Top Twelve Scripture Texts: Number 12B
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Bob Rakestraw
Happy New Year! Wherever you are in the world, I truly wish each of you the best year of your life so far! Circumstances may or may not be your best ever, but the living God may be more real to you than ever before.
I often struggle, when I prepare these postings, whether to postpone writing them until I feel in a more positive frame of mind. Every one I write is hard work, not primarily because of the study involved, but because of the emotional toll the project exacts from me.
I want to be completely honest in my writing, but sometimes I hold back from saying all that I could because I don’t want to discourage you, the readers. No doubt there is also an element of human pride involved. If I admit how much I am struggling some readers might consider me to be not very spiritual, or—at the very least—to be psychologically unstable. You may not think of me as highly as I would like you to. You might think that the long battle with heart disease, which the doctors discovered 24 years ago, is finally throwing me off-kilter. You might also think of me as a complainer if I mention specific physical ailments.
It is a good thing for me to keep you—the readers—in mind concerning these matters as I write. I’m glad I never sent out some items I wrote, or considered writing. I want to be responsible, and not throw anything and everything out there for all the world to see. This blog should represent my best work—for this genre of writing—not my impulsive thoughts.
Most of all, I desire to write what God leads me to write. How do I know I am doing that? I pray according to the book of James, chapter 1, asking God for wisdom, and searching my heart for improper thoughts and attitudes, confess any sin to God, and then start writing. I can’t wait forever for some ideal frame of mind, because there is no such thing (at least not for me).
Lately my struggles have become more difficult, both physically and emotionally. Maybe this is just a phase. I hope it is. Whether it is or not, I want to write this posting because it accomplishes my goal for the year 2008—to present my top 12 favorite scripture texts of all time. I had serious doubts a year ago, when I started this project, that I would ever complete it. I had already lived longer than the six months the doctors gave me to live. Now, thanks to God, I am writing this piece.
Living with Sufferings
Last time I began the theme for the month: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” The famous scripture passage is 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. I considered some of the details in the last posting, so I’ll not repeat them here. But I do want to step back from looking at the trees to view the forest as a whole.
How should I live in view of this passage of scripture, and in view of my sufferings? I am reluctant to use the work “sufferings” for myself, because it is such a strong word, and I hesitate to think of my difficulties as severe in light of the sufferings of Jesus, the sufferings of the apostle Paul, the sufferings of persecuted Christians, and the sufferings of millions of hungry, diseased, abused, and hurting people around the world. But I believe it is an appropriate word, even though my troubles are small by comparison.
I am also reluctant to list my difficulties, but I think I should, since I mention them in general from time to time. My constant companions include nausea, dizziness, light-headedness, pain in my bones, abdominal pain, increasingly bad headaches, stress from conversation and noise (it is hard to speak for long, or listen for long), and a steady downward pull inside of me, hindering my standing, walking, sitting and even lying down. I also battle depression and anxiety, which are the worst of all. I rarely go to doctors, although I appreciate their kindness and knowledge. I’m glad that we stay in touch.
Where to Focus
I have been forced to look more closely at the scripture passage itself. I don’t think that God is pressing me to figure out what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was. And I really don’t need to know what Paul’s spectacular visions and revelations were. And I don’t believe that I should pray much for God to heal me of my cardiac transplant vasculopathy. (I greatly desire total healing, however, and welcome the prayers of all who seek God to that end.) I do pray, however, about specific symptoms throughout the day (my most common prayers are simply, “I trust you Lord” and “Help me Lord.”).
Where I need to focus is on the response of the apostle Paul—godly boasting and contentment. I don’t like the word boasting, but Paul uses it throughout 2 Corinthians 10-13 (NRSV, NIV) to speak of his glorying in, rejoicing in, feeling triumph in, his weaknesses and sufferings. It is important to emphasize here that the sufferings in themselves are not something I seek, not something I desire, and not something I glory in for their own sake. Also, sufferings do not save anyone or sanctify anyone. They have no merit in themselves, and Christians should avoid all ascetic theologies that urge us to seek suffering and self-deprivation so that God will be pleased with us. No. God is pleased with us because we are in his Son, not because we punish ourselves. Paul states boldly: “Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10). Paul’s thorn “was given” him (v. 7); he did not seek it.
Why and How to be Glad
If I am to rejoice/boast/count it all joy when I suffer (1 Cor. 12:9; Rom. 5:3; Jas 1:2), then how do I do that, and why? Taking the second question first, I am to think and live with this attitude because it honors my Lord and Savior. It is “for the sake of Christ” (v.10). But, I must admit, this is not always enough of a motivating factor for me. It should be, but I look for more. The “more” comes to me in verse 9: “So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
Here it is, then. In some supernatural way, if I respond well to my sufferings, the power of Christ—his glory, strength, wisdom and grace—lives in me and through me. This I take by faith, if not by sight and feel. I may not sense this divine flow in me and through me, but just as I rest on John 3:16 for my eternal salvation, so I rest on 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 for my deteriorating self (my “mortal body,” Rom. 8:11) to be demonstrating the strength and beauty of Christ in and through me. It’s not that I never feel the spiritual power operating in me and through me, for I do. But I need to admit that I experience times when I doubt that my life is making any impact for good. I know I need to concentrate on—and this is the “how,” the first question above—the glorying in my weaknesses, and being content with them. This response—especially the boasting and glorying—goes against everything in me, yet it is the one specific action I am persuaded to do in this mysterious but mighty text of scripture.
I find it very helpful to read, study, and pray over two other scripture passages whenever I come to the Corinthian text: Romans 5:3-5 and James 1:2-8. While each of us has to learn personally—through prayer and experience—the “how” of boasting in our sufferings, we will find much strength by meditating on these three scripture texts together. Many other Bible passages are life-giving as well. I am just beginning to learn these things, but I know it is the only route for me to take as I face each new day—and night. (Last night was a difficult one, and my help came from the remarkable words in Romans 8:18-39, especially the part that speaks of the Holy Spirit praying for us in our sufferings. I had no strength to boast in my weaknesses!)
Being a Benediction
I am very thankful for the opportunity to study the Corinthian passage for this blog, because in doing so I came to see something that had been right before my eyes all along, but that I had not “caught.” I have tried to do the boasting part—glorying in my sufferings—but only recently have I really got ahold of the reason just presented above: the power of Christ will live in me and through me. One of the biggest difficulties of living with my disease is the daily awareness of my inability to do little or nothing to spread the glory of the kingdom to others. With this new insight, as stated above, I have a new slant on this specific motivating factor in living daily.
By faith, not having received the promises of God in their fullness (Heb. 11:39), I look with hope for God to make me a benediction to others. Some days I feel that I am not radiating Christ’s glory very well (just a few days ago I had one of my worst episodes of anxiety for some time), and at those times I try simply to exist, focusing on the promises and exhortations of scripture. God has shown me that I honor him by just “being” when the battle is the hardest. However, last night, in the wee small hours, God showed me that I have been neglecting praise and thanksgiving, and since “being” involves thinking about something, I am finding comfort in following this divine reminder.
The Journey of Weakness
I know this is a longer than usual posting. I feel constrained especially to help those of you who are suffering—physically or otherwise—in some way. It is distasteful to me to speak so much of myself, but I find from my experience with people that such specifics are helpful in knowing how to pray, and as examples and encouragement to fellow sufferers. Even though I seldom pray for my overall healing (God has seemed to say to me, “three times is enough”), I do pray—and request prayer—for specific needs daily. Even as I write this my head is pounding, and my wife and granddaughter just came to me and prayed for relief. In the pagan culture of Paul’s day, “divine power was especially displayed in magical wonders; for Paul, it is God’s power enabling one weak in himself to endure” (Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament).
Over forty years ago, as a young man in my early twenties, I was just a few months from graduating from Bible College. The yearbook editors (all of whom, including Judy, were seniors) asked fellow graduates to submit a scripture text that either had been, or would be, a “life verse” for us. Not knowing what the years held, we handed in our Bible texts, which were then placed under our photos. I submitted 2 Corinthians 12:9, partly because of how this passage had given me strength during past experiences of weaknesses, and partly because I knew that whatever I did, I would need to know how to receive God’s power in my weakness. Little did I know then just how prophetic this Bible text would prove to be, and how many hundreds of times I would lean heavily on its truth.
As we close the old year and begin 2009, may we all draw our strength from the grace of Christ. The days ahead may be difficult, but the power of God is mightier than any and all thorns sent from the evil one. “He said to me,” wrote Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” May we all be “benediction projects” to the Lord himself, to all we know, and to some we do not yet know, for it is in so doing that we receive benediction beyond measure.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Strength Through Weakness: Boasting about Splinters from Satan?
Top Twelve Scripture Texts: Number 12A
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Bob Rakestraw
For many years I have been truly amazed—standing with my mouth wide open, as it were—at the ways God’s thinking and acting often are in direct contrast to the thoughts and ways of the world. In the first chapter of James, for example, God’s people are instructed to consider it “nothing but joy” when we “face trials of any kind” (v. 2). In the book of Romans, after saying that “we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God, “the apostle Paul writes that “we also boast in our sufferings” (5:2-3).
In the famous song of Mary, after learning that she would be the mother of the Lord, we read that God “has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts…. He has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:51-53). The very idea of the perfect, just and infinitely wealthy God coming as a baby into a miserable, unjust and desperately needy world, in order to be crucified for the eternal salvation of sinful humanity, is truly incredible and even foolish to the natural mind (1 Cor. 1:18-31; 2 Cor. 13:3-4).
When I am Weak
My theme for this month is another one of the great paradoxes in scripture: “when I am weak, then I am strong.” Here is the classic statement from the Bible:
“Therefore, to keep me from being too elated [by remarkable visions and revelations from God], a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for [my] power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,’ so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7b-10, NRSV).
God Overrides the Plans of Satan
This is surely one of the most mysterious passages in all of the scriptures. And it must be one of the most talked about—and written about—or thought about—by those who know the Bible. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” has left me wondering, irritated and grateful for decades. I wonder what in the world it could possibly be. I feel irritated at times because I can’t apply the Greek language and theological reasoning to arrive at a definite conclusion. And I am often—more and more as the years pass—thankful to God that the thorn is not clearly identified. This way, the principle of strength through weakness applies to numerous situations of life here on earth.
While I do not intend to identify this “messenger of Satan,” I do want to point out a number of details that have been helpful to me in thinking about the thorn.
1) Paul considers this affliction to be of God—probably not in the sense of being directly sent by God, but being permitted by him. He is in control of even the painful aspects of our existence.
2) The word “messenger” in the Greek language is angelos, translated “angel” almost all of the time in the New Testament. Is the thorn a fallen angelic spirit—a demonic influence or temptation (or even a person or persons) who lingers around us without dominating us (because of God’s protection)? Such a view is not inconceivable. In any case, the thorn is said to be “of Satan.”
The Thorn in the Flesh
3) The word for “thorn” may also be translated as “splinter”—a constant irritant as we move through the day. It may also be translated as “stake”—that is, a sharpened wooden shaft. New Testament scholar Philip E. Hughes notes that what Paul is saying, literally, is: “there was given to me a stake for the flesh,” rather than “in the flesh.” According to Hughes “it seems to us that Paul is thinking graphically of a body helplessly impaled. He sees himself as it were transfixed, painfully held down and humiliated…” (The Second Epistle to the Corinthians).
4) The word for “flesh” (sarx) is used numerous ways in the New Testament and other early Christian literature. While it sometimes means the human body, or the material that covers the bones of our body, at other times it refers to human nature, life here on earth, the external or outward side of life, or the sinful tendency of humanity apart from God There are other possible meanings as well. It may therefore refer to the earthly, but non-material, realm of life, or the physical side of existence’. These are closely intertwined, so it is not wise to view the thorn in an either/or manner.
5) The thorn “tormented” Paul as an ongoing aspect of his life. One commentator, writing of the word “torment,” or “buffet,” notes that “the present tense of the verb to buffet me seems to imply that the trouble was permanent. And the word itself, kolaphizo, means literally ‘to strike a blow with the fist,’ and so ‘to maltreat,’ especially in such a manner that shame and indignation are felt by the sufferer” (R.V.G. Tasker, The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians).
The Purpose and Power of God
6) The splinter accomplished God’s good purpose in Paul’s life—it kept him from being overly elated (conceited, boastful) from the remarkable visions and revelations he had received from God. The NASB—“to keep me from exalting myself”—gets the idea right. This is stated twice in verse 7 (in the Greek; see NRSV) as the reason God allowed the thorn.
7) God did not answer Paul’s thrice-repeated prayer in the way that he wanted—to have the thorn removed from is life, but God did answer it by giving Paul his remarkable grace. God said that was enough!
8) God’s supernatural power is, according to the divine economy, “made perfect in weakness.” The translation by Kenneth S. Wuest is very encouraging: “power is moment by moment coming to its full energy and complete operation in the sphere of weakness.”
9) Paul’s boasting “all the more gladly” of his weaknesses was a God-pleasing response to the denial of his prayer request. Elsewhere, as I mentioned earlier, he records a similar theme: “we also boast in our sufferings” (Rom. 5:3, NRSV). I admit to being greatly perplexed, and sometimes much distressed over these teachings, but I also admit to having daily peace and even joy in my sufferings.
10) Paul says that his boasting is “so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” The expanded translation by Wuest is quite revealing: “…in order that the power of the Christ [like the Shekinah Glory in the Holy of Holies of the Tent of Meeting] may take up its residence in me [working within me and giving me help].”
I am Content
11) Paul’s remarkable conclusion, “Therefore I am content,” silences all who may take offense at the sufferings of God’s people. Because Paul had learned the secret of contentment (see Phil. 4:11-13; 1 Tim. 6:6,8; Heb. 13:5), he could boast gladly of his weaknesses, since he knew when he was weak (and only then, in Spurgeon’s view), he was truly strong.
12) The threefold theme of God’s strength, human weakness, and godly boasting, interspersed throughout 2 Corinthians 10-13, lies at the very core of the apostle Paul’s successful life and ministry. He learned—through long and severe difficulties and hardships—that he was incredibly strong as a Christian and as a Christian leader, but only when he was weak in himself. He did not buy into the world’s mantra, “Believe in yourself.” He saw the example of Christ (“he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God,” 2 Cor. 13:4), and chose to make this same pattern his very own. “If I must boast,” he said, “I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Cor. 11:30).
I will end this study for now, and will leave with you these twelve pieces of spiritual truth to chew on and, I trust, swallow (according to the insights God gives you). As I wrote a few days ago, I am physically very weak these days. My desire is to follow Jesus, Paul, Amy Carmichael (her excellent but profound book is Rose from Briar), and numerous others (see Hebrews 11) who have learned that godly boasting in one’s weakness leads to great peace, joy, hope, and inner strength.
By God’s grace I hope to continue on these deep things of God in my next posting. May the Jesus of Bethlehem and the Christ of Calvary be for you and yours the one who satisfies. May he be enough, and may you be satisfied in him and through him.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Bob Rakestraw
For many years I have been truly amazed—standing with my mouth wide open, as it were—at the ways God’s thinking and acting often are in direct contrast to the thoughts and ways of the world. In the first chapter of James, for example, God’s people are instructed to consider it “nothing but joy” when we “face trials of any kind” (v. 2). In the book of Romans, after saying that “we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God, “the apostle Paul writes that “we also boast in our sufferings” (5:2-3).
In the famous song of Mary, after learning that she would be the mother of the Lord, we read that God “has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts…. He has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:51-53). The very idea of the perfect, just and infinitely wealthy God coming as a baby into a miserable, unjust and desperately needy world, in order to be crucified for the eternal salvation of sinful humanity, is truly incredible and even foolish to the natural mind (1 Cor. 1:18-31; 2 Cor. 13:3-4).
When I am Weak
My theme for this month is another one of the great paradoxes in scripture: “when I am weak, then I am strong.” Here is the classic statement from the Bible:
“Therefore, to keep me from being too elated [by remarkable visions and revelations from God], a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for [my] power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,’ so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7b-10, NRSV).
God Overrides the Plans of Satan
This is surely one of the most mysterious passages in all of the scriptures. And it must be one of the most talked about—and written about—or thought about—by those who know the Bible. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” has left me wondering, irritated and grateful for decades. I wonder what in the world it could possibly be. I feel irritated at times because I can’t apply the Greek language and theological reasoning to arrive at a definite conclusion. And I am often—more and more as the years pass—thankful to God that the thorn is not clearly identified. This way, the principle of strength through weakness applies to numerous situations of life here on earth.
While I do not intend to identify this “messenger of Satan,” I do want to point out a number of details that have been helpful to me in thinking about the thorn.
1) Paul considers this affliction to be of God—probably not in the sense of being directly sent by God, but being permitted by him. He is in control of even the painful aspects of our existence.
2) The word “messenger” in the Greek language is angelos, translated “angel” almost all of the time in the New Testament. Is the thorn a fallen angelic spirit—a demonic influence or temptation (or even a person or persons) who lingers around us without dominating us (because of God’s protection)? Such a view is not inconceivable. In any case, the thorn is said to be “of Satan.”
The Thorn in the Flesh
3) The word for “thorn” may also be translated as “splinter”—a constant irritant as we move through the day. It may also be translated as “stake”—that is, a sharpened wooden shaft. New Testament scholar Philip E. Hughes notes that what Paul is saying, literally, is: “there was given to me a stake for the flesh,” rather than “in the flesh.” According to Hughes “it seems to us that Paul is thinking graphically of a body helplessly impaled. He sees himself as it were transfixed, painfully held down and humiliated…” (The Second Epistle to the Corinthians).
4) The word for “flesh” (sarx) is used numerous ways in the New Testament and other early Christian literature. While it sometimes means the human body, or the material that covers the bones of our body, at other times it refers to human nature, life here on earth, the external or outward side of life, or the sinful tendency of humanity apart from God There are other possible meanings as well. It may therefore refer to the earthly, but non-material, realm of life, or the physical side of existence’. These are closely intertwined, so it is not wise to view the thorn in an either/or manner.
5) The thorn “tormented” Paul as an ongoing aspect of his life. One commentator, writing of the word “torment,” or “buffet,” notes that “the present tense of the verb to buffet me seems to imply that the trouble was permanent. And the word itself, kolaphizo, means literally ‘to strike a blow with the fist,’ and so ‘to maltreat,’ especially in such a manner that shame and indignation are felt by the sufferer” (R.V.G. Tasker, The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians).
The Purpose and Power of God
6) The splinter accomplished God’s good purpose in Paul’s life—it kept him from being overly elated (conceited, boastful) from the remarkable visions and revelations he had received from God. The NASB—“to keep me from exalting myself”—gets the idea right. This is stated twice in verse 7 (in the Greek; see NRSV) as the reason God allowed the thorn.
7) God did not answer Paul’s thrice-repeated prayer in the way that he wanted—to have the thorn removed from is life, but God did answer it by giving Paul his remarkable grace. God said that was enough!
8) God’s supernatural power is, according to the divine economy, “made perfect in weakness.” The translation by Kenneth S. Wuest is very encouraging: “power is moment by moment coming to its full energy and complete operation in the sphere of weakness.”
9) Paul’s boasting “all the more gladly” of his weaknesses was a God-pleasing response to the denial of his prayer request. Elsewhere, as I mentioned earlier, he records a similar theme: “we also boast in our sufferings” (Rom. 5:3, NRSV). I admit to being greatly perplexed, and sometimes much distressed over these teachings, but I also admit to having daily peace and even joy in my sufferings.
10) Paul says that his boasting is “so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” The expanded translation by Wuest is quite revealing: “…in order that the power of the Christ [like the Shekinah Glory in the Holy of Holies of the Tent of Meeting] may take up its residence in me [working within me and giving me help].”
I am Content
11) Paul’s remarkable conclusion, “Therefore I am content,” silences all who may take offense at the sufferings of God’s people. Because Paul had learned the secret of contentment (see Phil. 4:11-13; 1 Tim. 6:6,8; Heb. 13:5), he could boast gladly of his weaknesses, since he knew when he was weak (and only then, in Spurgeon’s view), he was truly strong.
12) The threefold theme of God’s strength, human weakness, and godly boasting, interspersed throughout 2 Corinthians 10-13, lies at the very core of the apostle Paul’s successful life and ministry. He learned—through long and severe difficulties and hardships—that he was incredibly strong as a Christian and as a Christian leader, but only when he was weak in himself. He did not buy into the world’s mantra, “Believe in yourself.” He saw the example of Christ (“he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God,” 2 Cor. 13:4), and chose to make this same pattern his very own. “If I must boast,” he said, “I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Cor. 11:30).
I will end this study for now, and will leave with you these twelve pieces of spiritual truth to chew on and, I trust, swallow (according to the insights God gives you). As I wrote a few days ago, I am physically very weak these days. My desire is to follow Jesus, Paul, Amy Carmichael (her excellent but profound book is Rose from Briar), and numerous others (see Hebrews 11) who have learned that godly boasting in one’s weakness leads to great peace, joy, hope, and inner strength.
By God’s grace I hope to continue on these deep things of God in my next posting. May the Jesus of Bethlehem and the Christ of Calvary be for you and yours the one who satisfies. May he be enough, and may you be satisfied in him and through him.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
’Tis the Season…
Christmas blessings to each of you. Thank you for checking in regularly on “The Benediction Project,” and for posting your thoughts from time to time. I feel very fortunate to have been given this ministry from the Lord, and I desire to bring some spiritual benefit to you when I write. I also appreciate when you contribute to the other readers.
Recently, because of increasing physical difficulties, I have had a hard time preparing my “Top Twelve Scripture Texts” material for December. I am working on one of the most important Bible passages to me, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. I want to leave these verses with you, as a benediction or blessing. I have found Paul’s testimony to be my own, and I wish these truths to be yours as well.
“But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for [my] power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10, NRSV).
May our gracious God richly bless you and keep you in the coming days and years, as you live moment by moment in his presence and peace. Love to you through Christ!
Recently, because of increasing physical difficulties, I have had a hard time preparing my “Top Twelve Scripture Texts” material for December. I am working on one of the most important Bible passages to me, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. I want to leave these verses with you, as a benediction or blessing. I have found Paul’s testimony to be my own, and I wish these truths to be yours as well.
“But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for [my] power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10, NRSV).
May our gracious God richly bless you and keep you in the coming days and years, as you live moment by moment in his presence and peace. Love to you through Christ!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
A Bit of Help
Some readers of this blog have said they do not know how to get into the part where they may participate. If you wish to post a reply (and I hope you do!) or read what others have posted, and what I’ve replied, just scroll down to the end of the article you are interested in, and double click on the word “Comments.” This should open up the interactive part where you can get involved. I greatly appreciate you who contribute. All of us need to hear your questions and insights.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Flow of the Spirit is Kindness: Becoming Kinder Persons
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 11C
Galatians 5:22, 23
Bob Rakestraw
November 30, 2008
How to Become Kind
I’ve had a huge privilege throughout my adult life—I’ve lived with a remarkably kind person for over 41 years. My wife, Judy, is also the most unselfish person I’ve ever known. One of the two most important ways to learn to be kind is to be around kind people. Observe how they speak and act in specific situations, and then attempt this way of life yourself. The second most important way to learn kindness—it actually precedes imitation—is to turn your life over to God in every respect.
According to the apostle Paul, “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23 New Living Translation). It is putting the cart before the horse if we try to be kind without first yielding our whole selves—body, heart, spirit, mind—to God. But when we commit ourselves to be radical disciples of Jesus, desiring to live all of our days according to his example and will, we will become more patient, more joyful, more self-controlled…and more kind. It’s the supernatural flow of the Spirit. And its also the in-the-moment direction of the Spirit: “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Gal. 5:25, NLT).
In addition, I find it extremely motivating to call to mind why I need to be kind to others, even to those who are not kind: they are created in the image of God, and in some way represent God on earth. To be kind to “the least of these” is to be kind to God!
How to Show Kindness
There are a lot of ways you can show kindness. Hold the door open for the next person coming through. Say “Thank you” often. Say “You too” to the cashier after he or she gives the obligatory “Have a nice day.” Smile at people—looking into their eyes. Tell someone abut a flaw in his or her life. That’s right! This is a really tough one, and you should do this only after much thought and prayer, and after you have come to know the person well. After agonizing for many months, I finally mentioned to a student his consistently bad breath. He received it well, but I hated to do it. I know I would want someone to tell me. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:6).
Introduce yourself to your neighbors, and make attempts to know them. Most likely, they will not do it first. Pray about this, and pray for them, before you knock on their apartment or house door. Bring them a tin of cookies or a calendar. Invite them into your home. Yes, these things take time and boldness, but you will be amazed at how God gives you the courage and the words when you take the first step. As a chronically ill person, I have had to ask God to help me be kind to the doctors who come into my hospital room. Their often-repeated, seemingly endless rounds of questions surely do not prompt me to be kind. I have sometimes become irritated at them, because talking is so exhausting for me, and I have regretted this afterward. I have often had to repent of unkindness throughout my life—especially in words and thoughts—and God always forgives me through his kindness.
My Greatest Struggle
As a college and graduate school professor I have had the most difficulty grading papers and assigning grades for the course. I will never know how some students were accepted into one of the schools where I taught—they were so unprepared intellectually. I tried always to be kind to them and help them, but I could not in good conscience give them good grades, or even passing grades, at times. They simply did not know the material, nor did they know how to learn. They were greatly distressed over their poor grades, and I felt distress as well. Some students are not equipped to be in college or graduate school, and it is actually unkind (and dishonest) to push them through the courses. They should not be led to believe they are something they are not. God will still use them to serve him according to the way he has gifted them.
Over the length of your lifetime you will make many thousands of decisions. Often these decisions are made on-the-spot. Ask God to control your whole life—yield yourself to him totally—and you will be led at the time with what to say or do, or not say or do. Once you’ve made the big decision to follow Christ all of your days, you will experience more and more wisdom, insight, patience,…and kindness in your everyday decisions. You will be increasingly joyful and peaceful in yourself, and increasingly kind to others. Many will be richly blessed through you—more than you will ever know!
John Wesley offers us some valuable words:
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
A Personal Note
I offer thanks to God today for directing one-and-a-half years of “The Benediction Project” blog. There have been times when, due to my poor health, I have thought of suspending or even ending the project, but I am grateful that God has enabled me to continue. Thank you for walking with me during this journey. I value your participation greatly.
Galatians 5:22, 23
Bob Rakestraw
November 30, 2008
How to Become Kind
I’ve had a huge privilege throughout my adult life—I’ve lived with a remarkably kind person for over 41 years. My wife, Judy, is also the most unselfish person I’ve ever known. One of the two most important ways to learn to be kind is to be around kind people. Observe how they speak and act in specific situations, and then attempt this way of life yourself. The second most important way to learn kindness—it actually precedes imitation—is to turn your life over to God in every respect.
According to the apostle Paul, “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23 New Living Translation). It is putting the cart before the horse if we try to be kind without first yielding our whole selves—body, heart, spirit, mind—to God. But when we commit ourselves to be radical disciples of Jesus, desiring to live all of our days according to his example and will, we will become more patient, more joyful, more self-controlled…and more kind. It’s the supernatural flow of the Spirit. And its also the in-the-moment direction of the Spirit: “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Gal. 5:25, NLT).
In addition, I find it extremely motivating to call to mind why I need to be kind to others, even to those who are not kind: they are created in the image of God, and in some way represent God on earth. To be kind to “the least of these” is to be kind to God!
How to Show Kindness
There are a lot of ways you can show kindness. Hold the door open for the next person coming through. Say “Thank you” often. Say “You too” to the cashier after he or she gives the obligatory “Have a nice day.” Smile at people—looking into their eyes. Tell someone abut a flaw in his or her life. That’s right! This is a really tough one, and you should do this only after much thought and prayer, and after you have come to know the person well. After agonizing for many months, I finally mentioned to a student his consistently bad breath. He received it well, but I hated to do it. I know I would want someone to tell me. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:6).
Introduce yourself to your neighbors, and make attempts to know them. Most likely, they will not do it first. Pray about this, and pray for them, before you knock on their apartment or house door. Bring them a tin of cookies or a calendar. Invite them into your home. Yes, these things take time and boldness, but you will be amazed at how God gives you the courage and the words when you take the first step. As a chronically ill person, I have had to ask God to help me be kind to the doctors who come into my hospital room. Their often-repeated, seemingly endless rounds of questions surely do not prompt me to be kind. I have sometimes become irritated at them, because talking is so exhausting for me, and I have regretted this afterward. I have often had to repent of unkindness throughout my life—especially in words and thoughts—and God always forgives me through his kindness.
My Greatest Struggle
As a college and graduate school professor I have had the most difficulty grading papers and assigning grades for the course. I will never know how some students were accepted into one of the schools where I taught—they were so unprepared intellectually. I tried always to be kind to them and help them, but I could not in good conscience give them good grades, or even passing grades, at times. They simply did not know the material, nor did they know how to learn. They were greatly distressed over their poor grades, and I felt distress as well. Some students are not equipped to be in college or graduate school, and it is actually unkind (and dishonest) to push them through the courses. They should not be led to believe they are something they are not. God will still use them to serve him according to the way he has gifted them.
Over the length of your lifetime you will make many thousands of decisions. Often these decisions are made on-the-spot. Ask God to control your whole life—yield yourself to him totally—and you will be led at the time with what to say or do, or not say or do. Once you’ve made the big decision to follow Christ all of your days, you will experience more and more wisdom, insight, patience,…and kindness in your everyday decisions. You will be increasingly joyful and peaceful in yourself, and increasingly kind to others. Many will be richly blessed through you—more than you will ever know!
John Wesley offers us some valuable words:
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
A Personal Note
I offer thanks to God today for directing one-and-a-half years of “The Benediction Project” blog. There have been times when, due to my poor health, I have thought of suspending or even ending the project, but I am grateful that God has enabled me to continue. Thank you for walking with me during this journey. I value your participation greatly.
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Flow of the Spirit is Kindness: What if It's Not my Personality
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 11B
Galatians 5:22, 23
Bob Rakestraw
The fruit (flow, outcome, result) of the Holy Spirit in a person is a lot of things: love, joy, peace…and kindness (Galatians 5:22-23). If anyone calls himself or herself a follower of Jesus, we should see these qualities in that person’s life.
In the last posting I wrote about the meaning of kindness throughout the New Testament, and this time I will focus on the power behind kindness. Why are some people kind and others are not? What is it that produces kindness?
Personal Difficulties
I struggle at times to be kind, but I am very grateful for three things: I usually am aware (after a while, at least) that I need to be kind in a given situation; I usually gain some recognition of what kindness calls for in that situation; I can usually stop unkindness at the thought level, before it comes out in words or actions. But, above all, I am grateful for the power of God’s Holy Spirit within me to produce the flow—the fruit—of divine life through me. I also insist that it is God who works in me to generate the three aspects of kindness mentioned above, as well as any kind thoughts, words or actions toward others.
I cannot claim any inherent goodness that somehow produces kindness. I really have a nasty, selfish streak in me that tends to jump on people (in my mind) that I don’t like—sometimes even with those I do like—and I consider myself superior to them. My biggest concern in this blog posting is to show that one’s ability to be kind does not come from a natural disposition or personality, but from the life of the Spirit in those who have been born of the Spirit and are seeking to be conformed to God’s image.
Where to Turn for Help
Over the years of my Christian life I have found that the book of Galatians contains some valuable teachings about the third person of the Trinity—the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is presented as the spiritual power within us who, after giving us a new birth (Gal. 4:6-7; John 3:1-8), produces the good things of God within us and through us (Gal.3:1-14; 5:1-26).
I often quote Galatians 5:22-23 to myself simply as “The fruit of the Spirit is….” But I also need to keep in mind the whole context of Galatians 5, and the whole book of Galatians. I recommend that you read the book, since I am able to give only a few of its thoughts in what follows.
There is something in human nature that resists the free grace of God. The message of God’s great favor to us in Christ, giving us eternal life beginning now, seems to be too easy. We are, instead, drawn to a religion of law. We need to feel that we are not so bad—that we have the goodness in us to keep a set of laws in order to live as decent persons and earn whatever salvation there may be after this life. Religions around the world teach their followers to say endless rounds of prayer beads, practice self-denial in extreme measures, repeat one’s mantra, and practice impossibly high standards of righteousness from within our own selves.
The New Testament, however, taken as a whole, teaches that people in themselves are sinful…and lost. We need to be “born-again” according to Jesus (John 3). We are then dead to the law. Paul said: “I have been put to death with Christ on his cross, so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. I refuse to reject the grace of God. But if a person is put right with God through the Law, it means that Christ died for nothing” (Gal. 2:19-21, Today’s English Version).
The Spirit’s Action First
It is impossible to follow a system of law perfectly. And, while some non-Christians are very kind people, they must continue to try and find resources within themselves to live this way consistently. I am very thankful for the Spirit of Christ within, developing a life of kindness in and through me. Yes, I must respond to the Spirit’s leading in specific situations, but I am aware of God’s prior work in me. Two passages in Galatians 5 show this balance. In verse 16 we read: “What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.” Then, according to verses 25-26, “The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives. We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another” (Today’s English Version). God’s Spirit within us produces the motivation and the strength, and then we are to do—or not do—those things that correspond to kind living.
It is not a matter of one’s personality, but of one’s relationship with a Person. The Spirit changes even the nastiest, crudest and most self-centered people into truly kind men and women, boys and girls. Never excuse your harsh, abrasive manner by saying that it is just your personality, or that your family line are all that way, or that “no one is perfect.” Yes, God’s standards are high, because he is a holy God, but he never asks us to do what he does not give us the power to do (Philippians 4:13).
Next time I intend to be more personal and more specific on how to become kind and how to show kindness.
Galatians 5:22, 23
Bob Rakestraw
The fruit (flow, outcome, result) of the Holy Spirit in a person is a lot of things: love, joy, peace…and kindness (Galatians 5:22-23). If anyone calls himself or herself a follower of Jesus, we should see these qualities in that person’s life.
In the last posting I wrote about the meaning of kindness throughout the New Testament, and this time I will focus on the power behind kindness. Why are some people kind and others are not? What is it that produces kindness?
Personal Difficulties
I struggle at times to be kind, but I am very grateful for three things: I usually am aware (after a while, at least) that I need to be kind in a given situation; I usually gain some recognition of what kindness calls for in that situation; I can usually stop unkindness at the thought level, before it comes out in words or actions. But, above all, I am grateful for the power of God’s Holy Spirit within me to produce the flow—the fruit—of divine life through me. I also insist that it is God who works in me to generate the three aspects of kindness mentioned above, as well as any kind thoughts, words or actions toward others.
I cannot claim any inherent goodness that somehow produces kindness. I really have a nasty, selfish streak in me that tends to jump on people (in my mind) that I don’t like—sometimes even with those I do like—and I consider myself superior to them. My biggest concern in this blog posting is to show that one’s ability to be kind does not come from a natural disposition or personality, but from the life of the Spirit in those who have been born of the Spirit and are seeking to be conformed to God’s image.
Where to Turn for Help
Over the years of my Christian life I have found that the book of Galatians contains some valuable teachings about the third person of the Trinity—the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is presented as the spiritual power within us who, after giving us a new birth (Gal. 4:6-7; John 3:1-8), produces the good things of God within us and through us (Gal.3:1-14; 5:1-26).
I often quote Galatians 5:22-23 to myself simply as “The fruit of the Spirit is….” But I also need to keep in mind the whole context of Galatians 5, and the whole book of Galatians. I recommend that you read the book, since I am able to give only a few of its thoughts in what follows.
There is something in human nature that resists the free grace of God. The message of God’s great favor to us in Christ, giving us eternal life beginning now, seems to be too easy. We are, instead, drawn to a religion of law. We need to feel that we are not so bad—that we have the goodness in us to keep a set of laws in order to live as decent persons and earn whatever salvation there may be after this life. Religions around the world teach their followers to say endless rounds of prayer beads, practice self-denial in extreme measures, repeat one’s mantra, and practice impossibly high standards of righteousness from within our own selves.
The New Testament, however, taken as a whole, teaches that people in themselves are sinful…and lost. We need to be “born-again” according to Jesus (John 3). We are then dead to the law. Paul said: “I have been put to death with Christ on his cross, so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. I refuse to reject the grace of God. But if a person is put right with God through the Law, it means that Christ died for nothing” (Gal. 2:19-21, Today’s English Version).
The Spirit’s Action First
It is impossible to follow a system of law perfectly. And, while some non-Christians are very kind people, they must continue to try and find resources within themselves to live this way consistently. I am very thankful for the Spirit of Christ within, developing a life of kindness in and through me. Yes, I must respond to the Spirit’s leading in specific situations, but I am aware of God’s prior work in me. Two passages in Galatians 5 show this balance. In verse 16 we read: “What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.” Then, according to verses 25-26, “The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives. We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another” (Today’s English Version). God’s Spirit within us produces the motivation and the strength, and then we are to do—or not do—those things that correspond to kind living.
It is not a matter of one’s personality, but of one’s relationship with a Person. The Spirit changes even the nastiest, crudest and most self-centered people into truly kind men and women, boys and girls. Never excuse your harsh, abrasive manner by saying that it is just your personality, or that your family line are all that way, or that “no one is perfect.” Yes, God’s standards are high, because he is a holy God, but he never asks us to do what he does not give us the power to do (Philippians 4:13).
Next time I intend to be more personal and more specific on how to become kind and how to show kindness.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Flow of the Spirit is Kindness: Like Christ, our Kind Savior
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 11A
Galatians 5:22, 23
Bob Rakestraw
I have focused a lot over the years on Galatians 5. It has become one of the most important chapters in the Bible for me, and I am very grateful that the Spirit of God led the apostle Paul to write this section of scripture. For this month’s postings I want to dwell on verses 22 and 23, and one word in particular—kindness. The passage always grips me forcefully: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23, New International Version.
In Galatians 5:22-23, the apostle Paul lists nine dimensions of the fruit, or flow, of the Spirit. Note that “fruit” is in the singular, because the well-rounded servant of God is developing and demonstrating all of these spiritual qualities together. You and I cannot be truly joyful persons and not be faithful person. You and I cannot be truly peaceful persons if we are not self-controlled persons. If we speak of “fruits” of the Spirit, we may tend to think of these virtues in isolation from one another. The fruit of the Spirit, however, grows like a sweet melon on the vine, with all parts and systems of the fruit developing simultaneously.
The Meaning of Kindness
The Greek word (the noun) for “kindness,” as sounded out in English, is krestotes, or chrestotes, with the accent on the second syllable. The word is used ten times in the New Testament, all in the epistles of Paul: Romans 2:4a; 3:12; 11:22 (three times); 2 Corinthians 6:6; Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 2:7; Colossians 3:12; and Titus 3:4.
Another form of the word (the adjective) is krestos, or chrestos, and in Greek as well as in English there is only one letter difference between krestos and the word for Christ, Kristos, or Christos. Because of this, and because both words have the accent on the second syllable, the words sound almost the same in Greek as they do in English. How frequently the early Greek-speaking Christians joined the words together to declare that their Kristos—their anointed one, their Messiah—is a krestos Savior, we’ll never know, but I suspect that it was often. Krestos is used seven times in the New Testament: Matthew 11:30; Luke 5:39; 6:35; Romans 2:4b; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Ephesians 4:32; and 1 Peter 2:3.
The words krestotes and krestos have the sense of being useful, suitable, worthy, pleasant, morally upright, reputable, kind, loving and generous. These words obviously cover a wide range of meaning, so the context is key to understanding the sense in a given passage.
The Life Changing Word of God
A careful reading of the seventeen scriptures listed above may significantly change your life. If you read them in their biblical context, with your mind and heart open fully to God, and meditate in them—listening to God about living a kind and Christlike life—you may never be the same. Even though I have been studying the subject of kindness for many years, and have been trying intentionally to live kindly, I was amazed when I reviewed these powerful texts for this brief study. They speak of both the kindness of God and the kindness that we are to show (and think, and even feel, I believe) because the Spirit of our kind Savior is living in us and desiring to flow through us.
I chose to list all of the Bible verses using these words for “kind” and “kindness” with the hope that some of you—if only one or two—will look them up. I know that the tendency (I do it myself) is to hurry past Bible references, and so, to encourage you to go farther, I just want to write out a few of these verses and very briefly comment on them.
I have discussed earlier this year how Christ’s “yoke” is kind: “My yoke is easy (kind, gentle, not abrasive) and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). I continue to be lifted up and soothed by this teaching as I struggle with significant heart-transplant issues every day. Christ’s words strike me again in the famous text exhorting us to love our enemies. The reason Jesus says to love them and “do good to them” is because “the Most High…is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35). In my natural self I do not want God to be kind to these ones, but then I stand with mouth wide open when I realize that I myself have often been “ungrateful and wicked”!
One of the most important Bible texts used by God in my coming to him as Savior and Lord at the age of 19 is Ephesians 2:7-10. I saw clearly—enlightened by the Spirit of God—that it is “by grace…through faith,” not human effort or good deeds, that I could be saved. And now, these many years later, I am more aware then ever that this gift of eternal salvation is God’s “kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (verse 7). I have never been the same since that Thanksgiving Day in 1962! It was then that I “tasted that the Lord is kind” (I Peter 2:3). It is a remarkable testimony to God’s kindness when I reflect on my three birthdays during this calendar week: my physical birthday, my heart-transplant birthday (five years) and my spiritual birthday.
Finally, I close with one of the most powerful texts anywhere in the Bible: “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4). I tend to think that God’s anger leads people to repentance, and it sometimes does—God’s intolerance of sin was a factor in my own conversion. But there is a remarkable kindness—a gentleness and generosity—that pulls us to him. Some of you know this personally, and I pray that if you do not, that you will come to him soon. In Jesus there is forgiveness, friendship, and daily, living hope for this life and for the next.
For you who know Christ, you have a powerful Agent of change within you—the Holy Spirit of God. Ask him today and in the days to come to make you a kind person. Practice often and intentionally to speak, act and think kindly toward everyone in your life. I assure you from personal experience you will enter a new dimension of life. You may even become a new person!
Galatians 5:22, 23
Bob Rakestraw
I have focused a lot over the years on Galatians 5. It has become one of the most important chapters in the Bible for me, and I am very grateful that the Spirit of God led the apostle Paul to write this section of scripture. For this month’s postings I want to dwell on verses 22 and 23, and one word in particular—kindness. The passage always grips me forcefully: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23, New International Version.
In Galatians 5:22-23, the apostle Paul lists nine dimensions of the fruit, or flow, of the Spirit. Note that “fruit” is in the singular, because the well-rounded servant of God is developing and demonstrating all of these spiritual qualities together. You and I cannot be truly joyful persons and not be faithful person. You and I cannot be truly peaceful persons if we are not self-controlled persons. If we speak of “fruits” of the Spirit, we may tend to think of these virtues in isolation from one another. The fruit of the Spirit, however, grows like a sweet melon on the vine, with all parts and systems of the fruit developing simultaneously.
The Meaning of Kindness
The Greek word (the noun) for “kindness,” as sounded out in English, is krestotes, or chrestotes, with the accent on the second syllable. The word is used ten times in the New Testament, all in the epistles of Paul: Romans 2:4a; 3:12; 11:22 (three times); 2 Corinthians 6:6; Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 2:7; Colossians 3:12; and Titus 3:4.
Another form of the word (the adjective) is krestos, or chrestos, and in Greek as well as in English there is only one letter difference between krestos and the word for Christ, Kristos, or Christos. Because of this, and because both words have the accent on the second syllable, the words sound almost the same in Greek as they do in English. How frequently the early Greek-speaking Christians joined the words together to declare that their Kristos—their anointed one, their Messiah—is a krestos Savior, we’ll never know, but I suspect that it was often. Krestos is used seven times in the New Testament: Matthew 11:30; Luke 5:39; 6:35; Romans 2:4b; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Ephesians 4:32; and 1 Peter 2:3.
The words krestotes and krestos have the sense of being useful, suitable, worthy, pleasant, morally upright, reputable, kind, loving and generous. These words obviously cover a wide range of meaning, so the context is key to understanding the sense in a given passage.
The Life Changing Word of God
A careful reading of the seventeen scriptures listed above may significantly change your life. If you read them in their biblical context, with your mind and heart open fully to God, and meditate in them—listening to God about living a kind and Christlike life—you may never be the same. Even though I have been studying the subject of kindness for many years, and have been trying intentionally to live kindly, I was amazed when I reviewed these powerful texts for this brief study. They speak of both the kindness of God and the kindness that we are to show (and think, and even feel, I believe) because the Spirit of our kind Savior is living in us and desiring to flow through us.
I chose to list all of the Bible verses using these words for “kind” and “kindness” with the hope that some of you—if only one or two—will look them up. I know that the tendency (I do it myself) is to hurry past Bible references, and so, to encourage you to go farther, I just want to write out a few of these verses and very briefly comment on them.
I have discussed earlier this year how Christ’s “yoke” is kind: “My yoke is easy (kind, gentle, not abrasive) and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). I continue to be lifted up and soothed by this teaching as I struggle with significant heart-transplant issues every day. Christ’s words strike me again in the famous text exhorting us to love our enemies. The reason Jesus says to love them and “do good to them” is because “the Most High…is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35). In my natural self I do not want God to be kind to these ones, but then I stand with mouth wide open when I realize that I myself have often been “ungrateful and wicked”!
One of the most important Bible texts used by God in my coming to him as Savior and Lord at the age of 19 is Ephesians 2:7-10. I saw clearly—enlightened by the Spirit of God—that it is “by grace…through faith,” not human effort or good deeds, that I could be saved. And now, these many years later, I am more aware then ever that this gift of eternal salvation is God’s “kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (verse 7). I have never been the same since that Thanksgiving Day in 1962! It was then that I “tasted that the Lord is kind” (I Peter 2:3). It is a remarkable testimony to God’s kindness when I reflect on my three birthdays during this calendar week: my physical birthday, my heart-transplant birthday (five years) and my spiritual birthday.
Finally, I close with one of the most powerful texts anywhere in the Bible: “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4). I tend to think that God’s anger leads people to repentance, and it sometimes does—God’s intolerance of sin was a factor in my own conversion. But there is a remarkable kindness—a gentleness and generosity—that pulls us to him. Some of you know this personally, and I pray that if you do not, that you will come to him soon. In Jesus there is forgiveness, friendship, and daily, living hope for this life and for the next.
For you who know Christ, you have a powerful Agent of change within you—the Holy Spirit of God. Ask him today and in the days to come to make you a kind person. Practice often and intentionally to speak, act and think kindly toward everyone in your life. I assure you from personal experience you will enter a new dimension of life. You may even become a new person!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Health Update: Five Years after Heart Transplant
Bob Rakestraw
November 6, 2008
I need to send a huge “Thank You” to you, my dear friends, loved ones, blog readers, and acquaintances for your encouragement, love, prayers, and specific assistance in numerous ways in recent years. On November 17 I will celebrate five years since my heart transplant, and I believe I am alive today because of the will of God and the working of your prayers and kindnesses in cooperation with the plan of God.
Most of you know that the road has been quite rough for me since the transplant—physically and psychologically. I have been perplexed with knowing how to answer the question: “Are you glad you had the transplant?” I can answer that I am glad, but that I struggle a lot with the daily side effects of medications and life with chronic rejection (transplant vasculopathy).
One-and-a-half years ago I was told I probably had no more than six months to live, so I enrolled in hospice. After eight months my medical team removed me from hospice because I continued to live. I am greatly encouraged by this and by the scriptures. I just finished spending about a year in the Psalms. I know God has his hand on me and that, as I continue to walk with him daily, I will be on this earth no more and no less than the time he has for me (Psalms 57:2; 139:16; Acts 13:36).
My desire is to live all my remaining days for the glory of God. My physical strength is, unfortunately, decreasing, but my hunger for God is strong. I am mostly homebound. The days are long…and difficult. The main way I now connect with most people is through my blog: http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com. I miss teaching at Bethel Seminary. I will value your continued prayers; I am weak and breathing is getting more difficult.
As I learn of your needs I want to pray for you. Thank you again for your kindnesses—in thoughts, words and actions. I look forward to spending eternity with you through the mercies of God.
Here is a marvelous benediction for each of you.
“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NRSV)
November 6, 2008
I need to send a huge “Thank You” to you, my dear friends, loved ones, blog readers, and acquaintances for your encouragement, love, prayers, and specific assistance in numerous ways in recent years. On November 17 I will celebrate five years since my heart transplant, and I believe I am alive today because of the will of God and the working of your prayers and kindnesses in cooperation with the plan of God.
Most of you know that the road has been quite rough for me since the transplant—physically and psychologically. I have been perplexed with knowing how to answer the question: “Are you glad you had the transplant?” I can answer that I am glad, but that I struggle a lot with the daily side effects of medications and life with chronic rejection (transplant vasculopathy).
One-and-a-half years ago I was told I probably had no more than six months to live, so I enrolled in hospice. After eight months my medical team removed me from hospice because I continued to live. I am greatly encouraged by this and by the scriptures. I just finished spending about a year in the Psalms. I know God has his hand on me and that, as I continue to walk with him daily, I will be on this earth no more and no less than the time he has for me (Psalms 57:2; 139:16; Acts 13:36).
My desire is to live all my remaining days for the glory of God. My physical strength is, unfortunately, decreasing, but my hunger for God is strong. I am mostly homebound. The days are long…and difficult. The main way I now connect with most people is through my blog: http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com. I miss teaching at Bethel Seminary. I will value your continued prayers; I am weak and breathing is getting more difficult.
As I learn of your needs I want to pray for you. Thank you again for your kindnesses—in thoughts, words and actions. I look forward to spending eternity with you through the mercies of God.
Here is a marvelous benediction for each of you.
“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NRSV)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Who Cares about Joy? A Different Slant on Strength
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 10C
Nehemiah 8:10
Bob Rakestraw
One of the best things about writing this blog is that I often discover new insights on the scriptures in my preparation. I have another one this time—something I had never seen before.
What is our Strength?
This is my third and last posting on Nehemiah 8:10, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” My new insight—surely a gift from God—has to do with the word “strength.” For all my adult life I have understood “strength” here to be the equivalent of inner energy and power, in the sense of “grace” when that word is used as God’s empowering Spirit.
As I did some research I found that the Hebrew word for strength in Nehemiah 8:10 also means “stronghold,” or “fortress.” In fact, this is its primary sense. The verse does not seem to be focusing on an inner boost of power but rather a rock-solid citadel in which we take refuge and into which the enemy cannot penetrate. When I first discovered this truth, I was a bit disappointed, because I had always considered the verse to be promising energy. A major health issue for me, both before and after my heart transplant, has been a lack of energy—a profound weakness and inability to work, speak and serve as I did earlier in life.
Help for the Mind and Body
The more I have meditated, however, on the joy of the Lord being my fortress, the more encouraged I have become. Let me explain. Since my heart transplant in November, 2003, I have faced two enemies that I had seldom fought before: depression and anxiety. I have also battled bodily weakness, as mentioned above, and surely have benefited from the scripture texts that teach of God’s strengthening us inwardly in order to get through the day. But depression and anxiety need a different kind of help than physical energy and strength. These involve battles of the mind as well as the body.
Satan and his forces attempt to invade my mind at times with depressing and anxiety-producing thoughts, and I find huge relief and encouragement in knowing the joy of the Lord not only offers me inner strength but is also my fortress, stronghold and protection. As such, it serves as a blockade to the invading enemy thoughts. As I praise God and focus on his greatness and goodness, and receive deep joy from doing so, this joy builds a fortress around my mind and keeps out the negatives. I have actually been experiencing this protection in recent days, and it is a major help to me. I find, however, that I may need to activate this cycle (praise – joy – mental protection) several times a day. This keeps me close to God, because I desperately want to block the invaders from creating harmful moods.
I am glad, as well, that even though the Hebrew word for “strength” (maoz) is primarily fortress, protection or stronghold, it also seems to have, at times, the idea of energy or power (as in 2 Samuel 22:33 in the Dead Sea Scrolls and some Greek versions of the Old Testament, and perhaps in Ezekiel 24:25). In any case, the Bible—using other words—clearly teaches that God is the source of our strength and power (Psalm 29:11; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10). He is both our protection and stronghold as well as the supplier of daily energy to live for Him and serve those who need help.
Joy Unspeakable
It is “the joy of the Lord” that brings the protection we need to live successfully. Several days ago a friend said she feels like she is “going out of her mind with joy.” She can’t contain the joy that God is generating in her, even though she and her family have had some very difficult issues to live through in recent years. She had been reading in the book of Isaiah when she phoned and gave my wife and I this encouraging report. God is remarkably alive to her! This is the joy of the Lord. It is God’s own inner joy as Father – Son – Spirit which God then communicates to us, and which becomes our joy in God. We receive it by praise, thanksgiving, reviewing all of God’s promises in the scriptures, and understanding and obeying God’s teachings. In Nehemiah’s day, “all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.” “From the days of Joshua son of Nun until [this seven-day feast of booths], the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great” (Nehemiah 8:12, 17).
God cares about our joy—yours and mine. I used to think that joy was something optional in the Christian life—it’s nice if you can have it but it’s not absolutely necessary. Now I realize it is vital to daily living, both defensively and offensively. The fruit of the Spirit is indeed joy (Galatians 5:22).
Referring to the thrice-repeated statement in Nehemiah 8:9-12 that “this is a sacred [holy] day,” Dr. Derek Kidner makes the following remarks. I will close with them, wishing you God’s very best always.
“Three times in this short paragraph it is pointed out that holiness and gloom go ill together. What makes it rather striking, to our ears, is the calm assumption that this should go without saying. … To be ‘altogether joyful’ was the prospect held before the guests of God (Deuteronomy 16:15), and the words that went most naturally with ‘holiness’ were not only ‘justice and righteousness’ but ‘glory,’ ‘beauty,’ ‘strength’ and ‘joy’.” See, for example, Psalms 96 and 99 and Isaiah 35. [Ezra and Nehemiah, InterVarsity Press, 1979, p. 107.]
Nehemiah 8:10
Bob Rakestraw
One of the best things about writing this blog is that I often discover new insights on the scriptures in my preparation. I have another one this time—something I had never seen before.
What is our Strength?
This is my third and last posting on Nehemiah 8:10, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” My new insight—surely a gift from God—has to do with the word “strength.” For all my adult life I have understood “strength” here to be the equivalent of inner energy and power, in the sense of “grace” when that word is used as God’s empowering Spirit.
As I did some research I found that the Hebrew word for strength in Nehemiah 8:10 also means “stronghold,” or “fortress.” In fact, this is its primary sense. The verse does not seem to be focusing on an inner boost of power but rather a rock-solid citadel in which we take refuge and into which the enemy cannot penetrate. When I first discovered this truth, I was a bit disappointed, because I had always considered the verse to be promising energy. A major health issue for me, both before and after my heart transplant, has been a lack of energy—a profound weakness and inability to work, speak and serve as I did earlier in life.
Help for the Mind and Body
The more I have meditated, however, on the joy of the Lord being my fortress, the more encouraged I have become. Let me explain. Since my heart transplant in November, 2003, I have faced two enemies that I had seldom fought before: depression and anxiety. I have also battled bodily weakness, as mentioned above, and surely have benefited from the scripture texts that teach of God’s strengthening us inwardly in order to get through the day. But depression and anxiety need a different kind of help than physical energy and strength. These involve battles of the mind as well as the body.
Satan and his forces attempt to invade my mind at times with depressing and anxiety-producing thoughts, and I find huge relief and encouragement in knowing the joy of the Lord not only offers me inner strength but is also my fortress, stronghold and protection. As such, it serves as a blockade to the invading enemy thoughts. As I praise God and focus on his greatness and goodness, and receive deep joy from doing so, this joy builds a fortress around my mind and keeps out the negatives. I have actually been experiencing this protection in recent days, and it is a major help to me. I find, however, that I may need to activate this cycle (praise – joy – mental protection) several times a day. This keeps me close to God, because I desperately want to block the invaders from creating harmful moods.
I am glad, as well, that even though the Hebrew word for “strength” (maoz) is primarily fortress, protection or stronghold, it also seems to have, at times, the idea of energy or power (as in 2 Samuel 22:33 in the Dead Sea Scrolls and some Greek versions of the Old Testament, and perhaps in Ezekiel 24:25). In any case, the Bible—using other words—clearly teaches that God is the source of our strength and power (Psalm 29:11; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10). He is both our protection and stronghold as well as the supplier of daily energy to live for Him and serve those who need help.
Joy Unspeakable
It is “the joy of the Lord” that brings the protection we need to live successfully. Several days ago a friend said she feels like she is “going out of her mind with joy.” She can’t contain the joy that God is generating in her, even though she and her family have had some very difficult issues to live through in recent years. She had been reading in the book of Isaiah when she phoned and gave my wife and I this encouraging report. God is remarkably alive to her! This is the joy of the Lord. It is God’s own inner joy as Father – Son – Spirit which God then communicates to us, and which becomes our joy in God. We receive it by praise, thanksgiving, reviewing all of God’s promises in the scriptures, and understanding and obeying God’s teachings. In Nehemiah’s day, “all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.” “From the days of Joshua son of Nun until [this seven-day feast of booths], the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great” (Nehemiah 8:12, 17).
God cares about our joy—yours and mine. I used to think that joy was something optional in the Christian life—it’s nice if you can have it but it’s not absolutely necessary. Now I realize it is vital to daily living, both defensively and offensively. The fruit of the Spirit is indeed joy (Galatians 5:22).
Referring to the thrice-repeated statement in Nehemiah 8:9-12 that “this is a sacred [holy] day,” Dr. Derek Kidner makes the following remarks. I will close with them, wishing you God’s very best always.
“Three times in this short paragraph it is pointed out that holiness and gloom go ill together. What makes it rather striking, to our ears, is the calm assumption that this should go without saying. … To be ‘altogether joyful’ was the prospect held before the guests of God (Deuteronomy 16:15), and the words that went most naturally with ‘holiness’ were not only ‘justice and righteousness’ but ‘glory,’ ‘beauty,’ ‘strength’ and ‘joy’.” See, for example, Psalms 96 and 99 and Isaiah 35. [Ezra and Nehemiah, InterVarsity Press, 1979, p. 107.]
Friday, October 24, 2008
Who Cares about Joy? Humanity Wired by God
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 10B
Nehemiah 8:10
Bob Rakestraw
In the last posting on “The Benediction Project” I introduced the subject of “the joy of the Lord” from Nehemiah 8:10, our Bible text of the month. This has been one of my top twelve favorite scripture passages throughout my Christian life, and I want to look here at its biblical context and some of its practical application for today.
It is risky, I know, to try to write about joy—true, deep, inner joy—in such turbulent times as these. The world has gone mad, pure and simple. In addition, as I said in the last posting, I am struggling with some difficult health issues related to my heart transplant of five years ago. How can I be so bold as to write about joy, especially “the joy of the Lord?”
I am writing on the topic because I believe God has “wired” (created, designed, constructed) every human being to seek and experience joy, in the same way that he wired us to desire beauty, truth, love and creative expression. The Bible speaks often of joy, or uses similar terms such as rejoicing, delight, happiness, and gladness. If God’s Word mentions joy so frequently it is obvious that God intends us to understand the topic and live it out in daily life. The “fruit of the Spirit” is love, joy, peace and other virtues that radiate the presence of God from within us to others (Galatians 5:22-23). Joy is an essential mark of all Christians, not an optional quality for some special people who are naturally more optimistic than others.
The Historical Background
The date of the events in Nehemiah 8:10 was about 445-444 B.C. It was the first day of the seventh month, Tishri (September-October), the beginning of the civil new year. The time was after the captivity of the Jewish people in Babylon. Several groups of captives had traveled the four-month route (900 miles) to return to the land of Judea and to Jerusalem. When Nehemiah, the governor of the Jewish people, returned to the promised land, he viewed the broken-down walls of Jerusalem and stirred the people to rebuild them. After the walls were finished there was a great assembly in the city square before the Water Gate.
Because Ezra had been the priest, scribe and spiritual leader of the Jews in Babylon, and their ongoing spiritual guide for the 13 years since they had been back in Jerusalem, the people asked this highly-respected man to read and teach from the law of Moses. According to the scriptures,
“On the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.” (Nehemiah 8:2-3, NIV)
After a time of public worship there was a time of public teaching. The Levites “read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” Surprisingly “all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law” (vss. 8-9).
The scripture readings were from the first five books of the Bible, and some of it was obviously from Leviticus (compare Nehemiah 8:9-18 with Leviticus 23:23-44). The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles all were to be observed during the seventh month, and Ezra and the Levites explained these matters in a way that touched the people powerfully.
Emotions of Sorrow and Joy
Notice the contrasting emotions of sorrow and joy as the people heard the Word of God read, interpreted and applied. Why were they mourning and weeping, and then turning from sorrow to great joy? Dr. H. G. M. Williamson, Professor of Hebrew at Oxford, offers some fine insights:
“The initial reaction [weeping] is probably not to be explained by the fact that the law was unfamiliar to them so much as that the interpretation which Ezra and the Levites provided (vss. 7-8) brought home its relevance to their situation in a fresh way…. Ezra (perhaps for the first time) developed a means of interpreting Scripture whereby parts which had been thought to be out-of-date were shown to reveal the underlying principles of God’s will which were of timeless relevance. The result of this was to stir the people’s consciences as they came to realize how far short of God’s standards their lives had fallen” [“Nehemiah,” in New Bible Commentary, 21st Century Edition, D. A. Carson, et al., eds. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), p. 437].
I have thought for years about the words of Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites to all the people: “Do not mourn or weep.” “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” If the people were grieving over their collective sin of neglecting the Law of Moses—in this case, observation of the feasts of Leviticus 23—then wouldn’t it be appropriate for them to grieve and mourn? After all, the Feast of Tabernacles had not been celebrated properly for 1,000 years—since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:17).
Surely it was not wrong for the people to grieve over their sin. Three weeks later there would be a major time of repentance, fasting, wearing of sackcloth and confession of sin—“their sins and the wickedness of their fathers” (Nehemiah 9:1-2). But, as Dr. Williamson notes so well,
“This [awareness of God’s high standard], however, is neither the sole nor the dominant message either of the OT law or of Scripture as a whole. By reminding them that this day [Feast of Trumpets, Leviticus 23:24] was sacred (vss. 9, 11)—a day on which they were especially to recall God’s past acts of grace and salvation towards Israel—and that the joy of the Lord was the source of their strength (v. 10) as they linked themselves by faith with the experience of their ancestors, Ezra set their legitimate sense of failure within the wider context of God’s grace and invitation. Confession would have its proper place (ch. 9), but the first response to hearing God’s word should be of joyful acceptance (vss. 10-11). It is a pattern of response not unlike that in Acts 2:37-39” (Williamson, pp. 437-38).
The Fullness of Divine Joy
This is such a important point that I felt it needed to be said before moving to the more practical aspects of joy in our next posting on Nehemiah 8:10. For many years I simply lifted the key words out of the chapter—“the joy of the Lord is your strength”—and sucked on them like a piece of hard candy. I even sang them, as some of you may have. While this text does bring gladness to my heart when I simply read it, sing it or recall it, it brings much deeper confidence and delight when I reflect on the whole chapter, and the following one as well. The book of Nehemiah makes it clear that the people celebrated “with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them” (8:8, 12, 17). This proper interpretation of the law of Moses, set within the context of God’s broad invitation and deep, full river of grace, brings inner gladness to our hearts even though we cannot forget some of our past failures.
Before we come together again I truly long for you—as I long for myself—to develop an increasingly deep awareness of God’s joy becoming our strength. The gracious, loving, pure, and delightful trinitarian life of Father, Son and Spirit, when properly understood, will pull us in toward the very heart of God, “charging” us with true divine joy and grace that become our daily strength. Yes, your circumstances may be difficult and even heartbreaking in some cases, but I encourage you—from a lifetime of experience and a solid confidence in the written Word of God—to “be still,” to “not grieve,” to “eat and drink,” and to “send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy” (vss. 11-12). As you come to see ever more clearly the remarkable, amazing grace of God, his joy will be your strength!
Nehemiah 8:10
Bob Rakestraw
In the last posting on “The Benediction Project” I introduced the subject of “the joy of the Lord” from Nehemiah 8:10, our Bible text of the month. This has been one of my top twelve favorite scripture passages throughout my Christian life, and I want to look here at its biblical context and some of its practical application for today.
It is risky, I know, to try to write about joy—true, deep, inner joy—in such turbulent times as these. The world has gone mad, pure and simple. In addition, as I said in the last posting, I am struggling with some difficult health issues related to my heart transplant of five years ago. How can I be so bold as to write about joy, especially “the joy of the Lord?”
I am writing on the topic because I believe God has “wired” (created, designed, constructed) every human being to seek and experience joy, in the same way that he wired us to desire beauty, truth, love and creative expression. The Bible speaks often of joy, or uses similar terms such as rejoicing, delight, happiness, and gladness. If God’s Word mentions joy so frequently it is obvious that God intends us to understand the topic and live it out in daily life. The “fruit of the Spirit” is love, joy, peace and other virtues that radiate the presence of God from within us to others (Galatians 5:22-23). Joy is an essential mark of all Christians, not an optional quality for some special people who are naturally more optimistic than others.
The Historical Background
The date of the events in Nehemiah 8:10 was about 445-444 B.C. It was the first day of the seventh month, Tishri (September-October), the beginning of the civil new year. The time was after the captivity of the Jewish people in Babylon. Several groups of captives had traveled the four-month route (900 miles) to return to the land of Judea and to Jerusalem. When Nehemiah, the governor of the Jewish people, returned to the promised land, he viewed the broken-down walls of Jerusalem and stirred the people to rebuild them. After the walls were finished there was a great assembly in the city square before the Water Gate.
Because Ezra had been the priest, scribe and spiritual leader of the Jews in Babylon, and their ongoing spiritual guide for the 13 years since they had been back in Jerusalem, the people asked this highly-respected man to read and teach from the law of Moses. According to the scriptures,
“On the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.” (Nehemiah 8:2-3, NIV)
After a time of public worship there was a time of public teaching. The Levites “read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” Surprisingly “all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law” (vss. 8-9).
The scripture readings were from the first five books of the Bible, and some of it was obviously from Leviticus (compare Nehemiah 8:9-18 with Leviticus 23:23-44). The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles all were to be observed during the seventh month, and Ezra and the Levites explained these matters in a way that touched the people powerfully.
Emotions of Sorrow and Joy
Notice the contrasting emotions of sorrow and joy as the people heard the Word of God read, interpreted and applied. Why were they mourning and weeping, and then turning from sorrow to great joy? Dr. H. G. M. Williamson, Professor of Hebrew at Oxford, offers some fine insights:
“The initial reaction [weeping] is probably not to be explained by the fact that the law was unfamiliar to them so much as that the interpretation which Ezra and the Levites provided (vss. 7-8) brought home its relevance to their situation in a fresh way…. Ezra (perhaps for the first time) developed a means of interpreting Scripture whereby parts which had been thought to be out-of-date were shown to reveal the underlying principles of God’s will which were of timeless relevance. The result of this was to stir the people’s consciences as they came to realize how far short of God’s standards their lives had fallen” [“Nehemiah,” in New Bible Commentary, 21st Century Edition, D. A. Carson, et al., eds. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), p. 437].
I have thought for years about the words of Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites to all the people: “Do not mourn or weep.” “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” If the people were grieving over their collective sin of neglecting the Law of Moses—in this case, observation of the feasts of Leviticus 23—then wouldn’t it be appropriate for them to grieve and mourn? After all, the Feast of Tabernacles had not been celebrated properly for 1,000 years—since the days of Joshua (Nehemiah 8:17).
Surely it was not wrong for the people to grieve over their sin. Three weeks later there would be a major time of repentance, fasting, wearing of sackcloth and confession of sin—“their sins and the wickedness of their fathers” (Nehemiah 9:1-2). But, as Dr. Williamson notes so well,
“This [awareness of God’s high standard], however, is neither the sole nor the dominant message either of the OT law or of Scripture as a whole. By reminding them that this day [Feast of Trumpets, Leviticus 23:24] was sacred (vss. 9, 11)—a day on which they were especially to recall God’s past acts of grace and salvation towards Israel—and that the joy of the Lord was the source of their strength (v. 10) as they linked themselves by faith with the experience of their ancestors, Ezra set their legitimate sense of failure within the wider context of God’s grace and invitation. Confession would have its proper place (ch. 9), but the first response to hearing God’s word should be of joyful acceptance (vss. 10-11). It is a pattern of response not unlike that in Acts 2:37-39” (Williamson, pp. 437-38).
The Fullness of Divine Joy
This is such a important point that I felt it needed to be said before moving to the more practical aspects of joy in our next posting on Nehemiah 8:10. For many years I simply lifted the key words out of the chapter—“the joy of the Lord is your strength”—and sucked on them like a piece of hard candy. I even sang them, as some of you may have. While this text does bring gladness to my heart when I simply read it, sing it or recall it, it brings much deeper confidence and delight when I reflect on the whole chapter, and the following one as well. The book of Nehemiah makes it clear that the people celebrated “with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them” (8:8, 12, 17). This proper interpretation of the law of Moses, set within the context of God’s broad invitation and deep, full river of grace, brings inner gladness to our hearts even though we cannot forget some of our past failures.
Before we come together again I truly long for you—as I long for myself—to develop an increasingly deep awareness of God’s joy becoming our strength. The gracious, loving, pure, and delightful trinitarian life of Father, Son and Spirit, when properly understood, will pull us in toward the very heart of God, “charging” us with true divine joy and grace that become our daily strength. Yes, your circumstances may be difficult and even heartbreaking in some cases, but I encourage you—from a lifetime of experience and a solid confidence in the written Word of God—to “be still,” to “not grieve,” to “eat and drink,” and to “send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy” (vss. 11-12). As you come to see ever more clearly the remarkable, amazing grace of God, his joy will be your strength!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Who Cares about Joy? Is Anyone Really Happy?
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 10A
Nehemiah 8:10
Bob Rakestraw
I have just finished listening to the news. I had planned to catch a brief summary of national and international events and then start working on this piece about “the joy of the Lord.” I am doing that, but now I am more hesitant as I begin. The news was wretched: economics, wars, violence, politics, ethics, horrible crimes against persons, and the travail of nations. Not only does the news make me hesitate to write about joy, but my personal circumstances do as well.
Why Write about Joy?
This is a difficult time for me—health-wise and in several other ways—and I would rather write on just about any other scripture text than this one. Of all times, why am I now choosing to write on the joy of the Lord? The reason is twofold.
1. I am coming to the end of calendar year 2008, and there are only three months remaining to write on my top twelve all-time favorite scripture passages, and I know Nehemiah 8:10 has to be covered soon if I am going to write honestly on what the most crucial texts have been throughout my Christian life.
2. This really is the best time to write on this Bible verse because if it is true, as I believe in my head it is, it must apply in the down times as well as the upbeat times. I need to write on this promise precisely at this difficult time in my life, not when I am in easier circumstances or in a happier frame of mind. In this way I believe my words will be most real and helpful to you, my readers.
Lots of Questions
It is a fascinating sentence from the Bible that I wish to focus on this month: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). While I will be looking at the historical context of these words in another posting, I want to raise some questions linking the ancient text with the present day.
• What is the joy of the Lord?
• In what sense is this joy one’s strength?
• Is grieving always forbidden?
• How can we experience the joy of the Lord when the world is filled with so much suffering, sadness, and evil?
• Is this Bible verse simply a literary device to comfort us, or is there real substance behind it?
• How do circumstances—positive or negative—affect our mood?
• Is this a conditional or unconditional promise?
• Are there certain steps or beliefs one must follow in order to obtain this joy?
• Does it work in my own life and in the lives of those I know well?
I do not intend to answer all of these questions now, but hope to address them in a subsequent essay. However, simply to raise questions such as these is in itself a significant step in the direction of understanding and benefiting from our text of the month.
Real Problems and Real Joy
Last evening was a rough time, as evenings often are for me. Here is what I wrote.
"I am lying here in bed, frustrated with life. I am irritable, discouraged, burning hot (but have no fever), nauseated, weak, headachy, angry at my circumstances, and feel like yelling and crying at the same time. An hour or so ago, sitting on the sofa with my wife, I blurted out, ‘I want to die.’ She said, ‘No.’ I answered ‘Yes.’ Then I repeated the words. What prompted my outburst was a question Judy asked about something. I didn’t feel like discussing anything, or living any longer, so I said so. I’ve said this often (mostly within my own mind) during the past five years since my heart transplant, but probably not for a couple of months."
I hope I have not disappointed you by printing the above. I always want to be honest in this blog, and if I am discussing joy, I need to say it as it is. I have never claimed to float on some cloud above the storms of life. I know I wrote in July that I believe firmly in Christ’s yoke being easy and his burden light (Matthew 11:30). Am I now contradicting myself, and saying that I don’t believe that? No, but I am saying that I sometimes find the circumstances of life to be very difficult, especially regarding my health, and I do not always do as well with my attitude as I would like to, and believe possible by God’s grace.
I want to close by holding out this amazing scripture text to you (and to myself) with the confidence I have developed in it over many years. Joy is not the same as happiness, since people tend to measure their happiness by the circumstances in their lives. The more pleasant the circumstances the greater the happiness. This is a fact of life. Christian joy, however, is a deep delight and satisfaction with the person and mission of God, and increases more and more as one identifies with and enters into the heart and mission of God. Joy is the atmosphere of the Godhead: Father, Son and Spirit celebrating and loving one another and inviting the people of this world into that love. Until next time, ask God sincerely and expectantly to make the joy of the Lord your strength.
My brothers and sister, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4, NRSV)
Nehemiah 8:10
Bob Rakestraw
I have just finished listening to the news. I had planned to catch a brief summary of national and international events and then start working on this piece about “the joy of the Lord.” I am doing that, but now I am more hesitant as I begin. The news was wretched: economics, wars, violence, politics, ethics, horrible crimes against persons, and the travail of nations. Not only does the news make me hesitate to write about joy, but my personal circumstances do as well.
Why Write about Joy?
This is a difficult time for me—health-wise and in several other ways—and I would rather write on just about any other scripture text than this one. Of all times, why am I now choosing to write on the joy of the Lord? The reason is twofold.
1. I am coming to the end of calendar year 2008, and there are only three months remaining to write on my top twelve all-time favorite scripture passages, and I know Nehemiah 8:10 has to be covered soon if I am going to write honestly on what the most crucial texts have been throughout my Christian life.
2. This really is the best time to write on this Bible verse because if it is true, as I believe in my head it is, it must apply in the down times as well as the upbeat times. I need to write on this promise precisely at this difficult time in my life, not when I am in easier circumstances or in a happier frame of mind. In this way I believe my words will be most real and helpful to you, my readers.
Lots of Questions
It is a fascinating sentence from the Bible that I wish to focus on this month: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). While I will be looking at the historical context of these words in another posting, I want to raise some questions linking the ancient text with the present day.
• What is the joy of the Lord?
• In what sense is this joy one’s strength?
• Is grieving always forbidden?
• How can we experience the joy of the Lord when the world is filled with so much suffering, sadness, and evil?
• Is this Bible verse simply a literary device to comfort us, or is there real substance behind it?
• How do circumstances—positive or negative—affect our mood?
• Is this a conditional or unconditional promise?
• Are there certain steps or beliefs one must follow in order to obtain this joy?
• Does it work in my own life and in the lives of those I know well?
I do not intend to answer all of these questions now, but hope to address them in a subsequent essay. However, simply to raise questions such as these is in itself a significant step in the direction of understanding and benefiting from our text of the month.
Real Problems and Real Joy
Last evening was a rough time, as evenings often are for me. Here is what I wrote.
"I am lying here in bed, frustrated with life. I am irritable, discouraged, burning hot (but have no fever), nauseated, weak, headachy, angry at my circumstances, and feel like yelling and crying at the same time. An hour or so ago, sitting on the sofa with my wife, I blurted out, ‘I want to die.’ She said, ‘No.’ I answered ‘Yes.’ Then I repeated the words. What prompted my outburst was a question Judy asked about something. I didn’t feel like discussing anything, or living any longer, so I said so. I’ve said this often (mostly within my own mind) during the past five years since my heart transplant, but probably not for a couple of months."
I hope I have not disappointed you by printing the above. I always want to be honest in this blog, and if I am discussing joy, I need to say it as it is. I have never claimed to float on some cloud above the storms of life. I know I wrote in July that I believe firmly in Christ’s yoke being easy and his burden light (Matthew 11:30). Am I now contradicting myself, and saying that I don’t believe that? No, but I am saying that I sometimes find the circumstances of life to be very difficult, especially regarding my health, and I do not always do as well with my attitude as I would like to, and believe possible by God’s grace.
I want to close by holding out this amazing scripture text to you (and to myself) with the confidence I have developed in it over many years. Joy is not the same as happiness, since people tend to measure their happiness by the circumstances in their lives. The more pleasant the circumstances the greater the happiness. This is a fact of life. Christian joy, however, is a deep delight and satisfaction with the person and mission of God, and increases more and more as one identifies with and enters into the heart and mission of God. Joy is the atmosphere of the Godhead: Father, Son and Spirit celebrating and loving one another and inviting the people of this world into that love. Until next time, ask God sincerely and expectantly to make the joy of the Lord your strength.
My brothers and sister, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4, NRSV)
Monday, September 29, 2008
Come Near to God: Receiving the Promise
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 9B
James 4:8
Bob Rakestraw
In the last posting I introduced James 4:8 as the text of the month: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” There are very few verses in the Bible that I have leaned on more frequently and more expectantly as this one. Many, many times during my Christian life I have approached God with this text in mind, and have found that God’s Word here is rock-solid, consistently reliable and filled with hope.
Reciprocal Grace
In the last piece I did not write much on James 4:8 itself, but on the principle of reciprocal grace lying behind the verse. Reciprocity refers to the back-and-forth movement of grace between God and us. This does not mean that we give grace to God and then he gives grace to us. All grace flows from God to us. But we do need to respond in faith and humility to God’s prior approaches and gifts of grace to us, and in that sense God receives from us our devotion and desire to serve. When God sees our godly response, “he gives us more grace” (James 4:6). We then welcome these further gifts of grace in order to love and serve God more, and the reciprocal action continues throughout our lives.
I also explained that grace is not only God’s kindness and favor, but also his power and strength. This latter perspective on grace is not as often emphasized as the former, yet it is very helpful for the full understanding of the Bible’s teaching on God. An example of grace used in the sense of God’s power and energy as well as his favor and kindness is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This truth is greatly encouraging and, literally, powerful!
Seeing the Whole Picture
The scripture text for the month appears to stand alone, complete in itself: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” But the longer I study the Bible the more I see that seemingly self-contained verses such as James 4:8 need their broader contexts to be fully understood and practiced. Someone might complain that this text “does not work.” They may have called out to God in prayer (“Come near to God”) yet say that he does not “come near” to them in a reciprocal way. I know of Christians who say this, and my encouragement to them is to look carefully at the verse in light of the whole book of James, especially James 4:6-8. In these verses we see the broader picture of God’s reciprocal action.
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
‘God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.’
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
The focal text of the month seems quite simple when it is engraved on a plaque and hung on the wall. And it is simple. But it is not simplistic! Viewing the whole section above—verses 6-8—helps us to see the fuller range of thought God intends for us to see. Strictly speaking, there is only one condition we need to fulfill in order to have God come near to us: “Come near to God.” However, it is essential for our total comprehension and well-being that we “come near to God” according to the teachings of James 4:6-8, the whole fourth chapter, as well as the rest of the scriptures.
The Problem of Pride
Pride is exposed in James 4 as the major blockade to receiving God’s grace. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The word “opposes” is a very strong word. It means to “stand against,” and evokes the image of God stationing himself in a fixed position, with all of his divine power against the enemy. This is a frightening picture (especially in light of James 4:1-4), and makes me want to follow verse 10 with all of my will: “Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.”
The Bible does not tell us in explicit terms how to “humble” ourselves, but the Author of scripture assumes that when we read these words (as well as the similar passage in 1 Peter 5:5-10) we will know by the inner voice of his Spirit, and the specifics in the context, how to do this. An attitude of submission to God and those in authority over us, and a stance of resisting the devil, are foundational, according to both James and 1 Peter. And thorough, God-wrought purification is absolutely necessary as well. I am truly grateful that God takes charge of this cleansing when we come to him with a broken spirit and a heart eager for his righteousness (Psalm 51:17).
A Plea
I want to close with a plea from my heart. I sincerely and eagerly urge you, my readers, to come near to God. The reason I desire this for you is the same reason I desire it for myself: the Bible says that God will then come near to us. And if God is near to us, then we don’t have anything to worry about. We are very safe, dear friends, when God is near us. God will handle the most difficult situations we are facing.
The present financial crisis is affecting all of us, some very severely. If God is near you, you need not worry. I have to remind myself of this often or I will lose heart and be overwhelmed by anxiety. Some of you are afflicted by health issues, as I am, and these will devastate us if we give in to fear. With others, the stresses on you may pertain to your children, relatives, educational plans, debt, home, job, relationships, personal failings and lack of hope. With every ounce of my being I urge you to come near to God. Read this essay again if God has already used it to quicken you, and spend time alone with God and the scriptures as soon as you are able. Nothing else is as important right now. God will come near to you, he promises!
Peter reminds us: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” and then gives us all a deeply comforting benediction.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:7, 10-11)
James 4:8
Bob Rakestraw
In the last posting I introduced James 4:8 as the text of the month: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” There are very few verses in the Bible that I have leaned on more frequently and more expectantly as this one. Many, many times during my Christian life I have approached God with this text in mind, and have found that God’s Word here is rock-solid, consistently reliable and filled with hope.
Reciprocal Grace
In the last piece I did not write much on James 4:8 itself, but on the principle of reciprocal grace lying behind the verse. Reciprocity refers to the back-and-forth movement of grace between God and us. This does not mean that we give grace to God and then he gives grace to us. All grace flows from God to us. But we do need to respond in faith and humility to God’s prior approaches and gifts of grace to us, and in that sense God receives from us our devotion and desire to serve. When God sees our godly response, “he gives us more grace” (James 4:6). We then welcome these further gifts of grace in order to love and serve God more, and the reciprocal action continues throughout our lives.
I also explained that grace is not only God’s kindness and favor, but also his power and strength. This latter perspective on grace is not as often emphasized as the former, yet it is very helpful for the full understanding of the Bible’s teaching on God. An example of grace used in the sense of God’s power and energy as well as his favor and kindness is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This truth is greatly encouraging and, literally, powerful!
Seeing the Whole Picture
The scripture text for the month appears to stand alone, complete in itself: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” But the longer I study the Bible the more I see that seemingly self-contained verses such as James 4:8 need their broader contexts to be fully understood and practiced. Someone might complain that this text “does not work.” They may have called out to God in prayer (“Come near to God”) yet say that he does not “come near” to them in a reciprocal way. I know of Christians who say this, and my encouragement to them is to look carefully at the verse in light of the whole book of James, especially James 4:6-8. In these verses we see the broader picture of God’s reciprocal action.
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
‘God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.’
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
The focal text of the month seems quite simple when it is engraved on a plaque and hung on the wall. And it is simple. But it is not simplistic! Viewing the whole section above—verses 6-8—helps us to see the fuller range of thought God intends for us to see. Strictly speaking, there is only one condition we need to fulfill in order to have God come near to us: “Come near to God.” However, it is essential for our total comprehension and well-being that we “come near to God” according to the teachings of James 4:6-8, the whole fourth chapter, as well as the rest of the scriptures.
The Problem of Pride
Pride is exposed in James 4 as the major blockade to receiving God’s grace. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The word “opposes” is a very strong word. It means to “stand against,” and evokes the image of God stationing himself in a fixed position, with all of his divine power against the enemy. This is a frightening picture (especially in light of James 4:1-4), and makes me want to follow verse 10 with all of my will: “Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.”
The Bible does not tell us in explicit terms how to “humble” ourselves, but the Author of scripture assumes that when we read these words (as well as the similar passage in 1 Peter 5:5-10) we will know by the inner voice of his Spirit, and the specifics in the context, how to do this. An attitude of submission to God and those in authority over us, and a stance of resisting the devil, are foundational, according to both James and 1 Peter. And thorough, God-wrought purification is absolutely necessary as well. I am truly grateful that God takes charge of this cleansing when we come to him with a broken spirit and a heart eager for his righteousness (Psalm 51:17).
A Plea
I want to close with a plea from my heart. I sincerely and eagerly urge you, my readers, to come near to God. The reason I desire this for you is the same reason I desire it for myself: the Bible says that God will then come near to us. And if God is near to us, then we don’t have anything to worry about. We are very safe, dear friends, when God is near us. God will handle the most difficult situations we are facing.
The present financial crisis is affecting all of us, some very severely. If God is near you, you need not worry. I have to remind myself of this often or I will lose heart and be overwhelmed by anxiety. Some of you are afflicted by health issues, as I am, and these will devastate us if we give in to fear. With others, the stresses on you may pertain to your children, relatives, educational plans, debt, home, job, relationships, personal failings and lack of hope. With every ounce of my being I urge you to come near to God. Read this essay again if God has already used it to quicken you, and spend time alone with God and the scriptures as soon as you are able. Nothing else is as important right now. God will come near to you, he promises!
Peter reminds us: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” and then gives us all a deeply comforting benediction.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:7, 10-11)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Come Near to God: Amazing Grace is God’s M.O.
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 9A
James 4:8
Bob Rakestraw
The Bible text for this month is James 4:8: “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (NIV). I cannot remember when this scripture first gripped me strongly, but it was at least twenty-five years ago. I know this because during the latter 1970’s and early 1980’s I was going through a major re-thinking of my ideas about God and how God interacts with the people of this world. I was searching carefully through the scriptures, with the published help of some wise Christian scholars, studying the issue of divine-human reciprocity: who moves first in the relationship, God or the person, and who or what governs the sequence of action and reaction in our relationships with God?
The Principle of Reciprocity
Being of a mathematical/scientific mind, I came up with a “law [or principle] of reciprocity.” I cannot recall how or where I discovered this principle, but—when combined with an expanding, more biblically-grounded view of God’s grace—it began to answer a number of tough questions for me. I began to see more and more the beauty and mystery of God’s actions toward us and our responses to him, as well as our actions toward God and his responses to us. James 4:8 is just one of many scriptures that expresses the principle of reciprocity. It is also seen in Matthew 13:12: “Whoever has [i.e., responds well to the grace of God already given] will be given more. … Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” We see the law of reciprocity also in Zechariah 1:3: “ ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you’ ” (see also Malachi 3:7).
By “the principle of reciprocity”—operating in the way God intends it to work—I mean that God gives himself (his grace) freely and lavishly to those who call upon him with sincerity (single-mindedness), humility and a submissive spirit, and we receive God’s grace with a grateful and godly spirit, bringing about further gifts of grace. Other terms for reciprocity are mutuality and complementarity. Reciprocal or mutual affection, for example, means that two people give and receive affection between each other. Reciprocal or complementary trust means that each trusts the other. The concept of reciprocity is truly rich, even if it is a bit difficult to understand. It is closely intertwined with another very special word: grace.
The Grace of God
During my early years as a Christian I came to understand grace as God’s “unmerited favor” because of the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. I still see this as the primary meaning of grace according to the Bible. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8, 9). When I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at the age of 19, I knew this salvation I was receiving was a pure gift of God, a work of his grace through the cross of Christ.
About 15 years later the Spirit showed me from the Bible that there was more to grace than his “unmerited favor.” Grace is also God’s energy, power, and dynamic presence. It is not a substance or essence or something in the material realm like electrical power, but neither is it merely an attitude or favorable disposition. I saw a balance in scripture between these two poles. Grace, in addition to being God’s merciful favor and kindness, is also the force or strength of God himself working in and through his people. I desperately needed then, as I do now, the strength of God within me, to enable me to speak, think, act and love as I should. I will be forever grateful to God for showing me the dynamic, actual reality of his powerful presence.
There are dozens of scripture texts that teach this often-neglected aspect of God’s grace. In the epistle to the Hebrews, for example, the writer urges: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The latter half of this verse makes much more sense if “grace” is understood as God’s power, strength, and energy and not merely his attitude of favor. Of course, his favor logically precedes his actual help. His power working for us, in us and through us is the result of his incredible love, grace and mercy.
God’s M.O.
What does the above have to do with James 4:8: “Come near to God and he will come near to you”? The answer is that God comes toward us, and at times moves away from us, in the manner, method, mode or process of his grace. We sometimes speak of a person’s M.O.—his or her modus operandi—one’s mode of operating or doing something. God’s M.O. is by grace, which is another way of speaking of God’s presence—the Holy Spirit himself—working in us or withdrawing from us. We are not to think of God, however, as some kind of material substance or essence, but as the self-sustaining and active being of eternal power, purity and love. This is, of course, beyond our full understanding, but it is not a teaching that we should therefore ignore. It is, rather, vitally important.
As I indicated above, the Bible speaks very often of grace as both divine favor and divine power. Just two verses before this month’s text we read that God “gives us more grace,” and that he “gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Grace is something real, just as God is real, just as the Spirit of God is real. In fact, I sometimes substitute the term “Holy Spirit” for “grace” when the biblical context allows for that reading, just to remind myself how close the two are. These are not identical, however. The divine author of scripture led the writers to speak of God’s grace as separate from himself, but very closely related. He is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10).
I know this essay has not presented James 4:8 with personal application, but I felt I needed first to explain the reciprocal nature of God’s gracious movements in our lives. I encourage you to “Come near to God,” keeping the whole section—James 4:6-10—in view, and I look forward to being with you again soon to consider our text more personally.
James 4:8
Bob Rakestraw
The Bible text for this month is James 4:8: “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (NIV). I cannot remember when this scripture first gripped me strongly, but it was at least twenty-five years ago. I know this because during the latter 1970’s and early 1980’s I was going through a major re-thinking of my ideas about God and how God interacts with the people of this world. I was searching carefully through the scriptures, with the published help of some wise Christian scholars, studying the issue of divine-human reciprocity: who moves first in the relationship, God or the person, and who or what governs the sequence of action and reaction in our relationships with God?
The Principle of Reciprocity
Being of a mathematical/scientific mind, I came up with a “law [or principle] of reciprocity.” I cannot recall how or where I discovered this principle, but—when combined with an expanding, more biblically-grounded view of God’s grace—it began to answer a number of tough questions for me. I began to see more and more the beauty and mystery of God’s actions toward us and our responses to him, as well as our actions toward God and his responses to us. James 4:8 is just one of many scriptures that expresses the principle of reciprocity. It is also seen in Matthew 13:12: “Whoever has [i.e., responds well to the grace of God already given] will be given more. … Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” We see the law of reciprocity also in Zechariah 1:3: “ ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you’ ” (see also Malachi 3:7).
By “the principle of reciprocity”—operating in the way God intends it to work—I mean that God gives himself (his grace) freely and lavishly to those who call upon him with sincerity (single-mindedness), humility and a submissive spirit, and we receive God’s grace with a grateful and godly spirit, bringing about further gifts of grace. Other terms for reciprocity are mutuality and complementarity. Reciprocal or mutual affection, for example, means that two people give and receive affection between each other. Reciprocal or complementary trust means that each trusts the other. The concept of reciprocity is truly rich, even if it is a bit difficult to understand. It is closely intertwined with another very special word: grace.
The Grace of God
During my early years as a Christian I came to understand grace as God’s “unmerited favor” because of the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. I still see this as the primary meaning of grace according to the Bible. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8, 9). When I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at the age of 19, I knew this salvation I was receiving was a pure gift of God, a work of his grace through the cross of Christ.
About 15 years later the Spirit showed me from the Bible that there was more to grace than his “unmerited favor.” Grace is also God’s energy, power, and dynamic presence. It is not a substance or essence or something in the material realm like electrical power, but neither is it merely an attitude or favorable disposition. I saw a balance in scripture between these two poles. Grace, in addition to being God’s merciful favor and kindness, is also the force or strength of God himself working in and through his people. I desperately needed then, as I do now, the strength of God within me, to enable me to speak, think, act and love as I should. I will be forever grateful to God for showing me the dynamic, actual reality of his powerful presence.
There are dozens of scripture texts that teach this often-neglected aspect of God’s grace. In the epistle to the Hebrews, for example, the writer urges: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The latter half of this verse makes much more sense if “grace” is understood as God’s power, strength, and energy and not merely his attitude of favor. Of course, his favor logically precedes his actual help. His power working for us, in us and through us is the result of his incredible love, grace and mercy.
God’s M.O.
What does the above have to do with James 4:8: “Come near to God and he will come near to you”? The answer is that God comes toward us, and at times moves away from us, in the manner, method, mode or process of his grace. We sometimes speak of a person’s M.O.—his or her modus operandi—one’s mode of operating or doing something. God’s M.O. is by grace, which is another way of speaking of God’s presence—the Holy Spirit himself—working in us or withdrawing from us. We are not to think of God, however, as some kind of material substance or essence, but as the self-sustaining and active being of eternal power, purity and love. This is, of course, beyond our full understanding, but it is not a teaching that we should therefore ignore. It is, rather, vitally important.
As I indicated above, the Bible speaks very often of grace as both divine favor and divine power. Just two verses before this month’s text we read that God “gives us more grace,” and that he “gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Grace is something real, just as God is real, just as the Spirit of God is real. In fact, I sometimes substitute the term “Holy Spirit” for “grace” when the biblical context allows for that reading, just to remind myself how close the two are. These are not identical, however. The divine author of scripture led the writers to speak of God’s grace as separate from himself, but very closely related. He is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10).
I know this essay has not presented James 4:8 with personal application, but I felt I needed first to explain the reciprocal nature of God’s gracious movements in our lives. I encourage you to “Come near to God,” keeping the whole section—James 4:6-10—in view, and I look forward to being with you again soon to consider our text more personally.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Justice, Mercy and Humility: The Life of Loyal Love
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 8C
Micah 6:8
Bob Rakestraw
This is the last of three postings on Micah 6:8—one of the most impressive and helpful verses in all of the Bible on the topic of how we are to live as the people of God. Last time we looked at God’s desire for us to act justly. Here we will consider the Lord’s will for us “to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Mercy is the second key component of the threefold way to a good and happy life. It is not simply mercy that God desires, however, but loving mercy. All three legs of the stool of God’s will—acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with him—are all virtues that involve action. The good life, which is also the happy life, is the active life as well. Since God is active (some theologians refer to him as actus purus—“pure act”), he desires his children to be active as well. We are created for meaningful activity. Just because many people go to excess in their activities—leaving little or no time for contemplation with God and substantial relationships with others—does not justify a life that lacks consistent service and benevolence.
The Meaning of Mercy
The Hebrew word for “mercy” in Micah 6:8 (hesed) is a word rich with meaning, and has been the object of much study by biblical scholars. It is used about 250 times in the Old Testament, and in the NIV Bible version about half of these occurrences have the translation “love.” Other translations are “kindness,” “unfailing love,” “great love,” and “mercy.” The word has a strong sense of loyalty and faithfulness in it, and has been understood by many scholars as “loyal love.” One version translates Micah 6:8 as “to love loyalty” (NEB), while another has “to show constant love” (GNB). Hesed is a covenant word, and speaks of the proper covenant behavior and solidarity one partner in the covenant expresses toward the other. It can refer to God’s relations to us, our relations to God, or our relations with one another.
Because of the depth of the word hesed, to translate it simply as “love” does not seem strong enough to me. Perhaps this is because the word “love” has become so diluted in today’s world, and means little more than warm feelings, liking something or someone, or even casual sex (“make love”). I am impressed with the strong covenant sense of loyalty and consistency in the word. God has made a covenant with his people, and therefore he remains true to us whatever circumstances may come. And he desires this covenant love from us and between us as the people of God.
Loving the Way of Mercy
It is significant that God urges us “to love mercy.” A merciful, kind, and loyal way of life is not something that we should merely tolerate or endure, but we are to love it! The form of the word translated “love” in this expression “to love mercy” is an intense noun used dozens of times to speak of human-to-human love, sometimes sexual love. It is used in the Song of Solomon: “love is as strong as death, … many waters cannot quench love” (8:6-7). God’s people are to have a deep, strong love of mercy. In fact, we are to be like God in this respect: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). I was delighted when I discovered recently in the next chapter after our text of the month, these words addressed to God, “You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” (7:18). The people of God are to love and delight in mercy, because this is the nature of our God!
Because of my poor health, I am the recipient of numerous acts of mercy. I deserve none of these, nor do I expect them. I often feel embarrassed by them. I have neighbors filled to overflowing with hesed, who graciously mow our lawn, shovel our snow, and do numerous fix-up jobs around our house, sometimes spending many hours a day out of pure compassion. When I think of them I think of the words of Jesus, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Mt. 5:7).
The Works of Mercy
Over the centuries of church history, seven traditional “corporal works of mercy” have been recognized: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the stranger, visiting the sick, ministering to prisoners, and burying the dead. All but the last of these are mentioned by Jesus in his teaching on the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:35-46). Here we find Jesus’ gripping words: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me,” and “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
There are also seven traditional “spiritual works of mercy:” converting the sinner, instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, comforting the sorrowful, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving injuries, and praying for the living and the dead. While the scriptures (the 66 commonly accepted books of the Protestant Bible) nowhere exhort us to pray for the dead, the other spiritual works of mercy are all biblically-based. [Prayer for the dead is mentioned in the apocrypha, in 2 Maccabees 12:42-45.]
When we think of neighbor-love, mercy is, along with justice, one of the two major qualities God desires of his people. I love studying both virtues and it stirs me when I see both qualities together in the scriptures, woven together in a powerful collage. Even the corporal and spiritual works of mercy are blended together, as are exhortations to avoid sins of omission in the areas mentioned. Notice the godly harmony in the following words. “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In you hearts do not think evil of each other.’” (Zechariah 7:9-10; see also Romans 12:9-21). I am totally overwhelmed by the comprehensiveness, graciousness and depth in this scripture!
Choosing to Walk Humbly with God
Finally, in Micah 6:8, we find one more thing that is “good” and that God “requires of us,” namely “to walk humbly with your God.” I have thought for many years that this expression corresponds with the command in the Great Commandment to “love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.” In other words, acting justly and loving mercy correspond to the command to “love your neighbor as yourself,” and walking humbly with God corresponds with loving God. Both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of true Christian love are summarized well in Micah 6:8.
Some Bible scholars suggest other translations for “to walk humbly with your God,” such as “walk prudently (TNIV note), or “walk circumspectly (NASB margin), but the best brief rendering seems to be “walk humbly.” Literally, the Hebrew says, “to cause yourself to walk closely and modestly with God.” The Hebrew word is used only here and in Proverbs 11:2: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Micah 6:8 shows deliberate action on our part. We are to actively pursue a humble walk with God, as we see in James 4:10 (“Humble yourselves before the Lord”) and Luke 14:11 (“Those who humble themselves will be exalted”). One of the best ways to humble ourselves is to learn from the life of Jesus (Matthew 11:29), and another is to spend time reverently in the Word of God. This latter guideline is suggested in Isaiah 66:2: “This is the one to whom I will look [or, “the one I esteem,” NIV], to the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word” (NRSV).
To be humble is to see one’s shortcomings and defects, and to be very much aware of our need for divine grace and mercy. It is to see oneself accurately, not with pride or a superior attitude toward others. A humble person is modest and unpretentious, and, even though he or she may have considerable assets intellectually, financially, physically, socially, or in other ways, he is not boastful or self-centered. This one, God says, is the kind of person he esteems. Furthermore, Micah speaks of our humble life with God as walking, and not only that, but walking with God. It has always been helpful for me to think of the Christian life as a daily walk with the Lord himself.
I want to close this posting with one of the most beautiful texts in the Bible, speaking powerfully of our walk with God, and his walk with us. May this be a grace-filled benediction to you always!
"For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’" (Isaiah 57:15, NIV).
Micah 6:8
Bob Rakestraw
This is the last of three postings on Micah 6:8—one of the most impressive and helpful verses in all of the Bible on the topic of how we are to live as the people of God. Last time we looked at God’s desire for us to act justly. Here we will consider the Lord’s will for us “to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Mercy is the second key component of the threefold way to a good and happy life. It is not simply mercy that God desires, however, but loving mercy. All three legs of the stool of God’s will—acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with him—are all virtues that involve action. The good life, which is also the happy life, is the active life as well. Since God is active (some theologians refer to him as actus purus—“pure act”), he desires his children to be active as well. We are created for meaningful activity. Just because many people go to excess in their activities—leaving little or no time for contemplation with God and substantial relationships with others—does not justify a life that lacks consistent service and benevolence.
The Meaning of Mercy
The Hebrew word for “mercy” in Micah 6:8 (hesed) is a word rich with meaning, and has been the object of much study by biblical scholars. It is used about 250 times in the Old Testament, and in the NIV Bible version about half of these occurrences have the translation “love.” Other translations are “kindness,” “unfailing love,” “great love,” and “mercy.” The word has a strong sense of loyalty and faithfulness in it, and has been understood by many scholars as “loyal love.” One version translates Micah 6:8 as “to love loyalty” (NEB), while another has “to show constant love” (GNB). Hesed is a covenant word, and speaks of the proper covenant behavior and solidarity one partner in the covenant expresses toward the other. It can refer to God’s relations to us, our relations to God, or our relations with one another.
Because of the depth of the word hesed, to translate it simply as “love” does not seem strong enough to me. Perhaps this is because the word “love” has become so diluted in today’s world, and means little more than warm feelings, liking something or someone, or even casual sex (“make love”). I am impressed with the strong covenant sense of loyalty and consistency in the word. God has made a covenant with his people, and therefore he remains true to us whatever circumstances may come. And he desires this covenant love from us and between us as the people of God.
Loving the Way of Mercy
It is significant that God urges us “to love mercy.” A merciful, kind, and loyal way of life is not something that we should merely tolerate or endure, but we are to love it! The form of the word translated “love” in this expression “to love mercy” is an intense noun used dozens of times to speak of human-to-human love, sometimes sexual love. It is used in the Song of Solomon: “love is as strong as death, … many waters cannot quench love” (8:6-7). God’s people are to have a deep, strong love of mercy. In fact, we are to be like God in this respect: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). I was delighted when I discovered recently in the next chapter after our text of the month, these words addressed to God, “You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” (7:18). The people of God are to love and delight in mercy, because this is the nature of our God!
Because of my poor health, I am the recipient of numerous acts of mercy. I deserve none of these, nor do I expect them. I often feel embarrassed by them. I have neighbors filled to overflowing with hesed, who graciously mow our lawn, shovel our snow, and do numerous fix-up jobs around our house, sometimes spending many hours a day out of pure compassion. When I think of them I think of the words of Jesus, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Mt. 5:7).
The Works of Mercy
Over the centuries of church history, seven traditional “corporal works of mercy” have been recognized: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the stranger, visiting the sick, ministering to prisoners, and burying the dead. All but the last of these are mentioned by Jesus in his teaching on the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:35-46). Here we find Jesus’ gripping words: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me,” and “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
There are also seven traditional “spiritual works of mercy:” converting the sinner, instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, comforting the sorrowful, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving injuries, and praying for the living and the dead. While the scriptures (the 66 commonly accepted books of the Protestant Bible) nowhere exhort us to pray for the dead, the other spiritual works of mercy are all biblically-based. [Prayer for the dead is mentioned in the apocrypha, in 2 Maccabees 12:42-45.]
When we think of neighbor-love, mercy is, along with justice, one of the two major qualities God desires of his people. I love studying both virtues and it stirs me when I see both qualities together in the scriptures, woven together in a powerful collage. Even the corporal and spiritual works of mercy are blended together, as are exhortations to avoid sins of omission in the areas mentioned. Notice the godly harmony in the following words. “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In you hearts do not think evil of each other.’” (Zechariah 7:9-10; see also Romans 12:9-21). I am totally overwhelmed by the comprehensiveness, graciousness and depth in this scripture!
Choosing to Walk Humbly with God
Finally, in Micah 6:8, we find one more thing that is “good” and that God “requires of us,” namely “to walk humbly with your God.” I have thought for many years that this expression corresponds with the command in the Great Commandment to “love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.” In other words, acting justly and loving mercy correspond to the command to “love your neighbor as yourself,” and walking humbly with God corresponds with loving God. Both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of true Christian love are summarized well in Micah 6:8.
Some Bible scholars suggest other translations for “to walk humbly with your God,” such as “walk prudently (TNIV note), or “walk circumspectly (NASB margin), but the best brief rendering seems to be “walk humbly.” Literally, the Hebrew says, “to cause yourself to walk closely and modestly with God.” The Hebrew word is used only here and in Proverbs 11:2: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Micah 6:8 shows deliberate action on our part. We are to actively pursue a humble walk with God, as we see in James 4:10 (“Humble yourselves before the Lord”) and Luke 14:11 (“Those who humble themselves will be exalted”). One of the best ways to humble ourselves is to learn from the life of Jesus (Matthew 11:29), and another is to spend time reverently in the Word of God. This latter guideline is suggested in Isaiah 66:2: “This is the one to whom I will look [or, “the one I esteem,” NIV], to the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word” (NRSV).
To be humble is to see one’s shortcomings and defects, and to be very much aware of our need for divine grace and mercy. It is to see oneself accurately, not with pride or a superior attitude toward others. A humble person is modest and unpretentious, and, even though he or she may have considerable assets intellectually, financially, physically, socially, or in other ways, he is not boastful or self-centered. This one, God says, is the kind of person he esteems. Furthermore, Micah speaks of our humble life with God as walking, and not only that, but walking with God. It has always been helpful for me to think of the Christian life as a daily walk with the Lord himself.
I want to close this posting with one of the most beautiful texts in the Bible, speaking powerfully of our walk with God, and his walk with us. May this be a grace-filled benediction to you always!
"For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’" (Isaiah 57:15, NIV).
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Justice, Mercy and Humility: All That God Expects
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 8B
Micah 6:8
Bob Rakestraw
How can we know what God expects of us? Since God is morally perfect, it may seem that his list of expectations is infinitely long and impossible to keep. But we need not despair. The Bible (see, e.g., 2 Cor. 5:14-21; Gal. 3:1-14) makes it clear that Jesus Christ, by giving his life for all people, set us free from any system of law-keeping based on human effort. All we need to do is come to the foot of Christ’s cross in repentance and faith, acknowledge our innumerable violations of God’s requirements, and receive Christ and his forgiveness along with freedom from guilt, shame and despair.
I came to Christ in this way at the age of 19, and have never turned back. If I should die today I know I would be welcomed into the presence of God forever, not because of my inherent goodness or obedience to God’s laws, but because of the saving work of Jesus at Calvary, who died in my place for my sins.
Living from Gratitude
Even with this glorious freedom and hope of eternal life, however (in fact, because of it), I still have a strong desire to obey God’s will fully. Because I am assured of everlasting glory with God, I desire more than ever, out of gratitude and for the sake of my own happiness, to live totally for my Savior. I can’t imagine any other life. This is why I am so excited about our scripture of the month: Micah 6:8.
In our last posting we introduced this verse and some of its background. Now I wish to develop the text a bit more.
He has showed you, O [mortal] what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)
In the first line the prophet speaks of the good life, which we discussed in our last posting as being tied closely to the happy life. Next, Micah raises the question of what the Lord requires of us as his people, and then presents the threefold way as the key to how we should live: the path of justice, mercy and humility. Instead of the 613 laws of the Jewish people in Jesus’ day, Micah sums up God’s expectations for us in these three virtues. Over the years, my life has become more and more simplified by keeping Micah 6:8 fresh in my mind and life.
Practicing Justice
Justice has been defined in many different ways, and it can be a difficult concept to understand. For our purposes, however, I want to stay as simple, clear, and biblical as possible.
“To act justly” in the Hebrew is literally “to act justice.” It could also be translated “to do, to practice, to make, to carry out justice.” The idea is that we are to do far more than simply think about justice, but live a life of justice. The concept of justice is at the very heart of God’s character. The psalmist writes, “The Lord is known by his justice” (Ps. 9:16; 11:7). The word justice [mishpat] is used 425 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It means that which is right, lawful or fair. It has a legal sense to it.
God’s view of injustice is seen several places in Micah (e.g., 2:1-2; 3:1-2, 8-11; 6:8-12). In Micah’s day, as in ours, it is highly offensive to God and terribly hurtful to people, to practice such injustices as fraud, bribery, dishonest scales, lying and deceit.
Years ago one of my students told me that he had to quit his job as a photographer for a certain mail-order catalog company. He said that he had to place the product on a table or display, and then photograph it in such a way that it would look appealing. There is nothing wrong with this, as such, but my student said that the product was really a piece of junk that he had to photograph in a tricky way, deceiving the prospective buyer. It’s true that the camera does not lie, but the photographer and catalog designer could deceive the reader by the position of the product, the angle of the light, and other tricks of the trade. This is injustice in God’s eyes, and I’m glad my student quit working with that company.
If you work for a company where your employer is asking you to cut corners or somehow cheat the customers, go to your boss and explain to him or her why you cannot, as a Christian, do the things he requires. It is the Lord who requires you “to act justly.” This, God says, is “what is good” (Micah 5:8).
Justice as Love
When you begin to study the hundreds of times “justice” is referred to in the Bible you will see why it is one of the three main requirements of the Lord, and why it is an essential part of the good life. Justice is really a form of love. In fact, justice and love are inseparable in the true follower of the Lord. We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves, and one way that we do this, according to both Old and New Testaments, is to practice justice. Jesus rebuked the religious teachers and spiritual leaders of his day by calling them hypocrites. He pointed out that they tithed their possessions faithfully, but, he said, “you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23). May God give us the strength of character to be just, as he is just.
Micah 6:8
Bob Rakestraw
How can we know what God expects of us? Since God is morally perfect, it may seem that his list of expectations is infinitely long and impossible to keep. But we need not despair. The Bible (see, e.g., 2 Cor. 5:14-21; Gal. 3:1-14) makes it clear that Jesus Christ, by giving his life for all people, set us free from any system of law-keeping based on human effort. All we need to do is come to the foot of Christ’s cross in repentance and faith, acknowledge our innumerable violations of God’s requirements, and receive Christ and his forgiveness along with freedom from guilt, shame and despair.
I came to Christ in this way at the age of 19, and have never turned back. If I should die today I know I would be welcomed into the presence of God forever, not because of my inherent goodness or obedience to God’s laws, but because of the saving work of Jesus at Calvary, who died in my place for my sins.
Living from Gratitude
Even with this glorious freedom and hope of eternal life, however (in fact, because of it), I still have a strong desire to obey God’s will fully. Because I am assured of everlasting glory with God, I desire more than ever, out of gratitude and for the sake of my own happiness, to live totally for my Savior. I can’t imagine any other life. This is why I am so excited about our scripture of the month: Micah 6:8.
In our last posting we introduced this verse and some of its background. Now I wish to develop the text a bit more.
He has showed you, O [mortal] what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)
In the first line the prophet speaks of the good life, which we discussed in our last posting as being tied closely to the happy life. Next, Micah raises the question of what the Lord requires of us as his people, and then presents the threefold way as the key to how we should live: the path of justice, mercy and humility. Instead of the 613 laws of the Jewish people in Jesus’ day, Micah sums up God’s expectations for us in these three virtues. Over the years, my life has become more and more simplified by keeping Micah 6:8 fresh in my mind and life.
Practicing Justice
Justice has been defined in many different ways, and it can be a difficult concept to understand. For our purposes, however, I want to stay as simple, clear, and biblical as possible.
“To act justly” in the Hebrew is literally “to act justice.” It could also be translated “to do, to practice, to make, to carry out justice.” The idea is that we are to do far more than simply think about justice, but live a life of justice. The concept of justice is at the very heart of God’s character. The psalmist writes, “The Lord is known by his justice” (Ps. 9:16; 11:7). The word justice [mishpat] is used 425 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It means that which is right, lawful or fair. It has a legal sense to it.
God’s view of injustice is seen several places in Micah (e.g., 2:1-2; 3:1-2, 8-11; 6:8-12). In Micah’s day, as in ours, it is highly offensive to God and terribly hurtful to people, to practice such injustices as fraud, bribery, dishonest scales, lying and deceit.
Years ago one of my students told me that he had to quit his job as a photographer for a certain mail-order catalog company. He said that he had to place the product on a table or display, and then photograph it in such a way that it would look appealing. There is nothing wrong with this, as such, but my student said that the product was really a piece of junk that he had to photograph in a tricky way, deceiving the prospective buyer. It’s true that the camera does not lie, but the photographer and catalog designer could deceive the reader by the position of the product, the angle of the light, and other tricks of the trade. This is injustice in God’s eyes, and I’m glad my student quit working with that company.
If you work for a company where your employer is asking you to cut corners or somehow cheat the customers, go to your boss and explain to him or her why you cannot, as a Christian, do the things he requires. It is the Lord who requires you “to act justly.” This, God says, is “what is good” (Micah 5:8).
Justice as Love
When you begin to study the hundreds of times “justice” is referred to in the Bible you will see why it is one of the three main requirements of the Lord, and why it is an essential part of the good life. Justice is really a form of love. In fact, justice and love are inseparable in the true follower of the Lord. We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves, and one way that we do this, according to both Old and New Testaments, is to practice justice. Jesus rebuked the religious teachers and spiritual leaders of his day by calling them hypocrites. He pointed out that they tithed their possessions faithfully, but, he said, “you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23). May God give us the strength of character to be just, as he is just.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Justice, Mercy and Humility: God's Prescription for Happiness
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 8A
Micah 6:8
Bob Rakestraw
The longer I live the more I am convinced that the happy life is the good life, and the good life is the happy life. Happiness and goodness are closely related, even though most people seem to pursue the former more than the latter. Perhaps because the word “goodness” has a moral connotation to it, and morality suggests restrictions, some tend to think that goodness may work against their pursuit of happiness and fun. But goodness, properly understood, is not a system of burdensome laws, but a quality of life that brings deep joy and hope—not only to oneself but to others as well.
The Path to Happiness
The path to happiness, stated in terms of everyday living, is to seek to be a benediction, or blessing, to every person with whom we come in touch. This path seems contrary to the popular idea of seeking one’s happiness by self-love, purchases, travel, exclusive relationships and accomplishments. There is nothing wrong, necessarily, with the items just mentioned, but when we give ourselves to the pursuit of happiness without desiring the will of God above all else, and without seeking to be a blessing to others, we will find not satisfaction but sorrow, not happiness but emptiness.
One way we can be certain that we are living as a benediction to others, is to focus on those scriptures that present a concise summary of God’s expectations, and then to concentrate on living in the way described there. One of the most clear and concise such Bible verses is Micah 6:8:
He has showed you, O [mortal], what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)
I have selected this scripture text as one of my all-time favorite Bible passages because it struck me forcefully over forty years ago when I was searching for a way to summarize the way I should live. I had already discovered the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:36-40:
‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He [Jesus] said to him [the lawyer asking the question], ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (NRSV)
As stated above, this scripture portion, given in similar form in Mark 12:31-32, came to me before Micah 6:8. When I found the latter text I now had one summary statement from the New Testament and one from the Old, each speaking very plainly and similarly about how God desires people to live. Love for God with all our being is another way of saying what Micah says: “to walk humbly with your God.” And to love one’s neighbor as oneself is another way of summarizing Micah’s words: “to act justly and to love mercy.”
The Important Background
One of the most important lessons I learned in my early years as a Christian is to look closely at the context of the Bible verse or verses I am studying, It does not satisfy the requirements of careful Bible study to simply glance at our text and then begin speaking of justice, mercy, and humility. We need to look, at least briefly, at the overall purpose of the Bible book, the writer, the date, the historical circumstances, the intended recipients, and the connection of the scripture passage with the preceding and following verses. It is also important to note the similarity of the text with other texts on the same topic throughout the Bible, as we drew attention to the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:36-40. I do not intend to write about all of the above matters of Biblical interpretation just mentioned, but only those that have a bearing on Micah 6:8. But I always try to keep these background matters in mind as I write.
Reading through the book of Micah is an excellent way to see what the Lord is teaching his people—including us today. God is making accusations against his chosen people—both the northern kingdom, Israel, and the southern kingdom, Judah. The prophet Micah, from southern Judah, prophesied between 750 and 686 B.C., and, like his contemporary Isaiah, both threatens punishment and promises justice for God’s people. Punishment is coming to them because of their idolatry, injustice, rebellion, witchcraft and empty ritual. Yet throughout the book, there are predictions of hope and deliverance—some of them very tenderly expressed—as well as prophecies of gloom and judgment.
The Threefold Way
The three virtues that summarize the good life in Micah 6:8—justice, mercy, and humility—are all pointed out by the prophet because they are in direct opposition to three specific evils rampant throughout the land: injustice, unkindness and pride. One of the best ways to understand what God means by justice, mercy and humility is to read the book of Micah while noting the sins for which Israel, Judah and the surrounding nations are being judged. In addition, being serious about purging the contemporary equivalents of these sins from our lives, while keeping before us the positive language of Micah 6:8, will lead us to a life of fulfillment and deep satisfaction.
To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God are the three qualities of the godly person’s life that summarize both the life of Jesus and the expected life of his followers. Loving our neighbor as ourselves, and loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength, lead with increasing confidence and satisfaction to the truly happy life. Next time we will look more closely at justice, mercy and humility and try to give specific examples of these from everyday life.
Micah 6:8
Bob Rakestraw
The longer I live the more I am convinced that the happy life is the good life, and the good life is the happy life. Happiness and goodness are closely related, even though most people seem to pursue the former more than the latter. Perhaps because the word “goodness” has a moral connotation to it, and morality suggests restrictions, some tend to think that goodness may work against their pursuit of happiness and fun. But goodness, properly understood, is not a system of burdensome laws, but a quality of life that brings deep joy and hope—not only to oneself but to others as well.
The Path to Happiness
The path to happiness, stated in terms of everyday living, is to seek to be a benediction, or blessing, to every person with whom we come in touch. This path seems contrary to the popular idea of seeking one’s happiness by self-love, purchases, travel, exclusive relationships and accomplishments. There is nothing wrong, necessarily, with the items just mentioned, but when we give ourselves to the pursuit of happiness without desiring the will of God above all else, and without seeking to be a blessing to others, we will find not satisfaction but sorrow, not happiness but emptiness.
One way we can be certain that we are living as a benediction to others, is to focus on those scriptures that present a concise summary of God’s expectations, and then to concentrate on living in the way described there. One of the most clear and concise such Bible verses is Micah 6:8:
He has showed you, O [mortal], what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)
I have selected this scripture text as one of my all-time favorite Bible passages because it struck me forcefully over forty years ago when I was searching for a way to summarize the way I should live. I had already discovered the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:36-40:
‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He [Jesus] said to him [the lawyer asking the question], ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (NRSV)
As stated above, this scripture portion, given in similar form in Mark 12:31-32, came to me before Micah 6:8. When I found the latter text I now had one summary statement from the New Testament and one from the Old, each speaking very plainly and similarly about how God desires people to live. Love for God with all our being is another way of saying what Micah says: “to walk humbly with your God.” And to love one’s neighbor as oneself is another way of summarizing Micah’s words: “to act justly and to love mercy.”
The Important Background
One of the most important lessons I learned in my early years as a Christian is to look closely at the context of the Bible verse or verses I am studying, It does not satisfy the requirements of careful Bible study to simply glance at our text and then begin speaking of justice, mercy, and humility. We need to look, at least briefly, at the overall purpose of the Bible book, the writer, the date, the historical circumstances, the intended recipients, and the connection of the scripture passage with the preceding and following verses. It is also important to note the similarity of the text with other texts on the same topic throughout the Bible, as we drew attention to the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:36-40. I do not intend to write about all of the above matters of Biblical interpretation just mentioned, but only those that have a bearing on Micah 6:8. But I always try to keep these background matters in mind as I write.
Reading through the book of Micah is an excellent way to see what the Lord is teaching his people—including us today. God is making accusations against his chosen people—both the northern kingdom, Israel, and the southern kingdom, Judah. The prophet Micah, from southern Judah, prophesied between 750 and 686 B.C., and, like his contemporary Isaiah, both threatens punishment and promises justice for God’s people. Punishment is coming to them because of their idolatry, injustice, rebellion, witchcraft and empty ritual. Yet throughout the book, there are predictions of hope and deliverance—some of them very tenderly expressed—as well as prophecies of gloom and judgment.
The Threefold Way
The three virtues that summarize the good life in Micah 6:8—justice, mercy, and humility—are all pointed out by the prophet because they are in direct opposition to three specific evils rampant throughout the land: injustice, unkindness and pride. One of the best ways to understand what God means by justice, mercy and humility is to read the book of Micah while noting the sins for which Israel, Judah and the surrounding nations are being judged. In addition, being serious about purging the contemporary equivalents of these sins from our lives, while keeping before us the positive language of Micah 6:8, will lead us to a life of fulfillment and deep satisfaction.
To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God are the three qualities of the godly person’s life that summarize both the life of Jesus and the expected life of his followers. Loving our neighbor as ourselves, and loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength, lead with increasing confidence and satisfaction to the truly happy life. Next time we will look more closely at justice, mercy and humility and try to give specific examples of these from everyday life.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The Great Invitation: Unforced Rhythms of Grace
Top 12 Scripture Texts: Number 7B
Matthew 11:28-30
Bob Rakestraw
Last time we began to look at one of the most remarkable passages in all of the Bible. I have called it “The Great Invitation.” These astounding words of Jesus are found in Matthew 11:28-30.
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light” (New Living Translation).
This scripture portion has been one of my top-twelve all-time favorites for over four decades, but it has become especially meaningful—even revolutionary—to me during the past few weeks. What has helped me so greatly in my practical, everyday life has been there all the time, looking out at me from the gospel of Matthew and even stored in my memory. I wrote about the new insight in my previous posting, so I will only briefly review it here.
In essence, I realized I had been denying the full truth of Matthew 11:30. I felt that the yoke of Christ was uncomfortable, and that his burden was heavy. I was resting in the knowledge of sins forgiven, eternal life, and the truth that he was working everything—even adversity—for my good. I was also looking to God daily for strength, patience, and love. But I found life hard. I came to see that I needed to make a major attitude adjustment, which I have begun to do during the past few weeks. While I still find external aspects of life difficult, especially because of my poor health, I am now viewing my life from a different perspective. I am focusing on the grace-full quality of Christ’s expectations for me (his “easy” yoke) and the true lightness of the burden he places on me daily.
Before I move on, I want to present Eugene H. Peterson’s paraphrase of our text in The Message:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matthew 11:28-30).
Only in Matthew’s gospel do we find this remarkable invitation. It follows Jesus’ words of thankfulness to his Father, and his joy in the Spirit at the divine revelation of God’s secrets to “infants”—those who are not proud of their position or intellectual skills, but are simple, dependent, and eager to learn God’s teachings (Matthew 11:25-27; Luke 10:21).
The Order in Jesus Invitation
It is quite helpful to note the order in Jesus’ invitation. He first says, “Come to me.” In the original language this is not so much an imperative as an urging, “Come, come on,” Jesus says. You are so tired and worn out from the pressures of life and heaviness of your load, that you need to come to me. The pronoun “me” is emphatic; no one else will do. The invitation is to all: young, old, boys, girls, men, women, educated, unskilled, religious, non-religious, and whatever color or race you are. Literally: “Come on to me, all of you, you ones becoming weary and being burdened, and I (emphatic) will refresh you and rest you.” I am the one who is able and willing to help you—to teach you the things that are hidden from the proud and arrogant but are revealed to you who come to me as infants.
The second and third steps of Jesus’ invitation are imperatives, and are meant to be observed closely together: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” “Take” is “lift up, take up” my yoke—this symbol of your obligation, loyalty, submission, and discipleship to me. This is an act of the will, just as when we come to Jesus at first. We see Jesus holding out his yoke to us—an easy, gentle frame to help us pull or carry our burdens through life. Jesus is not saying that we will have no burdens, but that he will teach us to pull them and carry them in such a way—figuratively speaking—that does not jerk our bones or tear into our flesh. His yoke is gentle (literally kind, good, comfortable).
The yoke in biblical times was a wooden bar that connected two or more draft animals at their necks so that they might work effectively together, pulling a plow or load or working in other ways. This is the literal sense of the word. The Bible also uses the term metaphorically to refer to work or bondage (Genesis 27:40). Sometimes the yoke was placed on God’s people by foreign rulers and sometimes by Israel’s own kings (2 Chronicles 10:4-14). When a person carried a yoke, he or she would carry it on one’s shoulders as a sign of submission to the ruling power (Jeremiah 27:2-12). Jewish people spoke of carrying the yoke of God’s law and the yoke of his kingdom, which one accepted by acknowledging that God was one and by keeping his commandments. Our “Great Invitation” text immediately precedes a passage showing how the “yoke” of God’s law, as interpreted by the Jewish leaders, was a miserable, harsh, and legalistically weighty burden (Matthew 12:1-14). How refreshing Jesus’ words would have been to them!
The Ongoing Cycle
There is a continuing cycle in these verses, beginning with one’s initial coming to Christ at conversion. Jesus is saying, “Come on.” (I picture him with outstretched arms, perhaps on the cross, or maybe in a recliner chair.) We come to him and receive forgiveness of sins and a new relationship with God. This is called regeneration—the “new birth.” People who become weary enough, or burdened enough by their sin and other trials, come to Jesus for that initial rest he gives. Jesus then, knowing that we are made for work—knowing that fruitful, honest labor is good for us—offers us his yoke. We place his yoke on our shoulders and find that it is surprisingly comfortable. It fits well and feels good as we learn (become discipled by experience) from observing and serving with Jesus (learn “from me” is emphatic—we must learn ultimately from the Master himself). We learn because he is such a humble teacher, not arrogant or rough with us, and we learn that he is humble and willing to take the lower position, being humble in his heart.
It is when we become diverted from this God-ordained cycle that we find ourselves becoming weary, overloaded, and stressed-out again. Then we need to come to Jesus again, admitting that we have been trying to handle life in our own strength. He rests us again, offers to exchange his yoke for the painful one we somehow managed to pick up, and then we get back to plowing the fields—living life—and learning from our Master Teacher again. We find it so much easier that we wonder why we moved away from him. We seem to need to learn this lesson over and over in life, yet Jesus still stands there, arms outstretched, saying “C’mon, Come to me.”
Community and Commitment
There are two final thoughts that should be mentioned before we close this piece. First, in Matthew 11:28-29, from the exclamation, “Come on,” to the mention of rest for our souls, the language is plural. Jesus is addressing all of us, and saying that we all need to do this together. Of course, each person individually needs to come to Christ, but even here others usually need to help us come. And when we are his disciples, we need to learn from Jesus together. It is too difficult to serve God as lone-rangers. We simply will not do it well, and others will know we are not doing it well. Take Jesus’ yoke, learn and serve people together, and, as a group committed to Christ and to one another, you will find rest for your souls.
Second, already obvious from above, there is no distinction in the teachings of Jesus, or in the New Testament, between receiving Jesus as Savior and receiving Jesus as Lord. There is no use in asking whether The Great Invitation is Jesus’ appeal for “salvation” or for “discipleship.” Yes, the word for “disciple” (“learn”) is found in the middle of verse 29, but this is expressed as part of the one invitation: “Come…take my yoke…learn.” Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee of our lives and calls us to come—at whatever stage in life we are, and in whatever spiritual condition. The solution to our weary, restless, burned-out souls is the same: “Come to me.… Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (The Message).
Matthew 11:28-30
Bob Rakestraw
Last time we began to look at one of the most remarkable passages in all of the Bible. I have called it “The Great Invitation.” These astounding words of Jesus are found in Matthew 11:28-30.
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light” (New Living Translation).
This scripture portion has been one of my top-twelve all-time favorites for over four decades, but it has become especially meaningful—even revolutionary—to me during the past few weeks. What has helped me so greatly in my practical, everyday life has been there all the time, looking out at me from the gospel of Matthew and even stored in my memory. I wrote about the new insight in my previous posting, so I will only briefly review it here.
In essence, I realized I had been denying the full truth of Matthew 11:30. I felt that the yoke of Christ was uncomfortable, and that his burden was heavy. I was resting in the knowledge of sins forgiven, eternal life, and the truth that he was working everything—even adversity—for my good. I was also looking to God daily for strength, patience, and love. But I found life hard. I came to see that I needed to make a major attitude adjustment, which I have begun to do during the past few weeks. While I still find external aspects of life difficult, especially because of my poor health, I am now viewing my life from a different perspective. I am focusing on the grace-full quality of Christ’s expectations for me (his “easy” yoke) and the true lightness of the burden he places on me daily.
Before I move on, I want to present Eugene H. Peterson’s paraphrase of our text in The Message:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matthew 11:28-30).
Only in Matthew’s gospel do we find this remarkable invitation. It follows Jesus’ words of thankfulness to his Father, and his joy in the Spirit at the divine revelation of God’s secrets to “infants”—those who are not proud of their position or intellectual skills, but are simple, dependent, and eager to learn God’s teachings (Matthew 11:25-27; Luke 10:21).
The Order in Jesus Invitation
It is quite helpful to note the order in Jesus’ invitation. He first says, “Come to me.” In the original language this is not so much an imperative as an urging, “Come, come on,” Jesus says. You are so tired and worn out from the pressures of life and heaviness of your load, that you need to come to me. The pronoun “me” is emphatic; no one else will do. The invitation is to all: young, old, boys, girls, men, women, educated, unskilled, religious, non-religious, and whatever color or race you are. Literally: “Come on to me, all of you, you ones becoming weary and being burdened, and I (emphatic) will refresh you and rest you.” I am the one who is able and willing to help you—to teach you the things that are hidden from the proud and arrogant but are revealed to you who come to me as infants.
The second and third steps of Jesus’ invitation are imperatives, and are meant to be observed closely together: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” “Take” is “lift up, take up” my yoke—this symbol of your obligation, loyalty, submission, and discipleship to me. This is an act of the will, just as when we come to Jesus at first. We see Jesus holding out his yoke to us—an easy, gentle frame to help us pull or carry our burdens through life. Jesus is not saying that we will have no burdens, but that he will teach us to pull them and carry them in such a way—figuratively speaking—that does not jerk our bones or tear into our flesh. His yoke is gentle (literally kind, good, comfortable).
The yoke in biblical times was a wooden bar that connected two or more draft animals at their necks so that they might work effectively together, pulling a plow or load or working in other ways. This is the literal sense of the word. The Bible also uses the term metaphorically to refer to work or bondage (Genesis 27:40). Sometimes the yoke was placed on God’s people by foreign rulers and sometimes by Israel’s own kings (2 Chronicles 10:4-14). When a person carried a yoke, he or she would carry it on one’s shoulders as a sign of submission to the ruling power (Jeremiah 27:2-12). Jewish people spoke of carrying the yoke of God’s law and the yoke of his kingdom, which one accepted by acknowledging that God was one and by keeping his commandments. Our “Great Invitation” text immediately precedes a passage showing how the “yoke” of God’s law, as interpreted by the Jewish leaders, was a miserable, harsh, and legalistically weighty burden (Matthew 12:1-14). How refreshing Jesus’ words would have been to them!
The Ongoing Cycle
There is a continuing cycle in these verses, beginning with one’s initial coming to Christ at conversion. Jesus is saying, “Come on.” (I picture him with outstretched arms, perhaps on the cross, or maybe in a recliner chair.) We come to him and receive forgiveness of sins and a new relationship with God. This is called regeneration—the “new birth.” People who become weary enough, or burdened enough by their sin and other trials, come to Jesus for that initial rest he gives. Jesus then, knowing that we are made for work—knowing that fruitful, honest labor is good for us—offers us his yoke. We place his yoke on our shoulders and find that it is surprisingly comfortable. It fits well and feels good as we learn (become discipled by experience) from observing and serving with Jesus (learn “from me” is emphatic—we must learn ultimately from the Master himself). We learn because he is such a humble teacher, not arrogant or rough with us, and we learn that he is humble and willing to take the lower position, being humble in his heart.
It is when we become diverted from this God-ordained cycle that we find ourselves becoming weary, overloaded, and stressed-out again. Then we need to come to Jesus again, admitting that we have been trying to handle life in our own strength. He rests us again, offers to exchange his yoke for the painful one we somehow managed to pick up, and then we get back to plowing the fields—living life—and learning from our Master Teacher again. We find it so much easier that we wonder why we moved away from him. We seem to need to learn this lesson over and over in life, yet Jesus still stands there, arms outstretched, saying “C’mon, Come to me.”
Community and Commitment
There are two final thoughts that should be mentioned before we close this piece. First, in Matthew 11:28-29, from the exclamation, “Come on,” to the mention of rest for our souls, the language is plural. Jesus is addressing all of us, and saying that we all need to do this together. Of course, each person individually needs to come to Christ, but even here others usually need to help us come. And when we are his disciples, we need to learn from Jesus together. It is too difficult to serve God as lone-rangers. We simply will not do it well, and others will know we are not doing it well. Take Jesus’ yoke, learn and serve people together, and, as a group committed to Christ and to one another, you will find rest for your souls.
Second, already obvious from above, there is no distinction in the teachings of Jesus, or in the New Testament, between receiving Jesus as Savior and receiving Jesus as Lord. There is no use in asking whether The Great Invitation is Jesus’ appeal for “salvation” or for “discipleship.” Yes, the word for “disciple” (“learn”) is found in the middle of verse 29, but this is expressed as part of the one invitation: “Come…take my yoke…learn.” Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee of our lives and calls us to come—at whatever stage in life we are, and in whatever spiritual condition. The solution to our weary, restless, burned-out souls is the same: “Come to me.… Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (The Message).
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