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Advent Wreath Lesson Two: Love

As we approach the end of the second week and the beginning of the third week of 2017, in the spirit of my New Year’s Resolution post A Different Kind of New Year’s Resolution: Instead of Packing Away the Advent Wreath for Another Year, Reflect on Its Lessons During All of 2017, it’s time to consider the second blue candle of the Advent Wreath.

Image used under creative commons license available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In many Christian traditions that use the Advent Wreath, the second blue candle represents love. Advent and Christmas tell the story of God’s unfailing love for mankind. From the dawn of creation, mankind has held a special place in God’s world.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:27 – 31, KJV)

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; originally published in 1906 a Bible card published 1906 as a Bible Card Illustration by the Providence Lithograph Company

God looked and saw that everything He had created was good. He enjoyed His creation. Genesis 3 seems to imply that God would visit his Creation and spend time in the Garden. During these visits, it seems that God spent time visiting and talking with Adam and Eve.

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3: 8 & 9, KJV)

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; Adam and Eve hiding from God and covering their nakedness in the Garden of Eden. Etching by J.E. Ridinger after himself, c. 1750. In Public Domain

By disobeying one simple command “Don’t eat of the fruit of one specified tree!” Adam and Eve separated themselves from fellowship with God and participation in the benefits of God’s mercy and love.

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (Genesis 3: 2 & 3, KJV)

Image by Ludela (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Because of their sin of disobeying God and eating of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden. Because of one man’s sin, all men became separated from God. The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden is a picture of the expulsion of all sinful men from the presence of God.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, under open content license. Illustration from Bible Picture by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, with brief descriptions by Charles Foster, published in 1897

A holy, righteous God could not condone sin. However, because of His love for creation, He had a plan to redeem mankind.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:  (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Romans 5: 1-21, KJV)

One major step in this plan was the Advent, the appearance of Jesus Christ as a sinless baby, born of a virgin.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons under open content license. It is a photograph of the painting Madonna with child and angels is a picture painted in the 17th century by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato and kept at Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica di Palazzo Corsini.

Christ, coming to earth in human form was not enough to satisfy the penalty of sin that all men are under. Jesus had to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sin, and then be resurrected in glory.

Image from Biblical illustrations by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Sweet Publishing, Ft. Worth, TX, and Gospel Light, Ventura, CA. Copyright 1984. Released under new license, CC-BY-SA 3.0

The death and resurrection of Christ satisfied the punishment for our sin and sealed our pardon from God. With such a great show of love from God, we should be willing to show our love for God by obeying Him and telling others about this wonderful love gift. Philip in the middle of an evangelistic crusade was willing to drop everything and go to the Judean desert where he wasn’t sure who he would possibly run into. But God had a plan for him that would eventually lead to millions of people coming to know and accept God’s great love gift.

And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.  (Acts 8: 30-38, KJV)

Philip and the eunuch, from Biblical illustrations by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Sweet Publishing, Ft. Worth, TX, and Gospel Light, Ventura, CA. Copyright 1984. Released under new license, CC-BY-SA 3.0

During 2017, are you under the conviction of God’s love? Are you ready to be a Philip and run to the side of any seeker and explain the gospel message?

 

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A Different Kind of New Year’s Resolution: Instead of Packing Away the Advent Wreath for Another Year, Reflect on Its Lessons During All of 2017

from Presenter Media

As soon as Christmas is over many people begin working on two projects. The first is the practice of writing and polishing up one’s New Year’s Resolutions. They are full of good intentions and want the New Year to fulfill all of the promises with which it comes.

The second project is packing away the holiday decorations until next year. Since the Advent Wreath centers on the time leading up to the Nativity, it is usually one of the first articles to be put away. Perhaps this year we need to refocus our thinking. The five candles of the Advent Wreath teach lessons which should not be seasonal or time dependent. They are appropriate for Christians to concentrate on all year long. If you are into New Year’s Resolutions, I would suggest that an excellent candidate for the top of your list would be the practice of reflecting on and living out the Advent lessons throughout the entire 2017 year.

Image used under creative commons license available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The typical Advent Wreath begins with a circular ring of evergreens. The ring and the evergreens represent the eternal nature of God. Around the wreaths four colored candles are equally spaced, circling a larger, white candle in the center of the wreath. Although there are variations, it is common for three of the outer candles to be blue or violet, while the fourth colored candle is rose or pink. The four outer candles represent four virtues or messages that Jesus brings us. Four Sundays before Advent, the first blue candle representing hope or expectation is lit. The word “hope” is used both as a verb and a noun. In the Bible, the verb hope means to trust in someone or something, to expectantly wait for a beneficial result.

On the third Sunday before Advent, the first blue candle is lit again, while a second blue candle representing God’s love is lit. The word “love” is also used as a verb and a noun. God’s love is complete and perfect. It is given, and not earned. On the second Sunday before Advent, the pink candle representing joy, along with the previously lit blue candles, are lit. God’s joy is his delight and pleasure. It is what he experiences and what he gives. On the last Sunday before Advent, all four outer candles are lit. The third blue candle represents peace. God’s peace has two aspects. The first is peace with God. The second is the peace of God. More on the meaning of these candles will follow in subsequent posts.

On Christmas Eve the central white candle, also called the Christ Candle, is lit. It represents Christ, the light of the world. In this Christmas season that just passed, did you reflect the light of Christ to a world trapped in darkness? Are you planning to spread His gospel of hope, peace, love and joy to a lost world throughout this coming year? I plan to do five more posts in this series, suggesting how we should reflect on and encourage others with the message of God’s hope, peace, love and joy, and Christ as the light of the world.

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Four Lessons from Five Verses: Lesson III-Part A

Structural diagram of II Timothy 2:2, created by author using ClickCharts Professional

I took my Memorial Day and Independence Day Posts from the first five verses of chapter 2 of Paul’s second letter to his protege Timothy. One focused on the attributes of a good soldier, while the second looked at how to be a winner. I didn’t plan this series of posts to be a holiday series. However, the first two coincided with Memorial Day and Independence Day. This post coincides with Labor Day, which may be very appropriate, as verse 2 opens the door for us to look at the office, qualifications and work of a teacher. It also opens the door for us to look at much more than we can cover in one post. Thus, this post will become a wormhole for us to investigate more fascinating topics dealing with the process and responsibilities of teachers, and the cyclic, self-sustaining patterns of biblical teaching.

It seems very appropriate to look at teaching this Labor Day, since many have declared teaching to be a labor of love. The dictionary definition of a labor of love is work “done as an end onto itself, rather than a means to an end. It is work that benefits others rather than significantly rewarding the laborer materially.” In Paul’s case, it was definitely a labor of love. He did it out of his love of his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul also did it for the heavenly reward or benefit that others might receive.

Love is central to all of Christian theology. We love God because He first loved us (I John 4:19). In fact, God loved us so much that he sent His Son to die for us and be a propitiation for our sins. (I John 4:10). Propitation is a big word that means “turning away one’s wrath.” Christ’s sacrifice on the cross satisfied the demands of a righteous God, turning away his wrath against our sin. As demonstrated in I John, the Apostle John could be called the disciple of love. In his gospel, after Mary Magdalene discovered the empty tomb, she ran to Peter and “to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved.”

courtesy of Presenter Media

However, love is just as central to Paul’s view of theology, as it was for John. In Romans 5:8, Paul wrote, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  In his first letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul wrote what’s known as the Love Chapter. He begins Chapter 13, with these words “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” and ends it with “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity,”  The word  translated “charity ” could just as easily have been translated “love.” Without love, there is no harmony, only discord. 

We are to love as Christ loved. However, our love doesn’t originate in us. We can’t generate our own love. It is a reflection of God’s love, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:1-2, “Be ye therefore followers [imitators] of God, as dear [beloved] children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.”  The Ephesian 5 passage is not the only time Paul talked about imitating Christ. Paul begins Chapter 11 of I Corinthians with these words, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” Do you see the repetitive pattern starting to form? Follow Paul, as Paul followed Christ. Teach others to follow you, as you follow Christ.

So just as Christ taught his disciples how to love God, Paul is teaching Timothy “the same things.”  So what is Timothy to do? He is to find faithful men, capable of teaching others, these “same things.”  It is the cyclic, repetitive, self-sustaining pattern of Biblical teaching. It is a labor of love.

 

 

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Four Lessons from FIve Verses – Part II

My Memorial Day Post, Four Lessons from FIve Verses was inspired by the Memorial Day message at Calvary Baptist Church in York, Pennsylvania by our senior pastor, Reverend Greg Wahlberg. The scripture reading for the day was taken from II Timothy, chapter 2. I return to this passage for my Independence Day post (a little late).

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.  And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. (II Timothy 2:1-5, KJV) 

The author of Psalm 33 is not definitively known. It falls between two Psalms of David, and carries on a thought directly from the end of Psalm 32. Therefore, it may be a Psalm of David; Image courtesy of Graphics Stock

In the previously mentioned post, I concentrated on the lesson of being a good soldier from verses 3 and 4. In this post I move on to verse 5, “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. ” to look at the lesson of winning by the rules. As God would have it, the call to worship was Psalm 33:12. In addition, the Independence Day message. delivered by our Associate Pastor, Rev Richard Hall, was about winning and losing.  The scripture lesson came from the Old Testament story of Jacob wrestling God. 

Image courtesy of clker.com; Shared by Ruthie

 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.  (Genesis 32: 24-30, KJV)

from Presenter Media

I am an extremely competitive person, and I love to win. VInce Lombardi, venerable coach of the Green Bay Packers says his famous quote “Winning isn’t everything; it is the only thing.” was misquoted. He claims to have said, “Winning isn’t everything, the will to win is the only thing.” More than 50 years of playing baseball, softball and basketball taught me the truth of the second quote very well. Scripture also teaches us that winning is for winners. Paul writing to the Corinthians says:

 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (I Corinthians 9: 24-27, KJV)

However, winning at all costs is not an option. Paul, writing to his protege Timothy in the text for today’s post, puts winning in its proper context:  And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. (II Timothy 2:5, KJV)

Nevertheless, we have all seen cheaters prosper and the righteous suffer. Two Old Testament writers describe this experience far better than I could ever do. The author of Psalm 73 (usually attributed to Asaph, but some modern scholars date this Psalm to the post-exile and Second Temple period, ruling out Asaph, who served David) eloquently laments this perplexing situation:

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.  And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. (Psalm 73: 3-13, JKV)

Echoing the sentiments of the writer of Psalm 73, the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk bares his heart and soul to God with a prayer for vengeance against  the unGodly in the opening of the book that carries his name:

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!  Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. (Habakkuk 1:1-4, KJV)

Be careful what you ask for in your prayers to God. You may just get it. The answer God gives Habakkuk leaves him totally shaken and confused.

Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you. For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not their’s. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand. And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it. Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god. (Habakkuk 1:5-11, KJV)

What is Habakkuk’s response to God’s answer? It essentially puts God on trial for using a more wicked people to punish the evil doers of the Israelites.

Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?… I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. (Habakkuk 1:12-13 & 2:1, KJV)

from Presenter Media

God wasted no time in responding to Habakkuk’s challenge:

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:2-4, KJV)

Thus, we see that the unjust will be judged, but the just shall live by his faith. This passage is quoted three times in the New Testament. In each passage, living by faith is seen in a different context. In Romans 1:17, the context is sanctification and forgiveness from our sins. In Galatians 3:11, the context is justification and the removal of the penalty of our sins. The context of Hebrews 10:38 is the perseverance of the faithful. Therefore, from Habakkuk, we have the message that the unjust will be punished, but the just will live.

courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

There are many references to this concept throughout scripture. We find one more in what may well be the oldest book in the Bible. This concept of the fate of the just and unjust is also explored by the author of the Book of Job, who is most likely a highly educated Jew who lived between the reign of Solomon and Israel’s exile to Babylon. Even he had a great deal of trouble putting into words the internal battle this dilemma caused him. Instead of directly lecturing or preaching, he turned to another effective educational process. He begins the book of Job by metaphorically looking his audience in their eyes and saying to them, “Let me tell you a story about a man…”

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. (Job 1:1, KJV)

If ever there was a human who deserved to “win,” Job was that man. However, Satan was out to show God up. Thus, he saw Job as a convenient target. If Satan could bring Job down to his level, he would win over again to his side one of God’s favorites, just like he did in the Garden of Eden. Although Job wavered and wound up on the dung heap in sackcloth and ashes (as depicted in the 1880 painting by Gonzalo Carrasco), when he looked squarely at God, he couldn’t say anything negative about Him.

Therefore, whether we look at the Old Testament or the New Testament, at the end of the day, God rewards the righteous and punishes the unjust. An old childhood jingle comes to mind: “Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat.”

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Who Are My Neighbors and How Can I Love Them?

In my last post I noted that my next post would answer the question, “Who are my neighbors?” As I began to fill in the outline that I had developed for my post, I discovered that I needed to answer a second question: “How can I love them?”

Loving someone with whom we are very close, like friends and family, can be hard. However, at least 10 times in Scriptures, we are told to love our neighbor.  The obvious questions are: “Who is my neighbor?” and “What does it mean to love my neighbor?”

Jesus answers both of these questions in the Luke 10 record of the encounter between Jesus and an expert in the Jewish law,

23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. (KJV)
from Presenter Media

Jesus, knowing that the lawyer was asking Him  a “gotcha question,”  turned the question back around to the lawyer.  Jesus replies, “You’re an expert in the law. How do you read it?”  This exchange reminds me of one of the modern talk shows where the host grills a guest with tough questions asked to catch the guest in a contradiction or lie.

from Presenter Media

 

 

The lawyer is trying to paint Jesus into a corner from which he can’t escape without stepping on the fresh paint.

from Presenter Media

However, Jesus turns the question back on the lawyer. The lawyer is now so unsure of how to proceed that he kicks over the can of paint, trapping himself.

Is the Old Testament more neighbor friendly than the New Testament?  In the Old Testament, there are more than 120 references to neighbor or neighborhood; while in the New Testament are only slightly more than 20 such references.  The lawyer’s response refers back to Leviticus 19:18,

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. (KJV)

For the 1400 plus years between the time of Leviticus and the time of Jesus, Jewish lawyers and rabbis were continually debating the question asked by the lawyer: “Who is my neighbour?” Most of the strict constructionists said that because the first half of Lev. 19:18 only referred to the children of Israel (“the children of thy people”), the second half should also only refer to the children of Israel. These strict constructionists taught that Israelites had no responsibility to love Gentiles.  Many taught that the Israelites had a responsibility to avoid Gentiles completely. In fact, this allowed the children of Israel to despise anyone who wasn’t a “full” child of Isreal. This was carried to the extent of excluding any Israelite who married outside “the faith”, and any “half-breed children” that descended from such a non-sanctioned union.

from Presenter Media

In His response to the lawyer’s answer, Jesus completely reverses the course of the strict constructionist’s view that neighbor only referred to other Israelites. HIs answer swam in the face of almost all of mainstream Jewish thought of more than a millennium.

Actually how did Jesus answer the lawyer? He tells a story about “a certain,” unidentified man being attacked and severely injured by thieves. In this story, three individuals, two Jewish religious leaders and an unidentified Samaritan, encounter this unfortunate attack victim . The priest and the Levite do nothing to help or even acknowledge the “half dead” individual. Then a member of a hated group of half-breeds, the Samaritans, comes along. This good man not only stops to see if he could help the unfortunate victim, he goes out of his way to get the victim extra help. Jesus then puts the lawyer on the spot with the question of the moment,  “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” The lawyer is caught in his own trap. It is obvious that the two Jewish officials who did nothing could not have been neighborly. However, the lawyer could not bring himself to even say that a Samaritan could be a good neighbor. The lawyer responded, “He that shewed mercy on him.” Then I can see Jesus looking straight at the lawyer and with emphasis saying to him, “Go, and do thou likewise.”

Image from Presenter Media

So to answer the foundational questions: Firstly, who is my neighbor? It is any one in need with whom I come in contact.

from Presenter Media

Secondly, how do I love them?  I provide the help that they need. It might be a hand up to help them get on their feet. It might be a shoulder to lean on to help them get around. It might be a roof over their head to give them shelter. It might be a meal to help nourish them. It might be medical assistance to help heal them. It is whatever they need that you can provide.

The point of most parables is to force the audience to place themselves into the story and figure out how to respond. So here’s the question to you: Who is your neighbor? and How should you love them? From this Good Samaritan story, we now have hundreds of Good Samaritan hospitals and shelters run by service agencies, offering love and aid to the needy. We also have hundreds of state and local laws, known as Good Samaritan laws, offering legal protection to individuals who in good faith come to the assistance of another individual in dire need. Paraphrasing the question from an old television game show, “Who do you love?”

My post next week asks the questions: Is there a difference between ethics and ethical behavior? Can we mandate ethics, or is our best expectation compliance at the behavioral level?

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Never Take a Loved One for Granted

Within the past month, I learned several lessons from my 14-year old granddaughter. She shared with me an essay that she had written for her ninth-grade English class. The assignment was to write a memoir. I will admit that it brought tears to my eyes. Her essay showed the importance of family and the role that love and respect within a family should play. It emphasized the fact that the little things we do can make a big difference.

This may be the biased opinion of a grandfather who believes his granddaughter is one very special young lady, but I am convinced her essay exhibited a maturity far beyond what most of us exhibit, no matter what our age is. It also illustrated lessons that I have attempted to teach within the academy for 40 years that far too often have fallen on deaf ears.

With the permission of my granddaughter and her teacher (since it was an assignment), I take this opportunity to share the Memoir here at By’s Musings. I first present the essay and then will make some comments about it, speaking as a very proud grandfather.

Taken for Granted

               Most people think that nothing will happen to them or the ones they love. I learned the hard way that it can. It was back in 6th grade when I was eleven years old. I was a very outgoing person and I took my grandfather for granted, because I thought that he was always going to be around. He has always been a great grandfather and he was always the first person I would call when I would hit a homerun at softball or if I made a new team. I would only get to see him three or four times a year when my grandparents would come to Pennsylvania from Michigan. Though our visits were infrequent, we always had a great time when they came in.

I remember answering the phone and the person said that they were my grandmother’s pastor and that they were looking for my mom. I was so confused and had no idea what they were talking about. I walked into the kitchen and said “Mom, Grammy’s pasture [sic] is on the phone.” When I was eleven years old I did not know that a preacher was also called a pastor. My mom just stopped and looked at me like I was stupid and took the phone. I went upstairs to get in the shower, and when I came back down she was crying her eyes out. I asked her what was wrong, and the only thing she told me was that my grandfather was in the hospital. My mom called her sister, and she said that they think that he had a stroke. Right after she got off the phone she called my dad, and he came home right away. My mom wanted to go out to Michigan right away, but there were a couple of problems. PSSA testing had just started for me that day and we did not know how long we would be staying in MI. My mom and dad both had to work, we had nowhere to put my dog, and Michigan is over 13 hours away.

Missing work and school were the least of our problems. We decided that my dog would go to a friend’s house. We got everything packed up, dropped the dog off, and picked up my aunt. Then, the longest car ride to Butterworth Hospital out in Grand Rapids, Michigan began.

I remember walking in and I just started to cry. I walked over to his bed side and said, “Hey Pop-pop what’s up?” and I can remember his exact words “The sky.” At that point everyone started to laugh. My grandmother explained to us that he was in a meeting at work, after the meeting he put his head down on the table and one of his co-workers asked him if he was okay and he never answered. They immediately called 911, and when they got there they thought he had a bleeding stroke. We went to my grandparents’ home and one of my grandmother’s friends made us a casserole for dinner and left it on her door stoop.

The next day at the hospital they did a CAT scan and found out that he had a brain tumor the size of a racquet ball, and it caused some hemorrhaging. They wanted to do surgery immediately the next day. My grandfather had hair, but he was bald on top of his head. They shaved all of his hair off and he looked totally different. The day he had his surgery was the longest day ever. My family and I sat in the waiting room playing Apples to Apples, sleeping, and reading to past the time till my grandfather got out of surgery. We played Apples to Apples, because I had it in the car for from the long car ride.

When he finally came out of surgery and we could go back and see him, he had gauze wrapped around his head. He had staples in his head and when I saw him I almost got sick. We stayed for a couple more days, but we had to leave and get back home. I did not want to leave. I was afraid that he was not got going to pull through it.

My grandfather has never fully recovered from this whole incident. As a result of the surgery he has aphasia which is a condition that causes him to forget words that people take for granted in our everyday life. He cannot walk without a cane or for long periods of time. Since the whole incident he has also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which causes him to shake a lot. My grandfather before the brain tumor was a very self-sufficient person, but now he must rely on my grandmother to do most things for him. My grandfather was very upset after he found out that he is not allowed to drive any more or return to work.

This affected my family as well. When we got home every time the phone would ring we would be scared that something happened to him. It really affected my grandmother as well, because she cannot do everything by herself so they will move back to Pennsylvania in April of this year.  Anything can happen to the people that you love, so make sure that they know that you love them and never take them for granted.

.       The important lesson that we must all remember is the last sentence of her memoir. “Anything can happen to the people that you love, so make sure that they know that you love them and never take them for granted.”  I don’t think that she is being morbid in suggesting that whenever we see a loved one, it may be the last time we will see them. I believe that she is teaching us to make sure that we show our love to each other whenever we can, because we don’t know when that opportunity will be taken from us.

The lesson noted in the opening paragraphs of this posting I suggested fell on deaf ears in the academy is that everyone regardless of their age or status has something to offer. I believe that knowledge consists of content, skills and values. No one person has a monopoly on knowledge. If even one member of a class is prevented from offering their insights to the whole class concerning thoughts related to the subject of the class, everyone, including instructor and students, is short-changed. A complete education is facilitated by an open class in which everyone participates as both instructor and student. The role of the professor is not to serve as dictator, but to serve as a facilitator and guide.