Date: 24 January 2009, Deployment – 17 Days
Bible (NT/OT):
Matt 19
Teaching About Divorce
19 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" 4 He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let not man separate." 7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" 8 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
10 The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11 But he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it."
Let the Children Come to Me
13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.
The Rich Young Man
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 27 Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" 28 Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Ps 20:7-8
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.
Sun Tzu:
“Cause division among them”
“If they are stingy, you be generous; if they are harsh, you be lenient. That way their leadership and followers will be suspicious of each other, and you can cause division between them.”
The Intellectual Devotion (Kidder, D. & Oppenheim N. The Intellectual Devotion, Rodale. NY, NY 2006):
Paradise Lost, an epic poem, was written by John Milton in 1667. Milton uses a poetic effect known as “Blank Verse”—unrhymed iambic pentameter. Paradise Lost was an instrumental work to the Protestant Reformation as it tells the story of the devils exile from heaven and deception of Adam and Eve in the garden. The characters are beautifully developed especially in the case of Satan who is cast not as blindly evil but self-aware, tormented by the knowledge that God has banished him. Satan ultimately comes across as a tragic figure which lead to the charge that Milton had too much sympathy for the devil. Milton later wrote Paradise Regained (1671) which tells the New Testament story of Christ’s temptation and victory over Satan.
Matt 19
Teaching About Divorce
19 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" 4 He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let not man separate." 7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" 8 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
10 The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11 But he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it."
Let the Children Come to Me
13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.
The Rich Young Man
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 27 Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" 28 Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Ps 20:7-8
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.
Sun Tzu:
“Cause division among them”
“If they are stingy, you be generous; if they are harsh, you be lenient. That way their leadership and followers will be suspicious of each other, and you can cause division between them.”
The Intellectual Devotion (Kidder, D. & Oppenheim N. The Intellectual Devotion, Rodale. NY, NY 2006):
Paradise Lost, an epic poem, was written by John Milton in 1667. Milton uses a poetic effect known as “Blank Verse”—unrhymed iambic pentameter. Paradise Lost was an instrumental work to the Protestant Reformation as it tells the story of the devils exile from heaven and deception of Adam and Eve in the garden. The characters are beautifully developed especially in the case of Satan who is cast not as blindly evil but self-aware, tormented by the knowledge that God has banished him. Satan ultimately comes across as a tragic figure which lead to the charge that Milton had too much sympathy for the devil. Milton later wrote Paradise Regained (1671) which tells the New Testament story of Christ’s temptation and victory over Satan.
Events:
I’m on a four day weekend in preparation for deployment so yesterday I was at home. I woke up, read, wrote then took Sadie out for a long run through McAllister Park. After that I went for a weight workout and came home and relaxed with Marla. I talked to John yesterday who as a bit bummed because he found out that despite working hard on an application for a Cardiothoracic Anesthesia fellowship at Emery (very well known medical school and center), his application had been revoked because he had not taken all 3 steps of the USMLE (MD Test), this seems a quiet way of denying DO’s into the program as we take 3 steps of the COMLEX (DO Test) which is much more difficult than the USMLE. I took the USMLE and made a great score but if you asked an MD to take the COMLEX he would fail miserably because the scope of the test is far broader (Manipulation, homeopathic meds etc…)We watched “Forgetting Sara Marshall” last night, very crude but very funny.
Thoughts:
1. "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." Something far beyond this worldly dimension occurs when we have sex. God takes sex and marriage very, very seriously.
I’m on a four day weekend in preparation for deployment so yesterday I was at home. I woke up, read, wrote then took Sadie out for a long run through McAllister Park. After that I went for a weight workout and came home and relaxed with Marla. I talked to John yesterday who as a bit bummed because he found out that despite working hard on an application for a Cardiothoracic Anesthesia fellowship at Emery (very well known medical school and center), his application had been revoked because he had not taken all 3 steps of the USMLE (MD Test), this seems a quiet way of denying DO’s into the program as we take 3 steps of the COMLEX (DO Test) which is much more difficult than the USMLE. I took the USMLE and made a great score but if you asked an MD to take the COMLEX he would fail miserably because the scope of the test is far broader (Manipulation, homeopathic meds etc…)We watched “Forgetting Sara Marshall” last night, very crude but very funny.
Thoughts:
1. "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." Something far beyond this worldly dimension occurs when we have sex. God takes sex and marriage very, very seriously.
2. "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11 But he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. … Let the one who is able to receive this receive it." I am most defiantly not strong enough to accept this saying but I can see the wisdom in it. Later Paul says in 1 Cor 7:28-29 “if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.” As a married man, I can say to all of my single friends that this is solid advise. As a single man I, for instance, would be free to spend as much time reading and writing as I wanted, I would be meserible but I would be free. Where-as a married man, I have become all to familiar with Marla’s look that says, “its time to get your head out of the book and come talk to me.” As I said, I most defiantly am not strong enough to live without my beautiful wife but I can see the spiritual advantage. For those of my friends, Conner, who are afraid that they are under some kind of curse from this verse, I would encourage you that if you feel that you cannot “receive” this verse (as I can testify, you can’t J) then it seemingly doesn’t apply to you.
3. "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." I would hope that this verse is saying, “to such” meaning the children, implying that babies and children who die are given a supernatural revelation and some amount of faith in order to be saved. While this may be true, in context, I feel that “to such” refers to the way the children are coming. They come in humility; they come to bow at his feet. In context this verse is juxtaposed to the story that immediately follows the example of The Rich Young Ruler who comes in Pride and looking for his own glory. Remember, in the original language, there were not divisions by verse or chapter, the story of the humble children would have immediately flowed into the Rich Young Ruler.
4. “what good deed must I do” Boy does he start off on the wrong foot. It is no surprise that Christ immediately shoots him down with, “There is only one who is good.” Christ emphisizes two key doctrines, “original sin”- not even the little babies are “good,” and “Radical Depravity”- we cannot in our sinful state (before faith) do true “good”(that is, a work devoted for the Glory of God). Since the Rich Ruler wants to go down the path of good deed’s, Christ tells him of the good he must do, keep the commandments." The appropriate response, especially after the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 7) would have been a humble, “I have not... I cannot,” to which Jesus would have likely responded with a gospel message. His response, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" Swells from an unclear understanding of what the Law truly demands and in fact, the true purpose of the law. The law was never meant to save (as we will see in a second), the law was only meant to condemn (diagnose an Illness) and, in that to make us turn to Christ (the treatment) as the, “only one who is good,” the only one who can meet the justice required by the law, and as such, pay the penalty the law demands. Just for fun, let’s assume that this Young Ruler really had kept the whole Law (hypothetically of course), what does he still lack? Follow me for a second. Above, I used the term “Radical depravity,” this is not the true term used historically. The true term that came out of the Reformation is, “Total depravity.” In substituting the term Radical for Total, I have chosen to make a distinction that I feel is warented. “Total Depravity” in English implies (though did not originally mean) that unbelievers are totally unable to do anything that resembles good. Radical Depravity seems a more appropriate modifier in English because I feel that it conveys the point better. The Unbeliever is not totally unable to do any good; he is unable to do any good for the right motives. While an unbeliever may tithe (give to the church) every week (a good deed), it is not done with the Glory of God as the motive. The unbeliever’s tithe may be out of reluctant obligation, the feeling that he is paying his way into salvation or even looking for some form of recognition from the church of how generous he/she is. Though all of these motives produce the same external effect, none of them is considered “good” because none of them wants’ for God’s glory, all want for the Glory of man. So, even if the Rich Young Ruler has kept the whole law as he says has, what does he lack? Right motive. He’s “radical depravity” has tainted even his best works and law-keeping with the motivation of selfish glory and pleasure. This is demonstrated when Christ tells the ruler, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” This is an imperative for the ruler and him alone. This is not saying that in order for us to be saved we must sell all of our worldly possessions, in fact it is saying the opposite. This story is not about salvation by works (keeping the law or selling our possessions) it is about following Christ. This is a story about correct motives, keeping the law for the glory of Christ, paying our tithe for the glory of Christ, selling our possessions (if so inclined) for the glory of Christ. The Rulers response demonstrates what he truly values in life, his true motive, “22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” The Rich Young Ruler valued his money more than he valued Christ. Whatever Law’s he kept were not kept for God’s glory but for his own glory and his own hopes for eternal paradise. Even our best deeds done for selfish motives serve only to condemn us before God. However, even our least deeds, in fact every breath we take, when done for the Glory of God as our motives produces great reward, “29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold.”
5. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." How much more do the poor and meek Christians on earth live for God and hope for his kingdom? When have I ever had to pray for ‘my daily bread?’ The comfort we enjoy in this life is a “splendid vice.” Our worldly possession and security seems only mask our need for Christ as our sustenance, decrease our reliance on God and increase our love for the world. This is where the health and wealth gospel falls on its face. If God desires a deeper relationship with us why would he continue to give us worldly comfort and possession that will increase our love for this world and deny our need for true salvation?
6. "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Amen and Amen! I started to write all of the amazing Calvinist verses in one of my bibles but by the time I was through the gospels, I had no more room.
