In this chapter, Jesus addresses the issues of Marriage, Money and Power. Because of the great confusion over marriage and the issue of divorce, we are focusing on that one issue for today. Jesus’ instruction has often been interpreted as a blanket prohibition against divorce except for adultery. Understood within the context of his day, it seems clear that Jesus was addressing a specific kind of divorce, what was known as the “any cause” divorce. While we should hold a high vision for marriage, we must also be careful that we do not demand that people remain in dangerous or destructive relationships because of a misplaced desire to follow Jesus’ command.
Teaching
This page contains some of the more recent entries for Teaching. For more specific information about this program, please see Teaching program page.If you are interested in our current teaching series, please see the series page.
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Recently in Teaching Category
Jesus not only calls us to live as a community, he instructs us how to live as one. The Bible is filled with such instructions that we at Beacon have called the “one anothers.” Eveyone who becomes a member at Beacon signs a covenant to live out these “one anothers.” In Matthew 18, Jesus instructs us to not only forgive one another, but to lovingly confront one another as well. Do we have the heart to confront in love? Do we have the courage to accept such confrontation? What Jesus asks is not easy but it is absolutely essential if we are to be the kind of life-giving community that he desires.
Jesus finally gives his disciples a glimpse of who he truly is. They can see his divine nature with their own eyes. But seeing is not believing; believing is to listen and obey. God tells those who witness Jesus’ transfiguration that they should “Listen to him!” Are we willing to listen to him? Are we willing to offer Jesus what we have, all that we have, and see what he can do with it?
When people encounter Jesus, they often don’t get it and they react with fear. But some do get it and they receive him in faith. Peter definitely “got it” when he made the ultimate confession of faith, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” You are the one! The first thing Peter did after this was to tell Jesus “No” and “Never.” If we are not careful, conviction can turn to overconfidence and we can begin to dictate to God what he should and shouldn’t do. Even when we do “get it,” even when we do receive him in faith, we must always be ready to admit that there is much that we still do not understand.
Sometimes there is no way to avoid controversy. No matter what you do or say, someone is going to be offended or take it the wrong way. While Jesus often did not avoid controversy, he sometimes found a way through it by offering an option no one had considered. We too can often find such creative solutions. Usually, those win-win scenarios arise when we are willing to put others first. Jesus, controversy, Matthew 14, Matthew 15
Guest speaker Jason Pankau takes a look at the Kingdom and what it means to be a part of God’s Church. Matthew 13 is filled with a series of parables Jesus told to show us what God’s Kingdom is like. We are calling them the “power parables” because they show us where real power comes from, not from within, but from above.
Previously, we’ve seen that some people get it. They understand who Jesus is and they receive him in faith. But there are also people who don’t get it, and they react in fear. In Matthew 11, we begin to see that even those who get it often don’t really get it. Leading all the way up to Peter’s confession of faith in Matthew 16, we begin to see that many who claim to get it are still deeply troubled by misunderstanding and doubt. Jesus’ answer to these troubles is to redirect our eyes to the proper signs that he is truly The One.
Jesus asked his disciples to pray for God to raise up more workers to carry forth his message. Jesus answered their prayer by calling 12 disciples to be apostles. Were they up to the task? Matthew 10 shows us that those God calls, he equips; and those he equips, he sends. Even so, those Jesus sends should expect Division and difficult Decisions on the road ahead.
(06/28/09) Matthew 8 and 9 are filled with people’s reactions to Jesus’ ministry. Some people get it, they understand Jesus’ authority, and they receive him in faith. Other don’t get it, and they react with fear, the kind of fear that will later build up to violence and the cross. There are many more who need to hear the message and make their own choices, so Jesus asks his disciples to pray that God would raise up workers. Little did they know that Jesus would ask them to be the answer to their own prayers. What is our reaction to Jesus? Do we get it or don’t we? And if we get it, are we ready to pray for workers to continue the mission, even if it means that God might use us?
(06/21/09) Jesus begins the conclusion to his sermon by commanding us to not judge. He then describes several situations that require careful judgment. Are we to judge or are we not? Or is Jesus more concerned about the spirit with which we make judgments? Once again, the answer comes down to humility and love. Godly judgment begins first with self-examination and only then extends outward with a genuine desire to help one another.
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