Mission Impossible
Reflections: Yesterday Joshua warned the people that they would not serve the Lord. Intuitively he had a feeling that they might run after other gods, despite the elders who served alongside of him who eventually went on to be with the Lord. In the first couple of chapters of Judges, we see a change in outcomes when the Israelites went up against the Canaanites and other foreign nations in the Promised Land. Instead of driving them out with the Lord’s help, they could not do it! In chapter 2, we see the reason for their impotency. It says they worshipped “Baals”, and the other gods in the area. Instead of being set apart for the Lord, they practiced what would become known as “syncretism”, mixing the pure faith with other religions.
God was angry with the Israelites and sent “judges” to correct them. Much like prophets they brought in God’s word to correct them, but they also were given God’s power and authority to save them from their enemies. Yet, eventually even this gift of God’s grace was discarded and the Israelites prostituted themselves to the gods of the region. The sold themselves out to other gods. It reminds me of when we say today, “That person is a sell out!” They had so much, yet so quickly forgot what God had given them and they sold out to gods that could not do a fraction of what the Lord could do for them.
Fast forward to the gospel and we see Jesus challenging the rich young ruler to sell all he has and follow him. The rich young ruler thought he had satisfied the minimum required by the commandments. When Jesus challenged him he answered by saying he hadn’t murdered, stolen or committed adultery. He was doing okay on the surface, but upon further scrutiny he didn’t even measure up on commandment #1, “Having one God and serving him only.”
While on the outside he may have looked okay, obeying the outward dimensions of some of the laws directed at how we treat our neighbor, on the inside was a major breach of trust. He had put his trust in money and Jesus knew it. Jesus knew what was the secret thing in this man’s heart that kept him from selling all he had and following Jesus. When Jesus asked him to “sell out” he couldn’t, his real god “mammon” was revealed. No worse or better than the Israelites who had sold out to the gods of Baal.
Fast forward to today to you and me! Jesus’ call on our lives has not been diminished one iota. He calls us to sell all we have and follow Him. We might respond like the disciples, “but this is impossible!” And then comes the punch-line of much importance, “What is impossible with man is only possible with God!”
Is it impossible to follow Jesus with all you have? Yes, if you rely only on yourself! No, if you allow God to do in you what only God can do. There is that moment in every believer’s life when they are called to do what they might deem is impossible. And on human terms it probably is! But with God’s help and the power of Jesus working within you through His Holy Spirit, you can do the impossible. As Paul uttered in the book of Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
What challenge is before that you deem impossible? Where are you tempted to follow the “Baals” in your life? The temptation to sell out is not less potent today then in life of Israel, or in the life of disciples. But the same power that enabled Israel to conquer its foes, and the same power that enabled the disciples to follow Jesus and carry out His power and authority is available to you as you put your trust in the God of the impossible.
Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Judges 1:17-2:23
Disobedience and Defeat
6 After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.20 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.
Luke 18:18-30
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Do not be afraid, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Jeremiah 1:8
You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (NKJV)
You are our strength, supporting Lord, who enables us to live without fear. Remind us daily that because of Christ and his death, we live as your children. Amen.
God was angry with the Israelites and sent “judges” to correct them. Much like prophets they brought in God’s word to correct them, but they also were given God’s power and authority to save them from their enemies. Yet, eventually even this gift of God’s grace was discarded and the Israelites prostituted themselves to the gods of the region. The sold themselves out to other gods. It reminds me of when we say today, “That person is a sell out!” They had so much, yet so quickly forgot what God had given them and they sold out to gods that could not do a fraction of what the Lord could do for them.
Fast forward to the gospel and we see Jesus challenging the rich young ruler to sell all he has and follow him. The rich young ruler thought he had satisfied the minimum required by the commandments. When Jesus challenged him he answered by saying he hadn’t murdered, stolen or committed adultery. He was doing okay on the surface, but upon further scrutiny he didn’t even measure up on commandment #1, “Having one God and serving him only.”
While on the outside he may have looked okay, obeying the outward dimensions of some of the laws directed at how we treat our neighbor, on the inside was a major breach of trust. He had put his trust in money and Jesus knew it. Jesus knew what was the secret thing in this man’s heart that kept him from selling all he had and following Jesus. When Jesus asked him to “sell out” he couldn’t, his real god “mammon” was revealed. No worse or better than the Israelites who had sold out to the gods of Baal.
Fast forward to today to you and me! Jesus’ call on our lives has not been diminished one iota. He calls us to sell all we have and follow Him. We might respond like the disciples, “but this is impossible!” And then comes the punch-line of much importance, “What is impossible with man is only possible with God!”
Is it impossible to follow Jesus with all you have? Yes, if you rely only on yourself! No, if you allow God to do in you what only God can do. There is that moment in every believer’s life when they are called to do what they might deem is impossible. And on human terms it probably is! But with God’s help and the power of Jesus working within you through His Holy Spirit, you can do the impossible. As Paul uttered in the book of Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
What challenge is before that you deem impossible? Where are you tempted to follow the “Baals” in your life? The temptation to sell out is not less potent today then in life of Israel, or in the life of disciples. But the same power that enabled Israel to conquer its foes, and the same power that enabled the disciples to follow Jesus and carry out His power and authority is available to you as you put your trust in the God of the impossible.
Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Judges 1:17-2:23
Disobedience and Defeat
6 After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.20 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.
Luke 18:18-30
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Do not be afraid, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Jeremiah 1:8
You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (NKJV)
You are our strength, supporting Lord, who enables us to live without fear. Remind us daily that because of Christ and his death, we live as your children. Amen.
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