The Rich Young Ruler

 

A pious and righteous rich young ruler (possibly a Pharisee) ran up to Jesus and asked him what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. He claimed to have kept all the usual rules but still felt that something was missing. Jesus said that he should sell everything he had and give the money to the poor. The young man sadly walked away.

Christians understand that you cannot "do" anything to earn salvation. It is a gift of God's grace. So what was this incident about? Jesus gently showed the young ruler what was wrong.

Some Christians would say we should not own private property since Jesus said to sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. They may be misreading what Jesus was saying. You are not saved by giving up something.

In Exodus 20:17, notice that the property belongs to the neighbor, not the community or the government. Nowhere does Jesus condemn ownership of private property. What he was saying on several occasions is "own your property, do not let your property own you." Use your property to help the homeless and the poor, to glorify the Lord, and to advance his kingdom.

The young ruler's real problem was that he loved his wealth and his position more than he loved God.  Loving your position and wealth is really about yourself.  All sin reduces down to the one real sin: SELF. We should love ourselves, because we are infinitely valuable. God spent the most infinitely valuable thing in the universe, the blood of his son, to save us, but loving self more than loving God is the essence of sin.

When you don't like what he says to you, it is a sign that you need to hear it.

Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-30; Ephesians 2:8-9.

Dog Poop in the Flower Bed

 

Recently I was on my walk when I noticed something which  made me shake my head in wonderment. Someone had taken the time to pick up their dog's poop into a bag, tie the bag shut, and then, they threw the bag into someone's flower bed. I guess at least they used the bag! The standard of dog poop etiquette is to carry the poop with you and properly dispose of it. This is a hot-button issue in many neighborhoods.

What does this have to do with this blog? Well, this is just a small demonstration of the fallen nature of man. It exhibits self-centeredness, laziness, and a disrespect for others and their property. 

We are told in 1 Peter 2:17 to "show proper respect to everyone..." Since we are all made in the image of God, to disrespect another person is to disrespect God. Abusing someone else's property is tantamount to stealing their ownership of that property. The owner has the right to say how their property is to be used.

Some Christians would say we should not own private property since Jesus said to sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. They may be misreading what he was saying. 

In Exodus 20:17, notice that the property belongs to the neighbor, not the community or the government. Nowhere does Jesus condemn ownership of private property. What he was saying on several occasions is "own your property, do not let your property own you." Use your property to help the homeless and the poor, to glorify the Lord, and to advance his kingdom.

The Gospels

              Modern history can basically be described as two types. Geschicte, a German word meaning in English “story.” This is a factual recounting of what happened, giving dates, events, and provable facts.

The other type of history is described by the French word, histoire. This is an attempt to explain the meaning of things which have happened and why the events are important. There have been many different attempts to interpret history from widely varying viewpoints: religion, politics, feminism, LGBTQ interests, economics, military themes, and philosophy, are just a few.

All four of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) contain elements of both types of history to varying degrees. Mark and Luke are more historical while Matthew and John are more interpretive. All four are considered to be historical biographical narratives presented for theological treasons.

Unlike many modern biographies, none of the Gospels attempt to exhaustively tell us everything that Jesus ever did or said. John 20: 30-31 even tells us, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” NIV

The gospels are all written to present their good news using different approaches and emphases. They want to tell us who Jesus was and what he did for us. They are theological documents.

Matthew stresses the Jewishness of Jesus. He shows how Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah who fulfills the Hebrew scriptures.

Mark shows Jesus in fast, urgent, and determined action. He does what only God can do. He is the Christ, the suffering Son of God.

Mark repeatedly uses the phrase kai εὐθὺς “and immediately.” This phrase carries the idea of “without any delay or hesitation” or even of “suddenly.” Mark stresses the urgency of Jesus’ message to which we should respond immediately.

Luke was a physician and a detailed historian. He had a scientific approach to his writing, seeking out eyewitnesses to the events he related. He wanted to show how Jesus fit into God’s plan for history.

            John is the most overtly theological of the gospels. He presents Jesus as the pre-existent God revealing himself to man. He clearly states the purpose of his book in John 20:31. “ … these are written that you may believe^[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” NIV

Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

Acts: 27:2  Adramytium (Burhaniye, Turkey)

Amos 1:12 Bozrah (Bouseira, Jordan)

Acts 9:32  Lydda (Lod, Israel)

Acts 20:14  Mitylene (Mytilene, Greece)

Jonah 1:2 and Matthew 12:41  Ninevah (Mosul, Iraq)

Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

Numbers 13:22 Zoan (Muhafaza as Sarqiya, Egypt)

1 and 2 Thessalonians Thessalonica (Thessaloniki, Greece)

Acts 21:7 Ptolemais (Acre, Israel)

Titus 3:12 Nicopolis (Prevesa, Greece)

Ezekiel 38:13 Dedan (al-Ula, Saudi Arabia)

Follow the Science

        

        We have been told repeatedly to "follow the science," usually in connection to COVID-19 

immunization. That is good advice and my wife and I are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and other 

viruses.

        To be fully consistent, there is another situation where I would hope that everyone would consider

following the science. 

        The human female produces ova (eggs) which her body recognizes as "me." Except in rare cases of

 autoimmune disease, the woman's body leaves the ovaries and the eggs alone. In autoimmune

oophoritis, the body's immune system attacks the ovaries causing inflammation, severe damage, and

fibrosis.

        Normally, when a sperm wins the frantic race to the egg, the egg immediately allows the 

spermatozoan to enter and mix its DNA with the DNA of the egg.  The mixture of DNA is 50% "me"

and 50% "not me."

        If the body is functioning properly it does not like "not me" and makes moves to get rid of "not 

me." It attacks "not me" to protect itself from viruses, bacteria, and other organisms like yeast or 

protozoa. This is the reason transplant patients have to take anti-rejection drugs. The transplanted 

tissues are "not me."

        To protect itself, the fertilized egg starts making masking proteins to tell the body "move on, 

there's nothing  to see here." The masking proteins hide the "not me." The body only sees the "me."

        Once the embryo implants and begins to increase in size, it becomes too "not me" to ignore. That's

where the placenta takes over. It has many functions but one function is to release hormones and other

factors to prevent rejection of the fetus. Remember that the fetus is "not me." So what you have is

mother ("me") and fetus ("not me.") 

        This is one reason why there is so much controversy over when the fetus becomes a separate,

 individual human.

 

Restarting this Blog

 

            Due to unavoidable circumstances I have been gone for three years, but now I am back

and will be posting about once a week.

            No subject will be off the table and I will state what I believe to be orthodox Christian opinions on the topics at hand. I have no intention of being argumentative or judgmental. If you disagree with what I say, that is OK. I will seek to post in the spirit of Romans 12:18.

εἰ δυνατόν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν μετὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰρηνεύοντες

(Literal translation: “if possible of you, with all men, living in peace/being in peace”)

(English paraphrase: “As much as it is left up to you, be at peace with everyone.”)

 

My main goal will not be to please you or to anger you, but to make you think.