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Tell God Your Blasphemous Thoughts

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A reader recently sent in the following question about blasphemous thoughts and the unforgivable sin.

I got your book on the unforgivable sin. What advice can you give for those who suffer with blasphemous thoughts? I have not said anything but they are still upsetting. I am going through a lot of stress right now. I have been having this issue about 2 years now. Any advice is appreciated. I was told just not to accept them (or cry-which I have done). God bless you.

I am glad you got the book. There is so much more I could have said about the unforgivable sin in that little book. This is one of the questions I should have dealt with in more detail.

What is a Blasphemous Thought?

First off, I am not sure what you might consider a “blasphemous thought.” As I have had hundreds of personal and online conversations about the unforgivable sin over the years, I find that lots of people have some sort of idea about what constitutes blasphemous thoughts or actions, but which are not really blasphemous at all. The reason most people have these ideas is because they heard a sermon, read a book, or had a pastor tell them that certain actions or thoughts were blasphemous. But when we really look at the what blasphemy is, ย we find that most of these sermons, books, and pastors were simply misinformed or were trying to control other people to act or behave a certain way.

So, to take an extreme case as an example… I have sometimes talked with people who say that they were told that it was blasphemy to question something their pastor taught. They were told that the pastor is “the Lord’s anointed.” Often the pastor will quote Psalm 105:15 as a way of showing that to touch, harm, or question “the Lord’s anointed” is some sort of affront to God. Therefore, to question or challenge the pastor is considered to be some sort of blasphemous challenge to God Himself.

This is an extreme example, to be sure, but it does happen (more than we realize!). But a moment’s reflection reveals that in these cases, the pastor is usually just trying to control people to conform to his own desires, wishes, and commands.

However, I would say that easily 95% of the teaching out there about the “sin of blasphemy” falls into this same category. Usually, what is being taught as blasphemous is not blasphemous at all! Sure, those certain behaviors or actions might be sinful, but there is a vast ocean of difference between sinful thoughts or actions and blasphemous thoughts or actions.

But here’s the thing… I am just going to go out on a limb and guess at what blasphemous thoughts you might be having. Though there is a whole variety of things that people think qualify as blasphemous thoughts or actions, in my experience, there is one main thing that people think is a blasphemous thought.

And it is this… when most people think they have thought or said something blasphemous, it is because they thought or said these words:

F*** you, God! I hate you!

Probably there is not much worse that could be said toward God, and I hesitate even putting such a thing on this blog. If anything qualifies as a blasphemous thought, this is probably it. (Though even here, nowhere does the Bible say that such a statement is blasphemous. In Matthew 12:31-32, when Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being close to committing the unforgivable sin, this is not what the Pharisees were saying, and is not even close to anything they ever would have said…)

So the statement above is not a blasphemous thought, but is still pretty bad, but I wrote it out for a purpose.

If you are saying or thinking these sorts of things toward God, there are two things God wants to say to you in return.

God Wants You to Know He Loves You

The first thing God wants to say to you is this:

Oh yeah? So you hate me, huh? Well guess what?

I love you.

Yeah, that’s right.

I. Love. You.

No matter what, I love you.

No matter what you say or do, no matter what you think, no matter how hurtful your words or thoughts, I will love you forever. My love for you will never change, will never diminish, will never fade away.

Say what you will. Do what you will. I forgive you for all of it, because I love you.

love of GodHow do we know God says this to us, no matter what we say to Him?

Because the Bible tells us over and over that He loves us no matter what. While we were yet sinners, God sent His Son Jesus to die for us (John 3:16; Rom 5:8). Love is the essence of who God is (1 John 4:8). Before you were ever born, God knew every sin you would ever commit, every word you would ever say, and all “blasphemous thoughts” you would ever say or think. And He sent Jesus to die for you anyway! Why? Because He loves you!

More than anything else, God wants to let you know that He loves you and will always love you.

The God you Hate… God Hates Too

But the second thing God would want to say to you in response for any angry or hateful thought you might have about Him is this:

Hey, I understand. In fact, the god you claim to hate is the god I hate too.

The only reason you are having those thoughts or thinking those words is because you thought I was a certain type of god, and I have not turned out to be that way. Your life is going in directions you didn’t think it would go, horrible things have happened to you in life, and you think I did these things to you. Someone told you some wrong things about me. Someone told you that I caused those bad things to happen to you. This is not true.

If I had done those horrible things to you, you would have every right to resent and hate me.

But I didn’t send this pain, tragedy, hardship, or evil into your life. I would never do that.

Remember what I told you before? I love you!

I might discipline you out of love, but when I do, I will make it clear to you what I am doing, and why.

All those evil things that happen to you are only because the world is full of sin, and the enemy is out to steal, kill, and destroy. I never steal, kill, or destroy.

Bad things happen in this world, and I am so sorry you have to experience them.

When these bad things happen, my role, my job, my task, is to do what I can to love you through them, to be with you in the pain, to suffer alongside you. This is one reason I sent Jesus. It is also why I sent the Holy Spirit.

I am not a god who sends suffering into your life; I am the God who suffers with you in life.

I am not a god who sends pain so you cry; I am a God who cries with you in your pain.

And regarding what you thought before… you know, those words you said in your head. Thank you for saying them.

Really.

Many people either try to deny the painful experiences they are facing, or they clam up about their pain and refuse to talk to me about it. But not you. You are honest about your pain and are willing to talk to me about it.

Even though your words are hurtful, they show that you continue to want to talk to me and have a relationship with me. Most people just give me the silent treatment. But you haven’t done that. You continue to want to talk. I want that too.

Telling me you hate me isn’t blasphemy; it’s honesty. It is how you feel. And I am glad you came to me in your pain.

So let me begin by showing you who I really am…

I am not sure if this exactly answers the question that was sent in to me, but in my years of experience as a pastor, author, and blogger, I have found that most people who have fears about blasphemous thoughts and blasphemous words, usually have one of two things going on in their life (and often both). People who think they have committed the unforgivable sin usually have a religious leader who is trying to control them, or warped and dangerous ideas about who God is and what God is like.

Once we can see that God is not like the angry, fire-hurling deity that is often taught in some churches and by some pastors, but instead looks remarkably like Jesus who loved, accepted, and forgave everybody, it is then that we begin to see how much God loves us, and that no matter what we say or do, His love for us will never change, never waver, never diminish.

It is not a blasphemous thought to think that you hate God.

If you think you hate God, go talk to Him about what you are feeling, and why you feel that way.

He loves to have these open and honest conversations with us about who He truly is and how much He truly loves us… no matter what.

Only once we see the love of God, will the thoughts of anger and resentment toward God begin to disappear. So if you are having blasphemous thoughts or ideas toward God, don’t feel bad about them or fear that such thoughts will make God stop loving you. Instead, take those thoughts to God, and say, “God? Do you see what think about you?” Then sit and listen to see what God says in return.

The last thing God wants is for us to shut ourselves off from Him. So if we are having blasphemous thoughts toward God, the best thing we can do is talk to God about them, so that He can show us how much He loves us, and how the God we think we hate is not actually the God He truly is.

Should Pastors Get Paid to Preach the Gospel?

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preach the gospel for moneyIn years past I have written about what the Bible says about getting paid to pastor, and especially getting paid to preach the gospel (Look on this page, under the “Pastoral Pay” section). Recently, a reader sent in the following question:

I need help responding when someone quotes 1 Corinthians 9:14. Especially when they use the ESV & NKJV.

“In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.”

Specifically, that getting one’s living from the gospel is a “commanded” practice.

I understand that it is also translated “directed,” however, once “commanded” is interjected into the debate, it’s tough to respond.

My thoughts are: If “commanded” is the correct translation, then did Paul blatantly disobey the Lord’s command? And why would Paul say he would rather “die” than to even give the perception that he materially benefited from preaching?

Any thoughts on the issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Neil

I must admit that although I have finished a rough draft of a commentary on 1 Corinthians, I have never before considered this question Neil brought up. By one way of reading 1 Corinthians 9:14, Paul does appear to be saying that Jesus commanded that certain people should get paid to preach the gospel.

There are multiple ways of explaining and understanding this text, and I will present a few below, but would love for you opinion as well on what 1 Corinthians 9:14 means when Paul says that the Lord commanded that those who preach their gospel should get their living by the gospel.

Maybe the Command is not for the Preacher but for the Hearer

When Neil initially sent this question in to me, I responded this way:

First, I did some quick study of the Greek in the text, and decided that the various translations are fine. Though there are some verses in various translations that are horrid, this is not one of them.

So I then decided that maybe theย command was not primarily for the one preaching the gospel, but for those who were receiving the benefit from the teacher. That is, the command is for the hearers. They were expected to provide for the one doing the teaching. If the one doing the teacher turned down the aid, that was fine, as Paul did. In the context, he says that although it was his right to receive financial help from the Corinthians believers, he turned it down so as not to hinder the gospel (1 Cor 9:12).

This is the answer I sent to Neil, and while I think there is truth to this idea (that the responsibility is on the hearer to offer support rather than on the teacher to demand it), I do not think that this is what Paul is saying. It does not seem that we can get my interpretation to fit the text. Note that the command is clearly to the one preaching the gospel,ย notย to the ones hearing it. Although… the context is directed toward the hearers, so maybe my take is somewhat justified…

So what other options are there?

The Command is for Apostles who Preach the Gospel

preach for moneyNeil forwarded me an email that he got back from Alan Knox,ย who gave a much better (and more thorough) answer than I did. His answer actually considers the context and where Jesus might have given the command that Paul is referring to.

Hopefully Alan does not mind if I include here what he wrote…

My suggestion would be to consider the context… who is Paul writing about? As I see it, there are two options:

1) Paul is referring to anyone who “proclaims the gospel.” Of course, that would mean that he was referring to every believer who ever shares the gospel, and that all of them “should get their living by the gospel.”

or

2) Paul is referring to a specific group who “proclaim the gospel.” But which group. Again, I see two options: A) Paul specifies the group in the context of this passage, or B) We can choose the group. The B) option is not very palatable to me, which only leaves A). And, the first part of 1 Corinthians 9 tells us that Paul is talking about people who travel to proclaim the gospel, i.e., apostles.

So, by focusing on the “who,” you don’t even have to worry as much about what “commanded” means or what “should get their living by the gospel” means.

By the way, I think that Paul is talking about receiving hospitality, which Jesus “commanded” to apostles in Matthew 10 and Luke 10. So, the “command” was not to people giving the support, but to people receiving the support (that is, hospitality).

Neil followed up with some further comments of his own on how Paul reacted to that “commandment” in the second half of 1 Corinthians 9.

Reading only the first half of 1 Corinthians 9, it could be argued that Paul taught and endorsed that pastors have a right to receive a salary. But that would be taking Paul completely out of context on this issue. In reading the entire chapter in context, Paul went much further, by word and deed, as an example to clearly demonstrate that he believed one’s personal right to compensation for preaching the gospel ends where the gospel of Christ begins. Specifically, Paul explained in the second half of the chapter that exercising that right would not only “hinder” the gospel, but also be a financial “burden” on the Church.

So examining Paul’s words and actions on the issue in full context, it’s obvious that Paul wanted no part of anything, including the exercising of one’s personal rights that could possibly harm the gospel message and be a financial burden on the church. And for those who point to 1 Corinthians 9:14 and say, “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel,” the word “commanded” is also translated, “directed” in many prominent translations. Not to mention that if the Lord did in fact command it, then the man He personally ordained as an Apostle and minister of the gospel decided to make the Lord’s command just an option. It couldn’t be sensibly argued that this is the case.

To be clear, in the second half of chapter 9, Paul puts the compensation issue from the first half of the chapter in context, focusing on pastors having to endure all things in complete submission to the gospel, not accommodating a pastor’s personal right to reap material benefits and make a living from the gospel.

I believe Neil is right on target when he says that “one’s personal right to compensation for preaching the gospel ends where the gospel of Christ begins.”

I have written previously about what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:9 where he says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.” Among other things, I wrote this:

1 Corinthians 9 cannot be used by pastors to defend the practice of receiving a salary.ย It is talking about traveling missionaries and apostolic leaders who have left their home and jobs to teach and support other Christians in other towns. Since they will typically only be in a city or town for a few weeks or months, they areย dependentย upon the hospitality of the people in that city or town. Ideally, even these spiritual leaders should have โ€œtravelling professionsโ€ if possible, so like Paul, they do not have to depend on the financial aid of other people either.

In other words, there are a lot of critical cultural, historical, and biblical background material that must be considered to properly understand, interpret, and apply Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 9:14 that those who preach the gospel should get their living from the gospel. We need to understand the role of hospitality in the Hebrew and Roman culture and economy, we need to understand the law in Deuteronomy about borrowing a neighbors oxen, we need to understand the the role and purpose of apostles, and above all, we need to properly understand the full scope of the gospel.

The bottom line is this: If a pastor quotes 1 Corinthians 9:14 as a way to demand that the people he minister to should pay his salary, he is using 1 Corinthians 9:14 inย exactly the oppositeย way that Paul was using it. Paul writes 1 Corinthians 9:14 in the context of explaining why heย does not take money from the people he serves.ย 

Don’t misunderstand. I am not saying it is a sin for pastors to take a salary. All I am saying is that 1 Corinthians 9:14 cannot be used to defend the practice. Taking a salary as a pastor is a choice, and deciding to not take a salary is also a choice. Each person must decide for themselves which way of living will be of most benefit to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the people whom they seek to serve.

So what do you think about 1 Corinthians 9:14? Have you ever had a pastor tell you that it is God’s command that you support him to preach the gospel? Weigh in below, and if you have written about this on your own blog, include a link in the comment section.ย 

Loving Neighbors without an Agenda

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As we have looked at getting to know our neighbors, building relationships with them and then getting to know them even better and helping them to get to know each other better through group events (Get all these posts in your email inbox by signing up below), perhaps you have wondered why we do this.

Loving Neighbors

Are we networking, finding people who have something we need or who may buy something weโ€™re selling?

Maybe we are building relationships so we can convince people to accept Jesus or attend our church?

Another possibility is that since most people want to live in a friendly neighborhood, maybe we are building relationships with our neighbors to improve the value of our property?

Or are we just looking for friends?

None of these are really our reason.

We try to get to know our neighbors, whether they live on our block, three streets over, in the next neighborhood or across town because as followers of Jesus we try to unconditionally love everyone who crosses our path.

But shouldnโ€™t we try to get our neighbors to attend our church or accept Jesus (or both)?

Hmmm… Consider a parable Jesus told. We usually call it the โ€œParable of the Good Samaritan,โ€ though it might be better to call it the โ€œParable of the Beaten Man Lying By the Side of the Road.โ€

Is the parable about Samaritans, people in need, religious people who are too busy with their religion to help people in need, or what?

Is it possible that one lesson Jesus is teaching us is that our neighbor can be anyone who crosses our path (or whose path we cross)?

Might another lesson be that we should help and love people lavishly, with no expectation of getting anything in return? Could it be that Jesus is teaching us to love other people simply because they are our neighbors?

But how can we love whoever crosses our path, with absolutely no agenda? Is that possible?

It is possible. We think this is what Jesus is talking about in โ€œlove your neighbor as yourselfโ€ and in the story we call the โ€œParable of the Good Samaritan.โ€

But shouldnโ€™t we tell people about Jesus?

We love them first and tell them about Jesus when they ask.

Many do ask, but not all. Most people we know have figured out that we follow Jesus. Sooner or later they ask us about it, when theyโ€™re ready to talk about it.

We do not love people so that we can tell them about Jesus. We love them so that they can ask us about Jesus.

And maybe they will not ever ask us about Jesus. That’s okay. We love them still, unconditionally, with no strings attached and no hidden agenda.

My job is to love people like Jesus; God’s job is to draw them to Jesus.

Many years ago a couple we slightly knew invited us to their house for โ€œdessert,โ€ which turned out to be a high pressure sales presentation for a multilevel marketing company. We felt tricked. Even though we have received many subsequent invitations from other people we know for similar presentations (always disguised as something else), we could smell those a long way off, like dead fish, and we have never been โ€œtrickedโ€ again.

So it goes with most attempts to โ€œwin people to Jesusโ€ (which usually means getting them to attend our church). Most people can smell “fake friendship” a long way off and avoid these people like they avoid dead fish.

Smelling like Jesus, however, smells like loving our neighbor, loving them lavishly for the pure and simple reason that we are the kind of person who does this, loving them with absolutely no agenda attached.

That is a sweet smell, a pleasant aroma, both to our neighbor and to Jesus.

Do you want to win people to Jesus? Simply love them like Jesus, with no agenda whatsoever.

What experiences have you had in loving other people like Jesus? Share an example in the comments below of how you showed lavish love on someone whose path you crossed, with no strings attached.

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When you Tell Your Pastor You are Switching Churches

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exit interview switching churchesI discovered this video over at The Christian Monist. It shows what happens when you tell your pastor you are switching churches.

Clearly… if you are switching churches it can only mean that you are a backslider, have fallen away from the faith, are living in sin, and have become carnal.

Switching Churches Video

After you watch it, use the share buttons above to invite your friends to watch it also!

Don’t Study to Show Thyself Approved

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study to show thyself approved2 Timothy 2:15 is a popular verse among pastors, Bible students, Bible colleges, and seminaries. In the King James Version, Paul instructs Timothy to “Study to show thyself approved unto God.”

Alan Knox wrote a great blog postย the other day which shows that the translation “study to show thyself approved” is not the best translation… and is not even a possible translation of 2 Timothy 2:15. Here is some of what he wrote:

I think itโ€™s clear that in the cases above,ย ฯƒฯ€ฮฟฯ…ฮดฮฌฮถฯ‰ย (spoudazo) could not be translated โ€œstudy,โ€ but is more correctly translated โ€œbe diligent,โ€ โ€œbe eager,โ€ or โ€œmake an effort.โ€ Of course, this is similar to how the other translators (besides the KJV) rendered the term in 2 Timothy 2:15.

But, also, we have to admit that the evidence above does not prove that ฯƒฯ€ฮฟฯ…ฮดฮฌฮถฯ‰ย (spoudazo) cannot be translated โ€œstudyโ€ in 2 Timothy 2:15.

Go read the rest of Alan’s post here.

Certain types of Christians (me among them) have often justified our addiction to books and to Scripture study by Paul apparent command here in 2 Timothy 2:15 for Timothy to “study to show thyself approved unto God.” Really only the KJV translates it this way, but since the KJV is what many of us grew up on, it has had a heavy influence on what many churches, ministries, and pastors focus on.

[Read more…]

Jesus’ Parables are Confusing? Good!

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Jesus parablesThis post on Jesus’ parables is part of the August Synchroblog, a monthly event where bloggers around the world write about various topics at the same time. If you are a blogger or writer, make sure you join us next month! It’s a great way to meet other bloggers and blog readers.

Most people find Jesus’ parables to be rather confusing. If that is you, guess what? You are on the right track to understanding Jesus’ parables! Seriously.

I often laugh when I read what the disciples say to Jesus in Matthew 13:51 after He has told a string of several particularly confusing parables. Jesus says to them, “Have you understood all these things?” and they answer, “Yes, Lord!”

Frankly, I think this was a case of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” I think that none of them understood much of what Jesus was saying (for when have they ever understood much of Jesus’ parables before?) but were all too afraid to admit that they had no clue what Jesus was talking about, and nobody was courageous enough to admit it. Too bad there wasn’t a child nearby to yell out, “Hey! I don’t understand! Tell us what you mean by these parables, Jesus!”

Well, I am not a child, and I am not one of the apostles, but let me admit it publicly, “I don’t think I understand Jesus’ parables.”

And you know what? I think that is EXACTLY what Jesus wants. In fact, confusion is the goal of the Jesus’ parables. Did you know that? So if you are confused by what Jesus says in His parables, you are on the right track.ย If you are confident you understand all of Jesus’ parables, you probably need to have your pride meter checked. Jesus told parables so that peopleย would notย understand what He was saying, and He had very specific reasons for doing this.

Let me show you what Jesus Himself said about the parables, and then I will conclude this post with a chronological list of all Jesus’ parables in the Gospels.

Why Jesus Spoke in Parables

You sometimes hear pastors say that since Jesus told stories, so should we. I think we could have a debate about the effectiveness of storytelling in our preaching and teaching, but one thing we cannot argue is that “since Jesus told stories, so should we.” Jesus didn’t tell “stories.” He told “parables.” Parables are very different than stories. Though there are similarities between stories and parables, stories are often given to illustrate a truth or help people remember a point that was made, while parables, on the other hand, are given to hide the truth and confuse people about the point that was made.

At least, that is what Jesus says about why He told parables.

As we all know, Jesus told parables. The apostles were always getting confused by His parables and were relieved when He finally spoke plainly to them (John 16:29). The fact that the apostles were first century Mediterranean Jews who lived and listened to Jesus for three straight years, but who were still confused by Jesus’ parables should give us hope that if they were confused, it is okay for us to be confused as well.

Yet confusion was the goal and purpose of the parables. At one point in Jesus’ ministry, the apostles come to Jesus and say, “Why do you speak in parables?” (Matthew 13:10). They were confused by what Jesus said in his parables, and the multitudes who listened to Jesus’ parables were often confused as well by what Jesus was teaching, and so the apostles were kindly telling Jesus that He might do better if He spoke plainly to the people.

Jesus tells the apostles in Matthew 13:11-17 (cf. Matthew 13:34-35; Luke 8:10) that the reason He speaks in parables is so that the people will “see but not see, hear but not hear.”

Jesus parables confusingIn other words, Jesus told parables to mask the truth, to hide it, to cloak it, to make it unclear. Jesus’ parables are supposed to be confusing! He wanted them to be confusing!

Why would Jesus do that? Didn’t Jesus come to reveal God to us? Doesn’t Jesus want people to understand the way of salvation? Aren’t good teachers supposed to teach with clarity?

Well, this actually gets us back into the whole theology of the Bible as well. If you have been honest with yourself enough to admit that some of Jesus’ parables are confusing, then you are probably also honest enough to admit that much of the Bible is confusing also. One of the reasons Jesus spoke in ways that were confusing to His audience, is because… this is what God has always been doing!ย 

So if we want to ask why Jesus told stories that were intentionally confusing, then we also need to ask why God would inspire the Bible to be written in ways that were intentionally confusing. The answer to one question will also be the answer to the other.

And do you want to know why?

Here is why: Scripture and parables are confusing because God doesn’t want us to get life from a book.ย The Jewish religious leaders were trying to get their life from a book, and Jesus scolded them for it (John 5:39-40), and so also today, many people seem to think that life comes from studying, learning, and following the Bible. But it doesn’t.

Life comes from God alone. Life comes through Jesus Christ. He IS life.

And so when God inspired the Bible to be written in confusing ways, and when Jesus told parables that were confusing, their goal was not just to confuse people, but to get people to come to the source of life for an explanation. God didn’t inspire the Bible to be written just so we could have a book about God. Neither did Jesus tell parables just so we could have some profound spiritual truths. No, the Bible is a tool to lead us into a relationship with God and the parables are a tool to lead us into a relationship with Jesus.

When Jesus told confusing parables, the proper response was for people to go to Jesus and say, “What in the world? That made no sense, Jesus. What did you mean by that parable?” And Jesus always responds by saying, “Ah! I was waiting for you to ask. Let’s talk about it.” And that is what He does. He sits around and discusses the parables with those who want to learn more and who come to Him seeking a relationship. That is why He tells the apostles in Matthew 16 that their eyes and ears are blessed because they see and hear what many prophets have longed for. What did they see and hear? Not the parables…. but Jesus Himself!

This is the same way we can approach Scripture. When the Bible is confusing, the proper response is to go to God and say, “What in the world? This makes no sense, God. What were you thinking? What is going on here?” And then God can say to you, “Ah! I was waiting for you to ask! Let’s talk about it.”

Why is the Bible confusing? For the same reason Jesus’ parables are confusing: God doesn’t want us to be “people of the book.”ย He wants us to be people of His family. He wants us to be His sons and daughters. And as His children, when we read something in His book that doesn’t make sense to us, He doesn’t want us to shake our head, throw up our hands and say, “I’ll never understand the Bible.” Instead, He wants us to develop a relationship with Him by going to Him with our questions and concerns.

Of course, I should tell you how God often answers your questions and concerns. In my experience, He usually says something like this: “Oh yes. That text. That’s a tough one. But listen, don’t worry about that right now. Look at your neighbors over there struggling with their marriage. What do you think we can do to help them?”

If you look through Jesus’ parables in the Gospels, note that after many of them, rather than really provide much of a verbal explanation, Jesus takes His apostles to love or serve somebody. After the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus told several parables, Jesus goes and cleanses a leper, heals the centurion’s servant, and many other people (Matthew 8). After telling a parable about new wine in old wineskins, Jesus raises a young girl to life, gives sight to blind men, and gives a mute man back his voice (Matthew 9). This patterns is followed throughout the Gospels.

So don’t be surprised if following Jesus means following Him with lots of unanswered questions. The parables were designed (along with the rest of Scripture) to bring you into the company of Jesus. After that, Jesus shows you what the parables mean, not by answering your questions, but by leading you to love and server others.

…Which turns out to be the meaning of Jesus’ parables all along.

Jesus parables

A List of Jesus’ Parables

Here is a list of Jesus’ parables in chronological order (Credit goes to The Narrated Bible in Chronological Orderย for this list).

  1. New cloth on an old coat (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36)
  2. New wine in old wineskins (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-38)
  3. Lamp on a stand (also see #6) (Matthew 5:14-15)
  4. Wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49)
  5. Moneylender forgives unequal debts (Luke 7:41-43)
  6. Lamp on a stand (2nd time, see #3) (Mark 4:21-22; Luke 8:16, 11:33)
  7. Rich man foolishly builds bigger barns (Luke 12:16-21)
  8. Servants must remain watchful (also see #44) (Luke 12:35-40)
  9. Wise and foolish servants (also see #42) (Luke 12:42-48)
  10. Unfruitful fig tree (Luke 13:6-9)
  11. Sower and four types of soil (Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23; Mark 4:3-8, 14-20; Luke 8:5-8, 11-15)
  12. Weeds among good plants (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)
  13. Growing seed (Kingdom of Heaven) (Mark 4:26-29)
  14. Mustard seed (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19)
  15. Yeast (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matt 13:33; Luke 13:20-21)
  16. Hidden treasure (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:44)
  17. Valuable pearl (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:45-46)
  18. Fishing net (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:47-50)
  19. Owner of a house (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:52)
  20. Lost sheep (sheep as children, also see #29) (Matthew 18:12-14)
  21. The sheep, gate, and shepherd (John 10:1-5, 7-18)
  22. Master and his servant (Luke 17:7-10)
  23. Unmerciful servant (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 18:23-34)
  24. Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37)
  25. Friend in need (Luke 11:5-8)
  26. Lowest seat at the feast (Luke 14:7-14)
  27. Invitation to a great banquet (Luke 14:16-24)
  28. Cost of discipleship (Luke 14:28-33)
  29. Lost sheep (sheep as sinners, also see #20) (Luke 15:4-7)
  30. Lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)
  31. Lost (prodigal) son (Luke 15:11-32)
  32. Shrewd manager (Luke 16:1-8)
  33. Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
  34. Workers in the vineyard, early and late (Matthew 20:1-16)
  35. Persistent widow and crooked judge (Luke 18:2-8)
  36. Pharisee and tax collector (Luke 18:10-14)
  37. Kingโ€™s ten servants given minas (also see #45) (Luke 19:12-27)
  38. Two sons, one obeys one does not (Matthew 21:28-32)
  39. Wicked tenants (Matt 21:33-44; Mark 12:1-11; Luke 20:9-18)
  40. Invitation to a wedding banquet (Matthew 22:2-14)
  41. Signs of the future from a fig tree (Matthew 24:32-35; Mark 13:28-29; Luke 21:29-31)
  42. Wise and foolish servants (2nd time, see #9) (Matthew 24:45-51)
  43. Wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
  44. Servants must remain watchful (2nd time, see #8) (Mark 13:35-37)
  45. Three servants given talents (also see #37) (Matthew 25:14-30)
  46. Sheep and goats will be separated (Matthew 25:31-46)

There are, of course, some keys which help us to understand Jesus’ parables. Among them are understanding God’s outrageous grace, what Jesus means by the “Kingdom of Heaven,” and what Jesus thinks about religion (Hint: He hates religion). It is also critical to grasp some of the historical-cultural background themes and ideas from the first century Mediterranean world. If you want to learn more about these things, I highly recommend the following resources to get you started:

Resources for Understanding Jesus’ Parables

If you know of other good books on the parables of Jesus, let me know in the comment section below.

Other People who Blogged on Jesus’ Parables

Here is a list of other bloggers and authors who contributed to this month’s synchroblog on Jesus’ parables. Go check them all out!

4 Pitfalls to Avoid when Getting to Know your Neighbors

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pitfalls with neighborsIn the previous posts in this series (sign up at the bottom of this email to receive all the posts for free) we have discussed methods for getting acquainted with our neighbors, building relationships with them, and having group events that will help all of us to get to know each other better. In order to avoid some of the common problems that can occur during this process, letโ€™s look at some pitfalls to avoid.

1. Being Too Helpful

We have learned that deciding ahead of time how much time, energy, money or emotional strength we can devote to neighbors allows us to be in a better position to help the most people. We have discovered that we can not meet everyoneโ€™s needs. Not setting limits can cause us to grow weary in well doing and cause us to want to stop helping others.

We attempt to first help those who are least able to meet their own needs, and then help others as we are able. We try to use our resources to help many people, rather than use large amounts of time, money and energy to help one person or family. Some individuals and families have more needs than we are able to meet.

2. Not Keeping Confidences

Are you the kind of person in whom others confide? I am. I have a friend in whom no one confides. What is the difference? What you tell me goes no further.

On the other hand, the fastest way to spread news is to tell one of my friends. Of course, nobody confides in him. Well … nobody confides in him twice.

3. The Neighborhood Grinch

Is there someone in your neighborhood whom no one likes? Several of our neighbors have told us they will not attend group functions at our home if Mr. X is coming. How do we handle that? We do not invite that person to small functions, but we do invite him/her to large functions, such as our upcoming block/neighborhood party.

4. Being Self-Centered

When we meet someone do we use it as an opportunity to tell them all about ourselves, or as an opportunity to learn about them? Do we see it as our chance to tell our stories, or listen to theirs? Do we invite people to our home to show them our tastefully decorated home and souvenirs from our many travels or to get to know them better? Do we want to know people better so we will know what they can do for us (or will buy from us), or so we can get to know them and make a new friend? After they have told us about themselves and told us their stories, most people want to hear about us.

Avoiding these pitfalls will help us build long-term, loving relationships with our neighbors.

You might have noticed that I did not mention anything about sharing the gospel with your neighbors, inviting them to church, or asking them what they think of Jesus. That is because I will devote a whole post to this subject, which I will write about next time.

Between now and then, can you think of any other pitfalls to avoid when getting to know your neighbors? Share them with others by commenting below!

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The World Shames the Church Once Again

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I know that the church is not supposed to follow the world, but sometimes, I think the church could learn a lot from the world.

Take this as an example:

world shames the church

What else could the church do instead of leaving trashy fliers like this on the windshields of other people? How about volunteering to be designated drivers for drunk people? Of course, the Christians who leave these fliers would spend the time telling their drunk passengers how they are going to burn in hell for getting drunk, so that might not work out so well…

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On Writing, John Calvin, and ID Theft

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You may have noticed I haven’t posted much this week. Why not? A lot has been going on.

LifeLock

First, I had one of my credit card accounts stolen this week. Thankfully, the credit card company caught it before it got too out of hand. The thief made almost $5000 worth of purchases online, but I think that since the company caught it so quickly, nothing was actually shipped out.

But as a result, I spent a good chunk of the week making sure all my other accounts were secure, signing up for LifeLock, and taking a few other steps to protect myself from this in the future.ย I am one of those “I never thought it could happen to me” people. But then it did.

And I am still recovering from it and holding my breath to see what else they got ahold of… I do recommend LifeLock if you don’t already have ID theft protection. They seem to be the best.

Writing

writingSecond, I realized my book on the violence of God is getting out of control. WAY out of control. I am nearly at 100,000 words and only about half way through the book. What I have written on the flood is nearly 20,000 words all by itself. I’m drowning in the flood. That’s bad.

Also, I am getting somewhat bored with the topic, and if I am getting bored, I am pretty sure you might be getting bored with it too. I think what I might do is cut out the 20,000 words I have written on the flood, and summarize it down into 1000 words or so. What do you think of this idea? Of course, I have only posted about 5000 words so far of the 20,000 I have written, so maybe I should post the next 15,000 over the next two weeks or so, and then let you decide whether it is worth keeping….

[Read more…]

How Genesis 8:21 Reveals God’s Purpose in the Flood

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The flood narrative in Genesis 6-8 is difficult to understand in light of the self-sacrificing nature of God revealed in Jesus Christ on the cross. How can the God who drowns everybody on earth because of their sin, be the same God who dies for everybody on earth because of their sin? Though there are numerous issues surrounding these chapters, Genesis 8:21 helps us understand what God was doing in the flood. When we understand Genesis 8:21, it shows us that God was acting much more like Jesus than many assume.

Genesis 8:21

After the flood, Noah and his family set out to reestablish themselves on the earth, and when ย Noah offers a sacrifice to God, God promises to never again destroy every living thing in the same way (Genesis 8:21). God says that even though manโ€™s heart is constantly evil, the flood waters will never again come upon the earth to destroy everything that breathes.

Three things about Genesis 8:21 reveal to us what God was doing in the flood.

1. God Restricts His Own Freedom

First, in previous posts, I have argued that God did not actively โ€œsendโ€ the flood, but that it came upon the earth as a natural consequence to mankindโ€™s rebellion. The flood is an example of nature out of control, of sin cannibalizing itself, and of the destroyer seeking to destroy.

Genesis 8:31

One of the primary reasons I have been arguing this is because I believe that God, in the act of creating beings with dignity, value, and free will, God limited Himself from acting in any way that would violate or negate mankindโ€™s dignity, value, and free will.

Though it is popular to say that God can do whatever He wants, God cannot do what is logically impossible (such as make a round square), do anything that violates His own nature (such a sin), or do anything that goes against something He has already decided and determined (such as give humans free will). โ€œGod lets the creatures have the freedom to be what God created them to be”ย ย (Fretheim,ย Creation Untamed, 53).

Lots of people have problems with the idea of God limiting Himself for the sake of humanity. They feel that since we are Godโ€™s creatures, He can do with us whatever He wants, even if it means squashing us all like bugs under His divine thumb. They often point to the flood as an example of Him doing this very thing.

Note carefully, however, what God says in Genesis 8:21. He says that even though all humanity is completely evil from their youth, He will never again destroy every living thing as He has done in the flood. However a person understands the flood account, Genesis 8:21 clearly reveals God placing a limitation upon Himself.

Genesis 8:21 shows that God places boundaries upon His future choices so that a worldwide flood is never again a possibility. Whatever you think about the flood account, one thing it shows is that our God is a self-limiting God. He restricts His own freedom for the sake of His creation.

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