Judges 1:16-36; Luke 21:5-28; Psalms 90:1-17; Proverbs 21:8-10

NT: “When you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed. Indeed, it is necessary that these things take place first, but the end won’t come right away.” Then he told them, “Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be violent earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to bear witness. Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you. You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. By your endurance, gain your lives… Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is near.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:9-19, 25-28‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Merriam-Webster’s definition of “tribulation” is distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution – also : a trying experience. We are guaranteed tribulation. It is going to happen, to some degree, to everyone – and the level of tribulation will continue to increase the closer we get to the end of the age. How close are we? That depends on how quickly the entire world will be evangelized – for Jesus said in a parallel passage in Matthew’s Gospel that the end will not come until the gospel has been preached to every people group on earth.  As I read through this passage of scripture and thought about current events, this came to mind: everyone is so ready to return back to normal – there is so much security and “peace of mind” found in normalcy. What happens if we never go back to “normal?” If the systems and things that bring us security continue to be withheld or taken away, what will happen to us? What will happen to those around us? What will happen to society as we know it? The truth is the things of this world are passing away. So why do we place our security… our peace… our happiness… our identity in things and systems that are passing away and could be taken away at any moment? Jesus told His disciples that they would (guaranteed) experience tribulation – but that they didn’t need to be alarmed. Why? Because He would be with them… He would lead them… He would give them the words to say… He would give them peace through His Holy Spirit. In fact, the worse things got, the more opportunities they would have to be a witness for His goodness and demonstrate the gospel of the Kingdom. During this time, what or who are we looking to for comfort? Is our hope placed in a return to normal, or is our hope placed in the Lord who will never leave us or forsake us – and will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death to make us lie down in green pastures beside still waters? Through our faithful endurance to follow Jesus, we will be saved.

Psalms: “Lord, you have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, you are God. You return mankind to the dust, saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.” For in your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a few hours of the night… Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away… Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. Lord — how long? Turn and have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days. Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen adversity. Let your work be seen by your servants, and your splendor by their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands — establish the work of our hands!” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90:1-4, 10, 12-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This psalm was written by Moses and is considered to be the oldest psalm in the Bible. Moses was a man who was very familiar with tribulation. As a baby, his life was threatened and he was given up in order to save his life. As a young man, he tried to take matters into his own hands and ended up killing a man – which led to him being banished to the wilderness. As a middle-aged man, he had to wander in the desert with a people that complained constantly and, on several occasions, tried to undermine his leadership. Then in a moment of frustration, he acted out against God’s will and was forbidden to enter the promised land. What a hard life. Yet through it all, Moses was a man who was faithful to and honored by God. In this psalm, you can see how He was able to endure. He kept his perspective on Who God was and how insignificant the things of this earth are in comparison. Though he died (as Hebrews 11 states) never getting the chance to see the things that were promised, his hope wasn’t just placed on this life. His hope was placed on the eternal God… and he knew that if he numbered his days on earth righteously, he would receive the things promised to him in eternity.

Joshua 24:29-Judges 1:15; Luke 21:1-4; Psalms 89:46-52; Proverbs 21:5-7

NT: “He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:1-4‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

According to Jesus, generosity is not measured by the amount that you give, but by the sacrifice required to give what you give. The rich may have been giving enormous sums to the temple, but it was a fraction of their wealth and did not require much sacrifice. On the other hand, the poor widow barely gave anything – but what she gave was all that she had. Worshipful devotion to the Lord is measured in the same way. There are some that give small fractions of their life in service to the Lord, and they self-righteously consider themselves saintly in their devotion – yet there are others that give their entire lives to the Lord and are surrendered to Him completely. Living in a 1st World Nation, it is difficult to really comprehend what true generosity and complete devotion looks like. The poorest in our nation would be seen as rich by 3rd World standards – yet we will say things like, “I really don’t have enough margin in my budget to help right now.” I have had the honor to work alongside believers in a couple of 3rd World nations, and to see how they give and serve is convicting and humbling. Though they may not have much according to American standards – what they do have (time, treasure, and talent) is 100% sown into the Kingdom of God, and the fruit of their meager offerings is astounding.

Joshua 24:1-28; Luke 20:41-47; Psalms 89:38-45; Proverbs 21:4

OT: “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship — the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” (‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24:14-15‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This is probably the defining passage of the book of Joshua. Joshua begins with the word to be strong and courageous and trust the Lord. It ends with the statement, “choose who you will worship… as for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” The word translated as worship here is the Hebrew word ‘abad’ which means serve. The phrase ‘in sincerity and truth’ means completely and faithfully. The question that Joshua was asking was, “Who is going to be your master? Whose word are you going to honor? Whose will are you going to obey? Whose ways are you going to follow?“ His charge and challenge to the people was to make the Lord God their master and to serve Him completely and faithfully. As for me and my family, our Lord and Master is the Lord God, and it is He that we primarily serve.

NT: “While all the people were listening, he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭20:45-47‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Jesus warned His disciples of the scribes. Why? Though they appeared to honor the Lord, they were actually only concerned with serving their own interests. The Lord God was not their master. Though they were experts of the Law, they did not truly worship the Lord and honor His word. They knew the word of God, but they didn’t know the God of the word. Their god was themselves. How much of what we do in the name of Christianity is actually serving the word, will, and ways of the Lord; and how much of it is serving our own interests and preferences?

Proverbs: “The lamp that guides the wicked — haughty eyes and an arrogant heart — is sin.“ (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21:4‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The wicked are wicked because of what leads them. Haughty eyes and an arrogant heart are completely contrary to worship. The wicked are wicked because they have rejected the Lord and have chosen to lift themselves up as gods and follow their own desires. That was the essence of what led man to sin: considering his own understanding to be better than God’s, pursuing his own way to greatness instead of God’s way, and making a name for himself instead of serving God’s interests first. It is the essence of sin now. The antithesis of sin is the worship of God alone.

Joshua 23:1-16; Luke 20:27-40; Psalms 89:19-37; Proverbs 21:3

OT: “A long time after the Lord had given Israel rest from all the enemies around them, Joshua was old, advanced in age. So Joshua summoned all Israel, including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in age, and you have seen for yourselves everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your account, because it was the Lord your God who was fighting for you…. Be very strong and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you do not turn from it to the right or left and so that you do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them; do not serve them or bow in worship to them. Instead, be loyal to the Lord your God, as you have been to this day. The Lord has driven out great and powerful nations before you, and no one is able to stand against you to this day. One of you routed a thousand because the Lord your God was fighting for you, as he promised. So diligently watch yourselves! Love the Lord your God! …I am now going the way of the whole earth, and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the Lord your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed. Since every good thing the Lord your God promised you has come about, so he will bring on you every bad thing until he has annihilated you from this good land the Lord your God has given you. If you break the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow in worship to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly disappear from this good land he has given you.”” (‭‭Joshua‬ ‭23:1-3, 6-11, 14-16‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Similar to Moses before him, as Joshua’s life neared the end, he reviewed God’s faithfulness to the people of Israel and charged them to remain faithful to the Lord. Israel had seen, first hand, how God had remained faithful to His promises of blessing. The people of Israel were able to victoriously route adversaries that were much larger than they because God was with them and was fighting for them. But Joshua also reminded them of the consequences that would come if they became unfaithful to the Lord and rejected Him for the gods and idols of the land. True, God had promised victory and blessing if they remained faithful to Him – but He also assured loss and destruction if they turned away from Him. Just as faithful as God had been in His promises, He would also be faithful in allowing the consequences.

Psalms: “You once spoke in a vision to your faithful ones and said, “I have granted help to a warrior; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David my servant; I have anointed him with my sacred oil. My hand will always be with him, and my arm will strengthen him… My faithfulness and love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted… He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the rock of my salvation.’ I will also make him my firstborn, greatest of the kings of the earth. I will always preserve my faithful love for him, and my covenant with him will endure. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as heaven lasts. If his sons abandon my instruction and do not live by my ordinances, if they dishonor my statutes and do not keep my commands, then I will call their rebellion to account with the rod, their iniquity with blows. But I will not withdraw my faithful love from him or betray my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or change what my lips have said.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭89:19-21, 24, 26-34‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

With great detail, Ethan recounted the promise that God had made to King David many years before… that God would bless David’s line of descendants and would establish with David a kingdom that would never end. Then Ethan also recounted the warning that God gave: that if David’s sons abandoned the Lord, then consequences would come… but even then, God would always remember His promise. Interestingly, right after this eloquent reciting of God’s grand promise, Ethan then began to complain about the crisis that the nation was facing and then wondered why God was forgetting His promise. So often, we love to recite the promises of blessing, but when we are unfaithful to the terms of God’s promise, we get angry and blame God when He upholds the other side of His covenant. We must remember that God is always faithful and He never lies or misleads. We, however, are notoriously unfaithful. The question we ask should never be, “Lord, why have you forgotten your promise?” Instead the question we should ask is, “Lord, how have I been unfaithful to you… what have I done to bring about your discipline?” When God “removes” His hand of blessing – that is not the time to get mad at God. That is the time to repent, turn to the Lord, and come back under His hand of blessing. God is always ready to forgive and show mercy… He will not withdraw His faithful love or betray His faithfulness. We just need to repent, obey, and be restored.

Proverbs: “Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” (Proverbs‬ ‭21:3‬ ‭CSB)

God is more concerned with the state of our heart that our external practice of religious ritual. King Saul of old was chastised by the Lord through Samuel because he disobeyed the specific directions from the Lord in the name of offering a religious sacrifice. Samuel’s words to Saul was, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” Behaving according to religious ritual doesn’t please the Lord. Being faithful to the Lord and lovingly living your life according to His word, will, and ways is what pleases the Lord.

Joshua 22:21-34; Luke 20:9-26; Psalms 89:14-18; Proverbs 21:1-2

NT: “They watched closely and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so that they could catch him in what he said, to hand him over to the governor’s rule and authority. They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, and you don’t show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But detecting their craftiness, he said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” “Caesar’s,” they said. “Well then,” he told them, “give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They were not able to catch him in what he said in public, and being amazed at his answer, they became silent.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭20:20-26‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The man that ruled as Caesar during this time in Jesus’ life was Tiberius. By the time that Jesus was questioned about the poll tax, Tiberius had degraded into a demented and obscene man, randomly having people accused of wrong-doing and then torturing them and ferociously killing them. The reign of Tiberius was anything but righteous and just. When given the opportunity to denounce Caesar and the payment of taxes to Caesar, Jesus refused. Even though Jesus had every right to civilly disobey the edicts of Rome’s immoral and tyrannical leader, He did not. Instead, Jesus said that God’s people are to both respect governmental laws and honor the commands of the Lord God. We are taught in scripture, that it is only when governmental edicts require you to disobey God’s law, that you are allowed to disobey the government. Otherwise, we honor governmental authorities and comply with what they would have us do. What does Jesus’ answer to the question about honoring governmental authority – even when that authority is demented and obscene – say to us as believers in our current time? Do the governmental mandates cause to disobey God’s word, will, and ways? If not, then we comply and live to fight the fights that truly matter.

Psalms: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; faithful love and truth go before you. Happy are the people who know the joyful shout; Lord, they walk in the light from your face. They rejoice in your name all day long, and they are exalted by your righteousness. For you are their magnificent strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. Surely our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭89:14-18‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Righteousness (that which is right and just) and justice (the execution of what is right and just) form the foundation on which the Lord God’s power and authority is established. He is righteous and just, and all that He does is righteous and just… and the same is true of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Checed (God’s zealous goodness, kindness, and faithful covenantal love) and emeth (the sure, reliable, stabile, continuing truth of God’s words and ways) always precede His righteous judgements. God, the Three in One – Father, Spirit, Son – can do no wrong and will do no wrong, but is ever merciful and always reliable. The people who are familiar with the joyful sounds of worship and praise are also the people who are familiar with the joyful sounds of victory. If we make a practice of coming before the Lord in submission… in worship… trusting Him completely and obeying Him fully, we become people of His Kingdom – and no matter who is at the seat of political power in our land, we can live in peace, joy, and abundant blessing and favor.

Joshua 21:43-22:20; Luke 20:1-8; Psalms 89:7-13; Proverbs 20:28-30

Psalms: “God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, more awe-inspiring than all who surround him. Lord God of Armies, who is strong like you, Lord? Your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule the raging sea; when its waves surge, you still them. You crushed Rahab like one who is slain; you scattered your enemies with your powerful arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours. The world and everything in it — you founded them. North and south — you created them. Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at your name. You have a mighty arm; your hand is powerful; your right hand is lifted high.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭89:7-13‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Ethan, the writer of this psalm, continued in His proclamation of praise to the Lord. “Holy ones” are the saints of God, and those that surround Him are the hosts of heaven. God is held in awe by His saints assembled on the earth, and He is held in awe by all the creatures that surround Him in heaven. As the Lord and commander of armies of angels, He is mighty like no one else – yet He is surrounded on every side by His unwavering faithfulness and steadfastness to His word. With the Lord, we can tremble in awe at His greatness, while at the same time, rest in peace because of His faithfulness. “Rahab” is a word with double meaning: it means arrogant and prideful, and it is also a poetic name for Egypt. Raging seas are also a metaphor for the nations of the world that swell up, roar, and threaten. God, in His might and faithfulness, silences the tumultuous nations and easily puts down those who would arrogantly stand against Him. As Creator and Sustainer, the entire universe is His – there is no realm that is not within His reach nor under His hand of authority. Tabor and Hermon are mountains – Hermon being the tallest mountain in the region. Even the high and majestic mountains give glory and honor to God and shout for joy at His name. As you read this description of God, does it cause your faith in God to rise? Does it cause your fear of the unknown to shrink and subside? Praise is powerful in what it does in us. Just consider how at peace we would be if we held God in awe like Ethan held God in awe. As you see the nations raging all around us… as you see politics stymied by the animosity between sides… as you see arguments and unrest all around… as you see people moved to unreasonableness and irrational behavior out of fear, know that the awesome God of the world can still all of it and bring peace to those who hold Him in awe… to His saints who trust completely in His faithful and powerful hand. Praise the Lord and be at peace.

Joshua 21:1-42; Luke 19:41-48; Psalms 89:1-16; Proverbs 20:26-27

NT: “As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build a barricade around you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children among you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in your midst, because you did not recognize the time when God visited you.” He went into the temple and began to throw out those who were selling, and he said, “It is written, my house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!” Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to kill him, but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were captivated by what they heard.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:41-48‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

While all of the pilgrims heading to Passover were celebrating Jesus’ arrival with shouts of Hosanna, Jesus wept. He saw what no one else could see. He saw Jerusalem, the Holy City which was set apart for God glory, full of corruption, rebellion, greed, and the like. For generations, God had been sending prophet after prophet to Jerusalem, only to be  rejected. The religious leadership of Israel that was headquartered in Jerusalem refused to recognize God’s visitation and His offering of peace. A temple that was supposed to be a house of prayer for all people and nations had become a place of greed, oppression, and opportunism. Jesus wept because He saw how Jerusalem and Israel had frittered away their calling. Jesus wept because He saw the inevitable judgement that would be coming to the City of God because of their refusal to welcome the Lord. He wept because those same hardened religious leaders would soon turn the crowds against Him and kill Him in order to maintain their rebellious ways. See the heart of the Father in Jesus’ tears. The Father desires for all to be saved, and it breaks His heart to see His loved ones have to suffer the consequences of their willful disobedience. Yet at the same time, He is perfectly just and perfectly loving – and in His love, does not force people to reciprocate. He simply loves and allows them to make their choice, whether that choice leads to life or death.

Psalms: “I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever; I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth. For I will declare, “Faithful love is built up forever; you establish your faithfulness in the heavens.” The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’” Selah Lord, the heavens praise your wonders — your faithfulness also — in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies can compare with the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord?” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭89:1-6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This Psalm, written by Ethan, appears to have been written during a time of crisis… a time when it appeared that God’s promises to David would not endure. It is possible that it was written when Egypt invaded Jerusalem during Rehoboam’s (Solomon’s son) reign and ransacked the temple. But before Ethan described the crisis and pleaded with God, he first proclaimed praise for the Lord and declared His unending faithfulness and mercy. No matter how unfaithful people are, God is always faithful… and He never forgets nor renounces His promises. We may look on our world, much like Jesus looked on Jerusalem, and be grieved. But as long as there is a remnant of faithful followers of the Lord, there is always hope… and the Father looks to and fro across the earth for those who will be faithful to His word, will, and ways that He may fulfill His promises through them.

Proverbs: “The Lord’s lamp sheds light on a person’s life, searching the innermost parts.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:27‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

How do we stay above the fray? How do we keep ourselves from becoming corrupted by our degrading culture? How do we remain faithful to the Lord amongst a world of unfaithfulness? We open our lives up to the Lord’s light and allow Him to search our innermost parts. We allow His light to expose any darkness in us – then when it is exposed, we confess it, repent of it, and continue walking in faithfulness. If we remain clean before the Lord and allow Him to expose and expel any darkness, then we won’t be among those who do not recognize His visitation.

Joshua 19:32-20:9; Luke 19:28-40; Psalms 88:13-18; Proverbs 20:24-25

NT: “As he approached Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples and said, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it? ’ say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’” So those who were sent left and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” “The Lord needs it,” they said. Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their clothes on the colt, they helped Jesus get on it. As he was going along, they were spreading their clothes on the road. Now he came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen: Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven! Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:29-40‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing, and only said what He heard the Father saying. His entry into Jerusalem was no different. I’m sure that as Jesus spent time with the Father that Palm Sunday morning, the Father showed Him exactly what He was to do… and then He instructed His disciples in what they were to do. The specifics were very important, for His entry into Jerusalem would fulfill the prophecy declared in Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” As Jesus entered the Holy City, the throngs of Passover pilgrims began shouting the Messianic Psalm 118:25-26, “Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success! He who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed. From the house of the Lord we bless you.” This was the only time that Jesus ever allowed a public proclamation of praise to Him… because the Father told Him to allow it. Why? To fulfill scripture and to set in motion the religious leaders’ plans to end His life. In just a few days Jesus would become the “stone that the builders rejected…” (Psalm 118:22a), and would lay down His life as the Lamb of God on Passover. Nothing was by coincidence or happenstance. The time was right and everything happened according to the Father’s plan… and Jesus obeyed, even to His death.

Proverbs: “Even a courageous person’s steps are determined by the Lord, so how can anyone understand his own way?” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:24 ‭CSB‬‬)

The word usage in this proverb is interesting. The CSB does a good job in accurately translating it. There are 2 words for man. The first is ‘geber’ meaning a mighty, valiant warrior. The second is ‘adam’ the common word for mankind. The thought is: if a valiant warrior is only victorious because he allows the Lord to order his steps, then how could anyone expect to navigate life successfully on his own. If there ever was a courageous and victorious warrior, it was Jesus – taking on the kingdom of darkness, sin, and death; and coming away completely victorious. If Jesus didn’t do anything outside of the Father’s will and the understanding He received from the Father through the Holy Spirit, what makes us think we can do any less?

Joshua 19:1-31; Luke 19:11-27; Psalms 88:1-12; Proverbs 20:22-23

NT: “As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem, and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away. Therefore he said, “A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then to return. He called ten of his servants, gave them ten minas, and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’ But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us.’ At his return, having received the authority to be king, he summoned those servants he had given the money to, so that he could find out how much they had made in business. The first came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten more minas.’ ‘Well done, good servant! ’ he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over ten towns.’ The second came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’ So he said to him, ‘You will be over five towns.’ And another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I have kept it safe in a cloth because I was afraid of you since you’re a harsh man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.’ He told him, ‘I will condemn you by what you have said, you evil servant! If you knew I was a harsh man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow, why, then, didn’t you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest.’ So he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’ ‘I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.’”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:11-27‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Jesus’ parable of the minas was based on a true story that would have been familiar to the people of Jericho. In 4 BC, Herod the Great died while in Jericho and his reign was passed to his son Herod Archelaus. Before Archelaus claimed the title, he had to travel to Rome to stand before Caesar Augustus to be confirmed. During that time, there was an uprising against Archelaus where 3,000 insurrectionists were killed. Jesus didn’t equate Himself to Herod Archelaus, but He used the story to communicate some important truths. Just as Archelaus couldn’t immediately claim the title of king and immediately begin his reign, Jesus was not going to begin His reign immediately either. He first had to fulfill the Father’s will and “go away” for a while to receive His title. The parable describes two types of people who will exist during His time away: 1) His servants, and 2) His unwilling subjects. His unwilling subjects are those who reject His Lordship in one way or another – and when He returns at the end of the age to claim His inheritance, those who rejected Him will be judged guilty and condemned. His servants are those who have submitted their life to Him and become His disciples. All of His servants are given an equal task to perform while He is gone. That task is the Great Commission. Just as each of the master’s servants were given 1 mina, every disciple of Jesus is given 1 main task: to see souls saved and disciples made. The reward that Jesus’ disciples receive when He returns is based on how faithful they are to the task. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He basically told His disciples, “Engage in my business until I come back… seek out the lost, preach the gospel of the Kingdom, and make disciples of those who respond and believe.” The important question is, who are we in this parable? Are we one of His rebellious subjects? Are we a servant who is actively doing Kingdom business until Jesus returns? Are we a servant who is keeping the gospel of the Kingdom to ourselves and doing nothing to further the Lord’s purposes? My desire is to be one who makes the most of my time and multiplies the gift that has been entrusted to me.

Joshua 18:1-28; Luke 19:1-10; Psalms 87:4-7; Proverbs 20:20-21

NT: “He entered Jericho and was passing through. There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.” So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.” But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:1-10‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

I remember singing the song of Zacchaeus the wee little man in Sunday school as a kid. This isn’t a childish tale. It is the account of a spiritually lost man who had a child-like curiosity about Jesus. Tax Collectors in Jesus’ day were notorious for extorting tax money from their fellow Jewish brothers and lining their pockets with the overage they charged. Zacchaeus wasn’t just a tax collector, he was the chief tax collector and had probably become very rich taking his percentage from all the other tax collectors in the region. He was rich materially, but bankrupt spiritually – and was probably one of the most despised men in the city. There must have been some degree of emptiness in his soul, to the point when he heard that Jesus was coming through town, he ran and even climbed a tree to get a glimpse of this Man who could offer forgiveness of sin and peace with God. Zacchaeus was lost, and he knew it… and he desperately wanted to be found. Zacchaeus was the type of man Jesus was seeking out… he was the type of man that the Shepherd was willing to leave the 99 to find… someone desperately lost who wanted to find their way home. This is the only instance in the gospels where Jesus invites Himself into someone’s house. If you want to be found, Jesus wants to find you – no matter who you are or what you are guilty of. Through Zacchaeus’ desperate desire came authentic transformation and salvation as Zacchaeus confessed and repented of his sin in the midst of Jesus mercy and acceptance. On numerous occasions, I have had the opportunity to minister to desperately lost people in prisons and juvenile detention facilities locally and in drug and alcohol rehab centers abroad. It is always so refreshing to be able to minister to people who know that they are lost and want desperately to be found – and without fail, Jesus ministers to them powerfully. Jesus desires to seek out lost people – like Zacchaeus, and the men and women in the prisons and rehab centers – and He wants to seek them out through us, His disciples. Are we willing to leave the 99 behind to go find the lost?