Words Of Christ Devotions

[nChrist]

June 16

The Advantages of Hypocrisy

Luk_12:1-3

It must be admitted that hypocrisy is possessed of some redoubtable advantages.  If it were not, who would attempt it?  So let us take the matter from the other side and see what might be gained from it.

The world's opinion

There is not much sense in being a hypocrite if you can't earn the high praise of men.  The minister, the elders and deacons know your name, nod and smile as you come into the sanctuary of God.  You smile as you are held up (with blushing modesty, no doubt) as an example.  Of course, there is a winking secrecy to this.  You never know whether under that smile the minister might just have his suspicions.  That's the trouble with hypocrisy:  it makes an evil man afraid of having his evil disclosed—there might be a good man around to hear of it.

Worse yet, it causes a good man to conceal his righteousness for fear that the hypocrite might get wind of it.  Then the good man's generosity will become profligate spending;  his mercy a lack of sense.

Armored against the sermon

Preachers, as a rule, have an opinion about sin.  They're against it, by and large.  This doesn't bother the hypocrite;  in fact he rather enjoys it.  He usually knows someone against whom the sermon should be directed.  You can't be a hypocrite without learning to be severe with others while you're lenient with yourself.  As Spurgeon once put it, "The sun of the Gospel which melts wax hardens the clay of your heart."

Good for business

While it's not really the first thing, you must admit that having that little fish on your business card does tell people what an honest businessman you are.  And as long as Monday doesn't get back around to Sunday, that fish will do its work.

The cure of hypocrisy

The cure?  It's to remember that God sees—and proclaims aloud.  The word used for "concealed" here is an odd one in the Greek;  it means to completely cover up.  It doesn't matter if you wrap your Monday character completely in silk, the naked truth is still before God.  He makes it clear that the time is coming when it will be clearly known.  It will be shouted from the rooftops in God's good time—which may be sooner than you think.

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 17

Whom to Fear

Luk_12:4-9

The modern American Christian is, in general, a chicken-livered soul.

We are afraid of every minor authority on the planet.  How far different we are from our forebears!  Athanasius, writing in the early 4th century (a longer time from Christ than we are from George Washington) could point out as common knowledge how casually, how calmly Christians went to their deaths—and those were no easy deaths in hospital, but horrible deaths by torture.  Not just some Christians;  millions of Christians who died in the reign of Diocletian.  He used this "present fact", as he called it, as a proof of the Resurrection of Christ.   Who would go to such a death so calmly if there were no resurrection?

Why?  Because we no longer believe in the providence of God.  We do not have faith that He will provide for us.  We're worried that we'll "get in trouble," and that God has no power to get us out.

Permit me to enlighten you as to two things:

If you are a sincere Christian, you should have been in trouble by now.  Persecution by the world is a sign of your faith, not a sign of lack of intelligence.

God makes it very clear—especially in this passage—that not only can he provide, he will provide.  He also makes it clear that he considers the task rather trivial.

Trivial?  Indeed.  The God who looks after the sparrows, knowing their every heartbeat, can certainly care for you.  The question comes down to whether or not he has any reason to do so.

How would he know that you are casting your cares, your very life, upon his care?  By the way you acknowledge him, in word and deed.  Are you careful to conceal the fact that you are a Christian?  Then he won't notice it either.

Isn't the problem one of fear?  We are afraid—of what the police might do, what the boss might say, what the neighbors think.  But we are not afraid of God—and we should be.  Look at it from the extreme point of view:  what can the authorities do to you?  They can throw you in prison for life or even execute you.  And then?  Nothing.  God can send you to hell itself.

The Royal Navy used to have as its motto the phrase, "Fear God, Dread Naught."  Fear Him, and have nothing else to fear.  He will care for you;  even if you must perish for him.

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 18

The Unforgivable Sin

Luk_12:10

One of the enduring mysteries for Christians is the "unforgivable sin."  To some, it is a land mine.  They tiptoe around, not knowing where it might be planted, but knowing that stepping on it is eternally fatal.

The clue to the real answer is found in the "forgivable sin" - the one against the Son of Man (Jesus).  Why is this one forgivable?

Jesus is a human like we are;  as Son of Man he claimed no honor on this planet (though he was due all honor).  By his humility (and not our merit), sin against him can be forgiven, for he forgives.

He is tested like we are.  He knows what it's like to have the authorities on your back.  He understands our weakness, and he is compassionate.

Most important:  Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  What does it matter if a man blasphemes him, if he later repents and comes home?

But with the Spirit matters are different.  The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost;  the Spirit came to convict the world of sin and judgment.

If you are not a Christian, and you refuse to be convicted—for example, if you deny the facts, or simply say, "That must be Satan's work" - then you cannot be saved.  Salvation comes by faith, and there is no faith for those who refuse to believe.

Matters are much the same for the "Christian."  If you call yourself a Christian, but refuse to hear the Spirit prompting you to confession and repentance,  your refusal is your own condemnation.  You crucify Christ anew.

God condemns no one to hell.  Neither does he bar the road for those who defiantly march down it.  In the most real sense possible, those who go to hell are volunteers.

Examine yourself.  This passage was written in the context of warning against hypocrisy.  The heart of the hypocrite is so hard that it rejects all the tender pleas of Christ, and all the stern warnings of the Holy Spirit.  When was the last time you admitted—to God or anyone else—that you had sinned?  Or do you think that you are such a saint that God is in your debt?  If so, drag yourself back to the foot of the Cross and see if the books still seem so unbalanced.  Do not quench the Spirit;  be forgiven.

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 19

Speaker's Notes

Luk_12:11-12

There are a number of things for which every man wishes to have the right words:  when you meet the perfect girl, when you're telling your mother about her, or just what to say to the traffic cop when he stops you.  This passage assures us of right words.  But it seems to prohibit us from preparing for the occasion.

Why would we need to know what to say?

Because we are going to be persecuted for our faith.  The state regards itself as supreme;  those who think otherwise are a threat.  The religions of this world know that you should be more tolerant;  no one could possibly be absolutely right—right?

So don't worry about it.

Don't worry about what?  Don't worry about how to defend yourself.  Why not?  So that you will say what the Spirit wants said, not what you want said.

Don't worry about what?  Don't worry about the words you will use.  Why not?  So that you will not be tempted to sit up the night before in jail, thinking, and thus be tempted to hypocrisy.

The Holy Spirit

If I'm not going to plan what to say, it's good to know that someone is!  It's a great reassurance to know that the Holy Spirit has this one covered.  But there is another reason:  this assures that the honor and glory will belong to God, not to us.

"Teach"

Note that verb.  This is not expected to be some form of zombie speech—mouth moving but brain disconnected.   We are going to be in this up to the neck.  It's just that the inspiration comes from God.  They'll know that it's our voice, our passion—and his Spirit.

"At that time"

For those who are perpetually late, this will sound like a blessing.  For those who like to plan ahead, we have to wonder why we won't get the words before the trial.  But did not our Lord say that sufficient to the day is the evil thereof?  Hence we need not borrow any trouble;  it will arrive of its own accord, soon enough.

Your author has met the perfect girl, and he didn't know what to say to her.  When I took her home to mom, she did all the talking (and still does, the two enjoy each other very much).   I've given up on clever excuses to give the traffic cop.  Praise God;  the defense of the faith does not rest on my tongue, but His Spirit.

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 20

Greed

Luk_12:13-21

"Greed," said Dorothy Sayers, "is the sin of the haves against the have-nots."  Certainly we see that here;  we see also the clamorous insistence which is greed.  Jesus was in the middle of a lesson, and is interrupted by this man.

In response Jesus warns his disciples to be on guard.  Evidently this sin of greed needs watching;  it seems it cannot be stamped out all at once.  We may think our poverty eliminates us from such temptation.  Christ therefore warns us against "all kinds of greed."  The word in the Greek simply means, "the desire of having more."

It is a dreadful sin.  See how in this parable Jesus calls the man a fool.  Fool?  The things he does are common in our day;  let us see what it takes to make a fool by greed:

There is the pronoun:  "my."  "My crops" or "my goods."   Shouldn't he praise God—from whom all blessings flow?

He desires to hoard all.  This is not being "frugal;"  he already has a full barn.

He assumes the future—enough goods for many years.  Do we hold the future, or does God?

Would his care decrease with his new barns—or would they become a worry too, as they were built?  When built, wouldn't their larger size seem an emptiness to be worried about?

"I will" - not "if God wills."  It is not good to make plans without the living God.

See how charity would have eased both his cares—no barns to build, no surplus to store—and fed the poor as well!

He assumes that ease comes from wealth—but his own experience shows that a lie.  If it were so, he'd already be at ease.

Does ease consist of "eat, drink and be merry?"  Or does it come from a heart at peace with God?

This man's cares sprang from his poverty toward God—and he showed himself a fool when he proposed to use the same technique to cure his cares.  Has God made you wealthy?  Then be the supply of the poor and needy.  Your material blessings will not follow you to the grave and beyond;  your wealth towards God is eternal.

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 21

The Cure for Anxiety

Luk_12:22-34

The historian Froissart tells the story of the death of Sir James, the "Black" Douglas of Scotland.  For twenty years he had been the faithful sword-arm of Robert the Bruce.  After Robert's death, Sir James took a small casket containing his master's heart, intending to take it to the holy land for burial.  At a Spanish port he joined a hard pressed band of Christians in their war against the Moors.  Charging the Moors, he threw the silver casket into the thick of the battle.  "Forward, brave heart, as thou wert wont.  Douglas will follow thee or die!"  (He was killed in the moment of victory).

It is a touching story of chivalry;  that a man would follow his lord's heart, even after death.  So many of us, however, will not even follow the heart of the Living Lord.  We seek to do things after our own hearts.

Some of us seek what the Chinese call "the iron rice bowl."  We seek security, the rice bowl which will not break.  No matter how much we have—and we in America are rich beyond the dreams of those in many lands—we worry about our security.  Christ tells us this is a sin;  Christ tells us not to do this; but we do it every day.  We may call it "planning for the future" or "being foresighted" but what we really mean is this:  we want to make absolutely certain, as a first thing, that we know where our next meal is coming from.

Others of us have passed beyond that.  We seek what the Chinese call "the golden rice bowl."  Security we no longer worry about, if we ever did—but extravagance we must have.  Our clothes must be the latest fashion;  the watch on our wrist need not tell time but must make a fashion statement;  we will diet to lose weight but must eat at a gourmet restaurant to do it.  As a first thing, we seek the best in material things—and ignore the best of eternal things.

This passage is often quoted without the last two verses, but they are essential to the understanding of the passage.  Our Lord was not giving us an unrelated thought, but the capstone of the lesson.  We have been given the kingdom of God, with all material things we need thrown in.  Therefore, says Christ, in the same spirit that cuts off the arm that drags you to hell, get rid of the riches that do likewise.

Sir James threw the heart of Robert the Bruce into the battle, and out of bravery and loyalty, he followed, even to the death.  Our Lord makes it simpler.  Take your treasure, throw it into heaven (by giving it to the poor) and observe:  your heart will follow, even to eternal life.

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 22

Readiness

Luk_12:35-40

Have you ever locked yourself out of your house?  You usually notice this fact just after the front door goes "click" while locking closed.  But it does happen that you return home and find you have left your house keys inside..  Now, picture for a moment that one of your children is at home—watching TV.  They don't hear you knock—the TV is too loud—but they hear the tiny scratching sound of you coming in through the window.  (Selective hearing seems to be a prevalent disease).  Just what are you going to say to that kid?

Christ has something of a similar message here for the Christian.  He makes it very, very clear that he is returning—in power and glory.  He makes it clear that this will be at a time which is unexpected.  And he makes it clear that he has told you how to be ready.

Dressed ready for service

This is the "physical" side of Christianity.  All the aspects of charitable service are included in this.  We are to be ready to do those things.  How?  The easiest way is to be doing them continually.  Then it doesn't matter when he comes;  your works will be in progress, and you will be ready.

Lamps burning

This is the "contemplative" side of Christianity—including such things as prayer, meditation and Scripture reading.    Without such things, your lamp is out, and you can't see where you're going.  Not much sense in being dressed for service if you can't see your way to it, is there?  Again, the secret is simple:  the habit of regular prayer;  the practice of continually meditating on the words of our Lord and reading the Scripture will keep your lamp lit.

Unexpected hour

Jesus gives the picture of returning in the second or third watch—the middle of the night.  How are we to be ready?  Take a hint from St. Francis of Assisi.  He was gardening when he was asked what he would do if he found out the Lord was returning that afternoon.  "Finish my gardening," he said.  He lived his life in such a way that it did not matter when the Lord returned;  he was doing what he had been appointed to do.

There is one unusual point here:  the master will serve the servants.  When our Lord returns it will be a great and glorious day for those who are ready, and their rejoicing will be great.  He will be unexpected—but they will be ready.  Will you?

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 24

Fire on Earth

Luk_12:49-53

How is it, the reader may ask, that the Prince of Peace can speak of kindling a fire on earth, creating division in families?   Surely he wants us to be at peace within our families?

The matter is relatively straightforward, and we need to review it once in while.

To be a Christian is to separate yourself from the world.  If you act like every other worldly person, I would seriously question your faith.

That separation—it is called holiness—carries with it an intense hatred for sin, for sin cost the life of our Savior.  That attitude towards sin must be balanced with a love for the sinner (but the world usually won't make that distinction).

It also carries with it the fear of—and obedience to—God.  It changes what we do and how we do it, for we now are out to please Him, not ourselves.

That results is a powerful witness.  The world can ignore changed words;  it cannot ignore changed lives.

That right living, powerfully portrayed in us, forces a decision upon everyone who sees it.  Either they are attracted or repelled;  there are no "neutrals" in this war.

The fire is kindled by the existence of the tinder of sin and the blaze of righteousness and faith.  The choice must be made.

Love must be balanced with wisdom.  It must be arranged properly.  My God tells me to love my wife;  my wife should not be allowed to tell me not to love my God.   The right order produces peace;  the wrong order produces chaos.

This, of course, can be a great trial.  I am not suggesting that it is trivial;  I am stating that it is not optional.

Can we have peace without righteousness?  Certainly!  It goes by the name of oppression.  For if the force is great enough, all enemies can be overborne.  That's the world's way.  We need not think of abortion, homosexuality and adultery as "sin" - just "alternate lifestyles, choice and `improving your marriage'."  That's the world's view.  But notice what happens when righteousness is seen!  That is why the politically correct are so desperate to silence the church!  That is why the oppression has begun.

The fire of God is kindled, and is spreading.  The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church, and we will soon know this truth again.

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 25

Signs of the Times

Luk_12:54-59

We are told that all military situations are met with three steps.  First, analyze the situation.  Second, type up your situation report.  Third, start shooting.  Rumor has it that General Custer was found slumped over his typewriter.

Some decisions just won't wait.  Here Jesus presents just such a decision to the people of his time.

The crowd

It's important to see that this remark is not addressed to the Pharisees.  It's unusual in that Jesus calls the crowd, "hypocrites."  The word is usually reserved for the religious leaders of his day.  We can conclude, therefore, that the interpretation of the signs before them must have been pretty obvious, if they were called hypocrites for ignoring them.

What signs would those be?  Jesus gives us two categories:

Interpreting the time.  The events that were going on were pretty obvious.  We live in such a time now;  abortion, homosexuality, adultery, corruption—and a world which proclaims these things as virtues.

Judging what is right.  Even if the times escape you, surely you can see right from wrong.  Examine the man Jesus, and tell me what you see.

Immediate decision required

Sometimes the immediate decision is not an option.  You would make such a decision with regard to your money  if need be:  indeed, you would have no trouble deciding when to take an umbrella.  How, then, is it that you put off the decision of whether or not you will follow Christ with your whole heart?  Your money, even the weather, would cause you to decide.  You do not know the hour of your death, and yet you are sure you have plenty of time to make up your mind.  Perhaps General Custer did too.  He wasn't expecting that many Indians.

God's judgment is final.  It is made upon the basis of your life in the here and now.  In particular, all depends upon your commitment to Christ.  Can you see the signs of the time?  Do they really say, "peace and safety?"  Or do they say that judgment is coming.   Can you discern right from wrong?  Do you think that God is such a fool that he cannot?  Then draw the right conclusions!

The day will come when there will be no more time—either by death or Christ's return.  Will you be ready?  Are you ready now?

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 26

Why Me?

Luk_13:1-5

It is the common lot of mankind to suffer.  Indeed, we expect it—at least in others.  Our usual question when tragedy strikes is not, "Why?" but "Why me?"

Often, as we look at the suffering of others, we presume that this must be the result of some secret sin.  Oh, that fellow may appear righteous enough;  he may teach Bible School or preach, but be sure that his secret sins have found him out.  Job's "comforters" were largely of that opinion.  There is some merit in this view, but it is not sufficient.

It is the "small view" of the righteousness of God.  God is righteous, we say, and who would he be more likely to smite than a secret sinner, a hypocrite now revealed?

Jesus tells us to the contrary.  Using some local examples now lost to history, he points out that all of us are sinners.  Therefore, the righteousness of God must be greatly tempered by his mercy—for so many of us are not stricken—yet.

The key to understanding this mystery is to remember that God is both righteous—and therefore cannot abide any sin—and also merciful.  So then we need to know the secret of obtaining his mercy.   And that is no secret;  it is repentance.

Our reaction to the punishment of others

There is a temptation common to all of us:  when we see a sinner punished, we rejoice.  The feeling that "he got what he deserved" is very strong.  But do remember:  you don't want what you deserve—you want mercy.  Else why become a Christian?

So follow our Lord's commandment and treat them as you would be treated.  Do not rejoice when the Lord disciplines some other child.   Rather, make that discipline be an example to you.  It is exactly true that "There but for the grace of God go I."  It is grace, and grace alone, that keeps you from a similar (or worse) fate.  Therefore, when you see such a thing, commiserate and help to bear this discipline if you can, and in any case use it as an example to further your own repentance.

Jesus tells the crowd that unless they repent, they will perish in the same way.  It is a prophetic statement.  The Romans slaughtered some of those mentioned;  walls collapsed on others.  Both of these things happened to Jerusalem a  few years later when the Romans sacked the city.  Do you know someone enduring the discipline of the Lord?  Repent at such an example.

____________________

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[nChrist]

June 27

The Fig Tree

Luk_13:6-9

The fig tree is generally known to be the symbol of Israel.  So when Jesus began to talk about it, his audience would quickly understand he was speaking about them.  Its use shows us two things about how God treats his people:

This fig tree was in "the vineyard."  That meant that it had been specifically planted in the most fertile of soil—given special treatment, so to speak.  Certainly this was true of Israel, planted in the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey.

The measure of the tree is the fruit.  If you want the measure of a nation in God's eyes, look for the fruits of righteousness and justice.

Under such circumstances, the justice of ripping out the fig tree is easy to see.  No fruit—no more tree.

Christ as intercessor

The man who took care of the vineyard—a picture of Christ, who is the one through whom all things were made—begs one more year.  This is a model for us of the intercession Christ makes for us to the Father.  He is the one who keeps the righteous wrath of God held back "for one more year."  But note, too, what he does:  he gives that fruit tree special treatment.  It should serve as a warning to us when Christ makes it look easy to be fruitful for God—especially if we decline the effort to do so.  It could very well be that one last year.

The fate of this fig tree brings us two lessons:

God's patience is great—but he will not hold his hand forever.  All of us die;  a church that refuses to be fruitful will be plucked up.  This is final.

Moreover, God has other vines—the tree is in the midst of the vineyard.  In Israel's case, this meant the Gentile nations.  In our case, it is all those other churches and Christians on whom God can call for faithful service.

Perhaps this bothers you.  Would God really rip the tree from the ground?  Would he destroy your church?  We can learn from history's example.  The Jewish nation, in AD 70, was destroyed by the Romans, and scattered throughout the Gentile world.  Their history since has been one of misery.  This does not condone those by whom the misery has come.  But it should serve as an example to any church too busy being "righteous" to be fruitful.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
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[nChrist]

June 29

Growth of the Kingdom

Luk_13:18-21

It is possible to understand these parables in many ways;  here are but two.
The growth of the church

There are two key characteristics of the mustard seed:

It is small, but the plant grows to be the largest of herbs in the gardens of that time.  So it is with the church.  It began with those few men on Pentecost but soon exploded to change the entire known world.  Why did God choose this method?  So that you might know that it was not the power of those few which made this happen, but the hand of God.

Mustard is also rather pungent.  It is very visible.  In short, you notice it.  The ancients used it medicinally (remember mustard plasters?) - which may signify the role the church has in being the moral lighthouse of the world.

The leaven also has two characteristics:

The New International says the woman "mixed" the leaven into the flour;  the actual Greek means "hid."  The church is hidden in the world—for we are in the world but not of the world.  Christians are not identified by having three eyes.

The leaven changes the dough into more leaven.  So the church grows by changing those of the world into those of Christ.

The growth of the Christian

Like the mustard seed, a Christian's faith usually begins in a small way, and grows slowly but surely.

Eventually, if the Christian perseveres to the end, that faith will become the purpose of his entire life, permeating the whole man.

Like the mustard plant, the Christian starts small but grows to be someone who will support others and shelter others.

And like mustard, the character of the Christian is evident to all, either for admiration or as a reminder of their wickedness.

Lessons

The leaven is inward growth;  the mustard, outward.  Is your inward spiritual life growing?  Is prayer sweet and reading the Scripture profitable?  Is your outward life growing?  Do those around you know you as one who is ready to help?

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
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(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
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[nChrist]

June 30

The Works of God

Joh_9:1-7

Have you ever asked a dumb question?

The disciples didn't know it, but they did here.  The question seems a good one, for our sense of justice tells us that no one is punished by God without reason.  Surely someone was being punished here;  the man was born blind.  Was it possible for him to sin before birth (and what could he have done?)  Perhaps it was his parents—but where is the justice in punishing the child?

We forget, of course, that the blind man was not entitled even to existence.  Is it better to be born blind, or not at all?  But in this instance, Jesus tells us, there was a great purpose at hand.  God had prepared this man for a specific time.  Why, then, did Jesus do this?

First, so that we might know that God's purposes are high above ours—but that in all those purposes, his love for us is entirely sure.

Next, so that we might see the visible signs of Christ's work, for we need more than words.  If by this example one is saved, then what do those years of blindness count?

Third, that the Pharisees once again be exposed—and silenced as the hypocrites they were.

And note, please, how Jesus does this.  He heals the blind on several occasions, but here he uses a physical thing—clay—and tells the man to wash.  The creator once again takes up the stuff of which man is made—the dust of the ground and the breath of God.

This shows us (like Namaan the leper) the virtue of simple obedience.  The blind man asks no questions, but obeys.

It is also a sign for us;  we see more clearly when something physical occurs.
Then, almost as if it were an incidental thought, Jesus tells us that He is the light of the world.  It seems unrelated to the story, but it is not.  The man is blind;  therefore, whatever sins might be committed by sight are foreign to him—and he knows it.  He cannot have the lust of the eyes;  it is impossible.

Turn the case around:  those who say they can see are responsible for what they look at.  A blind man flipping through the pages of a pornographic magazine is innocent.  Those who can see bear the guilt.  It is so with all sin:  those who say they see (or understand) bear the guilt.  Those who see and deny their guilt are hypocrites.

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Words Of Christ Devotions

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[nChrist]

July 1

Who Is He?
Joh_9:35-39

One has to have some sympathy with the man born blind.  He is in combat against hypocrisy, legalism and self-righteousness, and he is armed with feeble weapons—namely, the facts as he has experienced them.  Today he would be told, "It's only your opinion that you were born blind.  All viewpoints on that subject are equally valid.  You must allow for diversity of view!"  And with smiling condescension he would be dismissed as a man whose views were too primitive for politically correct society.

But such is the stubbornness of facts that he insists that he is right, and he suffers for it.  It is a great honor to suffer for the name of Christ;  this man earned that honor by his simple obedience.   We can see Christ's opinion of the matter by the fact that he sought him out.  The man's honesty can be seen in his question here.  He has no real idea who this "Son of Man" might be—but he trusts the man who gave him sight.  His doctrine may be inadequate, but he knows the Man.    When enlightened, he worships.

Jesus then brings in the subject of judgment.  He makes two points:

That he has come into the world for judgment—despite his earlier sentence that he had not come to judge the world, but that through him the world might be saved.

He connects that with the idea that the blind will see, and those who say they see, will be in fact blind.

These two are part of the same thought.  Jesus has not come to pronounce judgment upon the world in his first advent.  But his coming brings judgment.  How?  Judgment is measurement.  There can be no measurement without an accurate measure;  if you want to lay out a football field, you must know accurately just what one yard is.  Without a yardstick, the football field cannot be laid out.  When the yardstick comes, all football fields are exposed to measurement.

So it is with those who claim to know the will of God.  When the true Son of God arrives, our spiritual yardstick, we cannot help but see our failings.  Or can we?  We can avoid seeing them if we simply refuse to see!  So it is that those who were blind (without the spiritual yardstick) now see;  but those who say they see (and say they don't need that spiritual yardstick) are the most blind of all.  Born blind or eyes tightly shut—you still can't see.  But only one of those conditions is curable.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________

[nChrist]

July 2

Judgment

Joh_9:39-41

As a student of physics at UCLA, I once came across an intriguing problem in acoustics—which was well beyond my ability to solve.  In seeking for help, I was directed to the office of an elderly professor.  He showed me the solution, but then went on to talk about his experiences in World War II.  He had been part of the scientific team which had worked on the development of sonar.  It was fascinating to hear him discuss the problems which arose, and the human dramas which accompanied their solution.

One thing became clear as he talked.  A frequent cause of difficulty was this:  one group or another would simply refuse to admit the existence of a problem.  The scientists, the bureaucrats and the sailors would all, at one time or another, say "that can't be."  The work would then be delayed until the doubters could be convinced.  Only the pressure of war enabled progress.

We often think that  someone who is blind, in the spiritual sense, is someone who is ignorant.  We say things like, "He is blind to how much his wife loves him."  But more often the difficulty is that the person will not see.  It is a matter of the will.

Why would someone choose not to see?  There is a glimmer of the answer here.  The Pharisees have a sense of self-sufficiency about them; they, and they alone, are the ones who truly understand the Law.  Since they believe this to be so, anyone who contradicts this must be in error.  The Pharisee must choose between being self-sufficient and seeing the truth.  They—like most of us—want to be self-sufficient.  Since they thought they had a choice, they decided that they were indeed self-sufficient, and Jesus in error.

A man is a prisoner of whatever holds him back, and the Pharisees were prisoners of their own darkness.  That darkness was self-inflicted.  Forced to choose between their own self-sufficiency and the facts, they denied the facts.

Have you ever stumbled around in the dark and banged your knee on a table?  There is no sense in saying, "I can't see the table, therefore it doesn't exist, therefore I can't have banged my knee against it, therefore my knee doesn't hurt."  Reality has a way of banging us in the knee.  This is because God created the universe so that sin would have consequences, and those consequences would convince us that we indeed are sinners.  If you refuse to see the consequences—call them bad luck—then you are a prisoner of your own darkness.
The only solution is to turn to the Light of the World—and never walk in darkness again.

____________________

Words Of Christ Devotions

Dist. Worldwide in the Great Freeware Bible Study package called
e-Sword by Rick Meyer: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html
Full Featured - Outstanding - Completely FREE - No Strings Attached

(The goal of Rick Meyer is to distribute excellent Bible Study
Software to every country on earth in their own language FREE
of charge, and that goal gets closer by the day.)
____________________