Friday: Further Thought – Inside Out
Daily Lesson for Friday 9th of August 2024
Read Ellen G. White, “Tradition,” Pages 395–398; “Barriers Broken Down,” Pages 399–403; “The True Sign,” Pages 404–409, in The Desire of Ages.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“Among the followers of our Lord today, as of old, how widespread is this subtle, deceptive sin! How often our service to Christ, our communion with one another, is marred by the secret desire to exalt self! How ready the thought of self-gratulation, and the longing for human approval! It is the love of self, the desire for an easier way than God has appointed that leads to the substitution of human theories and traditions for the divine precepts. To His own disciples the warning words of Christ are spoken, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.’
“The religion of Christ is sincerity itself. Zeal for God’s glory is the motive implanted by the Holy Spirit; and only the effectual working of the Spirit can implant this motive. Only the power of God can banish self-seeking and hypocrisy. This change is the sign of His working. When the faith we accept destroys selfishness and pretense, when it leads us to seek God’s glory and not our own, we may know that it is of the right order. ‘Father, glorify Thy name’ (John 12:28), was the keynote of Christ’s life, and if we follow Him, this will be the keynote of our life. He commands us to ‘walk, even as He walked;’ and ‘hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.’ 1 John 2:3,6.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 409.
Discussion Questions
|
(12)
A significant idea presented in this week's lesson is the "them and us" syndrome. The story of Jesus visit to the Sidon/Tyre region is perhaps more applicable to us now; perhaps even uncomfortably so.
Jesus walked about 50km to visit this area. Today I have to go to Newcastle - a trip of about 50km. For most of that trip I will be driving on a divided highway at 119km/hr - a journey of just over 30 minutes. (I have got to take into account city traffic when I get off the motorway). But for Jesus is was 50 km of walking with about a dozen others. I reckon it would have taken 3 days. And the only recorded activity was he healed a gentile girl.
I live in a largely Seventh-day Adventist community and we are very protective of ourselves. We are easily offended and become combative if someone does or proposes to do something that is not "Adventist". There is a divide, and is very noticeable in discussions in community forums.
The call to share the Gospel is not just to shout across the gap, but to walk over it, to go out of our way to interact and socialise with those we perceive as "them".
And as a little addendum. When Jesus talked to the Syrophoenician woman and she responded with that little gem that even the puppies eat the crumbs under the table, Jesus responded:
Do not be surprised that when we bridge the gap we find faith there too.
Thought for the week, "Keeping our hearts clean does not mean that we should not get our hands dirty!"
For our readers who may not know a kilometer is about 1/2 a mile to be more accurate it is 119km÷2.2. The same ball park is 0.454 times 119km. 😃 Yes I know that is not the point Maurice is making which is a good point or points if you prefer.
Imagine being a disciple, your life spent in a closed community, your only outside contact is for money. Imagine being trained since childhood, in the strongest possible terms, to shun "them", the dangerous, evil and worst of all, grossly unclean.
Now imagine the man you admire most, your great teacher, the one you left everything to follow, deliberately going beyond the boundary. With all the knowledge of risk, how can he walk amongst the unclean? Panic? Confusion? Doubt?
Imagine the disciples relief when their master sidestepped this woman. Wow! Filth avoided... he will avoid danger and stay clean after all.
But you and I know the change that happened next! Can we accept His change in our lives? Jesus came to save each one of us, even "them". We are all unclean yet He pleads with us to accept his spotless garment and become members of His family.
True religion is less of self and more of God. It is difficult to achieve full satisfaction when self is the focus. Interestingly, by the contemplation of God's love for me I can learn to truly love myself, and then others. God, the source of all love, is the One to be praised!
Many SDA'S act like Pharisees because "We do this,don't do that, believe this, don't believe that, eat this, don't eat that, ad infinitum, ad nausem." We cannot be separatists, as were the Pharisees, and think we are okay with God because of our "behavior".
Jesus proved that our God is a relational God by interacting with and ministering to "sinners and tax collectors". He set the standard which we should follow. We need a religion which has shoe leather in it. Meaning, we must go to them and minister to their needs before we can ever expect them to "darken the door of a church".
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but rather thinking less about yourself, and more about others.
The leaven of the Pharisees is subtle and very deceptive. It's a show of righteousness that is false. It is thinking that we are in some way better than others because we don't sin as they do.
Remember the prayer of the Pharisee versus the prayer of the sinner? Which one do we act like?
"Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with people as one who desired their good. He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He invited them, “Follow Me.” (MHH 73.4)
We need to come close to the people by personal effort. If we would give less time to sermonizing and more time to personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit." (MHH 73.5)
We are called to be the salt of the earth. If we are going to add any flavor to the world, we have to get out of the shaker and mingle with them.
Lord remove the Pharisee from me. Help me to see both myself and others as sinners in need of a Savior. Help me to take the fresh bread of the Gospel to those starving for it. Amen!
What is the only 'commandment' given by Jesus Christ that overcomes all types of ‘differences’? Is it not our love for God manifested through loving our fellow man as being equal to ourselves? By emotionally and spiritually placing people as belonging to groups, we establish 'us' and ‘them’; establishing artificial, based on by 'man-conceived' boundaries with our fellow man.
He teaches us to see ourselves as fellows of the same brotherhood of man. Man can enjoy an elevated sense of brotherhood in the spiritual fellowship of fellow believers. The teacher Jesus Christ revealed to us the overarching, all-inclusive Truth when saying:
Mark 12:30-31 - ”Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
Matt.22:37-40 - ”Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Is there any room to not consider these statements by Jesus Christ to be commandments? If not, does this not mean that a Christian is disobedient when not fulfilling them?
Another passage comes to mind when considering our conduct as we engage with our fellow man:
1 John 4:19-21 - ”We love because He first loved us. If anyone says “I love God”, but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well .. .
No room for a selfish, self-seeking, self-promoting way of life.
May God help us to treat "others" as well as us( adventists) Before Hod,we are all sinners saved by grace.