Messiah: Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets

“ ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,’ says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: ‘After those days,’ says the Lord, ‘I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,” for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them’ says the Lord. ‘For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’ “ (Jeremiah 31:31-34, NKJV). “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17. NKJV). “ ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ 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.’ “ (Matthew 22:36-40. NKJV).

All the Messianic prophecies (and they were many) in the Old Testament were fulfilled specifically and precisely in Jesus Christ. Because Jesus did not always follow ‘the letter of the law” as the Jews had added to and amended the Ten Commandments, they accused Him of breaking the law. He healed on the Sabbath Day. He allowed his disciples to pluck grain and eat on the Sabbath because they were hungry. Instead of making the law burdensome and weighty, Jesus summed up the heart of the law in His statement in Matthew 22:36-40. He told the lawyer from among the Jews that all of God’s covenant commandments could be summed up in two major statements: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jeremiah’s prophecy of God’s writing a new covenant with His people and writing it on their hearts was fulfilled in Jesus’ life and teachings. He taught us how to be practical in keeping God’s Law. He stated that He did not come to destroy it but to make it fuller, more applicable and practical for daily life. Incredibly, Jesus summed up the essence of the teachings of the law and the prophets when he taught us to “Love God…and love your neighbor.” Behind the Law stands these two principles of right relationship with God and with our fellowmen. Love can never be adequately portrayed in rules and laws. God’s commandments of love have been there all along. The concept had been lost in much interpretation of the law and making it a burden instead of a joy to live by. Jesus showed us how to live out teachings of the law and the prophets—and the New Covenant written on the heart that Jeremiah told us about. Only with the aid of the Holy Spirit can we meet the requirements of love which fulfills the Law.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, December 16, 2010

Thanksgiving for Victory over Zion’s Enemies - A Song of Ascents

“ ‘Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth.’ Let Israel now say—‘Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; Yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed my back; They made their furrows long.’ The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.” (Psalm 129:1-4, NKJV) [Read Psalm 129]

Again we have a Song of Ascents sung on the approach to the Temple, and another paean of thanksgiving and praise for Israel’s victory over enemies. This psalm is in the same vein as Psalm 120 examined earlier. Past experience testifies to God’s deliverance from enemies in warfare. Likewise, in this psalm, praise is offered because God brought justice upon enemies of the nation. The picture of suffering is not good: the nation was ploughed up roughly as a field is plowed. This metaphor from agriculture shows the devastation to the nation their enemies brought. It is a way of describing the persecutions Israel suffered at the hands of their enemies. But prayer turned vengeance over to the Lord, and “He cut in pieces the cords of the wicked” (v. 4).

You will note in verses 5-8 that the psalmist pronounced a curse upon his enemies. He prayed that their crops be unproductive, even as grass that comes up on a flat roof and soon withers because it has no deep roots to sustain it. He also prayed that any passing by the enemy would not pronounce the Lord’s blessing on them. We have trouble with this curse. We must remember that the psalmist lived and wrote perhaps centuries before Christ came to teach us: “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” (Matthew 5:44-46). I am reminded of what President Lincoln said after the Civil War when asked what he planned to do with “all the enemies”. His sage reply: “I will work on making them friends.” In the age of grace, we are to pray for our enemies in a positive way. General MacArthur, in surveying Japan following World War II, asked that missionaries be sent there to share with that defeated enemy the love of Christ. Although it was hard to forgive Japan, Germany and Italy their atrocities during World War II, the peace conferences—and the work of Christian missionaries—did change a climate of hatred to forgiveness and working toward mutual goals of peace. Oh, that we might, like those in processional to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, sing from the heart: “The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked” (Psalm 129:4). Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Sunday, November 28, 2010

Beware of Swearing and Oaths

“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” (James 5:12. ESV)

Near the end of his letter, James writes a brief but terse admonition about being careful of what one says and of taking oaths. James was warning of a practice of using God’s name to attest to the truth of a statement or the strength of a promise.

The Jews took such oaths by raising a hand toward heaven or placing the hand on the thigh. In Exodus 20:7 the third of the ten commandments states: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” (NASV). When Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount about taking oaths, He said: “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no; and anything beyond these is evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37).

How often have I heard persons exclaim: “I swear!” to indicate they are telling the truth. Some say, evidently to make their emphasis clearer, “I swear to (or by) God!” Both Jesus and James say this habit of speech is sinful. All one needs to say (and mean) is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Christ prohibited such oath-taking in talking. Look at some of the examples of consequences of oath-taking: Herod swore to his step-daughter that he would give her whatever she asked. That resulted in the head of John the Baptist on a tray (Matthew 14:7-9). Peter swore on the night of Jesus’ trial that he did not know Him and denied the Lord three times. Realizing what he had done, and also that Jesus had predicted Peter would do this before the cock crew, Peter went out and wept bitterly (see Matthew 27:69-75).

Are Christians then, not to be a witness in court when called, a duty that requires taking an oath to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” This is a citizenship responsibility, and certainly one that should be taken seriously and with honesty. Such an oath is different from the everyday careless speech patterns into which a person can so easily fall. These dishonor God by meaningless swearing and oaths. In James 5:12 and in Jesus’ teaching about oaths in the Sermon on the Mount, they were both pleading for simple integrity in speech. They did not condemn oaths when they needed to be made in legal and other procedures, but pled for honesty. We are not to abuse God’s name in taking oaths.

Prayer: God, help us to guard our tongues, to speak with honesty and integrity, that even our manner of speaking may bring glory to You. Amen.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Blessed—Happy—Are Those Persecuted

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12, NKJV).

Jesus warned His disciples that hard times were ahead for them because of their loyalty to Him. We learn from church history that all but one of the twelve apostles died a martyr’s death. Think of the areas in which early Christians had to make hard choices in order to follow Jesus. All Roman citizens were required to burn incense to the Caesar and pledge allegiance once a year, stating, “Caesar is god.” Christians refused to deny Christ and take this pledge to Caesar. They then were thrown to the lions, or made sport of in the great ampitheaters of the empire. Often, because work necessitated denial of Christ, like a tailor or a weaver would have to make garments for priests who administered idol worship, or a herdsman provided lambs for sacrifice to idols, they would be persecuted, lose their jobs, or even be killed if they refused to produce the work. John, when he wrote The Revelation, was suffering persecution as an exile on the Island of Patmos where, at the advanced age of 90, he had to work in the mines. He wrote the Revelation at night after a hard day’s work, and hid the papyrus in the cave where he lived. A good example of how blessed and happy the early Christians felt when they were persecuted was in the death of Polycarp. He was given the choice of sacrificing to Caesar or his death. His reply is classic: “Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” And his prayer as he was tied to the stake to be burned was: “O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Thy well-beloved and ever-blessed Son, by whom we have received the knowledge of Thee…I thank Thee that Thou hast graciously thought me worthy of this day and of this hour.” (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible: Matthew. Westminster, 1956, p. 111).

Persecution occurs today in lands where some of our missionaries labor. And the persecution will no doubt grow worse as we see the “end times” draw nearer. Even in the work place and in society, Christians who are true to the principles of living the way Jesus taught us are often ridiculed and mocked. Are we willing to stand up for Jesus and His way regardless of others’ opinions? Christ still needs faithful witnesses who are prepared to die without denying Him, if necessary, and certainly those who are willing to stand up and live for Him. The struggle still exists, because it is a struggle between good and evil. Jesus’ way of truth and righteousness brings its own blessedness. Let us, therefore, stand faithfully.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, September 20, 2010

Blessed—Happy—Are the Peacemakers

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9 NKJV)

Because it provides such good insight to the verse, I quote The Amplified Bible on this Beatitude: “Blessed—enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous [that is, with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions]—are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!” And from Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible: “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”

Peacemakers are defined as reconcilers, and seek to get those at variance with each other on good terms, whether between individuals, groups, or nations. Peacemakers work to arbitrate differences and even to prevent disputes before they happen. Peacemakers also seek to bring persons into right relationship with God. Those who do this important work of arbitration are like the Heavenly Father who sent Jesus to reconcile His estranged creation unto Himself. In Hebrew culture, a son is expected to follow his father’s occupation. And, likewise, the disciples were to follow Jesus’ example of being reconcilers, peacemakers—the “children of God.” Someone has observed that this Beatitude is probably the least followed of all the Beatitudes, because peace is very hard to seek and to keep. There are always wars between nations, always disagreements between persons, even between members of families. To be a peacemaker is a hard assignment.

First, to be a peacemaker, we must have the genuine peace of God in our own heart. We cannot spread peace if we do not know peace. In examining the life of St. Francis of Assissi, we note that he gave his whole life to proclaiming peace. He could do this because he had the peace of God in his heart. An underlying idea in this beatitude is “blessed are those who make the world a better place in which to live” (William Barclay). Abraham Lincoln said that he would like to have it said of him that he always pulled up a weed and planted a flower. In other words, where something bad festered, he tried to make peace and foster instead a worthwhile purpose. Barclay wrote: “O the bliss of those who produce right relationships between man and man, for they are doing a Godlike work!” (Daily Study Bible: Matthew, 1956, p. 106). Can I be called a child of God because I seek to spread peace where strife, discord and disharmony exist?

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Sunday, September 19, 2010

Blessed—Happy—Are the Pure in Heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8, NKJV)

The Amblified Bible adds interesting expansions to Matthew 5:8: “Blessed—happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous [that is, possessing the happiness produced by experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions]—are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!” And reading from Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible, the verse is stated: “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” Jesus taught in this Beatitude that it is possible for the pure in heart to see God. We expect to see God when we reach heaven, but is it possible to see God in this present life? When God talked to Moses on Mt. Sinai and wanted to see God in all His glory, the Lord said to him, “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me, and live.” God provided a place for Moses to stand in the cleft of the rock and He passed by in all His glory, but Moses did not look upon God’s face. “In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). In Psalm 24:3-5 we get a strong clue as to who can see and know God: “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

“The pure in heart are the profoundly sincere and honest. Such shall ‘see God.’ “(Master Study Bible, Holman, 1981, p. 1674). The commentator might have added those who profoundly, honestly and sincerely seek to know God and His Word, who shun evil and walk in God’s ways will experience Him. “He calls us from the worship of a God remote and beyond us into a reverence that finds God everywhere.” (ibid., p. 1674). I think this was the idea Peterson expressed in his translation of this beatitude. If our mind and heart are right and focused on God, then we will see God at work in persons, things, events all around us. We need the right attitude to see God, the right spirit to seek Him out. The Greek word used for “pure” is “katharos.” It means unmixed, unadulterated, without alloy, cleansed thoroughly. What are our motives behind our service to the Lord? Are they pure and done from our love and dedication to Him? Or do we like men’s praise, a sense on our part that we are doing a good job? Dr. William Barclay gives this paraphrase of the sixth beatitude: “O the bliss of the man whose motives are absolutely pure, for that man will some day be able to see God!” (Daily Study Bible: Matthew. Westminster, 1956, p. 103). It takes constant diligence to attain toward a pure mind and to see God.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, September 18, 2010

Blessed—Happy—Are the Merciful

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, NKJV)

Of the many definitions of mercy, one that comes close to catching its meaning is “compassion that forbears punishment even when justice demands it.” The Aramaic word for mercy is chesedh and means the ability to get right inside the other person’s skin until one can see through that person’s eyes, feel with that person’s feelings, know that person’s experiences, and can suffer with that person. Jesus said in this beatitude that the one who is merciful will in turn receive mercy. There is nearly always a reason why a person thinks and acts as he does. If we know why, we can much more easily understand, sympathize and forgive. In showing mercy, Jesus who was God in the flesh, came among men to feel as a man, see as a man, think as a man. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus showed mercy in all areas of his life, physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Being both man and God, He demonstrated mercy in all its depth. As Dr. William Barclay stated: “The supreme instance of mercy, chesedh, is the coming of God in Jesus Christ” (The Daily Study Bible: Matthew. Westminster, 1956, p. 100).

Dr. Barclay entitles this beatitude “the bliss of perfect sympathy” (ibid. p. 97).” He further states that this beatitude reveals: “O the bliss of the man that gets right inside other people, until he can see with their eyes, think with their thoughts, feel with their feelings, for he who does that will find others do the same for him, and will know that is what God in Jesus Christ has done!” (ibid. p. 100). In The Message Bible, Eugene Peterson renders Matthew 5:7 this way: “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.” The touching story is told of Queen Victoria of England whose King Albert had just died. She went to visit Mrs. Tulloch, also newly widowed, whose husband Principal Tulloch of St. Andrews had died. Mrs. Tulloch struggled to get up and politely curtsy to Queen Victoria, but the Queen told her: “My visit is not as a queen to a subject but as one widow to sympathize with another.” It is with this sense of feeling, identifying with another, that we show mercy and in turn receive mercy when we need it. It is what Jesus did for us. To follow His principle in exercising mercy, we must seek the mind and heart of Jesus. Only then can we have the bliss (blessedness, happiness) of mercy.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, September 17, 2010

Blessed—Happy—Are Righteousness-Seekers

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6, NKJV).

The fourth Beatitude sets a high goal for us. “We are blessed, and will consequently be filled, if we hunger and thirst for righteousness.” It is like Jesus was saying: What do you seek? Is it wealth? That can fail, be stolen, get lost in a failed economy. Do you seek adulation, notice, recognition? These are the basis of pride, and “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Therefore, Jesus pleads, ‘hunger and thirst after righteousness.’

If we have ever truly been hungry and thirsty of body, then we relate those needs to how diligently we should seek for righteousness—goodness and Christian principles in their deepest sense, the guides Jesus gave us to live by. Let your pursuit of them be as a gnawing hunger that can only be satisfied by eating what is good and nourishing. And for the spiritual life, the Word of God, the Bible, should be that soul-hunger we seek to satisfy by studying, absorbing, and living by it. Let your pursuit of righteousness be as an unquenchable thirst that can only be satisfied by drinking deeply of the Water of Life. Do you have a time each day to satisfy these soul-hungers, soul-thirsts? You first must recognize a need for them—develop a hunger and thirst for them—and then go to the Fountain which alone can provide the Water of Life and the Bread of Life. As with a regular meal, set aside a time to eat and drink from the Word. And Jesus Himself told us He is each of these, Water and Bread, to us. “Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). By these words Jesus gave us the example of how we can defeat the devil’s temptations.

In The Disciples’ Study Bible (Holman, 1988) which I often use for my daily Bible studies, Clair M. Crissy who wrote the studies on Matthew states: “The quest to be right, what God wants us to be, can be like a powerful hunger or thirst. People who long so intensely after what is right will have their hunger satisfied and their thirst quenched.” In one of my husband’s pastorates, we had a very strong group in our youth department. It was my joy and privilege to be their director, both in Bible studies and in musical training. We had some marvelous retreats, life-changing, I might say, for the youth themselves and for me, one of their leaders (Other capable adults assisted with teaching and being role models for the youth). God took hold of that group and gave them a hunger and thirst for righteous living and seeking God’s will. Today, members of that group are in mission work, the pastorate, church-related vocations, and lay ministries that bespeak their seeking after and finding the righteousness of God.

In Jesus day, as it is today in third-world countries, hunger was and is a very present and prevalent problem. We in most congregations today are too well-fed and must handle over-feeding with weight-reduction programs and denial of our over-indulgence in foods. But to hunger when one is starving and the food is not available is the type of hunger Jesus meant when he gave the fourth beatitude. Sir Norman Birkett, famous lawyer and judge, got close to the meaning of this beatitude when he said that there is something inextinguishable in every person for goodness. And St. Augustine said it this way: “Man is restless until he finds his rest in God.” And that inimitable Bible teacher, Dr. William Barclay, wrote: “The true wonder of man is not that he is a sinner, but that even in his sin he is haunted by goodness, that even in the mud he can never wholly forget the stars” (Daily Study Bible: Matthew, Westminster, 1956, p. 96). Yes! Hungering and thirsting after God’s righteousness is from deep within each soul, that part of us made in the image of God. Eugene Peterson stated Matthew 5:6 this way: "You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.” (The Message, NavPress, 2002, p. 1335.)

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, September 16, 2010

Blessed—Happy—Are the Meek

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5, NKJV)

Jesus was using Psalm 37:11 for the idea in this third Beatitude: “But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Jesus wanted His disciples (and us) to learn that meekness—the quality of being submissive, gentle, patient and longsuffering—will prove a greater asset than pride. Meekness carries with it the idea of strength under control. Think of a powerful stallion with all its strength that has been trained to do his master’s bidding. The strength and potential are there; they have been brought under control. Without humility and meekness, one cannot learn, for the student must first realize that he does not know it all and therefore becomes “teachable.”

And what about the meek, subservient person inheriting the earth? Is this a paradox—a seeming contradiction—that the meek can inherit the earth? Meekness is a greater power than pride. The Jews were very proud of their race and heritage, the Romans of their military might and imperialism, the Greeks of their culture and learning. On the other hand, the meek, subservient person is often thought of as weak. How can such a person “inherit the earth”? Jesus had reference to the “new heaven and the new earth” spoken of in Revelation 21:1 and in 2 Peter 3:13. For the person who with meekness has a right relationship with God and is God-controlled, he can handle the things of this earth and look forward to an eternal dwelling with God. Theologian William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible (Westminster, 1956, p. 93) says this Beatitude in its fullest Greek meaning and translation must read: “O the bliss of the man who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time; who has every instinct and impulse and passion under control because he himself is God-controlled; who has the humility to realize his own ignorance and his own weakness, for such a man is a king among men!” And Rev. J. R. Dummelow in his commentary on the verse states: “A meek man is not one who is easily provoked or irritated, and is forbearing under injury or annoyance” (Commentary on the Whole Bible, Macmillan, 1958, p. 640). Meekness is not weakness but shows that the Christian has taken on a characteristic of inner strength and submission that Jesus Himself modeled in His life and taught us to emulate. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16;32, NKJV). The meek person trusts in God, and has his life under God’s control.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Blessed—Happy—Are Mourners

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4, NKJV)

Mourning for the dead was, as we might say, a “big” business for some in the time period when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. It was a common custom when death visited a household for the family to actually hire professional mourners who came to cry, mourn, sob, wail and make great lamentation at the wake and burial of the one who had died. We see mourning practices later in the gospel account of Lazarus’ death (see John 11). When Jesus arrived late, even after Lazarus had been buried four days, there were still mourners in the home of Mary and Martha. Funeral processions in the streets of Jewish towns often had a crowd following, mourning and lamenting. The Pharisees believed in life after death, but the Sadducees believed that death was the end and there was no resurrection.

For Jesus to say “Blessed (happy) are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” was a paradox, indeed. But for the Christian, sorrowing for a Christian family member or fried who has died can truly be happy. Death sometimes is a release from this life of suffering or grave illness. Death can therefore bring a sense of relief. The thought of reunion and resurrection brings happiness. Who would wish the beloved departed to return to a life of suffering? Therefore, “Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Jesus’ disciples would have been familiar with the Shepherd Psalm (23) with its words of comfort: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4). And think of the values to the Christian of having a burden-bearer, the Lord, during the time of separation and mourning: the one who bears sorrow graciously grows in patience; to help bear the sorrows of family and friends one grows in sympathy and the ability to feel for others; and in this process of mourning, one also grows more Christ-like. “Happy are those who mourn.” Think again of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus before He called his friend forth from the dead: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). A great promise for Christians is found in Revelation 7:17: “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” In each of the Beatitudes, Jesus was describing God’s kingdom citizen. And even mourning (for death, for the sinner, whatever the cause of mourning), happy is the person who mourns, for God comforts him! Eugene Peterson in The Message Bible states Matthew 5:4: “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” Praise be to God for His comfort in our periods of mourning!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, September 13, 2010

“Blessed,” or “Happy”—the Beatitudes

“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ “ (Matthew 5:1-3, NKJV)

The past fifteen devotionals have explored sixteen of the fifty-one parables Jesus gave during His teaching ministry. I pray some of the thoughts we’ve shared have helped you to explore insights to the stories Jesus told to teach important spiritual truths. He began what we call the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes. He was apart from the crowds in a secluded place on the mountain. His chosen disciples were with Him. It was an important teaching time. These statements, the Beatitudes, are deep insights into life in the kingdom. He wanted His disciples (and us) to look at some important aspects of life and attitudes and gain new insights and perspectives. The way He proposed was not the usual, as we will see by looking at the Beatitudes.

I have a vivid picture of the place held to be where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. In the summer of 1978 my husband Grover and I had the happy privilege of spending a month in the Holy Land. We were not on a usual tour but had gone to visit his sister, Estelle Bunn, who served as a missionary there. With her, and in a rented car, we were able to go to many of the significant holy places. One afternoon, just as the last tour bus and a large crowd left, Grover, Estelle and I parked the car near the “Church of the Beatitudes” overlooking the Sea of Galilee, a beautiful spot where Jesus had gathered His disciples to give them the Sermon on the Mount. With great reverence, my dear husband read Jesus’ sermon from Matthew 5-7. Being in the place where these very words of Jesus were delivered in person, and hearing them from the lips of my husband, an humble and devoted minister of the gospel, was an unforgettable experience. In that high and holy moment, I was filled anew with gratitude for the life and teachings of our Lord, and for the miracle of His truths having come to us.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Blessed, happy, fulfilled is anyone who is poor in spirit—who has come to the end of his own rope (as we say) and is dependent upon the Lord! For with this attitude is the kingdom of God gained! There in Galilee on that afternoon in July, 1978, I had a keen sense of the Lord inviting me personally to deny myself and enter into His way of humility and self-denial. Every day, not just in the Galilee-related days of our lives, He invites this humility. It is putting off self and putting on Jesus. O, God, help me so to live!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, September 13, 2010

Parable of the Lamp

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16. NIV) [See also Mark 4:21-23 and Luke 8:16-18; 11:33-36]

In the parable of the lamp on a stand, Jesus is talking to His disciples and the instruction is for them (and likewise, disciples from then throughout the Christian era, even to us). Jesus is teaching about the influence Christians wield. They are to be like a shining city on a hill or a glowing lamp on a lampstand. We all recall that President Reagan liked to speak of America as “a shining city on a hill.” Were that the influence of America for good could still be as a city alight and glowing from which all receive direction. It does not make sense to light a lamp and then cover it so that its glow will be smothered. A lamp’s mission is to shine and give off light in darkness. Likewise, Christians are to bear light and do good deeds, not for their own adulation but that praise will go to God. We are to let our influence count in such a way in the world that God will get the credit for the good deeds in our lives.

Origen and other Christian writers maintain that the good works of Christians had more influence on converting sinners than miracles and preaching. The old adage holds, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.” Note that Jesus taught: Live “that they may see your good deeds.” Don’t boast about them, just live them. Don’t make lists of them and pass out to persons near you. Let them discover by observing your life what kind of person and Jesus-follower you are. Just as light draws those in darkness to it, so the light of a godly life should draw sinners to seek God’s grace and forgiveness.

As children, we sang the Vacation Bible School chorus: “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine.” To keep a lamp glowing requires maintenance: regular trimming of the wick; keeping the globe clean; adding oil for fuel. Likewise, to have the light of our life shine abroad in a dark world, we need constant daily maintenance from the Word of God, confession of sin, and to be turned on by the working of the Holy Spirit within our lives. How is you lamp? What is its reflection power to point people to God?

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, August 30, 2010

Covet Not

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17, NIV).

First one covets; that is, desires to own something that is not his own. This is the basic sin that leads to stealing. It can also lead to excessive indebtedness, wanting something that the budget cannot afford. The character damage done by coveting is severe. Coveting is rooted in envy and wanting more than can reasonably be attained, or, most of the time, things not actually needed in the first place. The ethical health of a community depends upon mutual respect and care of property. God disdains any act of dishonesty that infringes upon one’s neighbors’ property rights. And oftentimes at the very heart of disabuse, stealing and dishonesty lies the evil of covetousness. Notice the things we should not covet: a neighbor’s mate, servants, possessions (ox, donkey, being specifically mentioned, as the Israelites lived in an agricultural society).

To quote Dr. Robert L. Cate on his exegesis of Exodus: “Ultimately the foundation of this command was the concept that everything a man possessed was a gift from God. Further, to envy what another had was to despise what you had. Thus covetousness was a rejection of God’s loving providence.” (Broadman, 1979, p. 97).

And now that we’ve walked through the Ten Commandments, one-a-day-fashion, I would like to summarize by quoting theologian Dr. Elton Trueblood: (This body of laws is) “not an outworn set of specific prohibitions, but positive principles of such a nature that a good society cannot be constructed or reconstructed without reference to them.” (Foundations for Reconstruction, Harper, 1946, p. 10). And for any who think the Ten Commandments no longer apply, or that their principles are outdated, listen to what Jesus said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18 NIV). Whether the Ten Commandments can be displayed in public places is not nearly as important as that they are obeyed by believers. These principles for living—vertically, man-toward-God, and horizontially, person-to-person—are still the standards for which we should strive.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, August 14, 2010

Enemies? Here’s What to Do About Them

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22, NIV).

We think of enemies as those who oppose our country in wartime. But on a private and personal level, we may sometimes have enemies, those toward whom we hold animosity, or those who may not especially like us. President Abraham Lincoln was asked what he would do about all of those who opposed the United States as the Civil War was drawing to a close. His wise response was that he would try to make friends with them. Likewise, in personal relationships, we are to seek peace. Solomon, in giving advice about how to treat an enemy, taught that we should feed him if he is hungry and give him drink if he is thirsty. By so doing, it will be like “heaping coals of fire on his head.” Furthermore, the Lord will reward those who treat their enemies with kindness and compassion. An explanation is in order for what is meant by “heaping coals of fire.” This is a picture of the high priest in Levitical practice, who, on the Day of Atonement, took the censer and filled it with coals of fire from off the altar where the sacrifice was being offered. The incense was then heated and scattered among the people. It became a sweet-smelling fragrance. The cloud of it covered the mercy seat and indicated an atonement accepted by God. Jesus taught in Matthew 5:44: “But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Paul the Apostle believed so much in the principle taught in Proverbs 25: 21-22, that he quoted it verbatim in Romans 12:20.

As we perform kindly acts for our enemies, we ought also to practice forgiveness for any wrongs they have perpetrated against us. Jesus had strong teachings on forgiveness: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25-26). Jesus also taught how many times we ought to forgive: “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22).

It is not an easy thing to extend help and kindness to enemies, or to forgive them. But it is the Christian thing to do. Do you have anyone to whom you are not on speaking terms because of animosity? Now is the time to resolve misunderstandings and to make amends. Begin the process by praying for forgiveness. Then put into action what is taught in Proverbs 25:21-22. You will be glad you took the necessary steps to restore and right strained relationships. This is an action with God’s promise of rewards for you.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Shine as a Light in Darkness

Today I share two true incidents from my teenage years, one when I was 18 and one when I was 15, that were highlights in forming who I was, what I "grew" into with the Lord's help, and what I am still becoming. Nothing in our lives happens by coincidence, but God uses encounters such as these to make His will and way known to us.

May we all be "on the watch" for signposts and people along our journey that help us to a better relationship with God or whom we can help to have the same.

Selah!

“Arise, shine: for thy light has come; and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” --Isa. 60:1 (KJV)

“No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.” -Luke 11:33 (KJV)

Light? How much does it have to do with peace and harmony?
How can I be light in darkness? How can the Light of the World shine through me?

I remember two distinct instances from my teenage years that had to do with following the Light of the World and His teachings, and seeking to be light myself, as He commanded me.

I was president of Truett McConnell College’s YWA (Young Woman’s Auxiliary). As this officer, I was given a free week at Camp Pinnacle in the summer of 1948 to help me prepare to lead my college YWA during the next year. Miss Sarah Stephens, beloved Georgia Woman’s Missionary Union state leader, was in charge of the camp, using her charisma, godliness and expertise as a speaker and leader to guide the young women at the camp.

We had a good week of intensive Bible and missions methods study, devotional time, challenging messages. It was the last night before we left camp. We were gathered at Lake Pinnacle at dusk for a candlelight service. Miss Stephens challenged us in her inimitable way to be light for Jesus wherever we were, whatever our calling in life. We each had a candle, and lighting it from a large candle symbolizing the light of Christ in our lives, we set our “wooden boat” candle afloat on Lake Pinnacle. It was a heart-touching and deep spiritual experience to see my candle float out with the others on that dark lake and make a bobbling though persistent light, cutting the darkness apart and allowing me to know that commitment to God and His will for me would, indeed, make a difference in the world. The YWA watchword, “Arise, shine, for thy light is come,” has, since then, been one of my life verses. Where there is darkness, the light of peace is extinguished. Where there is Light from Christ, peace takes a stronghold and makes a difference in believing hearts, and is spread abroad upon the dark sea of life.

Go back with me three years before the Camp Pinnacle experience when I was fifteen. My beloved high school teacher, Mrs. Grapelle Mock, had taken me to interview our local Choestoe/Union County poet, Byron Herbert Reece, whose first published book of poetry, The Ballad of the Bones and Other Poems, had just been published by E. P. Dutton of New York. Reece was my neighbor, and I had known him all my life, but suddenly his book had made him the subject of articles in The Atlanta Constitution and The Progressive Farmer, paper and magazine that came to my farm home. I was shy as I tried to fulfill my assignment to interview Reece for an article I was to write in the county newspaper’s School Page. I asked him questions about how he decided to become a writer, what motivated him, and what he hoped to accomplish through his book of poems. Then I told him that I liked to write—and my dear teacher, Mrs. Mock, assured Poet Reece that she had noted my talent in that direction. I shall never forget that Reece quoted the verse from Luke 11:33 and urged me not to “hide my light under a bushel.” He went on to tell me that he had been shy and introspective about his poetry, not thinking it was worth bringing to the public. Then Jesse Stuart of Kentucky saw “Lest the Lonesome Bird” published in The Prairie Schooner and helped Reece to get poems to Stuart’s own publisher, Dutton, who accepted the manuscript for Reece’s first book.

That interview with Reece set a direction for my life. What talents and abilities I have are gifts from God. What light I have to give to the world is also a gift from God. I am not to hide it under a bushel in a dark corner but, with God’s leadership, I am to share my own light with the world.

“Arise, shine, for thy light is come” (Isa. 60:1). “[Put not your light] under a bushel but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5: 15-16)

Selah!

Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, January 7, 2010