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Context Matters: The Least of These

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Consider one of the most chilling statements Jesus ever made:

‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt 25:45-46)

It sounds as though the way a person treats “the least of these” is—if not the cause—at least the evidence of a person’s eternal fate. But do we understand who those people are whom Jesus wishes us to feed, clothe, welcome, and visit? It prevails on us to get this right.

Kevin DeYoung recently republished a helpful piece where he examines the phrase “least of these” from the context. He looks at Jesus’ usage not only in Matt 25:45 but also Matt 25:40, along with the logical flow of Jesus’ discourse and the literary connections back to Matthew 10.

I won’t quote his conclusion here, to entice you to go and read how he arrives at it.

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When Gospel Accounts Include Different Details

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J. Warner Wallace, a cold-case homicide detective, writes about why we should expect witnesses to disagree.

There are many factors that contribute to one’s perception of an event. Physical location, past experience, familiarity with a feature of the crime scene; a witness’ physical, emotional and psychological distinctives play a role in what they see and how they communicate this testimony after the fact. No two people are alike, so no two people experience an event in precisely the same way. If you’ve got three witnesses in a murder case, expect three slightly different versions of the event. Don’t panic, that’s normal. In fact, when three different witnesses tell me the exact same thing, I start to get suspicious.

He then traces out the implications of this fact (among others) on our reading of the Bible’s four gospels.

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Glorious Gospel Stories

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The Lord gave us not one but four accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. Steve Burchett wants to help you appreciate and understand them better. He explains that the stories of the gospels:

  1. Are God’s revelation to us.
  2. Proclaim truths that make believers increasingly holy.
  3. Are both gripping and Christ exalting — a powerful combination when evangelizing the lost.

Burchett goes on to offer practical suggestions for reading and understanding these stories rightly.

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When the Prophet Declares Peace on Pagan Temple Attendance

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Susan Tyner has a thoughtful piece wondering “Why Did Elisha Allow Naaman to Bow to an Idol?” Naaman the Syrian, cleansed of his leprosy, asks the prophet for the Lord’s pardon on his participation in the worship of the god Rimmon.

Elisha’s response? “Go in peace” (2 Kings 5:18-19).

Tyner explores the implications, comfort, and conviction offered to us through this narrative.

Living in today’s society can be a lot like the Israelites living in exile then. We struggle with various questions: Should I teach a school curriculum that goes against my beliefs? Should I quit a job that has LGBT+ stickers on its storefront window? Will my boss understand if I ask for the Lord’s Day off? In this story from the ancient world, we sense God’s compassion for us as we try to figure out how to be in the modern world but not of it (John 17:14, 15).

Tyner examines the story’s context, along with the contrast between Naaman and Elisha’s servant Gehazi to draw implications for true worship and obedience.

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Can We Trust Our Interpretation of the Bible?

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I found an older episode of Ask Pastor John with a really important question: Can I really trust my interpretation of the Bible?

John Piper addresses the question from two angles. First, he offers guidance to the person looking for guidance. Second, he addresses the inconsistency of an extreme skeptical perspective.

I could give, for example, five biblical pointers to how the Bible says we should handle the law. And a certain kind of person could say to me, “But how do I know that I’m reading those pointers correctly?” And I could give an explanation of the pointers and how they work. They could say, “But how do I know that I’m interpreting your explanation correctly?”

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The Purpose-Driven Genealogy

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Have you wondered what to do with the genealogies of the Bible? In his piece “Why Genealogies?” Jacob Toman explains what role the Bible’s genealogies play, along with examples of some of the most significant genealogies in the Bible. Toman looks at Genesis 11, 1 Chronicles (with implications for Ezra-Nehemiah), and Matthew 1.

These lists give the reader of the Bible a historical account that shapes an overarching story worthy of reading, worthy of remembering, and worthy of our study.

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4 Practices that Cause Boredom with the Bible

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My co-blogger Ryan has provided a very helpful explanation for why the Bible is not boring. Pastor Mitch Chase also recently wrote about 4 reasons you might think the Bible is boring. His reasons are:

  1. You’re ignoring the christological shape of Scripture.
  2. You’re unaware of certain historical matters.
  3. You’re reading inconsistently.
  4. You’re reading prayerlessly.

Chase offers some excellent guidance for ways to pull out of each of these situations and find more delight in God’s word.

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The Uniqueness of John’s Gospel

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Micahel J. Kruger explains 7 traits that make the Gospel of John unique:

  1. John is the last gospel.
  2. John is the most personal gospel.
  3. John is the most beloved gospel.
  4. John is the most distinctive gospel.
  5. John is the most theological gospel.
  6. John is the most “Old Testament” Gospel.
  7. John is the most “plain” gospel (about the message of eternal life).

To be clear, all four of our gospels are special, inspired, and unique in their own ways. But, John offers a unique contribution to our vision of the ministry of Jesus. And he proves that Jesus’ person is so deep, so multi-faceted, so profound, that there are always more things to say about him.

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Don’t Make Meditation Too Difficult

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In his last post, my co-blogger Ryan mentioned meditation as a wonderful way to grow in our understanding of, love for, and obedience to God. Tim Challies would agree, and in his recent article, “Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult,” Challies encourages us all to find some way to work this practice into our spiritual disciplines.

What is meditation? Meditation is pondering the words of the Bible with the goal of better understanding and sharper application. Ideally, meditation leads us to understand the words we have read and to know how God may call us to work them out in our lives. It is one of the ways that we output wisdom after inputting knowledge.

Challies explains the natural tendency to turn meditation into something quite abstract, solitary, and scripted. He offers suggestions on ways we can each adapt the discipline of meditation to our own preferences and personalities.

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