Trapped By the Truth

We live in a world where truth is relative or even irrelevant. No one really expects a politician to be honest. Used car sales people have had a reputation for shading the truth from the sale of the first used car. Life is filled with "little white lies" and compromise. Even for those who claim to be followers of God honesty and promise keeping has taken a pretty severe hit. Integrity is often hard to find. However, truth is important. Yeshua proclaimed that He was the Truth (John 14:6). He also told us "the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32). In contrast, the Master said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin" (John 8:34). No one wants to be a slave. Freedom is far more desirable than servitude. So give me truth so I can be free. The followers of Messiah Jesus are supposed to know real freedom, right? But what of all those places Paul calls himself a "bondslave" as do Peter and James. Where is the freedom in that?

I know that the American idea of freedom, "doing what ever you want", is not the freedom that the Lord spoke of. I am aware that Paul speaks of being free from sin and death. Which, by the way, is a great freedom to cherish. Yet, the truth is, I have studied the scriptures for about fifty-eight years, seeking to know the truth. In the process I often feel more trapped than I have felt in years. In some ways, the more I search for truth more constricted I become. To be completely honest, life was easier when I just accepted what I had been told.

My problem rests with the Bereans. Those folks in Acts 17:11. Luke writes this about them, "these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." Search the Scriptures, not the commentaries or by listening to sermons or accepting traditions. Back to the Scriptures. It has been a challenge for me to take a fresh look. It is a greater challenge to consider the culture, the writer, and the audience who first heard the words or read the letter. There is so much personal baggage and accumulated learning that gets in my way. I no longer feel free to just accept what I hear or read. I can no longer listen to radio preachers in blissful ignorance and acceptance. No, now I am trapped with the thought, "Is that really true?". "Maybe the cross is more about conquering death than forgiving sin". "What did Paul mean when he said Christ died for our sins "According to the Scriptures"? The "according to the Scriptures" that I read in Leviticus has little resemblance to the events of the cross. Just how does that fit with what I thought I knew?

Then there is that whole "grafted in" thing. Add to that, Paul tells the Ephesian Gentiles they are no longer "far off" but now "drawn near" and a part of the commonwealth of Israel. I am still not sure what all of that means, but it seems to indicate that I am more Jewish than I thought I was. Now, for me, I am no longer free to eat unclean food. For me, I am no longer free to ignore Yom Kippur. It has become a day of fasting and prayer for the nation. I have been prompted by the Spirit to avoid leaven this week in honor of the feast of unleavened bread. I am honestly not free to eat pizza crust or burger buns this week. I do not think they make matzo burger buns. It has been a remarkable few days. When I think of what I will not eat, I am reminded of all kinds of details of God's deliverance at Passover, of the blood of the lamb on the door posts. Of the blood of the Lamb who delivered me. Leaven, often a symbol of sin, is not to permeate my life as it permeates a donut. I am reminded that I am not free to do anything I want but to keep my life pure. It is true, I am no longer free to just ignore all that God has revealed in what we call the Old Testament. 

In addition I am no longer free to ignore the continuity of the Scriptures or the Hebraic nature of the New testament. I am not free to see the Apostle Paul as a "Christian". He was a Torah observant Messianic Jewish Rabbi. Thus, I am not free to see his teaching outside of that reality. That means I am not free to take for granted all that the commentators write about him. I am not free to accept that little editor's note in Acts 9 that speaks of Paul's conversion, for he never converted, he remained a Jew. 

For those of us who desire to take the the Word of God seriously, we are trapped in the matrix of Acts 17:11. Just what do the Scriptures say? 

On the other hand, I am free to study. To seek the truth without the artificial boundaries of Testaments and editors notes. I am free to commune with YAHWEH on those "Jewish" holy days and find new meaning within His Holy Word. I am free to appreciate the challenges that Paul faced as a Jewish Rabbi proclaiming Messiah to us Gentiles. I am free to know the Person of the Truth who loves me beyond measure and reveals Himself to me through His Word. It seems He does so in new ways with each day of study. I am free to join in the Apostle Paul's doxology,"Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and His unfathomable are His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:33-36).

You are free to think I am a little bit crazy. I am free to ask if you want to join me in the company of the Bereans and search to see if these things are so. 

Maybe that bond servant thing isn't so restrictive after all. For He is indeed the Truth and the Truth has indeed set me free. He also is offering you such freedom. Want a free ticket to join in the journey? I think they are available in Acts 17:11.

A Fresh Look at the New Commandment

As Yeshua taught His disciples, He gave them instructions and directions as to how they should live. He brought light and understanding to Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Old Testament. However, there is only one time when it is recorded that He was giving them a brand new commandment. The Apostle John records it for us.  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34). A new commandment to love? Aren't we instructed to love God with all of our hearts five times in Deuteronomy and again in Joshua (Deut. 6:5, 10:12, 11:13, 13:3, 30:6 & Josh. 22:5). Matthew records this as the primary, all encompassing command and adds Lev. 19:18, "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD" as the second part of the commandment. Isn't it pretty clear that God has commanded us to love Him and others? This command is indeed different. It might be that we have overlooked the addition of a few words. It may also be that this new commandment has a greater impact on loving God than we ever realized.

The simple phrase, "as I have loved you" is what makes this a new commandment. After three years of following Messiah, the disciples had seen first hand what it was to really love. There was contact with the woman with the issue of blood (Matt. 9:20), the ten lepers (Luke 17:12), the demon-possessed  man in the tombs at Gerasenes (Mark 5:15). All people to be avoided. All people who were unclean. All people who needed God's love. And let us not forget that woman at the well in Samaria. The list goes on and on. Messiah went to, and demonstrated love and compassion to, the most unlikely folks you could meet. God's love on display wrapped in human flesh. The command had always been there; the flesh and blood, living illustration, had not. Now if we ever have a question what it means to love our neighbor or one another, all we have to do is look to the Gospel records and see how Messiah loved. We now know how to love one another.

I believe there is more here than we might first recognize. It goes with the command to love God which encompasses loving my neighbor. There is some amazing truth in 1 John 4:20, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" John suggests that to comprehend how to love God I must first love my brother. It is easy to say we love the invisible, physically intangible God because it costs us nothing. The way I know how to love and to sacrifice for God is to, well, practice on humans. We actually learn how to be loving toward God by being loving toward one another first. Maybe we have had the "Loving God" thing a little backwards. To truly show our love for God we must demonstrate that love to His creation, meaning our brothers and sisters who share this planet. 

Many of us have felt the warmth and tenderness that comes from our spouse or a close friend. We may likewise have had a similar experience from the Spirit of God. We understand that warmth and love in Him we cannot see by sharing that experience with those we can see. The ones we call our "loved ones". It really is vital to develop loving relationships with people in order to understand the love we share with the Lord. I know we need to keep God first and to love Him with all of our hearts but maybe the expression of that love for Him is wrapped up in the compassion and tenderness we show to "the least of these". 

This new commandment that Jesus spoke of is one that has remarkable ramifications. It is tied to the example He lived out for us. To love one another is actually to know how to love God. Learning to love Him is woven into my love for people. For those irritating, demanding, flesh and blood beings that surround me. For if I do not learn to love them, I do not learn to love God either. I may say I do; however, the reality of life around me will expose what I really know of loving God. 

Something to consider next time the overwhelmed Hassidic mom is in front of you at Walmart and wants to argue the price over every other toddler outfit in her cart. Ahh, so this is how I love God.

Is God Really Supposed to Be Your Top Priority? Maybe Not.

Have you ever been asked what is the most important thing in your life? Not a new question. In fact, Matthew tells  us of a man who pretty much had that question, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" (Matthew 22:36). With our overwhelming schedules it would be helpful to know this, which is the great commandment. At least that way we could get the primary, the most important thing done. We do like to know what the important thing is, even though we tend to lose sight of whatever it is as we drown in the minutia of life. We are told to not let the cry of the urgent cloud what is important. So, back to the question, what is the most important thing in your life? Is it your spouse? Children? Work? Investments? Friends? Well, if you want to be spiritual you might respond with, God or Jesus. That is the real answer. Right? How shocked would you be to learn that that might not be the answer after all.

The Master's response to the question in Matthew 22:37-38 seems pretty straight forward, "Jesus said unto him, You shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the first and great commandment." First priority is to love God with all you have. However, there my be more here that we first see. The man asks, "What is the great commandment" Great, the Greek, megas, meaning largest, most encompassing, that of rank or importance. The biggest commandment of God could mean that of importance or how much it includes. The Master, Yeshua, responds explaining "the first and great". Loving God is the first, protos, meaning primary or in a position of honor and megas largest, this is the primary and most encompassing commandment. However the Master is not yet finished with the answer.

“And second, like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). This seems clear as well. Number one commandment is love God. Number two commandment is love your neighbor. Or is it? The word second, the Greek  deuteros, does mean second but it also means the other of two. Yeshua says it is "like" the Greek, homoios, meaning similar or corresponding to. Possibly the second matching part of the command to "love God" is the corresponding "love your neighbor". Is the first commandment so large and encompassing it includes the second rather than being in some sort of divine pecking order? Oh the joy of being an American and steeped in Western, Greek thought and culture.

John explains in 1 John 4:20,"If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" You see, commandment number one is intimately connected to commandment number two.You honestly cannot separate them. Hebraic thought, the way the Master, Jesus, thought, sees life and thought fully integrated. As did those other Hebrew writers like Moses, David, Isaiah, Matthew, John, Paul and Peter. Those of us who are immersed in American/Western thought and culture like to compartmentalizes everything. We compartmentalize the LORD who is One into Father, Son and Spirit who have some distinctions but are far more an integrated One than a separated trinity. We do the same with ourselves, separating body, soul and spirit more that we see our beings as integrated. Take a minute and consider this. Yeshua, Jesus, told us to fast, meaning to not eat for a time, not to live life in overdrive. So does fasting affect your physical being or your spiritual being? Does it involve the soul, as in your mind, will and emotions or just your physical person? Oh, it touches all aspects of who you are? Almost, like God designed you to be an integrated being where every aspect of who you are touches every other aspect. Hmmmm. I wonder if this is true in other areas of life? 

I do not mean to cause you greater angst in your life but the artificial divisions we practice can wreak havoc with who God intends you to be. There is no spiritual and temporal you, just you. Our life's priorities are an illusion of Western thought. Everything you do and think has an impact on every other area of your life. God did not design you to be bits and pieces of a human machine with interchangeable parts. You cannot have loving God as a priority if you do not have loving your neighbor as a priority. The job you choose to take, the place you choose to live, even the assembly of believers you may choose to fellowship with will impact every aspect of your life. For your body and soul and spirit cannot be itemized and boxed separately. Choices have consequences in every aspect of every part of the thing you call life.

Let's conclude as the Master did back in Matthew 22:40, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” On these two corresponding, all encompassing, similar commandments, "hang", the  Greek kremannymi, meaning to hang from, connect to, or summed up by. So all the teaching and instructions of God are connected. Does this mean to "love God" encompasses all of this? Well, the Master, Jesus did say, “If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). What is the great commandment? Perhaps it is to have an integrated life integrated into Messiah and the Father by the power of the Spirit where the artificial boarders of my life are melted into His. Not an easy way to prioritize your life list but perhaps it is the way He intends us to live. Give it some thought or maybe you can add it to your list.