Tag Archives: Bible

Barns

barn

On a morning walk while I was in Iowa recently, I passed a large, old, rustic barn that has been preserved along what has become a more modern, suburban road. The stark contrast of this farming structure in the midst of new construction homes made me think more deeply about barns and what they have to say to us as modern-day Christians.

Surprisingly, barns are mentioned several times in Scripture to represent different things.

The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you undertake; he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 28:8).

Barns are a sign of blessing from God. They store the bountiful harvests of plants that come from God’s creation, and they represent a thriving and established community, which God will give the Children of Israel in the Promised Land.

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26).

Jesus describes barns in his Sermon on the Mount as places that birds of the air have no need of because the heavenly Father takes care of them without the birds worrying about where their food will come from. Barns in this case are symbols of buildings that we fret over filling, when we should trust that God will keep us filled, even if our barns may not be full.

Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.”

In the parable of the rich fool, barns represent greed and amassing earthly wealth for our own personal gain. Jesus points out that we should store up treasures in heaven instead of riches here on earth. In the end, gifts of forgiveness, faith in Jesus and love for God and one another are more valuable than anything that can be stored in a barn, which will one day be destroyed.

Be on the lookout for barns on your travels this week, if you are able, and remember the lessons that can be learned from them for our walk with the Lord.

Charcoal Fire

fire

Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold, and were warming themselves. Peter was also standing there keeping warm. John 18:18

When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” John 21:9-10

There are only two places where a charcoal fire is mentioned in Scripture. Think about when these charcoal fires occur: Once in a courtyard outside of Jesus’ trial, where Peter denies Jesus three times. And then once on a beach where the risen Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him.

This detail linking the two scenes is no accident. We are meant to draw a clear connection: We may sin (like Peter did by the first fire), but we are still forgiven (as Peter was by the second fire). How is that possible? Because of what happened between those two fires, which is the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Think of these two fires the next time you light a charcoal fire in your fire pit or start up your grill to cook dinner or smell a neighbor’s charcoal fire burning. We are blessed by Jesus to be warmed by his love and nourished by his Word, no matter how cold or harsh we have been to him in the past. Jesus always gives us a second chance (as he did with Peter).