Hebrews 1:8

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“But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.” Hebrews 1:8.

In the previous verse devotion, Hebrews 1:1-7 (available here), the writer spoke about how God used prophets and Godly people to direct them in God’s ways, as well as declaring to them important information they had no other access to including future events, and the coming of the Christ who would ultimately die, paying the penalty for the sins of all mankind who accept Him. Throughout this next section, God refers to the Christ as His Son. Let me take a moment to speak about this.

Jesus is not the Son of God with the idea of a human father and a son. God did not get married and mate with Mary and have a son. Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God manifested in human form.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-2,14.

Jesus is called God’s Son in that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. We see this clearly in the gospel of Luke.

“The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most-High will overshadow you; and for that reason, the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.’” Luke 1:35.

Now moving forward, we read verses 8 and 9.

“But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. “YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.” Hebrews 1:8-9.

But notice what we read in the psalms.

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.” Psalm 45:6-7.

We see here that this message in Hebrews 1:8-9 is taken from Psalm 45:6-7. The Father is telling His Son, that His kingship would be a never ending one.

Next, we read the following.

“And, ’YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT, AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.’” Hebrews 1:10-12.

Again, notice what we read in the psalms.

“Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.” Psalm 102:25-27.

The writer of Hebrews used the Psalms at various times to validate his thoughts. In here we see that the creation of everything was by the Son. It was He who laid the foundation of everything created. But He also notes that all of this will cease to exist. This idea is also found in the Book of Matthew  where everything will be made new.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:35.

As well as in Revelation.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:1-2.

The basic idea here is that the new home of God’s people will not consist of anything that exists now, which includes the seas. Everything will be made totally new and will be perfect and last for eternity. We, as God’s people, will be changed into immortal beings that will live forever with Him, just like Jesus. And referring to Jesus,

“But you are the same, and your years will not come to an end.” Hebrews 1:12b.

And just as God; The Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, will live forever, so shall we in His kingdom.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

Then we read the final two verses in Hebrews 1.

“But to which of the angels has He ever said, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:13-14.

For the seventh time in chapter 1, the author quotes the Hebrew Scriptures, this time to demonstrate that Jesus is greatly superior to any angelic being. He quoted Psalm 110 to show again that God the Father said things to Jesus He never said to angelic beings.

“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” Psalm 110:1.

Angels are ministering spirits, not governing spirits. They are called to service and assist those who have accepted Christ as Savior. They are commanded to serve God, and He shares these servants with redeemed men and women. This shows the great love of God for us, and how He wants to share all things with us.

Quoting theologian F.F. Bruce:

“The most exalted angels are those whose privilege it is to “stand in the presence of God” like Gabriel (Luke 1:19), but none of them has ever been invited to sit before him, still less to sit in the place of unique honor at his right hand. Their standing posture betokens their promptness to execute his commands, or simply to abide his pleasure.” F.F. Bruce.

To go back to Hebrews 1:1-7, click the following link.

1 John 1:9

Verse of the Day: 1John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

None of us are perfect, no matter what we think. However, as true Christians this should be our desire. Speaking for myself, there are times when I fail to do what God has commanded me to do, or I do what God has commanded me not to do.  Even the Apostle Paul struggled with this. And if we are honest, we all do.  The verse prior to our focus verse says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Notice his wording, ‘If we say we have no sin’, present tense. Paul was clear in his letter to the Church in Rome that no one can say they have no sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ Romans 3:23.

What John is saying is as Christians we are to walk with God and devote ourselves totally to Him. We are to live a life that honors Christ, that is a perfect life. However, in our fleshly weakness we often do things we know are wrong. Paul put it like this regarding his own struggle, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.  For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” Romans 7:18-19. Paul understood that he was far from perfect. He knew that he did not always live in a way that honored God. In fact, he states that no one does. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12. And to say that we have no sin puts us in a dangerous place because God’s grace and mercy is extended to sinners, not to those who see these as mistakes, or who say, “I’m only human”. We need to realize the victory and forgiveness that comes from praying, “I am a sinner, even a great sinner, but I have a Savior who cleanses me from all sin.”

And this is laid out in our focus verse. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Though sin is present, it need not remain a hindrance to our relationship with God, we will find cleansing from all unrighteousness as we confess our sins. By confessing our sins, we are willing to say and believe the same thing about our sin that God says about it. The one who confesses his sin is the one who agrees with God about how bad he was. And if we deny the presence of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and are denying God’s Word. “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:10. And though sin is always present, so is its remedy, so sin need never be a hindrance to our relationship with God. We need to confess all sins to God, and this confession should be with the idea of knowing what you did was sin, hating having done it and desiring never to do it again but wanting to honor God in everything. In this, He is “faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

1 John 1:9

Verse of the Day: 1John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

If you are like me, you are not perfect.  As true Christians we want to be.  Speaking for myself, there are times when I fail to do what God has commanded, or I do what God has commanded us not to do.  Even Paul the apostle struggled with this.

If we are honest, we all do.  In fact, the verse just before our focus verse says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  1 John 1:8. Notice the tense here.  He does not say ‘If we say we have not sinned’ past tense, he says ‘If we say we have no sin’ present tense.  Also, John is not writing this to just anyone, but to the Church.

What John is saying is as Christians we are to walk with Him and devote ourselves totally to Him.  However, in our fleshly weakness we are subject to doing things we know we should not do.  Paul put it like this regarding his own struggle, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.  For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” Romans 7:18-19.

However, here is the answer.  Strive to be perfect.  Jesus said himself, ‘Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’  Matthew 5:48.  We should want nothing less.  However, if we do miss the mark, then we should go humbly before God and confess what we have done.  Be completely honest.  He knows it all anyway.  And when you do, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  This is a great promise from Him.  Then, go back out and strive to be that light in the darkness He desires us to be.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

1 John 2:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 John 2:1

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” – 1 John 2:1

In the first chapter, John lays out how we are to view sin in our lives.  “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10.  In summary, John is saying if we say we are fellowshipping with Jesus and yet continue in sin, we are lying and there is not truth in what we say.  But if we live and walk in holiness and purity and thereby shine the light of Christ into the darkness, then we shall have fellowship with Him and each other.  Notice the two things John says about the declaration of no sin.  1)  we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us, and 2) we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

John states in our focus verse that he wrote those things that we would not sin.  The idea here is to strive for a life of holiness.  To make the purpose of our life to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.  Unfortunately, we are all tempted to sin, and there are times when we succumb to the temptation.  However, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus, who lived the life of perfection we could not and through His death, burial and resurrection we were justified, declared righteous, for the penalty was paid for us on the cross of Christ.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9.

This to me is a very encouraging verse.  We are called to live a holy life, and we can only do this through the power and agency of the Holy Spirit.  Unfortunately, we get distracted from this calling and we fall into the trap of doing what we want as opposed to what God wants.  This, to me, is the definition of sin; following our desires rather than his.  The encouraging thing is that we have that advocate with the Father.  The definition of advocate in the Merriam-Webster dictionary Is one who pleads the case or cause of another before a judicial court.  Jesus pleads our case before the Father for mercy and forgiveness, which is granted, again, because of the work of Christ on the cross.  He does not just forgive, but He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness.   How great is the father’s love for us!

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Jeremiah 23:5

Verse of the Day Devotion: Jeremiah 23:5

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.” –  Jeremiah 23:5 

This verse speaks of the coming of the promised Messiah.  Isaiah speaks similarly when he said, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

Both Jeremiah and Isaiah are telling those who will listen that the righteous one will be coming, from God, who will ultimately establish the eternal kingdom, bringing righteousness and justice to the land.  Daniel gave specifics regarding the timing here, “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.” Daniel 9:25. I will not go into the mathematics regarding His coming except to say that these are weeks of years; one week being 7 years. Therefore, it was not a secret, for the Lord made it clear to the Jews when, how and why He was coming.  When? Sixty-nine weeks of years after the decree to rebuild the Jerusalem. How? Through the Son of God, the Messiah. Why? To bring about the atonement for our sins through the death of the Messiah.

Unfortunately, most of the Jews at the time of Christ’s coming did not understand these prophecies.  It laid out the time of His coming, but they looked for what they expected, and not what the prophets said.  It was laid out so clearly here, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.” Daniel 9:24. My guess is that either they lost the initiative to continue counting the days, or they had their own idea of what the Messiah would do, and Jesus did not meet their expectations. What a shame. So, this is what we celebrate during the Christmas season.  It has to do with the gift God gave us in His Son, the promised Messiah, who would sacrifice Himself for us all.  Let us not forget this when we celebrate Christmas, because this is the true meaning of this blessed holiday season.  There is nothing wrong with sharing gifts or decorating with lights and trees.  However, let’s make these secondary and remind our children, friends and family of what Christ did for us and the eternal rewards He made available to us, if we simply believe and live it out.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Psalm 55:22

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 55:22

“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” – Psalm 55:22

I am sure everyone who reads this has been through times of extreme difficulty.  For myself, I can definitely remember multiple times I have been in situations where I was not sure what I was going to do.  But these times have showed me that I do not have to go through it alone.  God wants to be there for us, and He always is.

In today’s verse, God is speaking to David and encouraging him.  David has cried out to him.  Note these words of David.  “Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the pressure of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me and in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.  Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.”  Psalm 55:3-5.  He was going through a great deal of fear and anguish.  He cried out with the above words, then David declared in our focus verse, “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”

As David learned that God would bring him through his trials and bear his burdens, Paul shows us this truth is for us as well.  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7.  If we find ourselves burdened down and anxious because of our situation, lift it to God in prayer.  He will gladly walk with us and lighten our load.

However, the greatest burden we have carried in our lives is our sin. “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin.  For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.“  Psalm 38:3-4.  God knew we would be unable to bear this burden of sin, nor would we be able to rid ourselves of it.  Christ bore our sins in His own body on the cross to bring forgiveness to all who believe.  He bore this burden so that we would not have to.  And if this burden has been removed because of His great love for us, we can trust Him to bear any other burden we carry.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 2:17

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 2:17 

“And hearing this, Jesus said to them, it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 

Jesus again went out to the Sea of Galilee. “And He went out again by the seashore; and all the multitude were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.” Mark 2:13. In this, Jesus was fulfilling the purpose of His coming. “And He said to them, Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, in order that I may preach there also; for that is what I came out for.” Mark 1:38. God the Father sent Jesus here to show the world the truth. “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly.” John 10:10. Therefore, when there were people interested in hearing what He had to say, He spent time with them, Note the end of the above verse. “and all the multitude were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.”

Now, as He was walking He sees Levi, also known as Matthew. “And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, Follow Me! And he rose and followed Him.” Mark 2:14. This was no doubt where the first toll station would have been found for those coming from across the sea. This particular station was probably set up to gather taxes to be given to the Roman leader Herod Antipas. Levi was an official of the Jewish client-king Herod and was not a Roman tax collector. However, they were probably hated as much as those of the Romans, and for the same reasons. Their dishonesty was well known, using intimidation as well as force to collect them. Furthermore the Herodian rulers were at best semi-Jews and were hated as much as the Roman governors. And when Jesus calls him to follow Him, there was no hesitation. He immediately left and followed Him.

Now after the above, Jesus had a meal with Levi at his home. “And it came about that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax-gatherers and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.” Mark 2:15. Because of Levi’s conversion,  he prepared a meal in which Jesus was invited, along with many other tax collectors along with those who were seen as sinners by the Jews. Now, needless to say this was not taken well by the scribes and Pharisees. “And when the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax-gatherers, they began saying to His disciples, Why is He eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?” Mark 2:16. Today, we do not understand just how outrageous it was for Jesus to associate with outcasts. In ancient Jewish society, fellowshipping at a table was one of the most intimate expressions of friendship. This was why the religious leaders could not understand how Jesus, whom they considered a religious person, would share a meal with such awful people. In fact, they were offended and disgusted that Jesus would not just speak to them but dine with them.

Now the Pharisees were speaking to Jesus’ disciples, and Jesus overheard their words. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17. What He is saying is that He did not come to minister to the healthy but the sick. And He is referring to their sinful ways. He came here for those who know they are sinners and desire to be forgiven and made whole. But those who believe they are righteous because they do the works they believe make them righteous believe they do not need what Christ offers. The Jewish leadership: Pharisees and Sadducees, and the Scribes believed they were righteous because they believed they followed the Law as God desired. What they did not understand is that man is ‘sick’ if they sin but once. And this applied to all people.

There are many in this world who need to accept the truth of the gospel. And these are the ones who need to hear the message of Christ. We are called to go out to the sick and lost to declare the truth. “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16. Those who are called the ‘sick’ are the ones who are unsaved. And they can only be healed if they recognize their situation and give themselves to Christ. There are many who believe they are healed but have never accepted Christ. But also, we must be willing to go out and present this truth to all who are willing to hear it. For as the Apostle Paul said, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13-15. Let’s go out to the sinners and unsaved, no matter who they are, and help them be healed of their sinful life via the blood of Christ.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, for their

Luke 23:50

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 23:50

“And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man.” – Luke 23:50

Now, our focus verse takes place just after the death of Jesus. “And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT. And having said this, He breathed His last. Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, Certainly this man was innocent. And all the multitudes who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee, were standing at a distance, seeing these things.” Luke 23:44-49. The past twenty-four hours was constant torture and pain for Him, but now this time is over. He died. Now comes His burial.

A man came up and made this happen. “And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man” Luke 23:50. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, which voted to have Jesus executed, however we see in the next verse he voted against the majority. “(he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God.” Luke 23:51. We also see in John’s and Matthew’s gospels that he had become a disciple of Jesus. “And when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.” Matthew 27:57. And we also see that he was a rich mas as well.

Now, this rich, righteous man who was a follower of Christ went to Pilate. “this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.” Luke 23:52-53. Now, this was not a random tomb. This tomb was owned by Joseph. “And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.” Matthew 27:59-60. And because it was preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin, they held off the preparation of the body until the next day, Sunday. And He did not go alone. “Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed after and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.” Luke 23:55. These women were undoubtedly the same as those who reported the resurrection to the disciples. “Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.” Luke 24:10. Now these ladies went back to prepare spices and perfumes for His body. “Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed after and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” Luke 23:55-56. They prepared the spices and all that was necessary to prepare the body. They did not want to violate the Sabbath, therefore they left and planned to prepare the body on Sunday.

Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin showed much courage in what he did for Jesus. In fact, he took a tremendous risk in going to both the Sanhedrin and to Pilate. “Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” Mark 15:43. He took a risk in voting contrary to the vast majority of the Sanhedrin, “he had not consented to their plan and action.” Both of these actions could have brought great trouble on him.  However, he was a follower of Christ. “And after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. He came therefore and took away His body.” John 19:38. He risked much in doing what He did for Christ. I want to encourage us all to do His work no matter the cost.  We can be a true follower of Christ as Joseph was, in secret, without denying Him. However, it is a risk. And if caught, there may be ridicule and hatred now, with far more serious results coming. We must always remember that God is always with us. As the Apostle Paul so clearly said. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.” Galatians 1:3-5. And besides, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” Romans 8:31.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 18:9

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 18:9 

“And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:” – Luke 18:9

Today we will look at the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get. But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14.

This parable says a lot regarding spiritual truth and what is expected from us as true followers of Christ.  It starts by stating why He told this parable.  “And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt.” Luke 18:9. Jesus noticed in the Temple those who were the Pharisees and Jewish leaders who thought their own goodness was so great it could not fail to make them acceptable to God. They held rigorously to the ceremonies and traditions laid out in the law, making a public show of their religiosity, all to be seen by other men, many of whom they despised as being beneath them. The Pharisee in the story is the picture of one who is self-justifying. Also, when you examine his prayer you see no elements of confession. He does not ask forgiveness for his sins, probably because he believes he has nothing to confess. Also, the fact there is no glorification of God makes His prayer all about him. Even the thanks he does offer is designed to exalt himself and place himself above others whom he treats with disgust. Going to the temple to pray with the condition of his heart as it was, he might as well have stayed home. Such a prayer is not heard by God.

Now, contrary to the Pharisee who went to the temple to be self-congratulatory, the tax collector stood at a distance, perhaps in an outer room, but certainly far from the Pharisee who would have been offended by the closeness of this man. Tax collectors, because of their association with the hated Romans, were seen as traitors to Israel and were loathed and treated as outcasts. His posture spoke of his unworthiness before God. He was unable to even lift his eyes to heaven because of the burden of his guilt and shame which weighed heavily upon him.  Overcome by his transgressions, he beats his breast in sorrow and repentance and appeals to God for mercy. The prayer he speaks is the very one God was waiting to hear, and his attitude is exactly what God wants from all who come to Him.

Now, the tax collector had the attitude that God called for in His sermon on the mount.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3.  Being ‘poor in spirit’ means that we admit we have nothing to offer God to atone for our sins.  We come to Him empty, bankrupt, as someone having nothing to give for our sins.  The tax collector recognized his sinful condition and seeks the only thing that can bridge the gap between himself and God. He cries out to Him, “Have mercy on me.”

Jesus is telling them that if we are truly broken-hearted regarding our sin, we can be assured of our forgiveness because of God’s great grace and mercy.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.  No amount of good works, loving our neighbor, giving our tithes, or church attendance will make a difference regarding our sins for these are not what will blot them out and give us the ability to stand before a holy God.  This is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross. His death is the only means we have that is able to cleanse us and make us acceptable to God.

Also, we must not make the mistake of comparing ourselves with others and gaining confidence from what we see through that comparison. In fact, Jesus specifically warns us against this attitude at the beginning of the parable. “And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt:” Luke 18:9. When we try to justify ourselves by comparing ourselves to others, we naturally end up despising them, and how is this “loving our neighbor as ourselves”. Our standard for comparison is God Himself, and we all fall short of His glory. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 9:13

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 9:13 

“But go and learn what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Matthew 9:13 

This verse is part of the story where Matthew was called by Jesus to be one of His disciples.  “And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, “Follow Me! And he rose and followed Him.” Matthew 9:9. There appears to have been no hesitation from Matthew in making this decision for it says he got right up and followed.  In fact, Luke tells us that Matthew left everything behind to follow Him. “And he left everything behind and rose and began to follow Him.” Luke 5:28.

After Jesus called him, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home for dinner. The length of time between Matthew’s call and the dinner mentioned here is not specified in the text, but it was likely a short time span. And more people showed up to attend. “And it happened that as He was reclining at the table in the house, behold many tax-gatherers and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.” Matthew 9:10. These were probably friends and colleagues of Matthew who were also invited to the dinner. Tax collectors would likely be unacceptable to the Pharisees due not only to their deserved reputation for extortion but also to their frequent associations with Gentiles. The term ‘sinners’ designates those whose behavior was egregiously ungodly, but from the Pharisaic perspective it may also include those who did not observe the traditional interpretations of the scriptures on such matters as ritual purity, food laws, and Sabbath observance.

Now, the Pharisees thought this to be unacceptable, so they questioned it. “And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” Matthew 9:11. The attitude of the Pharisees was one of disgust. In essence, their attitude was such that their intended question was probably, “Why is your Teacher eating with such scum?” Now, when Jesus heard this, He immediately answers them with an analogy, even though the question was not addressed directly to Him. “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:12. Jesus is associating sin with  disease. Metaphorically and proverbially speaking, the sinners with whom he associated with were “ill” and needed help. Jesus takes a humble illustration from ordinary life, where it is the sick, not the well, who need medical help.

Next, we come to our focus verse. “But go and learn what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13. First, he tells the Pharisees to look at Hosea so they can truly understand what it means. He is not telling them to go away, but to think about what He means.  Then He proceeds to quote the prophet Hosea from the Old Testament.  “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6. This is what He was saying they did not understand.  Jesus used the word ‘compassion’ rather than loyalty, but when looking at the Hebrew for this word, it can mean ‘goodness’ and ‘kindness’, which is basically compassion. The Pharisees would have understood this. But then He goes further to say, “for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13b.

The Pharisees presumed they were good enough because they believed they kept the letter of the law.  That they followed all the rituals and deeds that they believed God required of them, and this was adequate to attain eternal life. The prophets did not want to abolish the sacrificial system but to reform it by stressing inner purity over ritual purity. Jesus’ final words apply the metaphorical language to the reality of his mission—the ‘healthy’ are those who think they are righteous, like the Pharisees, and the ‘sick’ are those who realize that they need Jesus’ ‘medicine.’ It is to this second group that Jesus was sent, and he called them to repentance. And this is what we are called to do. “And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15. There should be no one we consider  unworthy of hearing the truth and having the opportunity to repent and receive salvation. The Pharisees believed they were just fine. The tax collectors and sinners did not, and therefore Jesus spent His time with them.  We must always be ready to present the gospel, no matter who it is.  If we speak to them the truth of the gospel, we have done what He desires us to do.  But if we choose not to because we do not want to associate with them, then we are not. We must be humble and go to all with the medicine of the gospel. Let’s make doing our best to reach the lost our goal in this life.  iz

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.