Should be none in marriage:

The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. –  Genesis 2:25

Have you ever noticed how a little child can run naked through a room full of strangers without embarrassment? He is not aware of his nakedness, just as Adam and Eve were not embarrassed in their innocence.  But after Adam and Eve sinned, shame and awkwardness followed, creating barriers between themselves and God [Wall].  We often experience these same barriers in marriage.  Ideally a husband and wife have no barriers, feeling no embarrassment in exposing themselves to each other or to God [Wall].  But, like Adam and Eve (3.7), we put on fig leaves (barriers) because we have areas we don’t want our spouse, or God [Wall], to know about.  Then we hide, just as Adam and Eve hid from God [Wall].  In marriage, lack of spiritual, emotional, and intellectual intimacy usually precedes a breakdown of physical intimacy.  In the same way, when we fail to expose our secret thoughts to God [Wall], we break our lines of communication with him.

Can develop faith and obedience:

‘ These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.  They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’S commands, which heh had given their forefathers through Moses.  –  Judges 3:1-4

We learn from Chapter 1 that these enemy nations were still in the land because the Israelites had failed to obey God [Wall] and drive them out.  Now God [Wall] would allow the enemies to remain in order to “test” the Israelites; that is, to give them an opportunity to exercise faith and obedience.  By now the younger generation that had not fought in the great battles of conquest was coming of age.  It was their job to complete the conquest of the land.  There were many obstacles yet to be overcome in their new homeland.  How they would handle these obstacles would be a test of their faith.

Perhaps God [Wall] has left obstacles in your life – hostile people, difficult situations, baffling problems – to allow you to develop faith and obedience.

(‘ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD’S commands.  – Judges 2.17 Why would the people of Israel turn so quickly from their faith in God [Wall]?  Simply put, the Canaanite religion appeared more attractive to the sensual nature and offered more short-term benefits (sexual permissiveness and increased fertility in childbearing and farming).  One of its most attractive features was that people could remain selfish and yet fulfil their religious requirements.  They could do almost anything they wished and still be obeying at least one of the many Canaanite gods.  Male and female prostitution were not only allowed, but encouraged as forms of worship.  –  Faith in the one true God [Wall], however, does not offer short-term benefits that appeal to our sinful human nature.  The essence of sin is selfishness; the essence of God’s [Wall’s] way of life is selflessness.  We must seek Christ’s help to live God’s [Wall’s] way.)

(‘ The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.  – Judges 3.5-7 The Israelites discovered that relationships affect faith.  The men and women of the surrounding nations were attractive to the Israelites.  Soon they intermarried, and the Israelites accepted their pagan gods.  This was clearly prohibited by God [Wall] (Exodus 34.15-17; Deuteronomy 7.1-4).  By accepting these gods into their homes, the Israelites, gradually began to accept the immoral practices associated with them.  Most Israelites didn’t start out determined to be idolaters; they just added the idols to the worship of God [Wall].  But before long they found themselves absorbed in pagan worship.  –  A similar danger faces us.  We want to befriend those who don’t know God [Wall], but through those friendships we can become entangled in unhealthy practices.  Friendships with unbelievers are important, but we must accept people without compromising or adopting their patterns of behaviour.)   *

(3.7   Baal was the most worshipped god of the Canaanites.  Most often cast in the form of a bull, he symbolised strength and fertility and was considered the god of agriculture.  Asherah was Baal’s female consort, mother goddess of the sea who was worshipped by means of wooden pillars that substituted for sacred trees.  In times of famine, the Canaanites believed Baal was angry with them and was withholding rain as punishment.  Archaeologists [Joseph John Campbell] have uncovered many Baal idols in Israel.  It is difficult to imagine the people of Israel trading worship of the Lord for worship of idols of wood, stone, and iron, but we do the same when we forsake worshipping God [Wall] for other activities, hobbies, or priorities.  Our idols are not made of wood or stone, but they are every bit as sinful.)

Don’t let them block you from Jesus:

‘   When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.  “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering.”  –  Matthew 8:5-6

The centurion could have let many obstacles stand between him and Jesus – pride, doubt, money, language, distance, time, self-sufficiency, power, race.  But he didn’t.  If he did not let these barriers block his approach to Jesus, we don’t need to either.  What keeps you from Christ?

(‘ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.  But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them. – Matthew 8.4 The law required a healed leper to be examined by the priest (Leviticus 14).  Jesus wanted this man to give his story firsthand to the priest to prove that his leprosy was completely gone so that he could be restored to his community.)

(‘ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes.  I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.  I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  – Matthew 8.8-12 A centurion was a career military officer in the Roman army with control over 100 soldiers.  Roman soldiers, of all people, were hated by the Jews for their oppression, control, and ridicule.  Yet this man’s genuine faith amazed Jesus!  This hated Gentile’s faith put to shame the stagnant piety of many of the Jewish religious leaders.)

[JESUS’ MIRACULOUS POWER DISPLAYED Jesus finished the sermon he had given on a hillside near Galilee and returned to Capernaum.  As he and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, Jesus calmed a fierce storm.  Then, in the Gentile Gadarene region, Jesus commanded demons to come out of two men.  Mediterranean Sea, Galilee, Capernaum, Sea of Galilee, Drowning of the pigs, Gadara, Gadarene Region, Jordan River, Samaria, Decapolis (Ten Cities), Perea, Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Judea, Idumea.]

‘ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.  “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.  –  Matthew 9:9

When Jesus called Matthew to be one of his disciples, Matthew got up and followed, leaving a lucrative career.  When God [Wall] calls you to follow or obey him, do you do it with as much abandon [everything that comes out/PR] as Matthew?  Sometimes the decision to follow Christ requires difficult or painful choices.  Like Matthew, we must decide to leave behind those things that would keep us from following Christ.

(9.9 Matthew was a Jew who was appointed by the Romans to be the area’s tax collector.  He collected taxes from the citizens as well as from merchants passing through the town.  Tax collectors were expected to take a commission on the taxes they collected, but most of them overcharged and kept the profits.  Thus, tax collectors were hated by the Jews because of their reputation for cheating and because of their support of Rome.)

(‘ Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.  – Matthew 9.1 “His own town” was Capernaum, a good choice for Jesus’ base of operations.  It was a wealthy city [Seat] due to fishing and trade.  Situated on the Sea of Galilee in a densely populated area, Capernaum housed the Roman garrison that kept peace in the region.  The city was a cultural melting pot [Where, have I seen this before], greatly influenced by Greek and Roman manners, dress, architecture, and politics.)

(‘ Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  – Matthew 9.2 Among the first words Jesus said to the paralysed man were “Your sins are forgiven.”  Then he healed the man.  We must be careful not to concentrate on God’s [Wall’s] power to heal physical [Sternum] sickness more than on his power to forgive spiritual sickness in the form of sin.  Jesus saw that even more than physical health, this ma needed spiritual health.  Spiritual health comes only from Jesus’ healing touch.)

(9.2 Both the man’s body and his spirit were paralysed – he could not walk, and he did not know Jesus.  But the man’s spiritual state was Jesus’ first concern.  If God [Wall] does not heal us or someone we love, we need to remember that physical healing is not Christ’s only concern [other Genre].  We will all be completely healed in Christ’s coming kingdom; but first we have to come to know Jesus.)

(‘ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” – Matthew 9.3 Blaspheming is claiming to be God [Wall] and applying his characteristics to yourself.  The religious leaders [Rig] rightly saw that Jesus was claiming to be God [Wall].  What they did not understand was that he is God [Wall] and thus has the authority to heal and to forgive sins.)  *

(‘ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .”  Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  – Matthew 9.5, 6 It’s easy to tell someone his sins are forgiven; it’s a lot more difficult to reverse a case of paralysis!  Jesus backed up his words by healing the man’s legs.  Jesus’ action showed that his words were true; he had the power to forgive as well as to heal.  Talk is cheap, but our words lack meaning if our actions do not back them up.  We can say we love God [Wall] or others, but if we are not taking practical steps to demonstrate that love, our words are empty and meaningless.  How well do your actions back up what you say?)

(‘ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”  On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  – Matthew 9.10-13 When he visited Matthew, Jesus hurt his own reputation.  Matthew was cheating the people, but Jesus found and changed him.  We should not be afraid to reach out to people who are living in sin – God’s [Wall’s] message can change anyone.)

(9.11, 12   The Pharisees constantly tried to trap Jesus, and they thought his association with these “baddies” was the perfect opportunity.  They  were more concerned with their own appearance of holiness than with helping people, with criticism than encouragement, with outward respectability than practical help.  But God [Wall] is concerned for all people, including the sinful and hurting ones.  The Christian life is not a popularity contest!  Following Jesus’ example, we should share the gospel with the poor, immoral, lonely, and outcast, not just the rich, popular, and powerful.)

[In my work I use “Villain”, not baddies!!!]

Jesus’ death removes barriers:

‘ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  The earth shook and the rocks spit.  –  Matthew 27:51

The temple had three main parts – the courts, the Holy Place (where only the priests could enter), and the Most Holy Place (where only the high priest could enter, and only once a year, to atone for the sins of the nation – Leviticus 16.1-35). The curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two at Christ’s death, symbolising that the barrier between God and humanity was removed.  Now all people are free to approach God [Wall] because of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins (see Hebrews 9.114; 10.19-22).

(‘ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”  – Matthew 27.47 The bystanders misinterpreted Jesus’ words and thought he was calling for Elijah.  Because Elijah ascended into heaven without dying (2 Kings 2.11), they thought he would return again to rescue them from great trouble (Malachi 4.5).  At their annual Passover feast, each family set an extra place for Elijah in expectation of his return.)

(‘ The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. they came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.  – Matthew 27.52, 53 Christ’s death was accompanied by at least four miraculous events: darkness, the tearing in two of the curtain in the temple, an earthquake, and dead people rising from their tombs.  Jesus’ death, therefore, could not have gone unnoticed.  Everyone knew something significant had happened.)

[THE WAY OF THE CROSS The Roman soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and mocked him, dressing him in a scarlet robe and a crown of thorns.  Then they led him to the crucifixion site outside the city [Seat].  He was so weakened by his beatings that he could not carry his cross, and a man from Cyrene was forced to carry it to Golgotha.]

Jesus breaks down barriers of predudice:

‘ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?”  (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)  –  John 4:7-9

This woman (1) was a Samaritan, a member of the hated mixed race, (2) was known to be living in sin, and (3) was in a public place. No respectable Jewish man would talk to a woman under such circumstances.  But Jesus did.  The gospel is for every person, no matter what his or her race, social position, or past sins.  We must be prepared to share this gospel at any time and in any place.  Jesus crossed all barriers to share the gospel, and we who follow him must do no less.

(‘ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well.  It was about the sixth hour.  When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”  – John 4.5-7 Jacob’s well was on the property originally owned by Jacob (Genesis 33.18, 19).  It was not a spring-fed well, but a well into which water seeped from rain and dew, collecting at the bottom.  Wells were almost always located outside the city along the main road.  Twice each day, morning and evening [Syd Field], women came to draw water.  This woman came at noon, however, probably to avoid meeting people who knew her reputation.  Jesus gave this woman an extraordinary message about fresh and pure water that would quench her spiritual thirst for ever.)

(‘ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” – John 4.10 What did Jesus mean by “living water”?  In the Old Testament, many verses speak of thirsting after God [Wall] as one thirsts for water (Psalms 42.1; Isaiah 55.1; Jeremiah 2.13; Zechariah 13.1).  God [Wall] is called the fountain of life (Psalms 36.9) and the spring of living water (Jeremiah 17.13).  In saying he would bring living water that could for ever quench a person’s thirst for God [Wall], Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah.  Only the Messiah could give this gift that satisfies the soul’s desire.)