Tag: purpose

“…How can Satan cast out Satan?  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”  Mark 3:23-27

My Summary & Reflection

In this parable, Jesus asks rhetorically, how can evil cast out evil?  He notes that a kingdom in conflict with itself cannot survive.  Similarly, a house in conflict against itself cannot survive.  He notes that no one can enter a strong man’s house and vandalize his goods, unless he first incapacitates the strong man.  It is only then, that the strong man’s house can be vandalized.

Jesus gives this parable after the scribes of the day, because of his ability to cast out evil, accused him of being a servant of evil.  They charged that the healing that Jesus performed and that had been witnessed by many, was a result of the fact that Jesus himself was evil.  Jesus’ statement that, “how can Satan cast out Satan?” meant that only good can cast out evil.  Evil cannot cast itself out.

In the parable, the strong man’s house would be the house or the domain of evil.  Of it, Jesus says that in order to vandalize that evil domain, first the strong man of the house must be restrained.  Otherwise, the strong man would not allow his domain to be vandalized.  In it, Jesus appears to be describing how it is that evil is cast out.  He first finds the evil and binds it, it is only then that the house can be freed of it.

Jesus notes that a kingdom or a house divided against itself cannot stand.  In other words, for both good and evil, everything has to work toward a common purpose, or failure will result.  Therefore, if the goal of your house, church, business, etc. is good then the steps that are taken by your household to achieve your goal should be toward good.  If you have members of your team working against you, then failure will ultimately be the result.

Your Reflection

• Are the members of your household, church, business, or organization aligned toward the purpose that God has for you?
• How can you remove the evil that is infecting your life or the life of your household?

“Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them; how much more are ye better than the fowls?”  Luke 12:24

“Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”  Luke 12:27

My Summary & Reflection

In Luke, Jesus gives us two different metaphors to compare God’s love for nature, with his love for people.  In the first, he asks his disciples to examine how the ravens are always fed even though they do not farm nor store up food for themselves.  In the second, he asks his disciples to examine the beauty of the lilies even though they do not need make clothes for themselves.

These words were spoken to Jesus’ disciples.  “And he said unto his disciples ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.’”  Luke 12:22 Jesus’ disciples were being given a task to preach and teach to the world after Jesus was no longer with them.  It seems that he wanted these disciples, who had been tasked with this important mission, to remain focused on it and not on their own means of support.  It was not for them to spend time worrying about how they would survive.  Jesus let them know that God knew what they needed and that they just needed to stay focused on their duties and the God would attend to their needs as he has done for all of nature.  This ministry was to be their first priority, not a sideline, and not an after-work endeavor.  This ministry was to become their primary work. 

Implicit in these metaphors is the message that whatever work that God has assigned to each of us, He provides the means with which to accomplish it.  I’ve often heard the phrase spoken in another context that God never gives us anything more than we can handle.  People often say it at times of mourning or hardship.  It always bothered me because I look at some hardship and say, I don’t think I could handle this or that or I wonder about people who seem to be at their breaking point when yet another hardship comes their way.  But if I look at that phrase in a different light, then I can understand it a little bit better.  Instead, I think these metaphors are saying that God never gives us a job, without providing us with the tools to accomplish it if we focus on it.  Jesus gave his disciples the job of ministry and provided them with the tools for their sustenance in order complete that ministry.  In the same way, whatever our individual jobs are, he provides us with the natural skills, education, training, experiences in order to accomplish that mission.  It is then up to us to follow through.

Your Reflection

• What is it that worries you?  Are you worried that you won’t have everything that you need or everything that you want?
• Why do you worry?
• Do you believe that God will provide what you need in order to serve Him?

“…A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shall cut it down.”  Luke 13:6-9

My Summary & Reflection

In this parable a man had fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came to the tree looking for fruit for three years, but each time the tree was barren of fruit.  He then talked to the groundskeeper and told him to cut down the tree as it was a burden to the ground where it stood. The groundskeeper answered the vineyard owner by asking for an opportunity to try to save the tree.  The groundskeeper would tend to the tree and fertilize it over the next year. If the tree would then become fruitful, it would be saved.  If not, then it would be cut down.

This parable, along with others offered by Jesus, leads me to the conclusion that Jesus is saying that men and women have a purpose here on earth.  Like the fig tree, whose purpose it is to provide figs fit to eat, so too do we have a purpose.  Our fruits are our words and deeds that either conform to the directives provided us by Jesus or they don’t; Or they either fulfill the mission to which we are specially gifted or they don’t.  As discussed in A Tree is Known by its Fruit, Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits…” Matthew 7:16 Another parable in which Jesus alludes to our purpose is Man Distributing Talents.  In it, Jesus talks about a man being entrusted with valuable things and his ultimate fate being determined by how productive he is with what he is given.  Similarly, in this way, this parable talks of what happens to a person, who is given all that he needs, and still is not productive.  As in the fig tree, this unproductive person will be cut down.

In this parable, I believe that Jesus is referring to himself as the groundskeeper.  He is the one asking for the chance to save the tree. He took it upon himself to care for the tree and to fertilize it in order that it might have the chance to be productive and to survive.  But ultimately, it is up to the tree to either produce or not.  The groundskeeper can provide support and guidance, but it is the tree that must produce. If a fig tree doesn’t produce figs, then why is it there utilizing the space and the resources of the earth?  It will be cut down.  Just as a fig tree must fulfill its purpose,so must we.

Your Reflection

• Are you being an unfruitful tree?  How can you change that?
• What is your purpose and how can you achieve it?