A Big Pile of Sticks

For a while now, before we mow the yard, we have picked up the sticks so we do not tear up the mower. Sometimes there will be a few sticks, sometimes many. Sometimes we might even pick up a limb that has fallen out of a tree. It is never enough to do anything major with, but they need to be picked up and gotten out of the way. We started making a pile behind the shed. It was small at first, but every time we mowed or a wind came through, the pile would grow. Every time I would mow back there this summer, I would think that I need to do something with that pile of sticks; it is becoming an eye sore. Last Saturday, Noah and I tackled the task.

Some observations from this experience: great good and great bad can start small. We started out with a few sticks here and a few sticks there, and it turned into what you see at the road in my front yard: a big pile of sticks. It was a pretty big job to clean that pile of sticks up. I think about evil things in our lives. They usually start small. One transgression leads to another and another, etc. An example of this might be watching or listening to things that take the Lord’s name in vain. At first it bothers you, but then you get used to it. Before long, you are using the letters O, M, and G inappropriately. Possibly it leads to wondering if God really is holy if I use His name so flippantly. Before long, you have a big mess on your hands. As Deputy Fife might say, “Nip it in the bud.”

The same principle could be used for good things as well. Make it a goal to read a chapter a day from the Bible this week, and do that again next week, etc. Before long, you have read a whole book, then two, then the whole Bible. So many good and bad things in our lives start small. What sticks are you piling up in your life?

The Syrophoenician Woman

In Matthew 15:21-28 we read about Jesus and a Syrophoenician woman (Gentile). When you read the account, you might wonder if this is really the Jesus we know. Why? Let us study together. We begin with Jesus in the district of Tyre and Sidon, and this Syrophoenician woman comes asking for her daughter to be healed of demon possession. You get it if you have kids. I can only imagine what those parents of sick kids in the hospital would do to help their children. She had evidently heard about Jesus, and here she is asking. But he does not answer. Is He busy, is He healing someone else, did He hear her? We think the Jesus we know would have dropped everything to answer her, but He does not. She is not just asking, she seems to be making a scene to the point that the disciples ask Jesus to send her away. Then He says He was only sent to the Jews (house of Israel). What? Is Jesus prejudiced? She comes bowing down before Him and He responds with, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” What? Jesus has just doubled down on His first statement. This is not the Jesus we think we know. Our culture would have cancelled Jesus for this interaction.

I might have left. She came desperate, even bowing down and was ignored, rejected, and, in some people’s view, belittled. Would your pride trump your faith, your child’s need? She makes a statement of such courage, humility, and faith. “Even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Jesus rewards her great faith by complimenting her and healing her daughter. Why did Jesus act so un-Jesus? Did he? I believe Jesus gave this woman an opportunity to shine. What a great example to all those who were there that she did not let anything stop her faith in Jesus, and what a great example for us to not let anything stop our faith in Jesus. How faithful would you have been if you were in her shoes?

What Kind of Manager Are You?

In Luke 16:1-8, we read the parable of the unrighteous steward/manager. The parable is basically about a bad manager getting fired who realizes he is fixing to be without a job and he had better get ready for that reality. He is not going to work or beg so he ends up cutting his master’s debtors a deal so they will look after him in the future. First off, let me say I do not believe Jesus is approving of stealing or lying, both of which I think this steward could be charged with (Matthew 19:18). So what is being taught here? He is praised for acting shrewdly. If lying and stealing are not the shrewd behavior he is praised for, what is? He prepared for his future. He knew a future was coming that he was unprepared for, and he got prepared. The first lesson for us is: are we prepared for the future (Jesus’ return)? If not, we had better get that way.

How did this steward prepare for the future? With money/possessions that did not belong to him. That is what Jesus wants us to do, according to verses 9-13. I do not mean stealing money from a bank, business, or person. I am talking about using what has been given to you and is not your own. You are just a steward of the blessings that God has given you. None of your stuff is really yours. If you do not believe that, die and see how much you carry with you. While we are alive, we are called to be good stewards of the blessings of God in preparation for eternity. That means more than just making sure our 401k is fully funded. We are to use our physical blessings on others. How can we use the physical blessings of God to influence others for His glory? Jesus asks some tough questions in these verses. If I cannot be faithful in little/unrighteous/another’s wealth, how will I be faithful in much/true/own wealth? Who is my master?