’s children at some time or other in life, just as they were to the author of this text, Frank E. Graeff.  Mr. Graeff was a minister in the Methodist denomination and served some of its leading churches in the Philadelphia Conference.  Throughout the district, he was known as the “sunshine minister.”  C. Austin Miles, author of the popular hymn, “In the Garden", paid this tribute to Frank Graeff:

He is a spiritual optimist, a great friend of children; his bright sun-shining disposition attracts him not only to children, but to all with whom he comes in contact.  He has a holy magnetism and a child-like faith.

In spite of his outwardly-cheery disposition and winsome personality, Graeff was often called upon to go through severe testing experiences in his life.  It was while passing through such a test and experiencing severe despondency, doubt and physical agony, that Mr. Graeff wrote this text.  He turned to the Scriptures for solace and strength.  1 Peter 5:7 became especially meaningful to him during this particular struggle:
Casting all your care upon Him;
for He careth for you.”
The phrase, “He careth for you,” spoke deeply to his need and eventually became the basis for this text.

To experience times of question and even doubt regarding the nearness of God, as Frank Graeff did in the verses of this hymn, is only human and normal.  It is only as a believer comes through such a struggle, however, with the firm conviction as Mr. Graeff did in the chorus of this hymn, “O yes He cares, I know He cares,” that a child of God can be truly victorious.

Day 6

Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 8:14–22

1. What has Peter given up in following Jesus (see 19:27)?

2. What impact might it have on his family, including his mother-in-law?

3. What did she do after being healed? What might this fever and its healing mean to Peter’s family, especially his mother-in-law?

4. Again, Matthew seized the opportunity to affirm Who Jesus is by how He fulfilled OT prophecy. Which prophecy did he choose and how might it help you to understand this prophecy from Isaiah 53:4?

5. But why did He choose to leave them in v. 18?

6. If you had been following Jesus, had heard His preaching (in which He claims God as His Father, that He Himself is “righteousness”, and that His Word is to be obeyed the same as the Law and Prophets), and had seen what He did (driving out demons with a word, and healing all who were sick instantly), what might motivate you to follow Him? What would "following Him" mean?

7. Given the positive reactions of some, shouldn’t Jesus be overjoyed? What was He trying to point out about following Him with the following?
a. Comparing Himself to the foxes and birds
  1. What is the meaning of “wherever you go”? (v.19)
  2. What should His disciples be prepared for?
b. Describing the burying party as the dead
  1. Was He not being too harsh?
  2. What did He want this would-be follower to understand?
8. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Meditative Reflection
Following Christ

Sometimes I wonder why Jesus would make rather harsh statements to those who wished to follow Him, as if to deter them from following.

But as some of those who tried to follow were put off by His words and really “turned back and no longer followed Him” (Jn. 6:66), He would be greatly saddened.

It is obvious that He really wants us to follow Him, but if anyone comes to Him “and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life —“ he cannot be His disciple. (Lk. 14:26) The key word is “cannot”, not "better not" or "should not", but "cannot" — the Greek word (δύναμαι) is for dynamo — not having the power to follow through!

I have not found one place in the gospel that Jesus calls anyone to follow Him for their own sake. Each one of us is called to follow Him for the sake of the furtherance of His Kingdom.

What good is a nominal disciple who is of no use to the furtherance of His Kingdom (that is the meaning of being salt without taste in Lk. 14:34)?

A young man recently told me that he would like to believe in Jesus and I asked him why. He told me that he had prayed to get a good result from his latest test with the promise that he would be a Christian if God answered his prayer.

He got an “A” from his test and so he wished to become a Christian as promised. As I explained to him that faith in Christ is not purely intellectual faith nor it is about getting a temporal benefit, be it health, wealth or a grade, but total trust in His saving work on the Cross and the commitment to follow Him at all costs. And I asked him if he still would consider being a Christian. To this he hesitated, which was good. This is what Jesus desires us to do — to count the cost of following.

I am glad to share that this young man, though hesitant at first, did eventually decide to put his total trust in Christ and to follow Him.

Day 7

Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 8:23–34

Authority over nature:
1. What did the disciples witness so far? Whom did they believe Jesus to be at this point?

2. Why then were they surprised by Jesus? How different would His authority over the winds and waves be from that over demons and sickness?

3. If you were one of the disciples, and saw that Jesus remained asleep during the storm, would you really react differently?

4. In a way, Jesus was demonstrating what might be part of following Him. What might it be?

Authority over demons:
As we have already considered, the land of Galilee was inhabited by both Jews and Gentiles. This explains why pigs were raised.

1. What is life like under demon-possession as depicted by Matthew?

2. How did the demons address Jesus? How did demons understand their eventual fate? Were they not doing Jesus a favor?

3. As they witnessed such an undeniable miracle and heard about who Jesus is, why would the people “plead” for His departure?

4. How does their action reflect the attitude of the world in general, even today?

5. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?


Meditative Reflection
Miracles

I think you would have heard skeptics of the gospel say that if they see God with their own eyes, they would believe in Him.

Of course, our natural and logical response is that if they can see God, they do not have to “believe” Him. Faith, by definition is to be “certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1), not to mention that, because of our sins, as God puts it, “No one may see me and live.” (Exod. 33:20)

That does not mean that God would not give us enough evidence for us to believe in Him, as Paul eloquently puts it, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities — His eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20)

But God has not stopped at what we call, general revelation. He, through His Son’s incarnation, has made Himself known to us. The Gospel of John is also called the Book of Signs, in that, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John carefully crafts his gospel to tell of the signs (i.e. miracles) performed by Jesus. His purpose is that we “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, (we) may have life in His name.” (Jn. 20:31)

You may wonder why, we in the intellectual world, no longer witness similar miracles as recorded in the Gospels. I believe, for one, we now have the privilege of the written Word of God in languages that we can understand. If we do not believe in God’s comprehensive witness through His written word, even if we see miracles every day, like the resurrection of the dead (Lk. 16:31), we will still reject God.

But on the other hand, we do see miracles everyday — the rising and setting of the sun, the birth of a baby, and most of all the regeneration of a sinner who repents to God.

They all witness to us the eternal power and divine nature of our Creator God.