The more you read the Bible, the more you notice that certain numbers keep showing up again and again. Israel was divided into twelve tribes, there were twelve Apostles; Noah's Ark had to wait forty days of rain, Moses took the tribes out of Egypt by wandering forty years in the desert, and he, like Elias and Christ fasted for forty days. Carry this over into modern life, an you find that the Catholic Church fast forty days during Lent.
It all adds up once you know the system. What do all these numbers mean? People everywhere have always ascribed significance to numbers, counting things very carefully and making sure that the " "right" number of things happen the "right" number of times. It's the same everywhere you look: In China, ancient Egypt, Greece, Babylon, Rome, ancient Israel. every culture has its own distinctive set of "lucky" numbers, but the meanings ascribed to certain numbers seem to show up everywhere. The number of something is an easily grasped symbol, even to people who can't read, as immediate as colors or basic shapes. And the Church has always used this widespread system of number-meanings
as an extra way of conveying information about God and the plan of salvation.
Basically, these traditions started in the middle East, just after people first began writing things down. The Egyptians understood a great deal about geometry, apparently, but they didn't get carried away with it. They just used it to measure every day things like land, beer, and the pyramids, , and then let it go at that.
But the early Greeks, with their penchant for abstract thinking, thought that numbers were the key to all knowledge. They couldn't get enough. The first one who thought it all out was "Pythagoras," wo used the ratios and relationships of simple geometry to outline the structure of the universe, the way we use atomic theory today. He calculated the beautiful ways of harmony, how the notes sounded by chords make harmonic tones if the lengths of the chords are all interrelated in simple numerical ratios. We still use his musical principles today, because he was right.
And his name still rings through grade schools all over the country because he was the one who came up with the Pythagorean Theorem (" the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides,") That Theorem is about the extent of his claim to fame today, that and the musical theories. But in antiquity, Pythagoras was seen as a combination Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi. He gave numbers a religious function; he apparently concluded that things weren't just measured by number but somehow caused by the number, and that you could see the mind of God at work by looking at the ways that number work. He developed a whole philosopher-
" lover of wisdom"-- to refer to those who followed it.
His saying and the writings of his disciples had an immense influence on philosophy for centuries.
Even Plato's Republic records a lot about the ways of thought and life.
It was largely through Pythagoras that the ideas of numbers as divinely meaningful took root in the Mediterranean world. There are no Greek equivalents of our figures 1,2,3,4, 5. and so on, which we got from the Arabs much later. Instead, the Greeks, the Babylonians, and other ancient people, just used letters of their alphabets to signify numbers. Basically, their letter "A" meant 1,B was 2, an so on. This idea was taken up later by the Roman's, for whom letters like X, I, V, M, and C served as numbers.
The most interesting effect of this kind of alphanumeric notation is that sooner or later you get to thinking that words have a numerical value as well as a literal value-- you can compare texts not just for what they say, but also what they add up to. But the study of number-- letter correspondences became a serious discipline about 300 years before Christ, when Alexander the Great conquered Babylon. After this ancient center of mathematical study opened its gates to the lively number-- games of the Greeks. the study off of letters as numbers took on a whole new vitality, spreading quickly from one end of Alexander's empire to the other. Before long, the 'Hebrews" combined this new hybrid science with their own ancient traditions of this kind and came up with something more systematic. and more mystical than anyone had ever known. before. Because the "Hebrews" also used letters as numbers, they could add up the numerical values of the letters of any word or subtract one word from another, just as you would subtract one string of numbers from another. A numerical relationship words or phrases in the Old Testament made scholars think about possible mystical connections between them, which stimulated a great deal of meditation on the sacred texts. It's often about as profound as a crossword puzzle, but sometimes it really does spark some spiritual insight.
The Rabbi Simon the Just ( about 250 B.C.) noted that the word " Torah" ( faith) and the "Hebrew" phrase for "deeds" ( works) 0f loving kindness both add up to 611-- which took as a sign of the parallel importance of faith and words, an idea that the Church would agree with, however you figure it. The principals of number- letters had been active in Hebrew literature, for perhaps a thousand years before that. The writers of the Old Testament purposefully encoded significant numbers in the words that they used. For example, when we look at Genesis 14;14. When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken prisoner, he called out trained men born in the house, 318, and went in pursuit..." Why 318 ? Were there really so many men born in Abrams's house? Maybe; but the number really refers to Eliezar, the only servant of Abram's that is known by name-- the letters of that name, in Hebrew add up to exactly 318. Similarly, when Abram became Abraham and Sarai, became Sara, their "numbers" changed, associating them with a different set of phrases in scripture that, to the initiate, " explain" the new roles they have to play in Gods plan. whole books have been filled with such correspondences. Whole libraries, have been filled with such books. After the first century, there was truly no end to the making of books of "gematria", because all educated people in the Mediterranean world knew the language of numbers. There's a coy little "Latin graffito" in Pompeii, for instance, that does this. " I love her whos number is 545," it runs, One of the Sibylline oracles ( in early prediction) written in Christian times but purported to be by the female prophets of ( antiquity), announces the coming "Child of the great God" his way."
The whole sum I will name:
For eight ones, and as many tens on these,
And yet eight hundred
will reveal the name. Everybody in the audience would have understood the reference, because the name Jesus in Greek adds up to 888.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Parable of the Tenants [ Matt. 21: 33-46]
In this gospel reading Jesus tells a parable of the vineyard, an image of Israel, the prophets mission and Christ's death. For Christians, given to us for the forgiveness of sins. Grafted onto Christ the vine at baptism, we are nourished with bread and wine, that we may share Christ's suffering and know the power of His resurrection. Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit.
In Isaiah 5:1-7; the people of Israel are pictured as a vineyard that fails to produce fruit despite the strenuous efforts of the vineyard keeper. Using Isaiah parable as a point of departure. Jesus describes a vineyard that does not produce grapes, but the tenants refuse to give the owner a share of the crop.
Whereas Isaiah aimed his preaching at the Jews in general. Jesus speaks to the leaders of the people. He wants them to know that he knows they are plotting to put him to death. He warns them that they will be punished for their crime. The land owner is God the Father. When it says he "put a wall around his vineyard," we are reminded of how the children of Israel lived in the land of Goshen,
separate from the Egyptians. When they took possession of the promised land., the Lord ordered them to exterminate all of the Canaanites so there would be no temptation to mingle with them. Although those orders were never completely carried out, the ceremonial law kept Israel separate from their neighbors by restricting their diet and regulating their worship. God wanted to set them apart from all other people so it would be obvious to all he had kept his promises to Abraham: " that in blessing, I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed; because thou has obeyed my voice (Gen 22: 7-18).
In addition to putting a wall around His vineyard, the landowner also built a watchtower in it. The rabbis specified that it should be raised, a raised platform, 15 ft. high and 6 feet square. It would be necessary to post guards, especially when the grapes ripened. The image of the watchmen is reminiscent of the call of Ezekiel, " son of man I watchmen for the house of Israel ( Ezekiel 3:17).
The tenants are the leaders of the Jews, and the servants who were to collect the land owner's share of the crop are the O.T. prophets. Jesus says, "they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third." similarly Stephen later accused the leader of the Jews, " you stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears. You are just like your Fathers: you always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one. And now you betrayed and murdered him ( Acts 7: 51-52).
The landowners Son is obviously Jesus. In Luke's version of this parable, the owner of the vineyard calls him, " My son" whom I Love ( Luke 20:13), an echo of the Father's voice at Jesus baptism
in Matthew ( 3:17), and on the mount of the transfiguration ( Matt. 17:5).
Jesus says they threw the son out of the vineyard before they killed him.
We remember how the crucifixion took place outside the walls of Jerusalem ( Hebrews 13: 11, 12). For the bodies of those " beasts," whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priests for sin are burned without the camp, (Lev. 6:30). since Jesus was telling parable on Tuesday of " Holy Week," He was describing what was going to happen only three days later.
There is something unreal about the story Jesus tells in this parable. How likely is it that a man whose servants have been mistreated and killed by his tenants will then send his beloved son to try to collect his share of the harvest? But the unreal stories illustrates the incredible patience of God. It is truly mind boggling that God would send his son into the world after he had seen how his people treated the prophets.
To our ears it also sounds unreal that the tenants who murdered his son should expect to take possession of his inheritance -especially since his Father, the vineyard owner, is still alive. But, selfish ambition and greed all too often and all too easily cause us to forget God's presence.
When the vineyard is rented out to other tenants, Jesus is anticipating the entrance of the Gentiles into the Church. When the Jewish synagogues rejected the preaching of the apostle Paul, he turned to the Gentiles, and within one generation, the gentiles outnumbered the Jews in the Christian Church.
This turn of events had been prophesied already a thousand years before, " the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this. and it is marvelous in our eyes" (118: 22, 23). In the process of constructing a building, the stonemason would select one stone reject another.
Not only did the Lord determine to make use of the stone the builders had rejected, he made it a capstone, the keystone of the arch, the most important stone in the whole building. Jesus warns the chief priests and the Pharisees, " He who falls on the stone will be broken to pieces, but on whom it falls will be crushed." As they plot and scheme to put Jesus to death., he warns them that they will only destroy themselves. They knew he was talking about them. The principal of man's love, according to Jesus, is based on God's prior love for man. But He takes both of these principals from Hebrew religion. at the beginning of their history, Hebrew writers hold ,God himself who took the initiative in forming a covenant with man as an individual, as a person, not as a nation, not even as people. In regard to this latter point, however, Jesus goes beyond the teachings of the Hebrew religion.. According to Jesus God's love is for man as an individual, as a person, Not as a nation, not even as a people. This view also has its roots in the Old Testament: the prophets, in their maturity. God loves man, but he is also man's judge; His love is not sentimental love. God's forgiveness is only possible, when man has given up his rebellion and defiance, and man's submission has been submitted his will to the will of God. Jesus looks at the principal of justice in terms of eschatology (end times). He often refers to a last Judgment at the end of time. The Hebrew prophets expressed the belief that every man gets his just recompense in this life is untenable. End time, is the terms of Jesus in his teachings. We are introduced early in the gospel to the coming judgment by" John the Baptist." In his prophetic language, he call the multitude flocking him a brood of vipers and warns them of the wrath to come. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. { Matt 3: 10-12}.
In Isaiah 5:1-7; the people of Israel are pictured as a vineyard that fails to produce fruit despite the strenuous efforts of the vineyard keeper. Using Isaiah parable as a point of departure. Jesus describes a vineyard that does not produce grapes, but the tenants refuse to give the owner a share of the crop.
Whereas Isaiah aimed his preaching at the Jews in general. Jesus speaks to the leaders of the people. He wants them to know that he knows they are plotting to put him to death. He warns them that they will be punished for their crime. The land owner is God the Father. When it says he "put a wall around his vineyard," we are reminded of how the children of Israel lived in the land of Goshen,
separate from the Egyptians. When they took possession of the promised land., the Lord ordered them to exterminate all of the Canaanites so there would be no temptation to mingle with them. Although those orders were never completely carried out, the ceremonial law kept Israel separate from their neighbors by restricting their diet and regulating their worship. God wanted to set them apart from all other people so it would be obvious to all he had kept his promises to Abraham: " that in blessing, I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed; because thou has obeyed my voice (Gen 22: 7-18).
In addition to putting a wall around His vineyard, the landowner also built a watchtower in it. The rabbis specified that it should be raised, a raised platform, 15 ft. high and 6 feet square. It would be necessary to post guards, especially when the grapes ripened. The image of the watchmen is reminiscent of the call of Ezekiel, " son of man I watchmen for the house of Israel ( Ezekiel 3:17).
The tenants are the leaders of the Jews, and the servants who were to collect the land owner's share of the crop are the O.T. prophets. Jesus says, "they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third." similarly Stephen later accused the leader of the Jews, " you stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears. You are just like your Fathers: you always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one. And now you betrayed and murdered him ( Acts 7: 51-52).
The landowners Son is obviously Jesus. In Luke's version of this parable, the owner of the vineyard calls him, " My son" whom I Love ( Luke 20:13), an echo of the Father's voice at Jesus baptism
in Matthew ( 3:17), and on the mount of the transfiguration ( Matt. 17:5).
Jesus says they threw the son out of the vineyard before they killed him.
We remember how the crucifixion took place outside the walls of Jerusalem ( Hebrews 13: 11, 12). For the bodies of those " beasts," whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priests for sin are burned without the camp, (Lev. 6:30). since Jesus was telling parable on Tuesday of " Holy Week," He was describing what was going to happen only three days later.
There is something unreal about the story Jesus tells in this parable. How likely is it that a man whose servants have been mistreated and killed by his tenants will then send his beloved son to try to collect his share of the harvest? But the unreal stories illustrates the incredible patience of God. It is truly mind boggling that God would send his son into the world after he had seen how his people treated the prophets.
To our ears it also sounds unreal that the tenants who murdered his son should expect to take possession of his inheritance -especially since his Father, the vineyard owner, is still alive. But, selfish ambition and greed all too often and all too easily cause us to forget God's presence.
When the vineyard is rented out to other tenants, Jesus is anticipating the entrance of the Gentiles into the Church. When the Jewish synagogues rejected the preaching of the apostle Paul, he turned to the Gentiles, and within one generation, the gentiles outnumbered the Jews in the Christian Church.
This turn of events had been prophesied already a thousand years before, " the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this. and it is marvelous in our eyes" (118: 22, 23). In the process of constructing a building, the stonemason would select one stone reject another.
Not only did the Lord determine to make use of the stone the builders had rejected, he made it a capstone, the keystone of the arch, the most important stone in the whole building. Jesus warns the chief priests and the Pharisees, " He who falls on the stone will be broken to pieces, but on whom it falls will be crushed." As they plot and scheme to put Jesus to death., he warns them that they will only destroy themselves. They knew he was talking about them. The principal of man's love, according to Jesus, is based on God's prior love for man. But He takes both of these principals from Hebrew religion. at the beginning of their history, Hebrew writers hold ,God himself who took the initiative in forming a covenant with man as an individual, as a person, not as a nation, not even as people. In regard to this latter point, however, Jesus goes beyond the teachings of the Hebrew religion.. According to Jesus God's love is for man as an individual, as a person, Not as a nation, not even as a people. This view also has its roots in the Old Testament: the prophets, in their maturity. God loves man, but he is also man's judge; His love is not sentimental love. God's forgiveness is only possible, when man has given up his rebellion and defiance, and man's submission has been submitted his will to the will of God. Jesus looks at the principal of justice in terms of eschatology (end times). He often refers to a last Judgment at the end of time. The Hebrew prophets expressed the belief that every man gets his just recompense in this life is untenable. End time, is the terms of Jesus in his teachings. We are introduced early in the gospel to the coming judgment by" John the Baptist." In his prophetic language, he call the multitude flocking him a brood of vipers and warns them of the wrath to come. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. { Matt 3: 10-12}.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
The delight of Despair [Revelations 1:17].
" When once His touch comes, nothing
at all can cast you
into fear again."
It may be that like the apostle John you know Jesus Christ intimately, when suddenly He appears with no familiar characteristic at all, and the only thing you can do is fall, at his feet as dead.
There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in his majesty, and it is awfulness of the vision which brings you to delight of despair; if you are ever to be raised up, it must be by the hand of God.
" He laid His right hand upon me." In the mist of the awfulness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. The right hand not of restraint nor of correction nor of chastisement, but the right hand of the " Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it is ineffable peace and comfort, the sense that " underneath are the everlasting arms," full of sustaining and comfort and strength. When once His touch comes, nothing at all can cast you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, and say- " "Fear not." His tenderness is ineffably sweet. Do you know Him like that?
Watch some of the things that strike despair. There is despair in which there is no delight, no horizon, no hope of anything brighter; but the delight of despair comes when I know that " in me that (is, in my flesh) dwells good things". I delight to know that when God manifests Himself, to me. If I am ever to be raised up, it must be by the hand of God.
"AND WHEN I SAW HIM, I FELL AT HIS FEET AS DEAD."
at all can cast you
into fear again."
It may be that like the apostle John you know Jesus Christ intimately, when suddenly He appears with no familiar characteristic at all, and the only thing you can do is fall, at his feet as dead.
There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in his majesty, and it is awfulness of the vision which brings you to delight of despair; if you are ever to be raised up, it must be by the hand of God.
" He laid His right hand upon me." In the mist of the awfulness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. The right hand not of restraint nor of correction nor of chastisement, but the right hand of the " Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it is ineffable peace and comfort, the sense that " underneath are the everlasting arms," full of sustaining and comfort and strength. When once His touch comes, nothing at all can cast you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, and say- " "Fear not." His tenderness is ineffably sweet. Do you know Him like that?
Watch some of the things that strike despair. There is despair in which there is no delight, no horizon, no hope of anything brighter; but the delight of despair comes when I know that " in me that (is, in my flesh) dwells good things". I delight to know that when God manifests Himself, to me. If I am ever to be raised up, it must be by the hand of God.
"AND WHEN I SAW HIM, I FELL AT HIS FEET AS DEAD."
Saturday, April 22, 2017
The God of beginnings. The call! [ Jonah 2;9]
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amit'tai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry ( preach) against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tar'shish from the presence of the Lord, and went down Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tar'shish: so he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them unto Tar'shish: from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and their was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast for wares that were in the ship. into the sea, so that the ship, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down, into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, what meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God,
if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And they said every one to his fellow, come, let us casts lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then they said unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us:
What is thine occupation? and when comest thou? What is thy country? And of what people art thou?
And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, why has thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
Then said they unto him, what shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? Take me up, cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
Never the less the men rowed hard to bring it to land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, has done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
Now the lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the fish for three days and three nights.
In the book of Jonah, at the end of the prophet's great prayer of deliverance there is the sentence:
" Salvation is of the Lord" (2:9).
The sentence is simple and profound. The origin, the end and indeed, the only possible source of salvation is God. Salvation begins with God's choice of us rather than our choice of him and continues to a successful conclusion because God perseveres with us. Jonah's case is a perfect example. God elected him to do the work that he did not want to do: the evangelization of Nineveh.
God persevered with Jonah in spite of the rebellious prophet's attempt to runaway.
Though Jonah's call was not to a particular ministry and not to salvation, the principal is the same. For nothing can takes place spiritually in a person's life until God on the basis of his own determination calls that person to him.
It would be foolish for a preacher to enter a funeral home to encourage the corpses to lead a upright life, the corpses are dead. If the words are to have any purpose, the corpses must be made alive. After that they can respond, in the same way, the call to discipleship must begin with an act of God,
in making a spiritually dead person alive. The choice to do that is not with one who is spiritually dead but with God, who alone is able to give life. This is what the new birth means. Before conversion, God says we are dead in our trespasses and sins. We are alive physically and intellectually , but not spiritually. We cannot respond to spiritual stimuli. The word of God is a hidden book; the gospel is nonsense. But then God touches us. He brings life out of death. We then believe in Jesus Christ and begin to understand the Bible. This is what it means to be called by God, and this must happen before there can be any true discipleship. Jesus said you did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.
( Jn. 15:16)
Abraham was called. He did not choose God. He was apparently satisfied being where he was in the Mesopotamian river valley in a pagan culture. But God called him and sent him on his way to Palestine.
Moses was called even before he was a baby floating in the Nile in a basket. God said, " I am going to deliver my people from Egypt, and I am going to do it by the means of this baby. I am going to protect him from Pharaoh. I am going to give him the best world's training and education, then I am going to send him to Pharaoh to say, " Let my people go."
It was the same with David. God put his stamp on the future King while David was protecting some sheep. God sent the prophet Samuel to David's home to anoint one of his sons in the family, but when Samuel arrived David was missing. The father brought out all the sons except David. They were there in order. Samuel looked at the boys and thought how good a king the oldest boy would make. His name was Elib, but before Samuel could anoint him, God indicated he was not the one. Next came Abinadab, who was not the future king. Then there was Shamah, and so on until seven of Jesses's sons were presented. Then Samuel asked. The Lord has not chosen these. Are all the sons here, Are all your sons here? The youngest is not here, he's out in the field watching the sheep. When David had finally arrived, the Lord said: arise and anoint him.
if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And they said every one to his fellow, come, let us casts lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then they said unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us:
What is thine occupation? and when comest thou? What is thy country? And of what people art thou?
And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, why has thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
Then said they unto him, what shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? Take me up, cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
Never the less the men rowed hard to bring it to land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, has done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
Now the lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the fish for three days and three nights.
In the book of Jonah, at the end of the prophet's great prayer of deliverance there is the sentence:
" Salvation is of the Lord" (2:9).
The sentence is simple and profound. The origin, the end and indeed, the only possible source of salvation is God. Salvation begins with God's choice of us rather than our choice of him and continues to a successful conclusion because God perseveres with us. Jonah's case is a perfect example. God elected him to do the work that he did not want to do: the evangelization of Nineveh.
God persevered with Jonah in spite of the rebellious prophet's attempt to runaway.
Though Jonah's call was not to a particular ministry and not to salvation, the principal is the same. For nothing can takes place spiritually in a person's life until God on the basis of his own determination calls that person to him.
It would be foolish for a preacher to enter a funeral home to encourage the corpses to lead a upright life, the corpses are dead. If the words are to have any purpose, the corpses must be made alive. After that they can respond, in the same way, the call to discipleship must begin with an act of God,
in making a spiritually dead person alive. The choice to do that is not with one who is spiritually dead but with God, who alone is able to give life. This is what the new birth means. Before conversion, God says we are dead in our trespasses and sins. We are alive physically and intellectually , but not spiritually. We cannot respond to spiritual stimuli. The word of God is a hidden book; the gospel is nonsense. But then God touches us. He brings life out of death. We then believe in Jesus Christ and begin to understand the Bible. This is what it means to be called by God, and this must happen before there can be any true discipleship. Jesus said you did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.
( Jn. 15:16)
Abraham was called. He did not choose God. He was apparently satisfied being where he was in the Mesopotamian river valley in a pagan culture. But God called him and sent him on his way to Palestine.
Moses was called even before he was a baby floating in the Nile in a basket. God said, " I am going to deliver my people from Egypt, and I am going to do it by the means of this baby. I am going to protect him from Pharaoh. I am going to give him the best world's training and education, then I am going to send him to Pharaoh to say, " Let my people go."
It was the same with David. God put his stamp on the future King while David was protecting some sheep. God sent the prophet Samuel to David's home to anoint one of his sons in the family, but when Samuel arrived David was missing. The father brought out all the sons except David. They were there in order. Samuel looked at the boys and thought how good a king the oldest boy would make. His name was Elib, but before Samuel could anoint him, God indicated he was not the one. Next came Abinadab, who was not the future king. Then there was Shamah, and so on until seven of Jesses's sons were presented. Then Samuel asked. The Lord has not chosen these. Are all the sons here, Are all your sons here? The youngest is not here, he's out in the field watching the sheep. When David had finally arrived, the Lord said: arise and anoint him.
Friday, April 21, 2017
An Altar by the Jordan [ Joshua 22: 10-32].
One day, a certain Mr. Jackson picked up the wrong umbrella in a Hotel lobby and was about to walk out when the rightful owner called attention to his mistake. Embarrassed, he offered his apologies. Finding his own, he went on his way. However, the incident reminded him that he had promised both his wife and daughter an umbrella. To his delight he found that a local store nearby had them on sale, so he bought two.
Just as he was getting into his car with his unwrapped purchases, he saw the man he had encountered earlier. He was eyeing him suspiciously. Seeing the three umbrella's hooked over his arm, the stranger exclaimed, I see you had a good day after all. Although Mr. Jackson blushed, he was not guilty of any wrong doing.
As we look at the message this day using the book of Joshua, and coming to the end of it, the warfare is winding down. In the twenty-second chapter, we find the people of Israel were to face an interesting incident from which they, and we, will learn some important lessons. There are some things we heard about before, but here they pop up again, in this passage of scripture, so it must be an important lesson that God wants us to learn, maybe we need to deal with these things again, because
they are all things we all have a hard time learning.
For Israel it was an end of a conquest. The members of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had been given their territory east of the Jordan river. Yet their warriors fought along side the others for the conquest of Canaan, entering the promise land. For seven years these men left families and homes that were secure to fight along side their fellow Israelites west of the Jordan.
Now it was time to go home. Joshua dismissed the 40,000 soldiers with honor. In his farewell address to them, Joshua gave them six earnest exhortation : he said....
Take diligent heed to do the command of the law
.. To love the Lord your God
... to walk in the ways
... To keep His commandments
... to cleave unto him, and...
To serve him with all your heart and all your soul.
His greatest concern was that their separation from other tribes of Israel would cause them to drift away from the worship of Yahweh and instead to worship the Idols of the people around them.
This was the concern of the people as well, and so they built a huge altar, one that could be seen from a great distance, which symbolize their right to worship at the original altar at the tabernacle in Shiloh. When the rest of Israel heard about it, they jumped to a single conclusion: the eastern tribes were guilty of apostasy! What was a sign of unity became the source of division.
Their reaction first gives us a positive lesson: Don't compromise! Frances Schaeffer writes, " They thought holiness of God was being threatened. So these men, who were sick of war, said, " The Holiness of God demands no compromise.' I would to God that the church in the 20th century would learn this lesson. The holiness of God who exists demands that there be no more compromise in the area of truth.
This is the positive lesson, we too need to be uncompromising when it comes to God's truth., to God's standards. ( As long as we are sure that it is really God's truth, and not just our own idea!) More and more I see Christians who are willing to compromise their faith at the slightest excuse. Unlike the early Christians, who held steadfastly to their witness when confronted death, today Christians deny their Lord when there is even the hint of ridicule or inconvenience. Absolute standards have fallen, compromise is applauded, people with strong values are derided as "rigid" and 'narrow minded'
In Jude 3, the writer urges his readers to " Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."
Paul felt so strongly about what he wrote to the Galatians (1:8) " But even if we , or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed." And then to underscore the urgency of what he is saying, he repeats it a second time.
There is also going to be a price to pay if we surrender our convictions, either in terms of our spiritual health, or in the area of credibility of our witness.
Israel's stand for purity of truth and orthodoxy was the positive lesson, and a very laudable, but as I have already indicated, there is also the negative lesson of rash judgment. They were ready to go to war again, this time against their own brothers.
In Joshua 22, we find Israel made some rash judgements on why the tribes assumed that they knew why the altar was built, when they really didn't know at all. Proverbs 18:13 says, " He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him". Fortunately, the leadership of Israel went to them and talked first, rather than fight. This should be a reminder to us, always seek the facts. When we rush to conclusions, consequences! I read a article about a man who failed a driving test six times in a row. After trying once more, he almost got his license, but was arrested for assault. While the examiner was writing "passed" on his score sheet, the applicant thought he saw "failed" exasperated, he picked up a metal object and hit the examiner!
What trouble and distress we could avoid if we really thoroughly lean this lesson.: To check out the facts.... give benefit of the doubt. and withhold judgement until we are sure. Rash judgement is dangerous!
When the leadership of Israel went to talk to the leaders of the trans-Jordan tribes, their spokesman was Phinehas a man of great devotion and wisdom. Phinehas even suggested that if the eastern tribes felt that there land was too far removed from the tabernacle of the Lord. They would make room for them on the west side of the Jordan. This was a generous offer, one that could potentially involve personal cost: giving up some of their land.
Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 15:1. " A gentle answer turns away wrath. , but a harsh word stirs anger."
Once the two sides set down and talked out the situation, they were reconciled.
Just as he was getting into his car with his unwrapped purchases, he saw the man he had encountered earlier. He was eyeing him suspiciously. Seeing the three umbrella's hooked over his arm, the stranger exclaimed, I see you had a good day after all. Although Mr. Jackson blushed, he was not guilty of any wrong doing.
As we look at the message this day using the book of Joshua, and coming to the end of it, the warfare is winding down. In the twenty-second chapter, we find the people of Israel were to face an interesting incident from which they, and we, will learn some important lessons. There are some things we heard about before, but here they pop up again, in this passage of scripture, so it must be an important lesson that God wants us to learn, maybe we need to deal with these things again, because
they are all things we all have a hard time learning.
For Israel it was an end of a conquest. The members of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had been given their territory east of the Jordan river. Yet their warriors fought along side the others for the conquest of Canaan, entering the promise land. For seven years these men left families and homes that were secure to fight along side their fellow Israelites west of the Jordan.
Now it was time to go home. Joshua dismissed the 40,000 soldiers with honor. In his farewell address to them, Joshua gave them six earnest exhortation : he said....
Take diligent heed to do the command of the law
.. To love the Lord your God
... to walk in the ways
... To keep His commandments
... to cleave unto him, and...
To serve him with all your heart and all your soul.
His greatest concern was that their separation from other tribes of Israel would cause them to drift away from the worship of Yahweh and instead to worship the Idols of the people around them.
This was the concern of the people as well, and so they built a huge altar, one that could be seen from a great distance, which symbolize their right to worship at the original altar at the tabernacle in Shiloh. When the rest of Israel heard about it, they jumped to a single conclusion: the eastern tribes were guilty of apostasy! What was a sign of unity became the source of division.
Their reaction first gives us a positive lesson: Don't compromise! Frances Schaeffer writes, " They thought holiness of God was being threatened. So these men, who were sick of war, said, " The Holiness of God demands no compromise.' I would to God that the church in the 20th century would learn this lesson. The holiness of God who exists demands that there be no more compromise in the area of truth.
This is the positive lesson, we too need to be uncompromising when it comes to God's truth., to God's standards. ( As long as we are sure that it is really God's truth, and not just our own idea!) More and more I see Christians who are willing to compromise their faith at the slightest excuse. Unlike the early Christians, who held steadfastly to their witness when confronted death, today Christians deny their Lord when there is even the hint of ridicule or inconvenience. Absolute standards have fallen, compromise is applauded, people with strong values are derided as "rigid" and 'narrow minded'
In Jude 3, the writer urges his readers to " Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."
Paul felt so strongly about what he wrote to the Galatians (1:8) " But even if we , or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed." And then to underscore the urgency of what he is saying, he repeats it a second time.
There is also going to be a price to pay if we surrender our convictions, either in terms of our spiritual health, or in the area of credibility of our witness.
Israel's stand for purity of truth and orthodoxy was the positive lesson, and a very laudable, but as I have already indicated, there is also the negative lesson of rash judgment. They were ready to go to war again, this time against their own brothers.
In Joshua 22, we find Israel made some rash judgements on why the tribes assumed that they knew why the altar was built, when they really didn't know at all. Proverbs 18:13 says, " He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him". Fortunately, the leadership of Israel went to them and talked first, rather than fight. This should be a reminder to us, always seek the facts. When we rush to conclusions, consequences! I read a article about a man who failed a driving test six times in a row. After trying once more, he almost got his license, but was arrested for assault. While the examiner was writing "passed" on his score sheet, the applicant thought he saw "failed" exasperated, he picked up a metal object and hit the examiner!
What trouble and distress we could avoid if we really thoroughly lean this lesson.: To check out the facts.... give benefit of the doubt. and withhold judgement until we are sure. Rash judgement is dangerous!
When the leadership of Israel went to talk to the leaders of the trans-Jordan tribes, their spokesman was Phinehas a man of great devotion and wisdom. Phinehas even suggested that if the eastern tribes felt that there land was too far removed from the tabernacle of the Lord. They would make room for them on the west side of the Jordan. This was a generous offer, one that could potentially involve personal cost: giving up some of their land.
Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 15:1. " A gentle answer turns away wrath. , but a harsh word stirs anger."
Once the two sides set down and talked out the situation, they were reconciled.
The Resurrection and the Resurrection body. [1 Cor. 15:1- 58].
Paul wrote at least four letters to his unruly converts at Corinth. He founded the Church there around the year 51 A.D., and he wrote the letters during the last part of his tree year-stay at Ephesus ( 54-56), only after four or five years after his initial visit to Corinth.
According to Acts, Paul spent a few months at Philippi ( Acts 16:11- 40), a few months at Thessalonia (Acts 17: 1-8, 16-34), and finally arrived in Corinth, where he stayed for a year and a half. before going to Ephesus ( Acts 18:1-19:1). His year and a half in Corinth is dated between 50 and 52 A.D.
The time sequence is important for two reasons. First, the fact that Paul preached at Corinth so short a time after preaching at Thessalonica makes it probable that in both cities he preached substantially the same message about the Parousia and the resurrection. This explains why in both letters he has to deal with problems intimately associated with the Parousia and the resurrection. It may also indicate that Paul's treatment of the Parousia and the resurrection at Thessalonica and Corinth was inadequate, since whatever he taught was so misinterpreted and had to be corrected.
Second, however much time Paul spent at Philippi and Thessalonica ( a few months rather then a few weeks is more probable. In 14:39-40: Paul asserts his authority about prophecy over tongue speaking.
Theologically speaking 1 Cor. 15 is critically important because it is the earliest apologetic argumentation in the whole of the New testament, for the physical resurrection of Jesus. Writing in the middle fifties Paul explicitly states what he himself had taught the Corinthians about the resurrection when he first evangelized them around 51 A.D. This would date Paul's own testimony just twenty-one years after the resurrection. But, there is more. Paul reminds his readers that what he had handed on to them in the year 51 was the "Tradition" he himself received (15:3). the "tradition," therefore, was even earlier and in all probability went back to the testimony of those like Peter and others mention in vv 6-7 who had seen Jesus in the flesh after his resurrection. The Tradition, apologetically speaking, is the strongest possible argument for the physical resurrection of Jesus, because at the time Paul preached it, and even at the time when he wrote 1 Corinthians, many of the original witnesses of the resurrected Christ were still alive and, as a consequence, there would be no need for a resurrection. This is improbable, but the opinion could be deduced from Paul's words in 1Thess 4:17. " Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." If there is no death, there is no need for resurrection!
There is even a sense in which Paul himself could be said to deny the resurrection of the dead- not resurrection of the person, but the resurrection of the identical, physical body of the dead person. In ch 15:35 ff, Paul insists on a bodily resurrection, but he seems also to insist that the resurrection body will be a "spiritual body" and therefore not identical with the dead body that goes into the grave and decomposes. Paul would hold that there was indeed no death for those still alive at the 'Parousia" and therefore no resurrection in the strict sense, but that this was true only for those few alive at the Parousia, and not for the generality of Christians. He intimates as much in 1Cor. 15:51-53: " lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep[die], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, this mortal nature must put on immortality." Paul's point is quite simply that the resurrection bodies of all will be different, they will be changed." - both those who have died and who will therefore have to rise at the "Parousia," who will not have to die and therefore will not have to rise. In short, it may be presumed that Paul's argumentation in ch 15. What Paul's opponents really meant when they said "there is no resurrection of the dead" may never be determined exactly. It may even be that Paul himself did not know what meaning they attached to the statement. Be that as it may, the statement was more than enough to alarm Paul and to elicit from him the earliest argumentation in the new Testament for the historicity of the physical resurrection of Jesus and for the future physical resurrections of Christians from the dead.
According to Acts, Paul spent a few months at Philippi ( Acts 16:11- 40), a few months at Thessalonia (Acts 17: 1-8, 16-34), and finally arrived in Corinth, where he stayed for a year and a half. before going to Ephesus ( Acts 18:1-19:1). His year and a half in Corinth is dated between 50 and 52 A.D.
The time sequence is important for two reasons. First, the fact that Paul preached at Corinth so short a time after preaching at Thessalonica makes it probable that in both cities he preached substantially the same message about the Parousia and the resurrection. This explains why in both letters he has to deal with problems intimately associated with the Parousia and the resurrection. It may also indicate that Paul's treatment of the Parousia and the resurrection at Thessalonica and Corinth was inadequate, since whatever he taught was so misinterpreted and had to be corrected.
Second, however much time Paul spent at Philippi and Thessalonica ( a few months rather then a few weeks is more probable. In 14:39-40: Paul asserts his authority about prophecy over tongue speaking.
Theologically speaking 1 Cor. 15 is critically important because it is the earliest apologetic argumentation in the whole of the New testament, for the physical resurrection of Jesus. Writing in the middle fifties Paul explicitly states what he himself had taught the Corinthians about the resurrection when he first evangelized them around 51 A.D. This would date Paul's own testimony just twenty-one years after the resurrection. But, there is more. Paul reminds his readers that what he had handed on to them in the year 51 was the "Tradition" he himself received (15:3). the "tradition," therefore, was even earlier and in all probability went back to the testimony of those like Peter and others mention in vv 6-7 who had seen Jesus in the flesh after his resurrection. The Tradition, apologetically speaking, is the strongest possible argument for the physical resurrection of Jesus, because at the time Paul preached it, and even at the time when he wrote 1 Corinthians, many of the original witnesses of the resurrected Christ were still alive and, as a consequence, there would be no need for a resurrection. This is improbable, but the opinion could be deduced from Paul's words in 1Thess 4:17. " Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." If there is no death, there is no need for resurrection!
There is even a sense in which Paul himself could be said to deny the resurrection of the dead- not resurrection of the person, but the resurrection of the identical, physical body of the dead person. In ch 15:35 ff, Paul insists on a bodily resurrection, but he seems also to insist that the resurrection body will be a "spiritual body" and therefore not identical with the dead body that goes into the grave and decomposes. Paul would hold that there was indeed no death for those still alive at the 'Parousia" and therefore no resurrection in the strict sense, but that this was true only for those few alive at the Parousia, and not for the generality of Christians. He intimates as much in 1Cor. 15:51-53: " lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep[die], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, this mortal nature must put on immortality." Paul's point is quite simply that the resurrection bodies of all will be different, they will be changed." - both those who have died and who will therefore have to rise at the "Parousia," who will not have to die and therefore will not have to rise. In short, it may be presumed that Paul's argumentation in ch 15. What Paul's opponents really meant when they said "there is no resurrection of the dead" may never be determined exactly. It may even be that Paul himself did not know what meaning they attached to the statement. Be that as it may, the statement was more than enough to alarm Paul and to elicit from him the earliest argumentation in the new Testament for the historicity of the physical resurrection of Jesus and for the future physical resurrections of Christians from the dead.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Peter's Confession-Jesus as the Christ? Matthew 16:13-20. [ Primacy of Peter].
Jesus, says Luke, "opened your minds to understand the scriptures, " so that you could comprehend His suffering, death, and resurrection; and so they could undertake their resultant mission. What was it that Jesus said to them ? From Luke's perspective it may have been something like this: Why do you wonder, my brother's? Why do strange thoughts arise in your hearts? Is it incomprehensible that I should suffer, and rise from the dead on the third day? Jesus knew that when He was gone, their must be a leader; ( and Peter was chosen!)
The doctrine of the primacy of Peter and the supremacy of the popes which is derived therefrom, is insisted upon by the Catholic theologians with the greatest vehemence. " from the greatest fact of the existence of a supreme head in the Jewish Church.; from the fact that a head is always necessary for civil governments, for families, and corporations; from the fact, especially, that a visible head is essential to maintenance of unity in the Church., while the absence of a head necessarily leads to anarchy, we are forced to conclude, even though positive evidence was wanting, that, in the establishment of His Church, it must have entered into the mind of the lawgiver to place over it a primate invested with superior judicial powers. But, have we any positive proof that Christ did appoint a supreme ruler over His Church? To those indeed who read the scriptures with the single eye of pure intention, the most abundance evidence of this fact is furnished. The New Testament establishes no doctrine unless it satisfies every candid reader that our Lord gave plenipotentiary powers to govern the whole Church. The promise of the primacy, according to Catholic theologians, is found in Matt. 16, 16-19, and its fulfillment John 21, 15-17, the word "sheep" there being applied to the "Pastors, and "Lambs" to the lay people. we may say however, in passing" Strange that this single eye of pure intention" was lacking in the Church of the first centuries, that it took fully ten centuries for the Roman Bishop to establish his supremacy , and at no time did the entire Church recognize him as the vice-regent of Christ. One thing is established beyond a shadow of a doubt, namely, that the Pope cannot base his primacy upon the text Matt. 16, 13,18. to refer to the word "rock" to the person of Peter would mean indeed to call " our Lord's good grammar and common sense" into question. If He had intended to make Peter Viceroy here on earth, He would have said: Upon thee, or: Upon Peter. But he advisedly uses a word for "rock" which is employed throughout the entire New Testament to refer to Christ and His word as the foundation to the church. For the confession of Christ is His name, a part of his divine essence. It is interesting to know, in connection, that the passage in question was not always understood by the leaders of the Roman church. as referring to a supposed primacy of Peter. Without taking into account the many witnesses of the s sub apostolic age,we refer to only the one manuscript from Spain. It is a Latin manuscript, dating back to the Presbter Beatus, who lived in the eighth century. The text: reads: " I say unto thee," Upon this rock shall be built by the Holy Spirit, His disciples," and, this is the first Church that was founded by the Holy Spirit. This is the first Church that was founded by the Spirit upon the "Rock, Christ! And in a remarkable discourse on "Peter the Rock," found at Mount Sinai a few decades ago, their is a most elaborate argument, that the Church was founded, not on Peter, but upon Christ the rock.
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said , " you are the Christ, the son of the living God."
Jesus said to him, " Blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not reveal this to you, But my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the 'Kingdom of heaven" Then He told his disciples not to tell anyone, that he was Jesus the Christ.
Here Jesus was sent by the Father to redeem God's people, and what is His reaction, and when Peter tells the other disciples that Jesus is the Christ; they hear . SHHH.
Don't tell anyone! Aren't they suppose to spread the good news, that God has broken into history? What is this great messianic secret, that Jesus wanted them to keep? Jesus knew how much time He had at the time ( was three years to teach 12 disciples, just what He wanted taught about his message, so that on Pentecost, they could continue about His message, in His name. You see, if it had gotten out that He was the promised Messiah, the people would have tried to make him King. For the Jews believed that when the Messiah came, He would destroy the enemies of Israel, and re- establish the Temple and rule for a thousand years. Everywhere they went for solitude, prayer and teaching, they were surrounded by the crowds. The Pharisees and the Sadducees, sought to build a kingdom that would last into eternity. The pole of power is greasy! The Roman Emperor Charlemagne knew that. An interesting story surrounds the burial of this famous King. Legend has it that he asked to be entombed sitting upright on his throne. He asked that his crown be placed on his head and his scepter in his hand. He requested that the royal cape be draped around his shoulders, and a open book be placed in his lap. That was A.D. 814. Nearly two hundred years later, Emperor Othello determined to see if the burial request had been carried out. He allegedly sent a team of men to open the tomb and make a report. they found the body just as Charlemagne. only now, nearly two centuries later, the scene was gruesome... but open on the skeletal thighs was the book Charlemagne had requested- the Bible. One boney finger pointed to ( Matt 16:26). " What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"
The doctrine of the primacy of Peter and the supremacy of the popes which is derived therefrom, is insisted upon by the Catholic theologians with the greatest vehemence. " from the greatest fact of the existence of a supreme head in the Jewish Church.; from the fact that a head is always necessary for civil governments, for families, and corporations; from the fact, especially, that a visible head is essential to maintenance of unity in the Church., while the absence of a head necessarily leads to anarchy, we are forced to conclude, even though positive evidence was wanting, that, in the establishment of His Church, it must have entered into the mind of the lawgiver to place over it a primate invested with superior judicial powers. But, have we any positive proof that Christ did appoint a supreme ruler over His Church? To those indeed who read the scriptures with the single eye of pure intention, the most abundance evidence of this fact is furnished. The New Testament establishes no doctrine unless it satisfies every candid reader that our Lord gave plenipotentiary powers to govern the whole Church. The promise of the primacy, according to Catholic theologians, is found in Matt. 16, 16-19, and its fulfillment John 21, 15-17, the word "sheep" there being applied to the "Pastors, and "Lambs" to the lay people. we may say however, in passing" Strange that this single eye of pure intention" was lacking in the Church of the first centuries, that it took fully ten centuries for the Roman Bishop to establish his supremacy , and at no time did the entire Church recognize him as the vice-regent of Christ. One thing is established beyond a shadow of a doubt, namely, that the Pope cannot base his primacy upon the text Matt. 16, 13,18. to refer to the word "rock" to the person of Peter would mean indeed to call " our Lord's good grammar and common sense" into question. If He had intended to make Peter Viceroy here on earth, He would have said: Upon thee, or: Upon Peter. But he advisedly uses a word for "rock" which is employed throughout the entire New Testament to refer to Christ and His word as the foundation to the church. For the confession of Christ is His name, a part of his divine essence. It is interesting to know, in connection, that the passage in question was not always understood by the leaders of the Roman church. as referring to a supposed primacy of Peter. Without taking into account the many witnesses of the s sub apostolic age,we refer to only the one manuscript from Spain. It is a Latin manuscript, dating back to the Presbter Beatus, who lived in the eighth century. The text: reads: " I say unto thee," Upon this rock shall be built by the Holy Spirit, His disciples," and, this is the first Church that was founded by the Holy Spirit. This is the first Church that was founded by the Spirit upon the "Rock, Christ! And in a remarkable discourse on "Peter the Rock," found at Mount Sinai a few decades ago, their is a most elaborate argument, that the Church was founded, not on Peter, but upon Christ the rock.
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said , " you are the Christ, the son of the living God."
Jesus said to him, " Blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not reveal this to you, But my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the 'Kingdom of heaven" Then He told his disciples not to tell anyone, that he was Jesus the Christ.
Here Jesus was sent by the Father to redeem God's people, and what is His reaction, and when Peter tells the other disciples that Jesus is the Christ; they hear . SHHH.
Don't tell anyone! Aren't they suppose to spread the good news, that God has broken into history? What is this great messianic secret, that Jesus wanted them to keep? Jesus knew how much time He had at the time ( was three years to teach 12 disciples, just what He wanted taught about his message, so that on Pentecost, they could continue about His message, in His name. You see, if it had gotten out that He was the promised Messiah, the people would have tried to make him King. For the Jews believed that when the Messiah came, He would destroy the enemies of Israel, and re- establish the Temple and rule for a thousand years. Everywhere they went for solitude, prayer and teaching, they were surrounded by the crowds. The Pharisees and the Sadducees, sought to build a kingdom that would last into eternity. The pole of power is greasy! The Roman Emperor Charlemagne knew that. An interesting story surrounds the burial of this famous King. Legend has it that he asked to be entombed sitting upright on his throne. He asked that his crown be placed on his head and his scepter in his hand. He requested that the royal cape be draped around his shoulders, and a open book be placed in his lap. That was A.D. 814. Nearly two hundred years later, Emperor Othello determined to see if the burial request had been carried out. He allegedly sent a team of men to open the tomb and make a report. they found the body just as Charlemagne. only now, nearly two centuries later, the scene was gruesome... but open on the skeletal thighs was the book Charlemagne had requested- the Bible. One boney finger pointed to ( Matt 16:26). " What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"
Thursday, April 13, 2017
A Lesson in Prayer. Luke 11: 1-13.
The Lords prayer:It came to pass that, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples. And He said unto them, when ye pray, say Our father which are in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The habit of Jesus to resorting to prayer as often as possible, but especially at times of great stress and menacing trouble, was well known to the disciples; but one of them at least had occasion to be convinced of the power and fervency of His prayer. When Jesus, therefore, upon that occasion, had ceased praying, this disciple, one of the later ones, that had not heard of the "Sermon on the Mount,"
stated a request to the Master that He teach them to pray, Just as John the Baptist had given his disciples such lessons. The questioner had probably been one of John's disciples, but had now finally been persuaded to follow Jesus. The Lord gladly yields to the wish and repeats, in a some what briefer form, what He had taught before (Matt..6, 9-13). As Father we address God: He is the Father of all created beings: they are his by virtue of His creation and His providence; but Father of the believers in a special sense, through the redemption and merits of Jesus Christ, (Gal 3, 26; 4, 6; 1 John 3, 1,2). His name , His word, everything that in any way designates and describes His essence, shall be hallowed, not by being made holy, but by being kept untarnished, unblemished, before the world. The believers pray earnestly for power day by day, so to comport themselves, that the name of God may be praised and honored throughout the world and not in any way dishonored or blasphemed .(Rom. 2,24. His kingdom should come to us, by the fact of his keeping us in His word and faith at all times; to all other people on earth , through the glorious preaching of the news of salvation in all the world. His will should be done. With the same willingness and eagerness as the angels in heaven delight in doing God's will, so glad should we be found to carry out all his precepts.
We pray that he would not lead us into temptation, not permit our enemies to lay traps for our unwary feet, to guard and keep us, that the devil, the world and our own flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame. The disciples of Christ of all times, who ought to be instant and expert, are still very sluggish, weak, and forgetful in spiritual things.
They must always learn over again what they had once learned, they must be taught day by day what and how they should be pray.
The importunity of prayer: And He said unto them, which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say unto him, friend lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him; and he from within shall answer and say, the door is now shut, and my children are now in bed with me and I cannot rise and give thee. Yet, because of his importunity he will rise and give to his friend as many as needed.
Note the vividness, but also the chasteness of the narrative: the friend, presuming upon the rights of friendship ; the midnight call the urgent pleading for three loaves of bread to set a meal before an unexpected guest; the displeasure of the other at the disturbance and his unwillingness to disturb the children that shared the same room with him; his pleading and inconvenience and grumbling over the matter, protesting that he cannot fulfill his request. All this is true to life. But just as true to average experience is the final yielding of the housefather, not so much on account of the demands of friendship as for the purpose of quieting the importunate disturber. The picture is strongly drawn, and purposely so, on account of the lesson the Lord wishes to convey. The importunity of the Christian prayer must verge on impudence; it must be characterized by an unwearied perseverance, by an endurance which refuses to be discouraged by a shameless disregard of God's apparent indifference. There is a climax in Christ admonition (keep knocking). The asking must be followed by an earnest seeking. And this eager searching by persistent knocking at the door. of God's heart. The result must finally be that the pleader will see his petition fulfilled. He whose knocking reverberates through the house again and again will find the doors open unto him. This is the holy importunity of prayer which Jesus recommends to us, enjoins upon us; for it is a praying, urging, a storming coming out of faith, and therefore cannot fail of its objective. "Even if a man that loves his night's rest more than his friend can be moved to yield, since he cannot sleep on account importunate pleading: how much more the best friend in heaven, who is all love toward his friends on earth.
V 13. If a Son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he ask for a egg, will he offer a scorpion? If thee being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him!
Jesus draws a final lesson from the love which parents bear to their children. Whom of you, being a father,- surely he will not give him a stone! Or also a fish, surely he will not give him instead of a fish, a serpent! ! Or also a egg,--- surely he will not give him a scorpion. ( the latter being a lobster like animal lurking in stone walls.). As Jesus describes him as inhuman. No normal sane father would be capable of such cruelty. And now Jesus makes the conclusion from smaller to greater. If human parents, whose disposition of heart is by nature evil, will show so much affection toward their children, surely the Father from heaven, in His merciful goodness and grace, will give the Holy Ghost, the highest and most wonderful gift from above, the gift which includes all other spiritual gifts, to them that ask him! But, He insists upon being asked lest the gifts lose their value in the eyes of men, and lest the Christians become careless about working out their own salvation with fear and trembling. He does not force his gifts upon unwilling and indifferent hearts.
The habit of Jesus to resorting to prayer as often as possible, but especially at times of great stress and menacing trouble, was well known to the disciples; but one of them at least had occasion to be convinced of the power and fervency of His prayer. When Jesus, therefore, upon that occasion, had ceased praying, this disciple, one of the later ones, that had not heard of the "Sermon on the Mount,"
stated a request to the Master that He teach them to pray, Just as John the Baptist had given his disciples such lessons. The questioner had probably been one of John's disciples, but had now finally been persuaded to follow Jesus. The Lord gladly yields to the wish and repeats, in a some what briefer form, what He had taught before (Matt..6, 9-13). As Father we address God: He is the Father of all created beings: they are his by virtue of His creation and His providence; but Father of the believers in a special sense, through the redemption and merits of Jesus Christ, (Gal 3, 26; 4, 6; 1 John 3, 1,2). His name , His word, everything that in any way designates and describes His essence, shall be hallowed, not by being made holy, but by being kept untarnished, unblemished, before the world. The believers pray earnestly for power day by day, so to comport themselves, that the name of God may be praised and honored throughout the world and not in any way dishonored or blasphemed .(Rom. 2,24. His kingdom should come to us, by the fact of his keeping us in His word and faith at all times; to all other people on earth , through the glorious preaching of the news of salvation in all the world. His will should be done. With the same willingness and eagerness as the angels in heaven delight in doing God's will, so glad should we be found to carry out all his precepts.
We pray that he would not lead us into temptation, not permit our enemies to lay traps for our unwary feet, to guard and keep us, that the devil, the world and our own flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame. The disciples of Christ of all times, who ought to be instant and expert, are still very sluggish, weak, and forgetful in spiritual things.
They must always learn over again what they had once learned, they must be taught day by day what and how they should be pray.
The importunity of prayer: And He said unto them, which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say unto him, friend lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him; and he from within shall answer and say, the door is now shut, and my children are now in bed with me and I cannot rise and give thee. Yet, because of his importunity he will rise and give to his friend as many as needed.
Note the vividness, but also the chasteness of the narrative: the friend, presuming upon the rights of friendship ; the midnight call the urgent pleading for three loaves of bread to set a meal before an unexpected guest; the displeasure of the other at the disturbance and his unwillingness to disturb the children that shared the same room with him; his pleading and inconvenience and grumbling over the matter, protesting that he cannot fulfill his request. All this is true to life. But just as true to average experience is the final yielding of the housefather, not so much on account of the demands of friendship as for the purpose of quieting the importunate disturber. The picture is strongly drawn, and purposely so, on account of the lesson the Lord wishes to convey. The importunity of the Christian prayer must verge on impudence; it must be characterized by an unwearied perseverance, by an endurance which refuses to be discouraged by a shameless disregard of God's apparent indifference. There is a climax in Christ admonition (keep knocking). The asking must be followed by an earnest seeking. And this eager searching by persistent knocking at the door. of God's heart. The result must finally be that the pleader will see his petition fulfilled. He whose knocking reverberates through the house again and again will find the doors open unto him. This is the holy importunity of prayer which Jesus recommends to us, enjoins upon us; for it is a praying, urging, a storming coming out of faith, and therefore cannot fail of its objective. "Even if a man that loves his night's rest more than his friend can be moved to yield, since he cannot sleep on account importunate pleading: how much more the best friend in heaven, who is all love toward his friends on earth.
V 13. If a Son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he ask for a egg, will he offer a scorpion? If thee being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him!
Jesus draws a final lesson from the love which parents bear to their children. Whom of you, being a father,- surely he will not give him a stone! Or also a fish, surely he will not give him instead of a fish, a serpent! ! Or also a egg,--- surely he will not give him a scorpion. ( the latter being a lobster like animal lurking in stone walls.). As Jesus describes him as inhuman. No normal sane father would be capable of such cruelty. And now Jesus makes the conclusion from smaller to greater. If human parents, whose disposition of heart is by nature evil, will show so much affection toward their children, surely the Father from heaven, in His merciful goodness and grace, will give the Holy Ghost, the highest and most wonderful gift from above, the gift which includes all other spiritual gifts, to them that ask him! But, He insists upon being asked lest the gifts lose their value in the eyes of men, and lest the Christians become careless about working out their own salvation with fear and trembling. He does not force his gifts upon unwilling and indifferent hearts.
Monday, April 10, 2017
The Prayer of Jesus. ( John 17: 20-26)
Text: " I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through his word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, and they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them, even as you have loved me. Father they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me. That they may see my glory you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you and they know you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.
This is the longest prayer of Jesus recorded in the Bible. It marked the end of Jesus earthly ministry, but Jesus looked forward to the ongoing ministry of the immediate and future disciples. Prayer was an important aspect of Jesus ministry. When ever strategic time approached, Jesus spent time in prayer. The world is a battle ground.
Constant spiritual and physical warfare wages between the forces of God and Satan. Jesus prayed that God would keep his people pure, give them abundant joy, Give them peace and unity, and protect them from Satan's power. Jesus frequently, separating himself from every earthly distraction,
recommends we find a quiet place for us and God to meet alone. A missionary and his family were forced to camp outside on a hill. They had money with them and were fearful of an attack by roving thieves. After prayer they went to sleep. Months later an injured man was brought into the mission hospital. He asked the missionary if he had soldiers guarding him on that special night.
" We intended to rob you, "he said, " But we were afraid of the twenty-seven soldiers."
When the missionary returned to his homeland, he related this strange story, and a member of his church said, " we had a prayer meeting that night, and I took the roll. There were just twenty-seven of us present".
Back to our gospel text. We picture Jesus praying. We feel almost as if we were on holy ground, in a sacred place, listening in on a most private conversation, trying to understand this most private dialogue between Father and son.
Our text is the last part of the long prayer of John 17. After this prayer was finished, according to John's gospel, Jesus went straight out with his disciples to Gethsemane to be betrayed, seized, bound, whipped, and crucified.
In our text Jesus prays for the church: The church present and the church to come. He prays that the church may become one even as he and the father are one, that among his followers there be a unity of love, and among those who believe in him will be seen as the same kind of love that the father has for the son. Jesus did not ask that the disciples be taken out of this world. He left them and us to be an example, of how God's people were to live and serve. On the contrary, they are to be the hope and the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They have a crucial message the world needs, and their mission and ours is to spread the good news of eternal life through Christ our Lord.
William Barclay wrote: Christianity was never meant to withdraw man from life.. It was meant to equip him better for life. Christianity does not offer us release from problems, but a way to solve it. The Christian must never desire to abandon the world, they must always desire to win the world. Though twenty-centuries since that dawn when Mary Magdalene and the women failed to find Jesus body in Joseph's tomb, our text is unique in one way, that we can claim that we who are living at this very moment were included in Jesus prayer centuries ago, for he prayed not only for his disciples then, but for all those who someday would believe in him (John 17:20).
Jesus prayed that all those who believed would be one. What kind of oneness did he have in mind?
Some argue that Jesus prayer means all churches should unite. (Good Luck in that endeavor)! Jesus prayed for unity, where men loved each other, because they loved Christ. It will never be that they will worship God the same way. It will never be that they will all believe exactly the same things; but the love of each other for Christian unity comes through the love for Christ which rises above their own denomination; for in my Father's house, while the rooms are different, the roof is the same, for it covers all. Lutheran theologian Warren Quanbeck writes of Christian unity, which we already have." There is only one Christ, one gospel, one church. All who belong to Christ through baptism and faith are members of this one church.
We must remember that Christ in his sacerdotal ( pastoral) prayer, prays first for his own glorification, then for his present disciples, and finally for the future believers in the final consummation and bliss in heaven.
This is the longest prayer of Jesus recorded in the Bible. It marked the end of Jesus earthly ministry, but Jesus looked forward to the ongoing ministry of the immediate and future disciples. Prayer was an important aspect of Jesus ministry. When ever strategic time approached, Jesus spent time in prayer. The world is a battle ground.
Constant spiritual and physical warfare wages between the forces of God and Satan. Jesus prayed that God would keep his people pure, give them abundant joy, Give them peace and unity, and protect them from Satan's power. Jesus frequently, separating himself from every earthly distraction,
recommends we find a quiet place for us and God to meet alone. A missionary and his family were forced to camp outside on a hill. They had money with them and were fearful of an attack by roving thieves. After prayer they went to sleep. Months later an injured man was brought into the mission hospital. He asked the missionary if he had soldiers guarding him on that special night.
" We intended to rob you, "he said, " But we were afraid of the twenty-seven soldiers."
When the missionary returned to his homeland, he related this strange story, and a member of his church said, " we had a prayer meeting that night, and I took the roll. There were just twenty-seven of us present".
Back to our gospel text. We picture Jesus praying. We feel almost as if we were on holy ground, in a sacred place, listening in on a most private conversation, trying to understand this most private dialogue between Father and son.
Our text is the last part of the long prayer of John 17. After this prayer was finished, according to John's gospel, Jesus went straight out with his disciples to Gethsemane to be betrayed, seized, bound, whipped, and crucified.
In our text Jesus prays for the church: The church present and the church to come. He prays that the church may become one even as he and the father are one, that among his followers there be a unity of love, and among those who believe in him will be seen as the same kind of love that the father has for the son. Jesus did not ask that the disciples be taken out of this world. He left them and us to be an example, of how God's people were to live and serve. On the contrary, they are to be the hope and the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They have a crucial message the world needs, and their mission and ours is to spread the good news of eternal life through Christ our Lord.
William Barclay wrote: Christianity was never meant to withdraw man from life.. It was meant to equip him better for life. Christianity does not offer us release from problems, but a way to solve it. The Christian must never desire to abandon the world, they must always desire to win the world. Though twenty-centuries since that dawn when Mary Magdalene and the women failed to find Jesus body in Joseph's tomb, our text is unique in one way, that we can claim that we who are living at this very moment were included in Jesus prayer centuries ago, for he prayed not only for his disciples then, but for all those who someday would believe in him (John 17:20).
Jesus prayed that all those who believed would be one. What kind of oneness did he have in mind?
Some argue that Jesus prayer means all churches should unite. (Good Luck in that endeavor)! Jesus prayed for unity, where men loved each other, because they loved Christ. It will never be that they will worship God the same way. It will never be that they will all believe exactly the same things; but the love of each other for Christian unity comes through the love for Christ which rises above their own denomination; for in my Father's house, while the rooms are different, the roof is the same, for it covers all. Lutheran theologian Warren Quanbeck writes of Christian unity, which we already have." There is only one Christ, one gospel, one church. All who belong to Christ through baptism and faith are members of this one church.
We must remember that Christ in his sacerdotal ( pastoral) prayer, prays first for his own glorification, then for his present disciples, and finally for the future believers in the final consummation and bliss in heaven.
Friday, April 7, 2017
Jehovah's Vineyard [ Isaiah 5:1-7]. "God's judgments upon Covetousness."
I start this message with a Collect.
Our Lord Jesus, you have endured doubts and foolish questions
Of every generation. Forgive us for trying to be judge over you,
Grant us the confident faith to acknowledge you as Lord.
"The Vineyard Song."
Let me now sing of my friend, my friends song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside, (the Lord and his chosen people).
He spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines;
Within he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for a crop of grapes.
But what it yielded was wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. That I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know what I mean to do to my vineyard:
Take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, Let it be trampled!
yes, I will make it a ruin: It shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it.
The disappointment of the vineyard, now I will sing to my well beloved. ( Remember this is a parable).
The prophet singing to Jehovah, concerning the Lord, but at the same time expressing the thought of the Lord, touching his vineyard, that of his Church), at the time of the prophet.
For the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant plant, literally, " The plant of his pleasure;" And he looked for judgment, that the people would do what is right and good, But, behold oppression, the infringement of rights by graft and other forms of wickedness. ( here is the explanation of the parable briefly?)
Israel was the vineyard of the Lord separated by him from all nations, placed into a rich and fruitful land. and endowed with unsurpassed blessings in every respect, among them the nobles, the patriarchs, the Kings, the Priests, and the Prophets. The watchtower of God in their midst of his
was the government of David and of his house. But, this vineyard had bitterly disappointed the Lord in his expectations, so two things happened 1). He got his son ready to replace Israel; remember this book was written 900 years before the coming of Christ: 2.) and the final punishment was in full measure, not only the Babylonian Captivity, but the ultimate overthrow of the Jewish nation. and church in A.D. 70. Many, many, years ago when our daughter was small, one summer we spent a family holiday in Idyllwild, which is located in the San Jacinto mountains in Southern California, (often referred to as Paradise). One of the many things that we rejoiced in our hearts about the rugged landscapes and the steeply terraced slopes that were covered with snow and cold, cold, cold and cold. This was the first snow our daughter had seen, and played in. Now she keeps it close to her all year round. She calls Conn. her cuddling state. Oh, where did her Mother and go wrong? We rented a big house which had eight rooms, No telephone, or T.V. It had been built by the man who started "Barnum and Baily Circus". It was wonderful opportunity, to get a closer look at nature and the best family time. We played in the streams, made-up with clear ice cold water, and it was sad to leave. (Now, Back to the vineyard.) I grew -up with a grape arbor in the back yard, so massive it covered a horse-less buggy under it. The vines were young and fragile looking, with translucent leaves and tiny-stem branches; others were massive, gnarled, and obviously ancient.It brings to mind, the picture of Jesus telling his disciples and us, in one of the most powerful and evocative images in the gospel, Jesus tell his disciples and now us: "I am the vine, you are the branches." Apart from me, you can do nothing.
The analogy of vine and branches has long been at the heart of the Christian community in understanding the "Eucharist" mystery, and vocation. Therein precisely lies the richness of the image-and danger. The focus within much liberal "Protestant" life has typically been on producing much fruit, rather then abiding in Christ. While ignoring the contemplative element, we tend to be preoccupied with the urgent needs of the world that require us to " bear much fruit." What we fear most is being able to " Do Nothing,' believing that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). In our impatience for change, we can come to believe that social change is more urgent than contemplative contact with the source of all life. We may persuade ourselves, as Henri Nouwen ( Catholic Priest) confesses he did for years, that being " relevant, popular, and powerful, are necessary ingredients of effective ministry. When in truth, these are not vocations but temptations. In our lives as Christians, cutting ourselves off from the life-giving vine has at least two dangers. First, we will probably become engrossed in the visible results of our doing. Second, we may never develop much stamina for seasons of drought. seasons of drought and failure. Either way we risk losing radical unity with Christ the vine that he intents for us.
The Prophet Habakkuk, writing in the seventh century BC during the worst of the " Babylonian Captivity," braved the question of why God seems to countenance the treacherous and is "Silent" when the wicked swallow those more righteous than they (Hab. 1:13). The answer he received assured him that God is eternally present and sovereign. " There is still a vision for the appointed time . If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come (Hab. 2:3).
The book ends with a song of luminous serenity and trust in the face of utter desolation:
Though the fig trees does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
Though the produce of the olives fails
and the fields yields no food;
Though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation. ( Hab. 3: 17-18).
Let the Christian Church and all those who profess to be members of the "Church take warning, for the Lord searches the reins and hearts and at all times expects true fruits of righteousness from all those who are called after His name.
Our Lord Jesus, you have endured doubts and foolish questions
Of every generation. Forgive us for trying to be judge over you,
Grant us the confident faith to acknowledge you as Lord.
"The Vineyard Song."
Let me now sing of my friend, my friends song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside, (the Lord and his chosen people).
He spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines;
Within he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for a crop of grapes.
But what it yielded was wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. That I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know what I mean to do to my vineyard:
Take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, Let it be trampled!
yes, I will make it a ruin: It shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it.
The disappointment of the vineyard, now I will sing to my well beloved. ( Remember this is a parable).
The prophet singing to Jehovah, concerning the Lord, but at the same time expressing the thought of the Lord, touching his vineyard, that of his Church), at the time of the prophet.
For the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant plant, literally, " The plant of his pleasure;" And he looked for judgment, that the people would do what is right and good, But, behold oppression, the infringement of rights by graft and other forms of wickedness. ( here is the explanation of the parable briefly?)
Israel was the vineyard of the Lord separated by him from all nations, placed into a rich and fruitful land. and endowed with unsurpassed blessings in every respect, among them the nobles, the patriarchs, the Kings, the Priests, and the Prophets. The watchtower of God in their midst of his
was the government of David and of his house. But, this vineyard had bitterly disappointed the Lord in his expectations, so two things happened 1). He got his son ready to replace Israel; remember this book was written 900 years before the coming of Christ: 2.) and the final punishment was in full measure, not only the Babylonian Captivity, but the ultimate overthrow of the Jewish nation. and church in A.D. 70. Many, many, years ago when our daughter was small, one summer we spent a family holiday in Idyllwild, which is located in the San Jacinto mountains in Southern California, (often referred to as Paradise). One of the many things that we rejoiced in our hearts about the rugged landscapes and the steeply terraced slopes that were covered with snow and cold, cold, cold and cold. This was the first snow our daughter had seen, and played in. Now she keeps it close to her all year round. She calls Conn. her cuddling state. Oh, where did her Mother and go wrong? We rented a big house which had eight rooms, No telephone, or T.V. It had been built by the man who started "Barnum and Baily Circus". It was wonderful opportunity, to get a closer look at nature and the best family time. We played in the streams, made-up with clear ice cold water, and it was sad to leave. (Now, Back to the vineyard.) I grew -up with a grape arbor in the back yard, so massive it covered a horse-less buggy under it. The vines were young and fragile looking, with translucent leaves and tiny-stem branches; others were massive, gnarled, and obviously ancient.It brings to mind, the picture of Jesus telling his disciples and us, in one of the most powerful and evocative images in the gospel, Jesus tell his disciples and now us: "I am the vine, you are the branches." Apart from me, you can do nothing.
The analogy of vine and branches has long been at the heart of the Christian community in understanding the "Eucharist" mystery, and vocation. Therein precisely lies the richness of the image-and danger. The focus within much liberal "Protestant" life has typically been on producing much fruit, rather then abiding in Christ. While ignoring the contemplative element, we tend to be preoccupied with the urgent needs of the world that require us to " bear much fruit." What we fear most is being able to " Do Nothing,' believing that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). In our impatience for change, we can come to believe that social change is more urgent than contemplative contact with the source of all life. We may persuade ourselves, as Henri Nouwen ( Catholic Priest) confesses he did for years, that being " relevant, popular, and powerful, are necessary ingredients of effective ministry. When in truth, these are not vocations but temptations. In our lives as Christians, cutting ourselves off from the life-giving vine has at least two dangers. First, we will probably become engrossed in the visible results of our doing. Second, we may never develop much stamina for seasons of drought. seasons of drought and failure. Either way we risk losing radical unity with Christ the vine that he intents for us.
The Prophet Habakkuk, writing in the seventh century BC during the worst of the " Babylonian Captivity," braved the question of why God seems to countenance the treacherous and is "Silent" when the wicked swallow those more righteous than they (Hab. 1:13). The answer he received assured him that God is eternally present and sovereign. " There is still a vision for the appointed time . If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come (Hab. 2:3).
The book ends with a song of luminous serenity and trust in the face of utter desolation:
Though the fig trees does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
Though the produce of the olives fails
and the fields yields no food;
Though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation. ( Hab. 3: 17-18).
Let the Christian Church and all those who profess to be members of the "Church take warning, for the Lord searches the reins and hearts and at all times expects true fruits of righteousness from all those who are called after His name.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
" Sending of Seventy" Luke 10:1-11 16-20
Today we hear the price we must pay for discipleship, from this text of Luke. this week both Paul and Jesus use the language of harvest to describe the mission of spreading the gospel message. Paul reminds readers, " You reap what you so... If you sow to the spirit, you will reap eternal life from the spirit." ( Gal. 6: 7-8). Jesus tells his followers " the harvest is plentiful, but laborers are few. (luke 10:2). In our readings, Jesus and Paul are casting a compelling vision of mission. Just as the farmer sows seed, nurtures crops, and rejoices in the harvest, so is our active involvement in God's own mission required and expected. The expectations Jesus asked: " No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the " Kingdom of God." In this text, Jesus speaks of the mission of the "Seventy" that he appointed with orders to go ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; greet no one on the road, which may cause delay. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!" If anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.
Each Sunday we come to hear the good news. But, the words we hear from time to time is actually saying, " Run with the good news." There was little standing or waiting in reverence. A women at the well went rushing off to say, " come see one who has told me everything." Disciples went rushing away with exciting news that death was not the final answer. The word was let loose from the comfortable, secure intimacy of the little community. The understanding of this Lukan account of a command to run with the gospel is accompanied with some practical suggestions concerning the happenings along the way. The story is simple enough. Crowds had been gathering and now Jesus had sent out 35 teams of at least two person each telling them to run with the good news. It was no action in a vacuum. When they went there it would mean trouble. Not every villager would cheer. Not every community would be delighted. There would be temptations to stay on and be martyrs.
"Shake off the dust of that village and go on to the next." They were to be lambs among wolves. yet, the instructions called for a kind of bravery or elephant- skinned protection against a defeatist sensitivity.
There is a poignant little story concerning the sheep who knew that the magician to whom they belonged wanted their skins, that made them nervous. But he hypnotized and had them believing that losing their skins was good for them. In any case it wouldn't happen right away and that freed them from worrying about it much. In addition, they somehow had the idea that they stayed quietly where until the day came when they found out what nonsense all this was. Jesus is adept at using parables, but this was not one in his repertory. Those he sent out to preach were lambs among wolves.
They were men and women involved in an adventure that posed risks (physical). They were to confront resistance. They were under no illusions. But, they also had power. They had a gospel with which they could run to. Death was not the final answer. The word was let loose from the comfortable, secure intimacy of the little community. The understanding of this gospel account of Luke is the fact of commitment. There would be no hearing without commitment, and no running unless their was a sense of purpose. They listened to his words. They'd been intrigued with his personality. They had come with some sense of understanding of the discussions of the message of amazement, that now, this was their vocation. They had a sense that this was their vocation and their sense of passing the point of no return. It is like watching the great Apollo and hearing the awe-filled voice say, " Ladies and gentleman, the rocket is committed. Nine-eight--seven-six-five-four-three-two-one- we have lift off. The rocket is launched." But with warning. The age of Jesus had no understanding of rockets, but it understood with a clarity, that their was a time when a person is past the point of no return! Commitment is that last resort, an act of courage in the unshakeable conviction. Behind all experiences, however dark, is the voice of one who calls, gathers, and who works with his children for ends to high for their knowing. Jesus is often neglected and overlooked in the homes. The seventy had great success in the beginning and Luke reports at once, and they returned with joy. The report of the disciples was no news to Jesus. In his omniscience he had seen Satan himself., falling from Heaven like lighting. As spirits the devil and his angels. belong to the creatures above, therefore their destruction of the power, their conquest, appears as a fall from heaven. The entire life of Christ, from his birth to his burial, was a victory over Satan, which was passed on, transmitted to the disciples of Jesus. This fact must remain uppermost in a Christian consciousness. It will keep them from putting their trust in their own gifts and works. To those that are wise and prudent in their own conceit, that hope to find a way to a heaven of their own imagination and by wisdom of their own, to these the way of salvation is hidden.
Each Sunday we come to hear the good news. But, the words we hear from time to time is actually saying, " Run with the good news." There was little standing or waiting in reverence. A women at the well went rushing off to say, " come see one who has told me everything." Disciples went rushing away with exciting news that death was not the final answer. The word was let loose from the comfortable, secure intimacy of the little community. The understanding of this Lukan account of a command to run with the gospel is accompanied with some practical suggestions concerning the happenings along the way. The story is simple enough. Crowds had been gathering and now Jesus had sent out 35 teams of at least two person each telling them to run with the good news. It was no action in a vacuum. When they went there it would mean trouble. Not every villager would cheer. Not every community would be delighted. There would be temptations to stay on and be martyrs.
"Shake off the dust of that village and go on to the next." They were to be lambs among wolves. yet, the instructions called for a kind of bravery or elephant- skinned protection against a defeatist sensitivity.
There is a poignant little story concerning the sheep who knew that the magician to whom they belonged wanted their skins, that made them nervous. But he hypnotized and had them believing that losing their skins was good for them. In any case it wouldn't happen right away and that freed them from worrying about it much. In addition, they somehow had the idea that they stayed quietly where until the day came when they found out what nonsense all this was. Jesus is adept at using parables, but this was not one in his repertory. Those he sent out to preach were lambs among wolves.
They were men and women involved in an adventure that posed risks (physical). They were to confront resistance. They were under no illusions. But, they also had power. They had a gospel with which they could run to. Death was not the final answer. The word was let loose from the comfortable, secure intimacy of the little community. The understanding of this gospel account of Luke is the fact of commitment. There would be no hearing without commitment, and no running unless their was a sense of purpose. They listened to his words. They'd been intrigued with his personality. They had come with some sense of understanding of the discussions of the message of amazement, that now, this was their vocation. They had a sense that this was their vocation and their sense of passing the point of no return. It is like watching the great Apollo and hearing the awe-filled voice say, " Ladies and gentleman, the rocket is committed. Nine-eight--seven-six-five-four-three-two-one- we have lift off. The rocket is launched." But with warning. The age of Jesus had no understanding of rockets, but it understood with a clarity, that their was a time when a person is past the point of no return! Commitment is that last resort, an act of courage in the unshakeable conviction. Behind all experiences, however dark, is the voice of one who calls, gathers, and who works with his children for ends to high for their knowing. Jesus is often neglected and overlooked in the homes. The seventy had great success in the beginning and Luke reports at once, and they returned with joy. The report of the disciples was no news to Jesus. In his omniscience he had seen Satan himself., falling from Heaven like lighting. As spirits the devil and his angels. belong to the creatures above, therefore their destruction of the power, their conquest, appears as a fall from heaven. The entire life of Christ, from his birth to his burial, was a victory over Satan, which was passed on, transmitted to the disciples of Jesus. This fact must remain uppermost in a Christian consciousness. It will keep them from putting their trust in their own gifts and works. To those that are wise and prudent in their own conceit, that hope to find a way to a heaven of their own imagination and by wisdom of their own, to these the way of salvation is hidden.
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