Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Psalms 30-32
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Matthew 12:29-30
Jesus: Imagine you wanted to break into the house of your neighbor, a strong brawny man, and steal his furniture. First, you’d have to tie up your neighbor, yes? Once he was bound and tied, you could take whatever you wanted. Similarly—he who is not with Me is against Me, and he who is not doing the Father’s work of gathering up the flock may as well be scattering the flock.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
There are a couple of things in Jesus’ words that struck me as I read them again this morning. That word similarly in the middle as He transitions from the metaphor to His explanation of the metaphor. Did you get that similarity? He says if we’re not with Him, we’re like thieves! We’re like a neighbor who cares so little for our community that we would rob the guy that lives next door to us. That’s pretty low, don’t you think? But that’s the description Jesus uses to describe those who are against Him.
How would you like that description applied to you? One who goes into his neighbor’s house, ties up the owner and takes whatever he wants. I don’t think I want to live next to that guy or even in his neighborhood. That’s the kind of place where you put bars on your doors and windows, get high grade security alarms, and put cameras around the house. Maybe even paid guards to circle the property. Or maybe just put that guy in jail and be done with it.
The description of the neighbor in the metaphor before the transition is pretty bad. But let’s look at what comes after the transition. “Similarly,” Jesus says, “he who is not with Me is against Me…” It sounds like we have only two choices once again. We are either on Jesus’ team or not. That’s it. No other options. We are with Him or against Him. That’s it. It’s just that simple. We want to think we can somehow ride the fence and play both sides against the middle, but Jesus says it just doesn’t work that way. We are either with Him or against Him. Those are our two choices.
We probably remember those words, but we often skip the next thing He says. “He who is not doing the Father’s work of gather up the flock may as well be scattering the flock.” Now those are words we just want to ignore. We’d like to pretend they never came out of Jesus’ mouth. Why? Because they indict us when we hear them. Am I gathering the flock? If not, Jesus says I might as well be scattering it. It’s as bad as the thief He talked about earlier.
As I thought about Jesus’ words, they took me back to His earlier expressions about knowing God. I wrote several days ago about what it means to know God. To know someone intimately in the terms often used in His word, it leads to procreation. Now His comments hit us again. Are we bringing people into the fold of God care? Are we creating disciples with Him? Are we letting Him use us as His messengers to share the good news of salvation and hope to world that needs God so desparately?
Jesus says if we’re not, we might as well be scattering His flock. So it’s not just a matter of listening to His great commandment to go and make disciples, but if we fail to do so, we are tearing His church apart, scattering His church’s members. You might not think that way at first. You might think it’s okay to sit on the sidelines and let someone else do the work, but Jesus doesn’t leave us that option. If I’m not (insert your name there) gathering people into His church, making disciples, obeying His command, I’m scattering them.
How does that work, you ask? Jesus gives all of us the same command. If you carry His name, it means you will obey His commands. If He is Lord, you say yes to what He asks. That means I will make disciples. End of conversation. If I fail to go out and make disciples, then I disobey Him. If I continue to tell others I’m a Christian, a follower of Jesus, but fail to gather people into His fold, it means it’s okay to disobey Him. But we know it’s not. God demands our obedience. His tasks are not beyond our capability. He never gives us more than we can do. But He expects us to carry out His directions.
When others see us failing in God’s plan to enlarge His kingdom through the missions He gives us individually, to make disciples out in the world, it tarnishes God’s name. It says God can’t do what He says He can do. It tells others He has limited power and authority. As Christians we know that is not true, but Satan blinds us and convinces us it’s okay not to obey, let someone else gather people into the fold. Let someone else do the discipling.
That’s not our marching order from our Savior. So will you be doing the Father’s work of gathering the flock, or will you scatter the flock by your inactivity? Again, you get to make the choice. Choose the right path!
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