In John 9 the apostle relates a story of a blind man receiving his sight. Jesus' disciples asked him if the man's blindness was due to sin, either his own or that of his parents. "No", said Jesus, "but that the works of God may be displayed in him".
The man was healed after Jesus had "made him eyes of mud and spit" (my version) and the man had washed in the Pool of Siloam. He soon became a champion of Jesus' cause. He went so far as to insult the religious leaders, for which he got kicked out of the synagogue.
What I have never heard anyone preach on, was the fact that the man could have responded very differently. He could have thought "What kind of a God would let me suffer without sight from birth so that he could show off his own power?"
We are confronted every day by events which we can attribute to God's goodness or to his indifference to our feelings. The man could have blamed God for thinking only about his own and Jesus' reputation and lacking compassion. If he had done that, he would have just demonstrated his own egocentricity.
Thursday, 25 May 2017
Tuesday, 2 August 2016
Brothers
I have always found Psalm 133 a little strange. What does "It is like the precious oil ... upon ... Aaron's beard" got to do with "See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity"? None of the commentaries really satisfied my curiosity regarding this unusual juxtaposition.
Then I thought about brothers in the Bible and how seldom they related to one another in love. Moses and Aaron served God together for 40 years. I am not aware of any other such connection between brothers in the Bible. On the contrary, the relationships between brothers were often acrimonious.
The very first man born of a woman murdered his brother (Genesis 4:8). When God found a man with whom he could start a nation, his eldest son had to leave home while in his teens (Genesis 21:9-14). Jacob feared for his life because of his twin brother (Genesis 27:41). Jacob's sons came very close to killing their brother, but sold him into slavery instead (Genesis 37:18, 28).
Psalm 133 was written by David. His brothers did not treat him kindly when he went to bring them food while they were at the battle front (1 Samuel 17:28). But his greatest heartache must have been the toxic relationships among his sons. Absalom killed Amnon because he had raped his sister (2 Samuel 13:28). Even Solomon put one of his brothers to death because he had made a grab for the throne (1 Kings 1:5; 2:25).
On which relationships David was reflecting we can only wonder. But he must have found comfort in reading about Moses and Aaron, even though their relationship had also gone through an unhealthy patch (Numbers 12:1).
Then I thought about brothers in the Bible and how seldom they related to one another in love. Moses and Aaron served God together for 40 years. I am not aware of any other such connection between brothers in the Bible. On the contrary, the relationships between brothers were often acrimonious.
The very first man born of a woman murdered his brother (Genesis 4:8). When God found a man with whom he could start a nation, his eldest son had to leave home while in his teens (Genesis 21:9-14). Jacob feared for his life because of his twin brother (Genesis 27:41). Jacob's sons came very close to killing their brother, but sold him into slavery instead (Genesis 37:18, 28).
Psalm 133 was written by David. His brothers did not treat him kindly when he went to bring them food while they were at the battle front (1 Samuel 17:28). But his greatest heartache must have been the toxic relationships among his sons. Absalom killed Amnon because he had raped his sister (2 Samuel 13:28). Even Solomon put one of his brothers to death because he had made a grab for the throne (1 Kings 1:5; 2:25).
On which relationships David was reflecting we can only wonder. But he must have found comfort in reading about Moses and Aaron, even though their relationship had also gone through an unhealthy patch (Numbers 12:1).
Tuesday, 30 December 2014
Thorn in the flesh
After Saul, the first king of Israel, had repeatedly disobeyed the Lord, an evil spirit started to plague him. God had chosen him (1 Samuel 10:1) but was disappointed with his performance as a leader. Saul was more interested in his status than in following God's instructions, given to him by Samuel, the prophet who had anointed him as king.
Soon after Saul had been anointed the Spirit of God came upon him (1 Samuel 10:10). He had done nothing to merit such favour. But because of his rejection of God's directive, an evil spirit was sent to torment him (1 Samuel 15:23; 16:14). Saul went from bad to worse and eventually resorted to witchcraft (1 Samuel 28:7).
About one thousand years later an evil spirit tormented another Saul, also from the tribe of Benjamin. His response was very different to that of his namesake. He prayed 3 times that it would leave him, but submitted to God's will when the Lord said "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
Soon after Saul had been anointed the Spirit of God came upon him (1 Samuel 10:10). He had done nothing to merit such favour. But because of his rejection of God's directive, an evil spirit was sent to torment him (1 Samuel 15:23; 16:14). Saul went from bad to worse and eventually resorted to witchcraft (1 Samuel 28:7).
About one thousand years later an evil spirit tormented another Saul, also from the tribe of Benjamin. His response was very different to that of his namesake. He prayed 3 times that it would leave him, but submitted to God's will when the Lord said "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Authority and power
Jesus attributed Peter's recognition of him as Messiah to a revelation from his Father in heaven. He then told Peter that things he bound/loosed on earth would be bound/loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19). On the face of it one could conclude that Jesus gave Peter carte blanche to rule his church.
Since Jesus made this statement in the context of "on this rock I shall build my church" someone could say that the authority to bind and loose was not given to Peter but to his church. This point of view can be defended by referring to John 20:23. However, when he spoke to Peter, "you" was in the singular in Greek. That is also how it is translated in other languages.
Nevertheless, Peter's fallibility was demonstrated moments later when Jesus called him "satan" (Matthew 16:23). His authority was therefore dependent on his being "in the Spirit". When he was "in the flesh" Peter was advancing the agenda of satan.
That same authority was given to the 10 apostles after Jesus had re-commissioned them and breathed on them (John 20:21-22). On this occasion they received the Holy Spirit and were authorised to forgive anyone's sins or to withhold forgiveness. No-one who has read church history with an open mind can deny that churches have abused their authority too many times to count. My conclusion is therefore that the authority is dependent on "being in the Spirit", however mysterious that may sound.
Power was also given to the apostles by the Holy Spirit. However, they only received Holy Spirit power 50 days after Jesus had ascended into heaven (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4). When a person repents of sin and receives forgiveness through faith in Jesus because of his undeserved sacrificial death, that person receives the Holy Spirit, just like the apostles did when Jesus breathed on them. Nevertheless, the apostles, Samaritans and the Ephesians received the Gift of the Holy Spirit "a second time" (Acts 2:4; 8:14-17; 19:6). In the same way modern day believers who desire God's power to do good can ask Jesus to baptise them with the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16).
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Baptism of fire
John said that the one who came after him would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16). Jesus mentioned baptism and fire in the same breath on his last journey to Jerusalem. He was preparing his followers on what to expect after he had departed (Luke 12:49-53).
The fire he was speaking of would be brought by the Holy Spirit who could only come after Jesus had been glorified (John 7:39). On the day of Pentecost tongues of fire appeared on the heads of his followers (Acts 2:3). Peter attributed the pouring out of the Holy Spirit to the fact that Jesus had ascended to heaven (Acts 2:33). On that day about 3000 people were separated from their fellow Israelites by getting baptised in water (Acts 2:40-41).
At the time when Jesus predicted the division the Holy Spirit would bring, he warned the crowds to choose life. If they ignored his invitation the consequences would be disastrous. He spoke in a parable, the meaning of which was that they needed to make peace with him or else be delivered over to the wrath of the Roman army (Luke 12:57-59). Those who persisted in their unbelief did suffer that fate. Jesus prophesied it more than 40 years before the event (Luke 21:20) and the historian Josephus recorded it.
The fire he was speaking of would be brought by the Holy Spirit who could only come after Jesus had been glorified (John 7:39). On the day of Pentecost tongues of fire appeared on the heads of his followers (Acts 2:3). Peter attributed the pouring out of the Holy Spirit to the fact that Jesus had ascended to heaven (Acts 2:33). On that day about 3000 people were separated from their fellow Israelites by getting baptised in water (Acts 2:40-41).
At the time when Jesus predicted the division the Holy Spirit would bring, he warned the crowds to choose life. If they ignored his invitation the consequences would be disastrous. He spoke in a parable, the meaning of which was that they needed to make peace with him or else be delivered over to the wrath of the Roman army (Luke 12:57-59). Those who persisted in their unbelief did suffer that fate. Jesus prophesied it more than 40 years before the event (Luke 21:20) and the historian Josephus recorded it.
Monday, 2 September 2013
Relationship and law
When first meeting someone new it is normal for most of us to avoid offending the stranger. As we get to know him we discover the person's likes and dislikes. If we want the relationship to continue we try to please the one who has now become a friend.
For various reasons relationships deteriorate and love grows cold over time. Some of our friend's habits, which we tolerated in the beginning, now irritate us. We know his preferences but were never in full agreement with all of them. Nevertheless we don't usually sever the connection. Instead, we avoid any form of conflict. We act in ways we believe he will find acceptable. If he does not approve we are surprised since we did our best and it was not good enough. It is natural at this stage to become negative towards him and lose interest in him as a person.
Children seem to have an inborn instinct to notice what parents are keen on. They generally want to please them. Maybe that is why Jesus has such harsh words for anyone who causes little ones to stumble (Mark 9:42). Inconsistency from a parent's side will cause the child to conform to what is expected, but not from the heart. The child becomes hypocritical towards the parent. The Greek word "hypokrites" means an actor. When a relationship declines to such an extent that it becomes role playing it is hardly worth keeping up.
Before we get to know Jesus we hear from God through our conscience and his commandments. The connection can be quite noisy. We don't always get the intended message, due to external and internal interference. Externally God's laws come to us via teachers, who are imperfect instruments; and internally our "flesh" does not like to be told how to behave. When we invite Jesus into our lives he gives us his Spirit to make his will known. Due to our sinful human nature the communication is still not flawless but it is direct; Jesus' followers interact with him personally.
Our friendship with Jesus can also stagnate to the extent that we act out his laws in a mechanistic way. I can ignore the whispers of his Spirit but keep his laws, or rather my interpretation of his laws. Then I behave in exactly the same way as those who never knew him but only lived by a list of "do's and don'ts". My opinion of him is likely to decline as I should expect when I become the centre of my universe and Jesus is relegated to a lesser role.
Every long term relationship requires work. Couples who have been married for a reasonable time will agree with this statement. The same applies to our relationship with Jesus. It needs to be maintained and not consigned to autopilot.
God's laws are still there to guide us but Jesus expects his followers to talk to him and hear from him daily. For this reason he gave us his Spirit, his Bible and his church.
For various reasons relationships deteriorate and love grows cold over time. Some of our friend's habits, which we tolerated in the beginning, now irritate us. We know his preferences but were never in full agreement with all of them. Nevertheless we don't usually sever the connection. Instead, we avoid any form of conflict. We act in ways we believe he will find acceptable. If he does not approve we are surprised since we did our best and it was not good enough. It is natural at this stage to become negative towards him and lose interest in him as a person.
Children seem to have an inborn instinct to notice what parents are keen on. They generally want to please them. Maybe that is why Jesus has such harsh words for anyone who causes little ones to stumble (Mark 9:42). Inconsistency from a parent's side will cause the child to conform to what is expected, but not from the heart. The child becomes hypocritical towards the parent. The Greek word "hypokrites" means an actor. When a relationship declines to such an extent that it becomes role playing it is hardly worth keeping up.
Before we get to know Jesus we hear from God through our conscience and his commandments. The connection can be quite noisy. We don't always get the intended message, due to external and internal interference. Externally God's laws come to us via teachers, who are imperfect instruments; and internally our "flesh" does not like to be told how to behave. When we invite Jesus into our lives he gives us his Spirit to make his will known. Due to our sinful human nature the communication is still not flawless but it is direct; Jesus' followers interact with him personally.
Our friendship with Jesus can also stagnate to the extent that we act out his laws in a mechanistic way. I can ignore the whispers of his Spirit but keep his laws, or rather my interpretation of his laws. Then I behave in exactly the same way as those who never knew him but only lived by a list of "do's and don'ts". My opinion of him is likely to decline as I should expect when I become the centre of my universe and Jesus is relegated to a lesser role.
Every long term relationship requires work. Couples who have been married for a reasonable time will agree with this statement. The same applies to our relationship with Jesus. It needs to be maintained and not consigned to autopilot.
God's laws are still there to guide us but Jesus expects his followers to talk to him and hear from him daily. For this reason he gave us his Spirit, his Bible and his church.
Monday, 5 August 2013
The new man
Jesus Christ is the prototype of the new man. God's purpose is that people should be changed to be like his Son (Romans 8:29). We are not supposed to be clones of Jesus. Just like children of the same father are not identical, Christians all carry "Jesus' genes", yet each is unique.
Originally man was made in God's image. This image was marred when Adam and Eve decided to know better than their Creator (Genesis 3:5). An evil influence entered the very core of our ancestors. It gets passed on from generation to generation. To be recreated in God's image requires our cooperation with him (Colossians 3:5, 12).
Jesus lived the life of an average Jew till he was about 30 years old (Mark 6:3). Then he started preaching about the new life intended for all who were willing to live as he prescribed. He spoke about life in the kingdom of God. Since Jesus claimed to be one with God (John 10:33), he was obviously the sovereign of this realm.
As representative of the human race Jesus had the task of conquering death. He had raised a few dead people but the final triumph was when he came back from the grave himself (John 10:17-18). Those who are "in Christ" will have the same experience, though our resurrection does not happen 3 days after death.
Emulating the lifestyle of Jesus is only possible with the help of his Holy Spirit. This help is freely available to anyone who asks (Luke 11:13).
Originally man was made in God's image. This image was marred when Adam and Eve decided to know better than their Creator (Genesis 3:5). An evil influence entered the very core of our ancestors. It gets passed on from generation to generation. To be recreated in God's image requires our cooperation with him (Colossians 3:5, 12).
Jesus lived the life of an average Jew till he was about 30 years old (Mark 6:3). Then he started preaching about the new life intended for all who were willing to live as he prescribed. He spoke about life in the kingdom of God. Since Jesus claimed to be one with God (John 10:33), he was obviously the sovereign of this realm.
As representative of the human race Jesus had the task of conquering death. He had raised a few dead people but the final triumph was when he came back from the grave himself (John 10:17-18). Those who are "in Christ" will have the same experience, though our resurrection does not happen 3 days after death.
Emulating the lifestyle of Jesus is only possible with the help of his Holy Spirit. This help is freely available to anyone who asks (Luke 11:13).
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