SOWERS OF THE WORD is a place where you can come to and recieve an inspirational devotional reading of The Word of God, along with commentaries of The Scriptures to increase your understanding and grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God's Word. This ministry is founded on the parable of The Sower in the Gospel of (Matthew 13: 1-23). God bless you all as you go forth bearing the precious seed of The Word of God.
JESUS IS LORD.
24 So every one who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them-obeying them-will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon a rock;
25 And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And every one who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand;
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great and complete was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27). [Amplified Bible].
Two foundations-Two builders (7:24-27).
24-27 Verses 21-23 contrast "saying" and "doing"; these verses contrast "hearing" and "doing" (cf. James 1:22-25). Moreover the will of the Father (v.21) now becomes definitive in what Jesus calls "these words on mine" (v.24): his teaching is definitive.
In the parable cited here, each house looks secure in good weather. But Palestine is known for torrential rains that can turn dry wadis into raging torrents. Only storms reveal the quality of the work of the two builders (cf. Matthew 13:21). The greatest storm is eschatological (cf. Isaiah 28:16-17; Ezekiel 13:10-13), but Jesus' words about the two houses need not be thus restricted. The point is that the wise person builds to withstand anything.
What wisdom consists of is clear. A wise person represents those who put Jesus' words into practice; they too are building to withstand anything. Those who pretend to have faith, who have a merely intellectual commitment, or who enjoy Jesus in small doses are foolish builders. When the storms of life come, their structures fool no one, above all not God (cf. Ezekiel 13:10-16).
The sermon ends with what has been implicit throughout it-the demand for radical submission to the exclusive lordship of Jesus, who fulfills the Law and the Prophets and warns the disobedient that the alternative to total obedience, true righteousness, and life in the kingdom is rebellion, a life that is self-centered, and eternal damnation.
26 If any one thinks himself to be religious-piously observant of the external duties of his faith-and does not bridle his tongue, but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren). 27 External religious worship (religion as it it expressed in outward acts) that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world. (James 1:26-27). 26 Verses 26-27 point out three specific areas where truth should be put into practice. (1) The first is speech. James introduces a hypothetical case. The person involved "considers himself religious". This word describes a person who performs external acts of religion, such as public worship, fasting, or giving to the needy, but he exerts no controlling restraint on his speech. Exactly how his speech offends is not indicated, whether it be by cutting criticism of others, by uncleanness, by dishonesty, or by other ways. His uncontrolled tongue reveals that "his religion" is an external sham. In living like this, "he deceives himself" (cf. v.22). 27 (2) The kind of "religion that God our Father accepts" is the kind that exerts a positive influence on one's life. This verse does not give us a definition of religion. Instead, it presents a concrete way of insisting that genuine religion is a life-changing force. One's religion should be more than external; it must spring from an inner spiritual reality that expresses itself in love to others and holiness before God. James then describes a specific example of love-the care of "orphans and widows." "Look after" also appears in Matthew 25:36, 43 with reference to visiting the sick; it is not merely making a social call, but caring deeply for their needs. This is "faith expressing itself through love" (Galatians 5:6). (3) One whose religion is genuine will also aviod "being polluted by the world." "Worls" here describes the total system of evil that pervades every sphere of human existence and is set in opposition to God and to righteousness. To summarize, vv.22-27 insist that a person's religion must consist of more than superficila acts. It is not enough to listen to the statement of spiritual truth (vv.22-25), nor is it sufficient to engage in formal religious activity (v.26). The person whose religious experience is genuine will put spiritual trtuh into practice, and one's life will be marked by love for others and holiness before God. [NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament]. [www.sowersoftheword.blogspot.com]. JESUS IS LORD.
22 But-obey the message; be doers of the Word, and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. 23 For if any one only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; 24 For he thoughtfully observes himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. 25 But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perserveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets, but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing-in his life of obedience. (James 1:22-25). [Amplified Bible]. The Practice of the Word. 22 The author next discusses putting the Word into practice. It is not enought merely to "listen to the word" or, by the same token, merely to read it. Those who congratulate themselves on being hearers of the truth are deceiving themselves. If they assume that this is all that is needed to earn them a position of special favor with God, they are sadly mistaken. In reality, the responsibilty of those who hear is far greater than those who have never heard. If they do not combine doing with hearing, they put themselves in a most vulnerable position. The call to "do what it says" lies at the center of all that James teaches and sums up the whole book: Put into practice what you profess to believe. 23-24 The author proceeds to explain why people should do more than merely listen to the truth, using the illustration of a man who "looks at his face in a mirror." "Looks at" means careful observation; the man carefully studies his face and becomes thoroughly familiar with its features. Those who listen to the Word do so attentively and at length, so that they understand what they hear. They know what God expects them to do. Any failure to respond cannot be blamed on lack of understanding. James further explains that upon going away, the man "immediately forgets what he looks like." For him it is "out of sight, out of mind." This is, of course, is ludicrous, but no less ludicrous are believers who listen carefully to God's truth and do not remember to put into practice what they have heard. Listening to truth is not an end in itself any more than gazing at one's face in a mirror is an end in itself. The purpose of listening to truth is to act upon it. Theoretical knowledge of spiritual truth is never commended in Scripture. Knowledge is inseperably tied to experience. Believers gain knowledge through experience, and such knowledge is intended to affect subsequent experience. 25 In contrast to those who listen to the Word but do not do what it says, James now describes one who both listens and puts into practice what has been heard. "He will be blessed in what he does." The reason for this blessing is fourfold. (1) He "looks intently" into God's truth, a verb that described John's act of stooping and peering into the tomb of Jesus (John 20:5). Here it is as though a person stoops over the Scripture, zealously searching for its message. (2) "He continues to do this." He is the blessed man of Psalm 1 who meditates on God's law day and night. (3) He does not forget "what he has heard." (4) Most important, he puts the truth into practice. James's term "the perfect law of liberty" (literal translation) deserves special attention. The word :law" reveals his Jewish orientation and that of his readers. But he qualifies this word to make sure that his readers do not misunderstand, describing it as "perfect" and as characterized by "fredom". It is not merely the OT law, nor is it the Mosaic law perverted to become a legalistic system for earning salvation by good works. When James calls it the "perfect law," he has in mind the sum total of God's revealed truth-not merely the preliminary portion found in the OT, but also the final revelation made through Christ and his apostles that was soon to be inscripturated in the NT. Thus it is complete, in contrast to that which is preliminary and preparatory. Furthermore, it is a law that does not enslave. Instead, it is freely accepted and fulfilled with glad devotion under the enablement of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22-23). [NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament]. [www.sowersoftheword.blogspot.com]. JESUS IS LORD.
19 Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, (a ready listener,) slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. 20 For man's anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]. 21 So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls. (James 1:19-21). [Amplified Bible]. Verse 19-21 may seem at first glance to be an isolated section of miscellaneous exhortations. Further examination, however, reveals significant links to the preceeding and folowing contexts. The term "word" is found in vv.18, 21-25 and refers to the Scriptures, the Word of God. Verse 18 indicates that regeneration comes through the instrumentality of the Word; v.21 contains a call to receive the Word; and vv.22-25 discuss the doing of the Word. Thus vv.19-21 emphasize listening to and receiving the Word, while vv.22-25 stress the doing of the Word. 19 In vv.19-21a, James is attempting to clear the way for the reception of God's truth (v.21b). He begins by calling for the readers' attention: "Take note of this." The reception of the Word demands a readiness "to listen". Reluctance at this point will block the acceptance of truth. It also demands restrained speech. A continual talker cannot hear what anyone else is saying and by the same token will not hear when God speaks. Finally, the restraint of anger is demanded, for anger closes the mind to God's truth. A fiercely argumentative attitude is not conducive to the humble reception of truth. 20 "For" indicates that this verse give the reasoning that lies behind the last exhortation. One's anger does not produce "the righteous life that God desires." And angry attitude is not the atmosphere in which righteousness flourishes. James sresses this from the positive side when he later says, "Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" (3:18). 21 In further preparation for the Word, one must "get rid of all moral filth." The word translated "get rid of" was primarily used of taking off garments (cf. Hebrews 12:1,which speaks of throwing off any excessive weight to make ready for the race of faith). The "moral filth and the evil" that are so abundant must be stripped off like dirty clothes in preparation for "accept[ing] the word." The reception of truth must of necessity be marked by humility or meekness. This not to be construed as spineless weakness. Instead, it is the quality of a strong man that makes him docile and submissive rather than haughty and rebellious. Only in such a spirit can one fully receive God's truth. That Word is described as "planted in you" suggests that the readers were believers who already possessed the truth. The phrase "which can save you" simply describes the truth as saving truth. James is not calling for an initial acceptance of that message, but for full appropriation of the truth as the Christian grows in spiritual understanding. [NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament].
Wow! Did you all notice that just about 5 minutes ago half of them were in the juke joint, but it only took one soul to "Hear" what God's voice calling them back home to Him, that she lead the whole juke joint back home to the arms and house of The Lord. I think God is trying to tell some wayward saints to come out of the clubs and juke joints of the world and come back to His loving arms and care. He loves you and wants you all to come back home to Him and to fellowship, praise and worship with Him and your fellow brothers and Sisters-in-Christ. COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND COME BACK HOME TO GOD'S PRESENCE AND HIS PROMISES FOR YOU!! (Luke 15:1-32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1). [www.sowersoftheword.blogspot.com]. JESUS IS LORD.
14 And when Jesus went into Peter's house, He saw his mother-in-law lying ill with a fever; 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began waiting on Him. 16 When evening had come they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons, and He drove out the spirits with a word, and restored to health all who were sick; 17 And thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, HE HIMSELF TOOK (in order to carry away) OUR WEAKNESSES AND INFIRMITIES AND BORE AWAY OUR DISEASES. (Matthew 8:14-17). [Amplified Bible]. Key Verses: 16-17. 16 Matthew mentions the evening to show the pace of Jesus' ministry. He focuses his attention on Jesus' power and on the scriptural witness to his person and ministry. He drives out "the spirits," evil beings that are often recognized in intertestamental literature as agents of disease (see Mark 1:23-26, 34). 17 Matthew goes on to say that Isaiah 53:4 is being fulfilled in Jesus' healing ministry. What is the connection between the two? It is generally understood that when the NT quotes a brief OT passage, it often refers implicitly to the entire context of the quotation (which in this case is the entire "Servant Song" of Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Bothe scripture and Jewish tradition understand that all sickness is caused, directly or indirectly, by sin (see Matthew 4:24). But one main emphasis in the Servant Song is substitutionary atonement, whereby the servant bears the sickness of others through his suffering and death. Thus, Matthew suggests that Jesus' healing ministry is itself a function of his substitionary death, by which he lays the foundation for destroying sickness. That connection is supported by various collateral arguments. The prologue insists Jesus came to save his people from their sin, and this within the context of the coming of the kingdom. When Jesus began his ministry, he not only proclaimed the kingdom but healed the sick (see Matthew 4:24). Healing and forgiveness are tied together, not only in a pericope like Matthew 9:1-8, but by the fact that the consummated kingdom, in which there is no sickness, is made possible by Jesus' death and the new covenant that his death enacted (Matthew 26:27-29). Thus the healings during Jesus' ministry can be understood not only as the fortaste of the kingdom but also as the fruit of Jesus' death. In other words, for Matthew, Jesus' healing miracles pointed beyond themselves to the Cross. Furthermore, the miracles in this chapter have been framed to emphasize Jesus' athority (see vv. 8-9). This authority was never used to satisfy himself (cf. Matthew 4:1-10). He healed a despised leper (vv.1-4), a Gentile centurion's servant who was hopelessly ill (vv.5-13), and other sick people (vv.14-15), no matter how many (vv.1617). Thus when he gave his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28), it was nothing less than an extension of the same authority directed toward the good of others. Jesus' death reflected the intermingling of authority and servanthood already noted (e.g., Matthew 3:17) and now progressively developed. It should be stated that this discussion cannot be used to justify healing on demand. This text and others clearly teach that there is also the promise of a resurrection body in the Atonement, even though believers do not inherit it until thr Parousia. From the perspective of the NT writers, the Cross is the basis for all the benefits that accrue to believers; but this does not mean that all such benefits can be secured at the present time on demand, any more than we have the right and power to demand our resurrection bodies. [NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament]. [www.sowersoftheword.blogspot.com]. JESUS IS LORD.
WHEN JESUS came down from the mountain, great throngs followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came up to Him and prostrating himself, worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if You will, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. 3 And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I will; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, See that you tell nothing about this to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and present the offering that Moses commanded, for a testimony [to your healing] and as an evidence to the people. (Matthew 8:1-4). [Amplified Bible].
1. Healing miracles (8:1-17)
a. A leper (8:1-4)
1 Jesus came down out of the hills (Matt 5:1), where the Sermon on the Mount had been delivered; and the great crowds (Matt 4:23-25; 7:28-29) still pursued him.
2-3 Matthew now starts to elaborate on some specific miracles of Jesus, beginning with a leper (on leprosy, see Mark 1:40). This man "knelt" before Jesus, though this verb can also mean "worshiped." Clearly the former is meant in this historical setting. Yet as with the title "Lord" (see Matt 7:22-23), Christian readers of Matthew could not help concluding that this leper spoke and acted better than he knew. "If you are willing" reflects the leper's great faith, prompted by Jesus' healing activity throughout the district (Matt 4:24): he had no question about Jesus' healing power but feared only that he would be passed by. In affirming his willingness to heal, Jesus proved that his will is decisive. He already had the authority and power and only needed to decide and act. Jesus reached to touch the leper, probably because the leper did not dare come close to him. By touching an unclean leper, Jesus would become ceremonially defiled himself (cf. Lev Ch 13-14). But at Jesus' touch nothing remains defield. Far from becoming unclean, Jesus makes the unclean clean. Both Jesus' word and touch (Matt 8:15; 9:20-21, 29; 14:36) are effective, possibly implying that authority is vested in his message as well as in his person.
4 Jesus' command for the leper to keep silent shows that Jesus is not presenting himself as a mere wonder-worker who can be pressured into messiahship by crowds whose messianic views are materialistic and political. His authority derives from God alone; he came to die, not to trounce the Romans. The people who disobeyed Jesus' injunctions to silence only made his mission more difficult. Jesus commanded the cured man to follow the Mosaic prescriptions for lepers who climed healing (cf. Lev Ch 14). Why? Partly because Matthew wants to show that Jesus did submit himself to God's law. But the result is startling: the law achieves new relevance by pointing to Jesus. In conforming to the law, the cured leper becomes the occasion for the law to confirm Jesus' authority as the healer who needs but to will the deed for it to be done. Thus the supreme function of the "gift" Moses commanded is not as a guilt offering (Lev 14:10-18) but as a witness to others concerning Jesus. [NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament].
O LORD, you have searched me (thoroughly) and have known me. You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off. You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue [still] unuttered, but lo, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have beset me and shut me in behind and before, and have laid Your hand upon me. Your (infinite) knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it. Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into Heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol [the place of the dead], behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the night shall be the only light about me, Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. [Psalm 139:1-12]. [Amplified Bible]. The various components of this psalm expose us to the intensely personal relationship between the psalmist and his God. I. The Lord's Discernment of Individuals (139:1-6) 1-6 The Lord "knows" his own-a word that means complete divine discernment. In his prayer (vv. 23-24), the psalmist prayed for the Lord to examine him as in a judicial case and to declare him to be innocent of all charges. Now that the ordeal is over and he has been justified by the Lord, the psalmist testifies that the Lord is a righteous judge. The Lord knows him through and through. The accused is not afraid of his judge, for the Judge is more than an arbiter; he is the one in whom the psalmist has found protection. The knowledge of God referred to here is a knowledge that graciously discerns in favor of those who are loyal to the Lord. By grace humans are blessed. The psalmist exclaims that God's favorable acts toward him are "too wonderful" and "too lofty" to apprehend. II. The Lord's Perception of Individuals (139:7-12) 7-12 The "presence" (parallel with "Spirit") of God is everywhere; hence he perceives all things in all places. We cannot hide from the all-seeing eye of the Lord. Unlike pagan deities, the Lord's authority extends to "the heavens . . . the depths . . . the wings of the dawn . . . the sea." The Lord's hand protects his children wherever they are, even in "darkness." There is only light with God, and his light brightens up the darkness so that the psalmist can say affirmatively, "The night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you" (v.12). [NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume I: Old Testament].
[www.sowersoftheword.blogspot.com]. JESUS IS LORD.
At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message (Gospel) might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:16-18). 4:16 Paul echos the forgiving attitude of Christ. Although many had abandoned him, he asked God not to hold them accountable for their actions. 4:17 In spite of the failure of his friends, Paul was supported by the Lord, who always strengthens and empowers. Often people will fail us in troublesome times. The Lord, however, never fails His children, no matter how difficult the circumstances are (see Luke 22:32; Hebrews 7:25). God had consistently empowered Paul during his life so that he could continue to preach the truth to the Gentiles. Lion is probably a reference to execution by lions. It is also possible that Paul is using the word as a metaphor for the spiritual conflict from which he was delivered. 4:18 Paul's expression of confidence in God builds to a crescendo of praise, ending with Amen. [THE NKJV STUDY BIBLE Second Edition].
[www.sowersoftheword.blogspot.com]. JESUS IS LORD.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-15).
This poem speaks with eloquence of the role of time in the life of the believer. Some regard the Book of Ecclesiastes as describing life apart from God, but clearly this text describes life that is lived in relationship with God. Through these words, the Preacher is not teaching that everything has an opportune time according to which one should choose one action or the other. Rather, he teaches that all events are in the hand of God, who makes everything happen in the time He judges appropriate. Illustrating this comforting assertion, the preacher turns to 14 pairs of opposites in vv. 2-8). [THE NKJV STUDY BIBLE].
[www.sowersoftheword.blogspot.com]. JESUS IS LORD.
42 Watch, therefore-give strict attention, be cautious and active-for you do not know in what kind of a day [whether a near or remote one] your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: that had the householder known in what [part of the night, whether in a night or a morning] watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be undermined and broken through. 44 You also must be ready therefore; for the Son of man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him. (Matthew 24:42-44) [Amplified Bible]. a. The homeowner and the thief (Matt 24:42-44). Each of the five parables in Matt 24:42-25:46 deals with some aspect of watchfulness. But watchfulness is not always passive: duties and responsibilities must be discharged by Jesus' followers (Matt 24:45-51), and foresight and wisdom are important (Matt 25:1-13). Responsible living under Jesus' directives is rewarded in the end (Matt 25:4-46). 42-44 The first parable teaches both the unexpectedness of the return of "your Lord" and the church's willingness to call Jesus "the Lord," a religious title hitherto reserved by Jews for God himself (1Cor 12:3; 1Thess 2:2; see also Matt 7:22-23; 8:21). It might be better to take "understand" as an indicative ("you know") rather then an imperative: the disciples know that an owner of a house would be awake and watching if he knew when a thief was coming. Since no one knows at what "watch" a thief might strike, constant vigilance is required. Similarly, we must also always be ready because in this one respect-the unexpectedness of his coming-the Son of Man resembles a thief. [NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament].
[www.sowersoftheword.blogspot.com]. JESUS IS LORD.
16 ALSO [JESUS] said to the disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a manager of his estate, and accusations [against this man were brought] to him, that he was sqaundering his [master's] possesions. 2 And he called him and said to him, What is that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management [of my affairs], for you can be [my] manager no longer. 3 And the manager of the estate said to himself, What shall I do, seeing that my master is taking the management away from me? I am not able to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have come to know what I will do, so that they [my master's debtors] may accept and welcome me into their houses when I am put out of the management. 5 So he summoned his master's debtors one by one, and he said to the first, How much do you owe my master? 6 He said, A hundred measures [about nine hundred gallons] of oil. And he said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and sit down quickly and write fifty [about four hundred fifty gallons]. 7 After that he said to another, And how much do you owe? He said, A hundred measures [about nine hundred bushels] of wheat. He said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and write eighty [about seven hundred bushels]. 8 And [his] master praised the dishonest (unjust) manager for acting shrewdly and prudently; for the sons of this age are shrewder and more prudent and wiser in [relation to] their own generation-that is, to their own age and kind-than are the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon [that is, deceitful riches, money, possessions], so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into everlasting habitations (dwellings). 10 He who is faithful in a very little [thing], is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing], is dishonest and unjust also in much. 11 Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the [case of] the unrighteous mammon-the deceitful riches, money, possessions-who will entrust to you true riches? 12 And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]? 13 No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon-riches, that is, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely. (Luke 16:1-13; Amplified Bible).
1-4 "Manager" is a broad term for an employee or agent who has was entrusted with the management of funds or property. Mismanagement was possible because strict accounts were not always kept. When word came from others (v.2), he had to "give an account." The manager's plight (v.3) was that he had a respectable "desk job" but could do little else. His decision, therefore, is made with a view to his personal security after his dismissal.
5-8 As already noted, the bills may have been written in terms of commodities rather than cash, perhaps in order to hide the actual amount of interest. The amounts owed were large; the wheat is said to be equal to the yield of about one hundred acres. The actual value of the reduction in each case has been computed to equal about sixteen month's wages for a day laborer. The meaning of v.8a, as noted above, is not that a manager is commended for an act of dishonesty but that a dishonest manager is commended for an act of prudence.
8b-9 The contrast between those who belong to this age and those who belong to the light (v.8b) is a familiar one (cf. Eph 5:8; 1Thess 5:5; 1John 1:5-7). Christians do not belong to this evil age, but they can nevertheless make responsible use of "worldly wealth" (v.9). The "friends" may not refer to any particular people but simply be part of the parable's imagery. Usually they have been understood as being poor people, for whom Jesus had a deep concern and to whom we are here urged to give alms (cf. Lk 12:33). "Wordly wealth" should not be stored up for oneself (cf. lk 12:21), since one day it will be "gone."
10-13 The theme of stewardship is now discussed in terms of trustworthiness as over against dishonesty. "Worldly wealth" (v.11) appears for the second time (cf. v.9). The propery here is "someone else's," presumably God's, in contrast to the parable's imagery in which the amount forgiven was the manager's own commission. Verse 13 (cf. Matt 6:24) is also appropriate to the context (the Greek word earlier translated "worldly wealth" is now translated "money"). Though one may have both God and money, we cannot serve them both. [NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament].
Is any one among you afflicted-ill treated, suffering evil? He should pray. Is any one glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God].
14 Is any one among you sick? He should call in the church elders-the spiritual guides. And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord's name.
15 And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him that is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess to one another therefore your faults-your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins; and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored-to a spiritual tone of mind and heart. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available-dynamic in its working.
17 Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have-with feelings, affections and constitution as ourselves; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months.
18 And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]. (James 5:13-18). [Amplified Bible].
This passage on prayer falls into two sections. Verses 13-16 constitute a call for prayer in every circumstance of life; vv.17-18 illustrate the effectiveness of sincere prayer.
13 One circumstance that calls for prayer is the experience of being "in trouble." When such an experience comes, Christians need patience. They are not to grumble in bitter disgust (v.9), nor are they to express themselves in oaths (v.12). Instead, they "should pray." Patience comes from God, and prayer is an effective way to obtain it. James also urges anyone who is in good spirits to "sing songs of praise." This too is prayer.
14 Sickness is another circumstance where prayer is needed, and concerning such prayer James gives detailed instructions. The sick person "should call for the elders of the church" (cf. Tit 1:5, 7; Acts 20:17, 28). In Acts 20:28 the elders are instructed to shepherd the church of God, i.e., to do the work of a pastor (cf. also 1Pet. 5:1-4). Thus, the sick person is to call the pastors of the church "to pray over him and anoint him with oil." Prayer is the more significant of the two ministries performed by the elders, for the overall emphasis of the paragraph belongs on prayer. There are a number of reasons for understanding the application of oil as medicinal rather than sacramental. The word "anoint" is not the usual word for sacramental or ritualistic anointing. Furthermore, it is a well-documented fact that oil was one of the most common medicines of biblical times (see Isa. 1:6; Lk 10:34). Josephus reports that during his last illness Herod the Great was given a bath in oil in hopes of effecting a cure. It is evident, then, that James is prescribing prayer and medicine.
15 The assurance is given that prayer "will make the sick person well." In the final analysis, this is what effects the healing. In answer to "the prayer offered in faith," God uses the medicine to cure the malady. The statement "the Lord will raise him up" means that the sick man will be enabled to get up from his sick bed. If it was sin that occasioned his sickness, "he will be forgiven." This suggests that possibility that, because of persistence in sin, God sent sickness as a disciplinary agent (cf. 1 Cor. 11:30). The conditional :if he has sinned," however, makes it clear that not all sickness is the result of sin.
16 From the promise of v.15 James draws an inference. Since confession of sin and the prayer of faith bring healing, Christians should confess their "sins to each other and pray for each other." It is not merely the elders who are to pray here, but Christians in general. If a person has sinned against a fellow-Christian, he or she should confess the sin to that person. This will no doubt result in mutual confession-"to each other." Then the two believers should "pray for each other." If the sin has caused sickness, healing will follow confession and prayer. James proceeds to add the assurance that prayer "is powerful and effective." The "righteous man" here referred to is the one whose sins have been confessed and forgiven. His prayer is fully able to secure results, such as healing of the sick.
17-18 James now offers illustrative proof that a righteous man's prayer is "powerful and effective." "Elijah," he says, "was a man just like us." He had no superhuman powers; he was by nature a human being and nothing more. However, when he prayed "that it would not rain . . . it did not rain" (cf. 1 Kings 17:1; 18:42-45). The explanation of his power in prayer is twofold: he was a righteous man, and "he prayed earnestly." So James assures his readers that such answers to prayer are within the reach of any believer. It is true that 1 Kings 17-18 does not explicitly say that Elijah prayed, but this may be assumed from 17:1 and especially from 18:42. The three and one-half years is a round number based on 18:1.
Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, and about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth more than they? 27 And which of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure [cubit] to his stature or to the life span of his life? 28 And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29 Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you men with little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? 32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek after all these things; and your heavenly Father well knows that you need them all. 33 But seek for (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom, and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right], and then all those these things taken together will be given you besides. 34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient. for each day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34). [Amplified Bible].
Uncompromised Trust (6:25-34).
25 "Therefore," in light of the alternatives set out (vv.19-24), Jesus instructs his disciples not to worry about the physical necessities, let alone the luxuries implied in the preceding verses. Far too often our entire existence focuses on such things. The argument goes from the greater to the lesser: God has given us life and a body, both admittedly more important than food and clothing, will he not also give us the latter?
26 To worry about food and drink is to have learned nothing from the natural creation, which testifies to God's providence. The point is not that the disciples need not work-birds do not simply wait for God to drop food into their beaks-but that they need not fret. They may further strengthen their faith by remembering that God is in a special sense their Father and that they are worth far more than birds ("you" is emphatic). Here the argument is from the lesser to the greater.
27 Worry is more likely to shorten life than to prolong it, and ultimately such matters are in God's hands (cf. Luke 12:13-21). To trust him should be enough.
28-30 "Lilies of the field" (v.28) may be any of the wild flowers so abundant in Galilee. Jesus' point is a little different from the first illustration about birds: flowers neither toil nor spin. The point is not that Jesus' disciples may opt for laziness but that God's providence and care are so rich that He clothes the grass with wild flowers that are neither productive nor enduring. Even Solomon, the richest and most extravagant of Israel's monarchs, was not arrayed like one of these fields. Jesus closes with the thought that the root of anxiety is unbelief.
31-32 In the light of God's bountiful care, the questions posed in v.31 are unanswerable. Worse, they are essentially pagan. Jesus' disciples must live lives qualitatively different from those of people who have no trust in God's fatherly care and no fundamental goals beyond material things.
33 In view of vv.31-32, this verse makes it clear that Jesus' disciples are not simply to refrain from pursuing temporal things as their primary goal in order to differentiate themselves from pagans. Instead, they are to replace such pursuits with goals of far greater significance. To "seek first [God's] kingdom" (see Matthew 3:2, 4:17) is to desire above all to enter into, submit to, and participate in spreading the news of the saving reign of God. It is to pursue the things already prayed for in the first three petitions of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-10). To Seek God's "righteousness" is not, in this context, to seek justification; rather, it is to pursue righteousness of life in full submission to the will of God, as prescribed by Jesus throughout this discourse (see Matthew 6:1). for any other concern to dominate one's mind is to stoop to pagan fretting. Within such framework of commitment, Jesus's disciples are assured that all the necessary things will be given them by their heavenly Father.
34 Worry over tomorrow's misfortunes is nonsensical, because today has enough to occupy our attention and because tomorrow's feared misfortunes may never happen. Furthermore, today's grace is sufficient only for today and should not be wasted on tomorrow. If tomorrow does bring new trouble, there will be new grace to meet it. [NIV BIBL COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament].
