Camels, Yes, Camels (Matthew 19:16-26)
Gary McManus, 07/16/2017Part of the God's Word is Life series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
July 16, 2017 Matthew 19:16-26 (p. 976/ p. 986)
Summer. . .time for the outdoors. . .and animals?
Bible animals. But first, Pastor’s pet peeve;
Some archaeologists (many of them).
Last week we looked a foxes. Today, we look at camels.
Camels are mentioned 59 times in the Bible.
Or ARE they?
Let’s move on.
Camels:
2 humped (Bactrian (Asia))
1 humped; the dromedary, the Bible camel
Hebrew word = Gamel = camel
Cousins include: llamas, alpacas, the vicunya
or vicugna –a wild south American animal
and the guanaco also of South America.
Find yourself a favorite camel verse in the Bible
out of the 59 verses that mention camels.
Pastor’s: Genesis 37:25, Isaiah 60:6
The Gospel of Matthew mentions camels
only three times. First is a desription of John the Baptizer:
Matthew 3:4; John’s clothes
[See Matthew 11:8-9, Hebrews 11:37, especially 2 Kings 1:8]
The second mention of camels. . .we are familiar with.
A number of interpretations suggest that the verse does
NOT mean what it looks like it means.
But notice: 25 When the disciples heard this, they were
greatly astonished
and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Notice the follow up question. Why?
because ancient people just like modern people believed
that rich and successful people were BLESSED by God.
[Do YOU believe that?]
We too often forget what the Bible does and
DOES NOT promise!
That we believe things are/ life is supposed to go well for the followers of Jesus is an idea that just never seems to go away.
[Rewards come at the end, not during life. See Matthew 5:12, Matthew 16:27; also Revelation 11:18, Revelation 22:12]
Almost everyone believes that if they SUDDENLY
became wealthy, that they would remain the same
DESPITE the mountain of proof against it.
People are the problem, not the wealth.
Do you believe; ME + wealth = ME ?
One of Pastor’s favorite films: Bruce Almighty.
It isn’t you, it’s the size of your camel?
It IS possible for the wealthy to live saved
lives but not because of any skill or smarts.
It is possible for the wealthy to live Godly lives
because of who God is. Amen.
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