The inner wash

Matthew 15:18-20 “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The “traditions of the elders” and nothing in scripture or the Law compelled the Jewish leaders to wash before eating.  It’s certainly not a bad idea but the compulsion is overplayed.  It was a point of compliance forced on the people by those who “knew best”.  Except, they did NOT know best.

Jesus’ description of what comes out of the mouth – in words which turn into deeds – is a list of depraved output that brings people into their worst state.  They reveal something very broken inside and that brokenness dwarfs any hand-washing or external action to cleanse the skin or extremities.  A good adage is “you can’t wash your heart”, because only God can do that.

The call is to integrity – to be the same person outside as inside.  It means acknowledging the ugliness and filthy thoughts within and allowing God to heal and cleanse.  It means not trying to look good (or look bad) or compelling others to look good.  As the evil-doer, adulterer and murderer and then heart-broken King David said:

Psalm 51:6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

For it is not merely delusional to hide what’s inside, it’s deadly.  As David had ceased doing (though he knew better), let me let God do this:

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

It is a sign of saving faith that I allow the light to shine even on my most shameful parts.

Humble genealogies

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟭:𝟯,𝟱,𝟳,𝟭𝟲 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘇 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗵, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿

..𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝘇, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗯, 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝘇 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗯𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗵

.. 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗨𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗵’𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲

.. 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗵.

Genealogies demystify the past. Some cling to them in pride, sure that they establish a purebred human line. Others make discoveries that bring the family down to earth, showing the base results of the human condition.

The lineage of Jesus Christ featured moral compromise like that of many others. There was no purebred claim to be established. . Even Mary, the mother of the Lord, would endure suspicion of adultery because of the way Jesus was conceived. There is a thread of grace and mercy. The humble and shamed produced offspring that would be part of a royal line, no matter what had happened along the way.

No doubt this list would have invited scorn from some holding to a proud heritage – and there is nothing wrong with righteousness in a family’s past. But there is everything wrong with a claim of superiority based upon that. For God’s Son came from a line of sinners, to save an exponentially larger line of sinners.

There is therefore no disqualification or special status given to anyone. It’s grace or nothing that saves and establishes righteousness, one generation at a time. God has no grandchildren.

Tenuous secrecy

Luke 12:2-3 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

Jesus spoke to the human insistence on privacy.  His words were all inclusive, encompassing both action and words, but focusing more on words.  He promised public disclosure of all things hidden and kept secret.

What Jesus did NOT say was when or how this disclosure would take place.  There is an eternal implication and one that accompanies judgment at the end of this life.  Also, Jesus did NOT advocate betraying a trust or blabbing things told in (strict) confidence.  The proclamation is absolutely a warning for those who use secrecy to shroud ill intent or slander or plans of intrigue and rebellion.

There are, of course, many legitimate reasons to say and do things in private.  Giving counsel at any level requires confidence.  Public shame is avoided through private confession of sin.  And in this life, there is no implied invasion into the intimacy between people.

It is healthy and righteous before God to come clean of whatever hidden words or deeds I might have.  Indeed, a very good measure of wholeness in God is the ability to publicly admit my sin; it’s pure power for others caught in the same activity with a clear sight on forgiveness and healing.  Likewise, if I have something against someone, Jesus’ instructions here is the template for communication:

Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’    If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Note – private discussion with others IS absolutely part of it, but that follows direct conversation with the person against whom I have an issue.  The order matters.

The searching of the Holy Spirit convicts according to these measures; there is no prohibition against honest emotions and all human passion.  Yet, since humanity is a fallen race, the expression of those things is fraught with excess and sinful motives.  Words will not remain private, says Jesus, and since the worst speech comes from a sinful heart, learning to track my sinful words is a pathway to repentance.

Being the brood of chicks

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟮𝟯:𝟯𝟳-𝟯𝟴 “𝗢 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁! 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴!”

After a long diatribe against the religious leaders of Israel, citing their vivid and widespread hypocrisy and corrupt hearts and murderous intents against any who would truly speak for God, Jesus spoke tenderly of the city of Jerusalem, their home base and the worldwide center of Judaism. His intent (and offer, still) was for reconciliation, even after their heinous crimes fed by the worst of human motives. This was an expression of amazing grace.

Jesus cited that a prophet must die in Jerusalem (Luke 13:33), alluding to his own death, thus adding his name to all those godly ones sent to help the city. Their confrontation of the sins of the nation were not tolerated, and the powers that were made sure they were heard no more.

Yet, the analogy of the hen with her chicks portrayed the heart’s desire of the prophets.

Confrontation of sin, in its accuracy and conviction, is often blunt and accusatory. But that doesn’t indicate advocacy for destruction and eternal condemnation. Jesus asked the question earlier in the chapter:

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟮𝟯:𝟯𝟯 “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀! 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀! 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹?”

then said that “prophets and wise men and teachers” (v 34) would be sent to redeem and transform the serpentine leaders into children of God through his own shed blood. So, Jesus knew well the answer to the question: HE was the answer.

The sorrow of the refusal to repent and enter into the salvation offered by Jesus is deep. Jerusalem would fall some short years later, and all the pomp and glory of the nation the leaders so enjoyed and propped up would be destroyed. Yet Christianity would only flourish for millennia after this.

Let me, then, not resist conviction of sin and repent of whatever it highlights. Let my heart be kept soft and let me be gathered under the hen’s wings. Let me not refuse conviction, for it is given because of God’s love. And let me be sent even as a prophet, wise person or teacher even to an obstinate people, motivated by that same love. For through that, salvation comes.

The bearing of fruit

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟯:𝟴 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

John the Baptist made no bones about the attitude and behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees when the came to observe his work calling the nation of Israel to get right with God. To repent one has to change direction, and that is measurable by what proceeds forth from one’s life. Fruit is a collective noun, representing multiple individual things. When an apple tree bears fruit, there is not only one apple.

Elsewhere in scripture, we have Psalm 1, describing the life of a godly person:

𝗣𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝟭:𝟯 𝗛𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻

No doubt the Pharisees and Sadducees thought themselves included in that verse, and would point to their selective righteous acts, all the while viciously guarding their brutalizing pride and worldly position and wealth. We know of that from many other encounters.

The base humility required to bear the fruit John was speaking of required that they lay those things down, as Jesus Christ would later instruct. And to be sure, some did.

Fruit keeping with repentance is not only an avoidance of sin; it’s not even primarily that. It is best understood in the articulate writing of Paul in his letter to the Galatians:

𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟱:𝟮𝟮-𝟮𝟲 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗷𝗼𝘆, 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹. 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘄. 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀. 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁, 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

Certainly the fruit (plural) are listed in order for a reason. Love is the first and most important and we know from Jesus’ emphasis, it is foundational. But the other fruits are not subsidiary. Nor are they somehow eliminated because love is predominant.

Just as certainly, believers do not produce (bear) fruit by themselves. The self-powered spiritual life has the wrong engine:

𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟮:𝟭𝟮-𝟭𝟯 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗲𝗱-𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲.

… that is, never leaving out verse 13 for THAT is how fruit in keeping with repentance is borne. Let me be ever open to God’s work in and through me.

The tipping point and the cross

𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟭𝟮:𝟮𝟬-𝟮𝟮 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗵𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺, 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, “𝗦𝗶𝗿, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀.” 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀.

Jesus’ notoriety and reputation were spreading. While we don’t know the intentions of the Greek Jews who desired to see him, one possibility is certainly to offer an invitation to travel and bring his ministry to the diaspora, the spread-out Jewish community outside Israel. If that was NOT their intent, their request was certainly a way for Jesus to become more famous and potentially increase his influence.

Jesus would have none of it. He answered: “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱.” (verse 23). It was not long before he would be crucified. None of his followers had a clue. Jesus said “no” to the request for an audience with him by the Greeks.

John 12 cites the “tipping point” of the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus in swaying the masses to follow Christ. It was so persuasive that the Jewish rulers planned to kill Lazarus to cancel its impact. As a celebrity, Jesus’ popularity was at its zenith.

Yet, he shut down those – including his immediate followers – who would scheme to promote him even further. For certainly, with his increased influential power their standing in the community would also benefit. Jesus constantly quashed his promoters and their plans for him.

He had bigger things to accomplish, though none of them would have bought into his future direction had they known. The bigger things involved ignominy and horrible suffering. His opponents would have their brutal victory for a few days.

As a follower of the crucified One, let me learn to question and pointedly ignore efforts to boost public opinion by market means. It is not an eschewing of all communication that would serve to invite people into the Kingdom or advance discipleship. Motivation is crucial in that. Word of mouth, shared experience and testimony will naturally attract people. But staying on point requires a veering away from publicity for the purpose of fame., I desire to make only one person famous, the one who went to the cross for me.

God doesn’t share his glory because he’s insecure; humans cannot bear its weight. And the one who would usurp comes to no good end. Let my heart then glorify its liberator alone.

Danger of a soul’s drifting

Psalm 51:4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

From the beginning of the account of David’s tryst with Bathsheba there was abuse of power – “In the spring time when kings go to war”  (but David did not, instead sending his army without him).  He summoned Bathsheba into his bed, schemed and conspired to cover up his actions and finally had Joab arrange for Uriah’s death on the battlefield so he could lie about whose baby Bathsheba would bear.  In short, David sinned against a LOT of people.

Psalm 51 was written after David’s sins were spelled out publicly by Nathan the prophet.  The song was his confessing lament, and he spells out his sorrow and profound sinfulness (i.e. “from birth”).  The verse above points to the core of the matter though – “Against you, you only” – when it was against many others as well.

The notion is that all sin flows from sin against God.  A soul’s intents, when yielding to the blessed and bountiful purposes of God, will by nature run from sin.  David would go to war with his army, would look away from Bathsheba and would confess sins rather than covering them up.  That didn’t happen, says David, because of rebellion against God.  All the years of seeing God’s faithfulness, deliverance and goodness displayed vividly in remote and desolate places, seemingly were for naught.  When the right temptation came, David took the bait and fell.

Inasmuch as Psalm 51 provides a warning, I can see the eternal value of paying attention to all God would say and direct me toward in life.  If I never listen and drink in the Word, I will by necessity see my faith erode and begin opening up to my most attractive form of iniquity – something the Bible calls “the sin that so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1).   For that which attracts me is that which fills a space made for God and his purposes.  There is purity and there is right motive.

In David’s song, there is a recollection of a dry spiritual time in his life.  Blessed beyond all counting, he ceased to seek God like he did earlier.  He let his guard down.

Let that not happen to me, or to us.

Being God’s clueless child

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Observation:

In the “love chapter”, 1 Corinthians 13, the overall point Paul is making is that love is more important than spiritual gifts, which the Corinthians took as badges of approval from God, and as status symbols, qualifying themselves above others and making a mess of the fellowship of the saints. After the legendary list of love’s attributes, Paul makes a statement about the transience of spiritual gifts. Some have used this statement to count out the practice and pursuit of such gifts in the modern church (or any church after that of the first century). But the point of time Paul is referring to is clearly that when believers will be in the physical presence of God, as the passage above spells out plainly. Seeing “in a mirror dimly” is the current state of perception of God’s presence, and, really, the truth that the people believe about Christ. It is second- or third- or nth-person accounts that are taken as fact. And even in spiritual disciplines and exercises like prayer and worship, it is not a physical manifestation of God that people focus on. No, these thing are completely authentic, but they are done by faith. The witness of the Holy Spirit is powerful, and may believers make use of it and celebrate it. But “face to face” is an entirely different experience. And just like that which is seen, what is known is only partial and dull. But knowledge shall, in the presence of God, be complete. But Paul ends by comparing it to the way believers are presently known by God. That is, God has no need to wait for the believer to be in heaven to entirely know him – that is a present fact.

Application:

I should never claim to myself or others that I know all there is to know about God. It’s not that I’m clueless, but I am ill-informed, even by my supposedly lofty reading of the Word and through my ministerial practice. The humbling truth is that I definitely have some things wrong. Whether colored by my own personal issues or bents or just as I have misread and misinterpreted them, it is true that I see only dimly at best. Therefore, I need to be thankful for the truth I have but humble about that which I will only have then .. in God’s physical presence. This does not negate anything of the gospel; it simply tempers my heart. In this world where knowledge, even fleeting knowledge, is power and riches, this is completely counter-cultural. Allowing myself to not know and admit it is a suicide of the flesh. But let the flesh die that I might know Christ. Let those who claim superiority have that superiority, even to the point of ruling and reigning their passing kingdoms. I will know fully as I am fully known now. God has known me as no one else. Let me rejoice in the simplicity of being God’s clueless child, dancing and singing and making a fool of myself, for I am fully known.

Prayer:

Lord, this is delightful and delightfully humbling. Grant that I could walk in a manner that reflects this truth. Give me strength and perseverance, in Jesus’ name.

Fleeing

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Observation:

Paul was writing to people residing in Corinth – a city whose very name was used as a byword among the Greeks. To be “Corinthian” was to be filthy, without morals and conscience. That was the place God had sent Paul to preach the gospel and the place where one of the early churches was located. The people needed lots of instruction though, for in that city of high commerce and trade, the culture around them had turned sex into its own industry and legitimate pursuit, like every other. Paul’s word – “flee” – is strong. Sexual immorality was (and is) something to run away from – as if to say “it’s bigger than you are”. The internal nature of that kind of sin is key to understanding its baseness. In a contrast to the pervasive attitude – Paul pointed out that sexual sin pollutes the person who does it, NOT just the provider of the “service” rendered. When people committed sexual sin, it was their own body that was defiled and their own conscience that was seared with filth. Then Paul went on to say that the body is the property and residence of the Holy Spirit, which was God’s deposit in the life of the believer. Their very bodies which had been given over to sin was the place where God chose to dwell. The inner conflict was profound and very basic, as it is to believers today. And truly, the ownership of their bodies had been established on the cross – if they believed – at great price to Jesus. It followed, therefore, that they were to glorify God by remaining pure – by “fleeing” as Paul put it.

Application:

People in various cultures have attempted to rewrite the moral code of the gospel. The list of activities under “sexual morality” grows and morphs with the creative perversion of each generation; it only makes sense to say – without hatred or tribal invective – that sexual activity is only sanctioned within the confines of heterosexual marriage. Do I find that too strict? Do I make my own rules because I “know better”? Many have and many do. But if I honestly survey the results of ignoring the danger, of walking my own way, then I will invariably agree with the definition while remaining safe and pure. As the analogy goes: “Sex is like fire, in a fireplace it gives warmth and light. Anywhere else, and it burns the house down.” This may sound too simplistic, restrictive and general, but if I want the Holy Spirit to dwell prominently in my life, I need to know that which defiles me. And sexual compromise defiles me as well as anyone else it touches (and I touch). So the exhortation is not just to resist. It is to flee. Do I take temptation lightly? Do I tell myself stories about how I haven’t gone too far? Jesus said that looking could be going too far! I need to flee, bounce my eyes away from what provokes, walk briskly away, even if it was the product of someone who wanted to provoke, for I am not the only one with desire that can run amok. And let me not discount the warning for it is given by God and people who love me in particular and want the best for me. I’m no prude but I do my best to remain pure because it’s worth it.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You once again for this warning, though it is repetitive and so counter to the culture and practice of the world I live in. Help me flee, knowing You are with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Integrity and righteousness amidst accusation – Job 27:5-6 (November 4, 2013)

Scripture:

Job 27:5-6 Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

Observation:

The central theme of the book of Job is that suffering is not reserved for those who deserve it – as if humans understood who deserves it – but that the righteous can suffer as well. Deeply. Tragically. It was the argument of Job’s friends that since he is suffering so, he must have done something to deserve it. Much of their motivation in saying that is an underlying fear that if Job, who they thought was a righteous man, could suffer, how much more could they. So they harangued him for hours and maybe days, trying to get him to confess whatever it was that led to his demise. Yet there was nothing. And in verses like those above, he remained steadfast in his argument, saying that he would not admit to the wrongdoing that they were searching for. His integrity – that consistent, transparent standing where the inner person is the same as the outer – was something he would keep with him even unto death. And his righteousness – thinking, saying and doing what was virtuous and kind and helpful and self-sacrificing – was something he would cling to. He had no sin to confess, no wrongdoing that would cause that suffering he was experiencing. His accusers were wrong and he would never bow to their recriminations.

Application:

Do I take false accusations to heart when I suffer? It’s utterly true that I could not withstand the sufferings of Job, but setbacks happen. Trouble is with me. Simplistic thoughts of causality can plague me if I let them; let me stand up, not holding up my own righteousness, but that of Christ, for that is how God sees me before the prosecuting evil one. Let me be have integrity for both my own observation and those outside – that I would hide neither emotion nor motive – even if it means I must repent before the unbelieving community. There is no shame in the gospel, Jesus scorned it into invalidation on the cross. Let me never give in thinking, saying and doing what I know to be true and honorable. Though the world and its most prominent influences and authorities in my life prod and push me to do otherwise, let me prove trustworthy before the only One whose judgment matters. If righteousness means rebellion to tyranny, then that’s what it means. If it means submission to ugly, grungy work, let me do it as a slave of One who served and loved enough to die for me. It’s not easy to withstand hard circumstance or stand up in the face of mocking accusation, but yielding to the false testimony of this world is far more injurious to me and the kingdom of God.

Prayer:

Father, I thank you for Job’s example. I am every bit as righteous as he through the blood of Jesus. Teach me to walk with you according to this pattern, knowing I am forgiven and free. In Jesus’ name, amen.