but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! – Mat 6:23 ESV
Security
Is the security of the believer simply a theological construct? Is there something more to the message of the Bible than just a head knowledge of security? Have I ever used a proof text to convince myself everything is good, when it seems everything in my character yells against that inner voice?
I think the Lord may have been addressing this very concern when He gave us the verse we are looking at this fine day.
Jesus is referring to a person who has “light in them”. But He calls it darkness! And what does it mean “if thine eye is evil”? The ESV translates it as “eye is bad”, but I grew up in the KJV, and the phrase “eye is evil” clicked in my reading of the Old Testament one day. I assumed to have an evil eye was to be of a murderous intent, entertaining wicked thoughts or evil schemes? I never really understood this verse until…
Deuteronomy 15:9 King James Version (KJV)
9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
According to usage in Deuteronomy 15:9, that to have an evil eye is synonymous with selfishness and greed, even that of a lack of compassion to a brother.
If this is the spirit of my life, that is, of being uncompassionate to a brother in need, the Lord states that the light I think I have is simply darkness. And the self-delusion of being full of light while darkness resides, completes the “fullness of darkness”. Nothing worse than self-delusion, and that is why it is so critical to check our life against standards that are measurable, and not simply a subjective, “feel good” standard.
Compassion is a characteristic of Christianity. Without compassion, we show ourselves to not be the people we think we are. Not a very secure place!
That is unless you have convinced yourself otherwise.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #221
Description
Declares things not yet done
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 46:9-10
remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
New Testament Fullfillment
John 13:19
I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studied the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. In our previous post on this miracle, we ventured into harmonizing the two passages, and informed my readers that this post will continue with the format we have used previously.
With that said, let’s return to the passages of the centurions servant.
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
Matthew 8:5-13
When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Luke 7:1-10
After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
General Observations
We resolved a seeming problem with how this miracle harmonized in our last post. With this post we will return to our common format to respond to this mighty work of Christ with a dirty Roman, and religious Jews!
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
Neither text records the miracle actually occurring. This is a moot point, since we can assume the slave recovered as many others did upon hearing and obeying the Lord’s voice. When the slave recovered, we may safely imagine that at least the house of the centurion would have witnessed it.
The audience for the discussion is much more interesting! Were crowds following the Master as He entered the city of Capernaum? If we follow Matthews gospel as chronological, (which at times does not provide this luxury) we may understand that large crowds were following Him after His sermon on the Mount. (See Matthew 8:1)
As mentioned in many of our previous posts, the motivation, the exact reason for a specific miracle may be difficult to determine. With this miracle, the teaching that pours out from the Master’s lips provides reason enough. Of course, the preliminary motivating factor for this miracle includes faith. A Roman centurion’s faith!
Initially, I want to assign the compassion of the Lord as the reason for the miracle, in response to the centurions faith. This is definitely an underlying motivation. Yet, there seems to be a deeper reason within this discussion between the centurion (and those representing him) and the Master Himself. Matthew especially labors to explain the contradictions of what occurred to produce this discourse, and the resultant surprising outcomes! Matthew, the apostle who wrote specifically for the Jewish people, provides a message to fellow readers of the gospel, comparing the faith of a Jewish religious population with a “dirty gentile”.
What was the message for the original audience?
If we accept that the original audience included the great crowd that followed Him, we must remember that this crowd consisted of religious Jews, primarily from the region surrounding Capernaum, a city that later would become the topic of condemnation from the Master.
Jesus introduces His disappointment with the occupants of the region, comparing them with a “dirty gentile”. He often refers to those outside of the nation of Israel as examples of a faith that should have been exemplified by God’s people. (Old Testament examples of non Israeli faith include Caleb, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah, the widow of Zarapeth, Naaman, the Ninevites and Nebuchadnezzar.)
Referring to the faith of “dirty gentiles”, the Master intended to bring a realization to those who would listen, and also to shame those of the chosen nation who refused to hear. Jesus sought to break down religious pride, to even shock the religious elite into a repentance bringing true faith.
This miracle provides an opportunity for the Lord to teach those who thought they were in good standing that they may not be! No one in Israel had the faith of this Roman – a “dirty gentile”, need I remind you. No one!
This response of the Lord comes directly after the centurion speaks of authority. The centurion never mentions the term faith, only speaking of authority! This is instructive, since it is the Lord who equates authority and faith. Turns out, authority and faith go hand in hand. All faith is associated with authority, but true living faith has to be associated with the true living One of all authority. Faith in a false God, whatever that may be, is faith, but based on a non-authority.
Consider your choices during the last two years, during which we had many “authorities” telling each of us to perform certain duties. Where did you turn to for direction, when multiple voices were demanding your allegiance? Which authority did you look to for direction?
What is the message for us today?
This centurion who commands Roman soldiers compares his authority over men with the Lord’s authority over sickness, and this comparison provides the topic of faith in the Lord’s response. This centurions authority over his soldiers was used by the Master Teacher to set an an example of the One who has the greater authority.
But notice that the gospels speak of the centurion’s “highly valued” slave. This is also somewhat surprising for in the first century, slaves were simply pieces of property, even tools for the owner to do with as he pleased. When Luke refers to the slave as “highly valued” by the centurion, he used a Greek word that may also be translated as precious, dear, even honored. It appears Luke may be telling us that the slave was more than merely utilitarian to the centurion. He loved this slave.
In my imagination, this is a great mini-gospel within the story.
The centurion (as the Father) acted out of love for a sick slave (us).
The centurion (as the Father) loved the nation of Israel.
The centurion (as the Father) was beyond the religious life of the nation of Israel, yet ruled over the nation.
The centurion (as the Father) made multiple efforts to “cure” the slave, using various methods.
The centurion (as the Father) humbled himself in order to attain his goal.
In turn, the nation despised him.
There are multiple gospel parallels within this accounting of the centurion. Take a few moments to consider if I may have missed any.
Or better yet, consider who you identify with? The slave, the religious, or the dirty gentile?
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us also.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #220
Description
He will be the Judge
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 45:23
By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.
New Testament Fullfillment
John 5:22
For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
Rom 14:11
for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
When I began this blog I sought to produce a few posts in order to begin discussions with folks that may have differing opinions. I had no clear understanding of where this blog may take me, or if it would simply be another effort that may fizzle. ( I had one blog earlier that “fizzled!”)
Since then, based on the encouragement provided by many of my readers, I have continued to try to sort out my thoughts in a somewhat (hopefully) coherent manner.
At hitting this milestone of 1,000 posts, I would like to thank all who have read and commented, especially those who have challenged me in my thinking, or entered into discussions with me, bringing their findings to the discussion.
Thank you again for your interest, and your continued encouragement.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 41:8-10 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!
In our last post we spoke of a rejection that we as believers may experience in our walk with the Crucified One.
This portion of the Psalm continues the enemies efforts to destroy King David (and the greater King David).
Verse 8 speaks of the slander and evil desire of the enemy. When the passage speaks of “a deadly thing poured out on him”, I would like to consider, in my humble opinion, a more literal, descriptive rendering of the phrase. I refer you to a translation by John N. Darby, a Bible translation first published in 1890, which was intended by the author for private study, in that he maintained the Hebrew and Greek structure at the cost of readability.
A thing of Belial cleaveth fast unto him; and now that he is laid down, he will rise up no more. – Psalm 41:8 DBY
The Hebrew term translated Belial, for many of my readers may be recognizable. It speaks of worthlessness or of no profit, and refers to that which is evil, wicked and ungodly. Some Bible scholars consider the “thing” of Belial as that of a disease, and David’s description of this evil disease “clinging” to him exhibits the word picture of metal being poured out and clinging to its mold. This evil, worthless sickness clung to David.
My question to the reader is this. Is David physically sick, or is he continuing with his theme of reputation destruction that we spoke of in our earlier blog? You see, the term “thing of Belial” may also be translated as “a word of Belial” and may refer to destructive slander and reproach. Is David describing an effort by his enemies to destroy his reputation and therefore take the power of the throne from him?
I admit this is a difficult verse to understand, but when we consider verse nine, and the connection of the friend lifting his heel against him, it makes sense that this is not a physical sickness being referred to here.
Verse nine speaks of David’s familiar friend. A friend that typified wisdom, peace and soundness, one that David depended on for counsel. This friend is commonly understood to be Ahithophel, the wisest of David’s counsellors. Ahithophel turned traitor to David, joining David’s son’s revolt, counselling Absalom on how to destroy David.
Why this traitorous action on the part of Ahithophel? Years ago, as I was reading through the Old Testament, I found that Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba. This interrelated relationship within the court of David was surprising to me, and it offered a reason for Ahithophel’ s traitorous turn.
You see, during the mid point of David’s 40 year reign over Israel, he fell into sin. As his army was out gaining new territory, David stayed back. David stayed back and fell down! A bit of background may help here.
Some scholars place David’s age at approx. 50. Bathsheba’s father, Eliam, served with David as a mighty man must surely have been with the armies. Bathsheba thus must have been at least a generation younger than David. A suggested age of Bathsheba when David first “eyed” her is very early twenties. If so, David’s adultery with Bathsheba was of an older man, the King of Israel, forcing himself on a young woman.
Seeing this scenario, I could well imagine Ahithophel’ s bitterness of this sexual sin, bringing reproach on his granddaughter, and of the death of a godly husband for Bathsheba, all at the hands of his King. This act of treachery on the part of David on Ahithophel’ s family line may have been the seeds of revolt David refers to in this Psalm.
With this possibility, we can see Ahithophel’s justification for the actions he took in his turning from his King. Was it a righteous act? I can’t see that, but in Ahithophel’s mind, he may have had ample emotional impetus to cause him to turn.
Yet, when we think of the Greater King David, how can we consider Judas’ rebellion. Jesus sought to rein him in on a number of occasions, and even at the end, in the garden, spoke to Judas as friend.
Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. – Matthew 26:50
What did Jesus do to deserve this traitorous action on the part of Judas? Simply put, Jesus received adoration.
The setting is Jesus and his disciples at Simon the lepers house, during which a woman anointed His body for burial. Of course no-one else understood what was going on during this act of adoration, but Jesus informed them of His acceptance. This simple act of adoration, from a woman using her own “very expensive ointment”, caused a surprising reaction from some in the room.
Lets read the passage.
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”- Matthew 26:6-9
Notice that all the disciples were indignant. Wasteful! What about the poor?
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. Matthew 26:14-15
But Judas was a man of action. He acted on this indignation. His reaction to the adoration of the woman was to allow a traitorous act. Through his walk with the disciples, he had been known to pilfer a coin or two. Now the idol of greed was demanding action from his servant, and Judas obeyed.
Remember, in all this, Jesus did nothing of fault, unlike, it may be argued his ancestor David had deserved by committing adultery with Bathsheba and shaming Ahithophel’s family name. Jesus simply received what is due to Him, in the anointing of His body for burial.
How twisted this story is, in that an unknown woman is honored, and a chosen disciple brought to utter shame. Jesus’ familiar friend, one He had counselled and taught for three years, became a traitor. Judas betrayed his Master without cause, without any justification, without any deserved action on the part of the Greater King David. Jesus acted out of love, even for the disciple who turned on Him, calling him friend as He was being betrayed.
This psalm speaks of the pain David experienced as his counsellor betrayed him, yet he may have been simply reaping what he sowed years earlier. Jesus reaped what we sowed, in that Judas’ act of betrayal was completely based out of his own sinful desires, and might I say, our own sinful desires.
I used to think this passage corresponded with Jesus betrayal. I see now, it is more than a simple reoccurrence of David’s suffering, but a contrast of the betrayal a sinful man (David) reluctantly received against the betrayal the Sinless Man willingly accepted.
He is utterly good, and deserving of our allegiance. May we honor His name in all we do.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #219
Description
He is Lord and Savior
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 45:21-25
Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.
“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’[a]
“Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.”
New Testament Fullfillment
Phil 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Titus 2:13
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
A dear brother has been teaching me in Sunday School class and occasionally will ask my opinion on certain Bible topics.
One Sunday morning, he asked me if I believed in eternal security. I confessed that for most of my Christian life I was a die hard adherent to the “Once Saved, Always Saved” (OSAS) doctrine, but a few years ago, began to consider the conditional security teaching.
He told me I should read the Bible and referred me to John 10:28-29.
John 10:28-29
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. – John 10:28-29
I began to respond but he simply moved onto another topic, as if stating a set of verses settled the question without any doubt.
I fully understand this reaction since it is sufficient to answer any questions when dwelling in an echo chamber. When surrounded by those who think alike, and have the same doctrinal beliefs, debate is not a practiced art. Merely stating a verse number, a chapter in a Bible book, or even to reference a Bible book settles the question for many.
But lets consider what the passage is trying to teach us in relation to eternal security. The entire paragraph from John 10 is below.
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” – John 10:25-30
The set of verses above have Jesus defining who His sheep are. Verse 26 is instructive, defining the reason for unbelief.
Those who do not believe are not His sheep.
Characteristics of His sheep
Jesus then goes on to define the characteristics of His sheep
The sheep hear his voice
He knows His sheep
His sheep follow Him
The sheep in this verse “hear” and “follow”. Let’s look a little to see if these word can instruct us further.
His sheep hear His voice
The word “hear” is the greek word ἀκούωakoúō, and is in the present tense. This simply means the hearing is occurring “presently”. When Jesus said this portion of Scripture, the sheep were hearing him, listening to him, learning from Him.
He knows His sheep
At first I was tempted to leave this clause out of the study, simply because it seemed to be an action performed by the Master and not the sheep, and I am trying to identify the sheep in this blog. I won’t dwell much on this clause other than to direct you to another blog I recently posted on “knowing” Inherit the Kingdom? Who Knew. Jesus uses the Greek word “ginosko” here – Consider if it implies any effort on the part of the sheep.
His sheep follow Him
The term “follow” is the greek word ἀκολουθέωakolouthéō, and is also in the present tense. Again, when Jesus gave this teaching, His sheep were presently following him, had joined Him as a disciple.
So what’s the point here Carl – This seems like a lot of work to define the obvious!
Well, when I was an adherent of OSAS, my understanding of the passage was….
My sheep heard my voice in the past, and I knew them in a contractual way , and they followed me at least for a period of time.
As an adherent of OSAS, I understood that if I made a decision for Christ 38 yrs ago, that sealed my fate. Nothing would hold me back from my future eternal life with God. Of course, the matter of obedience was addressed in the OSAS teaching, but it was simply a matter of a loss of rewards when it came to sin in my life.
But Jesus here is defining the sheep that He is giving eternal life to as active participants in the life He was sharing. No where does He refer to any past decisions or acts of faith.
OK Carl, but it is eternal life He is giving them. Once given, it is eternal!
Let’s think about that statement.
The word eternal, generally defined, is to be without beginning or ending. Giving me eternal life on Feb 20th, 1981 did not initiate eternal life! The life that is eternal is without time! What my faith on that night accomplished, was that I began to possess eternal life based on my faith in the Master. (Think about that – the difference is kinda massive!)
I heard the voice and decided to follow. I became His sheep. When was the last time you heard the voice of Jesus?
Pluck
I can hear you out there telling me all that is well and good, but Jesus said that no one was going to pluck the sheep from His hand or the Fathers hand.
Pluck. What a funny word when you say it 20 times fast!
This word is a favorite of the rapture folks. “Pluck” in John 10 is the greek word ἁρπάζω harpázō, to seize (in various applications):—catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
Another Greek dictionary defines harpázō – seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively – like someone seizing bounty (spoil, a prize); to take by an open display of force (i.e. not covertly or secretly)
Many believers will recognize harpázō as the greek word defining the rapture of believers at the second coming of the Messiah.
Notice this word is used once more in this passage.
No Man is able to Pluck
At risk of repeating myself, pluck is synonymous with “seize by force”, or “an open display of force”. No man is able to take a believer out of the hands of God by force.
During the Christian era, men have found it impossible to get true believers to renounce or deny the Master. During the first 300 years of the church, Christian blood flowed freely. So much so that the term martyr simply came to mean witness.
But free will is available to all, and true love requires the exercise of each believers free will. Men can’t take believers out of the hand of Jesus, but does this passage teach that believers cannot decide to move on to other interests?
Where are you in following the Master?
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #218
Description
He will send the Spirit of God
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
New Testament Fullfillment
John 16:7-13
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studied the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
Although I typically use a format I found useful for the parable posts, this particular post will be in two parts, with a possible harmonization on the two texts being considering in Part A
With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
Matthew 8:5-13
When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Luke 7:1-10
After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
General Observations
Who came to Jesus? Was it the centurion or the elders of the Jews or the centurions friends? Matthew states that the centurion came to Jesus, while Luke states the centurion sent elders of the Jews to Jesus. Even laterLuke adds that the centurion sent his friends.
What is going on?
Lets compare the two gospels, and try to find a resolution to this seeming problem by considering the following order of occurrences. (Thanks to CARM.org for assistance in understanding this harmonization)
The Centurion’s Strategy – Step One
Luke 7:2-5
2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”
A setting for our story is provided. The centurion’s servant is sick, very sick to the point of death. He seems desperate, beginning with requesting favor of a miracle working rabbi in the vicinity. During the Lords teaching on the mount, the centurion may have heard of the gathering to hear the rabbi, and headed to the synagogue to plead with the elders. It seems the centurion had considerable influence with the elders, since he built the synagogue for them.
This is his first line of request to the Master.
Remember this is a centurion, who lives by considering strategy and battle plans. He is seeking success with this rabbi, and sends his first line of “attack” to Jesus in the form of the elders of the Jews.
The Centurion’s Strategy – Step Two
Matthew 8:5-6
5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”
Here comes the centurion’s second line of “attack”. Had the elders returned already, and informed the centurion? It seems not – see Luke 7:6 below.
So why had the centurion approached the Rabbi? Was this a calculated part of this warriors strategy, to wear the Rabbi’s possible resistance down and gain His favor?
Or had the centurion, out of anxious concern for his valued slave, simply not waited? Was the centurion showing the emotional burden of his slave’s sickness, and was simply not able to restrain himself from approaching the rabbi himself?
I am of the opinion that the centurion just couldn’t wait. He was out of his mind with worry and needed to take advantage of this rare opportunity to request help from Jesus. Who knows the exact timing and circumstance, but it seems apparent that this centurion was motivated out of love for his slave.
The Lord’s Simple Response – to a Gentile!
Matthew 8:7
7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
Jesus simply agrees to come to the centurions home to heal the slave. He agrees to come to a gentile’s home, even to possibly enter it! It is interesting that Jesus defines that He will come to the centurions home. More on this later!
Is the Master using this request to emphasize a topic, or to provide an illustration? We have spoke of the reason for the miracles in our introduction to this series, and occasionally in each post. This miracle seems to have provided an opportunity for the Lord to teach on the relationship between authority and faith. We will look at this further in our next post.
The Centurion’s Strategy – Step Three
Luke 7:6-7
6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
Jesus went with “them”, which may be referring to the elders of the Jews. This implies that the centurion, after his personal request to the Master, rode off to return to his home. Remember my friends, he was a centurion, and centurions were afforded horses to travel about their district, while the Master simply walked everywhere.
As an aside, verse 7 mentions that the centurions did not “presume” to come to the Rabbi, but we saw just a verse or two back, that he had actually approached the Lord. This presumption of the centurion is referring to the centurions feeling of unworthiness in front of the rabbi, not of his actual actions.
Luke then tells us that as Jesus approached the centurions house, the centurion sent friends to confess of his unworthiness for the Rabbi to come under his roof. This may be the centurions way of respecting the cultural differences of the Jews, and how good religious Jews would not enter “dirty gentiles” homes. Remember Cornelius, in Acts 10, where Peter had to be convinced against his religious convictions to enter a “dirty gentiles” home to deliver the message of the gospel?
Yet the centurion does not want to loose this opportunity, and confesses his understanding of the Lords authority through his friends request to the Master.
This topic of authority is key to the miracle. The centurions understanding of authority rises to the occasion. His word is enough to move his army, to send his soldiers into battle. He does not require to be near his soldiers in order for their obedience to be exercised. His logic of authority is flawless in this regard, as well it may be for a roman soldier.
How would it be of any difference when applied to this miracle working rabbi. Why would there be location limitations imposed on the miracle working rabbi, since the miracles, in the centurions logic, are also based on authority, and not on location?
The Centurion’s Confession
Matthew 8:8-9
8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Luke 7:8
8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Authority. This topic will become a key element of our next post.
Matthew 8:10-13
10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Luke 7:9
When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
Authority. Faith. Jesus links these topics together, and uses a “dirty gentile’s” understanding to upbraid a religious nation.
When was the last time God used an unlikely subject, even one who may seem to be against you, to teach you an important lesson? As we close this post on harmonizing this miracle, I cannot help but to encourage us all to watch for the mysterious working of God in our lives, seeking to break us down and to conform us to His image. He is mysterious in His workings, and we have to be open to His many ways of teaching, even through a “dirty gentile” who may be oppressing you!
By the way, I would have been of the “dirty gentile” persuasion (a Canadian by birth, and Texan by choice) and I use this expression only to emphasize the first century Jewish common thought. We have our own issues with dividing people from each other. This aught not to be!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us also.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #217
Description
He is the only Savior
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 43:11
I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.
New Testament Fullfillment
Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Unity
Paul speaks of this church, this group of people as being in his heart, that he feels a certain way toward them, and that they all are partakers with him of grace. Again, he uses this term Koinōnia, but with a prefix, that speaks of these folks as being with him in the participation of preaching and imprisonment.
Their partnership in providing gifts brought them into a poverty, and both Paul and the Philippians suffered in their efforts for the furtherance of the gospel. And in that suffering, all partook of grace.
In this unity of suffering and advancement of the gospel, grace was provided to all.
Enter into someone’s suffering today, even if only with a listening ear, willing to give some of your time for someone else. Be one with that soul who may be struggling, and watch for the Lord in it.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 41:4-7 As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?” And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.
In our previous post, I considered what it means to consider the poor. During the discussion, I found that the term poor, may be understood to be equal to weak, or frail, without strength.
David continues with his cry out to God, referring to himself as one who is in need of healing. Although this healing may be referring to physical healing, I am of the opinion that David is speaking of spiritual healing, for verse 4 speaks of healing of his soul. His soul. Not his body, but his soul.
Many translations actually use the term soul, when David speaks “heal me” and appears as “heal my soul” in the KJV, NKJV, NASB, LSB, ASV, YLT, DBY and the WEB.
So what exactly is David referring to when he mentions his soul. It is the Hebrew word נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), and is used to speak of breath, or of life. Strangely, I have found that the very same word used for our soul (נֶפֶשׁ) is also used in the Old Testament when referring to the life given to animals. Check out Genesis 1:20; 9:10; 24:30. Dang it, it also speaks of God Himself (Isaiah 1:14), when he refers to His “soul”.
With that very brief introduction to the Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ, can we understand that David refers to a separate entity beyond his physical body, or simply an energy that is required to animate the body, and that upon death, this “energy” simply runs out? There may be some who would consider this life to be all there is, but even in the Old Testament, there was indications that the person, the soul, (the breath) existed after death.
Let’s consider about Ps 49:14
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. 15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.
The psalmist definitely expressed his hope in a redemption from the grave. (Sheol is considered a synonym for the grave in the Old Testament.)
How about Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Or from a different perspective, David expressed hope of seeing his departed baby after death, when he expressed his hope in 2 Samuel 12:23.
But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
The life provided to each of us is a gift of God, that which is our real person. I have heard it said that the body is simply a tent for the person to live in while the tent is available. (Was it Paul that used that metaphor?)
If David is seeking to find healing for his soul, many of the remaining requests have to do with his reputation. His enemies want his name to perish (vs 5), they spread empty (false) words of him (vs 6), and gather together hoping the worst for him (vs 7).
David reaches out to God for healing, for resuscitation of his soul, for a renewal and rescue of his soul, and yet the remaining verses, along with our next post, deal primarily with his reputation and standing in the community. These two aspects of life, in our modern way of thinking, are somewhat separate from one another. We, in the modern church, tend to separate our physical existence from the life reputation we experience.
This does not appear to be the Old Testament mindset. To have a good reputation is to be preferred above great riches. Sadly this is not the common thinking of today’s society.
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold
Proverbs 10:7 The reputation of the righteous leads to blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
Yet, to have a good reputation brings with it some complex problems in this modern age.
First off, a reputation is based on a set of standards that a society accepts. Decades back, the Decalogue was still a standard our society referred to, but that seems to be slipping away in our North American culture. With that slippage, comes in a variable, feel good, nothing is wrong type of social acceptance, that allows for a good reputation to be assumed, even while in the midst of living in sin.
Secondly, those who fear God and seek to honor His Word, living under His authority and standing up for the good and right found in the Word, are maligned and considered trouble makers. Reputations are often smeared. Of course, a minority may respect the one who stands up, but the general population rejects, demeans and destroys the reputation of godly folk.
As David speaks of his enemies hoping for his worst, for his death, and uttering empty words, imaging the worst for him, we should realize this is an expected condition in our walk with God. True, we are to seek a good reputation, and to maintain integrity (whether others regard it or not), and yet the Lord speaks of an underlying condition we need to recognize as we follow Him.
Rejection by the World
Following Him will bring suffering and rejection from the world. Loss of friends, close relationships with family, damage to careers, and so much more may be part of the journey with the Lord.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12
Thankfully, at this time in our personal lives, we are not experiencing any active persecution, but during the brief times we have, the Lord has always strengthened us, given grace and mercy and brought about good from the pain. He is good. (BTW – please think of those who are under constant persecution – Remember them in your prayers!)
Rejection by the Church
Depending on the church you attend, there may come a time when those who were your closest allies may turn on you, spread slander and boot you out of the fellowship . Jesus warned His disciples of this, to the ultimate end of fellow “believers(?)” killing a believer in service to God!
They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. – John 16:2
Let me gently remind us that if our reputation in destroyed in the sight of others, due to their slander (not our foolishness) we are entering a level of knowledge of the Lord that the apostles and prophets enjoyed, and that the Lord took part in fully and finally.
In Conclusion
Remember the words of the Lord in Matthew 5
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, – Matthew 5:44
And of the apostle in Romans 12
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. – Romans 12:17
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Rom 12:19-21
In the midst of social rejection, we are called to love and not hate, to pray and not slander, to feed our enemy and not be overcome of evil. Challenging words for us. We need strength!
Do not “reject the rejection”, but look to the One who understands the inner turmoil and pain you may experience. And rejoice! For He is good. Follow after Him.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #216
Description
Blind eyes opened
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
New Testament Fullfillment
John 9:25-38
He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”
And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.
Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”
He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. – John 6:66-71 ESV
Consistency of the Eternal Security Teaching
A passage like the one referred to above gave me heartache as an adherent of the eternal security doctrine. Usually, when I came to a passage such as this, I simply ignored the implications of the text, or even worse, ignored the text.
But when I did read the passage, and tried to explain it to myself or others, I would attempt to differentiate between two groups within the passage.
(Now that I have started to see the consistency of the conditional security teaching within the Scriptures, this problem has lessened considerably.)
A common method I used to explain the passage went something like this.
The “disciples” that turned away were merely professors, whereas the apostles (the twelve) were “real Christians”.
The only problem is that a “real Christian”, by my previous explanations, ends up denying Jesus. And another one betrays Jesus. And both Peter and Judas were connected with Satan/devil at one time in the ministry of the Lord.
OK, so then I really should have considered an entirely separate special subgroup of believer/professors. Or maybe Peter was never really saved before his denial. And Judas – well – he is a study all on his own. But no matter how often I tried to understand this conundrum, I couldn’t make it fit in the once saved only saved thinking. Things just got fuzzier. So I just decided it was a mystery that wasn’t meant to be understood.
Or maybe, there is such a thing as conditional security.
What think ye? Let me know with a comment below.
Blessings
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #215
Description
His is a worldwide compassion
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 42:1-6
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a] till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord; I have called you[b] in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
New Testament Fullfillment
Matt 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
As mentioned in our first post (Outside the Camp – A), I had just finished a study in Matthew 8, of Jesus cleansing a leper (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus) and was in discussion with my favorite wifey. We considered the following two verses and started comparing lepers with believers.
Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. – Hebrews 13:13
He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. – Leviticus 13:46
This post will continue with our thoughts and hopefully provide an opportunity for my readers to discuss additional parallels you may see between lepers and the New Testament believer.
Both communities consist of people who live under a death sentence.
The leper understood the disease would kill him and lived with this truth everyday, as their nerve endings quit working, organs began to shut down and their vision began to slip away.
The New Testament believer is also to understand his day to day experience of living under a death sentence, of carrying a cross and dying daily while in the Christian community. Our experiential feelings of love and belonging to this old world is to die as we grow closer to the One who delivered us.
Both communities have no one else they can trust in.
Both communities, as they experience separation from the greater society, naturally learn to trust in their own community and hopefully in the God who protects and guides them. For the typical modern church adherent, this need for trust within the community is fostered through relationships beyond the Sunday morning entertainment hour. Both communities, in reality have only One they can trust in for their lives.
Both communities experience suffering.
The leper would experience the suffering of exclusion and rejection, of the constant reminder of being out of the camp, away from family and friends. Much of the pain the leper would experience would not be associated with the physical realm, since they could not feel any pain as the nerves died. The suffering would be emotional and spiritual, since it appeared that their disease separated them from the God of the universe.
The New Testament believer also experiences suffering, but in our situation, the suffering may also include physical pain, along with the mental, emotional and spiritual suffering referred to above.
Both communities need to to be thankful for pain
The lack of pain for the leper sometimes caused greater damage to their body, as the leper would inadvertently allow further damage to their body by not recognizing the pain. A case in point is the common occurrence of a leper picking up a hot item, burning their skin and allowing this damage to continue.
The pain we normally experience is actually a gift, in that it guards us from unnecessary damage. The church is to be thankful for the pain of association with the Lord, as the early apostles gave witness. Sad to say, this avoidance of pain is actually encouraged in the modern church, under the teaching that we are to have our best lives now, that we as “children of the King” should only have blessing and good things in our lives. Pain and suffering is to be rejected by simply claiming healing or relief. Some of this teaching actually recommends we command God to remove pain.
Our thoughts on this connection between a leper and a believer are incomplete at best. As you read through this series on lepers and believers, and thoughts came to mind, please comment below. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us also.
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The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #214
Description
The Light (salvation) of the Gentiles
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 42:6
“I am the Lord; I have called you[a] in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
New Testament Fullfillment
Luke 2:32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
After considering my last post, you will understand I believe this good work Paul refers to as the Philippians giving gifts of love to their apostle. (In other words, I do not see any context here that drives an eternal security teaching.) See the post Conditional Security – Philippians 1:3-11 for supporting nformation for this statement.
Nevertheless, Paul was confident because they had already proven themselves to be faithful to their calling of supporting their beloved apostle. He had no doubt this body of believers would continue. God was at work in these believers in supporting thier missionay apostle. No documentation was necessary, no promissory notes were signed, no contractural commitments negotiated.
They loved him and gave gifts every chance they had. And Paul was so thankful.
I recently finished a study in Matthew 8, of Jesus cleansing a leper (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus), and was chatting with my favorite wife during our Saturday morning tea time, rocking in our rocking chairs, and enjoying each other’s company.
We chatted about what I had found during my study. Lepers were considered rejects and outcasts, and were required to live “outside the camp”. As soon as that term was mentioned, I thought of Hebrews, where the apostle (or his representative) wrote.
Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. – Hebrews 13:13
As I studied the previously mentioned miracle, I recalled one other time this phrase occurred. It was in Leviticus 13, where Moses defined the lepers banishment from the camp. The leper was to be quarantined from those in the camp, and were forced to be “outside of the camp”
He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. – Leviticus 13:46
Am I correct in thinking the author of Hebrews is actually equating Jesus with those who were outside of the camp, and exhorting believers to join Him outside the camp. He writes of the reproach the Lord Jesus endured, being outside the camp. To bear reproach is to experience disapproval, criticism and/or disappointment. The religious body of the nation of Israel surely poured reproach on the Lord Jesus in their dogged criticism of His teaching and His character. This reproach intensified until the ultimate rejection by the religious elite , resulting in the execution of God, the cruel crucifixion of Israel’s King.
As I have learned through my four decades of learning of the Word and the Author of life, “religion kills”. Only in the Lord Jesus do we find the source of life and His life is found through going to him, outside the camp.
This seed thought got us to thinking. Is not the church called out to be different (holy) and incur the reproach of the world? In what other ways does this description of a lepers’ colony help us understand the parallel existence of the New Testament church?
Let’s consider.
Both communities are rejected by the society they are associated with.
This parallel is somewhat obvious. Numbers 5:1-4 actually commands those in the camp to send lepers away, for they defile the camp.
In our New Testament experience, the tables flip somewhat, and “the camp”, defined in the Old Testament as being where God dwells (the nation of Israel), now is the very camp that has been rejected. To follow God, believers are to go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. This is the very argument Hebrews brings to those first century believers associated with Judaism.
Both communities seek to be accepted by the society they are associated with.
As a comparison to the previous point, the leper most assuredly desired to be a part of the camp, to be accepted by the society he had been rejected by.
Sadly, it appears that during the church age, (if my understanding of church history is accurate), the established church has also sought acceptance of the world. This desire to be accepted seems evident in a couple ways in my understanding. Firstly, the established church sought acceptance by forcing morals upon the society, as in the medieval times, mixing spiritual authority with political force. Another way the church has sough to be accepted by society is to beg, or at least to mimic the society, in order to be accepted.
I am thankful that the church has had a remnant of believers walk away from the camp in order to maintain their allegiance to the One waiting for us outside the camp.
Both communities are small when compared to the society they are associated with.
Although highly contagious, the leper colony was to be isolated from the general populace and therefore be relatively small in relation to the camp. The infection could not spread if isolated.
So it is with the church, as it is a counter culture that has few that find it, that follow after Him and that openly confess Jesus as Lord.
It is challenging if we follow this metaphor of an infection a bit further and consider Christianity as an infectious disease that spreads rapidly if allowed.
Both communities are considered useless to the society they are associated with.
The leper colony was considered of no importance to the greater society, much like our modern society regards the church. Much of the disregard for the leper colony was due to their physical disfigurement and the ever present fear of infection. This disease resulted in a life of poverty, isolation and rejection. The greater society would not consider the leper colony of any importance.
Is not the church also considered a relic, a cast off that is not to be listened to. How often have you recently heard of the world’s desire to leave the church to history, forging a new society full of promise. The church is a “leper” in the world’s eyes. I suggest we embrace this attitude of the world towards us, in that we truly are a rejected people, and forgo any desire to join with them. Let us speak out as a conscience to a society that has no conscience, as ones who know the truth.
We may be considered useless to the world, but that isn’t our calling.
In closing, does it offend you that to be a believer is likened to a leper? Is there a social stigma with Christianity that is unacceptable to you, or that causes you a discomfort? Our life in Christ includes our dying to this old world and rejecting its opinion of the Master.
Our thoughts on the leper/believer connection will continue in our next post. As you read through this post, and thoughts came to mind, please comment below. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us also.
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The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #213
Description
The nations shall wait on His teachings
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 42:4
He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a] till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
New Testament Fullfillment
John 12:20-26
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.
So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. – Matthew 5:13
The Lord is describing a characteristic of His disciples. The metaphor Jesus uses this time is to describe His disciples as “salt”. During Jesus ministry, He spoke some very difficult and hard sayings. Out of all His hard sayings, I would definitely include the one we are looking at tonight.
One thing that bothered me (very much), prior to my allowing this verse to say what it says, is the idea of salt becoming saltless. To be salt is to be salt, right? And one of salt’s chief characteristic is its savour. Without savour, it is useless, good for nothing, and worthy of being cast out.
How does this relate to the disciple? A disciple who isn’t constantly learning (remember – to be a disciple is to be a learner!) has lost his savour (is not in the process of learning.) A disciple isn’t a disciple without being in the process of learning and following.
Security in Being “Cast Out”?
I don’t understand how salt can become saltless. I seem to think that the principle message is to maintain the status of the disciple. A believer who “settles” is in danger of drifting away.
One thing I am sure of is that terms like “good for nothing”, “cast out” and to be “trodden under foot of men” do not engender a feeling of security.
For a man or woman who is salt, to become one who was salt, is a terrifying concept, according to the verse above.
Continue to follow and learn. He is calling you.
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The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #212
Description
He brings hope for the hopeless
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 42:3
a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
New Testament Fullfillment
John 4
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),
he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
And he had to pass through Samaria.
So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;
for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”
So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
They went out of the town and were coming to him.
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’
I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”
So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.
And many more believed because of his word.
They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
After the two days he departed for Galilee.
(For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)
So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill.
When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.
So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household.
This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Cleanses a Man With Leprosy
Matthew 8:1-4
When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
Mark 1:40-45
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
Luke 5:12-14
While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
General Observations
This miracle speaks to a medical condition that plagued the nation of Israel for it’s entire existence. Leprosy was an incurable sickness throughout the world until very recently. The curse of leprosy produces nerve damage, resulting in blindness, kidney failure, muscle weakness and disfigurement. Beyond the medical suffering, the leper became a social outcast, condemned to being “outside the camp”.
To this day, to call someone a leper, is to imply a status of an outcast!
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
Rockies
Matthew speaks of the miracle occurring as great crowds followed Him down the mountain. If we understand Matthew to be chronological here, this occurred after the Lord gave the nation of Israel the Beatitudes, the laws for Kingdom living. Luke mentions this miracle as happening in one of the cities. As an aside, this does not force a contradiction in the gospels, since it was not uncommon for a city to be at the base of a mountain.
Mount of Beatitudes
Also, it is good to understand that in Israel, a mountain is not the equivalent of the Rocky Mountains on the west coast of Canada. The Mount upon which the Lord gave the Beatitudes is commonly believed to be near Capernaum and is actually 25 meters below sea level. (Yes the top of the mountain is actually 25 meters (~80 feet) below seal level!)
On first review, it seems the miracle was provided to alleviate this lepers suffering. This is the nature of our Lord, in providing deliverance for those who are suffering, looking to Him for salvation.
Alleviating the leper was not the primary reason for the miracle, for this miracle was a challenge to the nation. A challenge to the priests of Israel to research the miracle and make some decisions.
Let me explain.
The Old Testament book of Leviticus addresses leprosy in chapters 13 & 14. Chapter 13 provides detailed instructions on diagnosing the disease. Chapter 14 gives instructions to the priest on what to do if a leper was cleansed.
Throughout the nations history, no leper had been cured. Moses and Miriam were miraculous occurrences of leprosy, both in there acquiring the disease and healing of the disease. No priest’s had ever needed to refer to Leviticus 14 for directions on how to proceed. Leprosy was a death sentence for it’s victims.
Because of this non-occurrence of healing for a leper in Israel, and the Scriptures providing detailed instructions for a priest, the Pharisees reasoned that any healing of leprosy would be a Messianic miracle. This would initiate an investigation phase by the priesthood into the miracle, in order to validate the miracle. If this investigation determined the leprosy was cleansed, and the miracle was a bona fide healing, a second investigation would begin. The Pharisees would then launch an investigation of the One who performed the miracle, asking questions to the miracle worker to determine is the Messiah had truly arrived.
With this miracle, Jesus told the Pharisees to investigate. As my wife mentioned this morning, the Lord was telling the Pharisees to “get to work”! As expected, after this miracle, the gospels record instances of groups of Pharisees attending His ministry, watching His movements, questioning (and condemning) Him.
Jesus did not shy away from challenges to His ministry. He is the truth and provided the proof to those of an open mind and heart. He also understood this investigation would lead to His crucifixion, due to the hardness of the Pharisees position, and dependence on their religion.
He is the truth, and there is no denying it! For Him, to declare the truth will result in His death. For us, to deny the truth is to result in our death.
He is the One who is great! We certainly are not, and need His love and grace.
What was the message for the original audience?
The original audience, that is the great crowd, saw a miracle no other Israelite had ever seen. Multiple witnesses could be called upon for verification. The message they received, if they were literate in the Word, was one of a miracle worker being introduced formally to the nation, of One who claimed to provide proofs of His position as Messiah, and was openly declaring His claims as Messiah.
Oh, and also, they saw a leper get healed before their very eyes! How cool was that? Consider the rarity of this action of touching the leper. The passage in Matthew states that “And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him“. This is not to be discounted, since the nation had instructed every little boy and girl that to touch a leper was to become unclean, acquire the disease itself, and be rejected socially and religiously.
Jesus touched the leper and Jesus cleansed him. He did not simply declare the leper clean.
He had declared miracles before without touch, and was fully capable of standing far off and healing this leper, yet He made a point of touching the leper, the unclean, the rejected. This is backwards to the logic provided in the Old Testament. Haggai instructs us that uncleanness is transferred to the clean, and that cleanliness is not transferred to the the unclean.
Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” – Haggai 2:13
Jesus was no typical rabbi!
What is the message for us today?
Two messages seem obvious to me.
First, Jesus is the Messiah. His claims are verifiable and He wants you to investigate. He has provided multiple evidences of His Messiahship, and our ignoring of the proofs falls back on us if we ignore or reject. His greatest proof of who He is, is the resurrection. He is risen and is by very nature and work, King of Kings and Lord of Lord.
Secondly, He is a God who is not far off. He is a God who touches, who reaches out to us.
This truth came home to me during a class I taught years back. I began to hug my class mates as they entered our home, and although I was not faithful in maintaining this practice, I found that this simple act of touching opened people up to discussing issues and concerns in their lives, providing assistance (if wise) and ultimately directing them to the Lord for solutions.
The act of touching, physically touching one who is hurting, is powerful. Amongst sinners and saints, the act of touching is a catalyst for the formation of trust. How much more, when the God of the universe reaches out and touches one who is in need?
Who have you touched today? Be like Jesus, and reach out to one who is in need.
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