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Day 13
Divine Acceleration

Wisdom
Psalm 9:1-6

New Testament
Matthew 10:32-11:15

Old Testament
Genesis 27:1-28:22

Introduction

A few years ago, Pippa and I were

asked to speak at a conference in
Somerset, southwest England. The
journey from London should have
taken about three hours. However, it
was a really hot day and ahead of us a
hay wagon had caught fire and spilled
its load across the motorway, which
had melted as a result. We were
stuck, almost stationary, for five
hours. It was such a relief when,
finally, it was time to accelerate.

There are times in our own personal

lives, church life and ministry when it
feels like we are stuck and unable to
move at any pace. At other times,
openings begin to appear and it is
‘time to accelerate’.

God is the God of acceleration. He is

able to speed things up at a much
faster rate than is humanly possible.

Wisdom

Psalm 9:1-6

For the director of music. To

the tune of “The Death of the
Son.” A psalm of David.

 1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with

all my heart;
  I will tell of all your wonderful
deeds.
 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
  I will sing the praises of your name,
O Most High.

 3 My enemies turn back;

  they stumble and perish before you.
 4 For you have upheld my right and
my cause,
  sitting enthroned as the righteous
judge.
 5 You have rebuked the nations and
destroyed the wicked;
  you have blotted out their name for
ever and ever.
 6 Endless ruin has overtaken my
enemies,
  you have uprooted their cities;
  even the memory of them has
perished.

Commentary

Expect opposition

Acceleration may lead to increased

opposition. The higher the profile you
have, the more criticism you can
expect. God’s people have always
faced opposition. David faced many
‘enemies’ (Psalm 9:3–6). Opposition
and enmity is extremely painful and
di"cult. However, in Christ you are
promised that ultimately you will
overcome.

We see a foretaste of this in the

psalm for today. David praises God for
the victory: ‘I will praise you, O Lord,
with all my heart; I will tell of all your
wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in
you; I will sing the praises of your
name, O Most High. My enemies turn
back…’ (vv.1–3).

We still live in a hostile world. Jesus

warned, ‘Don’t think I’ve come to
make life cosy’ (Matthew 10:34, MSG).
Jesus is saying, ‘Don’t be surprised by
opposition.’

Be peacemakers (5:9,38–48). You are

called to break the cycle of
retaliation. Nevertheless, opposition
may come even from those who are
very close to you (10:34–36).

Millions of followers of Jesus around

the world are facing physical
persecution today simply because of
what they believe. Some face
opposition, repression and
discrimination from governments at a
local or national level.

You may not face opposition like this

in your life, but you should expect
some opposition – whether from the
media, friends and family who do not
understand your faith, or work
colleagues who disagree with what
you stand for.

Prayer

Lord, in the face of opposition, I will

praise you with all my heart. I will tell
of all your wonders. I will be glad and
rejoice in you (Psalm 9:1–2a).

New
Testament

Matthew 10:32-11:15
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before
others, I will also acknowledge before
33
my Father in heaven. But whoever
disowns me before others, I will
disown before my Father in heaven.

34 “Do not suppose that I have come

to bring peace to the earth. I did not
35
come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to turn

 “‘a man against his father,

  a daughter against her mother,
 a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law —
  36 a man’s enemies will be the
members of his own household.’

37 “Anyone who loves their father or

mother more than me is not worthy
of me; anyone who loves their son or
daughter more than me is not worthy
38
of me. Whoever does not take up
their cross and follow me is not
39
worthy of me. Whoever finds their
life will lose it, and whoever loses
their life for my sake will find it.

40 “Anyone who welcomes you

welcomes me, and anyone who
welcomes me welcomes the one who
41
sent me. Whoever welcomes a
prophet as a prophet will receive a
prophet’s reward, and whoever
welcomes a righteous person as a
righteous person will receive a
42
righteous person’s reward. And if
anyone gives even a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones who is my
disciple, truly I tell you, that person
will certainly not lose their reward.”

Jesus and John the Baptist

11After Jesus had finished instructing

his twelve disciples, he went on from
there to teach and preach in the
towns of Galilee.

2 When John, who was in prison,

heard about the deeds of the
3
Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask
him, “Are you the one who is to come,
or should we expect someone else?”

4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report

5
to John what you hear and see: The
blind receive sight, the lame walk,
those who have leprosy are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
and the good news is proclaimed to
6
the poor. Blessed is anyone who
does not stumble on account of me.”

7 As John’s disciples were leaving,

Jesus began to speak to the crowd
about John: “What did you go out into
the wilderness to see? A reed swayed
8
by the wind? If not, what did you go
out to see? A man dressed in fine
clothes? No, those who wear fine
9
clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then
what did you go out to see? A
prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more
10
than a prophet. This is the one
about whom it is written:

 “‘I will send my messenger ahead of

you,
  who will prepare your way before
you.’

11 Truly I tell you, among those born of

women there has not risen anyone
greater than John the Baptist; yet
whoever is least in the kingdom of
12
heaven is greater than he. From the
days of John the Baptist until now,
the kingdom of heaven has been
subjected to violence, and violent
13
people have been raiding it. For all
the Prophets and the Law prophesied
14
until John. And if you are willing to
accept it, he is the Elijah who was to
15
come. Whoever has ears, let them
hear.

Commentary

Embrace sacrifice

Jesus calls on his disciples to be

willing to sacrifice everything for his
sake: ‘Anyone who loves father or
mother more than me is not worthy
of me; anyone who loves son or
daughter more than me is not worthy
of me’ (10:37). Your love for Jesus
should exceed even the greatest love
you have for those closest to you.

Jesus continues, ‘Whoever does not

take up their cross and follow me is
not worthy of me. Whoever finds their
life will lose it, and whoever loses
their life for my sake will find it’
(vv.38–39). Perhaps this is what the
apostle Paul meant when he urges us
‘to o#er [our] bodies as a living
sacrifice’ (Romans 12:1).

This is the way in which you discover

God’s will for your life, ‘his good,
pleasing and perfect will’ (v.2). If you
want God to use you more, if you
want to accelerate, you must be
willing to embrace this kind of
sacrifice.

Nothing you do in the service of Jesus

is wasted. Jesus says, ‘Give a cool cup
of water to someone who is thirsty,
for instance. The smallest act of
giving or receiving makes you a true
apprentice. You won’t lose out on a
thing’ (Matthew 10:42, MSG).

Martin of Tours (AD 316–397) was

Bishop of Tours, France, from AD 371.
One very cold night, riding on
horseback, he passed a beggar. Martin
got o# his horse, tore his robe in two
and gave half of it to the beggar. That
night, Martin had a dream in which he
saw Jesus wearing the robe that had
been torn in two on his shoulders.
When asked where it had come from,
Jesus replied, ‘My servant Martin gave
it to me.’

In the immediate context in Matthew,

the sacrifice Jesus is referring to may
be simply being identified with him in
a hostile world. He says, ‘Whoever
acknowledges me before others, I will
also acknowledge before my Father in
heaven. But whoever disowns me
before others, I will disown before my
Father in heaven’ (vv.32–33).

‘Acknowledging’ Jesus can lead to

opposition and di"culties. For many
of the first disciples it literally meant
taking up their cross and following
him (v.38), even to death. For us the
cost may be di#erent but we are
called to the same radical
commitment to Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, help me to be willing to take up

my cross and follow you. Today I o#er
you my body as a living sacrifice.

Old Testament

Genesis 27:1-28:22

27When Isaac was old and his eyes

were so weak that he could no longer
see, he called for Esau his older son
and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

2 Isaac said, “I am now an old man

3
and don’t know the day of my death.
Now then, get your equipment—your
quiver and bow—and go out to the
open country to hunt some wild game
4
for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty
food I like and bring it to me to eat,
so that I may give you my blessing
before I die.”

5 Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac

spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left
for the open country to hunt game
6
and bring it back, Rebekah said to
her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard
7
your father say to your brother Esau,
‘Bring me some game and prepare me
some tasty food to eat, so that I may
give you my blessing in the presence
8
of the Lord before I die.’ Now, my
son, listen carefully and do what I tell
9
you: Go out to the flock and bring
me two choice young goats, so I can
prepare some tasty food for your
10
father, just the way he likes it. Then
take it to your father to eat, so that
he may give you his blessing before
he dies.”

11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother,

“But my brother Esau is a hairy man
12
while I have smooth skin. What if
my father touches me? I would
appear to be tricking him and would
bring down a curse on myself rather
than a blessing.”

13 His mother said to him, “My son, let

the curse fall on me. Just do what I
say; go and get them for me.”

14 So he went and got them and

brought them to his mother, and she
prepared some tasty food, just the
15
way his father liked it. Then
Rebekah took the best clothes of
Esau her older son, which she had in
the house, and put them on her
16
younger son Jacob. She also
covered his hands and the smooth
17
part of his neck with the goatskins.
Then she handed to her son Jacob
the tasty food and the bread she had
made.

18 He went to his father and said, “My

father.”

“Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is

it?”

19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau

your firstborn. I have done as you told
me. Please sit up and eat some of my
game, so that you may give me your
blessing.”

20 Isaac asked his son, “How did you

find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God gave me success,

” he replied.

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come

near so I can touch you, my son, to
know whether you really are my son
Esau or not.”

22 Jacob went close to his father

Isaac, who touched him and said,
“The voice is the voice of Jacob, but
23
the hands are the hands of Esau.”
He did not recognize him, for his
hands were hairy like those of his
brother Esau; so he proceeded to
24
bless him. “Are you really my son
Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” he replied.

25 Then he said, “My son, bring me

some of your game to eat, so that I
may give you my blessing.”

Jacob brought it to him and he ate;

and he brought some wine and he
26
drank. Then his father Isaac said to
him, “Come here, my son, and kiss
me.”

27 So he went to him and kissed him .

When Isaac caught the smell of his
clothes, he blessed him and said,

 “Ah, the smell of my son

  is like the smell of a field
  that the Lord has blessed.
 28 May God give you heaven’s dew
  and earth’s richness —
  an abundance of grain and new
wine.
 29 May nations serve you
  and peoples bow down to you.
 Be lord over your brothers,
  and may the sons of your mother
bow down to you.
 May those who curse you be cursed
  and those who bless you be blessed.
”

30 After Isaac finished blessing him,

and Jacob had scarcely left his
father’s presence, his brother Esau
31
came in from hunting. He too
prepared some tasty food and
brought it to his father. Then he said
to him, “My father, please sit up and
eat some of my game, so that you
may give me your blessing.”

32 His father Isaac asked him, “Who

are you?”

“I am your son,” he answered, “your

firstborn, Esau. ”

33 Isaac trembled violently and said,

“Who was it, then, that hunted game
and brought it to me? I ate it just
before you came and I blessed him—
and indeed he will be blessed! ”

34 When Esau heard his father’s

words, he burst out with a loud and
bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless
me—me too, my father!”

35 But he said, “Your brother came

deceitfully and took your blessing.”

36 Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named

Jacob? This is the second time he has
taken advantage of me: He took my
birthright, and now he’s taken my
blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t
you reserved any blessing for me?”

37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have made

him lord over you and have made all
his relatives his servants, and I have
sustained him with grain and new
wine. So what can I possibly do for
you, my son?”

38 Esau said to his father, “Do you

have only one blessing, my father?
Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau
wept aloud.

39 His father Isaac answered him,

 “Your dwelling will be

  away from the earth’s richness,
  away from the dew of heaven above.
 40 You will live by the sword
  and you will serve your brother.
 But when you grow restless,
  you will throw his yoke
  from o# your neck.”

41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob

because of the blessing his father had
given him. He said to himself, “The
days of mourning for my father are
near; then I will kill my brother
Jacob.”

42 When Rebekah was told what her

older son Esau had said, she sent for