For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
John 21
What is the significance of the miraculous catch of fish? Compare with Luke 5:1-11. John states that this was the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. So why did they not recognize Him? Even after they joined Him at His fire, they did not seem to recognize Him by sight. While I really wonder how that could be, it sparks a couple of thoughts in my mind.
My first thought is, why on earth did they do what this stranger said? Some random man on the shore tells you to try something you’ve been trying all night and you obey him? Seems a little strange to me. Maybe they did it because something felt familiar about it. Maybe they remembered doing this before. It makes me think about how we recognize – or don’t – Jesus’ guidance in our own lives. Like the disciples, it may not be immediately obvious to us that it is Jesus speaking to us. I think that’s where abiding in Christ, being intentional about seeking Him in our lives, comes in. I think the disciples were so familiar with Jesus that, even though they did not recognize Him by sight, something in them just knew. And even though they didn’t put it together right away, they instinctively followed the voice of their Shepherd.
My second thought expands on that aspect. John said, “None of the disciples dared ask Him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord.” (Jn. 21:12b). They recognized something in Him other than His physical appearance. Besides wanting to be so in tune with Jesus that I will recognize Him even in the unexpected, I am also mindful of what I wrote about yesterday. Jesus sends us, just as God sent Him. We are intimately connected. Thus, if we are truly abiding in Christ, should we not recognize Jesus in each other? We all look different on the outside, but we have the same, familiar God on the inside. I’m thinking we should be able to recognize that.
Mal. 3-4
How were they to return to God? What promises are attached to tithing? God doesn’t need anything we have. So what is His point about the tithing and the robbing? My thought is that tithing is about so much more than just giving God 10% of what we have. The tithe was supposed to be of the first fruits of everything they had, right down to their own offspring. So here are my thoughts on tithing:
- We should give to God FIRST. Not only does this keep Him as our priority, but it also shows that we trust Him to provide what we need.
- We are to give God our BEST. Again, putting God before self. But this doesn’t just apply to our possessions. We should be giving God the best of our efforts as well.
- Because everything we have comes from God, we are not giving to God with our tithes. Rather, we are giving BACK to God. And it is given to honor God and serve others. I believe this is a representation of how we are to be conduits of God’s character. The mercy, wisdom, grace, forgiveness, and everything else He gives us should flow through us to others. That, I think even more than the physical possessions, is our tithe to God.
Thus, when God said, “Bring the whole tithe into the store house, that there may be food in my house.” (Mal. 3:10a), He was calling out their lack of devotion to Him. They may have been neglecting the tithe altogether. Or they may have been going through the motions of tithing, but were doing it to honor and serve themselves. Or perhaps the leaders were skimming off the tithes of the people. Whatever the case, they most certainly were not keeping God first, trusting Him, or giving Him their best. They were not serving Him with a whole heart and thus were neither honoring God nor serving others.
Prov. 31
What are we to do for the oppressed and needy? Describe a “wife of noble character.” Which traits that surprise you? How does this compare with your view of Christian womanhood? I can describe the wife of noble character in two words: Wonder Woman. Seriously – this woman is super-human!! But I think the writer is taking a little poetic license to make a point. Before we get to the wife of noble character, we hear a mother telling her son, “Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.” (Pr. 31:3). Then we have an acrostic poem describing a woman who is anything but that.
The wayward woman in verse 3 takes away. She saps strength, wealth, and energy. She uses a man to destruction without giving anything back. And she leads him down the wrong path. A man with a noble wife, however, “lacks nothing of value”, because, “She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” (Pr. 31:11b-12). Rather than taking away, she adds to the equation by helping to provide and care for her household. Instead of destroying, she builds up and supports. She helps her husband and her whole family stay on the right path. I’m pretty sure you don’t have to be Wonder Woman to do all those things. You simply need to fear the LORD.