Genesis 16, Matthew 7

Monday, Dec 17, 2007 - Brandon Hatmaker (Genesis 16, Matthew 7)

(Genesis 16)

Paul wrote to the Colossian church, “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

With that in mind, I’m trying to look at things in that light a bit more. Then I read Genesis 16. Verse 1 and 2 start out, “Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her."

Could you imagine the emotional pain and insecurity Sarai was feeling at this moment? Here was a woman who was married to the man God had chosen to build His holy nation through, and she couldn’t get pregnant. I don’t know if she had any inspiration or confirmation from God at this point, only a word from her husband that she had to trust. And in her eyes, she was a complete failure to her husband and her God.

So here is a woman who’s husband has told her that God said his descendants would be as many as the stars, she was his only wife, and could not conceive. She became so desperate, lost faith, and took matters into her own hands. I don’t know why God didn’t confirm her directly (God confirmed both Mary and Joseph of their amazing adventure ahead). Although her later actions and attitudes toward Hagar were out of bitterness and injustice, today I hurt for her, what a pressure situation.

Here’s the deal: everyone has a story. Everyone comes from something, somehow, or somewhere that we can’t quite grasp the entirety of the situation. So less we judge. Instead, let us show compassion and grace.

My wife reminded me about this in other stories of scripture. Let’s think about Bathsheba for a moment. So quickly I go to, “Well, what the heck was she doing bathing on the roof? How could she ever come over and sleep with David? She was married, how could she do that? How could David ever resist her, if she was so beautiful?

Now imagine being Bathsheba. We don’t know exactly why she was on the roof except to bath, but there is a biblical reference to a ritual bath connected with the uncleanness that was upon a woman for seven days after her menstrual period. Why was Bathsheba bathing so publicly? She probably did not consider it public. The middle eastern houses had roofs with walls that came to about waist height. If Bathsheba was summoned to the King's palace, then she came to the palace or risked execution for defying the King

Imagine what was going through her mind when she was summoned and then solicited. In her mind, did she have a choice?

The military has recognized how authority does crazy things to our minds. There are strict policies against fraternization across the ranks. The reason? When you are under someone’s authority, even when you’ve always thought something is wrong, you begin to question your own discernment when told or asked to do something “out of line”.

That’s a lesson to those of us in authority as well. Whether it’s professional or personal (bosses or husbands)

Everyone has a story. Even the homeless guys we reach out to in downtown Austin. The stories are not what the majority of us think. While many of them might have given up hope, most of them aren’t there because they are lazy and don’t want to work. We should all make effort to empathize with others, especially when we are ignorant to their situation.

Bottom line in my mind, Abrahm slept with Hagar (I won’t even get into the emotions involved for her). Sarai didn’t do it. She blessed it. But we all have to own our own actions. Abrahm blew it on his one.

God, soften our hearts for others. You have extended us so much Grace. Help us, dear Lord, to extend it to others. Help us to own our actions, it’s so natural to blame someone else.

(Mathew 7)

There are two things that stand out to me today (while there are so many more) from Matthew 7. The first from verse 1 and 2, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”. This is pretty self-explanatory. A great reminder to us all.

The second is found in verses 16-18: “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”

The word “good” is used to describe two things in this scripture. The first usage describes a tree and the second, the fruit.

While translated to be the same word in English, the original words are different. They mean the same thing, but have a different value. Both mean good or beneficial, but the word used to describe the tree illustrates goodness as an intrinsic value. The word used for good to describe the fruit does not. It’s credited as valuable and virtuous, but not intrinsic.

Intrinsic is defined as “belonging to a thing by its very nature.” Only through Jesus can we have this genuine “good” nature.

I guess my point is this, when we are to a place in our faith in which goodness becomes an intrinsic values, the fruit is NOT ours. Fruits purpose is outside of ourself. It’s valuable and virtuous to others. It’s a part of us and is our value, but its direction is outward. It’s focus is others, not just in what we do, but in how and why we do it. For me, this is just one more reminder that helps keep things in perspective.

Father, please keep working on us. Change us from the inside out so that our fruit would be evident to everyone. Make our fruit, good.