Harmony #79: Fruit, Mold and Mountains (Matthew 21:10-22; John 12:17-19; Mark 11:11-24; Luke 19:45-46)

Let’s talk about figs and fig trees in the Bible.

·   “How miserable I am! I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest who can find nothing to eat. Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig can be found to satisfy my hunger. The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murderers, setting traps even for their own brothers.” (Micah 7:1-2)

·  “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the ‘first ripe’ in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.” (Hosea 9:10)

·   “For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, the teeth of a great lion. He has laid my vine [Judah] waste, and barked my fig tree...” (Joel 1:6-7) 

·   “The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master/lord will be honored.” (Proverbs 27:18)

So, figs and fig trees are used throughout the Old Testament as a symbol for God’s people, and sometimes very specifically the leaders. In addition, sitting under one’s own fig tree became a common OT image of the Israelite enjoying freedom and prosperity in the land (2 Kings 18:31; Isaiah 36:16; Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10); meanwhile, its destruction was a symbol of the nation’s judgment (Jeremiah 5:17; Hosea 2:12; Joel 1:7, 12).

We are going to read an interesting incident in the life of Jesus today, one in which he performs his only recorded “miracle of destruction.” He is going to kill a fig tree. It feels a little jarring because it seems petty and a little mean, like Jesus had a really bad day and he just did not have time for this stupid fig tree!

However, this story wraps around a visit to the temple where the “fig tree” of the leaders of His people are defiling the temple. I am going to suggest that Jesus’ treatment of the fig tree tells his disciples something very important about the future of the Temple and the Sadducees. Let’s read the passage, then talk about what Jesus was doing with the fig tree.

As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it.

Because they had heard that Jesus had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. Thus the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!” Then Jesus went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.

Now early in the morning  the next day, as they went out from Bethany and returned to the city, Jesus was hungry.[1]After noticing in the distance by the road a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it.

When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again. Never again will there be fruit from you!” And his disciples heard it.

Apparently, fig trees put out leaves and fruit pretty close together. If it has leaves, it should have some kind of fruit. Even before it is “the season for figs,” there are these little early figs that let you know the harvest will happen (the ‘first ripe’ in Hosea 9). They are like a teaser trailer for the upcoming show. This seems to be what is happening. Not only is this tree lying about its fruitfulness, it’s not going to bear fruit when the season hits.

Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,[2] and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.[3]

Then Jesus began to teach them and said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have turned it into a den of robbers!”[4] The blind and lame came to him in the temple courts, and he healed them.[5]

But when the chief priests and the experts in the law saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?”

Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?”[6] The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching.

When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there. In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered to the roots.” When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, “How did it wither so quickly?”[7]

Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and do not doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will happen, it will be done for you.[8] For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”[9]

THE TEMPLE AND THE FIG TREES (SADDUCEES)

During Passover, hundreds of thousands of Jewish pilgrims would travel to Jerusalem. They would have to exchange their own currency for temple currency and purchase animals and other items for sacrifices. Guess who controlled this whole process? The Sadducees.

You may remember that ever since the Sadducees asked Herod to be the King of the Jews to appease Rome, the priesthood was a political system controlled by Herod. Instead of priests descending from Zadok (1 Chronicles 24), the empire selected the high priests. As you might expect, this led to bribes and corruption, with the chief priests, captains and treasurers of the temple becoming wealthy and influential families who formed a small, powerful group within society with their own little group of thugs #templeguard to make sure they got their way.[10]

They raised the sacrificial animals, sold them, changed the money (for profit), etc. It was a huge money grift. And they did it in a part of the temple where the Gentiles were supposed to be able to worship.

It seems that Jesus cleared the Temple courtyards twice: once at the beginning of his ministry and once at the end. In Levitical law, there was only one scenario for which God’s people need to do a cleansing twice: mold. If after the first cleansing the priests found no more mold, the house was cleansed again and then the family can move back in. However….

If the mold has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out and thrown into an unclean place outside the town. He must have all the inside walls of the house scraped and the material that is scraped off dumped into an unclean place outside the town.[11] Then they are to take other stones to replace these and take new clay and plaster the house.

If the defiling mold reappears in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house scraped and plastered, the priest is to go and examine it and, if the mold has spread in the house, it is a persistent defiling mold; the house is unclean.  It must be torn down—its stones, timbers and all the plaster—and taken out of the town to an unclean place. (Leviticus 14: 39-45)[12]

Or, to use Jesus’ fig tree imagery, it must be withered to the root.

It turns out that Jesus’ triumphal entry took Jesus to the heart of first-century Judaism: the temple, where Sadducee and Temple trees had lots of leaves - and mold, and no fruit. There was nothing to feed and nourish God’s people. It was maybe even toxic and destructive. They were clearly not being the “light to the nations” that God intended of His people.[13]

I believe the destruction of the fig tree was a tangible rabbinic parable that his disciples understood as pointing to the coming destruction of the priesthood and Temple, “withered to the roots.”[14]

This would indicate two things.

• The rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem will no longer be a goal of redemptive history. The New Covenant Temple is the church in which all are priests (2 Corinthians 6; 1 Peter 2) and believers in whom the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3).

• What we now call Judaism will no longer be the primary carrier of the good news that the Kingdom of Heaven is here. It’s meant to be the church: the new temple, with a new priesthood.[15] This does not mean we don’t appreciate and learn from the beautiful foundation of the Old Covenant – they were God’s chosen people - but the mantle has been passed, like Elijah to Elisha, to the New Covenant people.

We must take this seriously. We are not immune from the dangers facing the followers of God in the time of Jesus. We are called to ‘be fruitful and multiply,’ to produce fruit of righteousness that draws the nations to Jesus with words and lives free of hypocrisy, greed, and the love of power.

It struck me yesterday that the Jewish people’s greatest threat had never been other nations in the Bible. It was always themselves. Babylon could take their bodies into exile, and Egypt could enslave them, and Rome could kill them, but the mold that withered them to the root came from within. Say what we will about the course of this country depending how elections go and what the future may look like for followers of Jesus, but nothing out there threatens the church as much as the mold of false and corrupted worship threatens the church.

We are called to not only be God’s temple but to keep His Temple, the church, holy: set apart, pure, full of truth and grace, characterized by generosity, humility, and the kind of love that is will to be broken and spilled out for others in honor of our Savior.

We may will need His cleansing power at times to drive out sin from our personal and corporate temples.  The mold has got to go. Pride. Greed. Unforgiveness. Immorality. Gossip. Slander. Division. Judgment. Untruth. Meanness. Pettiness.

Nothing should get between us and our mission: to glorify the goodness of God with the entirety of our lives, and to demonstrate in all that we do the compelling message of salvation, life and hope that is grounded in Jesus and experienced in His church. I like how Adam Clarke summarizes what Jesus was doing here.

“Having condemned the profane use of the temple, he now shows the proper use of it. It is a house of prayer, where God is to manifest his goodness and power in giving sight to the spiritually blind, and feet to the [spiritually] lame. The church in which the [spiritually] blind and the lame are not healed has no Christ in it, and is not worthy of attendance.” (Adam Clarke)

That’s not scripture, but I think it’s inspired in its own way. I know I’m convicted as I apply that to myself.

• When people are around me who are spiritually struggling or lost, are they healed as I show the presence of Christ in me – God’s truth, grace, love, hope, kindness – or are they hurt?

• Did they pick up some mold from being around me? Or do they leave with maybe a little mold gone, or at least some tools to get rid of it, because the Holy Spirit has worked in our time together?

• Am I just leafy – because I can put on a show if I need to – or is the fruit of the Holy Spirit evident such that my attitudes, words, thoughts, and actions nourish those in my presence with the goodness of God’s provision?

I urge you to consider this for yourself. With your family, you friends, at work, when you are here on Sundays and Wednesdays,

What is the fruit you demonstrate in your character or offer as a service to those around you – not as a show, but as a gift of nourishment in Christ?

What might be the mold clinging to you that Jesus needs to cleanse? What needs to be driven out lest you begin to wither?

If you think this sounds like a daunting task, it is. Good news: Jesus tells his disciples what to do right here in this passage. If the disciples demonstrate faith in God – if they live faithfully - they can remove the mountainous problem of fruitlessness and mold.

When rabbis told parables[16], they wanted a physical representation to make their point. Jesus is likely standing on the Mount of Olives with the Herodian and the Temple Mount in sight. He is probably pointing toward one of these. I lean toward the Herodian, but it’s not a hill I will die on J Why? Because “faith” almost always means “faithfulness” – trust in action – and the Herodian gives a prime example of what seemingly insurmountable hurdles can in fact be conquered when we put one foot in front of the other over and over in the service of a cause.

The Herodian was a mountain fortress overlooking the town of Bethlehem built on a mountain Herod had commanded be literally moved from one location to the place he wanted it to be. One shovelful at a time. If you think of faithfulness as “steadfast commitment,” that’s what it took to literally move a mountain.

Jesus once told his disciples that faith as small as a mustard seed could move mountains. He wanted his followers to know that our lived out faith can accomplish far more than the most amazing earthly feats. You’re impressed that Herod, a ruler of the Empire, moved a mountain? Wait until you see what can be moved with the authority and power of the ruler of the universe behind the faithful witness of your life.

You know what’s more amazing than moving a mountain of stone?

• Being freed from addiction.

• Learning how to control your words.

• Having pride replaced with humility.

• Learning how to really, truly love that person.

• Becoming patient when you have been characterized by impatience for so long.

• Learning to see people as imago dei instead of objects of lust.

• Being moved from greed to generosity.

• Replacing a reputation for being caustic and rude with a reputation for being kind.

• Seeing the fruit of the Spirit[17] – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – replace the mold of sin.

To go back to today’s text, what about that mountain of fruitlessness, mold, and hypocrisy? Is it even possible to move that mountain? Yes, and the disciples will show that in the book of Acts. They will faithfully go into all the world and preach the Gospel. Historians believe the Christian population grew by 40 percent a decade: probably about 1,000 Christians in AD 40 to 33 million in AD 350.

Mountains are moved when Jesus works within our lived out faith. I like the old joke, “How do you eat an elephant? One spoonful at a time.” How do we move mountains? One faithful shovel at a time, one righteous moment after another, whether it’s in our individual lives, our church life, or our concern for our nation.

And may God, who is a Good Father, be so good as to cleanse His Temple for our good, the good of the world, and God’s glory.

________________________________________________________________________________

[1] “Recalls God’s statement that his bringing Israel out of Egypt was like the joy of finding early figs and his later complaint that Israel’s idolatry and injustice rendered the nation barren and without justice (Hos 9:7–17; Mic 6:1—7:6)…In spite of God’s gift of his law and the land, and his presence now in Jesus, Israel and its leaders have failed to produce the justice and mercy God desires…Jesus, as Israel’s Lord, enacts that image in fulfillment of Malachi’s threatened curse upon the land (Mal 4:6) and hence his following announcement of the destruction of the temple.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[2] The cleansing of the temple by Jesus is reminiscent of how kings like Hezekiah (2 Chr 29–31) and Josiah (2 Chr 34–35) repaired the temple prior to the celebration of Passover. (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[3] This is the second time Jesus has cleansed the Temple courtyard, reminiscent of Jeremiah twice cursing the temple (Jeremiah 7 and 26). There are soooo many Old Testament hyperlinks in the life and teaching of Jesus.

[4] “Perhaps ‘robbers’ should be translated ‘nationalist rebel’ (as in Jeremiah 7:11). The temple was meant to be a house of prayer, but… had become, like the first temple, the premier symbol of a superstitious belief that God would protect and rally his people irrespective of their conformity to his will.” (Expositors Bible Commentary)

[5] “Most Jewish authorities forbade any person lame, blind, deaf, or mute from offering a sacrifice or appearing before the Lord in his temple. But Jesus heals them, thus showing that "one greater than the temple is here" (12:6).

[6] Jesus here quotes the Greek of Psalm 8:2; Hebrew reads “strength” instead of “praise.”

[7] When they say, “How did you do it so quickly?” I tend to think they knew what Jesus was doing and are wondering how the Sadducees will be dealt with so quickly. They will be in AD 70, when the Temple and the Sadducees are destroyed.

[8] The Eastern Orthodox tradition is all in on the literalness of this. “While it is not recorded that an apostle literally moved a mountain, the Fathers are clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen (certain saints did make crevices appear in mountains). Furthermore, not everything the apostles accomplished was written down.” Orthodox Study Bible) I love the “not everything was written down.” This would suggest they might have moved mountains, but it never made it into the historical record, as if moving the mountain was never the point. I don’t prefer a literalist reading of this teaching, but I appreciate their bold and confident perspective.

[9] NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

[10] HT NIV Women’s Study Bible

[11] I suspect the ‘unclean place’ in Jesus time was the Valley of Hinnom, Gehenna, which Jesus references multiple times as a place of punishment and destruction.

[12] Side note: Jesus is about to tell some parables that include this kind of cleansing in which people are cast out to places of judgment, very similar to this scenario.

[13] “The tree is fully leafed, and in such a state one would normally expect to find fruit. This symbolizes the hypocrisy and sham of the nation of Israel. The “withered” fig tree likely stands for the nation’s coming destruction.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

“The tree with its leaves had the marks of fruitfulness, but it bore no fruit. Israel was likewise practicing hypocrisy (Mk 7:6)…Jesus might also have been illustrating religious hypocrites like the ones he had thrown out of the temple.” (NIV Women’s Study Bible)

“There were leaves, which speak of profession, but no fruit for God. Jesus was hungry for fruit from the nation.” (Believers Bible Commentary)

[14] HT NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

[15] ESV Reformation Study Bible

[16]  “Many of the rabbins are termed rooters up of mountains, because they were dexterous in removing difficulties, solving cases of conscience, etc. In this sense our Lord's words are to be understood. He that has faith will get through every difficulty and perplexity. Mountains shall become molehills or plains before him. The saying is neither to be taken in its literal sense, nor is it hyperbolical: it is a proverbial form of speech.” (Adam Clarke)

 [17] Galatians 5

Harmony 55: Enough Faith To Forgive (Luke 17:1-10)

I am sometimes surprised where my study takes me. Today’s passage is one of those days.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.”

We covered this several weeks ago. I’m just giving us the context leading up to today’s passage. Don’t cause God’s children to stumble out of their faith. Jesus wasn’t suggesting the millstone as a punishment; he was referencing a thing the Romans did to the worst of traitors to make a point about how serious this is. Next, he gives an example on how not to make them stumble.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” The disciples said to the Lord, “Increase our faith (increase your gift of faith to us).”[1]

The apostles recognized this kind of forgiveness was not something they were doing; in fact, they didn’t think they could. It’s an incredibly challenging teaching. “Um, Jesus, we are going to need more faith if you want us to do this kind of forgiving.” Jesus responded with an analogy similar to one we’ve heard before, then told them a parable to make an important point – and here’s where I was surprised where my study led.

I had always thought of this as a prayer I ought to pray. In the context of Jesus’ response, I don’t think it is. Jesus basically responds to their request by saying, “You don’t need more faith. You need to use the faith God has already given you.” Here’s the text, then I will explain my conclusion and its implications for us. 

So the Lord replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you can say to this black mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.[2]

“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?  So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants;[3]we have only done our duty.’”

Does that sound a little harsh or maybe even demeaning? Is that how God will speak to His servants – His children?

First, let’s note that this perspective on being a servant would not have been new information to the disciples. Similar teachings about humility and service to God appear in Jewish writings.

• Rabbi ben Zakkai (contemporary of Jesus) is cited in the Mishnah as saying, “If you have wrought much in the Law claim not merit for yourself, for to this end you were created.”

• Antigonus of Soko (3rd century BCE) said, "Be not like servants who serve their master for the sake of reward; rather, be like servants who do not serve their master for the sake of reward, and let the awe of Heaven be upon you.”[4]

The circumstances of service and duty that Jesus describes here between the servants and the master were not demeaning; they were normal in that society, and Jewish audience would have seen no insult in this.[5]

Second, let’s talk about the ‘unprofitable’ part. I believe this parable affirms something else already taught in Judaism: we cannot increase God’s glory. We can’t add to the treasury of spiritual riches that come from the throne of God.

“Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person benefit him? What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? (Job 22:2-3)

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out. Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

You have derived your being from the infinite fountain of life: you are upheld by the continued energy of the Almighty: his glories are infinite and eternal, and your obedience and services, however excellent in themselves, and profitable to you, have added nothing, and can add nothing, to the absolute excellencies and glories of your God. (Adam Clarke)

If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself, and your righteousness only other people.” ( Job 35:7-8)

Being ‘unprofitable’ reminds us that we don’t add to the greatness of God; therefore, we aren't bargaining with God in the sense that God owes us because we have enriched Him in some fashion. However, our righteous living impacts other people, which brings me to the next point.

Third, let’s look at other places in Scripture that are not parables to see the heart of God toward those who serve Christ and His kingdom.[6]

• “Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a aithful minister of Christ” (1:7)

• Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord” (4:7)

• “Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother” (4:9)

• “When the Lord comes, He will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts; then each one’s declaration of praise will come from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5)?

• “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been shown approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (Jas 1:12).

• “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day” (2 Tim 4:7-8)?

• “Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Heb 13:16)

• “We make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” (2 Cor 5:9)

Clearly, the point of the parable is not that serving God is useless or unworthy of affirmation. Let’s not make this parable carry more weight than it’s intended to bear. Jesus is making a point that has to do with faith.

• According 1 Corinthians 12, faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit who “apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

• Romans 12:3 says, "For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."[7]

Notice that faith is not a thing we make, or drum up by focusing really hard, or earn. It is a gift from God.[8] A prayer to increase faith would be asking God to give a larger measure of faith than God had already given – as if God did not know what He was doing the first time, or wasn’t keeping track of what our needs are.

The disciples seem to be asking, “Give us more faith than what you have given us. There’s no way we can do what you are calling us to do with our current amount of faith.” Jesus basically responds, “You don’t need special merit or favor in your faith. You have what you need. If you are doing that which your faith asks of you, you’re good. The faith I have given you makes you capable of far greater things than you understand.”

I don’t think it was a question of them needing more faith. I think they simply needed to live out the faith God had already given them. And what would this look like? The parable comes back to the theme we’ve been riffing on for weeks now: They should use the faith they have been given in service to God and others.

Faith demonstrates its power when it is put into practice by serving God and others. God uses…

“faith that is pure and simple, that is, faith with integrity. Our faith does not make us powerful authorities but humble servants of God.”[9]

Jesus has equipped us to faithfully do what our faith leads us to do.

Here, I think, is the problem: the disciples wanted an instantaneous abundance of maturity. “Jesus, snap your fingers and makes us spiritually powerful.” I heard a popular preacher once tell an audience that Jesus appeared to him in a dream and told him he (God) was giving him an instant 10 years of spiritual maturity because God didn’t have time to wait for him to get it one day at a time. It may come as no surprise that this man’s ministry crashed and burned.

Jesus told his disciples, “It doesn’t work like that. You have faith. Even the smallest amount of faith has great power. Do the things your faith calls you to do.”[10]

“A small measure of real faith was sufficient to teach them that God would give them strength enough to keep themselves from committing this offense against love and charity of which he warned them so solemnly...”[11]

“The general sense of the parable is clear. It teaches two things to all who would be, then or in the ages to come, his disciples - patience and humility. They were not to look to accomplishing great things by a strong faith given to them in a moment of time, but they were to labor on patiently and bravely, and afterwards, as in the parable-story, they too should eat and drink.”[12]

This is not a glamorous teaching. It turns out that, when we follow Jesus, we not only take up a cross, but we begin what Eugene Peterson called “a long, slow obedience in the same direction” as Jesus.

• How do you hike the Appalachian Trail? One step at a time.

• How do you become Mr. Olympia? One workout at a time.

• How do you get to the stage of the Grand Old Oprey? One gig at a time.

• How do you make a feast? One ingredient at a time.

How does the life-changing power of our faith become real to us in such a way that we experience the transformation into maturity that God intends for us? One act of Holy Spirit - enabled obedience at a time.

I kind of like the cooking analogy. I wish I were a more capable cook than I am. But you know what? I have the ingredients in the house. I have recipes. I have my wife’s presence and wisdom. If she would say, “Why don’t you make Sea Urchin Guacamole Tacos with Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad and Charred Brussels Sprouts With Anchovy Butter,” that would seem like way too much. But what if I have what I need? Maybe I haven’t used anchovies before, but I can now. It’s right there. I have ingredients, and directions, and the presence and help of the one who called me to this task and equipped me for it. I have what I need to do what I have been asked to do. Am I really good at it? Not yet, but I could be if I commit to learning how to use that which I have been given.

I think this is the point of Jesus’ response. God is a good father who knows how to give good gifts to His children. When God gives you a measure of faith, it’s a good and sufficient gift. He has equipped you for that to which He has called you. Peter noted that we can add things to our faith that are good for our maturity and growth, but God has given us the faith He determined we needed.  From 2 Peter 1:1-8.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through themyou may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I wonder if we strengthen the faith we have been given by exercising it like a muscle. When we use it, it becomes stronger. Or to my kitchen analogy, if you want to become proficient with the ingredients you have been given, you have to keep cooking with them. One day we will realize we have the resources and strength from the provision of God’s storehouse to do that which seemed impossible.

• How do you become a person who is known for speaking with grace and truth? By drawing from the faith God has already given you, adding Holy Spirit-enabled knowledge and love, and speaking with grace and truth next time. And then the next time.

• How can you become a person who is known for patience? By drawing from the faith God has already given you, adding Holy Spirit enabled self-control, and being patient next time…and next time…

• How can you become a person who is known for kindness and gentleness? By drawing from the faith God has already given you, adding Holy Spirit enabled goodness and mutual affection, and being kind and gentle next time…

• How can we possible be the kind of person who forgives 70x7 times? By drawing from the faith God has already given you, adding Holy Spirit enabled perseverance and love, and forgiving next time…and next time…

If God calls us, He will equip us. He has called us to follow in his footsteps. God has given us the Holy Spirit to work and move and transform us; He has given us his Word to nourish and guide us; He has given us the church to stabilize, and comfort, and encourage us.

Once again, 1 Corinthians 12 lists faith as a gift of the Holy Spirit who “apportions to each one individually as he wills.” I wonder if what Jesus was intending to convey to his disciples was that the better request is this:

“Lord, thank you for the faith you have given us; increase our trust; increase our servant’s heart; increase our love of God and others; increase our strength to add character to our faith; help us to put the faith you have given us into practice.”

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[1] Faith and belief are not interchangeable in the Bible. God gives us faith; we respond with belief. See this commentary at biblehub.com (https://biblehub.com/greek/4102.htm)

[2] “The passives (verbs) here are probably a circumlocution for God performing the action (the so-called divine passive). The issue is not the amount of faith (which in the example is only very tiny), but its presence, which can accomplish impossible things. To cause a tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea is impossible. The expression is a rhetorical idiom. It is like saying a camel can go through the eye of a needle (Luke 18:25).” – notes from the NET Bible on biblegateway.com

[3] “Ἀχοεῖος is not worthless or of no value; for that servant is not useless who does all that his master orders him. Ἄχρηστος is… of whom there is no need, one to whom God the Master owes no thanks or favor. Human pride is liable to fancy that it has done God a favor by doing well, and that God could not do without men’s services...”(Bengals Gnomen)

[4] Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament

[5] Expositor’s Bible Commentary

[6] Thank you, https://transformingourconforming.com/a-profitable-servant/, for compiling this list.

[7] “Faith (4102/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people…faith for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence)…The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know… the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).” HELPS Word Studies

[8] HELPS Word Studies once again:” Belief and faith are not exactly equivalent terms. When Jesus told people, "Your faith has made you well," faith was still His gift (Eph 2:8,9). Any gift however, once received, becomes the "possession" of the recipient. Faith however is always from God and is purely His work (2 Thes 1:11). Note: The Greek definite article is uniformly used in the expressions "your faith," "their faith" (which occur over 30 times in the Greek NT). This genitive construction with the article refers to "the principle of faith (operating in) you" – not "your faith" in the sense that faith is ever generated by the recipient.”

[9] Africa Bible Commentary

[10] “They had been asking for faith, not only in a measure sufficient for obedience, but as excluding all uncertainty and doubt. They were looking for the crown of labor before their work was done, for the wreath of the conqueror before they had fought the battle.” (Ellicott’s Bible Commentary)

[11] Pulpit Commentary

[12] Pulpit Commentary

Harmony #52: Mountains, Madness and Mustard Seeds (Mark 9:14-29; Matthew 17:14-21; Luke 9:37-43)

Today’s passage is actually part thee in an ongoing story-within-a-story that started at the Gates of Hades.

When Jesus called Peter a rock and said the gates of Hades would not prevail against those who confess Jesus as the Christ, his conversation with his disciples was set in the Caesarea Philippi, which was considered the ‘red light’ district of that area of the world. It was filled with temples and shrines dedicated to the worship of their half-goat, half-man god known as Pan (#panic #pandemonium).

Also, there was a cave known to the pagan occupants as the gate to the underworld, Hades. They believed fertility gods lived in this cave during the winter. To attract the gods’ return in the spring, they would engage in some pretty unsettling rituals.

Jesus is right there when he declared to his disciples that the ‘gates of Hades’ would not prevail. They would not be defeated by the power of evil on display.[1] Then Jesus clarified that he was placing Heaven-backed authority (“binding and loosing”) in their hands for the purposes of this battle. In a world challenged by the pandemonium and chaos of evil, the power of God will bring order and goodness.

Last week, we saw that Peter got distracted by his own authority and failed to properly ‘bind and loose’. Jesus warned, “You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” How do people set their mind on God’s interest? By denying themselves, taking up their crosses, and following Jesus. It has to do with surrender, obedience, and focus. This is a huge part of what trust/faith is: believing not only that Jesus is the Way, but also that the way of Jesus is the Way. We have to follow Jesus in the fellowship of his suffering if we want to experience the life-giving power of his resurrection. And it’s going to take Resurrection power to overcome the pandemonium and chaos of the gates of Hades.

Next up is an event on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36). I’m finding it hard to turn that into a sermon on its own, so I want to note what happened in the service of telling that bigger story of which the Transfiguration is a part. There are two things happening: what’s happening on the Mount, and what’s happening at the base.

While Jesus is praying on the mountain, he begins to look like Moses did when he came down from Mt. Sinai: “shining like the sun/lightning, and his clothes became very bright, brilliantly white as light.” The awed disciples[2] observe a miraculous vision of Moses and Elijah (Jesus fulfills the Law and Prophets) talking with Jesus about his upcoming departure (exodos). A voice from heaven echoes the voice that spoke when John the Baptist baptized Jesus: “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him.”

The disciples are terrified, but Jesus reassures them with basically the same thing he said to them when he walked to them on the water on the Sea of Galilee: “Do not be afraid.” Then, they head down the mountain as the disciples process what this departure/exodos is going to be.

This is a “new and better Moses” story: The disciples don’t understand just yet, but a New Covenant is brewing, and the people of God are about to experience an exodus from captivity to sin and an entry into new life in the Promised Land of the Kingdom.[3] This brings us to today’s passage.

Now on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, they came to the disciples and saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law arguing with them. When the whole crowd saw Jesus, they were amazed and ran at once and greeted him. He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”

Then a man from the crowd came to him, knelt before him and cried out, “Teacher, I brought you my son. I beg you to look at him—he is my only child! He is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute. Whenever it seizes him, he suddenly screams, it throws him down into convulsions, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. It hardly ever leaves him alone, torturing him severely.

Enter pandemonium and chaos. We are still in the midst of that theme. The disciples had been given the power to bind this kind of evil. But…

I brought him to your disciples  and begged them to cast it out, but they could not do so.” Jesus answered them, “You faithless and crooked generation! There is no sense of God and no focus to your lives![4] [5]How much longer shall I be with you to bear with you and sustain you?[6]

This is an interesting plot twist. The disciples were previously successful in casting out demons; they had just been given permission to ‘bind and loose,’ and now they couldn’t do it? Hmmm. Jesus’ descent from the glory on the mountain to find an unbelieving generation defeated by an impure spirit recalls Moses’ descent to find Israel copying Egypt’s worship with a calf made of gold (Exodus 32:17–24; Numbers 14:11). More on this later.

[Jesus said],“Bring your son here to me.” So they brought the boy to him. But as the boy was approaching and the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. Lord, have mercy on him, because he suffers terribly. If you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Mute  and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Side note: Jesus could have waited for a crowd to gather. Who doesn’t love a huge audience? Well, Jesus, for one. Jesus consistently avoided undue publicity; in this case, he protected the boy from becoming a sideshow to a huge audience.[7] I believe that the power of God still miraculously heals people. I get nervous when those who claim to offer these miracles seem to need to do it in a stadium. It doesn’t follow the pattern of Jesus. Miracles aren’t for show.

It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He is dead!” But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up. Then Jesus gave him back to his father. The boy was healed from that moment, and they were all astonished at the mighty power of God.

Then after Jesus went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” Jesus told them, “It was because of your little faith/trust. I tell you the truth, if you have faith/trust the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to here’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind can come out only by prayer.”

I think the disciples are still learning about the complexities of  ‘binding and loosing,’ which involves being active in the world in a way that demonstrates the power and presence of God. How does this power ‘work’? They were familiar with magicians who tried to find the right combination or rituals and talismans to invoke the power to achieve the desired goals. The right technique would force the power to do the bidding of the sorcerer, right? (See Simon in Acts 8.)[8] So, yet another teachable moment for Jesus.

WHAT IS THE MOUNTAIN?

Jesus says “this” mountain. He’s not talking about mountains in general. He says the same thing one other time, in Matthew 21:21-22.[9] It’s not a promise of Spirit-empowered telekinesis where we can move things with our minds if we have enough faith. Jesus is focusing on something right in front of them that is mountainous in the moment. There is a TON of commentary trying to figure this out. I have an opinion, which is the best I can offer. Meanwhile, here are the competitors.

1.  Jesus is perhaps gesturing to a mountain and making a point that has something to do with a geographical location. Mt. Hermon, the Temple Mount, and the Herodium are the most popular candidates.

·  Mt. Hermon was a sight of a lot of pagan worship where the ‘gates of Hades’ are unleashed and where the very popular Book of Enoch said the Watchers of Genesis 6 descended from Heaven and defiled humanity. It would have represented a ‘gate of Hades,’ another physical location with spiritual warfare.

·  The Temple Mount, because that’s where Jesus had just left in Matthew 21 after calling out its destructive religiosity, and to reference it here might be calling out temples operating under the Old Covenant, and they are going to have to give way .[10]

·  The Herodium, because it was a mountain that Herod literally had moved by thousands of laborers so he could build a palace/fortress there.[11] Jesus would be making a practical point.

2.  But mountains also represent things in the Bible.

·  The Jews used to say that eminent teachers were “a rooter up of mountains,”[12] as if spiritual mysteries that look insurmountable can, in fact, be ‘moved’ by wisdom and truth.

·  The term ‘mountain’ was a metaphor for a large tribe, nation or empire. In Habakkuk 3:6refers to nations as “the everlasting mountains were scattered.”[13] Revelation 8 identifies “something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea,”reminds us of Babylon in Jeremiah 51:25,42, which declares: “…destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth…I will make you a burnt out mountain…” So, perhaps that ‘mountain’ represents a national/cultural worldview.

·  Removal of mountains was proverbial for overcoming great difficulties (see Isa 40:4; 49:11; 54:10; Mt 21:21-22; 1Co 13:2). People of God could accomplish great works for the kingdom with sincere faith and prayer.[14]

So, what was “this” mountain in the passage we read today? Once again, the best I can give is an opinion. Perhaps all the readings have some merit. I’m just seeing this one move front and center.

·  If it’s geographical, I’m leaning toward the Herodium, a mountain that had been moved if for no other reason than the fact that it was moved, and how it was moved is important for the point Jesus is about to make. More on that later.

·  If it’s a particular problem, it appears to relate to the casting out of evil spirits.

·  If it’s a nation/culture…I don’t think it is in this passage :)

·  I’m partial to the idea that he is talking about the ‘mover of mountains,’ the one who understands the teachings and person of Jesus in such a way that they know Jesus and can apply the wisdom and truth of heaven to spiritual challenges.

WHY COULDN’T THEY MOVE IT?

Here’s why I prefer the ‘mover of mountains’ reading. Jesus pointed out that they lacked faith/trust, and then singled out things that have to do with “cross-bearing”: self-discipline, focus and humility (lack of ‘prayer and fasting’). Or, as the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible puts it,

“Their relationship with Jesus has been compromised by their failure to embrace the newly revealed cross-bearing path of true discipleship.”

This showed up over and over in the commentaries I read.

 “Those only whose own spiritual life and faith are made strong by self-denial and by communion with God in prayer are able to cast forth this kind of evil spirit.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

It seems that Christ not only suggests that faith was greatly wanting in his disciples… but they had been wanting in prayer to God, to assist them in the exercise of their miraculous gifts… while Christ [was] on the mount, they had been feasting and indulging themselves with the people, and so were in a very undue disposition of mind, for such extraordinary service. (Gill’s Exposition of the Bible)

I get the impression that the disciples who failed to cast out the evil spirit were seeking to do this kind of ministry with their own authority, like magicians who rely on their own power and draw attention to themselves. They didn’t know Jesus well enough to trust Him to use His power. If Gill’s Exposition is correct, Jesus and his three disciples descended the mountain to a scene reminiscent of what happened when Moses descended the mountain and found idol worship happening – in this case, the idol of Self.

Jesus' answer suggests that they had taken for granted the power given them or had come to believe that it was inherent in themselves. So they no longer depended prayerfully on God for it, and their failure showed their lack of prayer. (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

It seems they were counting on a Spirit-filled ministry without the commitment to Spirit-led discipleship.[15] They were not grounded in a proper relationship to God – one of a surrendered faith/trust demonstrated by the rhythms of surrender and a posture of faith/trust. They weren’t trusting the King to rule and move in His Kingdom.

The gates of Hades – in this case, the evil spirits of pandemonium and chaos -  weren’t going to leave their victims alone because the disciples were amazing. They would be defeated by the power of God. It wasn’t the rituals and incantations or even mouthing the words of prayer (Proverbs 28:9) or offering of a sacrifice (Amos 5:21-22) or any ‘work’; the One to whom the prayer was offered is the only one who can intervene with the power necessary to move that mountain, and they would have known this had they known Jesus better.

This is part three of the three-part story (see slide).

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THESE EVENTS

If we desire that our lives be a healing presence in the world, we must take up our cross to follow Jesus. I don’t want to re-preach last week’s sermon, but the highlights are

·  surrender to the authority of God (giving up self-rule)

·  obedience to the ways of God (Holy Spirit-enabled self-discipline and focus)

·  relationship with God (prayer, reading of Scripture, honest fellowship with God’s people).

We pray for God to change the world, to change our nation, to bring revival to Traverse City. You know where that starts? In me. In you. It’s not some vague spiritual fog that’s going to blanket the city. It’s not us flexing our ‘binding and loosing’ muscles in a grand display. It’s one person at time giving themselves whole-heartedly to the person and mission of Jesus, who then takes that transformation to their family, friends, workplace, sports teams, gym, social clubs…

When this happens, God, not us, moves spiritual mountains. I’ve been thinking of the different possible readings and the different conclusions you can reach from them.

· If Jesus was referring to the Herodium, there was a lesson for how God moves mountains: one shovel full at a time. It’s how you eat an elephant (one spoonful at a time). If this is where Jesus was going, it’s a reminder that faithful perseverance in the service and plan of Jesus can indeed accomplish remarkable things.

· If Jesus was referring to spiritual manifestations of the gates of Hades, faithful, surrendered service and reliance on the power of God to demolish spiritual strongholds: principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world; spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).

·  If Jesus was referring to spiritual problems that are our mountains, the answer still remains the same: living in faithful, surrendered service that is committed to knowing Jesus so that from our lives flows “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Do you see the pattern? A confession of faith followed by taking up a cross and following a Savior we have committed to knowing and trusting. The result is that we trust the power and presence of the Mountain Mover to do that which we could never do on our own.

This is the means by which we can be present in the world with the power of the resurrected Jesus at work in us and through us to be the salt and light he intends for His church to be.

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[1] Bible Study Tools.com

[2] Recalls Israel’s response to Moses’ appearance Exodus 34:29

[3] Asbury Bible Commentary

[4] The Message’s version captures some important nuance that I am using here.

[5] This is likely an allusion to Deuteronomy 32:20. Still riffing on Moses parallels.

[6] Echoing Moses in Numbers 14:27 - ““How long must I bear with this evil congregation that murmurs against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites that they murmured against me.”

[7] NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

[8] Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary of the New Testament

[9] A guy who is partial to the ‘mountain’ in Matthew 21 being the Herodium notes this: “By keeping our geography lens on, as we stand on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives looking out into the wilderness towards the Herodium, continuing our gaze [to] the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is highly saline and therefore unable to support aquatic life. In the Mishnah, the rabbis give instruction that any unholy object – whether they be items inscribed with pagan figures, or any item that is associated with idol worship is to be destroyed by being thrown into the Dead Sea. [This included] items associated with Roman Emperors and Roman rule. So by throwing pagan objects into the sea, and specifically the Dead Sea, the land would be purified and cleansed.” https://www.calebsjournal.com/why-drown-a-mountain/

[10] When this statement was made, the Lord and His disciples were coming towards Jerusalem from the village of Bethany. As they came over the Mount of Olives, they had a spectacular view of the beautiful Temple that was built on a mountain ridge across the Kidron Valley from the Mount of Olives. When the Lord said "this mountain," He was likely referring to the mountain on which the Temple was built. Telford [says] the Temple "was known to the Jewish people as 'the mountain of the house' or 'this mountain… "This mountain," with all its religious activity… viciously opposed to Christ and His teachings… Therefore the removal of this obstacle would be like a mountain taken up and thrown into the sea. And so the unbelieving nation of Israel was rooted up and thrown into the surrounding "sea" of Gentile nations. (https://www.growingchristians.org/devotions/fig-trees-and-mountains)

[11] Also, to enlarge the Temple Mount, he flattened a hilltop. Josephus writes that Herod’s masterpiece was the Temple of Jerusalem.

[12] Cambridge Bible For Schools and Colleges

[13] Believer’s Bible Commentary

[14] Thanks, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, for this helpful list that I paraphrased.

[15] I like this turn of a phrase from the Believer’s Bible Commentary.

Harmony #35: Faith, Frailty And Miracles

As Jesus traveled to Cana (the village in Galilee where He transformed the water into fine wine), he was met by a government official, a Gentile, from Herod’s court. This man had heard a rumor that Jesus had left Judea and was heading to Galilee, and he came in desperation begging for Jesus’ help because his young son was near death.

 He was fearful that unless Jesus would go with him to Capernaum (20 miles away), his son would have no hope.

 Jesus said, ”My word is not enough; you people only believe when you see miraculous signs and wonder.”[1]

The official replied, “Sir, this is my son; please come with me before he dies.”

 Jesus said, “Go home. Your son will live.”

He believed the word of Jesus and returned to his home. Before he reached his village, his servants met him on the road celebrating his son’s miraculous recovery.

The official asked, “What time did this happen?”

His servants replied, “Yesterday about one o’clock in the afternoon.”

At that moment, it dawned on the father the exact time that Jesus spoke the words, “He will live.” After that, he believed; and when he told his family about his amazing encounter with this Jesus, they believed too. This was the second sign Jesus performed when He came back to Galilee from Judea.

Jesus led His followers to Jerusalem where they would celebrate a Jewish feast together. In Jerusalem they came upon a pool by the sheep gate surrounded by five covered porches. In Hebrew this place is called Bethesda. Crowds of people lined the area, lying around the porches.

All of these people were disabled in some way; some were blind, lame, paralyzed, or plagued by diseases; and they were waiting for the waters to move.[2] They believed a heavenly messenger came to stir the water in the pool. Whoever reached the water first and got in would be healed of his or her disease.”[3]

In the crowd, Jesus noticed one particular man who had been living with his disability for 38 years. He knew this man had been waiting here a long time.

Jesus said to the disabled man,  “Do you want to be healed?”[4]

The man replied, “Kind Sir, I wait, like all of these people, for the waters to stir. But I cannot walk. If I am to be healed in the waters, someone must carry me into the pool. Without a helping hand, someone else beats me to the water’s edge each time it is stirred.”

 Jesus replied, “Stand up, carry your mat, and walk. ”At the moment Jesus uttered these words, the man was healed—he stood and walked for the first time in 38 years. But this was the Sabbath Day; and any work, including carrying a mat, was prohibited on this day.

The Jewish Leaders said to the man who had been healed, “Must you be reminded that it is the Sabbath? You are not allowed to carry your mat today!”

The formerly disabled man replied, “The man who healed me gave me specific instructions to carry my mat and go.”

 “Who is the man who gave you these instructions?” The Jewish leaders asked,  “How can we identify Him?” The man genuinely did not know who it was that healed him. In the midst of the crowd and the excitement of his renewed health, Jesus had slipped away. Some time later, Jesus found him in the temple and again spoke to him.

”Take a look at your body; it has been made whole and strong. So avoid a life of sin, so that nothing worse will happen to you.” The man went immediately to tell the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the mysterious healer. So they began pursuing and attacking Jesus because He performed these miracles on the Sabbath.

But Jesus said to them, “My Father is at work. So I, too, am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 

As I said last week, I think the main purpose of these miracles is to show the deity of Jesus. In the verses that follow this passage, Jesus and the Pharisees have it out about this issue. Today I am going to use these miracles to look at four topics embedded in these miracle stories. I think you will find that I’m only scratching the surface, and I encourage you to read, pray, and meditate on this passage on your own.

God’s good law was never meant to hinder or obscure grace.

The Pharisees completely ignore the lame man’s comments about his healing. All they see is that Jesus broke the law – specifically, their traditions added to the laws that defined how to use God’s law on their terms rather than God’s terms.[1] Jesus heals a man who had been sick for apparently decades, and they don’t realize they are in the presence of the Lord of both the Sabbath and of sickness. All they can say is, “How dare you help him on God’s day. You are working!”

We must be careful. Like the Pharisees, we can create our own set of laws that add to the Bible’s teaching and then use our standard as a measure of not just our righteousness, but the righteousness of those around us. If we begin to so value our additional moral definitions and constraints that we can’t see the goodness of God at work, we are in trouble.

I don't mean we should discard God’s good Law as it applies to us today. Jesus came to fulfill or perfect the moral heart of the Law (Matthew 5:17). The Law is a good thing when rightly understood and followed (it’s a schoolmaster, says Paul[5]), but it’s not the ultimate thing. It is meant to guide us toward a Savior.

So the Law is for our good and God’s glory. If we use it to undermine our good or obscure God’s glory, we have misunderstood the Law. We have to be really careful that we don’t add to it and by so doing make it something it was not meant to be. There’s a point where Jesus says of the Sabbath, “You thought you were made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for you.”[6] As in, you missed the point of this Law.

In the situation with the lame man, Jesus did not break the law of God. He revealed the heart of God. In so doing, he broke an add-on that should not have been added on. The Pharisees heard “work on the Sabbath” rather than “lame man made whole.” Norma McCorvey (of Roe v Wade) came to Jesus while smoking with a pro-life dude in a parking lot. The Pharisee hears “smoking”; grace hears “came to Christ.”

Jesus responds to both our faith and our frailty.

I know we talked about this last Sunday. It’s not my fault that the next stories just keep making the same point. I had a list of six different incidents last week in which faith and frailty were both on display. Here’s two more.

The royal official sought Jesus and asked for his help. When Jesus told him that his son would be okay, it seems that the best translation would be to say the official trusted his word. He had faith in Jesus’ power, which was at least a start. After he found out about his son’s healing, he ‘believed’ again, but this time he and his entire household appear to believe Jesus was Lord. He went from believing in Jesus as healer to believing in Jesus as Lord. 

The lame man didn’t even know who Jesus was. This man made no cry for help.[7] He didn't grab Jesus and say, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" like the blind men did. When Jesus asked if he wanted to be healed, he basically dodged the question (more on that later). The text doesn't record that he ever worshipped Jesus as a result of being healed, yet Jesus healed him, encouraged him, and equipped him to give a testimony.

If you wonder if you have enough faith for God to act on your behalf, take heart. Don’t assume that God has given up on you, even if other people have – or if you have. Pray; ask God to move and work in you to build your faith, follow the disciplines that the Bible says will strengthen the faith you have been given (prayer, scripture reading, obedience, fellowship with God and others), but don’t forget - God moves in in our faith and in our frailty. He brings us life and hope not because we are strong enough and good enough, but because He is.

“Do you want to get well?” is a question we must all answer.

The Bible does not unpack the lame man’s personality or life story, but that has not stopped commentators from speculating for 2,000 years J Many have offered the following observations, and my thoughts will build on this.

·      The rabbis said, "The sick arises not from sickness, until his sins be forgiven."[8] Clearly Jesus didn’t think that was always the case, as this is the first time we see Jesus mention sickness in connection with sin. When Jesus told the lame man to avoid sin so that nothing worse would happen to him – something he doesn’t say to anyone else he healed - it makes me wonder if this man chose to do something sinful that made him lame. If so, that’s a stigma that will follow you.

·      Interestingly, he was probably taken care of decently by the Jewish community. A story in the Talmud gives us some insight[9]:

"A beggar once came to Rava who asked him 'What do your meals usually consist of?' 'Plump chicken and matured wine' answered the beggar. 'Do you not consider this a burden on the community?' asked Rava. The beggar retorted: 'I do not take from them – I take what God provides.' At that moment Rava's sister, who had not seen him for 13 years, appeared bringing him a fat chicken and matured wine. 'Just what I told you!' said the beggar."

That story is one of many in Jewish literature that captures some of the tension in the Jewish community, God commanded them to take care of the poor and lame; sometimes they did a bad job (read the Old Testament prophets), but sometimes they took care of them so well that it was advantageous to be poor or lame, and the broader community became resentful.

·      When Jesus asked if he wanted to be healed, many commentators note that the lame man dodged the question.[10] He didn’t say ‘yes’.  He basically responded, “I don’t have any friends.” Perhaps he has given up hope; perhaps he’s actually not ready to be healed. Either way, after decades of being lame, he’s at a public site used by Jews and Gentiles as they await an event more based on superstition than anything else. He has no family or friends who care enough to get him to the front of the line. That’s not a good sign.  

James Baldwin wrote, “Nothing is more desirable than to be released from an affliction, but nothing is more frightening than to be divested of a crutch.”  Why? Because with great healing comes great responsibility (sorry, Spider-Man.).

·      If he became well, the community provision would go away.

·      He couldn’t complain about his circumstances.

·      He couldn’t resent those who didn’t care enough to help him into the water.

·      He may need to address sin in his life (if that’s what’s going on here).[11]

·      Perhaps the pity of others mattered more to him than he cared to admit.

Jesus’ question is loaded with insight into human nature. It reminds me a bit of God’s question to Adam and Eve:  “Where are you?”[12] I can envision Adam thinking, “Where am I!?!? Hiding from… oh. I’m hiding from you. What have I done?” If my reading of the lame man is correct, I suspect this question was meant to take the man into the rabbit hole of his own heart and mind. “Do I want to be healed?!?! Of course I…well…? How on earth is that not an easy answer?”

 If we aren’t careful, we can begin to want to keep our sickness.

·      Have you ever avoided doing something you didn’t want to by stretching that cold or flu out one more day?

·      Have you ever used a stressful day at work to get out of some chore at home that you could have done?

·      I found pretty quickly that “I had a heart attack” was a really easy way to not do something I could do because everybody will give me the space. 

·      Have you ever used something from your past as a crutch, a way to justify something you are doing now that you know you should change? (“I know I’m really fixated on money and things, but I grew up poor!” ) And you like being able to justify, so you avoid prayer, counseling – you know, the things that might help.

·      Have you found that the attention and care you get when life is not going well has started to translate into life never going well because you’re afraid that you won’t get the same attention and care?

If we are not careful, our physical, spiritual, or emotional illnesses can become such a core part of our identity that we can’t imagine life without it – and aren’t sure we want to imagine life without it. I am not saying we will automatically do that, or there’s not times that life is relentlessly hard. I’m saying we have to be careful.

Sometimes, we don’t really want to get well because where or who we are feels like home, or we have learned how to leverage our inability or brokenness or weakness to our favor. Being healed will involve an upsetting of the status quo. It may even mean we have to take ownership of some things in our life that had been out of our control.

A practical example: I have dealt with tiredness for years since my heart attack. At times, it was significant enough that my productive time of day was over by noon. I had to nap for hours, and my concentration when I was awake wasn’t good. If I avoided napping, it didn’t help, because I was miserably tired. So, the rhythm of my life changed. It had to. I didn’t like that rhythm, but I learned to be comfortable in it.

A couple months ago, I began to have trouble napping. I just wasn’t as tired as I used to be. Then I got some new meds for a different issue, and my sleepiness went away even more. You’d think this was good news, but it was unsettling. I had my schedule figured out. Now, suddenly, there might be hours more per day where I was not sleepy, and what would I do with my time? And I had started to like a couple hours of downtime. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be less sleepy. It took a while to adjust.

A more serious example: I want to be free of self-righteousness. I can get into the habit of seeing the headlines of the scandalous things that happen to other pastors, and I can adopt the attitude of the Pharisee: “Thank God I’m not like that.”[13] I want to be free of that. But…..I deal with a fair amount of self-doubt and self-criticism. And it’s in those moments of self-righteousness that I feel good about myself comparatively. It’s my time to pat myself on the back. Do I want to be healed? Yes? No? (Just so you know, this issue has been added to my prayers. “Help me be free of self-righteousness. Help me want to be free.”)

Jesus is offering an observation that is of eternal importance then and now: some people love their sin so much that they would rather remain spiritually sick than be made well. “Do you want to get well?” is a question that must be answered honestly.

·      Do you want your marriage to be better even if that means when Jesus begins to heal the sinful dysfunction that you bring to it, you might have to do the hard work of repentance, and counseling, and accountability?

·      Do you want Jesus to heal you of your addictions even if the means he uses include rehab and accountability?

·      Do you want Jesus to fix your relationship with your kids (or parents, or family, or friends) even if that means owning the damage you cause with your sinful words and attitude and doing the hard work of character development?

·      Do you want Jesus to free you of that anger, that lust, that pride, that bitterness that has been such a close friend for so long?

·      Do you want Jesus to free you from constantly living in fear that the sky is falling because of whatever the current culture war is in the headlines?

If you go to Jesus and he heals you, you are surrendering the right to always and relentlessly blame your kids, your parents, your spouse, your family of origin, the economy, your friends and use them as excuses for what you give yourself permission to do.[14] You may need to address the fallout from sins others have committed against you and/or the fallout from the sin you have done to others. It will be disruptive and unsettling. Do you want to be healed?

What I love about Jesus is that he healed the man even though Jesus got a somewhat evasive answer. I wonder if the question was meant to challenge something in the mindset of the lame man.  Almost as if Jesus was going to not only heal his lameness, but he was going to begin a process in the lame man to confront his heart. In my imagination, I can see this man leaving healed (yay!) while also hearing Jesus’ question in his mind. “Do I want to be healed?” He has to challenge himself. Maybe he didn’t. And if that ‘s the case, and he’s honest, there is healing on the other side of that of a different kind.

God intends for our past to point others to Jesus.

Jesus told the lame man to pick up his bed and walk. What better conversation starter was there to point toward Jesus?  I can see people who knew him saying, “What on earth happened? How is this possible?” It’s a guaranteed way for this formerly lame man to point to Jesus. That now unnecessary bed was meant to be a sign pointing to Jesus, an opportunity for others to hear about what Jesus can do – and so point to the Jesus as Lord.

We don’t carry our beds, but we have equivalent opportunities. One of the best ways to point toward the awesome majesty of Jesus is to let people see what God has done in our lives. It’s one thing to say that Jesus saves and heals; it’s quite another to show that Jesus does these things.

·      People need to know that God can deliver from pornography – which means people like you have to tell them how he delivered you.

·      People need to know that God can heal and transform people with destructive personalities and habits– which means people like you have to tell them how God has healed or is healing you from your destructive personality and habits.

·      People need to know that arrogant, judgmental fools can be refined and matured – which means people like you have to tell them how he has turned or is turning the arrogant, judgmental fool that you were into a humble, grace-filled ambassador for Jesus.

·      People need to know that those who are spiritually dead in their sins - hurting those around them, imploding through bad choices, ignoring or shaking their fist at God – can be forgiven, restored, and transformed into the likeness of Christ. And that means people like you have to tell them about you.

An author named Asia Mouzone said, "Never silence your testimony. It's meant for someone else; not you." God’s plan is for even the most broken parts of our past to point toward Jesus. ‘Believing’ and ‘trusting’ includes surrendering our shame, our guilt, our pride to the only one who can heal us.

The Father is at work. We are meant to take up the beds to which our brokenness had condemned us and carry it with us to a world that needs to see that Jesus saves.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

[1] “Jesus detects in the royal official a faith that desires a miraculous cure but that does not truly trust him.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible) 

[2] “The temple authorities undoubtedly did not approve—after all, sacred pools at healing shrines characterized Greek cults like that of Asclepius—but popular religion often ignores religious contradictions that seem clearer to official religious leaders.” (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary of the New Testament)

[3] I changed the order of this verse for our reading to make it more clear that this is what the people believed; this does not mean it was true. “The material about an angel of the Lord stirring the water and bringing healing appears in some early manuscripts, but not the earliest. Thus v. 4 should not be considered part of Scripture. Still, v. 7 (which is in all manuscripts) shows that people believed something like what v. 4 reports.” (ESV Global Study Bible) “See NIV text note, which includes text that does not appear in the oldest and best manuscripts; but v. 7 shows that it matches a popular belief at the time. Intermittent springs that fed the pools may have stirred the water. But how the pool worked is not essential to the story.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[4] “Sadly, some may prefer to remain infirm in order to have license to complain, to avoid responsibility for their lives, or to continue exciting the pity of others.” (Orthodox Study Bible)

[5] Galatians 3:24-27.

[6] Mark 2:27

[7] “It is not stated that faith in Jesus was required of the man, as was the case in many of Jesus’ miracles (Matt. 9:22; 13:58; Mark 6:5, 6). The focus here is on Jesus’ power.”( ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[8] Barclay’s Bible Commentary

[9] “Begging and Beggars,” http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0003_0_02291.html

[10] Other commentators see his response as one of faith, but he had no idea who he was talking to, so that doesn’t make sense to me.

[11] Commentators have different opinions on this. That seems to be implied by the text. However, Jesus may be telling him that if he thought being physically sick was bad, it was nothing compared to the sickness and result of sin. Or both J

[12] Genesis 3:9

[13] Luke 8:9-14

[14] I am NOT saying these things have no influence on us. They absolutely do. I’m talking about settling into a place where we avoid asking God for healing, and then using our agency to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead to get the help we need. 

Harmony #34: No Faith So Feeble (Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56; Matthew 9:18-26)

When Jesus had crossed again in a boat and returned to the other side, a large crowd gathered around and welcomed him because they were all waiting for him by the sea. Then one of the synagogue rulers named Jairus came up because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.

When he saw Jesus, he respectfully bowed low before him and fell at his feet. He asked him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be healed and live.” Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around him.

Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone. She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had.

("Take of the gum of Alexandria the weight of a silver coin; of alum the same; of crocus the same. Let them be bruised together, and given in wine to the woman that has an issue of blood. If this does not benefit, take of Persian onions three pints; boil them in wine, and give her to drink, and say, 'Arise from thy flux.'

If this does not cure her, set her in a place where two ways meet, and let her hold a cup of wine in her right hand, and let some one come behind and frighten her, and say, ' Arise from thy flux.' If these do no good, other doses, over ten in number, are prescribed, among them this:

Let them dig seven ditches, in which let them burn some cuttings of vines, not yet four years old. Let her take in her hand a cup of wine, and let them lead her away from this ditch, and make her sit down over that. And let them remove her from that, and make her sit down over another, saying to her at each remove, 'Arise from thy flux!'"[1])

Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. (In addition, Leviticus 15:25-27 indicates that the woman would have been ceremonially unclean because of her illness. She wasn’t supposed to be around people. She was isolated, alone, and desperate.)

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched the edge of his cloak, for she kept saying, “If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.” (She likely shared the superstition, common in her day, that the power of a person was transmitted through his clothing.[2])

(“She dimly believes that, somehow or other, this miracle-working Rabbi will heal her, but the cure is to be a piece of magic, secured by material contact of her finger with His robe. She has no idea that Christ’s will, or His knowledge, much less His love, has anything to do with it.”[3])

But at once the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.[4]  Jesus knew at once that power to heal proceeding from him had gone forth. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” (He did it that the woman might confess, so that the power of her faith and the greatness of the miracle might be seen to the praise of God.[5])

When they all denied it, Peter and the disciples said to him, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you and you say, ‘Who touched me?’ “ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power to heal has gone forth from me.” He looked around to see who had done it.

 (Jesus wanted to find her, not to rebuke her, but because she needed to know that it was not her superstitious belief that brought about her healing.[6]) Then the woman approached, with dread and trembling, knowing what had happened to her.

 (She may have dreaded His anger, for according to the Law (Leviticus 15:19) the touch of one, afflicted as she was, caused ceremonial defilement until the evening.[7] But Jesus makes the woman clean by his power instead of becoming unclean himself.)

She came and fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. Jesus said to her, (using a title he uses nowhere else in Scripture), “Have courage, daughter! Your faith and trust have made you well. Go, enter into peace,[8] and be healed of your disease.”

(“He put an end to her fear and gives no cause for her conscience to be harmed, as if she had stolen the gift. He corrects her assumption that she has no right to be seen, and he shows her faith and trust to all to encourage others to emulate her faith.”)[9]

 (“He does not say, ‘Understand Me, put away you false notion of healing power residing in My garment’s hem, or I will not heal you.’ He says, ‘Do you think that it is through your finger on My robe? Then, through your finger on My robe it shall be. According to your faith, be it unto you.’[10])

And the woman was healed from that hour. (Since Jesus, a rabbi, has publicly declared to all that she is healed and cleansed, she can truly be part of the community again.) While Jesus was still speaking, someone from the synagogue ruler’s house came and said to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.”

But when Jesus overheard this, he told him, “Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” Now when he came to the house of the synagogue ruler, Jesus did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, and the child’s father and mother.

When Jesus entered the ruler’s house he saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd. There was noisy confusion and (professional mourners, who were paid to attend funerals and express grief over the loss of a loved one). They were mourning for her, weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus said to them, “Why are you distressed and weeping?

Stop your weeping and go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep.” (“Just like he asked ‘Who touched me,’ so the woman could profess her healing before everyone, he said ‘She is sleeping’ so the spectators might testify that she was dead.’”[11] Clever.)

They began making fun of him, (insisting she was indeed dead), because they knew that she was dead. (Then Jesus, who was not interested in a grand spectacle of healing), put them all outside and he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was.

 Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Child, arise.” Her spirit returned, and she got up immediately and  began to walk around. They were completely astonished at this.

But Jesus strictly ordered that no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to eat (as is recorded happening after Lazarus and Jesus were raised, as if eating proved they were really back[12] and not an apparition[13]). And the news of this spread throughout that region.

Healing Two Blind Men & a Mute Demon-Possessed Man (Mt 9:27-34)

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” (They remembered the prophets talked about the descendent of Jesse, David’s father( Isaiah 11:1) who would bring healing (Isaiah 42:6-7).)[14] When he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”[15]And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, on pain of his deep displeasure if they did not obey,[16]“See that no one knows about this.” (But the men whose faith brought them to Christ for healing did not stay with him to learn obedience.)[17] 

So they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region. As they were going away, a man who could not talk and was demon-possessed was brought to him. After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute spoke.[18] The crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!”  

(The Pharisees could not deny the reality of the miraculous works Jesus had done, so they attributed his powers to Satan.)[19] They said, “By the ruler of demons he casts out demons.” 

(It’s a foolish and shallow accusation. “Not only did he cast out demons, he also purified lepers, raised dead people, reined in the sea, canceled sins, proclaimed the Kingdom and approached the Father. Demons would never choose to do these things and would not ever be able to accomplish them.”[20])

There’s a lot that could be addressed in these incidents. I’m going to have to pick and choose.

I have often noted that I believe many of the physical stories in the Old Testament (Old Covenant with Moses) are meant to point us toward spiritual realities in the New Testament (New Covenant in Jesus). So, the Promised Land is now the Kingdom of Heaven, etc. Many of the early church fathers saw in the actions of Jesus a similar dynamic. Real things happened to real people, but Jesus was making a spiritually significant point (which to them explains who, why, and how he healed).

• Hilary: “The ruler is understood to be the law.”

• Augustine: “The daughter signifies the Jewish people”

• Cromatius: The entire mystery of our faith is prefigured in the girl: raised from spiritual death to life and immediately begin taking communion.

• Chromatius: The mourners are the synagogue rulers.

In other words, this miracle was to show that the law was not strong enough to bring life to God’s people. They needed Jesus. Thus, the faith referenced is faith that Jesus brings salvation. When this happens, the spiritually dead come back to life.

• Jerome and Ambrose: the bleeding woman is the assembly of God gathered from the nations.

• Augustine: the bleeding woman “signifies the church of the Gentiles.”

In their reading, the Gentiles have been spiritually unclean for a long time. The Jewish people had kept themselves separate and pushed the Gentiles away from their temple and community. Now, Jesus is blessing the presence of Gentiles in his Kingdom. He has healed them and saved them. They may enter into his peace.

There may be something to this approach in that there’s no reason to believe Jesus wasn’t doing things that were more significant than just what happened in the moment. Having said that, I’m not convinced that’s the primary reason he did them, and I think it’s possible to read into these events in a way that makes points that are not wrong – the Gentiles were invited into the Kingdom – but goes beyond Jesus’ intention.

So, file the symbolic approach under “Interesting” as we approach it more literally and compare the record of all the miraculous things we are seeing to see what we learn about Jesus and our faith.

First, the miracles the Gospel writers record tend to be times that make it clear that Jesus is the Messiah the Old Testament prophets predicted. Jesus doesn’t just wave a magic wand for fun when He is doing miracles. He’s making a point by establishing his credentials. I’ve mentioned this quite a few times in our series so far. Jesus is doing things that hyperlink to the Old Testament prophets and their prophecies of a coming Messiah.

Second, the Gospel writers make it really, really hard to create a template for how, when and why Jesus did miracles. The more miracles we see Jesus do, the more I will probably come back to this.

• Disciples in the boat: Faith/trust full of fear and doubt. The disciples were amazed when what Jesus did actually worked. It reminds me of the man who said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”[21]

• Demoniac: The demons inside of him had knowledge of who Jesus was, but certainly not faith/trust. The Bible does not record what the possessed man thought about Jesus.

• Bleeding woman: Her (apparently) superstitious faith focused on her healing, not the healer. She thought he could do it, but the text does not record that she had faith because she thought he was the Messiah.

• Jairus: He had faith/trust in Jesus’ power or miracle-working ability; there is no record that he though of him as the Messiah or followed him. Jesus tells him to have faith, but unlike the blind men, Jairus does not respond that he actually does. Like the disciples, he was also completely astonished when it worked.

• Little girl: She was dead, so…

• Blind men: They had faith/trust that the prophesied Son of David could heal them. They are the closest in all of these incidents of people who believed Jesus was the prophesied Messiah.

• Mute man: We don’t know the status of his faith/trust. Other people had to bring him, and we don’t know if they thought of Jesus as the Messiah or just a healer. Nevertheless, Jesus freed him from demonic possession.

Jesus does not use a template. You can’t magic or manipulate Jesus. Please, be free of the shame and legalism that comes from believing that if you scrunched your face and believed harder, God would do more for you. If that’s where you are coming from, everything that goes wrong is because you or others are weak, and everything that goes well is because you or others are strong. As if God will only work if you earn his attention/care or you’ve reached enough spiritual maturity to deserve his blessing.

The Bible is clear, again and again, that the faith we have is a gift; it’s not something we’ve grown on our own power.

1 Corinthians 12:4,9 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them…to another faith[22]by the same Spirit… All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 

Hebrews 12:2 “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

John 6:29 “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe[23] in Him whom He sent.’"

 Romans 12:3 tells us that God has given every person "a measure of faith." 

You don’t need to have a greater measure of faith than God has given to you. You can’t. I suspect that the faith Jesus commends in the passages today has to do with how people acted on the faith/belief they had been given. It has something to do with doing in response to believing with whatever measure had been given to them. I appreciate this summary from a commentator named Mclaren:

“There can be no faith so feeble that Christ does not respond to it. The most ignorant, self-regarding, timid trust may unite the soul to Jesus Christ. To desire is to have; and ‘whosoever will, may take of the water of life freely.’ If you only come to Him, though He have passed, He will stop.

If you come trusting and yet doubting, He will forgive the doubt and answer the trust. If you come to Him, knowing but that your heart is full of evil which none save He can cure, and putting out a lame hand-or even a tremulous finger-tip-to touch His garment, be sure that anything is possible rather than that He should turn away your prayer, or His mercy from you.”[24]

Let me mess up the template even more. The apostles did miracles, but we know of no instances in scripture where apostles used healing for each other. Paul didn't heal a fellow traveler (“I have left in Miletus sick”)[25], and rather than heal Timothy he tells him to take a little wine for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23). Paul talks about an infirmity he had that he asked God to heal, and it was not healed. Paul did not beat himself up for a lack of faith; he saw in this a reminder from God that God’s grace was sufficient.[26]  

Perhaps the early church fathers were on to something important in their symbolic readings. In addition to establishing Jesus as the Messiah, perhaps Jesus did physical healings as a way of pointing to power he had to heal people sick and dead in their sin and bring them back to spiritual life. Maybe that was always the point; “by grace are you saved through faith.”[27]This was always the primary message of the apostles, whose miracles established their credentials as ambassadors for a spiritual Kingdom on behalf of Jesus.

 Bottom line: I wonder if the faith/trust Jesus is affirming here has a lot to do with running to God and not away from Him in the midst of the storms of life.[28] The disciples themselves will learn that not every storm in life ends calmly on this side of heaven; all but one were martyred. John the Baptist is about to find that out for himself. And when John asks, “Are you sure you’re the one?” Jesus simply points to his resume. Yes, he is.

An important aspect of faith is believing that, perhaps in this world but surely in the next, God will calm any storm that comes our way. Jesus has shown that all things are under His feet. To quote Tim Keller, there will come a day when all the bad that has been done to us will be undone.

Third, the compassion of Jesus should inform us: “Daughter.” “Child.” This is emotional and relational language. Jesus cares. I believe these miracles were intended primarily to establish that Jesus was, in fact, the long awaited Messiah that the prophets had foretold. In his tenderness, you see the compassion, the gentleness, the love of God on display through Jesus.

Yes, there are other times (particularly with the religious hypocrites) when he was blunt and confrontational. We will get to those incidents. But here is gentle Jesus on full display. People aren’t tools or stepping stones or inconveniences or pawns in his chess game or chemicals running around in a bag.[29] People are profoundly important. He addressed a woman he had never met as his daughter. The young girl is treated as equally important as the temple leader. The individuals in the kingdom matter to the King.

Fourth, notice that what begins with new life culminates in new testimony. For the disciples, it was their mission and lives. For the demoniac, the bleeding woman, the little girl, the blind and the mute, it was telling their neighbors.

It’s the time of year when graduates are pondering or panicking about what they are going to do with their life. What’s their purpose? Why are they hear? How can they live a life with meaning?

I can tell you right now the purpose of your life. Well, a purpose, but it’s more important than all the others. Tell the people around you who Jesus is, and what Jesus has done or you. You can do that with a degree or without, in any vocation, married or single, rich or poor.

You can fail on all the lofty earthly goals you had when you were young and still live a rich, profoundly meaningful life that ripples into eternity. Tell people who Jesus is and what he has done for you.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

[1] Quoted from Lightfoot by Geikie, "Life and Words of Christ." Vincent’s Word Studies

[2] Expositor’s Bible Commentary

[3] MacLaren’s Exposotion

[4] Like the demoniac, both stories deal with restoring peace and wholeness to those afflicted in ways that made them ceremonially unclean social outcasts.

[5] Barnes' Notes on the Bible

[6] Expositor’s Bible Commentary

[7] Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

[8] This is not merely “go with a blessing,” but enter into peace, “as the future element in which thy life shall move.” Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

[9] An edited-for-brevity quote from the early church father Chrysostom.

[10] MacLaren’s Expositions

[11] Ephrem the Syrian (306-373)

[12] So noted the early church father Jerome.

[13] Ambrose (339-397)

[14] CBS Tony Evans Study Bible

[15] “According to Isaiah, the messianic age is signified when ‘the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear (Is 35:5). These healings are a sign that Jesus is the awaited Messiah, as is the use of the title Son of David by the blind men, which expresses their faith in this truth.” (Orthodox Study Bible)

[16] Adam Clarke: “He charged them severely… to roar or storm with anger… on pain of his displeasure, not to make it as yet public.”

[17] Expositor’s Bible Commentary

[18]  “Since the same ailment… appears elsewhere without suggestion of demonic activity (Mark 7:32-33), the connection presupposes a real ability Jesus had to distinguish between natural and demonic causes.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[19] ESV Global Study Bible

[20] Chrysostom (347-407)

[21] Mark 9:24

[22] “Faith (4102/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, 4102/pistis ("faith") for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).” (HELPS Word Studies)

[23] Vincent's Word Studies   “Faith is put as a moral act or work. The work of God is to believe. Faith includes all the works which God requires.”

[24] MacLaren’s Exposition

[25] 2 Timothy 4:20

[26] 2 Corinthians 12:9

[27] Ephesians 2:8-9

[28] https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/explore-the-bible/why-doesn-t-god-heal-every-sickness-disease-and-illness.html

[29] The view of Anthon Cashmore. https://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/scientists/cashmore/

Harmony #4: “Stay and Follow” (John 1:35-51; 2 Peter 1:3-9)

When we read about the calling of the first disciples last week, Jesus used two key phrases:

So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “Where are you staying?” Jesus answered, “Come and you will see...”On the next day Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 

We talked about the “come and see” part last week. Today will focus on the following, which I am going to call “stay and follow” so it matches with “come and see.” J  Last week we talked about the challenge of sprinting toward Jesus when faced with choices so that we increasingly reflect His character. When that happens, people who ‘come and see’ Jesus aren’t soured on Jesus by what they see in the people of Jesus. In addition, there is an increasing number of people are having such a bad experience in churches that they are leaving church so they don’t leave Jesus.

Today, let’s talk about what it looks like to follow Jesus well so that rather than being roadblocks on the way to the cross, we are “‘preparing the way for the Lord, and making straight paths for him.”[1] Our text is from 2 Peter 1:3-9. 

His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life and to reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of the One who called us by His glory and virtue. Through these things, we have received God’s great and valuable promises, so we might escape the corruption of worldly desires and share in the divine nature. 

 To achieve this, you will need to add virtue to your faith, and then knowledge to your virtue; to knowledge, add discipline; to discipline, add endurance; to endurance, add godliness; to godliness, add affection for others as sisters and brothers; and to affection, at last, add love.  

For if you possess these traits and multiply them, then you will never be ineffective or unproductive in your relationship with and true knowledge of our Lord Jesus the Anointed;  but if you don’t have these qualities, then you will be nearsighted and blind, forgetting that your past sins have been washed away—2 Peter 1: 3–9

  To [share in the divine nature], you will need to add/supply/equip (epichoregein)…”

Epichoregein comes from a word that means "the leader of a chorus." Greek plays needed ‘choruses’ – groups that gave commentary and filled in the plot line for the audience. This was expensive. Wealthy people would voluntarily fund these choruses at great cost. Epichoregein eventually became associated with other generous and costly things: equipping an army with supplies; equipping a soul with virtues.

Peter said for Christians to equip their faith in this way: be lavish, be generous, overwhelm your faith with the following gifts that will enable your faith to flourish. It’s like they are singing along with your life, constantly giving commentary and filling in the plot lines. There’s a great line in Hamlet when Hamlet turns to his cousin – who won’t stop talking – and says, “You are as good as a chorus.” That’s what we want our virtues to be in our life. This adding/supplying/equipping language reminds us that Christians cooperate with the grace of God.

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13).

It’s a sanctifying faith in which our human wills cooperate with the divine will. Think of the Parable of the Ten Virgins (five wise and five foolish) going to a wedding. Only the five with oil in their lamps end up going. A German theologian named John Bengal wrote:

"The flame is that which is imparted to us by God and from God without our own labor; but the oil is that which a man must pour into life by his own study and his own faithful effort, so that the flame may be fed and increased."

The list here is the oil which we pour onto the flame God has given us. These lists were a common literary tool (often for memorization purposes) in the ancient world and the early church. [2]

FIRST STEP: FAITH

The list begins with faith: “trusting, holding to, and acting on what one has good reasons to believe is true in the face of difficulties” (Tim McGrew) Maybe think of it this way: Faith is a lifestyle of confident trust. Each step we take in this list moves us into sharing more fully in life in and with Christ.

It’s worth noting that faith is not a feeling, though feelings can and do accompany faith. Faith is a life orientation, a purposeful allegiance, a world’view’ that orients our world’do’ (@ copyright 2022 J) It has to do with things to which we trust the weight of our lives (like this chair, and your chair). We do this all the time with physical things: ladders, cars, airplanes, skyscrapers, etc.

A number of years ago, I went out on my deck one spring to find that a portion of it had sagged about a foot down the house wall. Turns out whoever built it hadn’t fastened it right. So I fastened it, propped it up, etc. When I walk out on my deck now, I put my weight on it.

We also do this with people. Maybe a friend, a counselor, a doctor, a spouse, a parent. We lean on them; we sag on them; we trust who they are, and what they say and do.

Faith has to do with trusting Jesus such that we put the weight of our life on him.

SECOND STEP: VIRTUE

The word is arete, which is virtue, courage or moral excellence. It was used by the Greeks to describe land which is fertile; it also described what the gods did (or were at least supposed to do). It was used to describe people who had the moral backbone not to back down in the face of difficulty.

Our lifestyle of confident trust must be joined with a commitment to moral excellence as seen in the character of God and the person of Jesus, and it must be held tightly in the face of challenges or persecution. We want the land of our life to be fertile soil in which good things grow.

When we tilled our garden this year, my wife and I both commented on how rich the dirt looked. Well, yeah. We put stuff in it last year: compost, manure, leaves. We made it fertile so things would grow.

We start by trusting Jesus; from that, we look to the virtuous character of Jesus as a standard for the soil of our lives, and we take what God has given us and work into the soil so that good virtues grow well.

THIRD STEP: KNOWLEDGE

The word is gnosis - practical knowledge, or practical wisdom.

Worth noting: this comes after virtue. Knowledge in the hands of non-virtuous people can be disastrous. This is why the phrase “Knowledge is power” always made me uneasy. It was posted everywhere to encourage people to get an education. Well, sure, but if you educate a moral fool, you just give power to a moral fool. Knowledge itself is not enough. It is meant to be given to a virtuous person. If you want to be known for your knowledge, please desire to be known for your virtue first.

Key takeaway, though: knowledge matters. We don’t all have to know the same things or know the same amount about the same things. That would actually be quite boring. But we should have a habit of studying God’s two main revelations to us: His work and His Word. His work is general revelation (God’s creation); His Word is special revelation (the Word of God in print and in Person). From both of these we learn more about our Creator, as well as his design and purpose for us.

Don’t we study words and work all the time? When I first came on staff here, I needed to know how to be in a leadership position in the church. Ted hired me to be youth pastor; I had been helping Anne as an assistant when she led youth. I listened to Ted and Anne’s words – and watched their work, both of which happened because I spent time with them. I got to know them. I still do this with those in leadership in this church and others because I still need to learn. I listen to their words and watch their work.

Spend purposeful, focused time learning to know God through His Word and His work.

FOURTH STEP: DISCIPLINE

A person full of virtue and knowledge will know the importance of and see the appeal of self-control. The Greek word used here, egkrateia, is what happens when reason fights against passion and prevails. This is a realistic view of life. Being a Christian does not necessarily remove our passions; it tames, orders and directs them.  As we become a servant of Christ, our passions become a servant of us.

For example: I’ve told my boys that the best way to deal with sexual desire isn’t to try to pretend it’s not there or to get rid of it. God made you to have sexual desire. The passion is not a problem; it’s a gift meant to lead toward great pleasures within covenant marriage. The question is this: is your passion directed in the service of God? Is it ordered toward the good? What does it look like to harness that energy in the service of God and His world? It’s more than just this area, of course.

• There is a holy and a sinful form of anger.

• There is a holy and a sinful form of sorrow.

• There is a holy and a sinful form of happiness.

• There is a holy and a sinful form of longing.

• There is a holy and a sinful form of desperation.

• There is a holy and a sinful form of a work, and play, and relaxation….

Jesus did not come to obliterate our desires; he came to redeem them. And part of that redemption involves putting banks around the raging rivers of emotions that want to flood the world so that we bring life to the world rather than ruin.

FIFTH STEP: ENDURANCE

Cicero defines patientia, its Latin equivalent, as "the voluntary and daily suffering of hard and difficult things, for the sake of honor and usefulness."

Odds are good that if you have faith, virtue, true knowledge and self-control, endurance [or steadfastness] will follow. A dude from Alexandria named Didymus wrote of Job (and this combines what we looked at in the self-control section):

“It is not that the righteous man must be without feeling, although he must patiently bear the things which afflict him; but it is true virtue when he deeply feels the things he toils against, but nevertheless despises sorrows for the sake of God.”

The Greek word used here (hupomone) is more than endure, though. It is full of anticipation and hope. Jesus, “for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). This is what we are talking about.  There is no moment in life that does not contain hope, either for this life or the next.

Maybe recovering from surgery is a good analogy here. The pain…the physical therapy…the need to stop doing certain things you love…. We set them aside for what awaits on the other side: (hopefully) health. We pay the cost because of the greatness of the reward that awaits.

SIXTH STEP: GODLINESS

The word use here, eusebeia is hard to translate, apparently, but it’s about the closest you get to a word that could be translated as religion, worship, or piety.  Basically, it is simultaneously worshiping God and serving others. It reminds me a little bit of the Hebrew word shalom, which includes peace with God and others.

To the Greeks, Socrates embodied this (for historical context, Socrates died about the time the Old Testament ends). A writer named Xenophon describes as follows:  

"He was so pious and devoutly religious that he would take no step apart from the will of heaven; so just and upright that he never did even a trifling injury to any living soul; so self-controlled, so temperate, that he never at any time chose the sweeter instead of the better; so sensible, so wise, and so prudent that in distinguishing the better from the worse he never erred."

Okay, that is definitely an exaggeration, but you get the idea of what the Greeks thought of when they thought of this word. Even pagan cultures had a notion of what true religion was supposed to accomplish in a person.

I don’t want to re-preach last week’s sermon, but we saw it there in the early church. God intends righteous words and righteous lives to be inseparable. God intends knowledge of what’s holy to translate it into actions that themselves are holy. 

SEVENTH STEP: FAMILIAL AFFECTION

Philadelphia literally translates as “love of the brethren.” If people are generally seen as a nuisance that get in the way of the projects that are really important to us, something is out of tune. I’m not so sure this means that we super-duper like every individual person as much as it means we ‘have affection for’ the community of God’s people (which will include trying to like them as best we can with God’s grace).

Epictetus was Stoic philosopher who would have been a contemporary of Peter. He is famous for saying that he really had an impact on the world because he didn’t get married and produce snotty-nosed children. He once said,

"How can he who has to teach mankind run to get something in which to heat the water to give the baby his bath?"

Peter sees it differently (and these are my words, not his):

“How can those who want to teach mankind not run to do things just like that?” 

I think this has to do with a mindset, a posture, an orientation of actively pursuing being in community with others. I thought of this Wednesday night at the park. There were people who knew each other well and others who didn’t, but they wanted to be together and get to know each other. That desire to know and be known by others oriented them in a particular way. Now, you don’t have to be at the picnic for that to happen J It just an example that stood out to me Wednesday night.  

* * * * *

So far, the list is about who you are called to be, because that is really important. It finishes with what we are supposed to do as a result of being a particular kind of person.

EIGHTH STEP: LOVE

Agape love is a deliberate choice to work for the highest good of another, engaging in sacrificial action toward that goal. It comes from our will, not our emotions or feelings (though emotions and feelings may be a part of it). It is deliberately and sacrificially loving the unlovable when there is nothing that makes us want to love. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, (Gal. 5:22) a sign that we are sharing in the divine nature.  

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and every one who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8) 

There is a phrase I like: “If God calls you, He will equip you.” God calls us to agape love, yes? He has given us the equipment we need.

• faith (a lifestyle of confident trust)

• virtue (moral excellence)

• knowledge (practical wisdom)

• discipline (self-control)

• endurance (hopeful patience)

• godliness (worshiping God/serving others

• philadelphia love (affection for others)

He has equipped us in this way to allow us to “share in the divine nature” – which, I think, finds its culmination in agape love as an expression of genuinely knowing and becoming like Jesus.

“For if you possess these traits and multiply them, then you will never be ineffective or unproductive in your relationship with and true knowledge (epigenosis) of our Lord Jesus the Anointed.”

No matter who you are or where you are in life, if you are on this path, you life is not useless and unproductive, but fruitful. These spiritual graces can be added to faith in any circumstance by anyone, and you will never be ineffective or unproductive in your relationship with and true knowledge of Christ.

Now, let your chorus sing as that it points toward the Composer and Conductor who makes all of this possible.

______________________________________________________________________________________

[1] What Isaiah prophesied John the Baptist would do (Mark 1:3).

[2] You see lists several other places in 1st century church writings: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23); righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11);  faith, self-control, simplicity, innocence and reverence, understanding, love (The Shepherd of Hermas)

Regaining Your First Love: Ephesus Part Two (Revelation 2:1-7) [1]

I know your deeds, your tireless labor, and your patient endurance. I know you do not tolerate those who do evil. Furthermore, you have diligently tested those who claim to be apostles, and you have found that they are not true witnesses. You have correctly found them to be false. I know you are patiently enduring and holding firm on behalf of My name. You have not become faint.

Last week, we used that paragraph and the later reference to the Nicolaitans to talk about how the beastliness of Rome and the allure of Babylon offered and will offer challenges to the church throughout history. John’s vision illustrates the clash of the Kingdom of God and the empires of the dragon quite vividly. Today, the clash of that war kind of fades into the background not because it has stopped, but because there is a different kind of battle taking place: the war within.

T.S. Eliot wrote in The Hollow Men, “ This is the way the world ends; not with a bang but a whimper.” John has a warning here: it’s possible for faith to end not with the bang of epic spiritual warfare, but with a whimper of fading love. 

However, I have this against you: you have left/ abandoned your first love. Do you remember what it was like before you fell? It’s time to rethink and change your ways; go back to the deeds you did at first.[2] However, if you do not return, I will come quickly and personally remove your lampstand from its place.

 The part about abandoning your first love is a bit of a cryptic phrase, but everyone seems to agree John is making a point that is made over and over in the Bible: love for God is always expressed in loving acts toward others. The Bible never draws a dividing line between our hearts and our hands, our motivation and action, our intents and our accomplishments.[3] People can work hard in the Kingdom, have a an appropriately righteous hatred of sin, love and protect the truth, and endure trials and hardship for the name of the Lord… but without love, these acts are like a “sounding brass or a crashing cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13).[4]  

We were not created to be segmented or compartmentalized people. The “deeds you did at first” are supposed to be actions that complete an inner desire.[5]  The allegiance of the heart translates into the actions of the hands. Lovers do the things the lovers do.

John is calling them to do something they once did but don’t anymore motivated by a love they once had but don’t anymore. 

Here are the three most prominent understandings of what is happening here. I feel the same way about these options as I do with the 5 options I gave in Week 1 for reading Revelation: They all have something to offer. #don’tdieonthishill

1.THEY STOPPED THEIR COMMUNAL GENEROSITY

In the book of Acts, we read about what the early church did with great excitement. Among other things, they met together regularly and shared love feasts and communion; they lived in radically generous community, they lived with great servanthood. Their early reputation in Rome was remarkable because they lived loving lives of humility and purity marked by pretty radical generosity. In this first reading, their generosity had dried up because they had forgotten the generosity of God.

2. THEY HATED THE SIN AND THE SINNER

2:6But you have this in your favor: You hate (despise; denounce) the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

 William Ramsay notes this of the letter to the church in Ephesus:  

“It shows admiration and full appreciation of a great career and a noble history. Yet it does not leave a pleasant impression of the Ephesian Church; and there is a lack of cordial and sympathetic spirit in it…when, in order to finish with a word of praise… the one thing which he finds to say is that they hated [the deeds of the Nicolaitans].”

This is a hint at the heart of the problem: the heart. In their zealousness to reject things that ought to be rejected, the message of what they were for got overwhelmed by the message of what they were against. It’s not a good look when the best you can say of someone is that they  denounce or despise the right things. It’s the person who offers light in the darkness that makes a difference, not the one who simply keeps pointing our how dark it is. 

Unfortunately, there’s more. Some commentators point out that God hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans; the text doesn’t say he hated the Nicolaitans. Perhaps in their zealousness for protecting the truth, the church in Ephesus began to hate the people along with the problem rather than having hearts broken for those living in sinful darkness.[6] In the midst of their protection of doctrine[7] they forgot that they were supposed to love the people holding the false doctrine. This was Jonah’s problem, right? He didn’t want the Ninevites to escape judgment. There's something in this letter that desires to church in Ephesus to ground orthodoxy and orthopraxy with orthopathy, having the right heart (see 1 Corinthians 13). 

3. THEY LOST THEIR MISSIONAL FOCUS  

In this third reading, “they lost their first love” = “they lost their passion for spreading the message of the gospel.” Passionate love of and allegiance to Jesus leads us to love others so much we witness to them.[8]

You know how when you first start something that is life-changing, you can’t stop talking about it? It’s the running joke about crossfitters. I have a couple friends who have found a person to work with them on their physical health (losing weight, etc), and I am pretty sure they post at least 3 times a day about how amazing their coach is and how good they feel. If you learn how to ride a bike, or find an essential oil that feels like a miracle cure, or start fishing, or find an app that organizes your life, or discover you can draw….anything that has (in some sense) brought you life, there is often a rush at the beginning of excitement that bubbles over into evangelism – the spreading of the good news.[9]Besides enjoying life in a new way, people around you notice something different about you, or it just comes up in conversation, or you purposefully start recruiting.  

This, it seems, was lacking in the church in Ephesus. So what does God advise? Remember (how you loved the reality of salvation), repent (of distraction and disinterest), and do the deeds you did at first  (from a newly focused heart).

REMEMBER 

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is full of language of how life in Christ and in the community of the church changes everything. Some excerpts:

“2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air… 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 

 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions… [and] raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)10 and find out what pleases the Lord…

When Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, they were on the front end of this life-changing reality that Jesus brought them. They were once children of darkness; now they are children of light. It’s incredible. They are rooted in a love that will fill them with the fullness of God, so that they can do the good works God created them to do: bearing the fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth. AMAZING!

That passion for the Savior spilled over onto one another and out to those in the culture they inhabited.[10] But…they had forgotten how glorious it was to be pulled into the light.  

• Maybe they had forgotten how deep in the darkness they really were, or how ugly that darkness truly was. Did you know that the act of remembering slowly and subtly changes our memories? The emotions and biases we bring reform our memories, such that over time we can gain a really distorted view of the past.[11] Our memory is like the telephone gameJ And the less honest or precise we are when we remember, the more distorted our memory becomes over time. We can convince ourselves that the darkness in which we were drowning wasn’t that bad. That makes it hard to appreciate the Savior who pulled us from it.

• Maybe they had stopped genuinely appreciating the gospel light into which they were drawn.That can happen when bad orthodoxy leads to disillusionment (“Why isn’t life like what you told me it would be?”) or when bad orthopraxy leads to pain (“How is it possible that transformed people are so mean and hypocritical?”). If they were known for what they hate rather than what they loved, I’ll bet life together in that church was hard. And if the kingdom of God stops feeling like home, Babylon –as trashy as it is – can start to look good. 

• Maybe they had become so busy cursing the darkness that they forgot to light the candle.Witch hunts are easy when you see witches everywhere and there’s lots of wood handy for a bonfire. But somebody needs to pray for, and love, and invite to a meal, and befriend those others want to burn. As Paul wrote in Romans 2:4, “Do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

 Revelation doesn’t tell us the precise dynamic at work in Ephesus. I suspect all three example are reasonable possibilities – and can all probably see ourselves in one of these. So what do we do?

REPENT

“Remember from where you have fallen, and repent.” This is an act of the mind that will lead to a renewal of the heart. I have found that the things I need to revisit are the many times God has been merciful to me, the many times he has pulled me up from the mire of sin and set my feet on the rock of my salvation. It turns out I don’t have to go back decades to see God’s mercy at work. There’s already good examples from this September. 

How did the joy of my salvation stop motivating me to respond to God in a lifestyle of worship and to others with a lifestyle of gospel-oriented service? When did I start hating the sinner rather than praying for them and moving toward them so that they, too, might experience the joy of salvation? When did I stop appreciating the miraculous work of God in my life? Here’s part of David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba: 

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me….17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:10-17)

DO THE FIRST DEEDS

This is living missionally with a goal to broaden the boundaries of Kingdom. I left out a couple verses from the previous psalm. 

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

That is God’s intended response to our appreciation of the glorious grace of salvation. How do we do this? There are a lot of ways. There is really only one rule: re-present Jesus wherever you go.

• Talk about Jesus (pray for people; share the gospel; give your testimony; mention life-giving things in your church – let your life in and with Jesus overflow naturally into your conversation).

• Live like Jesus – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good work and glorify your father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

• Introduce people to the Kingdom of Jesus (invite them to church or small group or game times with the people of Jesus; talk about outreach ministries that embody the love of Jesus; share articles on social media about righteous kingdom work happening in the church around our community and the world.) 

* * * * * * * * * *

For our #practicerighteousness this week, I want to offer a condensed version of this message to focus our hearts and minds for the week. 

·      First love = our primary, worshipful allegiance in response to God’s love for us

·      First deeds = “Redeeming the time”[12] to make more and better disciples of Christ.

What will this look like practically for you this week with your family? Friends? Coworkers? Neighbors? Fellow church members?

 _______________________________________________

[1] Key resources that have heavily informed this series:

·      Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation,  by J. Nelson Kraybill

·      A teaching series by professor Shane J. Woods on Revelation (shanejwood.com)

·      The Bible Project’s videos, notes and podcast

·      Michael Heiser’s teaching on Revelation (Podcast: The Naked Bible)

·      Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship And Witness: Following The Lamb Into The New Creation, by Michael Gorman

·      Dragons, John, And Every Grain Of Sand, edited by Shane J. Wood.

·      Matt Chandler’s Revelation Series (Village Church)

·      Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture: Revelation, from IVP

·      Seven Deadly Spirits: The Message of Revelation’s Letters for Today's Church, written by T. Scott Daniels

·      The Letters To The Seven Churches: A History Of The Early Church, W.M. Ramsay

·      Commentary from Adam Clarke, Greg Beale’s, Bible Gateway, biblehub.com, and preceptaustin.com

[2] Old Testament connection: “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote…” (Isaiah 29:13)

[3] Thanks, IVP New Testament Commentary.

[4] People can serve very effectively in a ministry in the church and ignore God or even love their ministry more than God, and inevitably the sound of clashing cymbals will be heard. 

[5]  HELPS Word Studies

[6] “People are not our enemies; our enemies are the powers of evil themselves. We are called in Christ to love all—to hope that God can save even those embracing evil—and we are called to believe that the gospel is good news for all.”  Jamin Goggin, The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church that Has Abandoned It

[7] For what it’s worth, they kept their doctrinal tradition strong. “A decade or two later, Ignatius of Antioch would write to them that their bishop, Onesimus, had praised them because "you all live according to truth, and no heresy dwells among you; in fact you will not even listen to anyone who does not speak about Jesus Christ in truth." "I have learned," Ignatius added, "that some from elsewhere who have evil teaching stayed with you, but you did not allow them to sow it among you, and stopped your ears, so that you might not receive what they sow."  (IVP New Testament Commentary)

[8] Beale talks about this at length in his commentary

[9] Questions Greg Beale asks: “Why is there such a close relationship between lack of love and lack of evangelism? What counts as evangelism? Do we put structures or expectations around evangelism in a way that discourages us from doing it? If we see love for God as the heart of evangelism, how might that change how we view evangelism?”

[10] https://www.gotquestions.org/left-first-love.html

[11] “Your Memory Is Like The Telephone Game.” https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2012/09/your-memory-is-like-the-telephone-game

[12] Ephesians 5:16

Fight The Good Fight (2 Timothy 4:5-8)

5 But you must stay focused, self-controlled and be alert at all times. Tolerate suffering[1]. Accomplish the good work of an evangelist, and complete the ministry to which you have been called.6 For I am already being poured out, and the last drops of this drink offering are all that remain; it’s almost time for me to leave[2]. 

 7 I have fought the good[3] fight, I have stayed on course and finished the race, and through it all, I have kept the faith.[4] 8 I look forward to what’s in store for me: a crown of righteousness that the Lord—the always right and just judge—will give me that day (but it is not only for me, but for all those who have loved/have longed for His appearing). (2 Timothy 4:5-8)

 Paul must have had a sense this day was coming. He had written years earlier:

“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” (Philippians 2:17)

“Even if” has become “am already.” Paul sees his blood as the libation which had already started being poured on the sacrificial offering.[5] Libations were one of the final acts of a sacrifice, with the worshiper pouring (usually) wine on the altar after the burnt offering was mostly consumed. Paul was under a death sentence; it appears the cruelty had already begin. Paul’s blood is about to finish off his life of sacrifice, a spiritual commitment that had now become a physical reality.  And then here comes his classic ‘legacy’ statement:

“I have fought the good fight, I have stayed on course and finished the race, and through it all, I have kept the faith.”

“I have fought the good fight”

This likely alludes to Grecian games: Literally, “I have wrestled that good wrestling.”  "I have played out the honourable game" showed up in another commentary. This has two layers of meaning: I have struggled hard, with determination and commitment (that’s good – speaks to character and integrity) in an honorable cause (that’s good – speaks to nobility of the person or the cause for which we fight.).

Key point: not every struggle is noble. Paul often quoted the Greek poets. There is a passage from Euripides with the exact expression Paul uses that shows how “the good fight” was used among the Greeks to express the honorable nature of the fight. In this case, Euripides refers to a wife laying down her life for her husband when both his parents had refused to do it. 

"Thou [the parents] wouldst not, neither darest thou to die for thy son… thou wouldst have fought a good fight hadst thou died for thy son."[6]

Sometimes, we get bloodied for terrible causes. From the perspective of the Bible, bravery, courage, and the willingness to take the blows of battle are not enough. 

• We don’t have to look further than 9/11 to see this is true. I suppose the terrorists were brave: they were willing to give their lives for a cause. They were faithful to the end. But none of us in this room would look at what they did and say, “Well done.” Why? Because the cause, the mission, was evil.  

• This is why we don’t applaud KKK members who stuck with it to the end of their lives, because they stuck with something horrific. Between 1882 and 1959[7] – around 75 years – there were almost 5,000 lynchings.[8] If you were dedicated to a movement that fueled that, your dedication counts against you, not for you.

• Let’s be honest: we make this distinction when we see protestors/rioters who get tear gassed or arrested. If we think the cause is noble, they are heroes. If we think their cause is not, we think they are criminals and maybe even terrorists who got what was coming to them. 

• It’s why Just War Theory demands just ends, just means, and a just cause.

• Sometimes we get bloodied in church over difference that should never have reached that level. When I grew up, I knew churches that split over coverings, Bible versions, and End Times theology. Now we are often deeply divided over elections and COVID responses. They rise up and threaten to overwhelm our fellowship and unity, when the ‘good’’ fight is the task of testifying to the Good news of God’s grace. (More on that in a minute).

 Sincere and radical commitment is not enough. The cause matters. And the cause is what Paul calls ‘the course.’

“I have finished the course.”

This is a reference to the Games (which Paul does a lot). The course is what a runner has marked out.  Paul's life was that course;[9]  he explains “his course” in Acts 20:24.

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

We can get distracted by asking the question, “What am I supposed to do with my life?” because we often mean, what vocation am I supposed to do, or how do I use my gifts and talents? These are important questions. However, they aren’t the most important question. We already know what God wants us to do with our life in the most important sense: testify to the good news of God’s grace. Paul has the same course we all do. This can happen anywhere, in any situation, with any set of skills. Land on this. Find stability and meaning and purpose on this. Then, ask the other questions. They are worthwhile, but they are not ultimate. Don’t confuse them. 

Notice what Paul doesn’t say. He doesn’t brag about how awesome he has been. There’s no, “And I crushed it, dominating everything thrown at me.” No, in fact, Paul was pretty clear in his writing that he saw himself as the chief of sinners. In his first letter to Timothy, he noted: 

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 

 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1.12-17)

There is no bragging here about merits of self-help or pulling himself up by his spiritual bootstraps. In fact, Paul says, God used Paul to demonstrate God’s perfect patience. Paul was the kind of guy who apparently had a tendency to draw out frustration and impatience from even God. In other places, he publicly acknowledges the war within.  

15 Listen, I can’t explain my actions. Here’s why: I am not able to do the things I want; and at the same time, I do the things I despise. 16 If I am doing the things I have already decided not to do, I am agreeing with the law regarding what is good. 17 But now I am no longer the one acting—I’ve lost control—sin has taken up residence in me and is wreaking havoc.  

18 I know that in me, that is, in my fallen human nature, there is nothing good. I can will myself to do something good, but that does not help me carry it out. 19 I can determine that I am going to do good, but I don’t do it; instead, I end up living out the evil that I decided not to do. 20 If I end up doing the exact thing I pledged not to do, I am no longer doing it because sin has taken up residence in me. 

21 Here’s an important principle I’ve discovered: regardless of my desire to do the right thing, it is clear that evil is never far away. 22 For deep down I am in happy agreement with God’s law; 23 but the rest of me does not concur. I see a very different principle at work in my bodily members, and it is at war with my mind; I have become a prisoner in this war to the rule of sin in my body.  

24 I am absolutely miserable! Is there anyone who can free me from this body where sin and death reign so supremely? 25 I am thankful to God for the freedom that comes through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!

 This is a guy who is well aware of who he is apart from Christ, and well aware that he is still a work in progress while ‘in Christ,’ and therefore aware of just how glorious that makes Jesus. “Fighting the good fight” has nothing to do with our goodness and everything to do with the cause for which we are fighting, and strength God gives us – in His grace – to press on to the end. 

 “I have kept the faith.” 

This is the good cause that makes the fight good. “Keeping the faith” could mean that Paul has kept the body of doctrine safe from distortion and heresy.[10] It could mean Paul has remained personally faithful in his commitment to God. Either one seems possible considering how Paul talks about both of those things in other places. The Pulpit Commentary puts them both together nicely. 

“Through his long eventful course, in spite of all difficulties, conflicts, dangers, and temptations, he had kept the faith of Jesus Christ committed to him, inviolable, unadulterated, whole, and complete. He had not shrunk from confessing it when death stared him in the face; he had not corrupted it to meet the views of Jews or Gentiles; with courage and resolution and perseverance he had kept it to the end.” (Pulpit Commentary)

 It sounds like ‘keeping the faith’ is a combination of preserving orthodoxy (right belief) while committing to orthopraxy (right actions). 
 

If I may offer an encouragement to those of you who are struggling right now either just through life or with your faith. Notice Paul says nothing about how he feels or felt. He didn’t think his faith was going to make his life easy – just read the lists of what all he went through, and remember how many letters were written from Roman jails. In the midst of all these things, Paul stood on two things: he knew what was true, and he knew what to do. He clung to orthodoxy, and he lived orthopraxy. And in the end, he says: “I have fought the noble fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith.”

I look forward to what’s in store for me: a crown of righteousness[11]… 

This is likely another Games reference. In the Games, the winner gets the crown. One historical record from the Greeks notes: 

“‘Pytheas, broad-shouldered son of Lampo, won the crown of the double-contest (wrestling and boxing) at the Nemean games.”[12]

 But note Paul said this crown is for “for all those who have loved/have longed for His appearing.” We won’t get the crown because of how broad-shouldered we are. This race isn’t about finishing ahead of other people. It’s about finishing by the grace and through the power of God. There is a reward for those who finish the race because we have a broad-shouldered savior who conquered death, hell and the grave so that we even have a race to run. 

We even get a hint of what keeps Paul (and by extension, us) focused: “have loved/have longed for his appearance.[13] “Have loved” seems to refer to his first epiphany of Jesus; “have longed” to his second.[14] I don’t know how to explain this word in this context, so I am going to recruit HELPS Word studies.  

• agapáō –for the believer, preferring to "live through Christ" (1 John 4:9,10), i.e. embracing God's will (choosing His choices) and obeying them through His power.  

• With the believer, agapáō ("to love") means actively doing what the Lord prefers, with Him (by His power and direction). 

So, those who have loved the appearance of Christ have embraced God's will (choosing His choices and preferring His preferences) and been obedient with the help of God’s power and direction. I suspect this is what leads to the longing for his return. If we embrace and obey, we “taste and see that the Lord is good.” And when we get a taste of that, we long to see the One from whom that blessing has come.

QUESTIONS FOR PRAYER AND REFLECTION

What does it look like for you to focus your primary effort on “fighting the good fight” rather than getting distracted by all kinds of secondary fights that, while perhaps good in their own way, are not the good fight? Are there areas in which your priorities have been compromised? What does it look like to realign your life?

In what ways has it been challenging to “stay the course” in your life (testifying to the good news of God’s grace with your words and actions)? What does repentance – turning around - look like in this area?

In what areas do you need to pray for the Holy Spirit to help you “keep the faith”(studying to preserve the truth of God’s revealed word and committing to a life in the path of righteousness)?

 Do you love/long for the appearance of Christ? Have you embraced God's will - choosing His choices and preferring His preferences? Are there areas of your life you need to surrender more fully so that the Holy Spirit will align your preferences and choices with the heart and mind of God? 

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[1] Things of “a malicious disposition." (HELPS Word Studies)

[2] There are multiple images here having to do with loosing what is tied: raising a ship’s anchor;  an army striking tents and marching. (Meyer’s NT Commentary)

[3] Kalos – beautiful or noble. He isn’t saying he did a good job; he’s saying that for which he fought is good and noble.

[4] Does “the faith” that Paul has kept mean the body of doctrine, as elsewhere (2 Tim. 1:12, 14; see also Eph. 4:5), or does it refer to Paul’s personal faith? Either is possible. It is interesting to note that “to keep the faith” was a fixed expression in extrabiblical literature for those who remained faithful to God. It is not inconceivable that Paul used a common expression but with the added meaning that is so important in the Pastorals. (NIV Application Commentary)

[5] For libations or ‘drink offerings’ accompanying Old Testament sacrifices, see  Exodus 29:40-41; Leviticus 23:13, 18, 37; andNumbers 15:4-10, 24; 28:7-10). 

[6]  Found this example thanks to Adam Clarke.

[7] The last year the Tuskegee Institute published a report. 

[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching_in_the_United_States#Statistics

[9] Pulpit Commentary

[10] See 2 Timothy 1:12, 14; Ephesians 4:5),

[11] ‘Righteousness’ then is the ‘race’ of the Christian life. So in 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22, ‘follow after righteousness,’ and in ch. 2 Timothy 3:16, ‘the discipline which is in righteousness. (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

[12] Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

[13] “The Apostle specifies here exactly the persons for whom “the crown” was reserved—those who in this life have indeed longed for the appearance of the Lord... . None here could in very truth desire “His appearing,” save His own, who love Him and struggle to live His life.” Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

[14] “As in 2 Timothy 4:1, of the second coming; to which all the six occurrences of the substantive in N.T. refer. The verb in Luke 1:79 and Titus 2:11; Titus 3:4 refers to the first Epiphany. Some have interpreted appearing as Christ's first coming into the world, as 2 Timothy 1:10; but the other sense is according to the analogy of 1 Corinthians 2:9; Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 9:28.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

Walking In War (Ephesians 6:10-20)

"Finally, brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God. Put on the full armor of God to protect yourselves from the devil and his evil schemes. We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places. And this is why you need to be head-to-toe in the full armor of God: so you can resist during these evil days and be fully prepared to hold your ground."

Here we see individual responsibility in the midst of corporate unity. This is not like spiritual gifts or the “Five Fold Office” mentioned earlier in Ephesians where God gave “some” to be apostles, evangelists, etc. This is a clear call to all of us.

"Yes, stand—truth banded around your waist, righteousness as your chest plate, and feet protected so you are steadied by and ready to proclaim the good news of peace with God. Don’t forget to raise the shield of faith above all else, so you will be able to extinguish flaming spears hurled at you from the wicked one. Take also the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray always. Pray in the Spirit. Pray about everything in every way you know how! And keeping all this in mind, pray on behalf of God’s people. Keep on praying feverishly, and be on the lookout until evil has been stayed. And please pray for me. Pray that truth will be with me before I even open my mouth. Ask the Spirit to guide me while I boldly defend the mystery that is the good news— for which I am an ambassador in chains—so pray that I can bravely pronounce the truth, as I should do."

 In Romans 13: 12-14, Paul writes, "Put on the armor of light… clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ." He was expanding on the words of Isaiah:

• “Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash round his waist.” Isaiah 11:5

• “For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head” (Isaiah 59:17).

Paul talked other places about the nature of our fight. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. We destroy arguments…and take every thought captive.” (2 Corinthians 10:3- 5).

 Let’s be clear: God makes the armor. We ask for it, and He gives it, not because we are awesome, but because He is. Then we have to put it on.  Paul says, “It’s time to move. Put on that which God offers you for your good and His glory.”

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• Put on: The Belt of Truth (aletheia, reality as opposed to illusion).

• Stand For: The truth that God is real; Jesus was God in the Flesh; his life, death and resurrection bring us salvation, forgiveness and hope. If this is not true, “we are of all people most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

• Stand Against: The error that Christianity is wishful thinking (“I want it to be true!”), merely human thoughts (“The Bible just shows us how people thought about God”), or only one way of many equally effective ways.

• Put on: The Breastplate of Righteousness    (dikaiosune, right standing with God)

• Stand For: The truth that it is only through Jesus Christ that we are absolved from the penalty of sin, freed from the power of sin, and guarded while in the presence of sin.

• Stand Against: The error that we are born good (“I’m on the right track, baby, I was born this way”), or that we can become righteous through our works .

• Put on: The Shoes of Peace (eirene, peace with God; tranquility in salvation)

• Stand For: The truth there is spiritual peace with God through our commitment to and ongoing life with Jesus Christ. This is not the same as saying that if you are a Christian, there will be peaceful coexistence of others on earth, or that you will always feel interior peace. This is a claim about a truth that is greater than our circumstances or our feelings. Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.”

• Stand Against: The error of false saviors (spiritual or material) and fleeting peace, which is usually some form of indulgence or avoidance. If something calms the chaos in our life no matter how little and how temporary, we tend to overindulge. Money? Sex? Being noticed and admired? Food? Vacations? Or if something brings anything unsettling, we avoid. People who annoy us…situations that aren’t just to our liking…a controlled environment (diet, exercise, social groups)

• Put on: The Shield of Faith (pistis; “Trusting, holding to, and acting on what one has good reason to believe is true in the face of difficulties.” – Tim McGrew)

• Stand For: The truth that there is wisdom in an ongoing trust in and response to God. A belief that the Bible matches the world.  We often think of faith as just trust in God. I think we have to include trust in God’s revelation. The Bible tells us that we are to be faithful in little things if we expect to be trusted in big things (Luke 16:10). But if the Bible is wrong, then God has not been faithful in little things. If you don’t understand the little things in the Bible, press in to them. Read. Study. Pray. Ask qualified, godly people for advice. Trusting that the biggest things are true in Christianity will trickle down; trusting that the smallest things in Christianity are true will build up.

• Stand Against: The error that we should trust in Idols (self, hidden knowledge, politicians, the economy, health, pop psychology, etc).

• Put on: The Helmet of salvation (soterios; saving)

• Stand For: The truth of God's promises of eternal salvation and ongoing sanctification in Jesus Christ. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind… “ (Romans 12:2)   “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5) “…be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

• Stand Against: The error of gaining salvation from anything other than Christ, or evolving spiritually by thinking positively

• Put on: The Sword of the Spirit (The Bible) 

• Stand for: The truth of the power, trustworthiness and sufficiency of God's Word to tell us what we need to know about Christ and His plan for the world.     

• Stand Against: The error of giving anything else equal weight in your spiritual formation; trusting outside sources or inner revelation over clear Biblical truth.

Note: In Bible times, there was no stainless steel. A sword unused became rusty, dull, and pitted. Swords were kept clean by frequent use or by honing them against a stone (the Rock of Ages) or another soldier’s sword. “Iron sharpeneth iron” (Proverbs 27:17)

• Put on: Prayer (proseuchomai; literally, to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes (ideas) for His wishes. “They Kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)  “Whatsoever you ask in my name…” (John 14:13) Accordingly, praying is closely inter-connected with pístis ("faith") in the NT. – (biblehub.com). In fact ,James 5 talks about the prayer of faith (“

• Stand For: The truth that prayer is powerful and necessary. We are told to constantly pray (1 Thessalonians 5:16) “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

• Stand Against: the error that prayer manipulates God or that prayer is unnecessary. God is not a machine. He’s not programmed in such a way that we can manipulate Him. God will answer prayer how he chooses to answer prayer. The prayers of the righteous are powerful, but not coercive. On the other hand, prayer is clearly not irrelevant. Part of being faithful is praying faithfully, and in the end praying what Jesus prayed: “Not my will, but yours be done.”

A final thought involving shields: We often read this individually: “You, Anthony! Stand!” But this letter was written to the churches in Ephesus. It’s a group command. Everyone then who saw the Roman army knew how this principle worked (see the cover of your bulletin). Now, in order for the group to stand, individuals need to stand to. It doesn’t absolve us. But it reminds us again of the importance of unifying around Christ, then standing against everything that comes against us – together.