“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13 (esv)
It was my chance! I was going to be the guest speaker for a church in Indiana. It didn’t take long to realize that I didn’t have that much to say! Frantically, I paged through my Bible and landed on Jesus words on prayer in Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:5-13.
My whole sermon could not have lasted more than ten minutes.
What amazed me is that the scripture was there for me! Someone also told me later that they never forgot that message, and promptly repeated my outline to me, verbatim!
Recently I was asked to critique and publish a manuscript about a person’s journey to wholeness and healing through the message of the Lord Jesus Christ. That initial format appeared on Run Johnny Run to Jesus.
Next, I knew that I had set up a precedent. What I said with my mouth required me to walk in faith as well! (Proverbs 16:26) Since my friend knew nothing about publishing, and I knew a little, I had to practice the truth of my first sermon. I had to ask Him as I asked questions; do research as I explored what they had to offer; and I had to work through logistics and pricing. But that was all!
It was then that the truth of what Jesus had said impacted me. If God could use my own father, (who is now 96 years of age), why wouldn’t God, himself, back him up? He had done it before countless times, and he could do it again as I looked for a publisher.
It was then that I found Instant Publisher, and after acquainting myself with self-publishing, ended up with the book. I believe God placed them in my path! Every aspect of the experience has been rewarding!
“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)
Thank you, “Instant Publisher” and all of your employees, for being a blessing to me, in meeting the needs of a friend! I don’t think you will lose your reward!
Paul Wilson
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
FAITH
“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail.” (Proverbs 19:21 (HCSB)
It was one of those moments!
Having heard about the man called Jesus, he thought it might be worth a try to see if He just might be able to do something about the desperate problem he had been having with his son.
It is likely that he had to do some research to find where Jesus would be that day, but after checking around, he was soon on his way. He was tired of dealing with the boy’s problem.
What he may not have known, however, was that Jesus, Himself, had slipped away for a while. He had gone up a high mountain along with his closest confidants in the group of disciples, leaving the others behind. It was a special moment for the foursome as God showed them His heart!
As for the rest of them, an old king reflects, “Better what the eyes see than wandering desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 6:9)
“What made them so special to go with him up the high mountain?”
When God looks for faith, presumption and unrealistic expectations quickly surface. I remember what happened while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments. It wasn’t a pretty picture!
The other disciples had been with Jesus. They had seen Jesus do it many times. Why not show who they really were? As luck would have it, the problem might disappear as well! However, the man, himself, may have been wondering why they were attempting what Jesus, himself had been doing. Needless to say, neither the group, nor the man, were satisfied with the outcome.
As the foursome came down from the high mountain, they approached the comrades that they had left behind, and saw a crowd gathered. The religious people were involved in a dispute.
Suddenly, when the whole crowd saw Him, they were amazed and ran to greet Him. Then Jesus wanted to know what they were arguing about.
A man out of the crowd answered Jesus, saying, “Teacher, I brought my son to You. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”
Jesus gives a stinging rebuke to the entire age group! I even bite my own upper lip as I remember similar rebukes in my own walk with the Lord! “Better an open reprimand than concealed love.” (Proverbs 27:5)
“You unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to Me.” So they brought him to Him. When the spirit saw Him, it immediately convulsed the boy. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus looks the father in the eye, and asks for some history about the problem. “How long has this been happening to him?”
“From childhood,” he said. “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus then addresses the issue of faith, “‘If You can’? Everything is possible to the one who believes.”
The father of the boy immediately cries out in recognition of what Jesus is saying, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.”
The scripture record continues with the story. When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly coming together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!”
Then it came out, shrieking and convulsing him violently. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
After He went into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
Jesus explained that faith prays, and faith also sees God’s heart for the need.
The disciples that had been left behind that day did not realize that the man really did not trust them. They needed to pray before undertaking such an exercise, and they needed to understand God’s heart and the heart of the boy.
And He told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer [and fasting]a.”
An authentic faith matched with a verified authentication of the action of a supernatural God, is what brings Him into action!
An old song comes to mind, “Do you know my Jesus? Do you know my Friend? Have you heard He loves you, and that He will abide till the end?”
a From Mark 9:14-29 [Other mss omit bracketed text] (Italicized remarks are quotes from the Holman Christian Standard Bible)
It was one of those moments!
Having heard about the man called Jesus, he thought it might be worth a try to see if He just might be able to do something about the desperate problem he had been having with his son.
It is likely that he had to do some research to find where Jesus would be that day, but after checking around, he was soon on his way. He was tired of dealing with the boy’s problem.
What he may not have known, however, was that Jesus, Himself, had slipped away for a while. He had gone up a high mountain along with his closest confidants in the group of disciples, leaving the others behind. It was a special moment for the foursome as God showed them His heart!
As for the rest of them, an old king reflects, “Better what the eyes see than wandering desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 6:9)
“What made them so special to go with him up the high mountain?”
When God looks for faith, presumption and unrealistic expectations quickly surface. I remember what happened while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments. It wasn’t a pretty picture!
The other disciples had been with Jesus. They had seen Jesus do it many times. Why not show who they really were? As luck would have it, the problem might disappear as well! However, the man, himself, may have been wondering why they were attempting what Jesus, himself had been doing. Needless to say, neither the group, nor the man, were satisfied with the outcome.
As the foursome came down from the high mountain, they approached the comrades that they had left behind, and saw a crowd gathered. The religious people were involved in a dispute.
Suddenly, when the whole crowd saw Him, they were amazed and ran to greet Him. Then Jesus wanted to know what they were arguing about.
A man out of the crowd answered Jesus, saying, “Teacher, I brought my son to You. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”
Jesus gives a stinging rebuke to the entire age group! I even bite my own upper lip as I remember similar rebukes in my own walk with the Lord! “Better an open reprimand than concealed love.” (Proverbs 27:5)
“You unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to Me.” So they brought him to Him. When the spirit saw Him, it immediately convulsed the boy. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus looks the father in the eye, and asks for some history about the problem. “How long has this been happening to him?”
“From childhood,” he said. “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus then addresses the issue of faith, “‘If You can’? Everything is possible to the one who believes.”
The father of the boy immediately cries out in recognition of what Jesus is saying, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.”
The scripture record continues with the story. When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly coming together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!”
Then it came out, shrieking and convulsing him violently. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
After He went into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
Jesus explained that faith prays, and faith also sees God’s heart for the need.
The disciples that had been left behind that day did not realize that the man really did not trust them. They needed to pray before undertaking such an exercise, and they needed to understand God’s heart and the heart of the boy.
And He told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer [and fasting]a.”
An authentic faith matched with a verified authentication of the action of a supernatural God, is what brings Him into action!
An old song comes to mind, “Do you know my Jesus? Do you know my Friend? Have you heard He loves you, and that He will abide till the end?”
a From Mark 9:14-29 [Other mss omit bracketed text] (Italicized remarks are quotes from the Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
ALWAYS TAKE FAITH WITH YOU
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5a)
Obedience always goes hand in hand with faith. Faith has to do with what captures our heart. Obedience adds integrity and gives faith its stability. (2 Peter 1:5). But, obedience must have faith to undergird it before it is valid. Otherwise it could be very dangerous.
In other words, obedience is no better than its ultimate object.
God also knows! Faith is born when one senses that its object is exactly what it was made for!
I sensed amazement for the first time this year at the response of Zacharias to the angel when he announced the birth of John the Baptist! It is so different from Mary’s response. The responses are similar, but close scrutiny shows that Zacharias did not have faith, while Mary did. To Zacharias, the angel Gabriel had messed up his pre-planned order of worship, just to tell him they were going to have a child! He was upset, and demanded an explanation!
“. . . Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1:18-20 esv)
In direct contrast, Mary gets a visit from the same angel, Gabriel, with an even more astounding announcement, that she would bear a son without knowing a man in an intimate relationship. Listen to her response, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34 kjv) The angel then explained what would happen, giving sufficient information to quiet her heart with peaceful rest.
It is a lesson in faith! Zacharias did not believe, so demanded proof. To give Zacharias a little room, we need to remember he didn’t do this “priest thing” that often, so was ill-equipped, when facing the angel. Did he think that angels were figurines on top of temple furniture? It looks like he had not done his homework in matters of faith prior to showing up for his appointed time as high priest.
By direct contrast, Mary did believe, and simply asks “how”? There is immense safety in her question, since that demanded an answer worthy of royalty!
When faced with unusual situations in life, I am finding the need to learn to be more consistent in asking myself if I am always addressing the question of faith. We would save ourselves a lot of trouble if we would do just that! Zacharias could not speak until they brought the young child to the temple for the rite of circumcision, and the naming of the child. It was then that he obeyed the angel’s instruction and named him, “John”. Faith had won its day!
We would do well to bring our struggles, questions, insights and ideas before the Lord, and ask Him about our faith. When we have difficulties, and situations that will not go away, we can ask what God wants to accomplish through the scene, and ask Him to train us in matters of faith.
Many years prior to this, God was preparing Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. He was struggling with faith issues, (Exodus 6:30). He acknowledges that he has uncircumcised (kjv), or faltering (niv) lips. This meant that there was trouble in his heart concerning faith. Isn’t it amazing that he knew that God was at work everywhere around him, but he still couldn’t trust him? It shouldn’t really surprise us. Moses had bought into Egyptian ways so much, that when he murdered the Egyptian, he subconsciously communicated that this was how he would free the Israelites. That was not faith, that was compensation. God’s chosen people knew that it would be God who set them free – not another tyrant, no matter how deserving of death! Proverbs 30:10 warns that we dare not accuse a slave to a master, lest we be found to be the guilty party.
We would save ourselves so much trouble if we addressed the issue of faith first, rather than try to solve problems in our own way!
Many years later, as they entered Canaan, when Joshua was by Jericho, an angel appeared to him with a sword in his hand. He asks where he comes from, and finds out the source of this confrontation. It was then that he was instructed to treat the place as holy ground. (Joshua 6:15)
Many years later, a farming family, Nabal and his wife Abigail, along with their hired hands, were having a feast at sheep shearing time. It was soon after God had instructed Samuel to anoint David to replace King Saul. However, while Saul was still king, David and his men were protecting the borders of the land. Consequently, David and his men thought they had the right to enjoy this farmer’s feast since he and his men were protecting them, a great service! David sent his men over to the plantation, and they ran into an angry Nabal who would not let them anywhere near! When David heard of it, he did not inquire whether this was a faith issue or emotional. Even though in the right, he decided to proceed on his own and fight! Abigail steps in just in time, provides for them, and sends them on their way. Later, the next morning, when Nabal had sobered up, Abigail told him what she had done. Now Nabal was both frightened of David and his men, as well as angry about the situation, and died! (From 1 Samuel 25)
In spite of this earlier experience, David still made the same mistake as Nabal did, when he tried to patch up his affair with Bathsheba. He hid the affair, murdered her husband, Uriah, then took her as his wife. When learning of her pregnancy, he murdered her husband, Uriah. God wasn’t to be outdone, however, since God’s enemies now had great cause to blaspheme God, He took the child!
This Christmas and New Year’s, may every battle we face, be a faith battle, remembering that the victory ultimately belongs to Him!
Every “sea” in 2013 begs to have someone bring it down to size! In Peter’s heart on stormy Galilee one night, he knew that if the Lord Jesus would give him permission to walk on it, he would be invincible. He was right! But, he had to have more than permission – which is external in nature. He had to have persevering faith, which placed the boat, the sea, and the situations at hand, under his control, as delegated by Christ. That is persevering faith! It is a faith intertwined with God’s vision for lives in the present and the future!
I pray that you will join me in praying that God will give us such a year in 2013!
Obedience always goes hand in hand with faith. Faith has to do with what captures our heart. Obedience adds integrity and gives faith its stability. (2 Peter 1:5). But, obedience must have faith to undergird it before it is valid. Otherwise it could be very dangerous.
In other words, obedience is no better than its ultimate object.
God also knows! Faith is born when one senses that its object is exactly what it was made for!
I sensed amazement for the first time this year at the response of Zacharias to the angel when he announced the birth of John the Baptist! It is so different from Mary’s response. The responses are similar, but close scrutiny shows that Zacharias did not have faith, while Mary did. To Zacharias, the angel Gabriel had messed up his pre-planned order of worship, just to tell him they were going to have a child! He was upset, and demanded an explanation!
“. . . Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1:18-20 esv)
In direct contrast, Mary gets a visit from the same angel, Gabriel, with an even more astounding announcement, that she would bear a son without knowing a man in an intimate relationship. Listen to her response, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34 kjv) The angel then explained what would happen, giving sufficient information to quiet her heart with peaceful rest.
It is a lesson in faith! Zacharias did not believe, so demanded proof. To give Zacharias a little room, we need to remember he didn’t do this “priest thing” that often, so was ill-equipped, when facing the angel. Did he think that angels were figurines on top of temple furniture? It looks like he had not done his homework in matters of faith prior to showing up for his appointed time as high priest.
By direct contrast, Mary did believe, and simply asks “how”? There is immense safety in her question, since that demanded an answer worthy of royalty!
When faced with unusual situations in life, I am finding the need to learn to be more consistent in asking myself if I am always addressing the question of faith. We would save ourselves a lot of trouble if we would do just that! Zacharias could not speak until they brought the young child to the temple for the rite of circumcision, and the naming of the child. It was then that he obeyed the angel’s instruction and named him, “John”. Faith had won its day!
We would do well to bring our struggles, questions, insights and ideas before the Lord, and ask Him about our faith. When we have difficulties, and situations that will not go away, we can ask what God wants to accomplish through the scene, and ask Him to train us in matters of faith.
Many years prior to this, God was preparing Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. He was struggling with faith issues, (Exodus 6:30). He acknowledges that he has uncircumcised (kjv), or faltering (niv) lips. This meant that there was trouble in his heart concerning faith. Isn’t it amazing that he knew that God was at work everywhere around him, but he still couldn’t trust him? It shouldn’t really surprise us. Moses had bought into Egyptian ways so much, that when he murdered the Egyptian, he subconsciously communicated that this was how he would free the Israelites. That was not faith, that was compensation. God’s chosen people knew that it would be God who set them free – not another tyrant, no matter how deserving of death! Proverbs 30:10 warns that we dare not accuse a slave to a master, lest we be found to be the guilty party.
We would save ourselves so much trouble if we addressed the issue of faith first, rather than try to solve problems in our own way!
Many years later, as they entered Canaan, when Joshua was by Jericho, an angel appeared to him with a sword in his hand. He asks where he comes from, and finds out the source of this confrontation. It was then that he was instructed to treat the place as holy ground. (Joshua 6:15)
Many years later, a farming family, Nabal and his wife Abigail, along with their hired hands, were having a feast at sheep shearing time. It was soon after God had instructed Samuel to anoint David to replace King Saul. However, while Saul was still king, David and his men were protecting the borders of the land. Consequently, David and his men thought they had the right to enjoy this farmer’s feast since he and his men were protecting them, a great service! David sent his men over to the plantation, and they ran into an angry Nabal who would not let them anywhere near! When David heard of it, he did not inquire whether this was a faith issue or emotional. Even though in the right, he decided to proceed on his own and fight! Abigail steps in just in time, provides for them, and sends them on their way. Later, the next morning, when Nabal had sobered up, Abigail told him what she had done. Now Nabal was both frightened of David and his men, as well as angry about the situation, and died! (From 1 Samuel 25)
In spite of this earlier experience, David still made the same mistake as Nabal did, when he tried to patch up his affair with Bathsheba. He hid the affair, murdered her husband, Uriah, then took her as his wife. When learning of her pregnancy, he murdered her husband, Uriah. God wasn’t to be outdone, however, since God’s enemies now had great cause to blaspheme God, He took the child!
This Christmas and New Year’s, may every battle we face, be a faith battle, remembering that the victory ultimately belongs to Him!
Every “sea” in 2013 begs to have someone bring it down to size! In Peter’s heart on stormy Galilee one night, he knew that if the Lord Jesus would give him permission to walk on it, he would be invincible. He was right! But, he had to have more than permission – which is external in nature. He had to have persevering faith, which placed the boat, the sea, and the situations at hand, under his control, as delegated by Christ. That is persevering faith! It is a faith intertwined with God’s vision for lives in the present and the future!
I pray that you will join me in praying that God will give us such a year in 2013!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
The Engine LIght
(Proverbs 3:6) “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
I had just bought a later model used car. On a trip to Indiana for Thanksgiving, the amber “engine light” came on. I had been used to driving older cars, so this was a new experience to me.
That particular Thanksgiving, I spent most of the day at the dealership, only to discover that the computer itself had incorrectly turned the light on. The manufacturer paid the bill.
The conversations that I had with several people while waiting, helped me to realize that my own spiritual “engine light” was on, and God was taking my life a new direction.
The working of God’s spirit can sometimes be like an “engine light” in our lives. Jesus experienced this when a woman touched the hem of his garment, and he felt power drain from his spirit. We are all spirits, who happen to have bodies, and they can be directed towards evil or good.
I was being introduced to this as a “new dimension” in the Christian life.
For example, I was surprised recently to see that the Bible says that a person of great wrath also has great confidence. Confidence alone, then, does not guarantee that you are operating according to God’s ways. (Proverbs 14:16) In other words, things can appear well without any indication of anything being wrong – but it is helpful to know that there are times when this may be the case.
God is holy, and will always be angry at sin. But the beauty of walking close to the Lord, is that you can learn to recognize his “slightest whisper”!
The root cause of all suffering on earth is the problem of sin. Since sin has been dealt with at the cross of Jesus Christ, what is left is a restored relationship with the Heavenly Father. Faith is what brings this about. But since sin is at the core of our entire human existence, outside of the cross, and the operation of grace necessary for all aspects of this new life, it is becomes a daily challenge!
Fortunately, our pain during these times becomes a picture of what a vehicle is supposed to be like, and attracts more assistance. Our pain draws the Savior!
As I write this, even our little Shitzu dog decided that it was time to get some exercise. I had not done this since yesterday morning. She actually seemed quite vicious as she was playing with me.
How do we know what is happening? We simply develop a regular routine for “checking in with Him”, so as to keep the “engine light” functioning appropriately.
I saw a few fascinating verses in scripture recently that underline this truth for me. The Lord knows what is going on. (2 Peter 2:9) In fact he can be recognized by what He evaluates in our lives, and the lives of those who walk away from Him. (Psalm 9:16).
The thing left, then, is to live our lives from these “roots” upwards and away from things that are dangerous to our “vehicle” – away from the contamination that addressed our lives early on, and from the time when they first began to influence our hearts away from Him.
All we have to do is to . . . acknowledge Him!
I needed to say it in that automobile dealership that day, and I also needed to say it to myself this morning, “Paul, in all of your ways make sure that you make His ways known, in what you acknowledge, and what you do, and he will act as director of your paths, and make them straight!
Is your “engine light” on? (1) If it is giving out false information – take it the “Manufacturer”, and get it replaced with the “Word of God”; (2) If it is correct, align your life accordingly; (3) If someone else needs your understanding, share with them. (1 Peter 3:15)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
“What do you want me to do for you?”
It was half-time. The
Twins were playing the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit. The man went to the
refreshment stand in order to purchase a pop for his handicapped friend, and a
bottle of water for himself. Desiring to be good to his friend, as well as
quench his own thirst, he had already decided to have a good attitude towards
the significantly higher prices of soft drinks and water.
He was surprised at the
refreshing attitude of the clerk at the counter, “What do you want me to do for
you?”
It occurred to him that
when people are willing to have an attitude of service, they are far more
likely to be treated as a good customer!
Farmers can teach us much
by a service approach to the food needs of people. For example, Psalm 126:4-6
demonstrates that the Israelites saw hope for aching hearts in captivity, when
they related it to a farmer’s attitude, “Return our people from exile, Adonai,
as streams fill vadis in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with cries
of joy. He who goes out weeping as he carries his sack of seed will come home
with cries of joy as he carries his sheaves of grain.” (CJB)
Interestingly, a friend
had just sent me an e-mail indicating that he had seen Jesus from a new light,
as he responded to blind Bartimaeus when he used those very same words, “What
do you want me to do for you?”
As I studied the 10th
chapter of Mark to review the story, I was surprised that the Lord would remind
me of a principle I have often seen in the Gospels: Jesus’ words to religious
leaders were often followed by a miracle illustrating the same point!
Jesus actually used the
same phrase, “What do you want me to do for you”, in addressing James and John,
Zebedee’s sons, who had just asked to sit on his right and left hand in his
coming glory!
Isn’t it ironic that they
wanted a little favor – that of sitting on His right and left hand in the
kingdom – when he was about ready to die as a seed in their perception of
eternal life, and in preparation for an eternal kingdom! That is like asking
for a pair of glasses when you cannot see at all!
Someone reminded me a few
days later of the remarkable resemblance of the words of John F. Kennedy, in
his inaugural address on Friday, January 20th, 1961, “Ask not what your country
can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
Jesus’ gentle reminder
comes back, “What do you want me to do for you?” In fact, Jesus reminds us that
a desire to be first, implies that we should be asking others how we can make
them first. It is, after all, the “Golden Rule”.
The implication of this
section of scripture is that people can be blind in more than one way! James
and John were blind when it came to the real reasons for positions of trust.
They were blind to Jesus’ ultimate mission – to pay the price of redemption,
and save the world.
They would also
demonstrate, with the other disciples, that they did not understand that
physically blind people, like the rest of us, could be blind to their own
attitudes that tend to surround handicaps. For example, Bartimaeus didn’t even
treat Jesus as one who could actually do something about the problem.
So how does this apply to
other areas of life? When facing any kind of a crisis, would it be good to view
the Lord as the One who asks to serve us in our crisis? When running short of
funds, does He not ask first how he can serve us, then shows us what is
involved? When in an emotional crisis, is it not appropriate to tell him the
whole story, and then allow Him to show us the way?
Crisis experiences are
sometimes reflections of what is really going on in the background. We become
frantic trying to fix the small problems that tend to keep arising. It can be
like trying to tighten a misaligned nozzle on a hose, after the water is
already turned on! Stop, turn the water off so as to care for the small problems,
and the irritation goes away. That is so often the case in prayer. He longs to
serve us, so that our lives are useful and not in total disarray.
The heart craves the
satisfaction that only godly contentment can provide. It keeps relentlessly
seeking our souls. Saint Augustine wrote, “Our hearts are only satisfied when
they are satisfied with God.”
King David pursued many
things passionately, including women, kingdoms, and power. His pursuit had its
effect on succeeding generations, as borne out in his son, Solomon. His thirst
was not quenched until he fell to his knees and admitted that he needed to
passionately pursue the touch of God more than these things.
His thirst was not
quenched until he was brought to the place of falling on his knees to admit the
main need – the touch of God. John Wesley said that we should not “seek a
ministry”, but rather the “fruit of a disciplined life”.
He writes in Psalm 63, “O
God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you.” When God
is seen clearly, the hope that our world seems to promise comes into focus. “My
soul longs for you,” writes David, “in a dry and weary land where there is no
water.”
Jesus once said to anyone
who would listen, “If anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink.”
Generations of thirsting pilgrims have prayed that all would find their way to
these waters: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may
have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high
and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses
knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
(Ephesians 3:19)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO SHOW FOR IT?
This was a most probing question my father-in-law would ask his daughters after they had completed a baby-sitting job; summer job; or some other money-making opportunity. His children have continued asking this of their own children.
It reminded me of a question I had been asked as a teenager, by the single missionary who had been left in charge of the mission in Mt. Frere, South Africa, while my parents were away, on mission business.
“I want you to help me select special gifts for our special Bible class promotion coming up in a week. I want them to be wise and useful in their lives.” She later reported to my parents that I had “passed the test”. (Just barely, in my opinion!)
My prayers about a recent, special concern were not being answered. I found myself asking the same question, but with its own personal twist. “With all you have invested to be ready for such a time as this, what have you got to show for it?”
As King David looked at the unfolding drama of his son, Absalom, he no doubt asked a similar question, “What have I got to show for all of this? Just give me my son back!” In the end, his heart could utter nothing else than a helpless wail, “O my son, Absalom, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33)
I have thought about that question off and on for many years, and often wondered how my father-in-law got that from scripture. I knew better than to question his wisdom, because I was quite sure he knew what he was talking about! After all, he had done pretty well in raising his daughters, one of whom I wanted as my wife. (I knew it “had” to be in scripture!)
As I was working on projects around the home recently, a flash of insight came and I saw a connection between that statement and what Peter said in one of his epistles:
“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” (1 Peter 3:13-16 esv)
“. . . be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience . . .”
My father-in-law was requiring his daughters to be able to answer the question, “How will this, (job, position, purchase, right, etc.), give you an answer for your personal hope, and the hope of others? What have you got to show for it?”
Regret, frustration, complaining, etc., are horrible enemies, and basically come from ourselves.
When Israel began to listen to the law of God being read by Ezra, in the newly restored city of Jerusalem, under Nehemiah, they began to weep. Nehemiah told them that strength was found in joy, not in weeping. God had engineered the rebuilding of the walls. The law was being read again. They had begun to see where the failure was. This was no time to weep, but rather rejoice. (Nehemiah 8:10)
I began to realize that I have always been the most concerned when I truly felt a problem had been left up to me. We are overcome because we see our own failures, but see no responsibility towards God, and the amazing provision He has given us. “Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe! Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!” Could this be one reason why no answer will come? This question can be asked of anything that we desire in our world – whether it is a purchase, a position, or a legitimate desire.
What can we do to fix the problem? Or, “What have you got to show for it?”
One is to “make ends meet”, in a world fraught with challenges along the way. As my sister-in-law would say, “Do what you got to do, and live with it!”
The other is that we might use what we have been given as eternal treasure, a “trust”.
The apostle Paul put it this way, “Still, I want it made clear that I've never gotten anything out of this for myself, and that I'm not writing now to get something. I'd rather die than give anyone ammunition to discredit me or impugn my motives. If I proclaim the Message, it's not to get something out of it for myself. I'm compelled to do it, and doomed if I don't! If this was my own idea of just another way to make a living, I'd expect some pay. But since it's not my idea but something solemnly entrusted to me, why would I expect to get paid? So am I getting anything out of it? Yes, as a matter of fact: the pleasure of proclaiming the Message at no cost to you. You don't even have to pay my expenses! 1 Corinthians 9:15-18 The Message (MSG)
The prophet Samuel’s robe tore, as King Saul, Israel’s first king, grabbed it when he began to walk away. Saul had disobeyed God’s specific instructions, keeping the best for himself. “Since all you want is the stuff, the kingdom has been taken away from you.”
Its almost as if I hear Samuel saying, “I hear the bleating of sheep and the lowing of oxen. Show me, oh King, how this “stuff” brings hope to you, and to God’s people, especially since God had told you to destroy it all!” (1 Samuel 15) As I recall, “stuff” had been Saul’s problem even from the time of his anointing to be the king, in trying to please his dad, when his dad was more concerned about he, himself! (1 Samuel 10:22)
I find it ironic that Saul’s spirit betrayed itself in yet another encounter. This time it was with the Philistines, where he couldn’t wait for the prophet Samuel to turn up for the worship service, and his excuse was, “I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.” (I Samuel 13:12) Even worship had become a drudgery, and something that he had to force himself to do.
It is as if the Holy Spirit was saying, “Show me how your job, activity, frustration, etc., provides something you need more than what you already have in God. Show how you can experience personal Christian hope, demonstrate genuine love, and bring these to someone else who crosses your path.”
Jesus may as well have asked the rich young ruler the same question, as he refused to sell all he had in order to follow the Lord Jesus, “What do you have to show for the kingdom of God?” (Matthew 19:20)
The same God who had allowed him to have a lot of “money and stuff”, would care for those needs outside of the “virtual security” he was now experiencing.
It reminded me of a question I had been asked as a teenager, by the single missionary who had been left in charge of the mission in Mt. Frere, South Africa, while my parents were away, on mission business.
“I want you to help me select special gifts for our special Bible class promotion coming up in a week. I want them to be wise and useful in their lives.” She later reported to my parents that I had “passed the test”. (Just barely, in my opinion!)
My prayers about a recent, special concern were not being answered. I found myself asking the same question, but with its own personal twist. “With all you have invested to be ready for such a time as this, what have you got to show for it?”
As King David looked at the unfolding drama of his son, Absalom, he no doubt asked a similar question, “What have I got to show for all of this? Just give me my son back!” In the end, his heart could utter nothing else than a helpless wail, “O my son, Absalom, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33)
I have thought about that question off and on for many years, and often wondered how my father-in-law got that from scripture. I knew better than to question his wisdom, because I was quite sure he knew what he was talking about! After all, he had done pretty well in raising his daughters, one of whom I wanted as my wife. (I knew it “had” to be in scripture!)
As I was working on projects around the home recently, a flash of insight came and I saw a connection between that statement and what Peter said in one of his epistles:
“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” (1 Peter 3:13-16 esv)
“. . . be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience . . .”
My father-in-law was requiring his daughters to be able to answer the question, “How will this, (job, position, purchase, right, etc.), give you an answer for your personal hope, and the hope of others? What have you got to show for it?”
Regret, frustration, complaining, etc., are horrible enemies, and basically come from ourselves.
When Israel began to listen to the law of God being read by Ezra, in the newly restored city of Jerusalem, under Nehemiah, they began to weep. Nehemiah told them that strength was found in joy, not in weeping. God had engineered the rebuilding of the walls. The law was being read again. They had begun to see where the failure was. This was no time to weep, but rather rejoice. (Nehemiah 8:10)
I began to realize that I have always been the most concerned when I truly felt a problem had been left up to me. We are overcome because we see our own failures, but see no responsibility towards God, and the amazing provision He has given us. “Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe! Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!” Could this be one reason why no answer will come? This question can be asked of anything that we desire in our world – whether it is a purchase, a position, or a legitimate desire.
What can we do to fix the problem? Or, “What have you got to show for it?”
One is to “make ends meet”, in a world fraught with challenges along the way. As my sister-in-law would say, “Do what you got to do, and live with it!”
The other is that we might use what we have been given as eternal treasure, a “trust”.
The apostle Paul put it this way, “Still, I want it made clear that I've never gotten anything out of this for myself, and that I'm not writing now to get something. I'd rather die than give anyone ammunition to discredit me or impugn my motives. If I proclaim the Message, it's not to get something out of it for myself. I'm compelled to do it, and doomed if I don't! If this was my own idea of just another way to make a living, I'd expect some pay. But since it's not my idea but something solemnly entrusted to me, why would I expect to get paid? So am I getting anything out of it? Yes, as a matter of fact: the pleasure of proclaiming the Message at no cost to you. You don't even have to pay my expenses! 1 Corinthians 9:15-18 The Message (MSG)
The prophet Samuel’s robe tore, as King Saul, Israel’s first king, grabbed it when he began to walk away. Saul had disobeyed God’s specific instructions, keeping the best for himself. “Since all you want is the stuff, the kingdom has been taken away from you.”
Its almost as if I hear Samuel saying, “I hear the bleating of sheep and the lowing of oxen. Show me, oh King, how this “stuff” brings hope to you, and to God’s people, especially since God had told you to destroy it all!” (1 Samuel 15) As I recall, “stuff” had been Saul’s problem even from the time of his anointing to be the king, in trying to please his dad, when his dad was more concerned about he, himself! (1 Samuel 10:22)
I find it ironic that Saul’s spirit betrayed itself in yet another encounter. This time it was with the Philistines, where he couldn’t wait for the prophet Samuel to turn up for the worship service, and his excuse was, “I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.” (I Samuel 13:12) Even worship had become a drudgery, and something that he had to force himself to do.
It is as if the Holy Spirit was saying, “Show me how your job, activity, frustration, etc., provides something you need more than what you already have in God. Show how you can experience personal Christian hope, demonstrate genuine love, and bring these to someone else who crosses your path.”
Jesus may as well have asked the rich young ruler the same question, as he refused to sell all he had in order to follow the Lord Jesus, “What do you have to show for the kingdom of God?” (Matthew 19:20)
The same God who had allowed him to have a lot of “money and stuff”, would care for those needs outside of the “virtual security” he was now experiencing.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
POWERFUL PRAYER SEEN IN THE PERSISTENT WIDOW AND HEARTLESS JUDGE
Luke 18 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Parable of the Persistent Widow Reaping in joy what you have sown in tears.
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
“Elias [Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17-18 KJV)
This parable, contrary to what it seems to suggest on the surface, is not merely a sales pitch for persistence. The persistence in this story is more like a contention than a recommendation to persist. But, it is not just a contention either, because the widow is not shown as being all “bent out of shape”! She is tenaciously determined! What made her this way? That seems to be the point of this parable.
She knew that this judge could do what she wanted! He was experienced. He had dealt with this kind of thing before. He had told her! Jesus had said that the judge needed to be heard! (verse 6)
Jesus often used parables, especially among religious leaders, in order to help them see, when they were really blind. (Matthew 13:13)
Here Jesus uses a parable to teach God’s power, and the key to it. Elijah, in the Old Testament, although used mightily of God to discipline the nation of Israel concerning their idolatry, did not comprehend how much it would cost him emotionally, until he found himself running in fear from the idolatrous queen, herself!
“When the illusion of control disappears, we become men and women of prayer.” RT@MattChandler74 (Twitter)
What is a parable anyway? It is a brief but clear story, occasionally written in poetic form. It illustrates an instructive principle, life lesson, or universal truth, such as those found in scripture. A parable is a type of analogy.
The word “parable” comes from the Greek παραβολή (parabolē), meaning “comparison, illustration, analogy”, It sketches a setting, describes an action, and shows the results. It often involves a character facing a moral dilemma, or making a questionable decision and then experiencing the consequences.
It would serve us well to remember that Jesus said in Mark 4:13 that all parables have the concept of “sowing and reaping” hidden in them. We therefore need to look for the truth of “sowing and reaping” in this parable. The widow saw the truth of this resource, experienced its growth in her perception, and comprehended that continued persistence with an unjust and uncaring judge, would pay off in the end. In this way, the widow’s perception of the answer to her need seems to prove light, or discernment.
Let us consider the words, “a certain city”. It was a specific city. Was this parable meant to be a picture of God’s dealings with Israel’s religious leaders, the cry of those affected by this, and the spiritually “widowed” in the city of Jerusalem, and the answer of the sending of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem them?
After the coming of Christ, the objective is much bigger than just the ancient state of Israel, but rather the true Church, the redemption of those He draws to Himself, as demonstrated in the Book of Acts.
So the parable can demonstrate the inner ache of the spirit, as it longs to see the release of a transformed heart responding to the grand purpose of redemption.
Therefore, to capture the main lesson of this parable, could not this “certain city” be like any spiritual stronghold that Christians may experience in their souls? Or, to put it another way, the “certain city” could be any significant issue that you have.
Or, to put it in the words of the scripture passage, as we shall see at the end of the passage, the Judge of the Universe will avenge his elect of their adversary, when faith has immobilized the unjust judge!
But, this particular judge did not fear God nor did he respect people. He had scrutinized her carefully. He was not going to let go of this lightly. This had made her check her heart out many times. She had tried good attitudes, and good strategies, but none had worked. All that was left was her own inspired view of the answer. This was beginning to serve her well, because Satan, himself, can come as an “angel of light”. God’s light is greater!
This “heart” discernment is designed to lead to further understanding, and a conviction that there may be resources to meet this need. This may well be an opportunity to experience the power of God, comprehended in the vision of the heart, the very authority needed for God’s answer.
Was it then faith that drove the woman to camp on the doorstep of this judge? If so, then Faith is much more than a wish, or a positive mental attitude. It is knowledge of an existing truth, having its source as the very heart of God! This kind of faith is conceived in the heart of God, implanted in the heart, and is able to save one’s soul. (James 1:21) As the understanding of the Word of God made personal to us expands, (Psalm 119:96), (Psalm 138:2), it includes amazing wonders.
Knowing the truth, and seeing God apply it in the midst of adverse surroundings sets us free.
Is this not a parable in one’s experience of “unanswered prayer”? Is Jesus telling us that often we are driven by the fierce winds of our lusts?
Why else would he tell us not to be fainthearted in prayer, when futility lingers in mechanical answers to such questions?
In Luke’s record, just prior to this, Jesus shows how the loss of faith, as explained above, assigns us with loads we cannot possibly carry, which end up drowning “in an ocean” with a stone attached. He then demonstrates how a forgiving spirit is critical to faith, but who can forgive without first being forgiven? Finally, he demonstrates how ingratitude relates to unanswered prayer, indicating that if we were not a benefactor, we could never benefit another.
Jesus deals with these things, it seems to me, to keep people on praying ground – (1) Don’t lose faith, for without it there are loads we cannot possibly bear, and oceans that we cannot possibly swim; (2) Always remember your first role is as “light” in a dark world, to meet the need of the human heart with the message of the Gospel; (3) Stay on forgiving ground, thus consistently keeping flow of the Holy Spirit working; (4) Keep gratitude. Remember that we gained nothing on our own initiative in our world!
Some situations we all face are simply “unjust”. Yet, ironically, hidden deep in our experience of God in our lives, is the insight made real by faith.
Ironically, we are commanded to pursue God’s heart-joy in these kinds of situations. How can joy occur if there has not first been faith? Matthew 15:8; Philippians 1:20-21. In other words, there has to be gain!
Years ago Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a book entitled, “When Bad Things happen to Good People”. TV Weather anchor, Chuck Gadicea, in reflecting on the title, at Livonia Prayer Breakfast, 2011, noted that Harold did not say, “Why”, but, “When”! We will all face situations, which are a sort-of parable of life, in and of themselves.
The Samaritan woman was saying, in so many ways, “Give me the music of an authentic life of praise to God! This Man before me is expressing the truth, and I know it. I am going to check this man out who offers me living water at this well!” Having had to deal repeatedly with bad deals in her own life, five husbands, finally ending up with a live-in boyfriend; lame excuses of the “where and how”, from so-called “religious people”, she tries it once again with Jesus. “You speak of this living water, Jesus, but I want to know where we are supposed to worship.”
She had seen the “spirit” of things, and the “truth” of things, in her experience of life. Jesus the Messiah, who had the answer to those questions, challenged her futile resources – the well in Samaria, and her five husbands! She was truly a widow in the deepest sense of the word. Finally the "judge" released control, when the greater showed Himself to be there.
She knew that this was the Spirit of the Messiah, sent to a lost and dying world. Justice was served, as Jesus explained this to her understanding!
It is no accident that she began spreading the good news of Jesus everywhere!
The Parable of the Persistent Widow Reaping in joy what you have sown in tears.
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
“Elias [Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17-18 KJV)
This parable, contrary to what it seems to suggest on the surface, is not merely a sales pitch for persistence. The persistence in this story is more like a contention than a recommendation to persist. But, it is not just a contention either, because the widow is not shown as being all “bent out of shape”! She is tenaciously determined! What made her this way? That seems to be the point of this parable.
She knew that this judge could do what she wanted! He was experienced. He had dealt with this kind of thing before. He had told her! Jesus had said that the judge needed to be heard! (verse 6)
Jesus often used parables, especially among religious leaders, in order to help them see, when they were really blind. (Matthew 13:13)
Here Jesus uses a parable to teach God’s power, and the key to it. Elijah, in the Old Testament, although used mightily of God to discipline the nation of Israel concerning their idolatry, did not comprehend how much it would cost him emotionally, until he found himself running in fear from the idolatrous queen, herself!
“When the illusion of control disappears, we become men and women of prayer.” RT@MattChandler74 (Twitter)
What is a parable anyway? It is a brief but clear story, occasionally written in poetic form. It illustrates an instructive principle, life lesson, or universal truth, such as those found in scripture. A parable is a type of analogy.
The word “parable” comes from the Greek παραβολή (parabolē), meaning “comparison, illustration, analogy”, It sketches a setting, describes an action, and shows the results. It often involves a character facing a moral dilemma, or making a questionable decision and then experiencing the consequences.
It would serve us well to remember that Jesus said in Mark 4:13 that all parables have the concept of “sowing and reaping” hidden in them. We therefore need to look for the truth of “sowing and reaping” in this parable. The widow saw the truth of this resource, experienced its growth in her perception, and comprehended that continued persistence with an unjust and uncaring judge, would pay off in the end. In this way, the widow’s perception of the answer to her need seems to prove light, or discernment.
Let us consider the words, “a certain city”. It was a specific city. Was this parable meant to be a picture of God’s dealings with Israel’s religious leaders, the cry of those affected by this, and the spiritually “widowed” in the city of Jerusalem, and the answer of the sending of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem them?
After the coming of Christ, the objective is much bigger than just the ancient state of Israel, but rather the true Church, the redemption of those He draws to Himself, as demonstrated in the Book of Acts.
So the parable can demonstrate the inner ache of the spirit, as it longs to see the release of a transformed heart responding to the grand purpose of redemption.
Therefore, to capture the main lesson of this parable, could not this “certain city” be like any spiritual stronghold that Christians may experience in their souls? Or, to put it another way, the “certain city” could be any significant issue that you have.
Or, to put it in the words of the scripture passage, as we shall see at the end of the passage, the Judge of the Universe will avenge his elect of their adversary, when faith has immobilized the unjust judge!
But, this particular judge did not fear God nor did he respect people. He had scrutinized her carefully. He was not going to let go of this lightly. This had made her check her heart out many times. She had tried good attitudes, and good strategies, but none had worked. All that was left was her own inspired view of the answer. This was beginning to serve her well, because Satan, himself, can come as an “angel of light”. God’s light is greater!
This “heart” discernment is designed to lead to further understanding, and a conviction that there may be resources to meet this need. This may well be an opportunity to experience the power of God, comprehended in the vision of the heart, the very authority needed for God’s answer.
Was it then faith that drove the woman to camp on the doorstep of this judge? If so, then Faith is much more than a wish, or a positive mental attitude. It is knowledge of an existing truth, having its source as the very heart of God! This kind of faith is conceived in the heart of God, implanted in the heart, and is able to save one’s soul. (James 1:21) As the understanding of the Word of God made personal to us expands, (Psalm 119:96), (Psalm 138:2), it includes amazing wonders.
Knowing the truth, and seeing God apply it in the midst of adverse surroundings sets us free.
Is this not a parable in one’s experience of “unanswered prayer”? Is Jesus telling us that often we are driven by the fierce winds of our lusts?
Why else would he tell us not to be fainthearted in prayer, when futility lingers in mechanical answers to such questions?
In Luke’s record, just prior to this, Jesus shows how the loss of faith, as explained above, assigns us with loads we cannot possibly carry, which end up drowning “in an ocean” with a stone attached. He then demonstrates how a forgiving spirit is critical to faith, but who can forgive without first being forgiven? Finally, he demonstrates how ingratitude relates to unanswered prayer, indicating that if we were not a benefactor, we could never benefit another.
Jesus deals with these things, it seems to me, to keep people on praying ground – (1) Don’t lose faith, for without it there are loads we cannot possibly bear, and oceans that we cannot possibly swim; (2) Always remember your first role is as “light” in a dark world, to meet the need of the human heart with the message of the Gospel; (3) Stay on forgiving ground, thus consistently keeping flow of the Holy Spirit working; (4) Keep gratitude. Remember that we gained nothing on our own initiative in our world!
Some situations we all face are simply “unjust”. Yet, ironically, hidden deep in our experience of God in our lives, is the insight made real by faith.
Ironically, we are commanded to pursue God’s heart-joy in these kinds of situations. How can joy occur if there has not first been faith? Matthew 15:8; Philippians 1:20-21. In other words, there has to be gain!
Years ago Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a book entitled, “When Bad Things happen to Good People”. TV Weather anchor, Chuck Gadicea, in reflecting on the title, at Livonia Prayer Breakfast, 2011, noted that Harold did not say, “Why”, but, “When”! We will all face situations, which are a sort-of parable of life, in and of themselves.
The Samaritan woman was saying, in so many ways, “Give me the music of an authentic life of praise to God! This Man before me is expressing the truth, and I know it. I am going to check this man out who offers me living water at this well!” Having had to deal repeatedly with bad deals in her own life, five husbands, finally ending up with a live-in boyfriend; lame excuses of the “where and how”, from so-called “religious people”, she tries it once again with Jesus. “You speak of this living water, Jesus, but I want to know where we are supposed to worship.”
She had seen the “spirit” of things, and the “truth” of things, in her experience of life. Jesus the Messiah, who had the answer to those questions, challenged her futile resources – the well in Samaria, and her five husbands! She was truly a widow in the deepest sense of the word. Finally the "judge" released control, when the greater showed Himself to be there.
She knew that this was the Spirit of the Messiah, sent to a lost and dying world. Justice was served, as Jesus explained this to her understanding!
It is no accident that she began spreading the good news of Jesus everywhere!
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