The Friend At Midnight

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yrlcv6

Not often, but sometimes I receive calls late into the night. Sometimes it is news of a pending death or an accident that has occurred. Or it might be someone who is distraught and just needed to talk with someone. Many times I can take these calls and others in the house are not even awakened by the phone.

Being a preacher, that comes with the territory and I’m glad to be able to be of service to those who need me. It may not always come at a convenient time, but then shouldn’t all friends be open to help one another regardless of the hour?

Houses in the day of Jesus were very modest. In fact, most of them were one room homes with dirt floors. At night any animals that the family owned would be brought in to stay indoors. This would protect them from the elements and also from thieves.

The interior of the house would be very modest. The animals would be on the floor of the house. An area of the house would be built up a bit off the floor and this would be where the family would eat and sleep.

In our time today it would be very possible for us to take a late night phone call or even answer the door without disturbing the others in the house. But this would not be the case in the time of Jesus.

While discussing the subject of prayer, Jesus offers a parable to the disciples. We find this in Luke 11:5-8.

And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

When we tie this parable to the teaching on prayer we can understand the point better. Jesus is asking us to be persistent in our prayers to the Father. When we pray we should be aware of our needs and we should pray fervently to God in anticipation that our needs will be met.

For a friend, we will open the door, even at midnight, even if it means waking everyone up and changing our routine. Why? Because we know that the knocking on the door won’t go away until we answer it and take care of the needs.

Jesus then continues in verses 9-13 with the following.

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

What a beautiful comparison and lesson. If even those who are godless know how to take care of their own children, then certainly we should know that God will be more than able to take care of His own.

When the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray,” they may have only expected a lesson on the words to speak. But Jesus went beyond that and also taught them to be willing to pray with persistence.

What about us today? Are we willing to pray and ask God for blessings, seek God for answers and knock on the doors that need to be opened? If not, we should be.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we stop this very hour and pray to God, asking, seeking and knocking for something that is needed in our lives. May we be confident that our Father will always do what is best for us.

Our thought for the day: “No one is poor who can by prayer open the storehouse of God.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Leaven

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2lteez

When I was in grade school our class took a field trip to a bakery. I had never seen bread being made and I looked forward to learning how it was done. What amazed me was that these small balls of dough would soon rise to be a full loaf of bread.

On the tour the guide explained about how the ingredients were all combined and then the dough had to have time to rise before baking. That dough rose because of the yeast that was in it.

Yeast is a living organism and is easily obtained today. These unicellular organisms are neatly packaged so that if they are required for a recipe, all the cook has to do is open a packet and stir it in.

In the days of Jesus yeast, or leaven, was not available in packages. It was kept from one batch of dough to the next. Instead of putting in a packet of yeast, the cook in that time would add a pinch of an old batch of dough to the fresh batch.

Yeast feeds on the sugars in the dough and carbon dioxide is a byproduct of that process. The bread rises because of the carbon dioxide that is put off during the fermentation process.

Even a small amount of yeast will be able to quickly spread throughout the entire amount of dough. Also, once the yeast is introduced into the dough it would be very difficult to get it out.

Jesus spoke a short parable about leaven, or yeast. We find this in both Matthew 13:33 and also in Luke 13:20-21. Here are those readings.

Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

There are two different representations of leaven in the New Testament. The positive use is that which Jesus identified when He compared the spreading of the kingdom of heaven to leaven.

The negative representation was also used by Jesus. In Mark 8:15 Jesus said, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” His disciples didn’t immediately understand what Jesus meant. But His point was to be careful and avoid having the influence of Herod or the Pharisees in their lives.

In Luke 12:1 Jesus identifies the leaven of the Pharisees to be hypocrisy. Saying one thing and doing another can be contagious. Beware that this type of influence doesn’t enter your life.

In 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 Paul compares leaven to the immorality that has been accepted by the church in Corinth. He says, “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.”

That church had been boasting about accepting someone that was still in a state of ongoing sin. Paul said that this was not right and that their tolerance of sin would lead to even greater evils if they didn’t purge it while they could.

But let’s turn our attention once again to the positive use of the leaven. The kingdom of God is like leaven in the world. How? Like yeast it works from the inside and has no impact or effect until it is introduced.

Like yeast it changes what it touches and transforms from one thing to something even better. Like yeast it also is able to spread quickly and affect everything around it.

How can the word of God affect your life like leaven? First, it must be introduced to you. Next it will change and transform your life. Then it will provide an influence to all those who come into contact with you. What a wonderful process! From such a small beginning comes such a grand transformation.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we remember that God wants us to be an influence on this world around us. If not already, may we seek to have the word of God enter our lives and transform us into something far better.

Our thought for the day: “Christianity is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Two Sons

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yons7f

Have you ever been around “yes men?” You know the kind. They are always on their best behavior when the boss is around and say whatever it is that he wants to hear. But when the boss is gone they are not nearly as enthusiastic about it.

Such behavior isn’t pretty. Not only does it build on deceit and hypocrisy, but it also destroys trust and often leads to failure.

The phrase “do as I say and not as I do” is more often seen in action than spoken in words. Good intentions aside, there is a big difference in saying you are going to do something and actually doing it. For example, not all people who say they are religious actually act in religious ways.

In Matthew 21 Jesus is speaking to an audience that included the chief priests and the elders. They represented the Jewish religion and were questioning the authority of Jesus. When Jesus refused to answer by what authority He spoke, He asked them about the baptism of John. Was that from heaven or from men?

This was a trick question of sorts. If they answered, “from heaven,” then Jesus will rightly accuse them of not believing him. If they say, “from men,” then they fear what the people will do. So they answered that they did not know.

Jesus then tells a parable about two sons in Matthew 21:28-32.

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.”

The Jews represented the second son in this parable and the sinners represented the first son.

Notice how the first son indignantly refuses to go and work in the father’s vineyard. “I will not.” There is no offer of any excuse or reason. There is no expression of sorrow for not wanting to work; neither is there any offer made of performing some alternative task. He simply refuses to go.

However, this son also regrets his action. Later he goes and works in the vineyard.

The second son, represented here by the Jews, mostly gives the father, “lip service.” This son appears to be respectful and eager to work. “I go, sir.” But he does not go at all. This son professed much but practiced nothing. His promise was without any performance.

The audience responds correctly to Jesus’ question about which son actually did the will of the father. It was the one who refused, regretted and then performed the work. An intention is worthless until action is added to it.

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We don’t have enough information about the second son to know if he actually intended to do the work or if he was just putting off his father. Either way, the work was requested to be done, was accepted as a task and in the end was not done at all. This son failed the father.

Jesus brings home the harsh reality of doing nothing when He informs the audience that the sinners—tax collectors and harlots—are going to enter into the kingdom ahead of them. They had rejected God’s standards earlier but now had received the way of righteousness through John. Even after the Jews saw them accept John’s teachings they still refused to change their minds and believe him.

Even today there are some who will end up only giving lip service to God. With all good intentions they will declare their love to God, their service to the Savior and their willingness to do the work. But when the Father’s request is no longer fresh on their minds they also will fade into doing nothing.

There is a big difference in “say” and “do.”

On Our Daily Walk today, may we make a special effort today to make good on our commitments to God, Jesus, the church and to others. May we make every effort to show others that we are not only people of our word, but that we are also people ready to work.

Our thought for the day: “He who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything. Life is made up of little things.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Pharisee And The Publican

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2987eq

True Christians know that they didn’t deserve to be saved. They know that the sacrifice of Jesus was tremendous price to pay for their sins. They are reminded constantly of the need to reach out to the lost and dying world and share the good news of salvation with others.

But sometimes people forget the great blessings that they enjoy in Christ. Instead of trusting in God and humbly submitting to His will, they will trust in themselves and compare themselves with their own standard of righteousness.

Paul warned of this in 2 Corinthians 10:12 when he said, “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

It would be easy to make ourselves the ruler by which we measured our own righteousness. We could easily boast of what we have not done (murder, adultery, stealing) and also take pride in the fact that compared with others we were better.

But that is not the measure to which God holds us accountable. Paul tells us in verses 17 and 18, “But ‘he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.’ For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.” The standard is not trusting in ourselves or comparing ourselves to others, but trusting in God.

Jesus tells a parable about two men who went to pray. We find this in Luke 18:9-14.

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Two things immediately jump out in the first sentence. The audience consisted of those who trusted in themselves and who despised others. This is a very dangerous combination.

The first man was a Pharisee. That term represented those who set themselves apart from others, and this man was a good example of one doing just that. He was very arrogant, prideful, self-justified. He was not thinking of others except to be thankful that he wasn’t like them.

He seemed to have no interest in helping others in any way and appeared to be in need of nothing. In his prayer, which was openly given within earshot of others, he focuses on himself and never asks for forgiveness, wisdom or direction. His prayer is about self-congratulations and self-commendation.

By contrast the other man, a tax collector, is far from the focus of the gathering at the temple. Knowing his sins and also knowing the tremendous burden of guilt, this man confesses that he is a sinner and cries out for God to be merciful to him.

Comparisons with others can lead one to a false sense of security and accomplishment. Just because you may behave better than those around you doesn’t mean that you are walking according to God’s wishes.

There is certainly nothing wrong with listing our blessings as we give our thanks to God. In fact, we should count our blessings often and thank God continuously for them. But we certainly shouldn’t be using a time of prayer to exalt ourselves as we put down other people.

Let’s review those words from Paul again from 2 Corinthians 10:17-18. “But ‘he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.’ For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.”

Friends when we stop trusting in our own standard of righteousness then we will also stop despising the faults of others. We are all guilty of sin. We are all in need of the grace, mercy, forgiveness and blessings of the Father. We all need to be justified.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we seek God in humble prayer and be thankful for the rich blessings that we enjoy. May we ask for His guidance, wisdom and protection as we also ask for opportunities to be a spiritual encourager to others around us.

Our thought for the day: “Pride is the only poison that is good for you when swallowed.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Unmerciful Servant

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/29hmoo

Forgiveness doesn’t come naturally for some people. In fact, for some people it just doesn’t come at all.

When we are wronged it is very difficult for us to say “I forgive you” to the one who harmed us. Yet we will instantly request, or even beg, for such forgiveness when we ourselves are the transgressor.

Everyone makes mistakes and most everyone lives to regret a poor decision. We want things to be right and we also desire to be free from the consequences of our mistakes.

The errors we make may have consequences that last a lifetime, but the mistakes themselves need not be permanent. The key is to remember the process that God has taught us concerning the forgiveness of those sins.

Jesus had just given a lesson on reconciling with a sinning brother when Peter decided to ask a follow up question. We find this account in Matthew 18:21-35.

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

This first servant received mercy and forgiveness for a debt that would be too large for him to pay in his lifetime. He should have shown mercy then on his fellow servant who owed him just a few dollars. Instead he refused to offer the same forgiveness that he had received.

The result was that his actions were discovered by the king and the man’s original debt was placed back on him. Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

As hard as it may seem, sometimes those who have already experienced the forgiveness of God are the very ones who find it difficult to extend forgiveness to others. Remembering the grace, mercy and forgiveness they received from God should be motivation enough for them to willingly offer the same towards others.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:32, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Peter was asking Jesus about the limits of forgiveness. How often should we forgive one who sins against us? In His reply, Jesus gives us a glimpse in to the divine forgiveness from above—there is no limit.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we thank God right now for the great gift of forgiveness. And may we remember that gift often as we have opportunity to forgive others of their wrongs against us.

Our thought for the day: “Never does the human soul become so strong as when it dares to forgive an injury.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

TheTwo Debtors

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2altzz

Two men sit in worship one Sunday with only a few pews between them. From the outside they look similar, yet there is a difference.

One man has been to worship thousands of times. He grew up being good and has done what was right all of his life. His motions are fluid, his mind is focused and his worship and praise to God is genuine.

The other man has been away for several years due to his own choice. Worship to him is not yet as familiar, but he gives his full energy and attention to serving his God. Riddled with guilt for the mistakes that led him away from God, he has now returned and is ever so thankful for finding the Father’s forgiveness again.

Both men worship a God that accepts each of them as righteous. Yet at times some in the assembly keep their distance from the man who was away due to his sins. They mistake his willingness to serve for a means of earning God’s favor. They do not realize that his eagerness to be involved is because God’s favor has already been extended to him.

Perhaps they have forgotten the gift of forgiveness for their own sins. But then they never sinned to the depths that this man had sinned. Or perhaps they are just uncomfortable being around someone who has so recently been a slave to sin.

In Luke 7:36-47 we find a story unfolding that included a kind of spiteful attitude toward those who were not as righteous as themselves.

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Jesus gives a rebuke to Simon the Pharisee. His thoughts had been heard by Jesus and He wanted Simon to put things into a better perspective. The short parable about these two debtors helps Simon to understand that when a greater debt is forgiven a deeper love will appear. It also reminded him that no matter how small the debt, we are still unable to pay it ourselves. We need to be freed from our debt of sin.

Simon was busy being possessive of Jesus’ time. After all, it was his house and Jesus was his guest. A new perspective was needed.

We need to remember today that it is the body of Jesus, not our body, to which we belong. It is God’s house, not our house, in which we gather to worship. With a proper perspective we each will be too busy thanking the Lord for our forgiveness to give any thought to others who have been less righteous than ourselves.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we never forget that we are totally incapable of earning our forgiveness or working off our sins. We, like these two debtors, are all indebted to our Father for the wonderful gift of forgiveness.

Our thought for the day: “He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.