[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 350 – Titus 1-3; Luke 9 summary!]
1 Samuel 8 marks a major turning point in Israel’s history. Samuel was a great judge and prophet over Israel, but his sons weren’t like him. They were dishonest and greedy. The people came to Samuel and asked him to appoint a king over them, so they would be like the other nations that surrounded them. When Samuel took the matter to the LORD, Samuel was upset. He knew the people ought to serve the LORD who was their true king. The LORD told Samuel to do as they asked, because they weren’t rejecting Samuel–They were rejecting the LORD. Samuel warned the people of the burdens a king would place on them, but they wanted to be like everyone else, so Samuel agreed to give them a king. Before we move to chapter 9, let’s think about this for a minute. How many times have we wanted something that we saw someone else had? We had to have it, because it seemed like a good thing for a friend, or a neighbor, or even a stranger. Add to that all the advertising that flashes in front of our eyes and rings in our ears. We fear missing out or being the last one to have the latest gadget. Times change, but people all too often don’t. It’s important for us to recognize ourselves in the accounts we read from 1 Samuel, because while we might never ask for a king, we have often asked for something we see someone else has that we don’t.
1 Samuel 9-11 records the implementation of the people’s request for a king. The LORD chose Saul, a Benjamite, to be the first king. If we remember back to the Book of Judges and what the Benjamites did, and how they were nearly wiped out as a tribe, we see again God doesn’t hold a grudge. The account of Saul’s selection, anointing and becoming king, is filled with interesting twists and turns that show us God works in the lives of people. His Spirit can change us drastically. If you have read the Bible before, you know Saul’s faithfulness to the LORD is short-lived, and his reign as king will be marred with disobedience, and desperation. But it started off well. Even with such a brief sampling, we can see an important truth: Just because the LORD selects a person to serve Him, doesn’t mean the person will remain true to God’s course and purpose. As we read through the next days in 1 Samuel, let’s keep our eyes open for the aspects of Saul’s life that led to his downfall, and be warned to avoid such actions in our own lives.
Today, we return to the Gospel of Mark for a third time. Over these next sixteen days, we will read Mark’s presentation of Jesus’ life, ministry, teaching, death, and resurrection again. If you’re wondering why we don’t move on to Matthew or Luke, because we’ve already read Mark and John twice, the short answer is: Repetition is the mother of learning! As we continue to read through Mark a total of five times during the year, his account will become more and more fixed in our minds. Ultimately, the goal is for it to move from our minds to our hearts, but until we have God’s truth in our minds, it cannot move to our hearts. In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul told us not to be conformed or molded to the systems of this world, but to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. As we read Mark’s gospel again, the information will enter our minds again. The truth there will work renewal in our minds, which will bring transformation to our lives.
Mark 1, as we know by now, offers a great deal of information about the start of Jesus’ ministry. It offers a brief background of John the Baptist’s preparatory ministry, of Jesus’ baptism, His temptation in the wilderness, and the first portion of His ministry in Galilee. We read of His calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. We read briefly of His teaching in a synagogue and the amazing authority His teaching held. We read of many healing miracles, and of the clarity of Jesus’ purpose. Eventually, each of us will have an “outline” of Mark 1 in our minds, and the truths it contains will be available to us in our daily living. Remember, the purpose of this year-long reading plan is not simply so we will read through the whole Bible, but so we will know Jesus more, and so we will know more and more of God’s word, and apply it daily.
Day 350 – Titus 1-3; Luke 9
Today we turn to the Apostle Paul’s letter to Titus. Titus was another of Paul’s students or apprentices, who eventually became a pastor and leader in his own right. Paul called Titus his “son in the faith” as he did with Timothy. Paul offers us an important principle as we read through his “pastoral” letters: Equip those in following generations so the gospel will grow, and God’s Kingdom will expand. This principle of multiplication was taught by Jesus and carried out effectively by Paul.
In Titus 1, Paul greets Titus and gets to “business” rather quickly by reminding him Paul had left him in Crete to appoint elders in the various towns. He offered a list of characteristics needed by elders, which is similar to the list he offered Timothy. After this, Paul reminded Titus of the dangers to the process posed by false leaders, and particularly those of the “circumcision party,” or the Judaizers who we have come to know through Paul’s ministry as recorded in Acts, and in his other letters.
In Titus 2, Paul offers Titus some specific teaching regarding how he was to train older men and women. Paul told Titus to have the older women then train the younger women, while he was to train the younger men. The key in all of it was for Titus to live a life of integrity, so those who watched and attempted to say anything negative about Titus’ ministry would be put to shame. This is so vital in every era of history, but perhaps never more so than today, when every moment of our lives is either recorded or could be recorded. We must always assume someone is watching, because even if no human audience is watching, God is!
In Titus 3, Paul closes his brief letter to Titus by commanding him to live a holy life, to teach others to do so, and to remember where all of them had started: as sinners. Only by the grace of God in Jesus are we saved, and do our lives change. Paul reminded Titus not to put up with those who caused trouble, basically offering a “three strikes and you’re out instruction.” Paul encouraged Titus to welcome and help those who were carrying out Jesus’ ministry in his closing comments. Paul’s words always lead us to the conclusion Jesus’ followers must be generous and must cultivate a habit and attitude of generosity.
As we return to Luke 9, we’re reminded while each chapter in each of the gospels is important some hold more significant content than others. Such is Luke 9. In it, Jesus sends out the twelve on their first mission to preach the gospel. When they return, He takes them away for some rest, but the crowds come. Jesus teaches them, and then feeds 5,000 men along with the women and children with five loaves of bread and a couple fish. After this Jesus asks the disciples who the crowds say He is, and then asks them? Peter responds to Jesus with the “right” answer. He is the Christ or Messiah. Jesus then tells the twelve of His impending death and resurrection. Later in the chapter, Jesus, Peter, James and John go up on a mountain where Jesus is transfigured with Moses and Elijah. When they return, they find the remaining nine disciples unable to cast a demon out of a young boy. Jesus casts out the demon, and then Jesus again tells the twelve He is going to die and rise again. This time the twelve raise the question of who among them is the greatest–not exactly an empathetic response to Jesus’ revelation. Jesus finds Himself rejected in Samaria, and His followers challenging others who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus tells them to permit them to do so, because anyone who is not against Him is for Him. The chapter closes with Jesus telling several folks who claim they have come to follow Him it will be harder than they think. He tells them of the challenges they will face, and we’re led to believe they don’t follow. We must always remember following Jesus comes with costs. We must never assume following Him will be easy or that it will bring only blessings in this life. The ultimate rewards of following Jesus are having a relationship with Him, and one day being with Him personally forever!