Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

How willing are we to serve in Jesus’ name?
As I was dwelling on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, I began thinking about the actions of all of the persons involved in this passage of scripture. And, I wondered, would I do differently, walking in their shoes?
The lawyer was an expert in Jewish religious teachings of Mosiac law. Eternal life was a current topic of religious debate. He thus answered Jesus’ question by stating the Jewish Shema, a Hebrew text consisting of three passages from the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 6:4, 11:13–21; Numbers 15:37–41) and beginning “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” It forms an important part of Jewish evening and morning prayer and is used as a Jewish confession of faith.
He 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
(from Deut 6:5) and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.”(from Leviticus 19:18 - “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”)
Jesus responded, “You have answered correctly - do this and you will live.”
(Leviticus 18:5 “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.”)
Yes, Jesus died to bring salvation to the world, but this does not absolve us from loving God with all of our being, and loving our neighbor, even as Jesus loves.
We can readily identify with the man - everyone; mankind - at the mercy of the world, who was attacked, beaten and robbed. Mankind has a history of descending. From Genesis to Revelation, we get a picture of descent, especially if Satan has his way with us. Satan: robber, murderer. Taker, of lives. What will be left? Sin! Robbers and thieves act out, “What you have is mine, if I can take it from you.”
The priest and Levite represent ritualism and ceremonialism. Perhaps they tended to think, “What I have is mine, and I am going to keep it.” They were a privileged class. There were many rules & regulations governing them. For example, they had to dress a certain way, and carry out very specific actions as worship. They were not to defile themselves, such as by contact with a corpse. Priests could not even attend a burial except of a close relative. Was the man possibly dead? They knew the dangers, and avoided them. Wouldn’t you?
The Samaritan embodies the concept, “What I have is yours if I can help you.” I found these words from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
“It is lamentable to observe how selfishness governs all ranks; how many excuses men will make to avoid trouble or expense in relieving others. But the true Christian has the law of love written in his heart. The Spirit of Christ dwells in him; Christ's image is renewed in his soul. The parable is a beautiful explanation of the law of loving our neighbour as ourselves, without regard to nation, party, or any other distinction. It also sets forth the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward sinful, miserable men.”
Ritualism, ceremonialism, and legalism could not save the man, nor nor can it save mankind. The question is not whether we will have eternal life, but whether that life will be with God, rather than with Satan. Jesus, through the Grace of God, offers salvation. Having chosen Jesus, then, let us embody fully this example: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: “Year by year you shall set aside a tithe of all the produce of your seed, of everything that grows on the land. You shall eat it in the presence of the LORD your God in the place which he will choose as a dwelling for his Name - the tithe of your corn and new wine and oil, and the first-born of your cattle and sheep, so that for all time you may learn to fear the LORD your God.“ (Deuteronomy 14:22-23., New English Bible)

A tithe is the tenth of one’s income. Tithing was the process by which the people returned a portion of the LORD’s blessings to the LORD, and His servants, the Levites. The Levites (Priests and workers in the temple) did not receive a patrimony of land, as was given to the other tribes, so had no income from farm, orchard or flocks of animals. The Levites are listed in Deuteronomy 14:28 and 29 with the aliens, orphans, and widows, to be supported.
“Every tithe on land, whether from grain or from the fruit of a tree, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” (Leviticus 27:30, NE The laws included provisions for substitution, and payment for the valuation of the land or property.
A man could keep the physical property; “He shall pay its value increased by one fifth.” (Lev. 27:31) Other laws applied to lending money, making payments, and charging interest.
The widows, orphans and Levites were not the only persons that the LORD considered worthy of support by His people. The New English Bible translation of verse 14:7-8 reads, “When one of your fellow-countrymen in any of your settlements in the land which the LORD your God is giving you becomes poor, do not be hard-hearted or close-fisted with your countryman in his need. Be open-handed toward him and lend him on pledge as much as he needs.”
Deuteronomy further comments that “the poor will always be with you in the land.”
Did the people keep these commandments? Apparently the tradition was advocated several centuries after the giving of the laws and commandments during the Exodus. Tobit, the subject of one of the books included in the Apocrypha, describes how he kept the eternal commandment to journey to Jerusalem with the firstfruits of crops and herds, the tithes of cattle, and the first shearings of the sheep. He also took the tithes of wine, corn (barley, not maize,) olive oil, pomegranates and other fruits to give to the Levites.
Unfortunately, he was one of the few members of the tribe of Naphtali to observe the commandment, since the ten northern tribes of Israel had broken away from the nation built by David and Solomon, and didn’t go to Jerusalem.
The book of Tobit advocates the practice of charity and tithing. The works of God should be acknowledged publicly. ”Better give alms than hoard up gold. Better prayer with sincerity, and almsgiving with righteousness, than wealth and wickedness.” (Tobit 12:8) “Sinners and wrong-doers are their own worst enemies,” proclaims Raphael, the angel. “Worship (the LORD) all your life long, sing his praise.” (Tobit 12:18)
Judith, also, at the end of the battle against the enemy, struck up a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the LORD. She offered the spoil from the victorious battle with a pilgrimage to Jerusalem; burnt-offerings, freewill offerings, and gifts.
The commandment has passed down to us, even in the words of James, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27, NKJV)
(Note: The books of Tobit and Judith are in the Apocrypha.)

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise. Luke 10:36-37. NIV
News of shootings taking place in schools once again remind us that we live in violent times. That should not come to us as a surprise; violence has been with us since Cain slew Abel. Rather, that peace prevailed, rather than violence, would be truly remarkable!
Jesus told many parables that centered on violence. The tenants of the vineyard mistreated the owner’s servants, and killed his son, the heir, in Mt. 21:33-41. Jesus said that he came not to bring peace, but a sword. Mt. 11:35-36 states, “For I have come to turn
a man against his father
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in law --
a man’s enemies will be members
of his own household.”
Jesus was quoting the prophet Micah, in the old testament, which we think was full of violence and killing.
Even the noted prophet and law-giver, Moses, killed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Exodus 2:11-15.
Mt. 14 records the beheading of John the Baptist by King Herod the tetrarch, at the request of the daughter of Herodias. Her mother advised her to ask the king for this favor. The Herod family were exceptionally brutal, family members killing other family members throughout the history of the family.
Jesus mourned, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you . . .” in Mt. 23:37
Again, robbers beat a man, stripped him of his clothes, and left him for dead. A priest, and a Levite, both ‘representatives’ of God in the Temple system, passed him by. A despised Samaritan took pity on the man, and cared for him. Lk. 10:25-37.
Thus, mercy is not excluded. Love is not banished, but made all the more important when it is made evident in time of need. Violence is of Satan; Love is of God. We have a choice. We were not created to be robots, automatons, marionettes pulled by strings, but people who can express free will. At no time can we be more free than to choose love in times of violence and hatred on earth.
March 11, 2001