I keep leaving my Today in the Word at home, so I haven't been going through that so far this month, nor have I been faithful in reading Proverbs. Thankfully, God has been satisfying me with Mark and Jeremiah, so I'm content. I am reading some extra-biblical works that I would like to recommend.
My mother gave me all of the Moody Classic titles for my birthday, (actually what I wanted for once! Way to go, Mom!), and I decided to start with The Confessions of St. Augustine. Just the first chapter is an incredible eye-opener and perspective changer with how I view the world, especially my kids and the modern day "vanities", especially movies. An incredible read so far, and I really look forward to the rest of the book.
I have also recently picked up Tim Keller's The Reason For God. Having not read any apologetics, I am finding this title really helpful for thinking through a witnessing opportunity. It takes apart the major doubts about the Christian faith and then builds a case for belief in it. Again, I haven't read any apologetics, really, but from what I have heard this is a fresh way of looking at the subject. I highly recommend it, especially if you're like me and don't know how to turn someone's expressed doubt about a facet of our faith into a reason to believe.
Obviously, my posting thus far has been pretty sporadic and sparse, so I am trying to decide on a posting schedule now that I have a fair backlog to draw from and keep me consistent. Judging by how long the posts have been, I think I'll keep it to no more than twice a week, more than likely only once. Stay tuned.
Lastly, my wife has decided to start a blog called Begone Unbelief. Don't bother going there, the one that exists hasn't been updated in something like a year, and she hasn't started hers yet. I'll link to it when she does. Hers will be more of a journal than mine, and is sure to be brutally honest. Stay tuned for that as well.
Athanatos!
-J
Friday, June 13, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Mark 3, part 1: The True Sabbath
Mark 2:23-3:6
Jesus tells us two things about the sabbath here: 1) It is "for man". The sabbath is set aside so that we may pluck the grain of the week, (a metaphor I'd like to grow in my understanding of), as the disciples did, and eat the bread of the presence, as David did. (see 1 Samuel 21:1-6, referenced in 2:25-26). It is not set aside for the observance of empty religious practices or for simple slumber. 2) It is a day set aside to "do good" and "save life". The Lord Of The Sabbath healed, served and ministered on the sabbath to set the example for us. Neither I nor anyone I know, (that I know of), follows it. I can think of a few reasons why.
The biggest reasons in my heart are disregard and laziness. Or rather, disregard due to laziness. I think I understand what the sabbath is for, but I lack the motivation to act on it. Combine that lack with the thought that acting would require interaction with those I have mentioned before as the objects of my sinful pride, and I get completely apathetic for the heart issues I would have to deal with in the obedience of my Lord. How pitiful. There is another disregard that could come from ignorance, which is where I used to be. The sabbath in my former understanding was just a day to slack off, sleep, play video games, etc. As long as the activity excluded real physical effort, travel or spending money, it was just fine. Not only did I not know what the true sabbath was, I didn't care to know. I was having too much fun! The third reason can appear far more sanctified than laziness or ignorance, (and I think this is what the eating of the grain is getting at), but is no less a failure to follow Christ's example, and that is introversion; the self-reflective evaluation of the week that is all well and good in itself, but could be well enough left to it's own time slot, or perhaps moved to the previous evening. The healing of the man with the withered hand seems to take precedence with Christ in our text, and I think the serving of others is what should be taking precedence with us. I don't think our Savior could be correctly labeled as an introvert, and to be honest, I don't think you could correctly label an introverted Christian as a fruitful one, at least in the measure of inflection some commit to on this day to heal and do good.
The applications here I think are obvious. There is no shortage of people who need our service on the weekly basis our sabbath provides. Post-Church activites like shopping, chores, sleep, entertainment, or even things like "family time" or prayer and reflection are, I think, failures to fulfill what the day was meant for. (And, by the way, I am guilty of all of them!) It is also obvious how this fits into the theme of compassion that God is bringing again to the fore of my heart. Not only does the sabbath provide an outlet for compassion, it provides a means to increased obedience to God's command to remember it, keeping it holy, as well as to follow Christ in it.
I pray that God will help me find creative ways to lead my family in following Christ on the sabbath, and in doing so drastically renew my mind and transform my heart towards those we serve. I pray that I will meet people or discover people that I already know who are living in obedience to Christ on the sabbath, both for my inspiration and their encouragement. I also pray that my church in Kenosha and the Church in America will discover the true sabbath, and in discovering that their hearts would burn in them to live it every Sunday. I pray all these things that God may be pleased with my family, my church, and His saints in my country, and that those we serve might see our good works and praise Him, and come to the knowledge of Him who is really doing the serving. Lord, may it be so.
Other Thoughts:
It is no coincidence that the pharisees begin planning "how to destroy [Christ]" immediately after he asks them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" The answer is obvious, yet they go on to plot His death, "to kill" Him, as it were, on the sabbath. Quite a strong way for Mark to make the point of where the pharisees stand before God.
Some of my thoughts here are borrowed from Truth for Life, Alistair Begg's radio ministry broadcast. He did a series on the Sabbath in February/March of this year. I recommend making his broadcast a daily listen.
Jesus tells us two things about the sabbath here: 1) It is "for man". The sabbath is set aside so that we may pluck the grain of the week, (a metaphor I'd like to grow in my understanding of), as the disciples did, and eat the bread of the presence, as David did. (see 1 Samuel 21:1-6, referenced in 2:25-26). It is not set aside for the observance of empty religious practices or for simple slumber. 2) It is a day set aside to "do good" and "save life". The Lord Of The Sabbath healed, served and ministered on the sabbath to set the example for us. Neither I nor anyone I know, (that I know of), follows it. I can think of a few reasons why.
The biggest reasons in my heart are disregard and laziness. Or rather, disregard due to laziness. I think I understand what the sabbath is for, but I lack the motivation to act on it. Combine that lack with the thought that acting would require interaction with those I have mentioned before as the objects of my sinful pride, and I get completely apathetic for the heart issues I would have to deal with in the obedience of my Lord. How pitiful. There is another disregard that could come from ignorance, which is where I used to be. The sabbath in my former understanding was just a day to slack off, sleep, play video games, etc. As long as the activity excluded real physical effort, travel or spending money, it was just fine. Not only did I not know what the true sabbath was, I didn't care to know. I was having too much fun! The third reason can appear far more sanctified than laziness or ignorance, (and I think this is what the eating of the grain is getting at), but is no less a failure to follow Christ's example, and that is introversion; the self-reflective evaluation of the week that is all well and good in itself, but could be well enough left to it's own time slot, or perhaps moved to the previous evening. The healing of the man with the withered hand seems to take precedence with Christ in our text, and I think the serving of others is what should be taking precedence with us. I don't think our Savior could be correctly labeled as an introvert, and to be honest, I don't think you could correctly label an introverted Christian as a fruitful one, at least in the measure of inflection some commit to on this day to heal and do good.
The applications here I think are obvious. There is no shortage of people who need our service on the weekly basis our sabbath provides. Post-Church activites like shopping, chores, sleep, entertainment, or even things like "family time" or prayer and reflection are, I think, failures to fulfill what the day was meant for. (And, by the way, I am guilty of all of them!) It is also obvious how this fits into the theme of compassion that God is bringing again to the fore of my heart. Not only does the sabbath provide an outlet for compassion, it provides a means to increased obedience to God's command to remember it, keeping it holy, as well as to follow Christ in it.
I pray that God will help me find creative ways to lead my family in following Christ on the sabbath, and in doing so drastically renew my mind and transform my heart towards those we serve. I pray that I will meet people or discover people that I already know who are living in obedience to Christ on the sabbath, both for my inspiration and their encouragement. I also pray that my church in Kenosha and the Church in America will discover the true sabbath, and in discovering that their hearts would burn in them to live it every Sunday. I pray all these things that God may be pleased with my family, my church, and His saints in my country, and that those we serve might see our good works and praise Him, and come to the knowledge of Him who is really doing the serving. Lord, may it be so.
Other Thoughts:
It is no coincidence that the pharisees begin planning "how to destroy [Christ]" immediately after he asks them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" The answer is obvious, yet they go on to plot His death, "to kill" Him, as it were, on the sabbath. Quite a strong way for Mark to make the point of where the pharisees stand before God.
Some of my thoughts here are borrowed from Truth for Life, Alistair Begg's radio ministry broadcast. He did a series on the Sabbath in February/March of this year. I recommend making his broadcast a daily listen.
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