1 John 2:15

Verse of the Day: 1 John 2:15

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” – 1 John 2:15  

Our focus verse here has a lot to say about where many are heading in this world today. To start with, John wrote this epistle to help the Christians of that time be filled with joy. “These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:4-5. This is the same message Jesus gave His disciples. “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:10-11. This is what God wants for us, to be filled by His joy. Charles Spurgeon put it this way. “What an evidence of our Savior’s deep attachment to His people that He is not content with having made their ultimate salvation sure, but He is anxious concerning their present state of mind! He delights that His people should not only be safe, but happy; not merely saved, but rejoicing in His salvation. Hear this, people of God! The object of the revelation of Jesus Christ is that you may have joy, indeed, that you may have a heart full of joy, and that you may know what full joy means.”

Moving to chapter two, John speaks of Christ as the Christian’s advocate. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commandments.” 1 John 2:1-3. John is encouraging the readers not to sin, but if they do, Christ will be their advocate before the Father. He, as advocate for us, stands there on our behalf, pleading our case. And because of this, He is able to save completely all who will come to God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for us. And we know these are Christians regarding verses that follow. “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:12-14.

Now we come to our focus verse. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15. This is a very strong statement, for what he is telling them is if they love the things of the world, they cannot love God, for the ways of the world and God are contrary to each other. The same idea is found in Matthew where Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:24. Pastor Chuck Smith put it this way. “You cannot, not you should not, you cannot. And wealth, of course, refers to worldly materialistic things, the monetary system of the world. You can’t serve them both.

Next, John defines for us what he is meaning by ‘the world.’ First, he is not referring here to the physical world, creation. He is referring to the world system itself. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 1 John 2:16. John proceeds to explain more fully why love for the world is incompatible with love for God. It is because everything in the world is not from God but from the world itself. Its origin lies in the world, viewed as a system in opposition to God. Let us look at these three worldly ways. First, let us look in Genesis where these ideas are first exhibited. “The serpent said to the woman, you certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:4-6. Eve here was tempted by the serpent to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She coveted the fruit in three ways. First, it was appealing to her appetite. This John refers to as the ‘lust of the flesh,’ Next, the fruit was also pleasing or delightful to the eye, that which we see and desire to own or possess. This John referred to as the ‘lust of the eyes.’ And lastly, Eve saw that the fruit would make her wise, giving her a wisdom beyond her own. Part of Satan’s lie was that eating the fruit would make her ‘like God, knowing good and evil.’ This was also tempting to her, which is referred to as the ‘pride of life.’

Christians have and will always be lured by the same three temptations Eve and Jesus experienced. Satan doesn’t change his methods; he doesn’t have to because they continue to be successful. He tempts us with the lust of the flesh; sexual gratification, gluttony, excessive alcohol consumption, and drugs, both legal and illegal, as well as the “deeds of the flesh” about which Paul warned the Galatians, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21. He tempts us with the lust of the eyes—the endless accumulation of “stuff” with which we fill our homes and garages and the insatiable desire for more, better, and newer possessions, which ensnares us and hardens our hearts to the things of God. It is also lusts that go beyond things but includes sinful behaviors.

But perhaps his most evil temptation is the pride of life, the very sin that resulted in Satan’s expulsion from heaven. He desired to be God, not to be a servant of God. See Isaiah 14:12-15. The arrogant boasting which constitutes the pride of life motivates the other two lusts as it seeks to elevate itself above all others and fulfill all personal desires. It is the root cause of strife in families, churches, and nations. It exalts the self in direct contradiction to Jesus’ statement that those who would follow Him must take up their cross and deny themselves. The pride of life stands in our way if we truly seek to be servants of God. It is the arrogance that separates us from others and limits our effectiveness in the kingdom.

These three things, lust of the flesh and eyes, plus the pride of life comes not from the Father, but from the world. And, as such, it is passing away with the world, but those who resist and overcome the temptations listed above do the will of God, and the person who does the will of God lives forever. As I said in the beginning, many are accepting what the world offers, which automatically rejects God and what He offers. It is important that we shine the light of truth on those who do not see it, for the time is close for Jesus’ return, and if they continue to deny God’s ways, then it will be too late..

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

John 14:6

Verse of the Day: John 14:6 

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” – John 14:6

It is important that we grasp this truth so that we can counter the belief that there are many roads that lead to God.  Jesus said He was the only way to the Father.  Paul said in his letter to the Romans, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” Romans 10:9.  This counter’s the ideas of the post-Modernists who believes there is no absolute truth, but that everyone has their own truth which they must follow.

We must stand strong in the reality that Jesus is the only way to salvation and any relationship with God; not to argue in anger but to speak in love.  They may try to convince you they are on a path to God, but a different one.  However, the truth is there is no other way.  It is our job to live our lives as though we see this as absolute truth so they can see that light in us and desire it themselves. This is our role as Christians here.  To lead people to the true God via the only path available, that being through the shed blood of Christ and all that entails.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

1 John 2:15

Verse of the Day: 1 John 2:15

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” – 1 John 2:15  

We are not to love this world and what it has to offer.  The things down here are not worth it.  What does it have to offer us?  Verses 16-17 answer this question.  “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

If you love the world then you truly cannot love the Father, for they are diametrically opposed to each other.  So, Is the world and all its pleasures worth more than our eternal God?  If so, then you will need to examine yourself prayerfully and ask why.  Then take what God tells you and change your focus.  You will not regret making the adjustments.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

1 John 2:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 John 2:1

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” – 1 John 2:1

In the first chapter, John lays out how we are to view sin in our lives.  “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10.  In summary, John is saying if we say we are fellowshipping with Jesus and yet continue in sin, we are lying and there is not truth in what we say.  But if we live and walk in holiness and purity and thereby shine the light of Christ into the darkness, then we shall have fellowship with Him and each other.  Notice the two things John says about the declaration of no sin.  1)  we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us, and 2) we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

John states in our focus verse that he wrote those things that we would not sin.  The idea here is to strive for a life of holiness.  To make the purpose of our life to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.  Unfortunately, we are all tempted to sin, and there are times when we succumb to the temptation.  However, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus, who lived the life of perfection we could not and through His death, burial and resurrection we were justified, declared righteous, for the penalty was paid for us on the cross of Christ.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9.

This to me is a very encouraging verse.  We are called to live a holy life, and we can only do this through the power and agency of the Holy Spirit.  Unfortunately, we get distracted from this calling and we fall into the trap of doing what we want as opposed to what God wants.  This, to me, is the definition of sin; following our desires rather than his.  The encouraging thing is that we have that advocate with the Father.  The definition of advocate in the Merriam-Webster dictionary Is one who pleads the case or cause of another before a judicial court.  Jesus pleads our case before the Father for mercy and forgiveness, which is granted, again, because of the work of Christ on the cross.  He does not just forgive, but He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness.   How great is the father’s love for us!

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Colossians 3:17

Verse of the Day Devotion: Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” – Colossians 3:17 

Let us first look at Colossians 1:7. “just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bondservant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.”  Colossians 1:7-8.  Paul refers to himself as a bondservant of Christ. The Greek word for bondservant is ‘doulos’ which translated is servant or slave. And since we are slaves to Christ, we are His and not our own.  For we became His when we accepted the work of Christ on the cross and the Spirit of God entered in and lives within us.  “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” Romans 8:9  And we were bought with His blood.  “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:20.

We are not our own.  When a slave does anything, it is at the command of his owner and master.  Anything we do for God we do because He has commanded us to do so.  It is not because we chose to do it, but we chose to obey Him.  This is important, for in reality not only does He command us what to do, but also helps us by working in us to do it.  “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13. His Spirit who resides in us will do the work He has called us to do, what we must do is submit to Him, and listen to Him so that we know what to do and how to do it.

And because He is our Lord and Master, anything we do must be in His name and not our own.  He is all knowing, and He knows exactly what is needed to fulfill His will not only in our lives, but in the lives of those He brings our way.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28. So, if He leads people to us, we must listen and allow Him to not only command us what we are to do, but also to submit to Him and allow Him to work in us to accomplish His good purpose.

So, as our focus verse tells us, whatever we do, whether it be in word by what we say, or in deed by what we do, we must do it in the name of Jesus.  This entails every outward thing we do.  And if we do it in Jesus’ name, then it must be what and how He would do it.  That is why we must submit to Him and allow His Spirit to guide us.  We must be humble enough to realize it is not our work, but His work that He does through us.  The knowledge we have is from Him.  The opportunities we have are from Him.  The timing of each work we do for Him is from Him.  And finally, the method by which we do this work is from Him.

We should be thankful to God every time we are given a task to do in the name of our Lord Jesus, for in accomplishing this task, we glorify Him in our submission to His Spirit and His will.  This is the greatest honor we could ever receive, being used by Him.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Ephesians 5:20

Verse of the Day Devotion: Ephesians 5:20

“Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” – Ephesians 5:20

God has done, and is doing, so much for us.  Much more than we could ever imagine.  We often give thanks to God when a great thing happens that gives us joy.  Some examples are when we win a wonderful prize, when someone we enjoy fellowshipping with comes and visits us, when a miracle happens in that we are either healed of a terrible disease or we are delivered from a very trying issue.  We give thanks for the food we are about to eat, and for the day we are about to rise from our sleep and enjoy.

But what about for other times?  What about when we go through difficult situations? Paul says regarding this thought.  “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. This can be difficult to do, but let’s look at this closer.  We are to rejoice at all times, in all situations and circumstances.  It is easy to see why we would rejoice when wonderful things happen to and for us; and even when it is just an ordinary event.  But what about being thankful during hard times?  Yes, we should be thankful to God even during these times.

Why should we be?  As the above verse states, ‘for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us.’  Whatever God does or allows to happen, we know it is for our good.  If He chooses for us to, for instance, lose our job, He has a purpose for it.  If He allows us to become disabled in any way, then He also has a reason for it. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. Everything that happens to us, God has a reason for it. This is what we must remember during these times. I remember when I was blind for around three months. Yes, it was hard, but it helped me understand even more His love for me.

Also, I have been able to help others in the same situation. As Paul also said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. Sometimes, what God allows is not for our benefit but for another’s. However, we benefit because we now have the knowledge and the compassion to help others through very similar situations.

In closing, every situation and circumstance we find ourselves in is something to be thankful for, whether we perceive it as good or not.  And the reason is that God either caused it or allowed it.  If there was not a ‘good’ reason for us to be placed in a situation, God would not have allowed it. Remember, all things work together for our good.  We may never know or understand what that good is, but we must trust Him that it is for our good.  And a lot of times, these trials may be the means to draw us to Himself.

What an amazing and loving God.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 1:20

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 1:20 

“And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went away to follow Him.” Mark 1:20.  

In this section of Mark, we see Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee where He calls four of His twelve disciples. First, we see the account of the calling of Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother. “And as He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:16-17. Jesus saw these two casting a net into the sea. Jesus calls out to them saying, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17. Now this was similar to the  Jewish practice of pupils toward their teacher. According Rabbinic literature, ‘a pupil sometimes goes after his teacher, i.e. joins him on his journey and maintains a respectful distance behind him; the following thus displays the pupil’s deference for his teacher, his personal commitment to him, and his desire to learn from the way in which the teacher handles the concrete problems of his journey through life.’ Sounds like what Jesus’ disciples were to do. So, how did Peter and Andrew respond? “And they immediately left the nets and followed Him.” Mark 1:18.

Next, we see a similar story regarding James and John. “And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went away to follow Him.” Mark 1:19-20. Again, we see James and John are in a boat, but instead of casting their nets to catch fish, they were repairing their nets in preparation for casting them. It was a common practice to repair their nets rather than buying new ones if possible. And notice what happens. They also left immediately and followed Him.

Now, I want to point out a few important ideas here. First, these were not people with fancy credentials. These were common men, and Jesus met them as they labored as common men. Jesus chose these disciples not for who they were, but for what Jesus could do through them. Theologian Warren Wiersbe has this thought, “Surely the good qualities of successful fishermen would make for success in the difficult ministry of winning lost souls: courage, the ability to work together, patience, energy, stamina, faith, and tenacity. Professional fishermen simply could not afford to be quitters or complainers!” And with this invitation, Jesus demonstrated what Christianity is actually about. At it’s core Christianity is not about theological systems, rules, or even helping people, it is about following Jesus. Now, Jesus used His followers to accomplish His desires. It was essential that they understand there is nothing wrong with these deeds, and they needed to be open to doing them.

And today we, who are true followers of Christ, must do the same for we are His disciples today. And what did Jesus say to the Jews who believed? “Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32. And this is what He is saying to us today. It is not enough to receive God’s truth. We must retain and walk in it. And it is only when we receive the truth, love it, keep it, and walk in it, that we are genuine disciples of Christ. We must devote our lives to Christ and His ways, and not replace some of them with what we desire.

When Jesus called these four to be fishers of men, He called them to do what He did. He was the greatest fisher of men ever. But He wanted others to do the work He did; first these four, then the twelve, then hundreds, then thousands and thousands upon thousands through the centuries; which ultimately refers to us. He wants to use us in doing the work He started, which was making disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. And He is not saying we are to do this alone. Note the last part of verse 20. ‘and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ This is our calling, to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples for Christ. Let us go out there and reach out to everyone, declaring the truth and helping them learn how to do the same.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, 

Mark 14:36

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 14:36   

“And He was saying, Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” – Mark 14:36   

This verse is found in the set of verses regarding Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane.  “And they came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, Sit here until I have prayed. And He took with Him Peter and James and John and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch. And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.” Mark 14:32-35. First, this comes just after Peter had mentioned several times that even though he may have to die with Him, he would not deny Him.  And the others were saying the same thing. “But Peter kept saying insistently, even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You! And they all were saying the same thing, too.” Mark 14:31.  So, as we can see, Jesus took His disciples to Gethsemane and asked them to sit there until He came back from praying. However, He took Peter, James, and John with Him as well. And due to what He knew was coming He was deeply troubled.

In those days, Jews most often prayed standing and with uplifted hands. Prostration was the gesture of extreme urgency. Jesus, being fully human as well as fully God, was struggling with what He knew was coming. Because of this, He was praying that if it were possible, that this hour would pass Him by.  ‘This Hour’ refers to the time of His arrest and eventual death which would accomplish the purpose for which The Father sent Him here. This prayer was an expression of the real humanity of Jesus, which is as necessary a part of his nature as his deity.

Then we come to our focus verse. “And He was saying, Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” Mark 14:36. “Abba” is an Aramaic word, as Mark no doubt hastened to add for the benefit of his Greek-speaking readers and hearers, meaning father or daddy. The word was used primarily by little children within the family circle. There is no evidence that Jews used the word in addressing God. Such familiarity, they thought, would be irreverent. By using the word, Jesus affirmed his intimate relationship with God.

This verse particularly shows the ‘human’ side of Jesus.  He was approaching a very difficult time in which He will not just be killed but tortured by the Jews. In essence, we see both sides of Jesus. The phrase “All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me.” is definitely His human side. While “yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt” shows His deity. As we see here, He still showed His human side, but did not allow it to take precedent over what the Father wanted.  As difficult as it was, He knew this was the only way to allow the plan of God the Father to be completed. And this plan was for all people, those that loved Him, and also those who did not.

And as hard as this may sound, we should also be willing to follow this example. We must never allow our desires to prevail over what God desires. He wants us to go out and preach the gospel to all, not just to those we desire to be around. He wants us to encourage all Christians to be a light in the darkness, not just those we feel comfortable around. We are called to love everyone, not just those who show us love in ways that please us. And if in our work for God, we must die in order to accomplish His plan, then we must die and thus glorify Him. What we want must always be secondary to His plans. Jesus is an example of this. So, let us go back to what Jesus prayed. “Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” He was not crazy about what was coming, but He went through it because God The Father wanted Him to. And we should do the same.  What does it matter what we want when God has the perfect plan for us all?

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Matthew 18:35

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 18:35 

“So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” – Matthew 18:35

Today we will look at the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.   Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything. And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, Pay back what you owe. So his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him, saying, Have patience with me and I will repay you. He was unwilling however, but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?  And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:23-35.

This is a fairly long parable, but the meaning is rather simple. Basically, a man who has slaves wishes to settle accounts with them.  One of them was a man who owed him ten thousand talents, an extreme amount, for in todays valuation, it would be worth $18,293,025,852.00 if it was gold, and $277,041,996.00 in silver.  The basic idea is that it was an amount he could never be able to repay. And since he could not repay it, the owner commanded he be sold, along with his wife and children.  However, the slave begged for mercy. “The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.” Matthew 18:26. Because of this, the owner has mercy on him. “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.” Matthew 18:27. 

However, then he goes out and goes to a fellow slave. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, pay back what you owe.” Matthew 18:28.  This man owed him far less money than what he owed his master.  In today’s dollars, a denari is worth roughly $1.94.  The value owed to his fellow slave was $194.00.  This was far less than what he had owed the slave owner. And when the fellow slave also fell down before him crying out for mercy, his response was much less merciful. “He was unwilling however but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.” Matthew 18:30.

When his fellow slaves saw this, they went to the slave owner and told him. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you? And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.” Matthew 18:32-34. 

In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus is presenting a principle that is similar to what we find written by Paul. “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32. Jesus is teaching His disciples pre-cross, and therefore in the pre-church age, but the basis for forgiveness is the same. Because God has forgiven us, we are to forgive each other. Remember, He gave His only Son to forgive us, one who never sinned. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. And because of this, we are required to forgive others who wrong us.  

Theologian Craig Blomberg puts it this way. “The following three themes emerge from the main characters and episodes of the parable: God’s boundless grace, the absurdity of spurning that grace, and the frightful fate awaiting the unforgiving.” I could not have said this better.  God’s boundless grace has been provided to us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We deserved nothing from God because of our rebellion.  We had no hope because we could not address our sins ourselves.  We needed the grace that came from God, sending His Son to live a sinless life so that in His death, we could be forgiven if we give our lives to Him.  Unfortunately, many ‘spurn’ this grace, rejecting it due to their hardened hearts.  And as stated above, we are to love everyone such that we will forgive them for anything they do to us. This is what Jesus did for us and commands of His followers so, this is what we must do.  It is not just a request, but a command.  And if we do not follow His ways, we will be required to pay for our own sins, which is an infinite cost. “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that had been owed him.” Matthew 18:34.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 18:10

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 18:10  

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 18:10 

Today we will look at the Parable of the Lost Sheep.   Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven. “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?  “And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.  Thus, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” Matthew 18:10-14. 

This is an interesting parable for it addresses a situation that many of us have not learned to address properly.  The first sentence in this parable says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10.  The Greek word translated despise has the idea of looking down upon or scorning, as well as disregarding them  so as not to be around.  John Wesley put it this way. “We must be careful to receive and not to offend, the weaker  believers in Christ: for as inconsiderable as some of these may appear to be, the very angels of God have a peculiar charge over them: even those of the highest order, who continually appear at the throne of the Most High.”

Now, when we come to verse twelve we read, “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?” Matthew 18:12.  This rhetorical question implies an affirmative response in the Greek: of course, that is the way one would act.  Jesus tells them that the shepherd in this story, being a ‘good shepherd’, would go after a lost sheep, leaving the other ninety-nine to find the one.  The straying sheep is a believer, one of these little ones, who wanders away from consistent obedience as well as intimate fellowship with God.  Now, the leaving of the ninety-nine does not assume they are left unprotected, for other shepherds would probably help them out.

In the next two verses, He expresses the reason for this. “And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.  Thus, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” Matthew 18:13-14.  God does not will for anyone to perish.  “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. Many look at this verse regarding only the unsaved. However, this speaks of all, including those who are weak and walk away. “Thus, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” Matthew 18:14.

Jesus said to His disciples go out into all the world.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. Yes, we are called to spread the gospel to the lost, but we are also called to teach and strengthen those who are followers of Christ. We should never avoid any opportunity to help Christians, especially those who are new and/or weak in their faith. And if we see them beginning to shy away from the Church and ultimately God Himself, we need to go to them and encourage them to stay true to the ways of Christ and help them in areas where they are weak or are questioning Christianity itself.  And if we can turn them around, we can rejoice with God that they have come back to Christ and given up their sins and/or doubts.  For remember, it is the will of God that all of His sheep will stay true and not perish and fall away.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.