October 3, 2000
Sophie tells me about an aunt with arthritis in her leg. Eventually, this woman developed leg spasms and could not walk or move about. The spasms became so severe that she was in danger of injuring herself. She had to be in bed with her leg tied down, preventing all movement.
This woman eventually decided this was not the way to live her life. She insisted that her doctor amputate her leg. He did. She is now mobile, of course with the use of a wheel chair.
Not long after talking with Sophie, I read a section of the New Testament where Jesus talked about cutting off offending body parts. He said, “If your right hand causes offense, cut it off and throw it away.”
Of course I thought of Sophie’s aunt. Her leg definitely offended her — so she cut it off. But after reading the context of this verse, I realized Jesus was not expecting a literal amputation. He had something else in mind.
The occasion was His well known Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew, Chapters 5 to 7. The section that contains this verse about offending body parts is Jesus describing God’s intention when He gave His people the Old Testament Law. Jesus wanted His Jewish listeners to understand that their interpretation was off base. They were concerned with outward observance in a literal sense but failed to consider what was going on in their hearts. That is, they thought they were keeping the Law but they really were not.
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
They were startled. They knew adultery is wrong but had no idea that even thinking it was also a violation of God’s Law.
Besides that, Jesus wanted them to know that sin is serious. He continued, “If your right eye causes you to sin (another version says ‘causes offense’), gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
Did He want them to actually cut up their bodies? No, for two reasons. First, self-mutilation cannot cure lust. Lust is a condition of the heart and mind. A blind person can lust.
Second, the Bible forbids that we make cutting marks on ourselves or mutilate ourselves as the heathen did (Deuteronomy 14:1). God’s people are supposed to be set apart from heathen or worldly practices, and be holy and distinct in the way we live.
Instead, Jesus uses this strong illustration to get across that sin is far more serious than our personal comfort. We are to avoid sin even if it means denying ourselves in some other way. That denial is important. When we sin, we sin against God but we also sin against ourselves. God tells us to stop, not because He is being mean or vindictive but because He loves us and He does not want us to harm ourselves or ruin our lives. His commands against sin are like diets for grossly overweight people. Those restrictions are intended to save their lives, not ruin them.
Sophie’s aunt realized that her leg was ruining her life. To her, living life was far more important than keeping her leg, so she willingly had it cut off. Living the life God intends ought to be just as important to us as it was to Sophie’s aunt. However, we cannot do it and keep our sin too. Whatever causes it must be cut off and since we are not able to do this kind of amputation ourselves, God provided Jesus to help us with the surgery.
Showing posts with label genuine remedies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genuine remedies. Show all posts
Monday, January 1, 2018
Friday, October 28, 2016
The new gods .......... Parables 503
February 27, 1996
Whenever the word “idol” is mentioned, different images come to mind. My granddaughter might picture a television or singing star. An older generation might think of rotund little statues or grotesque carved figures mounted on poles. Most of us would never think of a science laboratory.
While reading a book about world views, I came across an interesting definition of “idol.” As background, the author maintains world view is how a person answers four questions: Who am I? (Or who are human beings?) Where am I? (Or what is the nature of our world?) What is wrong? (Or what keeps us from attaining fulfillment?) And finally, what is the remedy? He says whatever we depend on and look to for answers is our response to the last question. In other words, whatever we think will fix wrong in our world becomes our “God” or idol.
On a global scale, answers to those last two questions fall into three major categories. The first says economic chaos is our problem and it can be remedied by money, either by right use or more of it. A second response says we are crippled by archaic methods therefore technology and the right tools will “fix” the world’s mess.
The third answer is that we do not properly understand our world. All we need is careful observation and workable theories that have been tested and proven. Then we will discover what we need to know and use those same scientific methods to resolve our problems.
Science proves itself a mixed blessing. For instance, inventions ease our work load with labor-saving washing machines, power tools and computers, but what happened to the predicted twenty-hour work week? New inventions eat it up with increased production!
Scientific development changed the way we work but also the way we think about God. For instance, faith was once considered a response to God’s revelation. Truth from God was considered ultimate truth and faith accepted it as reasonable and provable. However, certain “experts” found themselves unable to put revelation in a test tube. They demanded reason be divorced from faith. Unfortunately, allowing that separation produces spiritual chaos.
For instance, with science, humans are now “enlightened.” We can split atoms, cure most diseases and launch ourselves into outer space. Scientific theory collects evidence to “prove” man is an evolved ape and the world is a cosmic accident. Some claim whatever is wrong, humanity can fix it. They say we don’t need God and He, even if He existed, is dead.
Observation is a major scientific foundation, yet anyone who has their eyes open can easily see the scientific method falls short. It cannot cure the world’s ills because our human sinfulness interferes. We explore and marvel at the wonders of creation, yet have not found a perfect way to stop ourselves from exploiting and polluting it. More personally, people protect a seal pup’s right to life with the same zeal as their right to destroy their own unborn babies.
Science enables us to gaze in awe at the cosmos and thrust spaceships into it, but cannot guarantee an end to violence and bloodshed. Even in our fiction, people war over ownership of the moon and traffic control on their way to the stars. Science has not stopped hate, fear, poverty or pride. Human beings are still selfish and abusive, hungry and helpless.
Nonetheless, science has merit. Rather than abandon it, we need to put it in its proper place — under the law of God. He commands: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Obeying would keep us from elevating science above Him. Instead, we corrupt it by our sinfulness and make it yet another ailment that needs yet another remedy!
Whenever the word “idol” is mentioned, different images come to mind. My granddaughter might picture a television or singing star. An older generation might think of rotund little statues or grotesque carved figures mounted on poles. Most of us would never think of a science laboratory.
While reading a book about world views, I came across an interesting definition of “idol.” As background, the author maintains world view is how a person answers four questions: Who am I? (Or who are human beings?) Where am I? (Or what is the nature of our world?) What is wrong? (Or what keeps us from attaining fulfillment?) And finally, what is the remedy? He says whatever we depend on and look to for answers is our response to the last question. In other words, whatever we think will fix wrong in our world becomes our “God” or idol.
On a global scale, answers to those last two questions fall into three major categories. The first says economic chaos is our problem and it can be remedied by money, either by right use or more of it. A second response says we are crippled by archaic methods therefore technology and the right tools will “fix” the world’s mess.
The third answer is that we do not properly understand our world. All we need is careful observation and workable theories that have been tested and proven. Then we will discover what we need to know and use those same scientific methods to resolve our problems.
Science proves itself a mixed blessing. For instance, inventions ease our work load with labor-saving washing machines, power tools and computers, but what happened to the predicted twenty-hour work week? New inventions eat it up with increased production!
Scientific development changed the way we work but also the way we think about God. For instance, faith was once considered a response to God’s revelation. Truth from God was considered ultimate truth and faith accepted it as reasonable and provable. However, certain “experts” found themselves unable to put revelation in a test tube. They demanded reason be divorced from faith. Unfortunately, allowing that separation produces spiritual chaos.
For instance, with science, humans are now “enlightened.” We can split atoms, cure most diseases and launch ourselves into outer space. Scientific theory collects evidence to “prove” man is an evolved ape and the world is a cosmic accident. Some claim whatever is wrong, humanity can fix it. They say we don’t need God and He, even if He existed, is dead.
Observation is a major scientific foundation, yet anyone who has their eyes open can easily see the scientific method falls short. It cannot cure the world’s ills because our human sinfulness interferes. We explore and marvel at the wonders of creation, yet have not found a perfect way to stop ourselves from exploiting and polluting it. More personally, people protect a seal pup’s right to life with the same zeal as their right to destroy their own unborn babies.
Science enables us to gaze in awe at the cosmos and thrust spaceships into it, but cannot guarantee an end to violence and bloodshed. Even in our fiction, people war over ownership of the moon and traffic control on their way to the stars. Science has not stopped hate, fear, poverty or pride. Human beings are still selfish and abusive, hungry and helpless.
Nonetheless, science has merit. Rather than abandon it, we need to put it in its proper place — under the law of God. He commands: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Obeying would keep us from elevating science above Him. Instead, we corrupt it by our sinfulness and make it yet another ailment that needs yet another remedy!
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