Is Forgiveness Enough?

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 

Luke 5: 18-21

The story tells what the Pharisees and teachers of the law thought upon hearing the words of Jesus, but what about the paralyzed man?   When Jesus said I forgive you, instead of, I heal you I wonder what raced through the paralyzed man’s mind.  The obvious response expected of Jesus by this man, his friends, and the crowd watching was to heal his broken body. Instead he stunned everyone by forgiving his sins.   And that, I think, was Jesus' plan:  to show the world the greatest gift he could give had nothing to do with the man's physical state. 

To place myself in the sandals of the paraplegic, would I be satisfied to have my sins forgiven but left lying on the mat.  What do I ask for and what do I expect from Jesus?  How can being forgiven be enjoyed or considered valid if I can't walk, or can't see, or don't have a good family, a good marriage, or a good job?   Lord give me physical happiness and I will rejoice in the forgiveness of my sins!

Our humanity makes this seem impossible to reconcile.   Living comfortable physical lives is a wonderful blessing, however there is great danger in losing our spiritual bearings.   The subtle lie of spiritual happiness being attached to our physical well-being blurs our judgment as we all search for peace and contentment.    And so to regain our bearing we must constantly fight our way to get to Jesus and stay in front of him.   At times must rely on friends to get us there but our focus and prayer must be to get to Jesus.  That is all we have to do and just has he gave sight to the blind man who asked to see, clean skin to the leper, and running out of the room, mat in hand and a clean slate to the paralyzed man,  Jesus will reward our faith with an unexpected spiritual healing.        

Father, may we grasp the significance and permanence of your forgiveness.  May we know because of this spiritual healing we have true joy, peace, and happiness no matter our circumstances.   Real joy is in You. We ask for it and we seek it as your children.   Give us friends that will carry us.  May we be friends who will carry others.   In Jesus name.

Scotty Elston  

Shallowater, Texas

Say it Carefully

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. - Romans 13:8

While in Dublin, Ireland we toured St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the resting place of Jonathan Swift – well-known author of Gulliver’s Travels, prolific writer, and popular satirist with a passion for the interrelatedness of politics and religion.  Etched on his tomb was this epitaph:   “He lies where furious indignation can no longer rend his heart.”

I sometimes have bouts of “furious indignation.”   I get so passionate about current political and social paradigms that I feel like a racehorse tied to a plow!  I strain at the bit to be a prophetic voice, but I also have to wonder if my concerns are God’s concerns. 

Jesus told the Pharisees to “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”  (Matt 22:21).   And in Romans 13 Paul admonishes the Christians in Rome to submit to “governing authorities” because they are of God.  (They were also mostly pagans!)  Given these examples, what is our role in current events?

In Walking Between The Times – Paul’s Moral Reasoning (Fortress Press, 1991), author J. Paul Sampley outlines Paul’s perspective regarding eschatology (end times).  He states, “In Paul’s thought world he and his followers stand on the brink of the end.  The structures and patterns of this world, marked by sin’s power, are passing away….Paul’s moral reflections respond only to those issues raised by his congregations, and whatever he engages is viewed only as a stop-gap measure between here and the imminent end of the ages.” 

In other words, Paul expected the end to come during his lifetime or shortly thereafter.  Twenty-first Century politics, the world-wide web, social media, a book called The Bible in multiple translations, instant updates of world events were not in his forecast.  The world remains a mess, and Christians are still trying to live in all the messiness.  We pay our taxes and obey the laws of the land but we also have the freedom to address current moral issues.

Nothing turns me off as quickly as a furiously indignant voice, but I will listen to, learn from, consider and take seriously a voice speaking to me from a heart overflowing with God’s love.   Whether we share Christian perspectives with the masses or with one precious soul at a time, let’s do it prayerfully, kindly, and from an informed heart overflowing with God’s love.              

      

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas

       

Samson's Honeymoon

“Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, ‘You hate me! You don’ really love me.  You’ve given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.’” (Judges 14:16)

A honeymoon is special.  With all the emotions, dreams, hopes and pent-up feelings imaginable, a husband takes his new bride and they begin their new life together – alone.  Thus did the wisdom of God in his Old Testament law make provision:  “If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him.  For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.” (Deuteronomy 24:5.)  For one year – at home – happiness to the wife!

That depends.  Such depends upon the man, upon the woman, and upon their mutual response to each other, within God’s purpose. (Cf. Psalms 127, 128.)  Sadly, such happy, blessed oneness is not always the case.  It certainly was not, in the case of a notable fellow named Samson.

Samson was one of the judges God raised up to help his people, before the days of the kings.  He was the son of godly parents. His sterile mother  was visited by an angel who promised her a son.  ”…the boy is to be a Nazirite,  set apart to God from birth…”(Judges 13:3-5.)  When she had told Manoah, her husband , he “…prayed to the Lord: ‘O Lord …te
ach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born’  God heard Manoah…”.((vs. 8, 9.)

Samson , blessed by God, grew into an amazing physical specimen.  He could be today’s ‘Friday night hero’, the coveted first-round choice by the pros, the Super Bowl MVP interviewed on ESPN’s prime time Sports Center  - or the Olympic Gold Medalist smiling at us from the cereal boxes.  And, as such, he would have the pick of the ladies.

So, he did.  “Samson went down to Timna and saw there  a young Philistine woman.  When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah.;  now get her for me as my wife.”  No “one night hook-up”.  Samson wants the beauty “as my wife”..  He had been taught well, and he listened…somewhat.

But there is more.   A “young Philistine woman”?  A  woman of the very nation determined to destroy  God’s chosen Israelite nation!  His godly parents protested, but Samson was not listening.  “Get her for me. She is the right one for me.”(v. 3.)  So they did.  And he did. 

But what a honeymoon!   She cried nonstop all week.  He gets mad.  His father-in-law comes after his distraught daughter, “and Samson’s wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding”. His “best man!"  We would do well  to choose our friends, and our spouse with godly wisdom.

Then there’s a wife named Delilah…!(16:4ff.)

Such are the stark lessons from the love-life of Samson.  He scored a “10 “as a physical specimen. But he missed the charts in moral judgment, and in respect for the spiritual counsel of his parents. Such contribute to a memorable honeymoon – but not a desirable one! 

Ted Kell

Brownwood, Texas