Matthew Study Gets Intense in July

I have an attentive and appreciative class.  It looks like my study will end somewhere in Matthew 24 in August.  This is not a test of my Bible knowledge, because I admit it to be thin at all points.  But it tests my ability to synthesize the writings of Bruner, Ridderbos, and the other scholars I trust.  The Bible teacher who filled in for me on June 12th has asked to start a week later in August on his study.   So I will return the favor and teach through August 7th.  Each week I've prepared 17 to 19 pages for a 50 to 60 minute lesson.  I prepare these lessons in 16pt so I can read them at a podium, and each has a high quality PowerPoint presentation to add interest.  Here is a sample of my class on Matthew 22.

On Matthew 22:1-4  One thing you can surely say about the Holy Spirit is that He is relentless.  I’m sure I could count the number of times I clearly heard His call to repent and follow Jesus on the fingers of ten pairs of hands.  If God were not both patient and persistent — would any of us be saved?   Again, the picture of God as a farmer scattering seed comes to mind — patient and persistent.

On Matthew 22:8-10  It looks like all is well finally.  The wedding hall is filled with guests.  But, having dispatched the unwilling A-listers that had refused to attend, a new problem has taken its place. Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together . . . both evil and good . . . dinner guests.

On Matthew 22:11-14  If Jesus were an actor ― we would say that He just broke the fourth wall.  An earthly king doesn’t throw anyone out into the outer darkness; in (a) place (of) weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Here at the end of His parable of the wedding banquet, Jesus stops telling theological stories and inserts a word about the real Judgment to come in a very real and pending future.

On Matthew 22:31-32  God is not the God of corpses.  The very name He chooses to use to introduce Himself to Moses is that of the Deity of the Patriarchs.  If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ceased to exist at their deaths, then God’s definition of Himself would cease to be true.   And if Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still live ― then Jesus has proven His point (resurrection, for good or ill, awaits us all).  But we knew that all along.  That’s where we came into this book back on June 5th ― up high on the Mount of Transfiguration somewhere in northern Israel ― with Jesus and three dumbfounded disciples and two very alive heroes of the Hebrew Scriptures ― Moses and Elijah.

Grandma Ginger Turns 92

Ginger was thrilled with the blanket Jeannie Beth knitted for her birthday. She began knitting it sometime last fall.  But being laid up gave her time to complete it.

Nathanael baked the cake. Jean made the frosting. Nancy assembled it.  Thomas chopped the strawberries, and Nancy's idea of hiding the imperfections in the cake with the sliced strawberries was brilliant.

Ginger was not looking her best as she had just had some minor surgery on her nose.  But she perked up for her party.  She is the quiet one at every family event, but then, getting a word in when this family sits around a table is tough duty. 

Even as a Musical,
Jane Eyre Stirs the Heart

I had not planned to attend the Taproot Theatre production of Jane Eyre. I know the story well.  But a ticket became available.

No significant parts of the story were omitted.  But this is the first time I recognized it as an Horatio Alger type story.  The young girl, through purity, diligence, and wisdom, rises from slim circumstances to wealth and attains the love of her life.

That beloved man, however, paid a great price to gain the love of his life. He showed no patience, did not trust in Providence, and made no effort to keep his vows toward the wife of his youth.  It reminded me of a passage I quoted when I taught on Matthew 19 last month. 

Malachi 2:13-16   ¹³ Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. ¹⁴ You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. ¹⁵ Has not [the LORD] made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel,

Bits and Pieces

♦  Laurie reports: Katherine just had her 18-week check-up and found out its a boy...  Baby Kidwell is doing fine so far and we are thrilled!  Nancy's reaction was, "I'm too young to be a grand aunt!"  Then I reminded her she was a grand aunt many times over for Jon, Chris, and Debbie's children.

♦  A sunset this month amazed our family.  The sky in the west was completely red, but then so was the sky to our north.  The result of forest fire smoke?  Perhaps.  But spooky all the same.

♦  Times seem muddled in the new School of Business, Government, and Economics.  My service on the search committee for our new Budget Manager has ended well.  Mr. Jared Wymer will join us in August in this half-time position.  He comes to us from the U.S. Marine Corps where he earned his M.B.A.  He also starts in the SPU I/O Psych Ph.D. program this fall.  That should keep him with us for a few years. 

Apparently, the search for the Graduate Coordinator has over two dozen applicants.  And on the 18th we were all informed that John Terrill, Director of our Center for Integrity in Business, will be moving on next month to head a Christian foundation in Madison, Wisconsin.  He will be hard to replace.

♦  Jean continues to heal from her June ACL surgery.  She has her next knee scheduled for August 25th. 

♦  LATE NEWS:  Laurie sent the news on August 1st that they were officially homeless!  Their house in Maryland closed on its sale, and this first week of August they are driving their two cars to Loveland, CO.  What an adventure.

♦  I had a big fright on the 18th.  My SL8.com domain expired.  I get so much spam at richard@sl8.com that I had accidentally deleted two reminders to renew my domain registration.  This domain, acquired back in 1997, is now worth over $10,000.  Over the weekend I could not verify my identity with the registrar Network Solutions because I had my office number listed with them.  I had last renewed the site nine years ago.  Fortunately, I was able to retain ownership of SL8.com when I called from SPU on Monday the 21st.  This time I paid for 20 years!  With the approval of the other children, I made Jean my webmaster to inherit my web domains.

♦  My kids enjoy the sport of archery and I do too.  But all my life I've shot with a right-handed bow.  Yet my right eye is next to useless for this.  So, I finally acquired a left-handed bow.  While my eBay attempt to buy one last month fell through, I won this bow as the only bidder!  It's a "Cavalier" by Howatt, 62" with a 30# pull.  Everything I read on the web says I got a good bow at a great price ($79).  Now for the challenge of shooting left-handed. 

On a related note, I had been storing Randy's 40# Browning bow, which he thought had been lost long ago.  It was the same length as my new one, so when I bought myself a bow string, I bought him one as well.  Maybe, once I get the hang of this, I'll get a better picture.