The Heart of a Pharisee/The Heart of Pharoah

While reading in both Ex 10.27 and Luke 13.14 this morning, I was struck by the similarities between the heart of the ruler of the synagogue and the heart of Pharoah. Both men see God's power demonstrated in as mighty acts as he ever demonstrates on earth. In the ruler's case a woman who has been in slavery to a disabling spirit for 18 years is freed. In Pharoah's case, he has seen God use nature in a supernatural way to destroy his country. Pharoah still won't let the people go even after 9 plagues. The ruler of the synagogue still won't recognize the hand of God in Christ's miracle, choosing rather to focus on the fact that Christ healed on the Sabbath!

Two very different men, and yet two hearts that are the same, closed off to God even when they see his power demonstrated in mighty ways. May we purpose not to miss God's power because he doesn't act like we assume he should act (the ruler of the synagogue) or because we do not believe in him (Pharoah).

The Syro-Phoenician Woman III

The woman's response to Christ's comment in Mark 7.27 is remarkable. Christ essentially says, "Jews are first. Gentiles are second," yet in a seemingly harsh way. However, he leaves open the possibility that there will be "food" for the Gentiles. In the Greek (where word order often indicates emphasis), Christ says, "Permit first, the children to be fed." The woman immediately picks up on his meaning (Mark 7.28).

Chadwick paraphrases her response: “'I thank Thee, O blessed One, for that word! That’s my whole case. Not of the children? True. A dog? True also: Yet the dogs under the table are allowed to eat of the children’s crumbs — the droppings from their master’s full table: Give me that, and I am content: One crumb of power and grace from Thy table shall cast the devil out of my daughter.' Oh, what lightning quickness, what reach of instinctive ingenuity, do we behold in this heathen woman!"

Second place is good enough for her. As a Gentile who follows this unnamed woman, I gladly embrace second place as well. Jews are first. No problem. There is enough grace left over for me (a Gentile) coming second.

The Syro-Phoenician Woman II

Persistence. Mark's description of the woman's approach to Christ is to say (Mark 7.26) that she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. The verb tense used (imperfect) implies that she kept on begging, that she was persistent; that she would not stop. Matthew's version of the incident (Matt 15.23) makes this explicit. He writes: And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us (NASB).

The woman is persistent as Christ throws up several obstacles to her getting her request. She keeps on begging, because she is not going to be stopped by a few obstacles. We learn from this that faith requires persistence if it is truly faith. A "faith" that gives up at the first obstacle tossed in its way is no faith at all. This woman had a living, active faith that Christ could (and would) do what she asked.

The Syro-Phoenician Woman I

Context. Mark doesn't just set this story (Mark 7.24-30) will-nilly as if it suddenly popped into his mind. The two pericopes that come before this demonstrate how the Pharisees lambast Christ's disciples for eating without ceremonial cleaning. In turn Christ lambasts the Pharisees for being legalists. Next Christ explains that, in contrast to the Pharisees' theology, it is not what comes into a man that defiles him, but what is inside of him. Then comes the story with a Gentile, Canaanite, pagan-therefore-unclean, woman. She tells Christ that second place (behind the Jews) is okay with her, if she can just have the demon cast out of her daughter (incredible faith). Here is the way one writer puts the contrast between this woman and the Pharisees:

Ironically, the unclean Gentile girl is cleansed of the unclean demon (Mark 7:30) by her mother’s decisive and intercessory faith in Jesus, but the clean Pharisees remain unclean because their evils come from unrepentant and unbelieving hearts that reject Jesus (Mark 7:15, 23).

Thus the importance of context.

"You Humble Now, Holmes."

A line from the movie, Tin Cup, where Cheech Marin is acting as Kevin Costner's caddie at the U. S. Open. Before his first round, Costner says, "Lord keep me humble." You see him hitting balls all over the place, then in the next scene they are at the finish and Marin is counting up Costner's scorecard. He says, "82. You humble now, Holmes."

The line came to mind as I was reading 1 Cor 4.7, this morning. While Paul was speaking in the context of the church, it is a truth which can be applied to all things. You are a talented basketball player? Who gave you all that talent? Did you give it to yourself? A concert pianist? Where did you get that talent and the opportunity to bring it alive? An architect? A politician? A banker? Wealthy? Beautiful? When one thinks about it, so much of our lives are not our own choices. We'd like to think that we "picked ourselves up by our own boot straps," but the truth is, did we give ourselves our own will?

It's a very humbling truth from Paul, here.

Elizabeth and Mary

What to say about Elizabeth's response when Mary came to visit (Luke 1.43-44). She speaks out—as Luke notes—in the power of the Holy Spirit and declares that this relative that is decades younger than her (40 years?) is the mother of her Lord! Whatever Mary felt about the greeting at the time, we assume that through the years as she watched Christ's life, ministry, death, and resurrection, the words made more and more sense to her. Since we assume that Luke got this information straight from Mary's mouth (which would have been 4 decades or so later), we can see what an impact they had on her.

Elizabeth's humility is well illustrated because she shows not the least sign about being reticent to blurt out what the Holy Spirit had put on her tongue, even though she is the older and wiser one.

The Liberty (and Responsibility) of the Believer

When it comes to the liberty of the believer, we are called to desire the twin qualities of peace and mutual upbuilding (Rom 14.19). I suppose that this works itself out by asking myself the question, "in regards to x, will my pursuit of it bring about peace and edify other believers?" Obviously each person's working out of the answer to that question will be different. Our problem is that we tend to do what we want and then justify it, rather than desire peace and edification and act accordingly. May we stand out, as followers of Christ, for our peacemaking spirits.

The Great Tribulation

Mark 13.19 is not a verse to be taken lightly. It could not be any clearer that the tribulation that is to come will be one for the ages—thus the sobriquet "The Great Tribulation." I am aware that there is a segment of Christianity that says we do not have to worry about this because the Church will be raptured. It is not a view with which Christ seems to be aware in the gospel.

I suppose the wisest thing would be to prepare as if one was going to endure the Great Tribulation. To my mind this means to apply oneself to growth in grace. Certainly a tribulation such as Christ describes will tend to separate the dross from the gold—as it were. One's deepest beliefs are only truly tested in the fires of persecution or difficulty. Those who have given themselves over to following Christ will endure—will endure! Those who have only followed by lip service will not.

How Can I Be Right (On Matters of Faith)?

Glad you asked. Christ is pretty clear in Mark 12.24. The Sadducees, to whom he is speaking, are wrong (they do not believe in a resurrection). Christ tells them that they are lacking two things and because of it they are wrong (for emphasis he repeats this in Mark 12.27, "you are quite wrong.")

I take from this verse that in order to be right about matters of faith we need to correctly understand the Scriptures (τὰς γραφὰς, or "the writings" a technical term for Scriptures), and we need to believe in the power of God to raise people from the dead. The Scriptures are doubly important because in them we find the power of God demonstrated and the truth about things like the resurrection. If we want to be "quite right" as opposed to "quite wrong," we will saturate our lives with the Scriptures.

Joseph, God, and Our Abilities

Joseph ascribes the interpretation of dreams to God, not to his own ability!

Gen 41.16 is a favorite verse because Joseph so quickly shifts attention from himself to God. It is not me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer. While we are generally not dream-interpreters would that we would be as quick as Joseph to give God glory for what abilities that he has given us—and they are from him.

It is not in me to open a person's heart to understand the gospel. It is not in me to forgive the unforgivable. It is not in me to use my God-given talents in a God-honoring way. What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? Paul asks in 1 Cor 4.7. It's a stunning revelation when one thinks about it, not to mention humbling.

Confession and Belief

Meditating (which in the Hebrew means to growl or mutter) over Rom 10.9 this morning—a favorite verse. One might take from this verse a salvation of works—do this and be saved. We can rule that out because Paul calls it a word of faith in the same sentence (Rom 10.8). I believe that he is speaking of the inward and outward evidence of salvation here. If you confess Christ and believe in your heart, you will be saved. Salvation is not a formula of doing this or that, the "doing" stems from the "believing" and the belief is a gift of God (Eph 2.8,9). May we worship the God who gifts us with both faith and grace!

Help My Unbelief!

Mark 9.24 is one of my favorite verses. I love it because it so eloquently communicates the human condition. The father wanted to believe that Christ could cast the spirit out of the child, but knew that his own heart struggled to believe. It is a genuine and heartfelt cry for help. Calvin beautifully captures what is going on here: "He declares that he believes and yet acknowledges himself to have unbelief. These two statements may appear to contradict each other but there is none of us that does not experience both of them in himself."

Just so. Especially when it comes to promises. Do we really have faith to move mountains? If we ask anything in Christ's name, will God really do it? My heart is just like this man's...only more so.

Do Not Be Ashamed

Ruminating on Mark 8.38 after my Bible reading today. Sobering words from Christ. The Greek word for ashamed is in classical greek "The root aisch- refers originally to that which is ugly and disgraceful. aischyno (Homer onwards) thus meant originally to disfigure, make ugly. It is found in Gk. literature almost exclusively in the mid. or pass. with the meaning to feel shame, be ashamed, or to be confounded, be disconcerted (NIDNTT)."

Christ does not define what he means by whoever . Does he mean both the righteous and the unrighteous? Does he mean that if you are ashamed of him and his words by definition one cannot be righteous (and therefore he is speaking only of those who do not believe in him?). Whatever he does mean, the implication for a follower of Christ is clear—do not be ashamed of Christ. Do not live one's life in shame of whom one believes. One might compare this to being in love. One's partner might be a little mystified and less than impressed if the opposite party does nothing but hide the relationship from others. Love is meant to be proclaimed and demonstrated to the world. How much more Christ?