In Matthew's Steps: In the Name

Welcome to a new series! For the next 28 weeks, we'll be watching Jesus through the eyes of Matthew. Each week we'll take one chapter of Matthew and explore one element of it. We won't cover it all, but we will get a glimpse of Jesus through this apostle's eyes. So... without further ado...

On Matthew’s Path: In the Name...

Preparing to Walk: Read: Matthew 1

Focus verse: “...and you will give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

The Meditation
How do you choose a name? How do you find a name that is right for your children? Or even for your dog? How do you know what to call something when it's up to you to figure it out?

Choosing names for our children was an adventure. For the most part, their names are family names. Our oldest boy, William, is named after his two grandfathers. William being my father and Douglas being my wife’s father. Lynne, my daughter and the youngest of the family, found her name in much the same way. Lynne is my wife’s middle name. Estelle, hyphenated into her first name, is her mother’s middle name and Shirley, her middle name, is my wife’s mother’s first name.

Only our middle son, Matthew, found a name that was outside of our family. Matthew’s name just came to us. While his middle name, Albert, was my grandfather’s name, Matthew really doesn’t appear anywhere in our family line. We had chosen a few names to consider, Matthew being one of them, but when my wife saw our son lying in her arms, she knew he was a Matthew. Somehow it all just made sense.

I wonder if Joseph had the same experience when he went to name Jesus. For starters, he didn’t really want Jesus to begin with. He was a righteous man, though, and “...did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”(vs. 19) In those times, names were given by the fathers and they meant something. To name a child was to claim it as your own. And the names themselves were important too. They weren’t just words or sounds by which you were known, they spoke of your character. They were often derived from family names, much like how we named our children, but often not. In every case, the name actually meant something. It defined who you are and who you would become. Or it spoke of the circumstances of your birth.

Thus the name, Jacob, for example, given to the original patriarch means “one who grasps the heel” or “deceiver.” Jacob is the man who deceives his father and steals his brother’s birth right. “Issac”, his father, means literally “I laughed” and harkens back to the time when Sarah, his mother, laughed when she was told she would give birth at her old age. Judah was named “Thank God” because, as it says in Genesis 29:35, his mother said: “This time I will praise the Lord.” Each name meant something. Each name was unique.

So what does “Jesus” mean and why is it so significant? Jesus is the greek form of the name “Joshua” which literally means “The Lord saves.” Joshua calls us back to stories in the Old Testament, where by the Lord’s help, a young man by the same name tore down the walls of Jericho and led the people of Israel in countless victories against their oppressors. “The Lord Saves” reshaped the Holy Land and helped establish Israel there after the Exodus from Egypt.

Calling this little baby “The Lord Saves” or Jesus in greek, brands him for great things. For victories against God’s oppressors. For salvation for God’s chosen people, Israel. For a life lived in safety, where “swords will be ground into plowshares.” For a time when the Messiah will reign!

Only...that’s not what God has in mind. Not at all. This baby wasn’t destined to rule the earth. The baby was destined to die...and rise again! I wonder sometimes how closely Joseph listened to the angel’s message. The angel says: “[Mary] will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” It’s this last part that I wonder if he got...if any of them got!

Jesus wasn’t going to be just another king in the long line of kings before him. He wasn’t going to be like David and clear out Jerusalem of their enemies. He wasn’t going to be like Solomon and establish relations with other countries and providences. He wasn’t going to follow in Hezekiah or Ahaz’s footprints. He wasn’t even going to do what Josiah did and re-establish the law. All of these were forefathers of Jesus, but Jesus was going to do something completely different! Instead, Jesus was born to defeat the trues enemies of God’s people: sin and death! He’ll put an end to sin by his death and an end to death by his resurrection. He will be “The Lord Saves” as the Lord truly means it. He will not be taken by the world’s power. He won’t just be another failed king. Instead, he give them what they truly need. Freedom from sin, death, and the devil, and a whole new life. That’s what they need. And that’s what they’ll get!

I wonder if Joseph ever realized this. I wonder if after his conversation with the angel he went back to Mary, put his hand on her stomach, and realized the baby growing within her. What that baby would do. Who that baby would be. Legend tells us Joseph never lived to see that baby grow up to be the man named Jesus. But I know that, while they were alive together, Joseph molded and shaped his son, helping him see what his name truly meant, and helping prepare Jesus for the life he would lead to save us all. For Joseph’s naming Jesus is just one step in the long journey God took to bring salvation to us all. Amen.

Questions to Ponder...
1) Jesus has a long line of questionable characters in his past.
Judah... (Genesis 29:31-35)
Tamar... Genesis 38
Rahab... (Joshua 5:13-6:27)
Ruth... (Book of Ruth)
Bathsheba... (2 Samuel 11)
Who are the questionable characters in your own past? How have their lives influenced yours?

2) What does your name mean? Why is the meaning of your name significant? Is it?

3) What other ways could “The Lord Saves” have been interpreted? Is the way Jesus lives out his identity strange? Or not?

A Prayer to Pray...
Lord Jesus, you lived out your name in everything you did. The Lord Saves acted out salvation for us all. Help us live out our vocations, our callings, in the same way that we might be the people you have made us, living for your sake. Amen.

Pondering the Proverbs: Advice Gone Wrong

Proverb of the Week: A Word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Prov. 25:11

Meditation: Advice gone wrong!
Has anyone ever given you advice that just didn’t work? You presented a situation to someone, they offered their mindful advice, and, when you turned around and tried it, it just didn’t work right. Has that ever happened to you? Or has advice taken from someone actually benefitted you? Have you listened to the sayings of the wise and been blessed because of it?

The book of Proverbs is, for all intent and purposes, one giant book of advice. And it doesn’t pretend otherwise. At the beginning of the book we are told these are “The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel.”(Prov. 1:1) In the middle of the book the tone shifts and we are given proverbs from the Wise... literally it says before 22:17: “Sayings of the Wise”. We are given other proverbs later from a teacher named Ager. And King Lemuel offers a chapter of advice passed down from his mother in chapter 31.

The book of Proverbs is a collection of advice from kings and teachers and wise men of ancient Israel. But it’s only that as well. Advice. Advice and proverbs must be interpreted for each situation. Those that fit may be considered. Those that don’t...must be discarded or reinterpreted for our modern life. Reading and studying the book of Proverbs is an exercise in interpretation.

Needless to say interpretation has its own battles. The book of Proverbs has become a battlefield for ethics, especially in terms of child discipline. There are many who would argue for the effectiveness of spanking, for instance, and would site this proverb:

“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.”

Others would disagree with them, of course, arguing that these passages do not speak to 21st Century parents but ancient parents instead. With all the work done in psychological discipline, reward and punishment, there are better ways to discipline a child than to beat them with a rod, whatever the rod looks like, they would argue.

Without getting into a debate over child discipline, this provides a perfect example of interpreted proverbial advice. While one side will claim faithfulness to the text in Proverbs, another will agree with the discipline but may disagree with the methods. Same proverb. Different interpretations. Who’s right? Both. Depending on their interpretation, they will both argue that they are right. And there is no way to prove biblically that one is right and the other is wrong. It's all up to interpretation.

There are other examples for sure. Proverbs chapter 26 offers challenging conflicting proverbs one verse away from each other.

Proverbs 26:4 reads: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will be like him yourself.”

And the very next verse, Proverbs 26:5, says: “Answer a fool according to his folly or he will be wise in his own eyes.”

What should we do? The first? Or the second? Do we answer a fool or not answer a fool? If you were to direct your life based on both of these proverbs, you’d be confused to say the least. If you were coming to Proverbs looking for instruction, this offers no clear direction. What should we do? Answer them or not? It’s all up to interpretation!

And likewise for all of Proverbs. For the book is a book of advice from the wisest who have ever lived. But it’s just that...advice. Strong advice...sure! But advice nevertheless. And as advice goes, it is up for interpretation and alteration and dialogue. It should be discussed in the great assemblies and in your homes as you sit down. It should come up in conversations over what is the best life to live and how do we live a life pleasing to God. And it should be read along side Jesus own words. Jesus, who interprets Proverbs and the words of the wise over and over again, who calls us to live a new life. Who summons us to a brand new kingdom-life. And who has given us Himself as wisdom and strength and life.

The book of Proverbs can definitely help you on your journey to wisdom’s door...but don’t forget that Wisdom has come out and tented among us. And we have beheld His glory, the Glory of the Father’s Only Son, full of grace and truth! Amen!


Questions to Ponder...1) What Proverbs jump out at you as proverbs worthy of your following? What Proverbs do you interpret and avoid?

2) How do you determine what to take and follow and what to leave and discard from Scripture? What is your measure?

3) Read: Romans 12:17-21 & Proverbs 25:21-22. How has Paul interpreted Proverbs? Does he add anything to these words? Does he subtract anything?

A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, we give you thanks for your wise teachers whose wisdom we have written in the book of Proverbs. May their Proverbs live in our lives. May we seek wisdom above all else. And may the guiding light of your Holy Spirit lead us to where wisdom lay, hidden in your son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pondering the Proverbs: Remembering the Poor

Proverb of the Week:
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. (30:8-9)


Speak up and Remember...the Poor
They come to us in singles and pairs, holding signs or pushing carts. They come without showering, hungry, jobless, hopeless, and abandoned. They come in their campers, with a few belongings scattered about them. With lawn chairs to sit in and a few cans of beans to open. They come confused at times, not sure what to do or where to turn. They come willing to work, but with no one willing to risk their labor. They come wanting.

They are the poor.

In this recession, the town of Columbus and likewise the city of Billings has seen its own influx of poor. On many a corner and many a street, they sit, holding their small cardboard signs. They camp out by the river in their campers, anxious for even a minimum wage job to establish themselves again. They come without rich relatives and friends to take them in, without even shoes to cover their feet. Anxious for even a warm place to stay for the night.

They are the poor.

Today it's become harder to ignore their presence. We use to be able to look away or turn our head. We use to be able to avoid them. But today we cannot. Today they stand in our way on the streets, as we drive into our stores, and do our business. Today we mustn’t ignore them anymore...but address their presence here and now. And the question is: How?

The book of Proverbs has quite a bit to say about the state of the poor and our response to them. In more than one place, Proverbs councils us to remember the poor, to reach out to the needy, and to address their concerns.

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. (28:27)
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them. (22:22-23)
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. (21:13)

Do you notice something about these proverbs? They’re really just the Golden Rule! Only they apply to us...and how we treat a specific group of people...the poor. How we treat them...is how we in turn are treated. The “do to others as you would have them do to you” Golden Rule applies especially to those in poverty. How we respond to their needs is how others, and God, will respond to ours.

So... how do we treat them? Not good...I’d say if conversations with fellow Christians is any indication. For there are many faithful believers in Christ, us included perhaps, who would rather avoid the poor than address them. They excuse their behavior by saying they all have a mental illness or they complain about their laziness. “If only they’d get off the streets and find a job...”they say. “Why don’t they work for a living!” They wonder aloud why their own relatives don’t take care of them more. They’ll moan, and groan, and complain and do nothing for the poor on their way to their next warm vacation spot.

This is not good! Not good at all!

We might try to excuse our behavior. After all, today there are just so many poor people around us. On every street corner they sit with their little signs. You help one, and two or three others take their place. It seems hopeless at times! There’s no easy answers. In our town, we are bombarded with transients. People who, for one reason or another, travel the freeway from Seattle to Minneapolis and back. And they always stop here! Sometimes we get repeat customers. Most times they’re just here one day. They’ll always promise something, always be a part of your church, and always be extremely grateful when you offer whatever help you can. But they’ll always be back. And they’ll always be more.

Still, though the poor have always been with us, and will always be with us, the poor are very important in our relationship with God! In fact, Christ tells us how we treat the poorest people among us is how we’ve treated HIM! If we’ve called them mentally ill...we’ve called Christ that too! If we’ve refused to help them...we’ve refused to help Christ! And though the task itself is too large for one person, for one family, to overcome, still we are called to wrestle with it.

The Bible holds the poor in high regard. And though we may not physically be able to help every single poor person that passes our way(though we are commanded to by Jesus who tells us: “Give to everyone who asks you.”(Luke 6:30), we can do something. We can speak out for them. We can defend them against their oppressors. We can step off of the sidelines and address the situation face to face! We can stand up to them against politicians and even fellow Christians who would demean and degrade them. We can call each other on our ignorance and demand more respect for the least respected in our world.

And we can do that anywhere! When we’re lounging on the beach, we can remember the poor in Columbus, Montana. When we’re vacationing at Disneyland or Sea World or wherever our fancies take us, we can say a prayer remembering the poor as we enjoy what they cannot. When we give our gifts to God we can remember the poor, for God is on their side and when justice comes, it will come favoring them. We can work to better their lives. We can elect politicians who remember them. We can think about what their needs are in the community. We can do something. Even a small something. Which is more than just doing nothing. We can stand up with the poor and find our blessing from God there. “Blessed are the poor...” Jesus says. “...for theirs is the kingdom of God.” May we find our blessing with the least, the little, and the lost. For Jesus sake! Amen.

Questions to Answer
1) Think about the state of the poor in your community. Has their situation improved since the recession? Or worsened?

2) Give an example of how you have remembered the poor? And an example of how you have forgotten and overlooked them.

3) God doesn’t ask us to solve the problems of the world. Only to join him in his struggle. What tangible steps can you take in addressing the state of the poor in your community?

A Prayer To Pray
Heavenly Father, your heart goes out to the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. May our heart follow yours. Help us to reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves. Forgive us for our selfishness and stubborn pride. May we see your presence in the least of them, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pondering the Proverbs: The Happy Medium

Proverbs of the Week: Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and stead and so dishonor the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:7-9

Meditation: The Happy Medium
"Dear God, you made many, many poor people.
I realize, of course, that it's no shame to be poor.
But it's no great honor either!
So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?"
Lyrics from “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof

Winning the lottery might be the dream of millions. But it can often lead to a nightmare!

Take Jack Wittaker for example. On Christmas morning, 2002, Jack discovered he had won the Powerball lottery jackpot, 315 million dollars, the largest individual payout in US lottery history. Though he intended to do good with his winnings, his world fell apart with the death of his granddaughter, Brandi, from a drug overdose which was funded by her allowance from Jack and the breakup of his marriage. While he did give money to churches and people in need, he was soon bombarded with lawsuits and thievery and greed. He turned to drinking as he watched what he called the "powerball curse" destroy his life.

This is just one of the many lottery horror stories you can read here if you like.

What is it about winning big that drives strife into our lives? Why is it that when you can buy whatever you want, your life falls to pieces? What is it about success and wealth that is so...dangerous??

Lottery winners aren’t the only ones at risk when it comes to wealth. The same holds true for all the wealthy the world round. People who do not have to worry about where their next meal comes from, who has no sense of want or need, are more likely to forget from whom their meal comes from. They don’t “need” God to sustain them day to day, and so they forget about God. “Who is the Lord” they say. “I don’t need him...right now at least!” They start to look down on those who have nothing and make excuses for their behavior with them. “I just work harder than they do...” they say.

We all dream and pray at one time or another for wealth. We all find ourselves at one time or another like Tavia in Fiddler on the Roof, praying: “Lord who made the lion and the lamb, You decreed I should be what I am. Would it spoil some vast eternal plan? If I were a wealthy man?”

Still, statistically speaking being rich and famous doesn’t increase your overall happiness. In fact, it decreases it! Big time in most cases. People who are wealthy are more likely to get a divorce, suffer from depression, take drugs, and do all other sorts of things. They are less likely to find themselves in a church and more likely to find their own sort of “religion.” Not everyone, surely, but many. And that applies even to people who work hard for their wealth! They too can find themselves trapped by it. Doctors, celebrities, people in power. Anyone with money to burn. They are all at risk. For there is always a sacrifice made for what we earn.

That is why the teacher, Agur, in the book of Proverbs councils moderatcy. He says: “If I had just two things to ask God for... I’d ask him to keep lies and deceit far from me...and give me neither poverty nor riches.” This seems so contra-intuitive to us. After all, how often have we bought a lottery ticket and prayed to God that we won? More times than we care to admit, I imagine.

And Agur isn’t praying for poverty either. He’s not asking to be poor. He doesn’t want to give everything away and live out on the streets in a box. Instead, he’s praying for a middle ground. To be in a place between poverty and riches, where we remember the Lord...AND we have enough that we do not steal. Agur wishes to live between the rich and the poor, where what he receives is both appreciated and recognized as daily bread.

We too can adopt this attitude toward what we have. By seeing what we have and earn as gifts from God, we can resist the temptation to forget about the Lord in the midst of our abundance. By giving what we don’t need away to others, we move ourselves more in the middle, between those who have much and those who have little. By the Holy Spirit working within even in our checkbooks, we can resist the urge to hoarde and embrace the life God is calling us to. We can be moderate!

There are a group of billionaires who have done just that. They have pledged to give away half of their net worth...or more! Bill Gates and others have promised to give away to others the wealth that accumulates in their barns! To move themselves into the middle and to realize and recognize that everything that they have is a gift of God!

Wealth and riches came to another Teacher’s mind. Quoleth, the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes, who wrote this about the love of riches:
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income...As goods increase so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them.” Ecclesiastes 5:10-11

We are placed on this earth for a higher purpose. We are not here to accumulate wealth. We are not here to be rich. We do not live to shun or look down upon others who have nothing. Instead, we are called to be children of God, to be witnesses of his redemption in Jesus Christ, and to call people to a new way of living, a new kingdom-life, where riches are measured by the love of the heart. May we live today in this new world that God is making before our eyes! Amen!

Questions to ponder...
1) Do you consider yourself rich or poor? What is the dividing line?

2) What if the rich are those who are never in need and the poor are those who are always in need? Where would your life be at then?

3) What are the dangers of both poverty and riches? Why do we resist one and strain toward the other?

A Prayer to Pray...
Good and gracious God, you have given us all we’ll ever need. Our daily bread is at our tables and we feast richly at what you have prepared. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, that we may take what is ours and share it with others, that all may find themselves in between riches and poverty, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Pondering the Proverbs: Fear or FEAR?!

Proverb of the Week: Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and shun evil. Prov. 3:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

The Meditation: Fear...or FEAR?
The English language is said to be one of the hardest languages to learn.

For starters, english has many meanings and uses of the same word. Cool, for instance, can mean good and it can mean something is cold to the touch. Aweful originally meant to be full of awe, but it now means something is terrible. The dictionary is full of these kind of words.

Love is another word like that. We can love our cars, our cats, our homes, our wives, our children, our parents, our siblings. And each different object invokes a different meaning to the word love. We don’t love our cars and cats like we love our spouses and children.(At least I hope not.). And even among people the meaning of love is different. My little girl means something different when she coos : “I love you daddy...” than my wife does when she says it. Same word. Different meanings.

Today we have such a word for you. That word is: Fear! Fear, on the day after Halloween, brings to mind ghosts and ghouls and other things that go bump in the night. It reminds us of being afraid, cowering and trembling in the corner. Hoping that the feared one doesn’t bite.

But there is another meaning to fear. One that is used frequently in the Bible. One that doesn’t make us tremble in fright but invites us to step forward, boldly and confidently. Fear as reverence and awe.

It’s hard to see this definition given our usual use of this word, but imagine for a moment if your favorite actor or actress was to walk through your front door. You wouldn’t cower away afraid and terrified, but you would treat him or her with fear. That is you would respect and honor them.

Fear is another word for respect. To fear is to respect. Our parents are feared and loved. They aren’t people we are afraid of(at least I hope they aren’t) but they are respected for who they are in our lives. No matter who you are, parents invoke a certain fear or respect that comes with their role in our lives.

We are called to have the same attitude toward God. The book of Proverbs calls us to fear God over and over again. To respect God, to honor God, and to hold Him in awe and reverence. To treat him like a celebrity and to give him the honor that we give our parents. That is the attitude we are called to take. That is the attitude a wise man takes. And the book of Proverbs is full of these references!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and understanding. (Prov. 1:7)
The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. (Prov. 10:27)
Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways. (Prov. 14:2)
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. (Prov. 14:27)
Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord and humility comes before honor.(Prov. 15:33)

There are others! Many, many others! Over twenty to be exact. And Proverbs links this attitude toward God with wisdom saying, in effect, the wise are wise because they know their place before God. They are not wise in their own eyes. They trust God and shun evil. They walk uprightly and are not caught up in the snares of death. They are humble and do not grab honor falsely. And before all of these is the one command: To fear the Lord.

So how do we do this? What does this look like? Well, you can fear the Lord too. You can stand up with the wise. Respect of the Lord comes in the form of practice. How we live our lives. It shows itself in how we organize our time, how we parcel out our talents, and how we distribute our treasure. Its fingerprints are over each and every part of our lives. It's reflected in how we treat others at the grocery store, how we communicate with friends and relatives. It is more a public thing than a private one.

Fear of the Lord isn’t about what you do in the privacy of your own home as much as it is about what you do in community. The examples above show that a bit, but here are others, straight from Proverbs...

Fear the Lord and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials. - Prov. 24:21
Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress and their children will be a refuge.-Prov 14:26

How you schedule your time is about your fear of the Lord. How you organize your resources is about your fear of the Lord. How you act in the grocery store, how you treat the neighbor that disagrees with you, and how you act toward your leaders and pastors is about your fear of the Lord. Your fear of the Lord is worn around your life like a tie, evident to all who look at you.

What will others see in you? Will they see Christ? Will they see your respect and love and honor of God in everything you do? Or will they see you worshiping yourself? Honoring yourself? Holding yourself above all others? Putting yourself above all others, even God? What will people see when they look at your life? Will they see a wise man who fears the Lord? Or a fool?

The choice is yours to make...according to Proverbs. And there's only two choices... Fear God...or be the fool. What will you decide? Amen.

Questions to Ponder
1) Examine your own relationship to God. How would you describe it? Would you use the word “fear” to describe that relationship? Has your relationship changed any?

2) Are you “afraid” of God? Or do you “Fear” Him? What is the difference? Read 1 John 4. What definition is John using in this chapter?

3) Where is respect for God lacking in your life? Where have you kept control and left God out of the picture?

A Prayer to Pray
Almighty God, we are called to serve, love, and fear you above all else. Dispel the shadows that crowd our time and thoughts and set us free to serve, love, and respect you as we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.