Grace to Persevere

Introduction

When I was in seminary, one of the favored sayings at the school was that we are living in the "already/not-yet" of the Kingdom of God. We recognize the "already" of the Kingdom because of the empty tomb. We acknowledge the "already" of the Kingdom through the beautiful relationship with our Savior, through the relationships with our families and friends and particularly through the relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, we know the "not-yet" of the Kingdom all too well as we encounter heinous evil and destruction all around us on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I don't know most of you who read my postings every week. I want you to know that my heart has been heavy for you in my prayers this week. I know from personal experience that life can be terribly difficult at times. For you, maybe another week has gone by without a job offer, maybe you're wondering how you will keep a roof over your family's head, maybe you are struggling with a health matter, perhaps you have lost someone close to you, perhaps you live somewhere where there is constant civil unrest and you fear for yourself and the safety of your family, or maybe you're being persecuted for your faith. Whatever your struggle, know that I have been praying for you this week and if there were any way possible, I would put my arms around you and cry with you if that's what you needed. I know life can be a struggle. I know being faithful in an unfaithful world can stretch not only our faith but our very being to the brink of despair. We pray, we cry, and we pray some more but in the end, when nothing seems to be working, all we can find ourselves doing is crying out to God: Help me!!

The Psalms are replete with examples of poems, songs and prayers that do just this. Many are prayers that boil down to a simple cry for help. The Psalms show us that faith is not some fairytale story where everything is rainbows and butterflies. Many of the Psalms express exactly what we have said or want to say when we struggle and our hearts are breaking and we're ready to quit. There is a consistent theme in many of the Psalms—a cry for help and the desire and strength to be faithful in spite of our struggles. What we’re asking for, what we’re pleading for, what we’re crying for is relief and the Grace to Persevere. In this lesson, I'd like to look at just such a Psalm, or specifically in this case, a section of Psalm 119. The purpose of this lesson is not just a matter of teaching. I know from personal experience that when you are in the storm of your struggles, it can feel as though no one knows or recognizes your pain. I want you to know that even though I don't know you or your specific struggle, I know you're there and I know you're crying out for help. This lesson is for you and my prayer for you is that God would grant you the Grace to Persevere if relief is not God’s will for you.

Psalm 119:81-88

⁸¹ My soul faints with longing for your salvation,

but I have put my hope in your word.

⁸² My eyes fail, looking for your promise;

I say, “When will you comfort me?”

⁸³Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,

I do not forget your decrees.

⁸⁴ How long must your servant wait?

When will you punish my persecutors?

⁸⁵ The arrogant dig pitfalls for me,

contrary to your law.

⁸⁶ All your commands are trustworthy;

help me, for men persecute me without cause.

⁸⁷ They almost wiped me from the earth,

but I have not forsaken your precepts.

⁸⁸ Preserve my life according to your love,

and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

Background Information

The author and the date of this psalm is not specifically known. It has been suggested that some of the possible authors are David, Hezekiah, Jeremiah or Ezra—with the last of these being, perhaps, the most plausible. Arthur Clarke writes, “Many coincidences between the language of the text and the history of Ezra’s time seem to point to the last-named [Ezra]…He was clearly the one who resolved to make God’s Law the governing principle of his life.”[1] Some, however, ascribe authorship to a consortium of wisdom teachers. Nevertheless, Hans-Joachim Kraus writes,

“Psalm 119 is a collection of the statements of the individual Torah piety of postexilic times that originated from the study of Scripture, of Deuteronomic theology, of cultic Torah instruction of an individual, and of the stimulus of wisdom teaching.”[2]

Psalm 119 is “Read at the Feast of Pentecost…The Feast celebrates the giving of the Torah [Law] to Moses at Sinai during the wilderness wandering.”[3] It is creatively written in an acrostic format corresponding to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet with eight verses in each section. There is, however, considerable debate as to its precise form. Some claim it is poetry while others insist it falls strictly under the category of wisdom literature. Krause attempts to grasp the psalm in its entirety when he writes,

“Actually Psalm 119 will have to be described as a ‘necklace,’ or ‘anthology,’ as a complex collection of a special kind. Psalm 119 is close to the category of the didactic poems…And in view of the predominant theme of the whole poem, we would be able to speak of a Torah psalm.”[4]

Verses 81-88 is the section of verses associated with the Hebrew letter “kaph.” “Some writers…pointed out that for the ancients there was often significance in the Hebrew letters. Such is the case here…Kaph is a curved letter, similar to a half circle, and it was often thought of as a hand held out to receive some gift or blessing. Here the author is in need, and he knows that the only one who can answer his need is God. Hence, he holds out his hand toward him as a suppliant.”[5] The overall theme of the psalm as a Torah psalm holds true for this section of verses as well.

Theological Explanation of Key Words

The psalmist begins this section of verses making very clear through the use of the word hlk (Hebrew literal—“failing;” NIV—“faint”) that he is consumed and desperately waiting for God’s salvation—the fulfillment of his promise. The verb form of hlk occurs more than 200 times in the Old Testament and a precise English equivalent meaning is difficult to determine. Generally speaking, the word denotes the completion of something. However, it can be completion or finality in a positive or negative sense. For example, Genesis records the completion, hlk, of the creation of heaven and earth and it is deemed as “good.” “For the most part, however, a negative meaning is associated with hlk.”[6] This negative use is the context for the word in verses 81, 82 and 87. Specifically, in verses 81 & 82 “The vb. also denotes the frailty of human existence…[and] conveys the meaning of wasting and fading away.”[7] The sense of its usage in these verses might best be conveyed “With the English idiom ‘I am dying for.’”[8] The sense of verse 87 seems more dire—the end of life or a worthwhile life may be in view.

In verse 85, tAx+yvi, translated as “pits,” (NIV—“pitfalls”) is an interesting word in light of the verses that follow. Normally the word denotes something that is used to catch animals. “The pit is dug and camouflaged, so that the weight of the animal will land in the pit, where it may be impaled on stakes of left to die of hunger.”[9] This would seem consistent with verse 87 where the psalmist speaks of nearly meeting his end at the hands of his pursuers. Some commentators translate #r<a'_b' in verse 87 as “in the earth” (NIV—“from the earth”) which seems to flow with verse 85 that those who are pursuing him “Wanted to kill him and see him buried.”[10] However, there is another, and I believe, more plausible understanding of the use of tAx+yvi (Hebrew literal—“pits;” NIV—“pitfalls”) in the context of Psalm 119 overall. Remembering that God’s law is the over-arching theme of Psalm 119, “In Ps 119:85 the writer warns of those (arrogant ones) who dig pits, to draw the righteous away from faithfulness of God’s law.”[11] This understanding of the word seems far more accurate in the context of these verses considering the juxtaposition of actions that are “contrary to your law” in verse 85 as compared to the psalmist who does not “forsake your precepts.” Additionally, #r<a<, “Usually denotes earth, but here the context suggests it denotes the attackers’ imperiling of the suppliant’s place in the land or worthwhile life in the land.”[12] This is a critical point since Israelite land and identity are so closely tied together.

Commentary

Verse 81: This verse plunges us into the psalmist’s dire condition as he “Has been consumed with longing for Yhwh to deliver, in light of that word that has been the object of waiting, but deliverance does not come, and that spirit has no energy left.”[13] It is important to note that even though the psalmist is in such distress, he doesn’t trust in his own strength or in the strength of others but instead continues to put his hope in the promises contained in God’s word.

Verse 82: There is an interesting query that is included in verse 82—“When will you comfort me?” Goldingay writes, “The question confronts that promising statement, or rather confronts Yhwh over its not issuing in comfort, in action bringing restoration.”[14] Even though he hoped in God’s word, his distress was so acute that it nevertheless caused him to ask God when he would find relief. At the bedside of a child suffering from the ravages of cancer, a parent may surrender the child to the care of the Father but that doesn’t restrain the inevitable cries of “Why has this happened?” or like the psalmist, “When will you comfort me?”

Verse 83: Ancient people used animal skins to make drinking flasks for water or for wine. Wine skins, “When not in use, are hung up in the room which has no chimney for the escape of smoke.”[15] Anyone who has ever sat around a campfire can well attest to the ravages of smoke. Similarly, a wine skin exposed to smoke becomes useless as the taste of the smoke taints the contents of the wine skin. The psalmist may feel contaminated by a godless world trying to draw him away from being faithful to God’s law, but the purity of God’s law has not been lost to him.

Verse 84: A question is presented in relation to the length of the psalmist’s life and how the psalmist believes God should act that would bring him the comfort he desperately longs for in verse 83—justice! The implication being that his days are few and that God should act quickly before it is too late. Allen writes,

“The persecuting enemies of vv. 84, 86 appear all the blacker against the light of God’s revealed character. Correspondingly, divine faithfulness shines out all the more, and mention of it serves to urge God to act now in conformity with it.”[16]

Verse 85: The psalmist is asking to be saved from those who do not follow God’s law and are trying to corrupt him and draw him away from being a faithful follower of God’s law. This familiar Old Testament metaphor of digging a pit to capture a wild animal is illustrative of the fact that those who do not follow God’s law willfully choose to do so and actively seek to draw others away from being faithful followers as well.

Verse 86: There are few things in life more painful than being falsely accused of something and not being immediately vindicated. The psalmist’s frustration with false accusations and God’s inaction becomes evident. “The argument is that Yhwh’s commands, all of them, are truthful in their promise that life will work out for people who heed them.”[17] In desperation, there’s no time for long speeches and supplications. Instead, the psalmist prays what any of us would pray—“Help!”

Verse 87: There are two key words in this verse: “Almost” and “But.” Those persecuting the psalmists falsely almost succeeded in their efforts at drawing him away from faithfully following God’s law and therefore forfeit his inheritance #r<a'_b' (“in the land”) but they failed and he reiterates that he has faithfully observed all of God’s precepts.

Verse 88: The psalmist is able to continue being faithful to God’s commands even when the world seems to be crashing in on him through God’s kindness or in a word; “Grace!” The words “Make me alive” are more than a reference to God’s deliverance. They communicate that it is by God’s grace alone that the psalmist has the strength to endure the persecution of a world that willfully disobeys God’s laws and actively seeks to draw him away from obedience to the commands given to us directly from the mouth of God.

Application

Sex, money and power have as their commonality a vehicle through which humanity has the opportunity to either be obedient or disobedient to God’s commands. The ever-increasing divorce rates, soaring personal and national debt and the exploitation of those who are most vulnerable in our society is an object lesson of how sex, money and power can serve as instruments of disobedience. These verses are a common refrain for followers who persevere in a life that is lived in the world but not of the world. There is great pain and yet great hope in this tension. I have seen how healthy relationships (sexual and otherwise) that are based on God’s truths are a model of strength and inspiration that serve to perpetuate faithful obedience to God’s truths in future generations. Likewise I have seen money used in service to God to feed starving people around the world or provide adequate shelter for those living in cardboard shacks. Finally, I have witnessed, in my generation, powerful social justice movements of people like Martin Luther King who used his power, based on the truth of God’s word, to inaugurate the Civil Rights Movement.

However, those trying to draw the faithful away from God’s word also have at their disposal sex, money and power as part of their arsenal to wage war against the faithful. No doubt there are countless people who are victims of infidelity in their relationships, who deal dishonestly with other people’s money and who overstep their authority over others. It rarely makes the news unless there is some sort of public outcry. However, when it involves a Christian, it becomes front page news! Deceiving or leading a Christian astray is tantamount to a trophy kill that is mounted on the wall for everyone to see. It’s no wonder that the psalmist used the metaphor that his pursuers where digging pits to capture him since that was the common way ancient people captured and killed animals they hunted. However, the faithful in all ages have depended on the same thing to give them the strength to endure in a world that actively pursues them in order to draw them away from being faithful—God’s grace! The psalmist’s petition for God to give him life so that he could be faithful to God is the same as Jesus’ prayer for his disciples and applies to all those who seek to be obedient to God in a world that is hostile toward God and those who would be faithful to him:

“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” (John 17:14-16)

As believers, we are not of this world yet we have to live in this world and that means we have to endure the struggles associated with this life. We have tasted the “already” aspect of the Kingdom of God when we believed in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. However, we have also tasted the bitterness of the “not-yet” aspect of the Kingdom of God when our sin, the sins of others or the brokenness of creation generally smash our lives against the rocks. Yet it is precisely when our lives are tangled in this “not-yet” aspect of the Kingdom of God that God’s strength can be manifest in our lives. It is precisely at this darkest moment that God’s glory shines the brightest for all to see in our lives. We may feel like our strength is failing as we cry out to God for help. Yet we are somehow not crushed. Instead, even as we strain under the weight of our struggles, God gives us the strength to say with the psalmist: “All your commands are trustworthy…I have not forsaken your precepts…I will obey the statutes of your mouth.” We may not understand the purpose of our struggles or why God seems to take his time to rescue us. But one thing is certain when everything in our lives seems so uncertain—God will give us the Grace to Persevere.

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[1] Arthur G. Clarke, Analytical Studies in the Psalms, (Grand Rapids, MI, Kregel Publications, 1979), p. 293.

[2] Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalms 60-150 A Commentary, (Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg Fortress, 1989), p. 414.

[3] Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford, Introduction to the Psalms, (St. Louis, MO, Chalice Press, 2004), p. 119.

[4] Kraus, Psalms 60-150 A Commentary, p. 411.

[5] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms, Vol. 3, (Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Books, 1998), p. 1009.

[6] Willem A. VanGemeren, ed., Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, Vol. 2, (Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), pp. 641-642.

[7] Ibid.

[8] A. Cohen, The Psalms, (London, England, Soncino Press, 1968), p. 405.

[9] Willem A. VanGemeren, ed., Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, Vol. 4, (Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), p.62.

[10] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms, Vol. 3, (Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Books, 1998), p. 1,009.

[11] VanGemeren, Dictionary of Old Testament, Vol. 4, p.62.

[12] John Goldingay, Psalms, Vol. 3, (Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Books, 2008), p. 414.

[13] Ibid., p. 412.

[14] Ibid.

[15] A. Cohen, The Psalms, p. 405.

[16][16] Leslie C. Allen, Word Biblical Commentary-Psalms 101-50, Vol. 21, (Nashville, TN, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002), p. 189.

[17] Goldingay, Psalms, p. 413.

A Matter of Trust

Introduction

It's said that it takes countless acts of faithfulness and honest dealings to earn someone's trust; that trust is earned over a long period of time. However, that hard-earned trust can be lost in an instant of one single indiscretion or dishonest act. Thereafter, restoring trust can prove to be more difficult than earning the trust in the first place. In fact, if an act of broken trust is egregious enough (although such an act is quite subjective) trust may never again be restored. In such a case, true and intimate relationship is not possible. Trust is a precarious matter. In our culture in particular, trust seems to be an easily expendable commodity. Husbands are dishonest with their wives, wives are dishonest with their husbands, children are dishonest with their parents, neighbors are dishonest with each other, and politicians...don't even get me started on that! Trust, however, is far more than a matter of being honest or dishonest. Trust is the fundamental element and basis for all healthy relationships. It encompasses our speech, our actions and our attitudes toward one another. If you're not quite sure that you agree or understand my point, consider for a moment if it would be possible for the world to exist if you could not trust anyone. Before you dismiss my point, consider the many times you blindly trust everyday: For those of you who wear contacts, you trust that someone hasn't replaced your contact solution with acid. For those of you who have bank accounts, you trust that those at the bank won't steal your hard-earned money. For those of you who are students, you trust that your teachers won't arbitrarily give you an "F" on all of your work. I can give you countless other examples but I'm hoping you get my point, we must trust in order to function in our society. Most important of all is the roll trust plays in our relationships. We can, of course, be in relationship with people without trusting them entirely. However, such relationships are really only functionary. In other words, these are relationships where people just use each other for what they need and/or want. These are not relationships rooted in love for another, for love requires trust. Specifically, with respect to our relationship with God, everything is a matter of trust.

Trust is a very important theological concept forged in the fire of the Old Testament first and thereafter passing through the refiner's fire in the New Testament. However, as is often the case, the English translation of the Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek fails to fully convey the relational depth of biblical trust. Therefore, the purpose of this lesson is to take a close look at the biblical meaning of "trust" with particular attention to its use and development in the Old Testament with added elaboration from the New Testament.

Meaning

The Hebrew word for “trust” is jfb (bth). The word occurs 120 times in the Old Testament with 44 occurrences alone in the Psalms and a significant number in the book of Isaiah as well.[1] “Trust is a concept of central importance in the OT. It expresses that which is, or at least should be, central in people’s relationship with God.”[2] Brennan Manning writes,

“Trust is the rare and priceless treasure that wins us the affection of our heavenly Father. For him it has both charm and fascination. Among his countless children, whom he so greatly loves and whom he heaps with tenderness and favors, there are few indeed, who truly entrusting themselves to him, live as veritable children of God. There are as few who respond to his goodness by a trust at once filial and unshaken. And so it is that he welcomes with a love of predilection those souls, all too few in number, who in adversity as in joy, in tribulation and consolation, unfalteringly trust in his paternal love. Such souls truly delight and give immense pleasure to the heart of their heavenly Father. There is nothing he is not prepared to give them. ‘Ask of me half of my Kingdom’ he cries to the trusting soul, and ‘I will give it to you.”[3]

The primary meaning of jfb (bth) is “to trust” or “to feel secure” while in other less frequent cases it can mean “to be confident,” “carefree” or “unsuspecting.” In the causative Hebrew stem of the word, its usage means “to cause to rely on someone or something” or “to inspire confidence.”[4]

Historical Development

Historically, however, it is difficult to determine the specific development of the word. In part that’s because its primary use in many of the passages of the Psalms is difficult to date because those particular Psalms are difficult to date. Adding to the difficulty of determining the word’s development is its use to describe man often in a negative sense while at the same time describing God in a positive sense. It is, however, believed that Isaiah was influential in the usage of the word.

“Weiser refers to Isa. 30:15 and argues that Isaiah played an important role in the history of the word, but it is doubtful whether he really gave so much impetus to its development. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to emphasize that the root bth is intimately connected with Wisdom Literature…Isaiah, whose language is strongly influenced by Wisdom terminology, could have used the form bitchah in order to express the peculiar idea of ‘trust’ in God. Afterward there arose a greater and greater distinction between the two usages of bth depending on whether a particular passage was speaking of man or of God.”[5]

This finding certainly bears out when considering the varied uses of jfb (bth) throughout the Old Testament. Trust is rarely if ever a quality that is associated with man but always a quality associated with God.

Usage

The uses of jfb (bth) can be more specifically categorized as 1) Trust that is taken for granted; 2) False security (trusting in the wrong things); and 3) Trust in God. An example of trust taken for granted can be found in Proverbs 3:29; “Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.” This usage makes clear that there is an unspoken trust that is taken for granted between neighbors that must be honored. Likewise, there are numerous examples of admonitions against false securities throughout the Old Testament. Particularly prominent is the false security in riches as expressed in Proverbs 11:28; “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall…” Although there are countless examples of this throughout the Old Testament, it is particularly useful to recall Jesus’ parable of the rich farmer who, when he prospered, simply built bigger barns for his crops. He trusted his future to his agricultural wealth and neglected the fact that God is the author of life and death—an extremely good example of false security. Another example of false security in the Old Testament is the false security found in fortified cites, weapons, horses, chariots and warriors. For example, Isaiah 31:1 records an admonition; “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.” Ultimately, there are no longer any kingdoms or empires in existence today that existed during the Old Testament age—yet God is the same today as he was then. Finally, the positive usage of the word is particularly prominent in reference to true security that can be found in God alone. This is the clearest usage yet of the word. We can read one of the many examples of this in Jeremiah 17:7; “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.” This stands in sharp contrast to Jeremiah’s admonition a few verses earlier in verse five where he writes, “This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.” When considering the use of jfb (bth) in its entirety, an unmistakable principle begins to emerge—trust in anything other than God alone is fleeting at best and destructive at worst. Primarily because trust in anything other than God involves being in “relationship” with something or someone (including ourselves) that has been distorted by the ravages of sin. This point cannot be over-emphasized. “Thus the feeling of being secure in God is the only certain support for human life.”[6]

Theological Significance

The concept of trust is crucial within the understanding of our theological construct. As stated previously, “It expresses that which is, or at least should be, central in people’s relationship with God.”[7] It is important to note that there are significant sections of the Old Testament that do not include the word jfb (bth). This is particularly important when we consider that those sections are the books of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers and Samuel which include the narratives of such biblical greats as Abraham, Moses and David! “This instantly shows that it would be foolish solely to focus attention of the specific occurrences of a certain Heb. root…and that one must consider the concept of a certain type of relationship with God that is represented by the specific word.”[8] Nowhere is this relational concept more evident than in the words of Christ recorded in John 14:1; “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” Although “trust” is derived not from the Hebrew in this case but from the Greek verb pisteuo, which is also translated as “believe,” and the Greek noun pistis which is translated “faith,” the principle of relationship is the same. Christ is building a foundation upon which a relationship with him can be erected and that foundation is firmly planted on the bedrock of “trust” in a God whom they already knew to be good, holy and faithful. Therefore, when considering both the negative and the positive usage of the word jfb (bth), a clear relational theme begins to emerge. Yet a simple word study can fall short of painting a clear picture of the theological and relational significance that is intended to be conveyed.

“The story line of faith and its relational dynamics are the reasons that word studies will fail theology as a method for discussing faith in the Pentateuch. The hazards of word studies are well illustrated by the virtual absence of ‘trust’ in the Pentateuch. ‘Trusting in the Lord’ is clearly related to ‘faith’ and is well represented in Psalms and Proverbs (batah, ‘to trust’). The idea of trusting or not trusting God is reflected in many of the pentateuchal stories and exhortations, but it is not reflected in the characteristic vocabulary of the Pentateuch.”[9]

Particularly in those pentateuchal narratives, God is depicted consistently trying to realign the relationships of his people away from trusting in governments, people, self, riches, strength, influence or appearances, all of which have been distorted by sin and are destined to perish, and move them back into relationship with himself—the God who is perfect, holy, unchanging and eternal. Ultimately, the theological concept conveyed by the word jfb (bth) is perhaps the most important of all biblical concepts as Manning writes, “The stakes here are enormous, for I have not said in my heart, ‘God exists,’ until I have said, ‘I trust you.’ The first assertion is rational, abstract, a matter perhaps of natural theology, the mind laboring at its logic.  The second is ‘communion, bread on the tongue from an unseen hand.’ Against insurmountable obstacles and without a clue as to the outcome, the trusting heart says, ‘Abba, I surrender my will and my life to you without any reservation and with boundless confidence, for you are my loving Father.’”[10]

Application

            The bible is replete with characters that model godly trust for us. Whether it’s Abraham leaving his home at God’s command before even knowing where he was going, or Daniel who trusted that God would protect him from Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace, or Peter getting out of the boat to walk on water or Jesus allowing himself to be crucified, we are quite familiar with the biblical examples of trust. But what does this trust look like in our everyday lives? Is trust emotional, psychological, physical or spiritual? The short answer is: It’s all of those things at various times in our lives; We cry out in our sorrow and pain for the God who comforts us, we confidently live our lives in the knowledge that God is sovereign, our actions reflect the fact that God is in control of what we say and do, and our spirit longs for the day when we can spend eternity with God. Don’t get me wrong, trust is far from easy. Manning writes, “Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing because it often demands a degree of courage that borders on the heroic…It requires heroic courage to trust in the love of God no matter what happens to us.”[11] Trust is a precious commodity in God’s economy and those who trust their families, relationships, finances, careers, etc. to God’s care won’t be disappointed (cf. Rom 10:11). Being in a love relationship with the Creator of the universe requires, devotion, worship, discipline, humility along with countless other actions and attitudes. However, above all else, our love relationship with God ultimately boils down to simply A Matter of Trust.

            I’d like to share an excerpt from William Young’s wonderful novel, The Shack, that illustrates my point about the relational dynamic of trust. Without giving away the story, the main character, Mack, has lost his little girl to a serial child molester/killer while camping with his other two children. In his grief, he searches for her and finds himself in “the shack” where, it turns out, his daughter was killed. There, he has an encounter with all three persons of the Trinity. In the particular scene I want to share, a grieving and angry Mack is having a meal with Papa (the Father), Sarayu (the Spirit) and Jesus (the Son). Mack asks what any reasonable person would ask in his position: Why? That’s where we’ll pick up the conversation with Papa speaking.

            “We created you, the human, to be in face-to-face relationship with us, to join our circle of love. As difficult as it will be for you to understand, everything that has taken place is occurring exactly according to this purpose, without violating choice or will.

            “How can you say that with all the pain in this world, all the wars and disasters that destroy thousands?” Mack’s voice quieted to a whisper. “And what is the value in a little girl being murdered by some twisted deviant?” There it was again, the question that lay burning a hole in his soul. “You may not cause those things, but you certainly don’t stop them.”

            “Mackenzie,” Papa answered tenderly, seemingly not offended in the least by his accusation, “there are millions of reasons to allow pain and hurt and suffering rather than to eradicate them, but most of those reasons can only be understood within each person’s story. I am not evil. You are the ones who embrace fear and pain and power and rights so readily in your relationships. But your choices are also not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome.”

            “You see,” interjected Sarayu, “broken humans center their lives around things that seem good to them, but that will neither fill them nor free them. They are addicted to power, or the illusion of security that power offers. When a disaster happens, those same people will turn against the false power they trusted. In their disappointment, they either become softened toward me or they become bolder in their independence. If you could only see how all of this ends and what we will achieve without the violation of one human will—then you would understand. One day you will.”

            “But the cost!” Mack was staggered. “Look at the cost—all the pain, all the suffering, everything that is so terrible and evil.” He paused and looked down at the table. “And look what it has cost you. Is it worth it?”

            “Yes!” came the unanimous, joyful response of all three.

            “But how can you say that?” Mack blurted. “It all sounds like the end justifies the means, that to get what you want you will go to any length, even if it costs the lives of billions of people.”

            “Mackenzie.” It was the voice of Papa again, especially gentle and tender. “You really don’t understand yet. You try to make sense of the world in which you live based on a very small and incomplete picture of reality. It is like looking at a parade through the tiny knothole of hurt, pain, self-centeredness, and power, and believing you are on your own and insignificant. All of these contain powerful lies. You see pain and death as ultimate evils and God as the ultimate betrayer, or perhaps, at best, as fundamentally untrustworthy. You dictate the terms and judge my actions and find me guilty. The real underlying flaw in your life, Mackenzie, is that you don’t think that I am good. If you knew I was good and that everything—the means, the ends, and all the processes of individual lives—is all covered by my goodness, then while you might not always understand what I am doing, you would trust me. But you don’t.”

            “I don’t?” asked Mack, but it was not really a question. It was a statement of fact and he knew it. The others seemed to know it too and the table remained silent.

            Sarayu spoke. “Mackenzie, you cannot produce trust just like you cannot ‘do’ humility. It either is or is not. Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved. Because you do not know that I love you, you cannot trust me.”

            Again there was silence, and finally Mack looked up at Papa and spoke. “I don’t know how to change that.”

            “You can’t, not alone. But together we will watch that change take place. For now I just want you to be with me and discover that our relationship is not about performance or you having to please me. I’m not a bully, not some self-centered demanding little deity insisting on my own way. I am good, and I desire only what is best for you. You cannot find that through guilt or condemnation or coercion, only through a relationship of love. And I do love you.”…

            “One last comment,” he [Mack] added, turning back. “I just can’t imagine any final outcome that would justify all this.”

            “Mackenzie.” Papa rose out of her chair and walked around the table to give him a big squeeze. “We’re not justifying it. We are redeeming it.”[12]

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[1]Abraham Evan-Shoshan, A New Concordance of the Bible, (Jerusalem, Kiryat Sefer Publishing House, 1997) pp. 164-165.

[2] Willem A. VanGemeren, ed., New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, Vol. 1, (Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1997) p. 644.

[3] Brenan Manning, Ruthless Trust, (New York, NY, HarperCollins Publishers, 2000) p. 3.

[4] David J. A. Clines,ed., The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew,(Sheffield, England, Sheffield Academic Press, 1995) p. 120.

[5] Ibid., p. 94.

[6] Ibid., p. 93.

[7] Willem A. VanGemeren, ed., Dictionary of Old Testment Theology & Exegesis, p. 644.

[8] Ibid., p. 648.

[9] T. Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker, eds., Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, (Downers Grove, IL, InterVarsity Press, 2003), p. 281.

[10] Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust, pp. 6-7.

[11] Ibid., pp. 3-4.

[12] William P. Young, The Shack, (Newbury Park, CA: Windblown Media, 2007), pp. 124-127.

A Life Transformed

Introduction

I know a number of people who I can only describe as being hopelessly stoic. They have an almost robotic control over their emotions. I'm not saying that's good or bad; what I'm saying is that it doesn't describe me. There are just some things that at times evoke so much emotion in me that I just can't hold back tears. Often it's tears of joy when it comes to how I feel about my family. Sometimes it's tears of sadness when I think of the good friends I have lost far too soon. Sometimes, however, I have shed tears that are difficult to describe, they are tears of joy, sorrow and hope all mixed together when I meditate on my relationship with Jesus. I don't know if that makes sense but my emotions are wrapped up in the joy of being so deeply loved by Jesus, the sorrow of what my sins cost Jesus and the hope of spending eternity with Jesus. Luke tells the story of a woman who washes Jesus' feet with her tears and then dries his feet with her hair. Many of you are quite familiar with this story and if you're like me, you've always assumed that her tears must have something to do with the fact that she's identified as a "sinful woman" and is seeking some favor from Jesus. Well let's reserve our judgment of that until after we've had an opportunity to take a closer look at the story. Perhaps there is another explanation for her tears.

Luke 7:36-50

³⁶ Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, ³⁸ and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is–that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 

⁴¹ “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven–for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Context

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It has so many teaching elements and intricacies that it has the potential of applying to all of us in some respect. Before we begin on the details of our text, it's important, as usual, to understand the context. At the beginning of Chapter 7, we learn that Jesus has entered the city of Capernaum where he heals the servant of a Roman Centurian. Thereafter, Jesus travels south about twenty miles to the town of Nain. In Nain, Jesus encounters a funeral procession and proceeds to raise the dead son of a widow. While in Nain, something very important happened, John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him if He was the One, the long-awaited Messiah, or should they expect another. 7:22 records Jesus' now famous response to John when he says: "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is preached to the poor." These words will have special meaning for us as we dig deeper into our text.

Setting The Stage

V. 36 sets the stage for our story. Jesus is invited to dinner at a Pharisee's house. If you could only read this first verse and nothing else, what do you picture the dinner would be like? Can you think of one time when an encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees ended well? You don't have to go very far back in Luke's text for an object lesson in what happens when you mix Jesus and the Pharisees (cf. 5:21-26, 5:30-39, 6:6-11). But we’ll soon see that this encounter turns out to be far less contentious; perhaps even an opportunity for transformation for this Pharisee. In this middle-eastern setting, dinner guests lounged on the floor around a "U" shaped table with their feet away from the table. It is important to remember that people traveled by foot along the same travel routes as animals. Consequently, sandaled feet could be quite disgusting at times. This provides the opportunity for devotion to Jesus that follows. 

An Unwelcome Guest?

The first curious observation about vv. 37-38 is that a woman, identified as one who "lived a sinful life" shows up in the Pharisee's house along with Jesus. Not so curious, however, when we understand the custom of their day. Darrell Bock writes, "At special meals the door was left open, so uninvited guests could enter, sit by the walls, and hear the conversation...That the woman's actions are rebuked and her presence is not suggests a special, public meal."[1] However, her presence in the home poses a difficult problem for the Pharisee committed to "holiness and purity laws attached to Pharisaic meal practices."[2]

The woman is only identified as one who "lived a sinful life." Historically, it has been assumed that she is either a prostitute or an adulteress of some sort since her sin is obviously quite public. More important is the scene that unfolds before us as this woman washes Jesus' feet with her tears. The English translation does not do justice to the scene. The woman is not quietly crying. Instead, "The weeping is obviously significant, because the term used to describe it, is also used to describe rain showers."[3] The woman goes on to dry Jesus' feet with her hair, kissed them and then anointed them with expensive perfume. Contrast this with the how the Pharisee greeted Jesus when he entered his home; he did nothing for Jesus. Although it was not specifically required, guests, especially honored guests, would have their feet washed by a house servant or at least given fresh water to wash their own feet, would be greeted with a kiss on the cheek or hand and then would be anointed by having a small amount of common olive oil poured on their heads. The Pharisee did none of this while the woman went far beyond what was required.

In v. 39, the Pharisee calls into question Jesus' credentials as a "prophet" because he believes Jesus is unknowingly being defiled by a "sinner" and a "true prophet" would know she is a sinner and distance himself from her. Keep in mind that the text is clear that the Pharisee thought these things "to himself." In vv. 40-43, Jesus tells a parable in response to the Pharisee's thoughts. We often breeze right over this part of the text to get to Jesus' parable and forget the divine significance of this point. Imagine for a moment what it would be like to sit across from someone who knows everything you are thinking! It is unlikely that this particular Pharisee ever questioned Jesus' prophetic credentials again. 

An Important Lesson

The parable in vv. 40-43 tells the story of two debtors; one owing 500 denarii and the other owing 50 denarii and that neither could pay back their debt. It is difficult to contextualize this part of the story because we are unfamiliar with the value of a denarii. Historically, 25 denarii would be approximately one month's wage for the average person. However, this does not begin to explain the extremity of these two numbers. In modern terms, the sense of disparity would be analogous to the difference between an average car loan and an average house loan. In other words, there is a monumental difference between the two debts.

There is an important characteristic to note in the interaction between Jesus and this Pharisee that we do not find anywhere else in Scripture; Jesus addresses him by his first name; Simon. This is intensely personal and should not be overlooked. In most cases, Jesus is very harsh with Pharisees because he knows they are usually being disingenuous in their words and actions. But with Simon, Jesus takes a much softer approach by addressing him personally.

Jesus goes on to tell the story that the debt of each man is forgiven and asks Simon which man would love more as a result. Simon answers correctly yet his answer is nevertheless prefixed with the words "I suppose." Simon is obviously being very careful with his answers but it's too late, he's answered it correctly and unknowingly indicted himself in the process. Jesus' point of the parable is that God is the creditor and the two debtors represent the woman who owes much and Simon who owes little (even if that's only in his mind) and that the level of love and gratitude is directly related to the magnitude of the grace and forgiveness received.

The Start Of A New Life

In vv. 44-49, Jesus justifies the woman's actions as those of one who has received forgiveness for her many sins. Some mistakenly take this text to mean that Jesus has forgiven her because of her actions toward him. However, it is clear from the text that she has had an encounter with Jesus prior to them having arrived at the dinner. The force of the parable makes clear that love is generated after the debt is cancelled and not as a means to receive the favor to cancel a debt. "In fact, the reference to forgiveness in the [Greek] perfect tense [v. 47] stresses that she is in a state of forgiveness."[4] Instead, Jesus' public pronouncement of the woman's previous forgiveness is a means of restoring her to the community. "His words are unnecessary as far as she as an individual was concerned; she has already been forgiven and has acted in accordance with her new-found freedom. Others, however, are unaware of her new state and, like Simon, will continue to regard her as 'a woman known in the city as a sinner.' She does not need forgiveness from God, but she does need recognition of her new life and forgiveness among God's people."[5] Unfortunately, as is often the case, some people completely ignore what just happened and focus on Jesus' act of forgiveness as something that only God has the authority to do without considering the possibility that Jesus does, in fact, have that authority because he is "the One" that John was referring to in 7:19.

Remember earlier I said that Jesus told John the good news was being preached to the poor? Well this woman would have been considered one of the poor in Jesus' mind. She was poor spiritually, physically and socially. However, Jesus' pronouncement in v. 50 "Cannot be limited to 'spiritual' well-being or even, in other co-texts, to 'physical' vitality, but speaks of a restoration to wholeness, including (even if not limited to) restoration to the full social intercourse from which she has been excluded."[6]

Application

Some people glean from this text that there is a hierarchy of sin either in quality or in quantity. Although this may be true culturally, it is not necessarily true theologically or more specifically soteriologically. In other words, all sin requires forgiveness and reconciliation. The force of this teaching revolves around the perception of our own sin. Specifically, most of us believe we are quite good at objectifying and categorizing someone else's sin as being either egregious or benign in nature. However, we are rarely harsh about our own sin as we compare them to the sins of others. In fact, when we think about it, it's actually difficult to list the people who have sinned less than we have! In other words, God is probably thankful that he has people like us since the scale is already so heavily tipped toward those awful "sinners." I'm being cynical of course (sort of). But at various times in my life, I have played the role of both debtors from Jesus' parable. I can speak from personal experience that during the times in my life when I played the role of Simon, my relationship with Jesus was distant and cold. However, during the times of my life when I played the role of the "sinner," I was desperately in love with Jesus and my relationship with Him flourished. There is a two-fold lesson to be learned from our subject text. The first is our attitude toward sinners. Bock writes, "It is so easy to wall people off subtly from God and give the impression they are beyond God's reach, rather than trying sincerely to bring them into the sphere of God's forgiveness."[7] We must make a conscious effort to continuously reach out to sinners with our words and in our actions to demonstrate "The love of God expressed in the offer of forgiveness."[8] The second lesson is the constant and honest assessment of our own sin; not in comparison to the sins of others but in terms of what our sin cost Jesus. Specifically, "sin" cost Jesus his life-any sin, all sin, every sin-just to make it clear. There is no sin that would not have cost Jesus his life. This means that when we kneel before Christ at the foot of the cross, we are all equal—first sinners then forgiven. Armed with that knowledge, how will it affect your life? Have you experienced spiritual, physical, emotional, and/or relational restoration? If you have, then you too can claim that you have experienced A Life Transformed.

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[1] Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50 Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994), pp. 694-695.

[2] Joel Green, The Gospel of Luke, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), p. 308.

[3] Bock, ECNT, p. 696.

[4] Bock, ECNT, p. 703.

[5] Green, NICNT, p. 314.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Darrell Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), p. 224.

[8] Ibid.