October 30, 2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1.27)

““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5.27,28)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

I am still of the opinion, and I confess it is my opinion, that so much of scripture was put in terms of masculine language because men needed to hear it the most. Yes, the world was oriented to lean toward masculine leadership. It seems that is the way God intended. However, I am not so sure that Adam understood that even in the Garden. I mean, honestly, there is no bones made about where Adam was when Satan, disguised as the most interesting creature in all the garden (probably was sipping a Dos XX at the time), challenged the truth Eve knew. Notice, the serpent did not speak to Adam. Was he afraid of Adam? Apparently not. Adam was standing right there when it all happened. If there is to be some accountability and fault-finding, then Adam “let” it happen. He abandoned his post, forsook his calling and was asleep at the wheel (which hadn’t even been created yet.) He didn’t take the lead. He was led. All that being said, I have to make the following observation: Jesus’ teaching is not gender-specific but person-directed. What is true for men is equally true for women. So, hopefully there are no mighty women of God who look at the passage of scripture reflected upon today and disqualify themselves from listening and considering further what is said because it says “men.” In further honesty, we have too many women who are desiring to “act like men,” “who think they are a better man then most men” or “who think they are a man.” Well, for them and all the rest of us, God is speaking to you and me and us through Jesus Christ. He is laying out the position of knowledge and wisdom for our benefit. His intention is to keep us well-informed not only of the “letter of the Law [and the Prophets],” but the “Spirit of the Law [and the Prophets].” We must not forget that “All scripture is GOD-BREATHED….” For clarification that means all scripture is connected from God to us in and through the Holy Spirit. That being said, we can continue to see how Jesus wants every person in the crowd that day as well as those who would hear His teaching second, third and so forth hand, to put aside the “window dressing” and dive deeply where the truth of all matters lies. He wants everyone to understand that we must consider the source when we make the decision to pursue all righteousness. He wants us to understand it even if we are pursuing partial righteousness or none at all. In Jesus, there is no compromise. He understood the walk of faith as an “all or nothing” calling and pursuit. If it wasn’t clear before Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, it had to be closer to clear after. It was then He spoke to Peter who desired to defer foot washing for an immersion bath. Jesus called him into accountability saying “If you came in dirty to this meal, you were unprepared. I should need only to wash your feet. But, the truth of the matter is this: there is one among you who is unprepared.”

We know that “one” was Judas of Kerioth. If for no other reason we know that it would be a simple headcount when the meal was fully served and they went out into the night with Jesus to pray and praise on the Mount of Olives. One, two, three….eleven disciples but not the twelfth. The twelfth disciple would “catch up to them later” and bring along his own party of friends. Judas, we could say for the sake of reflection, had fallen into the sin of “adultery and lust.” As surely as the kings of Israel in the days of old had committed adultery (physically, politically and spiritually), as surely as the Temple Leadership had commited the same since the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and probably before and as surely as the nations surrounding Israel made no bones about it either, Judas’ betrayal was to be unfaithful to the righteous relationship which had been established between himself and Jesus the Christ. Did he do it for money? for spite? to prove a point? to seek revenge? with all good intention? righteous indignation? what? The reason for it came out of his heart and soul as he most assuredly opened the door to let temptation in as did Adam when the serpent slithered up and queried “God didn’t really mean….you would die, did He?” Judas, as did Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, as did Rome, as had too many people to count before them and around them, violated the loving relationship which Jesus called him to share. He adulterated. He violated it. He peered over the wall and saw the object of his affection for power (intellectually, physically, administratively, religiously, vindictively, spiritually) for the taking as surely as David set himself up to do with Bathsheba. It was the very words of Nathan the Wise who convicted David in his heart and soul with the illustration of a man who took a precious lamb from another man’s flock for himself. The shepherd in David was disgusted and ready to execute “justice.” Then, and only then, did Nathan raise his finger to point at David saying “You are that man!” Not only had David taken what did not belong to him and call it his own, but he made her his own out of the lust of his heart in bed. And to make the matter worse, as if there might be a worse matter, he had her husband killed so there would be no testimony that he had not himself been with his wife while on leave. It would be easy to say then, “she was with his child.”

Oh, the victims of such lust and adulteration at all levels. It is not just the marriage vows which Jesus declared that day which were being violated. It was community ties, religious vows, nationalistic pride and the glory to God which were being compromised. And to all of that Jesus declared that the offending member be cut off, cut out, turned away for fear that one bad apple might certainly spoil the whole harvest. Bad apple? Wasn’t there an apple in question in the Garden? Was it bad? Or was it those who participated in the “bad” act? Adam and Eve weren’t the only ones exiled, cut off and culled out. Satan was sent right along with them to slither through the world like a reptile or a dragon. He was no longer allowed in the Garden just as he was not allowed in the courts of Heaven. He sought to adulterate both and now it came to the world. Trust me, third time is a charm. He will have no opportunity to adulterate anywhere else with his lust for power, deceit and destruction. He is given one last opportunity to do what Adam and Eve did: confess, repent and be obedient to the will of God. That is our opportunity, mighty ones of God. He has established His relationship of love and faithfulness with us now in (Holy) Spirit and in Truth (as in I AM the way, the TRUTH and the life. He is forever faithful to the course which has been prescribed, written down and now engraved on our hearts and in our minds. What we choose to do with it speaks for us or against us. Thank God, there is still hope of restoration and reconciliation. Let us take the hope and make the best of it so that we will be welcomed home for all eternity.

PRAYER IN LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD:

Father, You have revealed to us best in Jesus the Christ. By Him and Him alone shall we gain the eternal life and our place in eternal rest, living for You always. Show us more and by Your Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go, the truth we should reveal and the life we shall live with you forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.