ResponsiveReiding

Margin notes: Water into wine

July 3rd, 2019

John 2:1–11 (ESV) — 1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

This is perhaps one of the most recognizable of all Biblical passages. It is used ubiquitously at weddings, and as a symbol of how Jesus was both attentive to the everyday needs of a moment, as well as the Lord of glory in performing the actual miracle. Verse 11 says this was the first of His signs. And that in it He made His glory known. But what exactly was it a sign of? I think the answer lies in seeing this account as the exposition of a verse back in chapter 1: John 1:16–17 (ESV) — 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

In other words, Jesus had not come to bolster or fix the corrupted Mosaic economy. He didn’t come to repair the Judaism of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He came to usher in the New Covenant, not to patch up the old one. He didn’t make more wine out of the existing wine, but created it anew. In Jesus, we have grace – New Covenant grace – atop of or superseding – the grace of the Law. The figure is not hard to discern.

As the master of the feast noted to the bridegroom, “you have kept the good wine until now.” Yes, under the Mosaic economy the blessing of God was made known to and poured out upon His people. But He was keeping the best until last. The Law and the prophets were never intended to be an end in themselves, but only a foretaste of the “good wine” to come. The “best” wine, the New Covenant could only come through the miraculous work of the incarnate Son of God – Jesus Christ. As perfect and holy and good as the Law of Moses was, it could not save. O, it surely did its appointed work in its time – but it was not the fullness to come. That, would have to wait the incarnation. Not until Jesus would come to spill His own blood on our behalf – not until His personal, incarnate intervention could we have the riches, the fullness that best of the grace God had to give. All of His blessings are good – but not all of them are the fullness. That comes in the One in whom dwells all of the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Beloved, never settle for rules, regulations, laws and religion – even given by God Himself as sufficient. Even the divinely given Law was not the end. Look only to the crucified Lamb of God. Only in Him is the wine which never runs out – which is sufficient for our every need – in an overabundance of grace. Only in Him is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant promises. Only in Jesus is that salvation which is merely tasted in the Old. Now the New has come. And only by the miracle of grace wrought at the hand of Jesus is the salvation we long for fulfilled. He, is the fullness of God. The fullness of our salvation. The best wine had come at last. Never go back. When you are tempted to, remind yourself, the old wine has run out. And only Jesus can meet the need.
Margin Notes: The Last Adam

July 2nd, 2019

1 Corinthians 15:45–49 (ESV) — 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Romans 5:14 tells us that Adam, Eden’s Adam was a type, a foreshadowing of “the one who was to come.” Jesus was always the plan. And so it is there are a number of passages like the one above in 1 Cor. 15 where Jesus and Adam are contrasted and/or compared. Adam became a living being, but Jesus? He Himself was a life-giving spirit. Adam had life, Jesus gave it. Adam was formed and came out of the earth – but Jesus, He came down from Heaven. Adam was made out of the dust of the earth and so all of we humans share that same nature. But Jesus, having come down out of Heaven, brings those who believe to share in His heavenly nature. And so as we all have borne the image of the first Adam, all those in Christ will bear His image in time.

But there is another set of contrasts that are not as explicit, and yet carry an exceeding weight of glory all their own. They emerge when we contemplate this scene at Jesus’ crucifixion: Luke 23:46 (ESV) — 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Note first that when Adam had sinned, he hid himself FROM God, red with his own guilt. Whereas Jesus when dying for our sin, went TO God, blood-red with our guilt. “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Note second how Adam tried to cover himself so as not to be exposed. While Jesus was stripped naked and exposed to the world.

And lastly, how Adam pointed the finger at his wife as the reason for his fall. But Jesus took the whole of our guilt upon Himself, that His Bride might be covered.

Oh what a wondrous Savior this last Adam is.
The Fear of The Lord Part 4

July 1st, 2019

Fear of the Lord Part 4

Reid A Ferguson

Psalm 19; Deuteronomy 10:12–13; 1 Samuel 2:12

Audio for this Sermon can be found here

We’ve been working through the topic of the Fear of The Lord.

And I trust it has been useful in both disabusing some of you of false notions of what it means to fear the Lord, as well as a means to instill a right fear of Him that as Psalm 19 says: “rejoices” the heart.

You will recall that we have been taking this 5 step approach:

The Fear of the Lord:

1 – Why Should I Care?

2 – What it isn’t.

3 – What it is.

4 – How it is obtained.

5 – What are its benefits?

So by way of very quick review –

Why Should I care?:

1 – Because Scripture addresses it so often.

2 – Because Scripture places such emphasis upon it.

3 – Because a lack of the fear of the Lord is the signal mark of those who are Godless and lost.

What is isn’t:

1 – Slavish fear

2 – Fear of one who is unpredictable, unreasonable, touchy or irrational.

3 – Has some secret thing against me

What it is:

1 – The Fear of the Lord is: A right perception of God that produces a heart and mind governed by a fitting response to the revelation of God in His Creation and Word regarding His; Nature; Position; Word and Acts.

2 – Reverential Awe

How it is obtained:

1 – Creation

2 – The Word

3 – His Acts

Just before we move into the last portion examining some of the benefits of applying ourselves to seeking out and obtaining this right fear of the Lord, let me expand on the role of the Word of God in this.

I do not believe this part can be overemphasized.

First, because it is in the Word that we find out how and why the Creation begins to bring us to a right fear of the Lord.

If we did not have Genesis 1:1 – we might interpret all of creation from a purely materialistic point of view.

Indeed, many try to do just that.

But to explain all that exists by postulating that everything just came to be without rhyme or reason out of nothing – leaves us with utter and complete hopelessness.

Not only that, it is both unreasonable and contrary to God’s revelation.

Everything coming out of nothing without any cause is a tough pill to swallow. And its implications are staggering.

So it is the famous British Chemist and Scientist Peter Atkins could write: “We are children of chaos, and the deep structure of change is decay. At root, there is only corruption, and the unstemmable tide of chaos. Gone is purpose; all that is left is direction. This is the bleakness we have to accept as we peer deeply and dispassionately into the heart of the Universe.”

This comes from an atheist – one who fully adopts the view that everything just randomly came out of nothing. And even he has to admit that thinking this way leads to this very empty conclusion.

Second, it is only in the Word that we come to know of the incarnation, God’s plan and purpose in it, and the wonder of the atonement as Christ Jesus offered up Himself in our place that our sin might have a full and complete remedy in His blood.

The plan of redemption cannot be worked out through human wisdom or imagination. 1 Cor. 1:21

1 Corinthians 1:21 ESV / For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

By God’s design – human wisdom, uninformed by His revelation – can never come to the right ultimate conclusions about such things. He made us in such a way that we cannot know the truth without knowing Him as He discloses Himself.

In addition, let me take you to Psalm 19 to show you how the fear of the Lord and the Word are absolutely tied together.

Psalm 19:7-9 / Most of you are pretty familiar with the structure of this Psalm, but vss. 7-9 are what I’d like to call your attention to in its unique pattern.

There are a series of synonyms that you see in the text.

The LAW of the Lord

The TESTIMONY of the Lord

The PRECEPTS of the Lord

The COMMANDMENT of the Lord

The RULES of the Lord

The purpose of referring to the same thing – the Word of God these various ways is so that we do not think of God’s law as just a roster of cold commands.

The whole Bible is “God’s law” – His ordering of all things – like the law of nature or physics. It reveals the framework, structure and arrangement of all existence.

And so it is also His testimony – His declaration of all reality. And that it is truthful.

And yes, the Word reveals His precepts, the principles by which He governs all things. The behind the scenes revelation of how the universe – especially the moral universe works.

His commandment – and note this is in the singular – What is His one, all encompassing command? How are we to think of that? As one lexicon puts it, we can consider it as His commission – His divine plan for all things.

And of course His rules: His judgments and decrees about how all things are to work.

But those of you who are quick on the draw here have already noticed I omitted one synonym that casts this entire section into a whole new light – for vs. 9 also takes note of The FEAR of the Lord.

Do you see that? In other words, the law, testimony, precepts, commandment and rules of the Lord can also be classified as the FEAR of the Lord.

How does that work?

It is comprehended in this thought: When one fears the Lord, they take Him seriously in all He says. His Word and revelation become fully authoritative. And it is awesome!

The one who fears the Lord, takes His Word as supremely authoritative in their lives.

Or as one passage we’ve looked at previously reminds us: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” Isa. 66:2b

I cannot stress this issue enough.

No one can say they “fear the Lord” if they do not tremble at His Word as the ultimate authority in their lives.

This is what separates true Believers from nominal ones or mere religionists.

In fact, let me take you to a very interesting passage in this regard in 1 Samuel that makes this so very clear by means of contrast.

1 Sam 2:12 in the ESV reads: / Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

But the NET picks up a nuance in the Hebrew which is really worth noting: “The sons of Eli were wicked men. They did not recognize the Lord’s authority.” The NET Bible 1 Sa 2:12.

This is of the utmost importance. For if the Bible is not the ultimate authority in my life, then how can I depend upon it to tell me the truth about myself, my sin, who God is, who Jesus is, what He has done, what sin is, how it is to be remedied, how I can be restored to a right relationship with the Father, what life is all about and where it is all going?

Either it is authoritative in all it teaches, or it is not. Either it holds that place in my own heart and mind or it doesn’t.

Each of us desperately needs to know where we stand in this regard.

All of us accede to SOME authority in these matters, be it some person, some system, some religion, or just ourselves.

But the one who is in right relationship to God must own Him as the supreme authority in their lives, which authority is expressed through His Word and the Spirit – which, by the way, ALWAYS agree with one another.

As the old Puritan Thomas Brooks wrote:

The Spirit never loosens where the Word binds;

The Spirit never justifies where the Word condemns;

The Spirit never approves where the Word disapproves;

The Spirit never blesses where the Word curses.

The notion that some have advanced that the Spirit of God has somehow intimated things to them in any way contrary to what He has revealed in His Word is quite telling. It tells you they have no fear of the Lord.

Now all that said, this brings us to the final consideration in this entire topic:

The Fear of The Lord: What are its Benefits?

And for this – we have an absolute treasure trove to pick through in the Scripture. But so as not to lose the impact of some of these by virtue of trying to take in too many – I’ll confine myself to just 10 or 12 here.

But let me take you back to Psalm 19 for one minute so that you can have a sort of handy quick-reference guide to use on your own whenever you need a quick reminder.

Psalm 19:7-13

Let me take you on a bit of a whirl-wind survey.

Here you see this incredible table in the text that makes you both wonder and admire how the Spirit put all of this together.

The Law of the Lord, everything He teaches is perfect – blameless – and so it revives the soul which is what makes it so valuable.

God’s testimony which opens reality to us is sure – trustworthy as true – and so it imparts true wisdom and that makes it sweet to the soul.

The precepts of the Lord – His governing principles are right – straight and not crooked or devious, and so they rejoice the heart by warning us from all true danger.

The commandment or purpose of the Lord is pure – singular, not a mixed bag and so it enlightens the eyes, clears up mysteries and then guarantees the rewards He promises.

The fear of the Lord is clean – it isn’t mixed with dark suspicions of God and His purposes, He remains ever the same and so He can reveal to us the dark places in our own hearts reliably.

God’s rules, His judgments and decrees about how all things are supposed to work in His universe are true – trustworthy and always righteous, never nefarious and so they keep those who fear them back from great sins – especially the greatest of all – unbelief.

If we only had this Psalm, we’d have so much – but let me just quickly run by some other pertinent passages.

2 Kings 17:39 / “but you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”

Scripture tells us that as Christ’s we have 3 enemies: The World system, our own Flesh and sinful tendencies, and the lies and temptations of the Devil.

Those who fear the Lord alone will find a full and free deliverance from these.

Those alone will find the wisdom, the will, the courage and the wherewithal to overcome.

Psalm 25:12 / Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

Those who fear the Lord learn how to make the right choices in life. How to choose righteousness and refuse evil.

To choose with eternity in view and not just today.

Psalm 25:14 / The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

When we gain the fear of the Lord, we are drawn into a personal friendship and intimacy with Him that no others can know.

Only 1 man in all of Scripture is said to have been God’s friend – Abraham (James 2).

And Moses is the only one Scripture says God spoke to face to face as a man speaks to a friend. (Exodus 33)

And it is this singular friendship Scripture says belongs to them that fear Him.

Not a fear that produces standoffishness, but wonder at such grace – that such majesty bows to walk with us in such closeness.

Psalm 33:18 / Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

What is this but the assurance that God take special note of those who fear Him. That He watches them especially. That they are assured of His notice of their every need, concern, care and circumstance.

Psalm 34:7 / The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Those who fear the Lord are privy to special angelic attention and protection.

The singular here may mean it refers specifically to Christ Himself, of that special agent of God sent to guard and protect His people as Michael was uniquely assigned to Israel.

In either case, what a thing to contemplate that we receive such special attention at His hand.

Albert Barnes “Nothing is more clearly or constantly asserted than that the angels are employed in defending the people of God; in leading and guiding them; in comforting them under trial, and sustaining them in death…The most lonely, the most humble, the most obscure, and the poorest child of God, may have near him and around him a retinue and a defence which kings never have when their armies pitch their tents around their palaces, and when a thousand swords would at once be drawn to defend them.”

Psalm 34:9 / Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

The Lord is our Shepherd – we’ll not lack for anything our soul needs. Ever.

Those who fear Him know His supply in times of outward distress, inward worry, doubt and fear. In all places at all times – the great needs of our soul are always met. Even when we are weakest and most insensible we are being met that way.

Psalm 103:13 / As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Who among us who are Christ’s can’t testify to how compassionate He is toward us in our sins and failings?

Oh how He takes such pity on us and how sin has ravaged our hearts, souls, minds and body.

He is a God of great compassion. A compassion that is most tenderly and lovingly bestowed on those who fear Him – not generically, but as a Father to His dearest children.

Psalm 103:17 / But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,

And what else?

Those who fear Him do not just know His love for them, but His steadfast love – His unending, unbreakable, faithful, abiding, never wavering love. A love that knows no ups and downs but remains at all times and under all circumstances.

Psalm 147:11 / but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Some of you today desperately need to hear this: That the Lord does not just tolerate those who fear Him – He takes PLEASURE in you. He delights in you. He smiles at the thought of you. He watches you the way a parent delights in watching their child play.

As Zeph. 3 records: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

He is not disappointed in you and gritting His teeth at your weakness. Those who fear Him are assured that He takes pleasure in them.

Proverbs 10:27 / The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.

What comes to those who fear the Lord? The grant of eternal life!

If the fear of the Lord only increased our age numerically in this life, we would have nothing more than sometimes accrues even to the unjust.

But it is not so with us.

The word here doesn’t just carry with it the idea of extending time – but of increasing life itself, enhancing and filling it. It is akin to Jesus’ words in John 10 where He says He came to give abundant life: Extraordinary, over and above, remarkable.

Life lived in the full realization of what life is for, what it is all about and what life in Christ will ultimately lead to.

It is life with confidence for today and the certainty of eternity.

Malachi 3:16-18 / Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Those who fear the Lord are especially noted by Him – with this amazing phrase, that He writes their names down in a book of remembrance: So that on the final day, they are well marked out by name as His treasured possession.

All that remains for us today is to enquire: Am I one who fears the Lord?

Do I know Him with something of this reverential awe as I consider His creation, His revelation of Himself in His Word, and especially in His great redemptive work in Jesus on the Cross?

Has His Word filled me with fear of His judgment on sin so that I run to Him in all of His awesome wonder with the hope only of His promise in Christ?

If so – all these benefits and more are yours today.

And if not, why not? Why not come to Him today?

In all of His unimaginable glory He holds His hands out to you today and says: “Come.” There is forgiveness, cleansing, and reconciliation in the blood of Jesus Christ for you.
Margin Notes: What’s God’s Problem?

July 1st, 2019

Deuteronomy 4:29 (ESV) — 29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Seek the Lord. Seek the Lord. Seek the Lord! It is a ubiquitous phrase in the Bible. And one wonders, what’s the deal? Why all this attention on seeking Him? Is it ego? Does God have some sort of strange thirst to be pursued? Why is He always calling upon us to seek Him? Why do we need to seek Him? Isn’t He just there? And don’t we just live life “in Him and through Him? Isn’t it enough that I go to Church, sing the songs, enter worship, give my offerings and live the “Christian life?” And the truth is, I can do all of the above without ever actually seeking Him at all.

What is this seeking the Lord anyway?

Seeking the Lord is taking intentional time to be in the presence of God. To be in God’s Word, before Him and separate from all other things, to allow His Word to speak to our souls. To encounter Him in Word informed and driven prayer.

And the simple answer to why Scripture calls us to it so often is this: Scripture calls to us to seek the Lord over and over and over as an accommodation to our fallen state. It is reminding us that if we do not intentionally seek HIm, we will not naturally seek Him. At least not since The Fall. God must be sought because the sin in me is perpetually drawing me to everything else BUT Him. Because I will seek comfort, joy, peace, hope, fulfillment and well being in literally anything and anybody else – when in fact I was designed to find all of this in Him.

The Spirit does not remind us to seek Him all the through the Bible because of some weakness or need in God, but because of our brokenness. Because we will busy ourselves with all sorts of things other than Him – to the detriment of our eternal souls.

Every time you encounter this phrase in Scripture, be reminded that it is God Himself seeking YOU out, that you might have the fullness you were created for. It is His voice calling to you – to find your full and true satisfaction in Him. And I know for myself if I do not do it intentionally and daily – pretty soon I won’t do it at all.

Seek the Lord my friend, seek the Lord.
Margin Notes: From 1 Samuel

June 28th, 2019

1 Samuel 16:14–23 (NET) — 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 Then Saul’s servants said to him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!” 16 Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre and you will feel better.”17 So Saul said to his servants, “Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.” 18 One of his attendants replied, “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior and is articulate and handsome, for the Lord is with him.” 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep. 20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David. 21 David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him a great deal, and he became his armor bearer. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.” 23 So whenever the spirit from God would come upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it. This would bring relief to Saul and make him feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him alone.

A few years ago I met a retired professor of Psychiatry from Harvard in the airport. In our conversation, I asked what the biggest change was that he had witnessed in his profession in his 50 year career. He told me frankly (lamentingly): “we don’t treat people anymore, we just medicate them.” And as I ponder this text, I wonder how many Christians do the very same thing – by what appears to be superficially, a very “spiritual” thing?

You see Saul’s problem was that he had disobeyed God sorely in the affair with the Amalekites in the previous chapter. God has said he would take the kingdom away from Saul as a result. But rather than Saul repenting and seeking forgiveness – irrespective of reversing his penalty – he simply sulked. Sulked and suffered. And indeed suffered at the hand of God in being tormented by a spirit sent from God. True, the Lord had said Saul would lose the Kingdom – but that did not mean Saul himself was beyond recovery. Where there is repentance and a humble heart, God forgives. But at this point Saul would rather get any benefit or relief by proxy than to humble himself before the Lord and seek the remedy in his own relationship with Him. So he employs David to “medicate” him how? – with “Christian” music. For David was a Psalmist. And singing praises to God in that day was sometimes referred to as “prophesying” (see: 1 Sam. 10:5, 1 Chron. 25:103).

And I wonder just how many Christians have lapsed into a nearly identical state? They have sin in their lives, or have suffered a failure, but instead of seeking God directly for forgiveness, repentance and restoration, they defer to simply medicating themselves psychologically by hymns and songs and spiritual worship. The music of the Church makes them feel better – for a time. It is a sort of worship by proxy. But it is not the same as having had their relationship with the Father restored rightly. Never resolving their issue with their God – they let it tragically drone on in this horrible way. From the outside it looks spiritual, when in reality, it is little more than a mild placebo.

It is one thing for us to find solace and comfort in the worship and music of the Kingdom as a part of our ordinary course. God has provided it for us. But it is quite another to use it as a substitute for having our hearts searched and brought back to a right place with the Father. Confession, repentance and by faith receiving forgiveness because of the Cross of Christ will move us beyond the need for a Gospel “pill”, and restore us to sweet and intimate fellowship with the Father. Don’t settle for Saul’s poor remedy.
Margin Notes: From Luke 15

June 27th, 2019

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the grassland and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? 5 And when he* has found it,* he places it* on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he* returns to his* home, he calls together his* friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Lk 15:4–7.

This is one of those parables of Jesus which has evoked tons of commentary and questions. Just who are the 99? What sense does it make that the Shepherd leaves those unattended to search after one? Why are the Shepherd’s friends and neighbors so happy when he returns with this one errant sheep? How exactly are we to make sense of this somewhat strange parable?

It is in a case like this that once and a while we get to glean something of the treasures of those who have gone before us in the faith. In this case, the 4th century Bishop of Salamis (in Cypress), Epiphanius. In his commentary on Matthew’s recording of this parable, Epiphanius conjectures a most charming way of getting away from the questions which take us away from the meat of the fruit of this passage. He suggests that the picture is that of the Son of God leaving Heaven and the righteous angels in the presence of God, to come and die. To seek out the “lost sheep.” It is a picture of the incarnation. In other words, the very oddity of the scenario is meant to suggest to us something we wouldn’t ordinarily consider.

The 99 represents the majority of all of God’s Creation which has NOT strayed from Him, especially the righteous, unfallen angels. And the one sheep, that one small part of Creation which has strayed – fallen mankind. Jesus leaves the 99 in Heaven, safe, secure and righteous, and comes seeking we lost, foolish and rebellious ones. And finding us, what does He do? He places us upon His own shoulders, with the full weight of all of our guilt and sin. He takes us up upon Himself, since we have no means to return to the fold ourselves. And carrying us to the Heavenlies on His scourge-scarred shoulders, He presents us blameless before His glory with great joy. (Jude 24) So it is Jesus notes it is joy “in Heaven” over the repentant sinner, above the righteous angelic host who need no repentance. And how they rejoice with Him in the fulfilling of His redemptive work.

And so we come to that closing thought: there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over the 99 – the angelic host – who have no need of repentance. And we are humbled to think how such a salvation, such a Savior can be ours. Glorify Him Christian – He values your soul more than all the holy angels in heaven. No wonder the Psalmist must gasp: “What IS man, that you take notice of him?”
Margin Notes: From Luke 7

June 26th, 2019

Luke 7:36–48 (ESV) — 36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Here is a principle which seems counterintuitive, but is not: If we would love God more, we need a greater apprehension of the magnitude of our sin, and the glory of what it cost at Calvary to deal with it.

Our perception of and appreciation for God’s love for us is directly tied to our perception of the greatness of our sin, and what it cost to purge it.

It is a great mistake for Christians to want to forget about their sinfulness.

No, we do not want to wallow in it as though nothing has really changed – we HAVE been translated out of darkness into His marvelous light!

So it is, now we can peer into this pit with all of its filth and find the depths and power of God’s love – rather than despair and hopelessness. What once stood as a testimony against us, now becomes a means of blessing and testimony about our Christ.

Don’t waste your sin! Don’t deny it. Don’t run from it. Assess it acutely and minutely through the lens of the finished work of Christ. And use it to rejoice in what Christ has done in His love for you. Otherwise, you will try to live in a false reality, and when sin does raise its ugly head, you’ll have no category for it, no way to rightly deal with it.

Only in this way can we walk in truth and authenticity.
Margin Notes: From 1 Samuel 1

June 25th, 2019

There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 3 Year after year this man would go up from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, served as the Lord’s priests. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But he would give a double portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. Now the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 6 Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 7 Peninnah would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat. 8 Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 9 On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.) 10 She was very upset as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. 11 She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the suffering of your female servant, remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” 12 As she continued praying to the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. 13 Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk. 14 So he said to her, “How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!” 15 But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way it is, my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to the Lord. 16 Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.” 17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and got something to eat. Her face no longer looked sad. The NET Bible 1 Sa 1:1–18.

How easily our miseries can blind our eyes to our blessings.

Do we not hear echos of our Husband here, hurt that we do not find His love sufficient? How we weep and discount His love because of some imagined fulfillment of a right, but now overblown desire, that captivates us and seems to all but extinguish our delight in being God’s preferred. How we cravenly envy the worldly blessings He bestows upon the lost – and virtually tell Him His love is meaningless if we cannot have what others have. Father, forgive me.

And in the natural, how many wives or husbands have destroyed their marriages because they lose sight of the great love at home, while longing for something outside or not provided. This is an emotional minefield.

Like Adam and Eve in Eden, they were free to indulge themselves without restraint except for the one tree. But it was the one tree they could not have that eclipsed all they did have. No wonder the old hymn writer reminded us to “count your blessing, name them one by one.” When we willingly ignore or undervalue the blessings God has given, our hearts will easily grow sick and bitter over what – in His love and wisdom – He has withheld.

Does that mean that if we regulate our hearts and minds properly that suddenly, as in Hannah’s case we’ll finally get what we want? Not necessarily. If, as in Hannah’s case it is what is best both for her and His kingdom, it might indeed work out that way. But much more important is the exercise of taking our desire to Him, and trusting both His love and wisdom regarding when and how He deems it best to answer. Not every good and legitimate desire is necessarily the best.

But note how it was she found her real relief in finally pouring out her heart to the Lord, and leaving it here. (v. 18) And how that appears to have restored a right intimacy with her husband. The child was not a reward for getting it right. Don’t misconstrue the passage. But how good God is that in her finding the better place, He added to it in giving her a son. Some of the older Jewish commentators say the text implies it was about a year later she conceived and delivered.

But even in this case, how many years did her husband suffer (recall vs. 8) because his wife, tho dearly loved and cherished, made less of her blessing than was fit? How his love was devalued in the meantime. What joy she robbed herself and her husband of in the intervening years.

Father, keep me from just such thinking. And teach me to pour my heart out fully, and rise from there, content, in you. And whether it is a year, or not until Christ returns, I know all my satisfaction is fully met in Him.
Margin Notes: From Mark 14

June 21st, 2019

Mark 14:32–36 (ESV) — 32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

As we think on this passage, our attention is always drawn to the incredible submission of Jesus to the Father in this excruciating and harrowing hour. Rightly so. So great was the trial He was about to undergo, that three times He sought the Father’s face regarding any possibility for salvation to be accomplished any other way. The answer to which was not given in an audible response, but in the immediately following circumstances. No. This alone was the way both the satisfy justice and provide the means for sinners to be reconciled.

Now as I said, we focus our attention upon Jesus’ amazing submission here. But something I think we most often overlook is the Father in all of this.

We all face decisions. Some easy, some hard. Jesus was facing His hardest one at this moment. But put yourself in God the Father’s shoes at this moment. Contemplate His decision.

His Son, His only begotten Son – THE Son, is praying.

He appeals to the Father’s absolute sovereignty and power – “All things are possible for you” He says. And He is right. The Father does not HAVE to save anyone. He can at this moment, deliver His own Son – and let the rebellious race go to Hell. He is under no obligation. There is nothing constraining Him but one thing – His own heart.

Out of nothing but pure love, He willingly sends His Son to that Cross in our place. He didn’t have to. He wanted to. He could remain just and eternally condemn us all. He could remain full of mercy and grace – without it rising to the level of this sacrificial act.

But He refused.

Hearing His perfect Son’s pleas. Knowing His agony. Seeing His “distress” and “trouble” (vs. 33). Knowing He was “sorrowful, even unto death” (vs. 34). Yet still, He will not relent.

He sees the Son’s willing heart. It must melt His own. It can do no other. Yet the plan remains. The deliverance will not come. The Son will die – though the Father can freely and in all holiness and righteousness choose to spare the Son and cast us aside. But the love that “will not let me go” prevails.

What love is this?

What a Father is this?

What a Son is this?

What a salvation is this?

Words, cannot express.
Margin Notes: From Mark 6

June 20th, 2019

Mark 6:47–52 (ESV) — 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

How our Christ accommodates our weaknesses and infirmities. While in this case, He would have gone before them, leading the way to shore and safety – their fear and stress catches His heart. So rather than simply leading them on, He stops, enters the boat with them AND speaks a word of comfort to them. Then, as if all of that is not enough, He also stills the storm. How much He knows our pitiful state. How willingly He stoops to help us. One would have thought this an occasion for rebuke at their lack of faith. Hadn’t He stilled the storm before? But not so our Savior. Tenderly, willingly, accommodatingly, He shifts to meet the exigent circumstances they faced. How wonderful He is!

Note how they misapprehended Him and thought Him simply an apparition. I do this all the time. I fail to recognize Him in the midst of my storm. But He is there whether I perceive Him rightly or not. He never fails to be right in the very center of my deepest cares, concerns and woes. Especially those so outside of my own control .

What are we to think of the statement that “He meant to pass by them”? Our trial is not the end of God’s dealings, but merely one place along the path of His plan. We make them (and their relief) the end point. He does not. He is on His way toward His eternal goals, and our trials and difficulties are not out of His way – but directly in His path. They are neither incidental, nor the whole story. He meets us there, where we least expect Him, but He does not intend to stay there, nor did He alter His course in the process. Our woes coincide with His path, and His path leads beyond our woes. May we always keep the two of those things in view.