The wickedness of the human race in Genesis 6
Genesis 6:1 – 8
1 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
Here the sons of God are descendants of Seth, godly people, or believers. The daughters of humans are descendants of Cain, ungodly people, or unbelievers. ‘A hundred and twenty years’ means time remaining till the judgement of the Flood. Also this means that the length of human life was reduced from many hundreds years to 120 years.
Intermarriage between believers and unbelievers brings serious consequences.
2 Corinthians 6:14 – 18 teaches the principle of believer’s marriage.
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
17 Therefore,
“Come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”
18 And,
“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
The Nephilim were the heroes of old, men of renown. They are people these days like popular musicians, actors, actresses, and athletes.
5 The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
God saw
- how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,
- every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
Therefore
- God regretted that he had made human beings on the earth.
- His heart was deeply troubled.
And God decided to wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground for He regretted that He had made them.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD (8).
Let us study about Noah in verse 9 ~ 22 next week.
Cain and Abel
Genesis 4:1-26
Recommendation on the methodology to study the Holy Bible
I think it is good practice to deeply think on each verse so that you may derive meanings from it by yourself. If you only listen to what others talk about the verse and don’t have a chance to think deeply on the verse by yourself, how can you confirm what you hear from others is correctly based on the text?
I suggest for you to make efforts to derive some meanings and conclusions by your own reading and careful observation on each verse, which meanings and conclusions you and others can’t deny to be reasonably correct if based on the text.
This will increase your knowledge & faith.
Message
1 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
There must be other children of Adam & Eve before Cain was born. Cain was a child born after Adam & Eve were expelled from Eden garden due to their sin. Eve says “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”(1b). This gives us a few thoughts:
- A child is a gift from God. She received the gift and she thanked & praised God.
- Receiving the gift involves pregnancy, formation of a life in the womb, and birth pain. We can’t exclude God in this wonder of reproduction process.
- A new life is a spiritual being as well as a physical being.
And then, Abel was born as a younger brother of Cain.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.
The fact that God accepted Abel’s offering but he refused Cain’s gives us a few thoughts:
- Abel’s offering involved shedding blood of lives amongst flocks.
- Cain offered earthly fruits to God. Earthly fruits may require shedding sweats to acquire but did not please God.
- There are requirements in the offering to God. God does not accept any offering that does not fulfil such requirements. Here, let us think about whether God will accept all type of religions that offer their own way of offerings.
- Abel’s offering represents sacrificial offering by the Lamb of God, Jesus
So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
God’s Word shows Cain’s Anger is due to Cain’s own misdeed. Cain himself was the wrong doer but he was angry at both God and Abel. God’s Word shows the characteristics of the sin:
The sin is crouching at the door like the lion crouching just before attacking.
“it desires to have you”: human beings as sinners are in great danger of being in full control of the sin.
“but you must rule over it.”: even so, we have responsibility to control the sin. The restless battle is between human beings and the sin. Jesus crucified the sin on the cross and frees those who are lead by the Holy Spirit instead of their sinful nature (Romans 8:1-4). Accept Jesus and declare your victory in Jesus over the sin today.
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Cain killed his younger brother Abel, who and whose offering pleased the God. Cain committed murder out of his jealousy. The murder practiced by Cain was evil and wicked.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
As the result of the sin of the murder, Cain became ‘a restless wanderer on the earth’. What does it mean?
Before we conclude, note that the murder requires death sentence according to the God’s Law given through Moses (Exodus 21:12-17).
We can conclude that this was a death sentence. He would be killed by whoever might find him.
So, he had to hide. If he might be found, he had to run.
He would suffer the fear of the vengeance or the death wherever he might go and whoever he might meet… One serious sin caused him suffering of the whole life time.
13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
What Cain says explains it better as shown in v13 – v14. He says:
- The punishment is unbearable.
- He is expelled from the land.
- God withdraws His presence (which includes His goodness, mercy and kindness) from Cain.
- He faces the fear of the vengeance or the death wherever he goes and whoever he meets.
15 But the LORD said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
At the appeal of Cain (I have to say he repented), God put a mark on him showing God’s declaration that “anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over”.
17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
Cain was building a city. Amongst the descendants of Cain, Jubal was the father of all who play stringed & piped instruments. And Tubal-Cain was the father of engineering.
23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times.”
Lamech killed a younger man as Cain killed his younger brother. Lamech took advantage of God’s forgiveness on Cain and became bold and justified his murder saying “if Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times”.
He spoke this to his two wives. This makes us to think both murders by Cain and Lamech might be linked to their “women”. These days people often mention the sin of “violence” & “sex” together. Such corruption (sex & violence) was prevailed in Genesis 6, when God decided to judge the world by the flood.
25 Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
Adam & Eve gave birth to Seth in place of Abel, who and whose offering pleased God. Abel means “breath; son; breathing spirit”. Seth means “appointed; granted”. He also gave birth to a son and named him Enosh. It is interesting to know that this name is the same to Cain’s son’s name as shown v17. Enosh means “man, human being”. Seth might be a godly man. At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.
Seth’s descendant, Noah and his family were saved in the flood but Cain’s descendants were wiped away in the flood (Genesis 6 – 8).
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Luke 18:9-14
The Pharisees were religious and political leaders in the society. They were wealthy and respected by people. They were privileged group of people in the society. They were noted for their strict observance of the Law & the elders’ traditions.
Here, the prayer of the Pharisee contained his despise toward sinners. So he thanked God that he was not like them (11). This shows that he was arrogant. In addition, he confessed he fasted twice a week and tithed from all he got (12). But the Law required only an annual fast (Leviticus 16:29) and a tithe was required on certain items, not all items possessed(Deuteronomy 14:22-23). So he was doing more than what God asked. This shows that he was relying on self-righteousness. Also he thought he was righteous and didn’t request forgiveness from God. As a result, he didn’t receive it.
On the other hand, the tax collector was HUMBLE.
Israel was a colony of Roman Empire. Roman Empire employed Jews as Tax collectors and let them collect tax from the Jews. Tax collectors were considered as extortionist because they collected more than what was required, for personal gain. Also they were considered as traitors because they represented Roman Empire despite they were Jews. The Jews wouldn’t very happy about such collection, which made their job very tough.
The tax collector in the parable might had enough of hatred & despise during his tough job. His attitude and prayer in the temple showed how much he was humiliated as a tax collector.
The tax collector expressed his repentance and humility through his attitude and words. He stood far off. He would not even look up to heaven. He beat his breast in anguish over his sins. He called himself a sinner. He pleaded God for mercy. As a result, the tax collector went home justified[1].
Jesus warns against self-righteousness and arrogance but teaches the value of humility.
In conclusion, the Pharisee prayed as one who needed no forgiveness and got none. The tax collector prayed as one who needed forgiveness and he received it. Do we need forgiveness even as Jesus’ disciples? Yes, we do. Then let us pray with the humility of the tax collector, who prayed like the man after God’s own heart, David.
Psalm 51:1-3 (A psalm of David)
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Let us not trust in our own righteousness, but in the mercy and lovingkindness of God offered so abundantly in His Son Jesus Christ! As the beloved disciple wrote in his first letter:
1 John 2: 1-2 1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
[References]
Following reference was used in several part of this message.
http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/pa/pa_33.htm
[1] Psalm 32:1-2
1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37
An Expert in the law tested Jesus by asking “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (25).
Jesus answered by asking back “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (26) Here we can learn that asking back is the best way to answer to those who want to test or trap us.
The expert in the law answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (27)
Jesus replied, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” (28)
This revealed that the expert of the law knew the answer. Therefore he didn’t have to ask Jesus for the answer. He wanted to justify himself and asked another question so that Jesus might answer. His question was “Who is my neighbor?” (29).
Jesus told him the parable of the Good Samaritan.
A man fell into the hands of robbers on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was stripped of his clothes, beaten and left half dead. A priest saw the man on his way and passed by on the other side. A Levite[1] saw him and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan saw him and took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then, he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins, gave them to the innkeeper and said “Look after him and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” (30 ~ 35)
Jesus asked “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (36)
The expert in the law replied “The one who had mercy on him.” (37a)
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (37b)
In this parable, a priest and a Levite avoided the man victimized by robbers despite of their religious responsibility in the society. It is ironical but such irony is repeated throughout the books of Gospel. Those who were against and put Him into death sentence were also priests and other religious leaders. Also ironically the true neighbor was the Samaritan[2], who was most despised by other Israelites in religious reason. What did the Samaritan do for the man who met robbers?
The Samaritan
- took pity on him
- provided him first aid.
- provided him transport.
- provided him hospitality.
- took responsibility for the future cost.
How were you like the man who met robbers?
Who were your neighbors when you were in difficulties?
Do you know those who are like the man stripped/beaten by robbers?
How can you become their neighbor?
We may be like the man stripped/beaten by robbers when we are disadvantaged in the society, by the unfair system, by the greedy people, by the rich. Write about it here.
Also, we may be like that because of our own greed/addiction/bad habits/bad decision, mislead by ourselves, driven by the devil. Write about it here.
Let us take time to remember those who became our neighbors in the time of our difficulties. Appreciate and bless them.
List them here.
Did they pity on you? Did they provide you healing aid? Did they provide you any transport? Did they provide you any hospitality? Did they pay for your cost? Write about them here.
Remember those who need my help. List them here.
Think of what I can do for them. And take action. Do I have pity on them or indifference? Can I provide them any healing aid? Can I provide them any transport? Can I provide them any hospitality? Can I pay for their cost? Write about them here.
In summary, let us put down our masks or titles. Based on the books of Gospel, it is very obvious that Jesus wants us to put them down. It is not about whether we have the title like ‘Christian’. But it is about the truth, about love, and about being true neighbor.
[1] a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi (one of 12 tribes). The Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites and had political responsibilities as well.
[2] The Samaritan region was invaded by Assyrians and mixed with them. As a result, Israelites in the region lost their pure blood and called the Samaritan.
Beautiful Friendship and Life-saving Commitment that Jesus blesses
Mark 2:1-12
In the above animation clip created by Come & See UNSW Student Club, voice was not added yet.
The books of the Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) tell us about people who made outstanding effort and get attention from the Lord. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus and was noticed & saved by Jesus (Luke 19:1-10). A blind man shouted all the more “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” despite of people’s rebuke and gained the sight (Luke 18:35-42).
In Mark 2:1-12, a paralytic carried by four friends is an example of such outstanding effort.
They couldn’t get the paralytic to Jesus due to overflowing crowd. So they dig a hole in the roof and lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He forgave the man’s sins and healed his disease.
Here, first of all, we can think of the love and faith of four friends of the paralysed man.
In the books of the Gospel, we can see many cases that Jesus healed a patient due to his/her mother, father or master’s faith and love.
Carrying a person on the mat, climbed to the roof, digging a hole on the roof, and lowering down the mat with a man all take a lot of time and effort. Without love toward the friend, without faith in Jesus, doing all these hard work wouldn’t be possible.
This type of beautiful friendship is possible in Jesus, who unites us in love.
1 John 5:1 says
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.
One who is born of God loves the children of God. They are spiritual brothers and sisters. A brother naturally loves the brother born of the same father. All born of God are one family. Only family member shows care like no other.
Secondly, we can learn life-saving dedication of these four friends.
The life of Apostle Paul is full of such examples of dedication to save others’ lives. He earned his own living and shared the Gospel free of charge to save more people without becoming their burden.
Paul confessed in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23,
19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
God bless those who serve others to win as many souls as possible. Amen.
Jesus looks for the faithful and wise manager
Luke 12:42
42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?
Jesus looks for the faithful and wise manager.
To be faithful, we have to be trustworthy to be entrusted with the task. Can you make commitment to the task given by the Lord? This commitment includes as many hours as required to complete the task in regular basis. It might cost half of your Saturday to prepare a message that will be preached on Sunday. It might cost hours of daily research to ensure the satisfactory quality of the weekly message. Are you faithful?
Regarding to ‘being wise’, Ephesians 5:15 – 17 says
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
This teaches that being wise means being efficient by making the most of every opportunity & being aligned to the Lord’s will.
To be wise, we have to spend our time and other resources in the most effective way. We have to pray and listen to the God’s word. Are you wise?
Jesus puts the faithful and wise manager in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time (Luke 12:42b).
Are you the manager Jesus looks for? Then, answer “Yes, Lord, here I am”.
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Jesus vs A picture of our society
John 5:1-15
Bethesda means pond of mercy. From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had (4).
This place looks promising the healing but the condition of the healing is limited to the ‘first’ person into the pool when the waters are stirred by an angel of the Lord.
This Bethesda is a picture of the society where people would compete each other for the chance that gives luck to the only one and best person. People in this society compete each other and everyone becomes loser except one winner. Because of the competition, people become selfish. During the competition, people may be hurt, despaired and devastated.
A 38-year invalid man was waiting for healing opportunity in Bethesda. He would have no chance in such a competitive environment without someone’s help.
But John 5 shows the most hopeless man like him can have hope in Jesus.
When everyone was enjoying the festival, Jesus visited this place full of disabled people who could not join the joy of the festival. And Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to get well?” This is the voice of God, that gives him the hope of healing.
Jesus also asks you, “Do you want to get well?”
Even if you are the most miserable person in the society, you have hope in Jesus because He can heal your problem.
The invalid man thought Jesus might help him to win the competition. But Jesus was the game-changing healer right now right there.
See v8 and v9.
When Jesus said to him “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk”, the man was cured at once; he picked up the mat and walked.
What can we learn from this?
You will be better off to live wholesome life in Jesus than competing in Bethesda and filled with complaint and despair for whole life.
If you put your hope in this world, your heart will be filled with complaint and despair regardless how long you may try (refer to v7).
You will be better off to put your hope in Jesus – In Him everyone is the winner at once.
If you don’t believe this, you trust yourself too much or you put your hope or trust in this world too much.
Do you know why we are hopeless in this world? It is because this world is like environment around Bethesda. When the invalid man lost his hope there, Jesus came over to ask “do you want to get well?” to give him hope. Don’t wait till the hopeless moment of the life.
Do you know Jesus knows all your needs and He has all power to take care of you? Jesus knows you need study, job, health, rest, food and more. You will be better off in Jesus than in Bethesda without Him. We have hope in Jesus but hopeless in this world. John 5 tells us that.
Study the Bible. And learn what His commands & promises are, do His will (obey them) and live on His promises. Do your study also as His will, not as your own will without Him.
Jesus – The Light of the World
John 9:1-12
See v1.
1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
There are many types of handicaps – lame, deaf, blindness, and others. Lame man is miserable because he cannot climb rocky mountains. The deaf are miserable because they cannot hear birds’ singing. But blind man is more miserable because he cannot see the wonderful nature God created. Moreover this blind man Jesus saw was born blind. This means he could never see anything since his birth. So he couldn’t know how his mother looked like. In addition, he was poor. He was a beggar based on v8. See v2.
2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Disciples of Jesus asked Him the cause of the misery. They thought the cause was basically ‘sin’. So they asked Jesus whose sin caused the misery. The thought of disciples was based on retribution, which is typical way of thinking in many cultures in the world. Retribution is embedded in the conscious of human beings. The point of view based on retribution makes the misery a fate. The person with this point of view would think the miserable man is the sinner who deserves the misery and condemn the miserable person. This will make the miserable person even more miserable. But what was the view point of Jesus? See V3.
3“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Jesus’s view point on the misery was ‘The glory of God’. Jesus says the misery was not because of sin, but the misery happened for the glory of God. This means when the miserable person overcomes the misery, that person will glorify God by his victory. More miserable person can give God more glory through his victory over his misery. While retribution is negative, Jesus’s view point is bright and positive.
Do you have any misery in your life? People might condemn you for the misery, but Jesus is different. He says to you that your misery is for the glory of God. Amen.
See v4 & 5.
4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Now Jesus explains how the misery can be transformed to the glory to God:
This is how: by doing the work of God who sent Jesus (4a). Jesus says we must do the work of God during the day (4a). Without Jesus, it is night (darkness) and no one can work (4b). Jesus declared that He is the light of the world (4b).
In the other words, we must do the work of God while Jesus is with us in the world. And this will transform the miserable people and it will glorify God. See v6 & 7.
6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
Now Jesus performs the transformation: Misery to Glory.
First of all, he mixed his saliva and soil to make mud and then paste it on the man’s eyes.
Mud could make him blinder because mud would block sunlight. Mud could cause discomfort as the blindness did to his life. Therefore mud might mean further difficulty during misery. But this further difficulty was just before the healing. So this calls for patience during the misery. For the further difficulty may mean that healing and the glory of God are near.
Are you facing difficulty that deepening your misery even though you are in Jesus? If you understand the good purpose of God for you, you will thank for them. In such situation, simply obey the command of Jesus.
Secondly, Jesus commanded him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. Jesus let him involved in the healing process. Here, we learn that misery2glory requires our involvement during the process. And the blind man obeyed Jesus and healed.
This blind man accepted further difficulty (mud) given by Jesus. And he had trust in Jesus and was obedient to Him even during blindness. We can learn that Jesus expects us to manage any further difficulty and obey Him during our misery. Be patient and be obedient – until the work of God may be displayed in your life through Jesus. See v8 & 9.
8His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
As a result of obedience, the born blind man opened his eyes. And the result of the obedience surprised others. Now people couldn’t believe their eyes. But he himself insisted that he was the beggar. It is not easy to admit the past. But this man did. It is important to admit the past to glorify God for what you are now.
See v10 – 12.
10“How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded.
11He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12“Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
When people asked him how his eyes were opened, he testified what Jesus did for him. We can learn how we should testify what Jesus did for us.
Hallelujah!
Jesus is the light of the world! In Him, our negative and dark mind can become positive and bright, and misery can become glory to God!
I pray we all experience this transformation in the light of the world, Jesus.
Also let us transform people’s life as well as ours by doing the work of God who sent Jesus.
Amen.
The Chapter of Resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15
The Gospel of Salvation
1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
……
There is resurrection of the dead
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
……
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
……
Mystery: Transformation to Heavenly Body (The Body of Resurrection)
50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
The LORD is my Shepherd
Psalm 23:1-2
Sheep need green pastures because the grass is their food. As sheep eat the grass, the grass gets shorter. As time flows, sheep will be getting harder to eat from short grass and become hungry and tired. So shepherd regularly needs to take sheep to new green pastures where the grass is long enough so that sheep can eat them with ease. If the grass is long, it not only is easy to eat but also provides a good cushion to lie down on them.
Higher ground has more grass and freshwater. So shepherd needs to take the sheep to higher land. It is hard for the sheep to follow the shepherd to go higher ground of the mountain. It may be steep. It may be far. But the shepherd knows that there are better grass and water over there.
Sheep are stubborn animals. In the middle of the way to the higher ground, sheep may insist not to go further. Also, when sheep feel thirsty and find water on the ground, sheep may insist to drink from it. But sheep do not know it is deadly. Dirty water on the ground has many harmful and deadly bacteria that make sheep seriously sick or dead. So the shepherd forces the sheep not to drink from the dirty water and drag them to the higher ground.
Sheep are short-sighted animals. So the sheep get lost without the guidance of the shepherd. It may walk far away in the wrong direction. So shepherd may walk far to look for it here and there, find it and take it back to where it should be. Sheep would be content with what they have nearby. Only the shepherd can see far away and know there are wonderful green pastures and fresh waters on the hill and guide them there.
Sheep falls down and is flipped upside down easily and cannot get up by itself. Shepherd needs to raise it up otherwise sheep cannot get up by themselves and could die in that condition.
Once they arrive at the higher ground of the mountain, the shepherd needs to pour out waters from the river so that the sheep can drink from it. Now how much water the sheep can drink totally depends on how much water the shepherd draws out from the river. Now we have Jesus as our shepherd. And we are His sheep. He knows what is best for us. If we continue to follow Jesus, we will see the best plan he has for each of us to come to reality.
# Read “Shepherd looks at Psalm 23” by Phillip Keller
