Daily Reading Week 19
Sunday
Mark 10
DISCOVER
Who was brought to Jesus? For what purpose – 10:13?
How did the disciples react?
How did Jesus respond – 10:14,15?
What did Jesus then do with the children – 10:16?
RESPOND
In our passage today we see Jesus and his disciples as they are on their way to Jerusalem for the final week of his life. Jesus has been teaching on various subjects along the way. In verses 13-16 he uses the presence of children to illustrate how we are to receive the kingdom of God. We are to receive the kingdom “like a child” according to Jesus. The Greek word used here for “child” is used to describe the youngest and most helpless of children. The arrival of a newborn is one of the greatest joys of life but all parents know, or soon learn, that an infant can do nothing for themselves. They make no contribution to the provisions of the household and yet they consume much. This is the analogy Christ is using to describe our relationship to God. We are utterly dependent on his grace for our salvation. One of my favorite hymns is “Rock of Ages” by Augustus Toplady. The lyrics “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling” are a beautiful summary of Jesus’ teaching here. We have nothing to offer and all we can do is rely on Christ. Once we are in the kingdom we should daily come to him admitting the same.
monday
Daniel 3
DISCOVER
What was the penalty for refusing to bow down to Nebachadnezzar’s statue?– 3:6.7?
Who had a problem as a result, and what accusation was made – 3:8-12?
How did the king react to the accusation – 3:13-15? What threat did he make?
What claim did Daniel’s three friends make about God – 3:16,17?
What intention did they state regardless of God’s deliverance – 3:18?
RESPOND
Today’s passage relates one of the first stories I remember hearing as a young boy growing up in Sunday School. Typically when we are presented with stories like this from the Old Testament the emphasis is on God’s miraculous rescue of his servants. The splitting of the Red Sea, the defeat of Jericho, and David’s defeat of Goliath all come to mind. It is difficult to not be amazed by God’s miraculous intervention in these cases. If we are not careful however, we might miss in today’s passage that Daniel’s friends were willing to go into the furnace even if God chose not to rescue them. After the accusations were brought against them the king offered them an opportunity for reprieve but they refused. Their refusal was not based on an assurance that God would spare them however. They understood that God was not due their allegiance for any other reason than that he alone is God. They did not count their lives worth keeping if they kept them by dishonoring God. Are we willing to make such a commitment?
tuesday
1 Corinthians 10
DISCOVER
10:27 discusses eating meat in what circumstance? What instruction does Paul give?
But what problem can arise, and what does Paul instruct then – 10:28?
What problem can occur even though we give thanks – 10:30? Why?
What conclusion is stated in 10:31?
RESPOND
Christian liberty is one of the blessings of the gospel, but can be one of the most difficult areas for us to get right as we live out our faith. Believers who understand the freedom we have in Christ to enjoy what God has not forbidden must be careful when they are around less mature believers who do not fully understand this principle. In our passage today Paul was addressing a controversy that had erupted in the early church at Corinth. Meat that had previously been sacrificed to idols was available for purchase after the ceremony. Many believers were under the impression that to consume this meat was sinful. Paul explains that there is nothing wrong with the meat in and of itself and to consume it was in fact not sinful. Paul goes further however. He tells the mature believer to consider the conscience of their less mature brothers and sisters. He instructs them to not make a show of their liberty thereby running the risk of leading others astray. The admonition Paul gives in verse 31 should always be front of mind as we seek to navigate this area of the Christian life. Just as Christ denied himself and his privilege to take on the form of a servant, we should be willing to deny our rights as necessary “to the glory of God”.
WEDNESDAY
Psalm 19
DISCOVER
What does David request in verse 14?
Read Matthew 12:34-35. Where does Jesus tell us our words originate?
RESPOND
David is described as “a man after God’s own heart”. He realized that God desires an inner purity that stems from a humble heart. The 19th Psalm is a poem of worship that builds in intensity from beginning to end, and as David concludes he asks for God’s help to make his words pleasing to him. As Jesus tells us, we speak based on what is in our heart. When David asks God for words that please him, he is asking God to give him a pure heart. The heart that meditates on the glory of God and praises God for who he is is being willingly transformed into the likeness of Christ.
Thursday
Galatians 1
DISCOVER
What position did Paul claim to have?
Who gave it to him, and who did not give it?
Why would Paul affirm this at the outset?
What blessings did Paul ask upon the Galatians in 1:3?
What consequences would come to one who taught a different gospel (vv 8,9)?
RESPOND
We get the sense that Paul’s letter to the Galatians was not one that he relished having to write. He takes on the task of defending not only his own character but also the gospel that he had only recently preached there. False teachers had infiltrated the young church that Paul established in Galatia and were attacking Paul’s character, his claims of apostleship, and were teaching that adherence to Jewish practices like circumcision were necessary for salvation. Paul is having none of it. He begins his letter by introducing himself as an apostle appointed by God and immediately chastises the Galatians for so readily entertaining this alternative gospel. The context of Galatians 1 should make clear that Paul was not a people-pleaser. A man attempting to win the acclaim of people would not call down a curse on some of them. Paul’s pattern here is an example for the church today. We should be ready to identify heresy and defend the gospel with a firm and unapologetic stance while defending our responsibility to do so as the church of Christ. Our responsibility is to cling to, and preach, the Jesus and gospel of scripture, not to men and the teaching of popular culture.
Friday
Acts 4
DISCOVER
Who arrested the apostles – 4:1?
Why did the priests and Sadducees want the apostles arrested – 4:2?
What men conducted the meeting that questioned Peter and John – 4:5,6?
What question did these men ask – 4:7?
What answer did Peter give? What accusation did he make – 4:8-10?
RESPOND
Shortly after Pentacost Peter and John were on the way to the temple for prayer time. Along the way they encountered a lame beggar whom Peter healed in the name of Jesus. Because of the miracle, a large crowd gathered and Peter began to preach. The message that Peter delivered angered the Sadducees, who ordered Peter and John to be arrested and tried the next day. Not even two months before these events, out of fear for his life Peter denied even knowing Jesus. This fearful Peter has been transformed into a confident and bold witness for Jesus. He claims to have been arrested for doing a good deed. He goes on to tell them point-blank that it was Jesus who had healed the lame man, the same Jesus they had only recently executed. He goes on to proclaim that there is no other name by which we can be saved. Peter positioned his accusers as enemies of God. The individuals who arrested and tried Peter and John were instrumental in arranging the crucifixion of Jesus and they could have easily done the same for Peter and John. Despite this Peter goes on the offensive. The man who had recently cowered in fear because of the accusations of a servant girl now faces down the most politically powerful men in the community by telling them his allegiance is to God despite the risk of beatings or death. Peter understood that despite standing in front of a crowd in the temple, he had an audience of one.
Saturday
Luke 12
DISCOVER
What did Jesus warn people about in 12:1?
What can we know about things people do – 12:2,3?
Why is this bad for hypocrites?
Whom should we fear, and whom should we not fear – 12:4,5? Why?
RESPOND
Luke tells us in the 12th chapter of his gospel that Jesus instructs his followers to fear God, not man. Jesus acknowledges a legitimate fear of man. Men can kill, after all, but Jesus emphasizes the limitations and ultimate powerlessness of man. A man may destroy the body, but only God has dominion over the soul. God can destroy the body and soul. This is a fearful statement, but Jesus follows that statement with the encouragement that God values us.
The Christian does not need to be afraid of the eternal punishment of God. Christ has taken that away for us. Because of what Christ has done, as believers, we can differentiate between being afraid of God and having a fear of God. In my sturdy house, I can weather a severe thunderstorm. I can watch that storm's awesome power and fury without fear that it will harm me. Still, I recognize that without the protection of my house, I would easily be carried away so I have a healthy fear and respect for the storm. Christ is our house as believers, and we take refuge in him. He absorbed the wrath of God on our behalf. When we look at the cross, though, we recognize the severity of that wrath, and it should evoke in us a fear of the holy God who takes such a harsh view of sin.
How does this inform our walk with Christ? The fear of man might be the biggest obstacle we face when we seek to do God's will faithfully. Whether it is a fear of what people will say about us or what they might do to us, we tend to act on that fear and let it hinder us from doing what we know we are supposed to do or not doing what we know we shouldn't. However, nothing can keep us from serving God faithfully if we fear God more than man.