HOW TO DISCERN THE WHEAT MIXED WITH TARES
Why did Jesus tell some people to go tell everyone when they’ve been healed, and others were to tell no one? Why didn’t Jesus reach out more to the Gentiles and Samaritans? What’s wrong with the above title, “how to discern the wheat mixed with the tares?” or “discerning the wheat from the tares?”
THE DISCIPLES’ PROBLEM AND CHRIST’S SOLUTION
…the disciples have 4 nouns that need to be adjectives…Samaritans, women, Gentiles, demoniacs…there’s no place in the New Testament when Jesus says… “about Samaritans…you guys have a real bad attitude about them….” Because they are not ready, and it wouldn’t do any good if you’re not ready. So, what does he do? He gives them an experience: he takes them through Samaria… In pilgrim dairies we have, we’re told that when you buy from a Samaritan, you have to drop your money in a bucket of water because they won’t take it directly from your hand. Or again…when you leave a Samaritan village, a Samaritan follows…puts straw in your footprints and sets it on fire…. In the disciples’ minds its: “Hm, Jesus must desperately want to save a day.” But, in Jesus’ mind, “Let’s start giving them some learning activities for converting nouns….” Have you ever wondered why Jesus sent 12 disciples into town to buy food for 13 people? …when they came back “marveling…that Jesus is speaking to a Samaritan woman….” And what’s Jesus’ only response…? “You guys, lift up your eyes… The fields are already white to harvest” [John 4:31-43].
And Jesus stayed with his disciples there in Samaria for 2 days.
UNDERSTANDING OUR HANG-UPS
Attitudes…being so deep and ingrained…attitude of suspicion, prejudice…lack of self-worth. These are very deep. So, for that, you have to have new experiences. You just can’t have information…discussion. You must have new experiences for attitudes to change.
And Jesus uses us to influence each other. We become more Christ-like with our experiences as we fellowship and hold each other accountable.
NOW TO THE OTHER SIDE
You can see this conversion of nouns again in the story of the Gergesene demoniac…[Mark 4:35, 5:1-20]. “Our” side of the sea: Magdala, Gennesseret, Capernaum, Bethsaida…all Jewish. “Their” side of the sea: Julius, Hippus, Gergesa, Philoteria, Synabris…the biggest…towns around the Sea…. That night a storm came…. Darkness made it even more frightening…. Next morning, at a steep slope, they get out of the boat and a double noun runs down…the “Gergasene demoniac.” …He’s stark naked. He’s cut up with sharp flint stones, yelling and screaming wildly at the top of his voice. Do you see why the Synoptics have that story after the calming of the storm…2 storms being calmed…another storm-tossed human being, fragmented, self-destructive…full of hatred…living in tombs (unclean…) Another storm is calmed, clothed, in his right mind, and sitting at the feet of Jesus. The guy says to Jesus, “let me come back with you and your disciples!” …Jesus looks at the 12…and says, “No, you better go to your own people… Tell them what God has done for you.” …the disciples are not ready.
Praise God he loves us where we’re at, and gently leads us along until we’re ready for the next thing.
WHY SECRECY HERE AND ADVERTISEMENTS THERE?
I did a phrase search “tell no one” in the 4 Gospels and found 4 times it was to his disciples and 3 times it was to those Jesus healed. When Jesus healed and tried to prevent publication of what happened, the news would’ve gone to the Jews longing for relief from Rome’s tyranny. When he was silencing his disciples, it was concerning revelations of/about his Messiahship. But remember in my Christmas blog I said it was only a secondary goal Jesus had to prove his Messiahship? Jesus felt revealing God’s Kingdom and priorities was more critical given their plans for their Messiah. He also knew with this priority his Messiahship would become self-evident to all who wanted to receive the truth.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS BLOG’S TITLE?
I like whenever possible to put a finger on the real problem right away. But sometimes solutions aren’t what we want or expect. God wants us to “work out our salvation in fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12-13). Saving faith produces works (James 2:14-20). God promises all cowardly, faithless, sexually immoral, and all liars will be eternally damned (along with murderers, Revelation 21:8). Not everyone who claims to be Christian is (Matthew 7:21-23). We must be ready to challenge each other with these truths.
When we remember we can’t work our way to Heaven, we can get discouraged by people who claim to be Christians. Because they’re not growing much or changing in the ways we expect they should. God is more patient than we are with each other. But God also requires us to love him more than our family members and ourselves (Matthew 10:37; Luke 14:25-33). Since only God knows the heart and who is truly his, we must be diligent about balancing truths. And God teaches us slowly, moulding us through the years. He does this particularly with his word, but also with our experiences.
Praise God for his patience and wisdom.
Above scanned from manual from my tour in Israel and my picture I took while in Israel
