Seeds For Thinking

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

Scripture: And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2, NKJV)rev

Crime and punishment: That has long been one of the most difficult issues facing our social relationships. “Do unto others” - Yea, verily! But not according to the Golden Rule, which emphasizes doing good. More often it is “Tit for Tat” and “This for That.” The old adage of “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” “Don’t just get mad”, they say; “Get even!” We are typically quick to judgment, but slow on mercy. A common adage is, “What we sow, so shall we reap,” and multiple millions of persons can testify to this reality.
While some suffering can be directly traced to sin, natural evil comes without a moral agent: A tower falls, an earthquake shakes, a tornado destroys, a hurricane ravages, a spider bites, a disease debilitates and kills. The world is filled with wonders mixed with dangers. Gravity can save you or gravity can kill you. When a tower falls, it kills. Some persons suffer innocently by the sinful acts of others.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus mentioned an example of such a tragedy when he was told about some Galilean insurgents who were killed by the Romans. Those who told Jesus this may have expected him to say that their deaths were punishment for their rebellious and belligerent behavior. Jesus replied that they were not more sinful than other Galileans, nor were the eighteen killed in the collapse of the tower of Siloam. Jesus taught that death can come upon anyone, regardless of how sinful they are. He went on to teach that the need for all people to repent is the true lesson from such tragedies.(Luke 13:1-5)
One common belief, both in our time and in Jesus’ day, relates to individual or collective misfortune. “Who sinned?, the disciples asked, expressing a trend of thinking that physical limitations, like deafness, or blindness, were served up by God as punishment for sin. Some Christians, like Job’s “friends, simply explain suffering as the consequence of sins, known or unknown. In reality, tragedy occurs whether or not a person or country is either innocent or guilty of sin.
In John 9, a man is blind from birth, and Jesus tells the Twelve that this blindness cannot be traced back to this man's sin, or that of his parents. A common saying in the time of the Old Testament prophets concerned sins of parents inflicted upon their children. Jeremiah writes that a day is coming when “People will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes - his own teeth will be set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:29-30) Even then, prophesy foretold Jesus’ words, that through repentance, and God’s Grace, The Lord will “forgive iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34b.)
What should we, as faithful Christians, do in regard to the supposed sins of others? First of all, pray for your enemies - and sinners. In the words of 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.” and in Deuteronomy 32:35, ”It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."
Paul wrote, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
(Romans 12:19 -21)

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

Scripture: Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30

The words “I do!” are only a beginning. So few seem to give any thought as to what that vow, that promise of commitment really means. Our culture seems to be trending further and further from both the need for the device and an understanding of what the word ‘yoke’ means.
First, let’s clarify that I do not mean ‘yolk’ as related to an egg, but yoke, as used by Jesus in Mt. 11:30.
The yoke is used for joining draft animals together, especially oxen, for pulling a plow or cart. A yoke might also be in the form of a frame fitted to the neck and shoulders, enabling a person, especially a servant, to carry a balanced load of two water jars or buckets.
The yoke also symbolized oppression or bondage, as when King Rehoboam promised the people that he would ‘add to their yoke,’ that is, increase their burdensome servitude.(1) Hope for the oppressed has often been expressed in terms of breaking the yoke. (2)
It might seem, then, that the yoke is a symbol of servitude, a burdensome instrument, a linkage to sorrow and despair.
Think for a moment about the many yokes that we might shoulder, yokes that bind us to unhealthy habits, wasteful pastimes, or oppressive relationships. The burden of sin is a heavy yoke indeed.
However, as with many symbols, it is not the device itself that is inherently evil. Literally, yoke means to bind or join. Thus we must not think in terms of the word without considering the relationships between those joined.
For all the negative symbolism implied by the yoke, there are positive aspects as well. To speak of the yoke of holy matrimony is to describe the linking of two in a united relationship: for example - a team, a partner, a mate, a spouse.
This is no less true when we consider our relationship to Jesus. What are we to do after we say “I do!” - That is, after we accept Jesus’ offer of salvation, and say, “Yes, I do accept YOU, LORD, into my heart?”
Note that Jesus did not say, “I have broken your yoke; you are now free to go your own way.” Rather, Jesus has broken your old yoke of bondage to sin, and you have been given a new yoke that is ‘easy, and a new burden that is light, especially as compared to the old servitude. You are yoked to Him, you share His yoke.
You may wish to think of this relationship as Master and servant, certainly one that Jesus spoke of in many of His parables. Considering who He is, His yoke should be neither burdensome, nor oppressive.
Sadly, some seem to disregard the yoked aspect of marriage vows or Jesus vows, preferring to dawdle along, unlinked, blissfully leaving the other to carry the yoke. Some relationship!

(1) 2 Chr 10:1-5; 1 Kg 12:4; 11
(2) Isaiah 9:4.
May 13, 2007

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

Scripture: Paul wrote, "remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you" (Romans 11: 18b, NIV).

Which came first - the chicken or the egg? You can go ‘round and ‘round with this one! You might call it a dilemma, a quandary, a vicious circle; in fact, some call it a “circular cause and consequence.” We assume, of course, that this is a chicken egg. Now, which came first:
The chicken or an egg laid by a chicken?;
The chicken or an egg containing a chicken?;
The chicken, or an egg laid by and containing a chicken?
There are many examples of this ‘vicious circle’ in the real world:
* A graduate can't get a job because they have no experience, and can't get experience because no one will give them a job.
* Companies find it difficult to introduce new consumer media formats - audio and video recording formats, video game console systems, and computer systems. Most consumers won't buy devices for the format until there are many programs to play on those devices but companies won't offer most of their programs in the new format until many customers have the devices.
* An actor cannot join the actor's union unless he has played a role in a union film, but a non-union actor cannot get a role in a union film because he isn't in the union.
A Catch-22, coined by Joseph Heller in his novel Catch-22, is a difficult circumstance from which there is no escape. There are rules, regulations, procedures, or situations in which one has knowledge of being or becoming a victim but has no control over it occurring. Typically, it is a paradox wherein an individual finds him or herself in need of something that can be had only by not being in need of it.
Obviously, there are times when we need to break out of this endless loop.
Many people propose evolution as the way to break the cycle. Mutation and selection, perhaps, so the egg actually becomes something else, a bird, maybe, instead of the parent dinosaur. But -Uh - where did the egg come from?
The Judeo-Christian story of creation describes God creating birds, according to Genesis 1:21; “every living creature that moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind: (Genesis 1:21 (ASV))

A more realistic question for the Christian is the matter of becoming fruitful, especially that of ‘Agape’ (God’s) Love:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”— (Galatians 5:22-23)
In 1 Corinthians 13 there is a section on love: Love suffers long; is kind; does not envy; does not parade itself; does not get 'puffed up'; does not behave rudely; is not provoked; does not think evilly, nor rejoice in sin; rejoices in the truth; bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things; endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
It might be asked, like the chicken and egg question, “Which comes first; the seed or the fruit?” You can start a new fruit tree by planting seed. But, then, again, where does the seed come from? Will the seed reproduce true to a desired type? In this case, the Agape Love of God?
There are other methods of starting a new fruit tree: By taking and rooting cuttings of the original, or by grafting onto a certified rootstock. Paul writes about grafting wild olive branches onto a cultivated olive tree in Romans Chapter 11. As branches, we do not support the root, but the root supports us. (verse 18b) If the root (God) is holy, so are the grafted-in branches.
If we try to become as a fruitful tree by loving as the world loves, our ‘seed’ may only reproduce the worlds variety of love. -
If all you ever do, is what you’ve always done,
All you will ever get is what you’ve always got.
Break out of the cycle; un-do the Catch 22:
Become grafted onto the root of God’s Love by accepting the power of Jesus Christ to break the cycle of sin.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

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

Scripture: Jesus said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30b, NKJV)

What ever did we do for entertainment as we traversed the byways before they developed bumper stickers? Many show the owner’s preference for some place or thing, a red heart indicating “love.” Some announce what the driver would be doing if they were not driving around, perhaps fishing or golfing. Perhaps the real reason they are not indulging in fun stuff is summed up by the little jingle, “I owe, I owe, So off to work I go!”
Ah! Work. That which we do to pay for food and shelter. Hopefully. Better to be able to pay the bills than to have no source of income. Even so, some jobs are a labor of love, and some are just labor. “So off to work we go!”
I have reached that condition in life where I no longer have to go to work. I just wake up, and it is waiting here for me. But that is not all bad. Sure, there are some things that are more dreary than cheery. Tasks that have to be done, like it or not. Like having to dig up and repair a leaky water line to the barn, or pick up rocks from the field we are planting. The type of job that we are glad when it is over. It is finished.
Many jobs I choose to do, willingly, anticipating the end result. Like rejoicing at the first produce from the garden, or admiring a construction project that I have completed. I obviously enjoy writing, else why would I continue to do this?
Again, reaching the completion of the project I can say, “It is finished!” Same words, yet they somehow don’t fully express the emotional difference between the end of the cheery and that of the dreary task. Perhaps, looking at the fruits of my labor on a project that I have chosen as a labor of love, designed, and carried to completion, I might say, “It is accomplished!”
Think about the words from Jesus, hanging on a cross. “Jesus said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
Finish, as in done, ended, over? Finish what? Not His life, for we know from the scriptures that He rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God, the Father. The word used in the Greek text is most often translated as “finished,” but some versions use “accomplish.” Yes, His work, the reason the Word became flesh and lived among us, (John 1:14) was to bring salvation to all people by offering Himself as a single sacrificial offering for sin.
(Hebrews 10:14)
Pontius Pilate claimed to have power to free Jesus, or have Him crucified. Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:10-11)
The crucifixion was indeed brutal, an extreme form of capital punishment, yet necessary to complete the divine plan for salvation. In John 17, vs. 4, Jesus prays to His Father, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished (accomplished) the work which You have given Me to do.”
Does the word matter? Perhaps not. But as you think about the great sacrifice, the single sacrificial offering for sin that brought salvation to all people, rejoice that God’s plan was accomplished. Alleluia!!

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

* Guidance
* Scripture: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6,

I still have, and cherish, a book that I received for Christmas when I was six years old. It is titled, “We Grow Up” - and my reading ability did indeed grow up with that book. I was fascinated by the many stories about the marvels of the times.
Railroads were probably in their golden age. Steam locomotives still held sway, and the sound and sight of an engine in full cry has never been equaled for awesome majesty, in my opinion.
The U.S. Mail rode the rails in those days, and one of the stories in the book told how the mail car snatched the mail from a pouch hanging on a pole alongside the track. I was privileged to observe that magical pickup on the fly at a post office near where we lived.
The U.S. Mail was also taking flight. Early aviators were literally the “Pony Express” of the 1930’s and 40’s. While the railroad engineer was firmly guided by the tracks, the airplane could go wherever the pilot wished, but sometimes too much freedom is not a good thing. More than one pilot found guidance in the ‘trackless skies” by following a railroad track to a known location.
My book told how the aviation beacon system worked. We could see several such beams at night, shining forth their rotating beacons of light, each with a special on and off pattern that identified the location. Pilots could follow the beams from point to point, even if nothing else on the ground was visible.
Another marvel was the new radio navigation system, and I had to take their word for this one, because it was invisible to the eye, and we had no radio to pick up the signals. But the pilot ‘riding the beam’ could hear the tones in his headphones that signaled “Too far right” or “Too far left” and corrected the airplane’s direction until the tone signified “On The Beam” - the true flight path.
We had another book at home that told how to find and follow the moral and spiritual true path - the Bible. I cherish that Book, also.
We are not unlike a railroad train in our early years. We are guided firmly by our parents along a way that constrains us. Yet, even with rails, trains have signs and customs to keep all who travel that route directed safely to the proper destination.
Later, we have freedom to literally “roam the skies.” Even here, too much freedom is not always a good thing. We need guidance, something to keep us “on the beam.” Jesus is that beacon, the beam of light that keeps us from becoming lost in the darkness of sin.
October 30, 2005

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

* Soap
* Scripture: John wrote, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7, NKJV

Ablution! Now there’s a word for you. You probably have not used the word recently, but I sincerely hope you have performed the ritual of ablution recently, and I highly recommend that you do it often. Ablution is the washing of one's body or part of it (as in a religious rite) or the act or action of bathing.
My thoughts wandered to one of the essential elements of the ritual as I was engaged in my ablutions one day, and I accorded the discovery of that product as one of the most beneficial events in the history of humankind.
Now people talk about the lever, inclined plane, and the fulcrum, the values of fire and the wheel, but those discoveries (or inventions, if they be such) are inconsequential when one is ensconced in the bath. You may prefer a washcloth, a brush, a sponge, or even a strigil as used by the ancient Greeks, but people the world over proclaim the wondrous power of - soap!
Thus inspired, and curiosity aroused, I turned to my references to learn what I could of this marvelous stuff.
I already knew, and my dictionary confirmed, that soap is made by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids. Mom used to make a homemade soap, using lye as the alkaline ingredient. Another source for the alkali is wood ashes, so the basic ingredients were available to even the frontier settlers as they moved westward in our country.
A soap-like material found in clay cylinders during the excavation of ancient Babylon is evidence that soap making was known as early as 2800 B.C. Soap and lye for cleansing is mentioned in Jeremiah 2:22, but it is noted that iniquity remained, so soap is not effective against pollution from worshiping idols. Fuller’s (launder’s) soap is mentioned in Malachi 3:2, in reference to the Lord’s cleansing in the day of His coming.
Soap got its name, according to an ancient Roman legend, from Mount Sapo, where animals were sacrificed. Rain washed a mixture of melted animal fat, or tallow, and wood ashes down into the clay soil along the Tiber River. Women found that this clay mixture made their wash cleaner with much less effort.
So there is your connection between worship and soap. Perhaps “cleanliness” is truly next to “Godliness” after all! The ingredients were right there at the altar, even in ancient Israel. Animal sacrifices provided the fats, and the wood ashes the alkali.
It was at the altar that the blood of the First Covenant atoned for sin; it was at the cross that the blood of Christ brought sanctification once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)
The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from sin.
June 5, 2005

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

* Spiritual Chemo
* Scripture: Paul wrote, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13, NKJV)

We would not willingly consume poison, yet, sometimes, that is just what the doctor orders. Chemotherapy is indeed poison, balancing that fine line between destroying cancerous cells, and not killing off the healthy ones. We all probably know of someone who is or has been on chemo. It is not a pleasant experience. Hair loss, nausea, and other undesirable side effects come with the treatment.
Why do people submit to this rather drastic form of medication? Because that is the only thing that will free them from the grip of a life-threatening condition - cancer. In order to gain life, we have to put to death that within the body which has the power to bring death
People can suffer from a spiritual life-threatening malady, as well. We call it sin. The side effects can pull us down and make life every bit as miserable as a physical illness, and can sometimes manifest itself in physical ways.
Paul’s letter to the Galations speaks to the conflict between the flesh and the spirit. In 5:17 he states, “For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another.” He then goes on to list the works of both the flesh and the spirit.
A life of contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, and selfish ambitions defines the works of the flesh. Could such a life style pull one down?
Love, peace, kindness, goodness, and self control are some of the fruits of the spirit, uplifting both body and soul. (See Galations 5:16-26)
Consider that the Bible speaks of two deaths. The first death is physical, such as cancer of the body might bring. The second death is pictured in Revelation, 20:14, and it is not a pretty picture. This is the spiritual death, and those not enrolled in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire with Death and Hades. (NKJV)
The physical body may escape death from cancer by putting to death the cancerous cells, the malignancy that infests the flesh.
The spirit must put to death the malignancy that is sin, in order to escape the second death. That “spiritual chemo” may be accomplished by taking Jesus Christ as the ultimate medicine. Paul writes, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11, NKJV)
If you know someone who suffers from cancer of the Spirit, prescribe “Spiritual chemo.” It’s powerful stuff!
May 1, 2005