Gary Gleans

"It's going to get worse before it gets better." I think that expression is a fitting summary for this passage. The disciples are anxious to know when Christ will come. This is a valid question that we continue to ponder to this day. Christ was somewhat cryptic in His answer but, at the same time, He told them, and us, all that we really need to know. There are a ton of eschatological debates over these verses, and I plan to ignore them all. Instead, we will focus on what I think are the three major questions that Christ answers in this text. HOW WILL CHRIST COME? Christ compares His coming to child birth. For those of you that have experience or accompanied the miracle of giving birth to a child, you know that there are several stages. There is the false labor that sends many a first time parents rushing to the hospital in the last month of pregnancy only to be told to go home and wait. Then there is the "real thing" that is unmistakable labor and thi...

WOW, Jesus loaded up both barrels when he lowered this scathing indictment of the Scribes and Pharisees and their hypocritical ways. It seems that all of these charges fit into one of five categories as several of them overlap. As always, it is easy for us to point our fingers at the attitudes and actions of these men, but we must be very careful because our hearts are not any different that theirs, apart from Christ. It is very easy and almost "second nature" for us to slip into these same sinful tendencies. So lets guard our hearts from these ungodly ways. THEY PREACH WITHOUT PRACTICE: In short, they were hypocrites. They had all of the head knowledge and were quick to tell others what to do but they did not obey their own teachings. They would condemn others while doing the same thing themselves. Knowing God's Word can be very dangerous. The more we learn, the more we become responsible to apply in our own lives. "To whom much is given, much is required....

This text is, once again, about the confrontations between the Pharisees and Sadducees and Christ. They were always looking for ways to trap Him and find some just reason to be rid of Him. As usual, they leave frustrated in their attempts to find fault and are then confronted with the truth as Christ responds to their attacks. TESTINGS OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS: The Pharisees get things started by asking about taxes. They, conveniently, bring the Herodians along so that they will have all of their bases covered. In their minds, if he says to pay the taxes, He will be despised by the people who hated to pay taxes to Rome. If He says not to pay the taxes, the Herodians will be there to accuse Him of insurrection. Christ is not phased. His answer is brilliant and His reasoning flawless. To think that this same wisdom is available to each of us through the abiding work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Sadducees are next in line with a ridiculous hypothetical situation in which one w...

In reality, this parable should have been included in yesterday's post as it is, yet again, an illustration of Israels rejection and the Gentiles reception. However, since it was not included, we will look at it separately and in a little more detail. I believe that it is a parable in which Christ demonstrates how God has dealt with the children of Israel in the past and then how He will deal with the Gentiles in the days ahead. Many parallels can be drawn to our present day. GOD'S PREPARATION: Christ compares the kingdom of heaven to a wedding feast. For this feast all preparations have been made by God. Everything from the place for the feast, abundant food and even the clothing for the guests to wear was graciously and abundantly provided. In some cultures, the honored guests are expected to pay for parts of the wedding. That is not the case here. God has provided all that is needed. He is preparing the heavenly banquet halls, I am sure that the food will be delici...

As I read this passage, I could not help but think of the second coming of Christ. What we call the "Triumphal Entry" was not really all that triumphal when you really stop to think about it. I doubt that CNN or even FOX covered the event. When He comes the second time, the donkey will be replaced with, what I picture as, a mighty white stead. I imagine flashes of lightning, trumpets blaring, the earth shaking and the sky ablaze with His glory. The cool thing is, that all of us get to ride along behind as Christ returns to this earth in His "True Triumphal Entry" and establishes His eternal kingdom. WOW, Lets Go!!! Upon this entry into the city of Jerusalem, He found that several things were not as they should be and ended up having to clean things up and then make it very clear that God's favor was going to shift from Israel to the Gentile nations. The following four narratives describe what Christ found in His first coming. I wonder how much will be di...

Expectations can be dangerous. Jesus was always doing and saying the unexpected. Too often we plan, dream and anticipate only to become disappointed or discouraged when things don't turn out quite the way we had imagined. None of what Christ does or says in this passage should be a surprise to the disciples because none of it is new. Yet, it seems to catch them off guard . I wonder how often I am so slow to learn? How often do I create expectations that are not biblical? How often do I forget to apply the clear revelation of God's Word to my life each day? CHRIST PREDICTS HIS SUFFERING. The disciples were still expecting a kingdom. They thought that they were going to be part of a revolution and were slow to understand that there must first be a crucifixion . It is not as if Christ had not told them this repeatedly, it is just that this information did not jive with their ideas and desires. Even though it is what was best for them, in that it would provide for th...

I must admit, that I am not sure how this parable should be interpreted. I am sorely tempted to grab a couple of commentaries, compare what others have written and then see who has the most convincing argument. I will resist this temptation for two reasons: my library is in Brazil while I am in Salina KS, and I really want to do these posts with just my Bible, pen, journal and laptop. Not that I have anything against commentaries, I just want to try to look at these passages from a fresh perspective. So here we go. I guess, by way of interpretation, there are really only three viable options that come to mind. Option one would be that Jesus was teaching us about the rewards of salvation. This would be consistent with the fact that it does not matter how long you are saved, all will be rewarded with heaven. Option two would be that Jesus was teaching us about the rewards for faithful service. This would illustrate that our rewards are not based on how much we do but on our faith...