Matthew 21:23-32: Help Wanted!

Presented to Swift Current Corps 01 August 2010
and CFOT 15 November 2006
by Captain Michael Ramsay

Have you ever really needed a job? I can remember a short time in my life when, you know the expression, it seemed like I couldn’t buy a job. Because of this – and other things- I am forced to piece together a contract here and a week or two of work there, in order to make ends meet. Every week I go around with Cory, a friend of mine, to speak to potential employers and bid on various contracts. We were in our late teens or very early twenties at this time and I should make one thing clear: Yes we do need the work but we are young then and we are still somewhat picky. Generally we try not to work for less than a certain wage and I generally try to avoid too much manual labour.

Well, one day Cory and I are offered a job at the Esquimalt Navy base. It is only for 2 days and it will be really hard, boring work with a lot of non-stop heavy lifting, and it pays about minimum wage (everything that I didn’t want in a job!). Oh well. Cory says he’ll do it and tries to convince me that we should take the job but I am probably a little too immature back then and I don’t want any job that much so I say ‘thanks’ but ‘no thanks’.

That night I arrive home, check my answering machine, and a better contract; a job that I have been hoping for… does not come through. I open my mail and you notice that there is one thing that always comes through in a crisis though – the bills! And I now have a stack of them! So I call the about the base contract: “sure I can be there. 7 am, okay. Work boots, fine. DREP Building, okay.”

Cory, who told me he wanted to work there, decides to pass on the contract. He doesn’t show up for work. I do go into work that day and the next day. I persevere and finish the 2-day job and at the end of it, I am called into the Boss’ office. He says I can have a new contract if I want to keep working there… with no heavy lifting… about double the pay… an office and a staff of my own, and I can take time off whenever I want. It really paid to go into work that day! I’m glad I took the job. The boss invited us to work for him; I’m glad I didn’t pass on the contract. That reminds me of a parable that Jesus told.

Please refer with me back to Matthew 21:28-31, where Jesus tells this parable about working for God to the religious leaders:
Verse 28, "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, "Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, "I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, "I will go, sir'; but he did not go. [Jesus asks the religious leaders] Which of the two did the will of his father?" (pause) They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you!

The Pharisees and scribes do not go to work that day; they pass on the contract; they pass on getting into God’s Kingdom of Heaven ahead of even the tax collectors and the prostitutes. God himself offers them work and they pass up this opportunity to work for God.

Jesus is, through this parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28-32), as with the parable of the vineyard that we looked at last week (Matthew 21:33-45), and the parable of the King’s banquet, he is answering the Pharisees and Scribes question which is recorded for us in verse 23, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"[1] (Matthew 21:23-23; cf. Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8) Jesus is letting the very important religious leaders of his day know not only that He exercises His authority in doing His Father’s work (cf. Matthew 10-12; Mark 3; Luke 11; John 5:17, 5:36, 10, 14-15) but also that the religious authorities do not have any real authority because they are not working for God (cf. Matthew 3:7; chapters 10-12; 23:33; Mark 3; Luke 3:7; chapter 11; John 8:39).

It is like with us. When Susan, John Duncan (or CFS Director) or I call up social workers, the prosecutors, RCMP, other churches or businesses in town; when we are organising food drives or when doing advocacy work for people, we don’t derive our authority from who we are. We derive our authority from whom we work for: The Salvation Army (and ultimately God!). If John - who is still fairly new in his position - calls up a business that doesn’t know that he works here and begins asking for information and forgets to mention who he works for, do you think they would give him the information? I hope not. We derive our authority from whom we work for not from ourselves.

Likewise, if an acquaintance knocks on your door either when you are very busy or in the middle of the night, you might not be so inclined to answer the door. If, however, you peer out the window and see red and blue lights lit atop her car and she in her blue constable’s uniform, you will probably race to the door to see what she wants. Her authority comes from whom she works for.

This is true for all of us: our authority is not our own it is derived from whom we work. We only have real authority if we work for God and Jesus is stating that He does have real authority because He works for God but that the Pharisees, the religious leaders don’t have that real authority because they don’t work for God.

Look with me back at verse 28. The religious leaders know that Jesus is talking to them, they know what he is telling them: that they don’t have God’s authority. They know the man in the parable represents God. They know that Jesus is talking about them because Jesus spells it out for them! Look in verses 31 and 32: “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.” Jesus says of the religious leaders and “even after you saw it (the way of righteousness), you did not change your minds and believe.” By what authority does Jesus operate, they ask, not the same authority as you do, he replies! Jesus works for God.

Jesus, through this parable, tells the religious leaders that God asked them to come to work for him and, after saying they would (presumably by means of their religious vows), they aren’t working for Him. Now this is significant! This isn’t just Joe Blow on the street who knows nothing about anything that Jesus is speaking to and about here. These are the religious leaders and these religious leaders are the people with apparent authority on earth. These are the people who know the scriptures. These are the people who pray everyday. These are the people in society who fast and are involved in all the religious ceremonies. These are the people who are seemingly trying to please God. These are the religious authorities and they do not have God’s authority because they are refusing God’s invitation to work with Him and they are not going to make it into heaven ahead of even the prostitutes and the tax collectors.

In our society today, who are the apparent religious authorities? Our religious leaders are our pastors, our clerical hierarchy, televangelists and the religious authors. Do you have a favourite author: Someone whose writings really resonate with you? Someone who is popular? Someone who is quoted by others and even gets invited to visit the Pope, our Queen, or the US President? If they have a following, they are a religious leader. And the leaders mentioned in Matthew 21 don’t have the authority that comes from working for God. Today why do our leaders publish their books, is it for God or money? Why do they write their songs? Is it for God or is it for fame? For whom are they working? From whom do they get their authority?

And what about us, you and I here? Will we get into heaven ahead of the tax collectors and prostitutes? If the religious leaders who walked the earth at the same time as Jesus and his disciples seemingly aren’t even working for God, how can we? How can we? When we showed up for church today did we do so to worship God or to see our friends or for some other reason? When we pray, do we really speak to God or do we just roll rote ‘graces’ off our tongues before we eat – if even that. Maybe we don’t even bother to say grace when we are out in public? Are we any better than the religious authorities of Jesus’ day; are we any better than so-named ‘tax collectors and prostitutes’?

And about the fact that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day themselves are missing the point and failing to work for Him and not making it into heaven ahead of tax collectors and prostitutes, I read about some pretty scary things happening with our own religious authorities who don’t seem to be working for God. Did you know that there is even a Bible that they are publishing now which has big sections that have been intentionally taken out of it? In keeping with the ever-prevalent prosperity heresy to which many North Americans seem to fall prey, in this Bible they have removed the sections where God calls for action around money, justice or affluence... “We don't use those passages anyway”, the publisher of this ‘Bible’ says, “There's no single Christian selling his possessions and giving them to the poor.” He goes on, explaining the apparent North American hypocrisy, “Many Christians accept the Western lifestyle, including the degradation of creation and the injustice of our trade, and they only take the easy parts of the gospel.”[2] So then, I ask us today, if this evil is true, which it seems to be of our own society, who are we working for in our country and in our congregation? And will any of us here get into heaven ahead of transvestites or those who sell their bodies for money?

Those that sell themselves for money, the prostitutes; what about them? …And the tax collectors for that matter, what about them? See verse 32. God invites them into his kingdom. He invites them to work for him. He invites them and they believe. They believe. The prostitutes -remember Rehab from Joshua and the battle of Jericho (Joshua Chapters two and six) in the Old Testament? - and the tax collectors - remember Levi (the writer of the book of Matthew) – they believe.[3]

Now, this is shocking for the religious authorities to hear that prostitutes are a part of the Kingdom of God and they aren’t. Today, we are not necessarily so shocked by prostitutes[4] but the religious leaders of Jesus’ day are. Revenue Canada seems like a good job to us. But the tax collectors of Jesus’ day were working for their occupying forces. Some people see them as traitors to their country. And we know what happens to traitors working for occupying forces today – they get killed! But it is these people (even though they may have said ‘no’ to God their whole life) it is these people who Jesus is saying that as they repent[5] and come to work for God they will enter the kingdom even ahead of even the religious authorities”[6]

The prostitutes and the tax collectors believe[7] – and this is important – they don’t just say they’ll work for God. God invites them and they do it! This is great. Even the people who are among the most looked down on in their society - God wants them to work for him and THEY do! They repent and, like the second son in our parable, they go to work for God. They enter the Kingdom of Heaven! They have His authority. Isn’t this great? It doesn’t matter what they have done; it doesn’t matter what they have done to this point. It doesn’t matter. They believe Jesus, they change, they stop what they are doing and they go to work for God and in so doing they enter heaven even ahead of the religious leaders of their day.

And how about us in our day? God wants us to work for Him. Really! And we can, no matter what our resumes look like. This is true. He wants us to experience the full authority that comes from working for Him. I have another friend, Mike. Mike once in his wanderings pulled the trigger on a bank teller at point blank range. Mike is now out of jail and has the full authority that comes from having been working for God solidly for the last decade or so.

Think about it. It doesn’t matter what we have done. It doesn’t matter that we have committed what we might think to be the worst of all sins. God loves us. It doesn’t matter what we have done, how many times we have said ‘no’ to God, as long as we repent. God is inviting each of us to change our minds and work for Him. We are invited to turn and enter the Kingdom of Heaven even ahead of the possibly much more knowledgeable religious leaders of Jesus’ own day and maybe even some of our own day.

It is not too late to work for God. We can still represent God’s full authority. The contract is up for tender. It is not a minimum wage job. It has great benefits. We can work for God. You can work for God. Isn’t this great? Really! Isn’t this great? He really wants us. He wants you to work for him. So, if you are not already, Jesus is asking you to come to work with Him. God has asked you to come to work. If you have said yes, come to work; if you have said no, come to work. Come to work. It is not too late. Even if you have said no up until now, it is not too late to come and work for Jesus.

If you have never said yes to God, or if you have said you would work for him and aren’t. Whatever the reason; whatever you have done, we have a place up here called the mercy seat where you can come and meet God. Come now and work for God.

Let us pray.

Song: Come to Jesus.

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Cf . Douglas R.A. Hare, Interpretation: Matthew. (Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1993), 245.
[2] Captain Stephen Court. Armybarmy Blog: Sunday, October 22, 2006. [Cited 22 10 2006]. No Pages. On-line: http://www.fao.org/es/ess/index_en.asp
[3] Cf . Donald A. Hagner, Word Bible Commentary. Vol. 33B. (Dallas, Texas: Word Books, 1995), 614
[4] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Matthew/Exposition of Matthew/VI. Opposition and Eschatology: The Triumph of Grace (19:3-26:5)/A. Narrative (19:3-23:39)/8. Opening events of Passion Week (21:1-23:39)/d. Controversies in the temple court (21:23-22:46)/(2) The parable of the two sons (21:28-32), Book Version: 4.0.2
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Gail R. O’Day, The New Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. 9. (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1995), 841; cf Donald A. Hagner, p. 614

Leviticus 5:14-19 (Numbers 15:17-31) : Go and Sin No More

Presented to Nipawin Corps, 29 March 2009
and in Winnipeg, November 2006
also Swift Current, 21 July 2012
By Captain Michael Ramsay

Many, many years ago I went to university to become an elementary school teacher. This was a lot different than many of the other programmes at University in that we had ‘extra’ rules to follow: we needed a minimum of a ‘B’ average, we had recommended dress codes, we had be on time. And these were important because we would be example for the young people we would be teaching.

I remember my first day of University. I wake up, my alarm clock doesn’t work. The power has gone out during the night. I wake up right when class is supposed to begin; so I throw on my clothes, grab my books and fly out the door. I jump in my car. I put the key in the ignition and... it doesn’t work. My car doesn’t work. At this point I am quite loudly practicing my… creative English skills, you know what I mean – and I run into the house and one by one call all of my friends who have cars. Most of them are still asleep but I get a hold of Dan. So he comes and gets me and drops me off at the university and, flustered and not wishing to stand out too much I try to sneak, half an hour late, into my first class of the day. I am caught by the professor who calls me to front of the class, issues me a recorder and asks me to play then and there in front of everyone. I do … and am promptly asked to stop playing as my teacher grimaces exaggeratedly. I am absolutely flustered and embarrassed at this point as the teacher asks for my name in order to check it off the attendance. Michael Ramsay. Michael Ramsay? That name isn’t on my list. What?!… All this and I am in the wrong class anyway

I was late for class, unknowingly disrupted the class and was guilty of breaking a rule. As we turn to our text in Leviticus, we discover a whole community of people who are guilty of breaking rules and are held responsible”

In 5:14, it specifies that, “If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible.” At some point everybody has sinned and even if we do not know that we have sinned we are still guilty and responsible - Romans 3:23, 2 Chronicles 19:10. And whatever the offence and the circumstances surrounding it, when we are wrong, we are obligated to God and society to make it right,[1] (cf. Numbers 5:6) God loves us so much, He wants us to make it right.

There are couple ways that this specific law in 5:14 might come into play.
1) The Israelites are aware of the law but do not know that they have even broken it; or
2) Since there are so many more than just the 10 Commandments to follow, someone might not be aware of a law and thus unknowingly break it. As it states in verse 17, you are guilty and will be held responsible. In the case of ancient Israel, the price is a ram without defect and one HAS to pay. Even though they did not know that they did anything wrong, because God really wants them to be right with him, they HAVE TO PAY.

In some ways in our world today we still have to pay. There are many such situations. There are times when people don’t notice a new speed limit and the red and blue lights come on behind us. I remember a discussion that I had about J-walking in Vancouver. I was convinced that if we crossed the street at a back alley it wasn’t illegal. The police officer told us otherwise.

How many of us have forgotten an appointment? We miss it or are late and have to reschedule. There is a penalty. We have to pay.

Back in Leviticus: They have to pay. Sacrifice is required. When they sin, on purpose or not, it gets in the way of their relationship with God. God is gracious though. He’ll let them make it up to Him. If they bring him a sacrifice (sort of a cross between a fine you have to pay or the flowers you might bring your wife after an argument) If they bring him a sacrifice, He will forgive them - but they need to pay.

Now in our text there is a time when you need to pay EVEN MORE– that’s when you sin against the Lord’s holy things. The Lord’s holy things' points to all that is property of the Lord in a special way:[2] that can be anything - an object, money, or a location. In our text, verses 14-16 address that specifically and the penalty in this case is not just the a fine of a ram but it is also restoration PLUS 20% (a double tithe.) So if they may mistakenly take parts of the sacrifice that are meant for the Lord OR they may use tithes inappropriately OR you even unknowingly or inadvertently use something inappropriately that is dedicated to God.

The training college where we were learning how to be officers had a lot of neat things: Camcorders, computers, microphones, key boards and white boards. All of this is for the Lord. All that is The Salvation Army’s is really set apart for God, including the college vans.

We are allowed to use the college vans for coming to Weetamah here. We are allowed to use them to get back and forth from school. We are allowed to use them for things during the week and occasionally we are allowed to use them for personal use as well. But, we must remember that in reality these vehicles are dedicated to the Lord.

Now I do my best to use other people’s things properly. AND I do my VERY best not to misuse God’s things. I really don’t want to upset Him. I can remember one day, though, I get a nice little letter for the Attorney General’s office: “You were recorded at travelling at 70 km / hr in a 50 km / hr zone.” I have misused something dedicated to the Lord AND there is a penalty AND I have to pay

And today there is more… in Matthew 5:17 Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” And James 2:10 says that “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”

There is an even greater penalty for us to be aware of: we have all committed sins knowingly or not but we also have committed capital offences – crimes worth the death penalty – Look here in Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death. If we ever knowingly or not commit adultery even in our minds we are guilty of that same sin – in the law, the prescribed penalty is death. If we commit murder in our own mind we are guilty – and the penalty in the law is death. If we blaspheme the Lord, whether we know Him at the time or not AND whether we do it on purpose or not, the punishment is death. As Adam and Eve, before we were ever born, on our behalf disobeyed God - the penalty for us is death. We are all guilty (whether we know it or not). We have all sinned (whether we believe it or not). We have all sinned and the wages of our personal sins – the punishment, that we deserve! is death. And that is a little more pricey than a ram plus 20% mentioned here. This is bad news.

There is good news though. There is good news in the text – in Leviticus – right here. Do you see it? Did you catch it? After approaching the Lord, in their guilt -Verse 16: “In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed … and he will be forgiven” and again, verse 18: the priest will make atonement for him You know what atonement is? It is just making it okay. Making things right again so we will be forgiven. The priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed … and he will be forgiven.” The priest then will go to God FOR THEM and smooth things over. Even if one has acted out against those holy things of the LORD God himself, he will be forgiven. He will be forgiven. God will forgive them. It doesn’t matter that they are guilty. Even though they are guilty and do not know it. Even though they thought that they had done nothing wrong and they found out quite differently. Even though they are guilty, God loves them and God has provided a way for them to be restored.

When they go to the priest, they are confessing their sins (saying their sorry and meaning it) and he makes it okay. When they approach the priest they are repenting, turning from their error, and he will make it okay. When they approach the priest he offers their sacrifice for them and it makes them okay with God.

And how much more is that the case for us in our world today. When we admit our sins and ask forgiveness, Jesus makes us okay. I did not give a priest a ram when I missed class; I did not have to pay a ticket plus 20% for speeding in a van dedicated to God. I did not. And we do not have to pay the penalty in our world today, we don’t have to pay for Adam. Jesus already did. Jesus made us okay. He already paid our death penalty. He is both the ram AND the High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). We do not have to pay for committing adultery or murder in our minds. Jesus already paid. Jesus has made us okay. We don’t have to pay for those sins we commit by accident or without even noticing it. Because Jesus died on that cross, we don’t have to pay for our sins, no matter how horrible…whatever we have done, Jesus has already paid. Jesus has made it okay as long as we go to him and repent: say we’re sorry and mean it, Jesus has made us okay with God.

As we go to Jesus, the High Priest, and confess our sins and repent, we are forgiven. We will be forgiven. Jesus has already made it right for us. He is the sacrifice. He died (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) He died so that we do not need to suffer the consequences of our own guilt. All we have to do is go to him.

So, as Jesus is both the priest and sacrifice in our text, and it has been made right. It is okay. He died so that we can be forgiven. We can be okay with God.

I don’t know what sins you have committed but they have been atoned for. You are forgiven. We have been made okay with God – Jesus died; so, as Jesus told a woman who was actually caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). “Go…[now that your guilt has been atoned for]…and sin no more.” “Go and sin no more.”

http://www.sheepspeak.com/

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[1] John E. Hartley. Leviticus. (WBC 4: Dallas Texas: Word Books, 1992), 76.
[2] Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Leviticus. (NIB 1: Nashville, Abingdon Press 1994), 1040.

John 21:15-23: We’re Back!

Presented to TSA Alberni Valley, 26 April 2026

Presented to TSA Warehouse Mission and Corps 614, 19 February 2017
Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 07 April 2013

Presented to Nipawin Corps, 21 February 2009
Presented to Weston Corps, May 2006
By Captain (Major) Michael Ramsay

This is the originally published text; to view the Toronto version, click here:  http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2017/02/john-2113-23-welcome-back-feed-my-sheep.html

Have you ever walked into a room and known that you are in trouble right away. You come home: “honey, I’m home….” and there is no answer. You walk into the livingroom and there she is just sitting on the couch, arms crossed, looking straight into your eyes and she starts asking questions…Not me…

I can remember one Friday night when I am sixteen, I need to borrow my parents car and I am allowed on one condition – that I bring my along little sister, Lorinda – she is fifteen. If I can be trusted with the car then I can take my sister with me. This is bad enough but what makes this even worse is that she has a curfew, which I don’t, so I have to stop whatever I am doing and bring her home by 10:00.

I take her down to the local hangout where I meet all my friends and tell her to just to find something to do and not bother me until it is time to go. This works well because, believe it or not, she didn’t really want to spend all Friday night with her big brother either – go figure- so this thing might just work out after all. Now as the evening progresses, things are turning out rather nicely for me actually. You see, tonight my friends and I meet some new friends… We start to get know each other. There is a party later that night that the group of us are planning to attend – there is just one problem – we have to get my sister home by 10. Now as my friends and I are behind the building my sister shows up and says, “it’s time to go” and - she is not alone. She has gone off and found herself a boyfriend! And this boyfriend is actually a friend of mine – so I have an idea…

He can bring Lorinda home! There are, however, a couple of hmmm…details to overcome: 1) my sister isn’t really allowed to date just yet and 2) this boy, Tony, will be bringing her home on his motorcycle (actually I think it was probably more like a motorized scooter!). These won’t go over so well with my mom, so I come up with a plan: I tell Tony that he can take her home but to make sure that he parks around the corner from our house so my that mom won’t see them when she looks out the window and I tell Lorinda to tell mom that she got a ride home from Melody – a nice girl from the church group – which was, um, actually where we were both supposed to be tonight, now that I think about it; so…

Tony gets her home all right but rather than around the corner like I told him to he parks down the street, in plain view, and under a streetlight and he decides to give her a good night kiss. And then Lorinda has a cigarette as she walks the rest of the way home where my mom is watching this whole scene from the window. Lorinda walks in the door and mom asks, “How did you get home?”

“Melody…” up oh…

Fast forward a couple of hours - I come home. All the lights are on and mom, who is usually in bed by now, is waiting for me at the front door… “How did Lorinda get home? How did Lorinda home? Who took Lorinda home?” I hear her question - I just don’t answer. I am caught. I know it. I can tell. I betrayed my mom’s trust and now I am being asked these questions over and over again.

‘Do you love me?’ is the question the newly resurrected Jesus asks Peter over and over again. Looking back at our text, John 21:15-23, Peter must feel just about the same way that I did. “Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?” As is recorded in John 18, Peter, himself, had not a totally dissimilar experience to mine. Jesus trusted him. Peter said he would stand by Jesus and he did not and now he is in need of restoration. He betrayed His confidence.

Peter had a special relationship with Jesus; he was even one of the three that Jesus invited up the mountain with him for his last night in town. Jesus told Peter everything that would happen then Peter still denied even knowing Jesus 3 times in the High Priest’s courtyard… and then they led Jesus out to be crucified.

Now Jesus, who died, is sitting right here; Jesus, who was killed, has appeared to the disciples more than once; Jesus, who was denied by Peter, has just finished eating with them. Jesus, who, initially to Peter’s surprise came back to life, is sitting right in front of him asking him whether or not he actually loves him. No wonder, as it says is verse 17, Peter feels hurt. Who wouldn’t feel a little convicted, a little ashamed, a little embarrassed? You make a promise to stand by someone. He even calls you on it – “Peter, before the rooster crows YOU will deny me three times.”

“No, not me” says Peter “No, not me”…. well, three rooster crows later then Jesus is denied, crucified, died and now he is back from the dead staring Peter straight in the face and asking, “do you love me?” “Do you love me?”

Can you imagine? You just deny someone. He knows it. He’s killed. Then he comes back from the dead and is staring you right in the face and asking you, “do you love me?”

There is even more to it than that. Peter is the ‘Rock’ upon which Jesus is going to build His church (Matt. 16:18); he is one of the inner circle of apostles; He is sent out to proclaim the good news; he is supposed to be a leader. Now he has fallen. How can he be even a follower, if he doesn’t follow; led alone a leader, if he doesn’t lead. Peter is in need of restoration.

So then with all this probably racing around in Peter’s mind and more, Jesus not only asks him, “Do you love me?” Peter also might hear, in effect, “Prove it – feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my sheep;” “Prove it - take care of my followers – prove it, actually feed people -prove it.” Peter hears, “Do you love me? Do you love me?”

Peter, we can imagine, is so saddened that he does not answer, “Yes, I love you and I’ll do it.” Instead Jesus’ ‘Do you love me?’ only elicits “I like you…” Can you imagine?
“Do you love me?”
“I’m fond of you.”
“Do you love me?”
“I like you…I like you a lot.”
“But do you love me? Then feed my sheep…”

This is actually important. In the Greek it is recorded that Jesus is really asking Peter if he (agape) loves him but Peter at first is only answering “I (phillia) like you,” “or I’m fond of you.” This was probably not Peter saying in effect, I don’t love you, rather it is more like him responding, “I’m unworthy of loving you.”[1]

“Do you love me?” a runaway child asks her mom, in our world today, from a phone booth. She wants to come home. She needs to be restored to her place as a loved and cared for daughter.

“Do you love me?” the little boy asks his big brother coming back from fighting in a war. He needs his brother back.

“Do you love me?” a now grown child who suffered abuse in the residential schools, asks the churches? The church needs its family back; it needs to be restored.

“Do you love me?” the sister asks her brother who left her and their mom to live with his biological father. He needs to be restored as big brother.[2]

“Do you love me?” the six year-old asks her 15 year-old sister who has just returned from six months of Drug rehab[3]. The sister needs to be restored as big sister.

“Do you love me?” the estranged wife asks her recovering alcoholic husband as she returns to him. He needs to be restored as a husband.
“Do you love me?” Jesus is asking us. We are in need of restoration in our relationship.

Let me tell you a story about Alan, a friend of mine. He grows up in the church. He is almost always involved something up there. He reads his Bible all the time – everyday for years. He always prays. He never doubts that God has what is best in store for him. When others surrender, he perseveres. Even when his parents don’t want to get up to go to church, he gets himself up, gets dressed and walks all the way there by himself. He rises every morning at 6 am just to spend some time with God. He always has a Bible tucked away in his pocket somewhere so that he can read it or argue some point or another with his Christian and pre-Christian friends. God loves him and he loves God. Then Alan meets a girl.

She is a nice girl. He falls in love but…she is not quite on the same page as he is. As they grow more and more intimate, Alan drifts farther and farther apart from God. He slowly stops reading his Bible. First he just misses a day here or there, then a whole week, then –he moves in with her- he stops getting up early and talking to God; he stops listening to God. Then he stops hearing God; it is silent; it is silent. He is in need of restoration. But…“do you love me?” Jesus is still asking him.

Any parts of this story strike a chord with us? Is there anything separating us from God? We are in need of restoration. “Do you love me?” Jesus is still asking us. What have we done to remove ourselves from the will or presence of God? We are in need of restoration. “Do you love me?” Jesus is still asking us.

Jesus is still asking Peter, back in our text, ‘do you love me?’– and more. There is an important progression here. It is not only Peter whose answers develop – remember the answers of “I’m fond of you” and “I like you” when Jesus asks him if he loves Him and it is only on the third time that he actually responds “I love you.” Well, Jesus’ questioning also develops. He starts out with, “do you love me then…. feed my lambs.” Next, do you love me, then…. take care of my sheep; then, “feed my sheep.” This is an important progression, it apparently moves from concentrating on a subset of the flock, to overseeing all the flock, to actually feeding the whole flock. The responsibility grows.[4] His responsibility grows.

At first Jesus also asks Peter if he loves him more than these – more than the other disciples[5]. This brings one’s mind back to his boast of a couple of chapters earlier in John 13:37 - as verified in Matthew 26:33 - where he claims that he will never leave Jesus. The threefold questioning recalls the criteria for a legal declaration[6]. Three times stated and then something is legal. This is not about apostolic succession,[7] however, Peter is not forsaken he is forgiven.

Jesus is restoring Peter; He does so in such a way as to leave no doubt. While, as we have looked at, the questions are not exactly the same, he is asked three times to confess Christ at his restoration like he denied Christ three times to put him in need of this restoration and later in Acts 10, actually, when he is told through a dream to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, he is told also three times. The triune God is building on the significance of threes.

This is exciting and Peter gets it. Finally, he understands. Peter is restored. After he confesses, (v. 17) “Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus lets him know about what is in store for the future. In verses 18 and 19 “Jesus [says], "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19 Jesus [says] this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he [says] to him, ‘Follow me!’”

The death. Peter gets to die for Jesus. He gets his martyrs’ crown. Now, while this may not necessarily sound so good to us– the person whom you denied and was killed comes back from the grave and tells you, you are going to die… And tradition has it that Peter was actually crucified on a cross, just as Jesus was, except that he was hanged upside down. To Peter, however, this is good news. It means he is back. He is back! Peter has been restored. His sin is forgiven, Jesus trusts him. He accepts the responsibility to ‘feed his sheep’ and this responsibility is actually clearly offered to us all.[8] As Peter himself exhorts us in 2 Peter 5:2-4, “Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

“Follow me!” He is back. “Follow me”, Jesus says to Peter. He is back and he is excited. So much so that Peter starts asking about others around, such as John, ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved,’ who was right there and also sat next to Jesus at the last supper, Peter asks (v. 21) “what about him?” Jesus answers, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me’ (v. 22). Peter is forgiven. “Follow me.” That’s what is important for Peter now – that he must follow Jesus. Jesus has provided a way for him to be forgiven, reinstated and Peter is restored.

“Follow me,” Jesus says, and “welcome back.” Welcome home. Welcome home, in our world today, to the girl who ran away from her mom. Jesus loves you and you are restored. Welcome home to the big brother who has returned. He is restored. Welcome back to the alienated denominations who ran the residential schools, you can be restored. Welcome back to the big sister who went on the drug binge. You are back. You are forgiven and you are restored to your responsibilities of big sister. Welcome back to the repentant, recovering alcoholic dad. Welcome back. You are forgiven; you are restored to your position as husband and dad. Welcome back! Jesus has restored you. Welcome back. All of us can be restored.

I, after not being allowed to use the car for a month or so, was eventually to be restored to being trusted again. My mom trusted me later even though I had lied to her and denied my responsibilities. She forgave me and I was restored.

Alan, my friend, the silence for him must have been as painful as the denial was for the disciple Peter. The girl he was involved with is now a follower of Jesus – and now she is his wife. They are married. They repented of their collective sins. Alan is reinstated and Alan is restored. He is restored to getting up early and meeting with people and telling everyone that he knows about Jesus – not to annoy anyone and I don’t think he does necessarily – but just because he loves Jesus. He doesn’t deny him or hide Jesus anymore and other people come to love Jesus through Alan AND his wife. Jesus loves them. God is faithful. They are restored and they are feeding his sheep.

Jesus loves us. Whatever we have done. He is here and he has forgiven us. We just need to accept that forgiveness and be restored and feed his sheep. There is lots of opportunity to live out our restoration: physically speaking, in our world, one in four children is in need of feeding - 5.6 million children under five die every year[9]. And as one Bloc MP said, in this county, ‘The problem of poverty is not God’s fault; it's man's, the resources are here. The economy is here. We just need to share what there already is.’[10] How do we feed these sheep? And as far as the all important spiritual feeding is concerned…everyday 150 000 people die. How many are well fed Christians? How many are going to see God on good terms? The Chief Shepherd has given each of us oversight of part of his flock. How many people in our flock are well fed?

We are invited to accept forgiveness. We are invited to feed Jesus sheep. We are invited to be restored. We are invited to show the way, the truth and the light. We are invited to accept that forgiveness as well. Jesus died on that cross for us and he is sitting, in effect, on the beach with you and me. He knows our hearts. He knows your heart. He knows and forgiveness is offered. We just need to accept that forgiveness, that restoration and that reconciliation and ‘feed his sheep.’ Feed his sheep. Look after the hungry. Feed his sheep. Look after the spiritually hungry. Feed his sheep. Take care of those in need. Feed his sheep. Don’t lose any of the flock of which he has given you oversight. Feed his sheep.

Let us pray: “dear God, we thank you for your example of the restoration of Peter. We thank you that restoration is available to us all. We confess the times that we have denied and not followed you. We confess that there are times that we have not fed your sheep. We love you and we pray that, as you enable, like Peter claimed, we will always follow you. Amen.”

Let us quieten our hearts and minds let us reflect on our own personal restoration. If we are still in a situation where you need to be reconciled to God and / or another believer; if our relationship is in need of repair; if we are in need of restoration, we can pray quietly where we are. Maybe you’ve never been restored. Maybe you have and are in need again. Maybe your flock needs to be fed. Maybe there are sheep with which the Lord has entrusted you, who are still in need of feeding. Maybe there are others in your life who need that restoration and your prayer. Jesus is here. He is offering to restore you to your right and future place with him. Jesus is here. Come and accept your restoration.

http://www.sheepspeak.com/

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[1] R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel. (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961), 1420
[2] “Statistics Canada indicates that ten percent of families with children are stepfamilies, and about a third of them include children from different unions. In the United States, it's estimated that stepfamilies may outnumber biological families by the year 2010.” Reader’s Digest Canada, “What do you think is the lasting impact for children of divorce?” n.p. [cited 25 03 2006]. On-line: http://www.readersdigest.ca/debate.html?a=v&di=116
[3] 28.6% of 15-17 year-old girls in Canada have reported illicit drug use. Michael Tjepkema, “Use of Cannabis and Other Illicit Drugs,” Statistics Canada Health Reports 15, no. 4. (2004): 47
[4] R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel. (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961), 1421.
[5] George R. Beasley-Murray, John. (WBC 36: Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1987), 405.
[6] George R. Beasley-Murray, p. 404.
[7] Gail R. O’day, John. (TNIB 9: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1996), 861.
[8] Gail R. O’day, p. 861.
[9] Unicef. “Progress for Children: a Report Card on Nutrition” Unite for Children, no. 4 (May, 2006)
[10] Christianweek.org. Cited 25 April 2006. No Pages. On-line: http://www.christianweek.org/stories/vol20/no02/record.htm
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Further Reading.

Beasley-Murray, George R. Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 36. Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1987.
Earle, Ralf, Harvey J.S. Blaney and Charles S. Carter. The Wesleyan Bible Commentary: Matthew –Acts. Vol. 4. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1979.
Christianweek.org. Cited 25 April 2006. No Pages. On-line: http://www.christianweek.org/stories/vol20/no02/record.htm
Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961.
O’Day, Gail R. The New Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. 9. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Reader’s Digest Canada, “What do you think is the lasting impact for children of divorce?” Cited 25 April 2006. No pages. On-line: http://www.readersdigest.ca/debate.html?a=v&di=116
Tjepkema, Michael. “Use of Cannabis and Other Illicit Drugs,” Statistics Canada Health Report 15, no. 4. (2004): 43-47 Unicef. “Progress for Children: a Report Card on Nutrition” Unite for Children, no. 4 (May, 2006)
World Socialist Movement, ‘How Could We Feed the World.” Cited 15 Mar. 2006. No Pages. On-line: http://www.worldsocialism.org/wsm-pages/food.html

John 20:1-9: He’s Alive!

Presented to Swift Current Corps, 31 March 2013,
Presented to Nipawin Corps, 15 February 2009,
Presented to CFOT, 10 April 2006.
By Captain Michael Ramsay

This past week of course, some of us men were blessed enough to go to men’s camp. Men’s camp is always good. There is food and Bible study and food and games and food and prayer and then food and church services and food and then of course before you go to bed at night there are always snacks, just in case you happen to be hungry.

Another thing that we really enjoyed about men’s camp was a movie we saw – Fighting the Giants. It is really good and I recommend it to everyone actually but it got me thinking about some of the older movies I have seen. Have you ever seen any of those old black-and-white horror movies where technology isn’t quite what it is today and the monsters have all that disjointed movement and the white make-up starts to come off Count Dracula’s face or the Wolf Man just looks like a fellow who hasn’t shaved for a week? Some of my favourites are those old Frankenstein movies where the Doctor yells out “He’s alive!” He’s alive!!” It’s great.

Have you read the book or watched the movie based on Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein? In the book, Dr. Frankenstein has assembled this new creation from corpses of criminals: one on his left, and one on his right side. The doctor really believes that the creature will live. He has faith. He is so emotional. There is still a lingering doubt when he goes about all his experiments - an unknown - but he has faith. It gets to the point though where all his faith is seemingly in vain; he’s done everything he can think of and it doesn’t work. Impossible – it seems - everything was for nothing.

I remember Grade 6 Math. - Speaking of impossible things that seem like they are for nothing - I didn’t get it. I always had to do my homework before I was allowed to play and it was that Grade 6 Math that got me –algebra – yuk! I always got that sinking feeling when I heard, “Do your math…” After it has been ½ an hour, I can see my friends playing outside and I don’t get it –my math- so I get really upset and feel like just throwing things…by the time I am finally finished my friends are gone – I missed my chance. They are gone

Do you ever get like that? You work at something: you tie up all your energy into it. You try, you ask for help, you believe but…you missed you chance…you’re friends have gone home. You’re powerless.

That brings us to John 20:1-9, imagine what it was like at the tomb. Mary’s coming to greet Peter and John it is that same sinking feeling; it must have been just like mom saying, “Boys, have you finished your homework? You can’t go play until your Math is done.” They’re struggling. They look and their friends are leaving. It is too late. He is gone. They rush as quickly as they can to the tomb…but he is gone.

It is difficult to believe. Can you imagine? They worked hard; they gave up their work and their life and for three years they pinned all their hopes on Jesus. He was supposed to be the Messiah who would deliver them and all Israel from the Romans. He was supposed to wield such power and authority that, as recorded in Mark 10:37, John and James fought over who would sit on his left and who would sit on his right when he came into the kingdom.

John even abandoned his father right in the middle of attending to the family business. They took a gamble. They took a massive gamble and now it looks as if all is lost. Jesus died. He died on the cross and now he is gone! Apparently grave robbers were not uncommon at this time. Actually they were quite common. The Romans had to even pass laws to prevent it so I don’t imagine that the disciples were too concerned that the soldiers were there; but they would be concerned that the body wasn’t. Did the soldiers move it to protect it? Did someone steal it? Did Jesus’ opponents take it and desecrate it? All these questions must be racing around in their heads.

As Luke 24:12 verifies, they run to the tomb when they first hear from Mary about the body. They don’t just walk. John outruns Peter. It is like they are racing. John gets to the tomb. He just stands there. Looking in, he isn’t recorded as saying anything. He just stands there. Peter catches up and bursts into the tomb. This moment seems terrible…really.

So much for this powerful Messiah…so much for even a rallying point…so much for everything. They pinned all their hopes on Jesus –his power and authority -and now those hopes must feel just as empty as the tomb…how could they believe he was going to deliver them from the Romans; how could they believe he was powerful enough to free them from their rulers;

Today, how can we believe he had the power to set the captives free? How can we believe when children still die? How can we believe in this powerful ‘prince of peace’ when there are still wars…and more than ever before? How can we believe in a God that seems powerless to stop people from starving? How can I believe in a God that would abandon me in my time of need? He is supposed to be here. So where is he? Where is he when my friend Eric dies in a helicopter crash en route to his own wedding? Where is he when my aunt (a minister) is beaten to death by an ‘addict’ in need of a fix? Where is he when a relative kills herself after a failed armed robbery attempt – leaving her lifeless body for her daughter to find? Where is he when my cousin dies, leaving her husband and two young girls behind? Where is he when I am struggling with my kids and family? Where is he when I want to pack it all up and just go home – where is he? How can I believe in this powerful God and resurrected Christ when all this is happening?

We have all heard the stories about predators who stalk children through the internet. We have all read in the papers these past few years that some people actually associate God’s name with things like ‘Iraq War’, ‘Abu Garib’, ‘Guatanamo’, ‘residential school abuse’… How can we believe? You know the divorce rate is the same inside the church –if not higher than– outside? Would you believe me if I said that there were more homosexual unions presided over by clergy than by secularists? Really. Where is he, this Jesus who was supposed to be powerful enough to defeat this sin and death? How can we possibly be expected to believe. Where is he? Where is he?

In the text, back at the tomb, where is he? Where is he? Peter rushes past John into the tomb. Do you see that? In the tomb… his clothes are still there? Why are they still there? Grave robbers would just take everything and go. The grave clothes are not disturbed; why aren’t they? Grave robbers don’t take great care of clothes. They would not have unwrapped the body…the Romans also would have just moved the whole body. Where are the footsteps leading up to the body? The burial cloth that had been around his head is actually folded up.

Then John understands. Sort of… - This is important as recorded in Deut. 19:15, a matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses - Here we have our two witnesses and John understands. He believes – and this is important – the word for belief in this context doesn’t just designate an understanding or an acknowledgement. It designates faith! John understands that Jesus is risen and he puts his faith in him. He believes - even if he doesn’t understand the full significance of it yet – he is empowered and quite possibly, even now, has a full faith in the power of the resurrection.

This is exciting. He’s alive! He’s alive… like when Dr. Frankenstein has assembled his creation. The doctor really believes that the creature will live. He has faith. And then the excitement! “He’s alive!” “He’s alive!” Can you imagine the even greater excitement as Jesus is raised from the dead? He’s alive… he’s alive.

John doesn’t necessarily fully (and Peter certainly doesn’t yet) understand but he believes. He doesn’t understand yet what that all means- or what it looks like. He doesn’t even comprehend the prophesies that this fulfils but he believes. He has seen the evidence – the strips, the rolled away stone, the folded burial cloth, the other first hand witnesses - and he believes. He believes in the power of the resurrection. He doesn’t know how but he believes he will set the captives free; he doesn’t yet know how but he believes …

He has conquered sin and death in our world today and we can believe. We can believe the evidence that he was resurrected; He has defeated sin. We can believe He has provided a way for children to live, who would otherwise die. We can believe in he is this powerful ‘Prince of Peace’ who has provided a means to end wars. As it is written in Isaiah 2 verse 4, "…nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more." We can believe in this God who by his power has made it so that people don’t need to starve – He has produced more than enough food for the entire world already. We can believe the evidence of the power of the death and the resurrection. We can believe he has defeated death. I believe in God who neither abandons nor forsakes me in my time of need; we can believe He never gives us more than we can bear. He is here. He is here. He is here! He has conquered and all we have to do is believe and follow.

Half a lifetime ago, I woke up on Sunday morning. I was broke and I didn’t have money for coffee. I found a dollar in my pocket. That was great except that the Lord said that this was His dollar. He wanted it. I didn’t really understand what was happening; however, He said it again and I believed him of course. I went to the local coffee shop before church as I always did and the whole time I kept fingering the coin in the pocket of my black leather jacket as people bought me coffee. I was waiting to see when God would ask for this dollar. He wasn’t giving me opportunity to spend it really and besides I knew it was His.

Anyway to make a long story short, my friends, some of whom weren’t saved yet followed me the church to see what God wanted the dollar for. The strange thing is – I don’t really remember to this day what it was for– but I remember the impact. He asked me to give it to someone and all my friends with me knew it. We knew it. We didn’t understand entirely but this is the resurrected power of the resurrected Christ. Now I still don’t understand entirely why He wanted this dollar or what it was used for but I truly believe that He used that dollar for His purpose. This was a witness to my pre-Christian friends who accompanied me to Sunday school that day from the coffee shop. I still don’t fully comprehend but we saw and we believed. Some of them are no longer pre-Christian. Some of them are now believe. We believe in this, we believe in the power of the resurrected Christ.

And you are invited to believe also -to believe fully in the power of God and the resurrected Jesus. He is not dead. He is alive and the evidence is there that we can really believe – not in only an historic event but in a real personal and powerful Jesus. One who was and is; one who has provided and continues to provide through the power of his death and resurrection; one who asks for coins or other things that we simply do not understand, one who asks that we have faith, that we trust, that we believe fully in him. Today believe…and follow.

Please bow in prayer with me: “Dear God, we believe in you. We believe that by your death and resurrection, you conquered sin and death and we are sorry for the times when we have not had that real life-changing belief in your power in my own life. Amen.”

This day as we quieten our hearts and minds, let us reflect on how our belief in the resurrected Lord is impacting our lives. He is doing powerful things in our lives, in our lives right now that we do not and may not ever understand. The Lord wants to use you to do His bidding. Now’s the time to believe, to really believe, not just in a theoretical Jesus but one who has risen from the dead and is asking you to follow him.


http://www.sheepspeak.com/
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Beasley-Murray, George R. Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 36. Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1987.

CBC News, “Canadians Among 27 Charged in International Child-porn Sting.” Cited 16 Mar. 2006. No pages. On-line: http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/03/15/childporn060315.html

Earle, Ralf, Harvey J.S. Blaney and Charles S. Carter. The Wesleyan Bible Commentary: Matthew –Acts. Vol. 4. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1979.

Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961.

Matera, Frank J. John 20:1-18. Interpretation 43 no 4 (Oct 1989): 402-406.

Minear, Paul S. We don't know where, John 20:2. Interpretation 30 no 2 (Apr 1976): 125-139.

O’ Day, Gail R. The New Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. 9. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1995.

Project Ploughshares. Cited 16 Mar. 2006. No Pages. On-line: http://www.ploughshares.ca/

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics. Cited 15 Mar. 2006. No Pages. On-line: http://www.fao.org/es/ess/index_en.asp

United Nations World Food Programme, “WFP lauds Pope's commitment to humanitarianism.” Cited 16 Mar. 2006. No Pages. On-line: http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2039

World Socialist Movement, ‘How Could We Feed the World.” Cited 15 Mar. 2006. No Pages. On-line: http://www.worldsocialism.org/wsm-pages/food.html

John 15:1-17 : “Remain in Me and Bear Fruit”

Presented to Nipawin Corps, 1 February 2009,
Presented to Weetamah Corps and Stony Mountain Penitentiary, March 2007
By Captain Michael Ramsay

I remember when I was in Training College – The Salvation Army equivalent to (or at least our closest approximation to a) seminary – a number of the fellows joined a Salvation Army hockey team that played in the city league in Winnipeg and one day something really exciting happened:

We won a game. One game. Really. We actually won a game. It was the second to last game of the season and we actually won one whole game. I can tell you that there was celebration that night. The game ended past midnight and people could actually hear phones ringing in the residences – particularly at the houses of the guys who weren’t at the game that night. The season was almost over and we finally won our first game. We only won one game but it felt as if we won the playoffs.

I say ‘us.’ I never went anywhere near the arena. Growing up in a place that never really gets any snow, let alone ice. I never did learn how to skate – led alone play ice hockey. I wasn’t on the team but you know how it is? Like when the Roughriders won the Grey Cup the other year, we all like to celebrate successes of ‘our teams.’ And the next day after our team’s victory, every one of us in our class was celebrating with the players as they told their stories.

We back our teams. We stick together. Some people at the College (not me!) even headed out to watch a lot of the late night games. They were our team. They are our friends and we are apart of them. When they win, we win. We stick with them. And they stuck with their hockey right from the beginning and in the end it produced fruit: they won; we won.

In the chapter we read from earlier, John 15, Jesus tells us a parable about staying with Him and producing fruit. He does it in an interesting way too.[1] He speaks about a vine.

Jesus tells his disciples, his friends, (verse 1) ‘I am the vine’ and ‘my Father is the gardener.’ And (verse 4) you must remain in me to bear fruit. Now this passage here, in Chapter 15, is part of what is known as his farewell discourse (John 14:1-16:33). This is when Jesus is alone with his disciples and this is his final big talk with them before he is arrested, tried, and ultimately executed. It is probably either taking place at the last supper itself or maybe even after that. It could be taking place even as they are walking en route to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus will actually be arrested.[2]

Now, at this time, Israel is an agricultural society and the grape vine is a very important part of its culture: so much so that their national symbol at this time is actually a golden vine.[3] There is even a golden vine on the Temple itself.[4] The Israelites here know gardening and how vines work. Jesus may even have had a vine beside him (as an object lesson of sorts) while telling this story as he is walking to Gethsemane. This passage here is part of his last good heart-to-heart talk with his disciples. This is where he is giving them their final instructions before He dies. This is his final discourse and as such we know that what he is saying is important.

What is he saying? He is saying, stick with me. Remain in me. Abide in me (verse 4), abide in my love (verse 9, verse 10, verse 11); remain in my love to produce fruit, to produce works of love. [5] Remain in the vine and I will do it, Jesus says. I will produce my fruit in you.

Now, this isn’t just a neat story. This is also warning. Take a look closely. Look with me at Verse 4. Unless you remain in Christ you cannot bear fruit. If you do not bear fruit, GOD will remove you (verse 2) and you will be thrown into the fire and burned (verse 6). Remember that these are his closest disciples with whom Jesus is speaking right now; it is even after Judas has already left to betray Jesus. It is the remaining 11 disciples and Jesus is telling them as he’s about to be handed over to die and that if they don’t stick with him even they may be cut off and burned.

How much more so for us, a few generations later? We too have to stick it out, if we don’t want to get burned. I don’t know how many of us follow hockey too closely but do you remember the Quebec Nordiques in the early 1990s? Now I know there aren’t a lot of Quebec fans on the prairies but in their last few years there they had what I thought was potential – and I can remember even cheering for them for a season or two – and I can remember feeling burned.

I remember that they picked the number one draft pick over all – a young Eric Lindros. He was a player with great promise. He is picked to be a part of the team as they pursue the Stanley Cup. But Eric Lindros refuses to stick with the team. He refuses to remain with the team that drafts him. He demands to be traded because he says he only wants to be on a team that has ‘realistic chance’ of winning the Cup.

So the Nordiques trade him and you know what happens? Shortly afterwards, the Nordiques become the Colorado Avalanche (one of the greatest teams of the 1990s) and they bear fruit. A lot of fruit: in their first year there, they win the Cup and they win more than one Stanley Cup – without Eric Lindros!

And you know what happens to Lindros? He never enjoys that fruit. They produce it without him. He is retired now and he never won the Stanley Cup. He, even though he was the first picked of all those picked that year, he didn’t remain. He didn’t stick it out. He was cut from the team and metaphorically speaking, he was burned. Likewise If we don’t remain with the team –or the vine- we will be burned.

And even the disciples – Jesus is telling them if don’t remain on his team; if even they, his closest friends and followers; if they don’t remain in him, they will be cut off and burned. Look at Verse 16: Even though Jesus chooses them, he has to remind them that they need to remain to bear fruit. Jesus isn’t speaking to outsiders here, he is speaking with his own chosen disciples, member of his own team. Like Lindros was chosen but he didn’t remain and so bears no fruit for the team. Jesus is telling his disciples if they don’t continue to play for the team, if they don’t remain in him and bear fruit then they too will be cut.

And even more than that, look at this. Verse 2: It is not only those who don’t stick it out that are cut in our story. It is also those who do remain. They are pruned. You know what being pruned is? It is getting cut! So both those who stick it out and those who don’t stick it out are cut in this story; so ultimately then who can remain? Who can do it? Who can abide in Christ? Who can last?

Who can last? I can remember some other struggles of trying to last. I remember many years ago, when I am training to be an elementary school teacher, it is a rigorous programme. We all work really hard and a number of us are chosen. We are chosen, based on our grades and other criteria to be part of the special programme. We are told that we are among the best, the chosen ones.

Janet is my friend. She works really hard. She has as much talent as anyone else in that programme but she is cut. She is cut from the programme for whatever reason. She is pruned. She is cut and she does not bear fruit that year. She does not even graduate then. Even though she was especially chosen for this elite programme, she does not complete university with her session mates. So, if some of those who are chosen don’t last, who can last? Who can survive the cut?

The remaining 11 disciples lasted. They did. They lasted until the very end. Even though they faced imprisonment, they remained in Jesus. Even though they faced torture, they remained in Jesus. Even though they faced death, they remained in Jesus. They even lasted in the face of death. They remained and what happened when they remained? Jesus (the vine) bore the fruit of ‘works of love’ through them (the branches). Acts Chapter 2 says that even shortly after Jesus went to be with the Father, more were added to their numbers daily. He was bearing fruit in them, his disciples. They remained. This is great news.

Recorded in our passage of scripture today, Jesus is actually comforting his disciples; he is not condemning them. Jesus is about to be led away to be executed, to be crucified, and he is telling them not to worry. Don’t worry. He assures them. If they remain true to him, he will still bear the fruit of love in them even as he has gone on ahead.

How did they remain in Jesus? How are they able to be branches bearing fruit even while they are imprisoned, tortured and killed – see Verse 9 – how? By keeping his commandments. And what does Jesus command? Verse 9 that they abide in his love; Verse 10, that they remain in his love; and Verse 12, that they love one another. Love God and love your neighbour (Luke 10:27) and what is the greatest way to show that you love someone else? It is, Verse 13, to lay down your life for your friends. And that is what his disciples did for him. And that is what Christ first does for them. And that is what Christ does for us too. We can have his love show through us precisely because he loves, lives and died for us.

Christ chose the disciples to remain and they did and the Father grew the vine and Jesus produced the fruit of love through his disciples. This is good news but it isn’t new news. In the OT Law, Deuteronomy 6:4-5 declares, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” And Jesus says, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt 22:39, Mark 12:31-33, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14). Remember that the disciples can’t produce fruit by themselves anymore than a branch off a vine can produce fruit - but Jesus can produce fruit! The vine can and Jesus does produce this fruit of love and so much fruit…there is still fruit being produced from this vine today. Isn’t this amazing?

And we too can have that fruit produced through us. There can be Jesus’ fruit produced through me. There can be Jesus fruit produced through all of us. As we turn to him, as we remain in him, we will obey his commandments, we will remain in his love, we will love one another and he will produce his fruit of love in us.

This is good news: There is good news (Verse 16): I chose you, Christ says. And I appointed you to bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Whatever you ask for me, - on my behalf - Jesus says, God will give you. The Father will not deny the son anymore than the gardener will deny his prize vine, even if he has to cut some branches…cutting?

What about cutting? – Do you remember those branches in Verse 2? Remember Jesus says that even those that do remain in Him he will cut. He will prune them. This is significant. And this is good news too – believe it or not. Let me explain it in terms of a story I told you earlier here.

Recall Janet –my friend- she was one of the chosen few from the teachers’ college. She was one of the elite, she worked really hard but she was cut anyway. She wasn’t allowed to graduate with everyone else…well Janet applies to redo her practicum. Janet goes back to Teacher’s College the next year. Janet was pruned and Janet grows backs. She becomes a teacher. She does. She is cut and she grows back.

This is exciting. In verse two it is evidently an intentional play on words in the original Greek between the branch that is removed and the branch that is pruned. The key difference though is that the pruned branch, though it is cut, it remains.[6] The pruned branch, it grows and it bears fruit.

We all must go through times of pruning in this life but, remembering this, as we remain in Jesus, as we abide in him, as we show his love for God and our neighbours, we will bear his fruit of love. We will bear Jesus’ fruit. We will represent the fruit of Christ himself. We will bear fruit of his wonderful works of love and life and so much so that even though we may even die, yet we shall live.

Are we bearing fruit? Do we want to bear fruit? Do we want to bear more fruit? Do we? This is exciting. All we have to do is remain true to Jesus. Seek ye first His kingdom. Love our neighbour as ourselves and keep our eyes upon Jesus, remaining in his wondrous grace.

Appeal:
Jesus is here and he is the vine. If you have never been a part of Jesus and would like to be we have this place of here called the mercy seat where you can come and be grafted into the vine and show these acts of love.

Jesus is here and he is the divine. For those of us here today who are already a part of the vine, it is okay. Maybe you are being pruned; it is okay. It will be all right. Somehow. Remain in Jesus and it will be all right. He will never leave you nor forsake you. If you have made that commitment to Jesus (or if you would like to), I invite you, if you would like someone to pray with you, to come forward and show your acts of love before God. Jesus loves you. Keep your eyes upon Jesus. Remain in his wondrous grace.


http://www.sheepspeak.com/
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[1] Cf. Frank H. Caldwell, “‘Contact!’: a homily on John 15:1-12,” Interpretation: a Journal of Bible and Theology 1, no 1 (Jan 1947): 63-66. And Cf. Frances Taylor Gench, “John 15:12-17,” Interpretation: a Journal of Bible and Theology 58, no 2 (Apr 2004): 181-184.
[2] Gail O’Day, “John” in NIB IX, Ed. Leander E Keck (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1995), 730. Cf. Lenski 1029.
[3] Merrill C. Tenney Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:John/Exposition of John/III. The Private Ministry of the Word (13:1-17:26)/B. The Last Discourse (13:31-16:33)/2. The discourse on relations (15:1-27)/a. The relation of the disciples to Christ (15:1-11), Book Version: 4.0.2
[4] Cf. R.C.H. Lenski, “The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel” (Ausburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1943), 1025.
[5] Gail O’Day, 757.
[6] Gail O’Day, 757.

Matthew 1:18-25: Do you believe?

Presented to each Nipawin and Tisdale Corps, 24 December 2007
Presented to CFOT chapel in Winnipeg, December 2006
By Captain Michael Ramsay
  
Click here to read the 2012 version: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2012/12/matthew-118-25-do-you-believe-in-dreams.html
  
Today, on this Christmas Eve, as we look forward to the joy of tomorrow: Christmas Day, the celebration of the incarnation and the advent and of Christ, let us for a moment focus on from our passage today, Joseph, the man, the husband of Mary.

Oh how it must have been for him. Oh how it must have been for him.

Pretend with me for a moment that you are he, pretend.

He was engaged to be married to Mary. They were one unit in everyone’s eyes.

The problem is that they have not become one yet ‘in the Biblical sense’

And Mary – and Mary is now pregnant.

Really – two questions arise.

One, what to do? Joseph is just and merciful. He does not want to expose her to public disgrace. He does not want her to die – because that is what will happen if she is exposed in this way – he does not want her to die.

He also does not have it in mind to fully marry her. He has done nothing wrong and this would be a tacit admission of guilt. What should he do? What would you do?

He comes up with the idea to put her away quietly – sparing her life and his reputation BUT there is another question:

Whose is it? Should He believe the divine conception story? That God overshadowed her; would you?

Well he does and he has a lot of help in doing this…He has vivid dreams and Angels coming to visit him. So he does. He believes it.

So the first question arises again…what to do? Really! His betrothed is impregnated by God what should he do?

Does he deign to be the step-father to God’s own Son, the child-King? Does he hold himself so high? What can he do? He can’t be father to God’s son, can he? Could you?

Again, in Joseph’s dream, the angel tells him to marry Mary. The angel then tells him that he must name the boy Jesus for Jesus will save the people from there sins…

Now this all comes in a dream…in a dream…do you believe your dreams? Do you?
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Well Joseph does… it says that when Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph had faith and was faithful. As we offer our songs to the Lord today and as we read through the Holy Scriptures together please bear in mind the faith of Joseph.

Luke 4 - Jesus' Forty Days

Presented to Stony Mountain Penitentiary 18 June 2007
Presented to 614 Regent Park, Warehouse Mission 12 March 2017
by Captain Michael Ramsay

I’ve really enjoyed living in Winnipeg the last couple of years. It was good getting to know all of you as well. In a week or so I’m getting out. I’m going to miss you guys but (you know what) I’m kind of happy to get out. I don’t know if you can relate to that at all.

I’ve been in Winnipeg for about 2 years now and I’ve been at the college that whole time where they tell me what to do, what to wear, when and where to go and, if I want to do anything different, I have to meet with my advisors, my workers, and have tons of paper work filled out. Many times, by the time I have jumped through all the hoops, it’s too late to do the programme that I wanted to do anyway. I don’t know if you would know what that is like. Oh wait? Maybe there are some similarities between us here.

All kidding aside, I know it’s not the same but I am still looking forward to being free. But to tell you the truth I’m a little nervous. I’ve made a lot of good friends here in Winnipeg. I’m going to miss you guys. I really am. I’ve liked coming here every Monday. I’ve even looked forward to it.
And I’m also a little nervous too because things have changed since I’ve been out on my own making decisions for myself. The world doesn’t stand still. But God is good He has been preparing me for my release into the world, just like He has with those of you who are getting out of here soon. God is getting us ready for our next stage in life.

Because of this I thought that it would be good to look at the part in the Bible where God is getting Jesus ready for the next part of his life, when he is about to start his full-time ministry. We read from Luke 4 earlier where the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert for 40 days.
This is right when Jesus is released into ministry. And just before this happens – in 3 verse 21 – Jesus is baptised along with a bunch of other people and the HOLY SPIRIT, the Holy Spirit himself descends upon Him like a dove. And God says to him (verse 22) you are my Son, ‘you are my Son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ Jesus is released and his dad, his father, God, is happy.

Now what happens as soon as he is released, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him and leads him into the desert to fast for 40 days… and then Jesus is tempted by the devil. Great. He gets released into ministry and winds up in the desert with no food and being tempted by the devil. Gee, thanks. And we think some of the guys that are going to meet us when we get out are bad …the devil himself shows up to meet Jesus.

Now, I just want to explain something here that is sort of an aside but is nonetheless important. Looking quickly at James 1:13, “No one, when tempted should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one.”

The bad stuff that happens, the tempting here, it isn’t by God. He doesn’t do it. Take a look. The devil does it. Just like with Job. And also Jesus never gives into the thought of doing it. He never actual considers it (God cannot be tempted) but the devil does try to tempt him.

What God, the Holy Spirit, does is to lead him into the desert to fast; He gives Jesus a chance to prove Himself. And this is important also because of the symbolism of the other people that God has encouraged like this: there’s Elijah (1 Kings 19:4-8) and Moses, (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9) who fast for 40 days – Moses, when he gets the 10 commandments; Elijah after all the prophets of Baal have been killed; There is rain for forty days and nights when Noah is in the Ark after God frees him and, (cf. 1 Cor 10:1-10) the Israelites, as soon as they are released from captivity in Egypt, spend their first 40 years in the desert. And now God is giving this same opportunity to Jesus – and in the process letting everyone know that Jesus is at least the same calibre as these people - and we know he’s even more…

Jesus gets his forty days when he’s out. It is sort of like a halfway house, I would imagine – except without any food. He is released into ministry but he is still in the desert. It is here that the devil attacks him.

It will be exiting now that we are getting out into the real world again. You should have heard the cheering around the college when our release was announced! Wow. Having them say they trust us out there and that they were going to give us a church and more to be in charge of, I imagine, must have been like a successful parole hearing. Or a voice from heaven – we were stunned.

And when we get out, I imagine we’ll find the same thing that Jesus found when he was led into the dessert. At first it will be a little different than everyday life. We probably won’t have a full work routine or normal life just yet and we will be getting to know everyone and everything. The Lord, I’m sure, will give us a lot of time, if we use it, to spend in prayer and fasting.

But you know who strikes to try to take away our freedom? Satan - The Devil. The Holy Spirit will lead us out of here. He will. He will set us up; and who’ll attack? Who’ll attack? That’s right.
And here’s the thing. He attacks in a number of different ways. He’s not stupid. He knows where to get us. And he tries to tempt Jesus the same way he tries to get us. Jesus in his life faces every temptation that is common to people.

The first way the Devil tries to get Jesus is through a social temptation. How many of us have ever fallen prey to a social temptation? Jesus is hungry. He’s been fasting for forty days - remember. And, verse 3: “The devil said to him ‘if you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’” Now in doing this the devil is saying a couple of things, 1) you call yourself the Son of God? I don’t believe you. Prove it. You’re hungry. Feed yourself. And 2) he also knows that Israel wasn’t the richest country in the world and there were starving people then (just like there are starving people now). If he is the Son of God, he should be able to take care of society, of people, of his friends, of his family, & of himself. Jesus, Satan says, feed yourself, if you care about people - if you can; turn this rock into bread, if you can (cf. John 6:26, 30-31).

The devil tries to tempt us the same way doesn’t he? You’re free. You go home or wherever. You’re doing well. You’re keeping clean. Your buddy calls you up. Hey can you run to the beer store for us? Or can you meet this guy and pick up some dope for us. You refuse and they accuse: What! you won’t even get that for us! I thought you were our friend. We’ll give you the money. If you really are our friend, just turn this “bread” into rock if you can.

But what does Jesus answer when the devil tries to tempt him? He answers by quoting the Bible. Good call. Good reason to keep reading the word too. Jesus doesn’t need to turn the rock into bread and he says, vs. 4, ‘man does not live by bread alone.’

(This is neat.) I wish you all had Bibles with you today. Jesus is quoting from Deuteronomy 8. This is right when Israel was finishing its forty years in the desert, just like Jesus is finishing his forty days in the dessert. God lets them be hungry (8:3) just like God lets Jesus be hungry but he took care of them. ‘Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ God will provide.

God will take care of Jesus. God took care of the Israelites, even though they were hungry. The Spirit who led him into the desert will do it. And so Jesus tells the devil: ‘Man does not live by bread alone (Deut 8:3).’

God and His Spirit that will lead you out of prison will take care of your friends too. He probably won’t get them their rock / But God will take care of them / and He will take care of you. Even if you are hungry; even if they are hungry; even if they are pressuring you to help them get crack; just tell them straight up that ‘man does not live by rock alone – um - bread alone.’ And, hey, God took care of the Israelites …so God can take care of you. There is no need to disregard God, to look after what your friends want (cf, Nolland, 179). God can take care of everyone.

The devil doesn’t give up so easy though. He tries first with the social temptation. He tries next with a political temptation: you can be great, he says, Luke 4:5-6, I will give you all of the power, all countries –all of the kingdoms- in the world. I will give you all this authority, “it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I please. If you then worship me it will be yours.”
This seems to be a pretty good offer. After all, the devil is right - sort of - he has been given authority on earth (John 12:30-32, 14:29-31, 16:11)– you don’t have to look so far with all the wars, violence, and starving people around (even though God has given us more than enough to solve all of these problems), You don’t have to look to far to see the trouble that we people are causing because the devil is the ‘prince of this world.’

In our passage, the devil is tempting Jesus with power. He is saying, look, just work for me, and you can be in charge of this world. You say you are the Messiah, the king of kings (cf. 1 Tim 6:15). You can have all the political power in the world, just come work for me.

You know what. We are going to face this temptation too. You may get out of here and be established. You may even begin talking to people about how God has cleaned you up and you’re clean and straight now. Someone might come up to you and make you an offer…work for me they’ll say…maybe they are into some bad things…maybe at first they aren’t asking you to do any of those things but are just saying, ‘look I got money. I got respect. I got authority. “Don’t follow God, work with me instead and you can have it too…” Does this temptation sound familiar? You know, I used to be a businessman myself, and I can tell you I faced this temptation more than once.

Well, what does Jesus do…just as God’s Spirit leads Jesus into the desert. He turns to God’s word and disarms the devil. He quotes scripture again. And –this is cool- he quotes from the same part of scripture when the Israelites are just finishing up their time in the desert (Deut 6: 13-15) that the Devil quoted earlier. He says, verse 8, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ This makes sense really if we think about it. Sure the devil has been given a certain amount of authority on earth, but it really is God who is the King of kings. Satan, is just a rebellious prince. He’s a bad manager while the boss is away. And you know what happens to a bad manager when the boss comes back…it isn’t good. And for those who are working for the guy who is undermining his boss… Jesus knows. Jesus knows that ultimately all authority on heaven and earth is really His anyway because he is God’s son.

We should know this too. God is real. His Spirit is getting us out of here and Jesus is coming back. And when he does, do you want to be working for a rebellious prince, a bad manager, or a dealer with a bad debt? …or would you rather be working for God! God is the real authority and Jesus is coming back. Don’t be tempted to serve anyone else or you’ll be back here sooner than you think, or worse.

The Devil doesn’t give up though. Jesus was led to the desert by the Spirit. He so far has been remaining in the Spirit and quoting Scripture. So you know what Satan does? He quotes scripture too. And he knows it pretty well. He takes Jesus to the top of the massive temple in Jerusalem and says –Verses 9 -11– “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you, and on their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11-21).” Good point.

This is a religious temptation. The Devil quotes the Bible and it says that God’s angel will protect Him. Don’t worry, you’ll be okay. God will protect you. You’ll be fine.
How many times do we hear this in our lives: its just a white lie: you’ll be fine if you do this; you won’t go to hell. You’re just speeding, its not hurting anybody. Just one toke, God’s not going to cast you away for just one puff. Look no one really cares about that anyway. It says that God will never leave you nor forsake you. We all sin all the time anyway. These are tricks the devil can use to lead us astray and…

This is it. This is the culminating attempt at temptation and this is one lie that can get us all if we don’t rely heavily on God’s Spirit and God’s Scripture: ‘your not hurting anyone…and why bother? Since we all sin all the time anyway’.

It’s not true. We don’t need to sin so don’t believe it when you hear it. We don’t need to sin. We do need not to sin. Be holy (1 Peter 1:15, Lev 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7). Be perfect (2 Cor. 13; Col. 1:28; Hebrews 11,12;). We can’t do it ourselves but…The Lord will help us. He will do it (1 Thess 5:23-24). We need to rely on God and on his scriptures like Jesus did. Turn to the Spirit who lets us endure any temptation. Its like Jesus says, quoting Deuteronomy again, ‘don’t put the Lord your God to the test’…don’t Sin! Don’t listen to Nike – JUST DO IT. Listen to God and Just DON’T do it!

So when the Holy Spirit released Jesus into His ministry, the devil tried tempting Jesus with everything he had. Jesus was in the Spirit, he relied on God and he relied on the Bible, and in so doing he resisted the devil and the devil fled from him. Like it says in James 1:12, ‘Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.’

Don’t give up, remain in the spirit, even if you slip up, remain in the spirit and as you do you will find that you read the scriptures, trust in God, endure the temptations, and persevere. Remember what it said in Luke 4:13-14: ‘When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him –until an opportune time- Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee. And it will be the same with us.

Let us pray. This prayer for us from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, ‘May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you (us) through and through. May your (our) whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.’

So then, we need to remember when we leave here and are faced with temptations from the devil himself, to just remain in the Spirit, like Jesus and the devil will flee us -

God will take care of him.