Samuel Baylis, Director

Do you Belong by Birth or Behavior?

sbaylis — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 14:49:40 +0000

“Be careful not to sound too moralistic.” My highly-critical roommate interrupted my floor-pacing rehearsal of the seminar session scheduled for the next morning. Surprised, I deftly parried his objection in order to get back to my blossoming late-night orations.

For good reason, my Proverbs 27:5 roommate had developed an allergy to behavior-modification tactics employed by the church to create life change among the ranks of the raging hormones club known as the youth-group.

To prove my point that by now surely young people are drowning up to their gills in moralistic lectures, what is the first thing you think of when you think of “youth conference”? What would you expect them to talk about? Probably not the gospel, probably why they should abstain from this or that etc etc.

What you wouldn’t expect to hear is the transforming power of the gospel, or “freedom in Christ”. Sad. But this is exactly what our team was in Cuba to do – deliver a conference on “Freedom in Christ” to university students in the island nation of Cuba.

Do not misunderstand me – we should counsel young people to abstain from those things that can hurt them…but this teaching must be sourced in the power of the Gospel – not teaching the Gospel simply as a way to get into the club of people that are striving to reform themselves, but instead teaching the Gospel as the fuel that runs everything that is good and righteous, especially that good and righteous thing called the family of God.

—-

Concurrently, at the same point in the trip where my own lesson was being tweaked, there was a healthy debate fermenting among the team members on the proper interpretation of First John.

What does 1st John mean when it says that that which is born of God does not sin?

Option A: anyone who is truly saved will also have an observably moral lifestyle
Option B: the believer has been been born again and there is a new life that they possess that literally cannot sin, although in the here and now the believer will continue to sin in their mortal body

I should point out at this point that almost everyone on the trip was aligning themselves with Option A, whereas I was choosing Option B. This was quite troubling to me, since I do not like to be wrong on points regarding my eternal salvation.

The second reason why this was troubling to me is because I am not particularly thrilled with my own practical sinlessness…about every 5 minutes, pride, self glorification, etc etc pops its head up and I act selfishly instead of on behalf of my brother. (how are you doing on this, by the way?) Can you really say with a straight face that you don’t find sin to be a habitual occupant of your daily life?

I know Muslims that probably appear to be more moral people than myself.

Maybe my prideful self centered self isn’t saved. Maybe my brothers and sisters at church who are involved in addictions to immoral behavior aren’t saved either. Maybe my friends who once were walking with the Lord and are now living it up with the world are not saved.

Here are the flagship verses for Option A and Option B:

Option A: And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments (1st John 2:3)
Option B: Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life (1st John 5:12)

Now – what is the reconciliation between those two verses?

“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” (1st John 3:23)

The question of the book of 1st John isn’t whether certain people in the church that claim Jesus are saved or not – the question is between the teaching of the apostles (Jesus is the only way to the Father) and the false teachers (you don’t need Jesus to get to the Father).

We keep the commandments because we have placed all of our trust in Jesus Christ the Righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins. He kept all the commandments perfectly – when we are in Him, we also keep the commands perfectly 100% by imputation.

The false teachers claimed that “we have not sinned”, and therefore, they think they are the keepers of the commandments of God while they are denying Jesus himself and treating Christians with sneering disregard (see 1st John 3:17 and 3rd John 10).

——

We had a great conference. It was so refreshing to explain to the students how they could live lives that are pleasing to God by walking in the power of the Gospel. It was so refreshing to be able to proclaim the truth that, in Jesus, we are fully reconciled to the Father through Jesus’ blood, apart from our own cleanliness (which isn’t very clean apart from Jesus).

At the conclusion of the conference, we had a “celebration” service. Now, I can tell you that every human being should experience something like this at some point. It was here that I finally saw the fundamental interpretation of 1st John come to life!

Take a room full of people reconciled to God apart from their performance, who have been given full access to God spiritually – they have been made to be partakers of the divine nature – let them sing and clap for two hours….and watch the joy that fills the room. The joy just kept swelling and swelling and swelling. A heart can only experience so much of this!

Finally, just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the final music group walked in from the side door carrying an assortment of instruments including a trumpet…I lean over to my Proverbs 27:5 roommate and tell him, “This is going to be good”.

On the downbeat of their song, a mighty surge of energy rushed through the room and we all started laughing and clapping…suddenly one the men singing up front started jumping up and down…soon, I turned at saw my Proverbs 27:5 roommate jumping up and and down…then it broke – even the most staid gentleman among us started jumping up and down and laughing for joy in spite of himself.

When the service was over, people were hugging and crying and lingering around the church grounds, not wanting to leave the presence of the church – the Bride that has been washed in the blood of Jesus. It’s a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Now, the idolatrous antagonist of the book of John would have walked in there and said “you can’t do this, you all are worthless sinners…that young man in the 2nd row struggles with lust…they don’t observe the festivals…they don’t pray 5 times a day…that guy over there struggles to hold a job…that girl over there has a past…that guy in the back can’t even get out of bed on time to come to church most Sundays…these people surely can’t be reconciled with God!”

Tut tut I would say…they are reconciled to God – actually, they are perfect. They have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. They have been born again, and it is not yet seen what they will be. Yes they are rough around the edges, but do you see how they love each other? They are in the Family of God and no one can ever remove them – not even the power of the evil one – he can’t touch their new lives which have been born again in complete holiness.

We weren’t gathered together in that room to sing about our moral excellence – we were gathered together in that room to praise our Savior – our elder brother – our redeemer – the Lion of Judah – the Root of David…the one who has conquered – the one in whom we conquer. Because we are born of Him, we love everyone else who has been born of Him.

Brothers and sisters – walk in the forgiveness of Jesus tonight – let his blood cover you, and enter boldly into the throne room where you can find grace to help in time of need. Live in the love and the presence of God. Before long, you won’t recognize yourself because God’s love will flow from your inner being and you will start practically keeping the righteousness of God without even knowing it. The only way to actually keep the commandments is to admit you are unable to keep them and then stand in the righteousness of Jesus. You have to stand before you can walk my friend. And you cannot stand before God apart from Jesus. We stand totally upon grace, and once we stand, we walk totally in the power of grace. We do not hide in the bushes to flee God’s punishment, but instead we walk with God in the cool of the day and bask in his undeserved and transformative presence.

I will never forget that night – I will never forget how we all stood there in perfect unity – not because we are all perfect in ourselves, but because we are all perfect in Jesus, and the evil one cannot touch us. In one fell swoop we fulfilled the requirements of God – we were confessing Jesus Christ and we were loving each other with a warmth that the world can’t know.

Now if you are still tempted to say that this sort of freedom talk is dangerous to teach to young people, let me tell you that that same group of kids went out from the church that night went to the town square of Guantanamo where all manner of ungodly music was blasting and thumping and they….

What did they do?

They shared the good news of Jesus with people in the town square…that’s what they did.

For more information, see Dr. Baylis’ 1st John commentary under “1st John” in the “Commentary” section of this website.

When the Orchestra Went Silent

sbaylis — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 14:37:12 +0000

Nothing compares to the ability of an orchestra to display the majesty and the power of God; for, the collection of the sounds of the orchestra is a complete palette of all of the sounds that God created and placed into our diverse world. We have stringed instruments, instruments made with pipes, instruments made with reeds, instruments made with brass, and of course, the percussion instruments. With this collection, it is possible to reproduce nearly all (if not all) of the sounds in our natural world….elephants, birds, horses, thunder, lightning, rushing streams, rain…the sound of a ram’s horn calling troops to battle. For this reason, the orchestra is relied upon heavily in cinema to translate the broad ranges of the human emotion from a picture on a screen into the very depths of our hearts. Our humanity soars with the emotions of the screenplay, creating an unforgettable experience that often goes with us for the rest of our lives.

A well crafted orchestral piece is a story – the composers take the audience through sidestreets, cut-throughs, tensions, chaos, laughter, gut-wrenching sadness, until the percussionists rise from their chairs and the composers finally lead the audience into the main C-major thoroughfare with throaty brass fanfare, thunderous chorale, and soaring strings. When the piece is over, the audience stands to their feet in deafening applause with tears running down their faces. Why? Because we are made in the image of the God who created music, who created story – who created these sounds in our rich world.

The Biblical Story is the grand narrative of creation. The conductor is leading us on a journey to end all journeys – as Dr. Baylis says, we need to step into the broad stream of this story – we need take our correct place and play our correct part.

When teaching through Revelation recently, I was caught by Chapter 8 verse 1…

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour…
Revelation 8:1 (ESV)

The orchestra has stopped. The conductor is silent. What is happening?

Dr. Baylis notes that silence throughout the Old Testament highlights the awesome fearfulness of God when he rises to act in righteousness on the earth. This is in keeping with Zechariah when he says

“Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling…”
Zechariah 2:13 (ESV)

By the time we reach the seventh seal in Revelation, the church has been raptured, Israel has turned back to God, 144,000 Jews have been sealed, and history is now waiting for God to repossess the earth and fulfill the ancient promise to Abraham. The Sun’s light has been blackened and the Son of God appears in glory in the sky…the commanders and the generals of the earth cry out to be hidden from the impending wrath of the Lamb that is the Lion of Judah, from the root of David. Heaven goes silent for the space of half an hour. Angels are given trumpets.

Another angel steps forward containing a censer of all the saint’s prayers through the ages for justice – he goes to the fire on the altar and ignites the contents; he raises his arm and hurls the censer to the earth causing “peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake”, breaking the silence and beginning the judgment of an almighty God upon an earth that is under the control of wicked and ungodly men and the principalities of darkness in the heavenly places.

What we experience in the symphony hall today is only a mere shadow of what we will experience when the ἀρχη (ruler, source, beginning) of creation mounts the stage and the orchestra waits in silence to begin the final movement of history. I cannot imagine the thunderous applause and shouting that will take place when the Lamb has conquered, when we have conquered, not by our own righteousness, but by “the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony and did not love our lives to death”, the earth rests in perfect peace and harmony, and all the redeemed will sing “for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth”.

Even so, come Lord Jesus…I cannot WAIT for this grand refrain!! When the journey to end all journeys is over, we will have truly then only just begun to live.

O the King is coming,
The King is coming!
I just heard the trumpets sounding,
And now His face I see;
O the King is coming,
The King is coming!
Praise God, He’s coming for me!

“The King is Coming” by Bill Gaither

Faith – the Beauty in History

sbaylis — Wed, 27 May 2015 21:23:50 +0000

The book of Lamentations starts with these words…“How lonely sits the city that was full of people…”

There is something deeply affecting about walking the empty streets of an abandoned town that was once full of children laughing, lovers wooing, and friendships sharing. It is as if I can almost hear the faint echoes of what once happened in those streets and crevices formed by ancient brickwork. To walk the streets of Jerusalem where my Savior walked, to walk the streets of Ephesus where the beloved apostles taught and labored, to watch the gentle waves roll into the shore of the sea of Galilee where Peter the fisherman once worked his nets, to gaze out over the hills of Bethlehem and Judea where Shepherds watched their flocks by night, to stand at Shiloh in the soft dirt that supported the tabernacle where the glory of the God of Israel once dwelt.

To pass by an old church building and experience the memories that live within those walls, memories of a life that was changed, memories of the people of God whose burning hearts once sung there at the top of their lungs to the only One worthy of praise. To let my fingers run over the tired keys of an old piano that once majestically led the throngs in praise to the Creator of the universe, its familiar timbre transporting me back to my own boyhood when the LORD captured my heart.

Buildings change, people come and go, cities are raised up and torn down, but the

“…steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
(Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV)

We have a natural tendency to move our affections toward God’s provisions in buildings and friends and take our eyes off of the very presence of the LORD himself, who, as Jeremiah said is “my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him” (Lamentations 3:24, ESV). While we love the provisions that the LORD provides us with for a time, we cannot mistake those provisions for His very presence. For, when those gracious provisions are removed from us, we will be devastated and perhaps even be upset with the LORD.

Time moves along like the current of a rushing stream. In the currents of time, you and I will experience joys, heartbreaks, discipline, and even agony like we’ve never experienced before. But, just as an athlete thrives on the pain of the activity and the pushing of the body beyond its capabilities, so we too must engage in the battle with our full palette of wonderful and painful emotions, knowing by faith that the LORD holds us within his powerful hand regardless of how we might feel.

For this reason, Jeremiah writes:

“the LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him…it is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust…there may yet be hope…let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults.” (Lamentations 3:25-30, ESV)

The book of Lamentations is about the holy city who bore the discipline of God toward His people.

“Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the LORD.” (Lamentations 2:9, ESV)

One day, the sins of the people would be atoned for by God’s only Son who would bear the wrath for the people of God, and would certainly “give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults” and “sit alone in silence when [the yoke] is laid on him” and “put his mouth in the dust”.

This day, we are called to take up our crosses and follow Jesus on the trail of suffering and resurrection from the dead and enter into that which no eye has seen and no ear has heard. We must bear the yoke in our youth in silence and wait for the salvation of our God.

Is this all too gloomy? Not for me! For we will find that from our deepest, most devastating emotions, the door of hope will emerge more brightly and more beautiful than before (see Hosea 2:15). This is the promise, that our mourning will turn into dancing and our sackcloth will turn to a raiment of joy (see Psalm 30:11).

In visiting the tomb of Abraham and Sarah, my heart broke in joy. My heart broke in joy because I remembered the victorious walk of faith of my ancient forefather that preserved him through uncertainty, doubt and fear. I thought about how he had buried his wife here, and I thought about how Isaac and Ishmael had buried him here. Then I thought about the bones of Jacob lying nearby with those of his wife Leah; though not beautiful in appearance, she was the great matriarch of the Savior of the world. I have been given a beautiful heritage.

Today I read about and remember that lonely city of Jerusalem after it had been violated by a pagan king, Nebuchadnezzar. There is a joy that springs forth, because I know the end of the story…I can fully feel the depth of those emotions without fear.

Similarly, all of us in Christ Jesus know the end of all our stories…let us then walk by faith through whatever good or bad emotions the LORD sovereignly brings our way, knowing that when we walk through them in faith, they will ultimately be refined into something full and joyful. This is the Biblical Story. This is the way of the LORD.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
(James 1:12, ESV)

For, one day, someone who hates the LORD Jesus might place our heads on executioner’s blocks…it will be at that place that we will enter into the joy of our Savior and will begin to truly live as never before. Because of our faith, that place will become a hallowed door of life. Someday, someone might read and remember our stories of faith, and feel the emotions of joy when they visit that haunted place so horrible in the world’s sight. Faith in Jesus redeems everything it touches.

“…who through faith….some were tortured…they were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword…”
(from Hebrews 11:33-37, ESV)

Every day not only do we remember the history of the past, but we are forging new memories. In walking by faith, by faith we transform past history, and by faith, the memories that we are making today will bloom into a beautiful garden of flowers tended by the LORD of that place himself.

“…I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”
(Psalm 73:28, ESV)

Perhaps someday I will have a grandson on my knee and I will tell him about what the LORD has done in all of us by faith. In order for us to be able to tell of the LORD’s works someday, we must walk this day and the next day by faith, rather than in our own sight, strength, and contrivances.

May the memory of our days be a testimony that faith is indeed the victory that overcomes the world!

I need Thee, oh I need Thee,
every hour I need Thee;
Oh bless me now my Savior,
I come to Thee.

Peter, Me, Eleanor, a Cuban Pastor, a Seminary Professor, and the Amazing Grace of God

sbaylis — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 19:39:10 +0000

I think about Peter, a loud and probably burly fisherman on the Sea of Galilee who had his fishing boat boarded by Jesus of Nazareth. Peter hadn’t caught a fish all night – and this was his livelihood. Jesus told Peter to cast his nets on the other side of the boat – Peter did, and he pulled in so much that his nets were breaking.

Peter’s response was that he fell down and worshipped – He said, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord”.

Have you been to Peter’s grave in Rome? It is a massive cathedral to which thousands of people come to visit – perhaps if they are lucky they can be taken into an underground cavern to see one of his finger bones in his 1st century resting place.

Far greater than this man made construction (which was built – by the way – through some very wicked schemes), Revelation tells us that the new Jerusalem (being constructed in heaven) has walls – and the walls of this city have 12 foundations, and on the foundations are inscribed the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. One of those names is that of Peter, the fisherman.

Truly, the grace of God is something amazing. The power of God that can take an ordinary untaught fisherman and make him one of the very foundation stones of the New Jerusalem is mind blowing.

Jesus is calling each one of us into not a performance relationship, but a loving grace relationship that has the power to transform us in the inner self.

I have a professor this semester that noted how he realized one day that he did not understand the grace of God (while he was a seminary professor, by the way). So, he meditated upon this grace for days…he was so overcome by this grace that he sat one day in chapel weeping. A student came and put his arm around him and said “we’re praying for you brother”. To this the professor responded, “Oh no, I am weeping for joy!”.

I was visiting with a Cuban pastor at his home in Holguin, Cuba. He said that he always used to see his dad crying when he read his Bible. As a boy, he said he never understood this. Now as a man who has experienced the grace of God, he said “I understand it now”.

I was reading Revelation at an assisted living facility – an older woman named Eleanor was sitting there; she always cries whenever we sing or read about Jesus. One time she said “I just love Him so much”. I read from Revelation 21; it says “and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” It almost made me cry myself.

“To him who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…To the one who conquers…I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17)

Who is the one who conquers? 1st John 5:5 (ESV) tells us – “Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Have you ever had a nickname? We like nicknames because someone gave us that name because it spoke personally to what we meant to that person or group of people. If it is a good name, it makes us feel loved – understood.

I wonder what my new name will be? I’m sure that it will describe exactly who God created me to be in the first place – I will no longer be the one that you see scarred and bruised by sin, but I will be transformed in complete holiness as one who is pure enough to dwell in the very dwelling place of God.

Only by the blood of the Lamb! To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.

The Work that God has Done

sbaylis — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 19:37:09 +0000

“When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night), and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, “I know”, he cannot discover.”
-King Solomon (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)

How great is our God, and how unsearchable are his ways? We will spend eternity discovering the depths of the everlasting path of the I AM.

Last evening, I saw the sun going down over the vast expanse of the ocean while piloting a small Piper Cherokee aircraft; I was 3500 feet over the Suwannee river cutting its way through the Florida wilderness on its inevitable path to the sea…

Indeed the marvel of creation testifies of a being so powerful, so wise, so loving, so mysterious, so infinite in every way.

God has indeed done a work on the face of the earth…in the fullness of time he brought forth His own Son, born of a virgin girl, in the city of David…a small town in the Judean hills. In this Son dwelt the fullness of the infinite God. Through this Son’s death, he reconciled all of creation to himself…though we do not yet see all things reconciled to himself, we do see Jesus who has been exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high.

We will spend eternity understanding the depths of the work of God, but for now, God has given us one simple instruction….believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
(John 6:40)

*all scripture references are taken from the New American Standard Version (NASB)

The Sermon on a Level Place – Luke 6

sbaylis — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:28:15 +0000

This blog is about the major sermon in Luke found in chapter 6. As my goal for this writing is to assist the reader in understanding the thrust of Jesus’ sermon, I will not refer often to the text. After reading this blog, I hope that when you open your Bible, the truth of the text will become obvious.

Our daily passage through life route us by a wide variety of individuals –

-the poor beggar on the street
-the aristocratic lady of leisure at the club
-the alcoholic with bloodshot eyes
-the insolent man in handcuffs by the side of the road (which we pass by so quickly,his long troubled life seems but a flash to us – a blur out our window)
-the backsliding pastor striving to perfect his righteous front
-the unchallenged great-man at the gym
-the passive-agressive backstabbing coworker
-the unkempt college professor mocking God and loosing old-school moral chains
-the pickpocket who took your lunch money
-the friendly salesman who knows all of the people skills-tips-tricks but curses his wife and children at home
-the hippie beating his drum on the beach in frustrated attempt to call back a bygone era
-the self-help expert on television giving people yet another key to success
-the nice waitress who laughs at her customers behind their back
-the off-duty policeman speeding down the road with license and a smirk to go with it

Oh, and let’s not forget the millions of just really “good” people with empty souls encased with fears – then again, maybe they’re not good after all, just hopelessly codependent.

Yep, we’re all here on this planet called Earth – a planet treaded on daily by murderers drunk on human blood, despots, poor frail regretful elderly, orphans, businessmen. Oh, and the occasional mushroom cloud signifying the pulverization of some unfortunate nation by another.

In the words of Shakespeare from Macbeth, the lives of millions are full of sound and fury, and they signify nothing. Empty. Gone.

….their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names….like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd….Psalm 49 (ESV)

The apostle Paul says this about the human condition apart from God –

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions, and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
(Titus 3:3, ESV)

But we’re not ALL like that are we? Are we?? Think about it; if you don’t see the wretchedness of your own heart, ask God to show you the places in your heart that are dark, cold, desperately jealous, and even hateful. Look at yourself from the perspective of a God whose character is perfect.

What does it mean to have perfect character? Jesus tells us in Luke 6:35-36 (ESV)

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

How kind is God to the ungrateful and the evil? And, WHO, are the ungrateful and the evil??

Let me tell you, its me, its you. I have been ungrateful to my own father and mother (whom I can see) who gave me life – do you think its possible that maybe I’m ungrateful to the One (whom I cannot see) who gives me each breath to breathe and created the things that I use for my own benefits at the expense of His purposes?

And how kind is God? Not only is he continually supplying those who hate him passionately with more breathing time, once upon a time, He gave it all – everything – His very life while enduring the shame and twisted emotion of torture at the hands of fellow humans (that he created); all the while, he is supplying them with more breaths to facilitate their cruel objective. Unbelievable.

Do you feel poor, lacking, and empty yet in the light of God’s beauty? If you do, hold on to that feeling.

Why? In the same chapter of Luke (Luke 6, ESV), Jesus says the following:

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

In the previous chapter, Jesus characterized Israel’s religious leaders (more specifically, Pharisees) as old wineskins that found their consolation in the law of sin and death – they gloried in the standards and felt themselves to be righteous.

So, if somehow in your twisted perceptions you surmise that the woeful world that I described earlier in this blog is somehow fulfilling and sufficient for your happiness, watch out. You are disqualifying yourself for something much greater. If somehow you are satisfied with your own level of goodness and believe it is sufficient to please God, watch out. You have the heart of a Pharisee and God will not make up the deficit for you, since you haven’t asked for Him to.

For better or for worse, mainstream medical practice has become largely the application of the correct drug for the malady at hand. Jesus identified himself as a doctor for the sick in chapter 5. What is the problem with mankind that Jesus is diagnosing and what is the medication that he is proposing?

He blesses those who are unrighteous and seems to be condemns the “righteous”. Its almost that those that are poor and sinners are better off than the spiritual elite. Why? Its because the “righteous” have a wrong perception of themselves – they aren’t really righteous (because they fall short of the standard of God’s character), they just think they are. They have a log in their eye that they don’t know is there, making them worse off them the unrighteous that they condemn.

There are only two categories in Luke – sinners and Jesus. Are tax collectors sinners? Yes. Do they think they are? Yes. Are pharisees sinners? Yes. Do they think they are? No. This is pretty easy material – the main line of discrimination between sinners in Luke is those who recognize their condition and those that don’t.

Jesus sees that the problem with mankind is sin and the solution is God’s vast stores mercy availed for us only through Jesus’ death on the cross.

Here’s the example. Let’s say that I’m organizing an afternoon of prison ministry….I have a burning passion to help those who are incarcerated on death row for committing some heinous crime. After sending around a signup sheet, Paul Pharisee has set his name down.

So I go with Paul Pharisee to death row. The first prisoner we encounter has a far away look in his eye as he tells us about his dear wife he murdered in a drunken stupor.

“She always went to church and took my dear children – she loved God, I am a hopelessly godless man.”

Being a good leader, I decide to let Paul Pharisee handle this one. To my consternation, he begins to berate the man for not going to church all of those times and exhorts him to face eternity in hell knowing he is getting well what he deserves.

I ask you – who is closer to spending an eternity in heaven? The condemned man, or Paul Pharisee? A self-righteous person has nothing of the mercy of God to offer such a man. Suddenly the meaning of this Proverb becomes evident:

“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him!”
(Proverbs 26:12, ESV)

I turn to the poor fool in prison, open my treasure box given to me by my heavenly Father, and I begin to tell him the old old story of Jesus and his love. As tears stream down the man’s face, something like hope bursts across his weathered countenance.

Paul Pharisee is beginning to look angrier and angrier – “God cannot be like this – he is a just God and this man deserves eternal condemnation.” He’s right, but he forgot one thing – God has paid for this man, and Paul Pharisee truly deserves the same judgement that he just prescribed – the only difference is that he will not take hold of that expensive mercy offered freely to all men.

From that day on, that condemned man became a lighthouse in that prison – prisoners visited him regularly and implored him to pray for them – he shared his food with them while opening his box of new found treasure and with his own loosed tongue sharing a mercy that is beyond the understanding of this universe.

“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence…”
(Proverbs 10:11, ESV)

Though the Pharisee probably received many accolades in this life (and he was honored with a well attended funeral), death was his sure shepherd, while the old fool in prison was escorted from a lonely execution chamber to his eternal home by a heavenly detail where he was welcomed by his wife and his dear children in a joyous reunion.

The man in prison in our story built his house on that what was true – the unshifting character of God (righteousness imputed to him); the Pharisee builds his life on the shifting sand of human perceptions and affirmations.

“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous will stand firm forever.”
(Proverbs 10:25, ESV)

Build your daily deeds on a correct perception of God’s unfathomably merciful character and a correct perception of your character. If you do, you will think twice before passing on condemnation from your own “righteousness”, and you will be a wellspring of hope for fellow hungry souls around you.

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

BUT when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.”

(Titus 3:3-8, ESV)

QUESTION: In reference to “the list” of various people that we pass by on a daily basis, what is the difference between us and them? There are only two categories,

1. those who recognize their need for mercy from God (and therefore freely give it and are given more) and
2. those who do not recognize their need for mercy from God (and therefore withhold it and are given nothing beyond themselves).

Which category are you?

The Celebration at Levi’s House – Luke 5

sbaylis — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:20:13 +0000

On the topic of the feast at Levi’s house (found in Luke 5) – this is a big celebration in every way – Luke makes a point of noting that the feast was “great” and that a “large company” of tax collectors and others were reclining at the table with Jesus.

Meanwhile the Pharisees (along with their scribes, who are undoubtedly taking notes furiously) are mumbling and grumbling on the periphery, clearly not in the “in-crowd”.

The “out-crowd” puts forth their first question, not directed to Jesus (naturally), but to his disciples:

“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

This could strike us a bit funny, since we just found out in the same chapter that at least two of Jesus’ disciples were a) a tax collector (Levi) and b) a self-admitted sinner (Peter).

Jesus takes up (on behalf of the disciples) the answering of this inquiry and responds that “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick”. Given the fact that it would seem that at this party the sick people were having all the fun, I think I would have signed up for the “sick crowd” at this juncture.

This is no surprise, given that in Luke 4 Jesus had said that his mission was to proclaim good news to the poor and to proclaim liberty to the captives from Isaiah 61. Isaiah 61 proclaims the God who is going to turn ashes into beauty and bind the brokenhearted and give a robe of righteousness and garments of salvation…the Year of the Lord’s favor – the release of debtors. Therefore, the qualification for getting healed was to be sick. Maintaining a press release of being well when you are really sick guarantees that you will continue to be sick.(Proverbs 28:13 comes to mind…he who conceals his transgression will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes will obtain mercy).

Following this, another question is asked; this time, it is asked directly to Jesus, but is aimed at his disciples.

“The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink!”

Jesus’ response is that the wedding guests cannot fast/mourn while the bridegroom is present. This implies three things

1. The Pharisees were not the salvation of Israel (that is, the bridegroom). This could explain the mourning of their disciples? The mourning of the Pharisee’s disciples was an outward show of righteousness and piety. This is worthless, self-righteousness showmanship.

2. John the Baptist was not the salvation of Israel (that is, the bridegroom) either. This logically explains why his disciples were mourning….John the Baptist being the representation of the Old Testament…his disciples were, just as the Old Testament does, anticipating the coming of the Messiah (Jesus). This is wonderful, beautiful, and correct anticipation expressed by fasting and prayer.

3. Jesus was the long-anticipated salvation of Israel (bridegroom)! Isaiah 61 proclaims that the Messiah will comfort all who mourn. Since Jesus truly is the Messiah, it is only fitting that he would transform the fasting and prayer of John’s disciples in to celebratory eating and drinking. The arrival of Jesus is indeed then cause for great rejoicing, particularly amongst those who are poor, captive, sick, and caught in the throws of unrighteousness; they are the ones who turn to the child of Bethlehem for complete and undeserved salvation – the sunrise from on high – to give light to those who sit in darkness and the forgiveness of their sins (see Luke Chapter 1). Jesus is the glorious bridegroom that redeems his bride and causes Jerusalem’s righteousness to go forth as brightness and her salvation as a burning torch (Isaiah 62).

…and a redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression… (Isaiah 59)

The true colors of the house guests are coming into focus. At Levi’s feast, you have

a) the Pharisees who are grumbling and not at all feeling festive. They believe that their self-righteous deeds of the law and pious behavior puts them in a right relationship with God. (Proverbs 30:12 There are those that are clean in their own eyes, but are not washed from their filth…)

b) the celebratory sinners and tax collectors who are overjoyed that the mercy of God has appeared and they are now in a right relationship with God. In fact, they are sitting with God [Jesus] himself at this party.

Jesus further embellishes this contrast by telling three parables; a story about old/new garments, a story about putting new wine in new wineskins, and then about a man who drinks old wine and has no need for new.

The first story talks about “destroying the new and marring the old”. The second story talks about “destroying the old and marring the new”. The third talks about the rejection of the new.

OLD GARMENTS AND NEW GARMENTS

First, on the topic of destroying the new and marring the old. This would be making Jesus’ disciples fast or causing John’s disciples to celebrate.

Jesus explains that “no one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.”

This allusion is understandable in our present vernacular and daily experience. It would be an ill-conceived move to rip up my new jeans in order to patch up my old favorites.

Because

a) the new jeans would be ruined

b) the old jeans would look discontinuous bearing a patch of new jeans…in fact, it wouldn’t even make the old jeans look new.

Ideally, one should use old jeans to complement old jeans and not spoil new ones. Similarly, one should not expect the disciples of the Messiah to mourn as those who anticipate the Messiah do. John’s disciples are fulfilling their role as the picture of the Old Covenant.

Interesting enough too, is that, at this period of time, the old and the new were co-existing together on the landscape of Israel. Jesus, the fulfillment of salvation was walking the earth, but it was not yet “finished”, the atonement for sins had not been made, the demands of the Mosaic Law had not been satisfied. For this reason, John’s disciples and Jesus’ disciples interactions are meaning-rich.

The new covering of the new covenant is what is being celebrated here at Levi’s feast…and they are finding nothing fast-worthy about the fullness of the mercy of God being fully realized. Otherwise, why would Isaiah 61 say that a faint spirit is exchanged for a “garment of praise?”

The Old Testament was majestic in its revelation of the glorious character of God, but offered little release – and little covering – for sinful humanity….this caused a disposition toward mourning….God said he would exchange mourning for the oil of gladness. This is why Simeon referred to Jesus as the “consolation of Israel”. Therefore it would seem that the covering of the OT would be one of mourning (sack-cloth/ashes)- one who was not mourning, or considering an outward mourning as a sign of righteousness would be finding false life/justification in the law, not honestly seeing their depravity (cf. Isaiah 65:2-5).

So what is Jesus saying? He is saying that the mode of operation for the old and for the new are incompatible; would you play funeral music at a baby shower? Once the garment of praise and the oil of gladness come in, there is no need to realize the law of sin and death, leading to mourning. Jesus’ disciples are a picture of those who are clothed with the garment of praise, whereas John’s disciples are a picture of the faint spirit produced by the ache of an unfulfilled hunger to be whole.

The idea that one day Jesus’ disciples would fast is a foreshadowing that the celebration is only a partial one, to be fulfilled ultimately at the marriage supper of the Lamb (cf. Revelation 19:6-9), when they will rejoice, forever. How blessed are all those that are invited to this feast!

NEW WINE AND OLD WINESKINS

Not stopping for the questioners’ response, Jesus continues with his illustrations – “..and no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But…new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.”

If the old/new garment illustration was applied toward the disciples of John, then the wineskins are applied to the Pharisees. The choice of wine is interesting, since John the Baptist was a Nazarite, and could not drink wine – for this reason, it is unlikely that the conduct of his disciples that is being illustrated here.

Old Wineskin = “heart of stone” man, trusts in works of the law (cf. Ezekiel 36:26)

New Wineskin = “heart of flesh” man, needs Savior (cf. Isaiah 45:22-25)

Again, the Mosaic law was hard – so hard in fact that it couldn’t be achieved by a fallen humanity…have you found it possible to love your neighbor as yourself? Or maybe to love God with all of your heart and mind and soul and strength?

For hundreds of years, the Jews had been laboring unsuccessfully to meet God’s standards…in fact they failed miserably – documented graphically in the pages of the Old Testament. Nonetheless, this life of meeting standards was what the Pharisees gloried in. Their hearts were stony cold and their consciences were insensitive to their own depraved natures. They were professionals at making a show out of their apparent conformance to the law on the outside.

Now at the party, they are disappointed because they were not at all valued at this gathering (thus the use of the word “grumbled”) ….they were in the “out-crowd” when the “in-crowd” was made up of people that didn’t even externally meet the requirements of the law. No one was acknowledging the fact of their moral superiority.

Remember Simeon, in Chapter 1? Simeon was promised that he would not taste death until his eyes saw the “consolation of Israel”. When Simeon walked into the temple to behold the beautiful face of the hope of all the earth, he took the baby in his arms and said “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Did Simeon, the tax collectors, and the sinners have room for a redeemer in their value system? Yes.

Did the Pharisees have room for a redeemer in their value system? No.

Do you have room for a redeemer, or are you “all right”?

The old system of the law was incomplete and inadequate to save a sinful people. The Pharisees, however, found comfort, purpose, and self-affirmation in that system.

REJECTION OF THE NEW WINE

For this reason, Jesus ends this drama with a negative statement:

“…And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, “The old is good”.

This preference of the old wine reminds me of those in Proverbs chapter 1 that “did not choose the fear of the Lord”? The sentence for this devastating choice is “…they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.”

Because the Pharisee gloried in the law, they effectively drunk the wine, and will now be judged on that basis (they will have their fill) – instead of the law of mercy as would the sinners and the tax collectors, who are empty now, but will soon be full. Why should the self-righteous accept the law of mercy if their identity is that they don’t need any mercy?

They are those that Jesus spoke about in his later sermon in Luke 6…”Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry….”

CONCLUSION

Luke is not done with this narrative. In Luke’s book, “Acts of the Apostles”, which is literarily a continuation of the book of Luke, he records the day of Pentecost.

As Peter, who has recently received the gift of the Holy Spirit, is teaching in Jerusalem, the crowd is amazed that they can hear the gospel in their own language. Not all were amazed though; Luke records that while some were amazed, others mocked. In the midst of their mocking they proclaimed their assessment of the situation, saying “they are filled with new wine”.

What shall we say? It is only a heart, that is, a heart of flesh, that longs after the mercy of God that can receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and it is in being empty of our own “qualifications” that we can be filled upon our acceptance of God’s unfailing love.

It’s only because Jesus was broken and spilled out at the hands of prideful mankind, that we, sinners, can sit at God’s feast table and be invited to the marriage supper of that Lamb, and our cup will surely then overflow in a most complete way.

*scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version