Posted by Pastor Pat on July 2, 2009
“Even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”
Read Mark 7:24-30
Mark’s accounting of this story is direct and terse. Matthew provides necessary embellishment that enhances the encounter. Together they form a remarkable story of how our Lord is merciful. Mark places this story in contrast to the interaction with the religious leaders. The Pharisees and Scribes are arguing over whether or not one should eat with unwashed hands, and Jesus ministers to a Gentile woman whose daughter is demon possessed. The disparity could not be more stark. How many times do we “hyperventilate” over the unimportant only to overlook the dying lying at our feet? Although it would appear His actions are insensitive (”He did not answer her a word”) and His words are demeaning (”throw it to the dogs”), what we cannot feel is the look in His eyes and the expression of His face.
The woman was consumed by her grief. Her condition was agitated and her actions were aggressive. Her circumstance removed all protocol and etiquette. Without shame or restraint, she pursued our Lord with her petition. Her daughter, her little daughter was cruelly possessed by a demon. As a Canaanite, an outcast and dog to the Jew, she came and prostrated herself before, “The Son of David.” Her petition was simple, “Lord, help me, have mercy on me.”
Our Lord makes the comment, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In this He affirms what is true. Yet what is true in this one statement is not the truth in its entirety. The story of God has the hero coming to Israel and through Israel to the world. Jesus knows this, but His audience and those closest to Him do not. The Book of Acts testifies to the slow manner in which His people “get it.”
Although “the children [must be] satisfied first” it does not mean only or exclusively. It is only after the children eat that the “dogs” partake of what is left. The intent of the imagery is not for us to conclude that the gospel brought to the Gentiles is but mere crumbs and a poor reflection of the real thing, but rather to show how the Gentiles were always a part of God’s story. Our Lord’s response to her faith is unique and the Bible records only a smattering of such statements (cf. Matt. 8:10). All of this is set in contrast to the prevailing condition of the religious establishment. God wants us to see and understand the nature of what He is doing. How many times have we inadvertently developed an attitude and response of religious bigotry toward those who are different than us? It is understandable and easy to gather around and interact with those similar to ourselves. It is only natural. But Christianity is supernatural. Christianity breaks down barriers. Christianity places everyone, everywhere, at all times on an equal plan of need and inability. Only God makes people right before Him. As such, no one is any better or worse than anyone else.
Often ethnicity, geography, and culture cause us to develop prejudices toward others who do not “fit” into our conditioned ideals. This makes us look at others like the disciples looked at this Canaanite woman. It is this ingrained distaste for those who are different that makes us insensitive to their crushing need. We cannot look past the form to observe the brokenness. This story moves us from our preconceived notions as to who God is and what He does, to see that He is the God of mercy and compassion. We know the letter of the law, but do we know its spirit? The entire law is summed up in one idea, “Love God.” Consequentially, “Love one another, . . . even your enemies.” Jesus fully understood what the law stated, but He equally understood the intent of the law. He was capable of looking past the letter and holding fast to the spirit. This must be equally true for His people. It is only as we look past the letter to the spirit that we can effectively minister to our immediate community. In many ways we are no better than the religious leaders of His day. Although we are incapable of judging their motives, we can clearly see how our Lord addressed this Canaanite woman. May God help us to be more like Jesus and less like the religious establishment as we seek to “shout the supremacy of God in our immediate community.”
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on June 28, 2009
Read Mark 7:1-23
Remember to whom Mark writes. He is writing to a Roman audience, a Gentile audience. He is showing how they are included in the redemptive purpose of God to secure for Himself a people who will love Him and worship Him forever. It is these people who will enjoy the presence of God forever. Although this truth caused the religious establishment to put Him to death, it caused the larger world to rejoice.
In the purpose of God for the redemption of His people, worshippers from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation were intentionally included. Many within the Jewish religion excluded Gentiles from a redemptive hope. Jesus forcefully shows how Gentiles were a part of God’s plan all along.
The same tension continued to exist with Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10. In Acts 10 we have the vision to Peter declaring that all foods are clean (10:1-23). The Holy Spirit then falls on the Gentiles, just as He did in Acts 2 (10:23-48). Peter defends Gentile inclusion (11:1-18) and the church in Antioch grows strong in the Spirit (11:19-30).
34 “Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. 36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)… 39 We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,… 42 And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins‘” (Acts 10:34-36, 39, 40, 42, 43).
The early church continued to wrestle with this idea in the book of Galatians and then at the church council of Acts 15. Yet, it is clear from Mark 7:1-23 that Jesus removed any man made barriers and wrong conclusions concerning the dietary laws of the nation of Israel.
The New Testament openly testifies to the inclusion of people from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation. Salvation is not defined by ethnicity. Among the people of God, there are no privileged people groups. God has made from both Jew and Gentile one new man (Eph. 2:15). May God cause us to see the largeness to His redemptive purpose, and may we see this both locally, nationally, and globally as we continue to become a church planting church.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on June 24, 2009
But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” (Mark 6:37)
Mark appears to emphasize the fragile and frazzled existence of Christ and His disciples. No matter where they turned, the masses waited with their needs. This thought has two immediate applications. First, in vocational ministry “life” can be very consuming. People have needs and if anyone attempts to meet those needs in their own strength, they will fail physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The pace alone when engaging in vocational ministry will consume the individual. It has been said, “Ministry makes a terrible mistress” and “the ministry will take all you have, never set boundaries and never thank you for what you’ve given.” Second, simply living is consuming. No matter who you are or what your station is in life, it is demanding and draining. The question is, “How do we exist with physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being without disengaging?” “How do we rest in Him no matter what the storm offers? Let us consider the thought as it is found in Mark 6:37.
“This miracle is mentioned by all the four evangelists. It is one of the most astonishing that Christ has wrought. It is a miracle which could not be counterfeited, and a full proof of the divinity of Christ.” (Adam Clarke’s New Testament Commentary on Mark 6:44).
In the feeding of the multitude, our Lord again “tests” His disciples to see if they are getting it. He had already given them authority to preach, to deliver, and to heal. He has sent them out as ambassadors of His kingdom, thus His statement was genuine in verse 37. Notice with me the additional narrative John gives to this story in John 6:6, “This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.”
Mark uses the word “test” 1) of our Lord’s test in the wilderness (Mark 1:13; 10:2; 12:15) and 2) of the Pharisees and Sadducees seeking to test Jesus (Mark 8:11). Jesus is now testing His disciples. The entire story is rooted in verse 37. Place verse 37 in the context of vv. 7-13, 30-32. “Jesus uses the emphatic personal pronoun to make the message plain: ‘You give them something to eat‘” ([emphasis added] Walter W. Wessell, “Mark,” EBC, [Zondervan, 1984], 8:673).
Jesus was fully expecting His disciples to be able to feed the multitude. He knew what they had at their disposal. He had already given them His authority to act in His behalf. Just as He was able, so also were they. They, however, were not fully aware of what this looked like. So instead they struggled.
This will be one of those “eye opening” moments. Remember the placement of this passage. They just returned from doing many powerful things and they have just shared with Him what they had just seen and done and now He seeks to cement this idea with more force.
The intent of our Lord is not for them to declare their independence from Him, but to see that they are to live in His power. This is the Christ-life of the New Covenant. This is the idea in 1 John 4:17.
“By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).
It is the idea in John 14:12.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father” (John 14:12).
“Not necessarily greater miracles and not greater spiritual works in quality, but greater in quantity.” (A.T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament)
It is the same idea in Galatians 2:20.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).
They could have fed the multitude just as He will do because He is working through them. It is not their glory that such miracles are done but for His.
Often we look back and believing God acted differently than He does now. We say such things thinking that God was really working then, but now there is a deficiency in His power and in His church. I am not willing to concede that what we have today is less than what His early apostles or disciples had. We have the same Christ, and it is His power and His life that is to flow through us in the expansion of His kingdom. We are involved in kingdom work no matter what level we might be functioning.
Regardless as to whether we are involved in vocational ministry or engaged in life through work, marriage, parenting, serving, it is the life of Christ that works through us. All of our existence is from Him, through Him, and for Him. It is His power that produces our good works, our obedience, our fruit, and it is because of this that He is to receive all the glory. It is my prayer that we would live resting in His finished work and ongoing advocacy as individuals and as a community of faith. May God cause us to see that He is not only necessary, but enough.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on June 20, 2009
17 “For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife’”(Mark 6:17, 18).
I find John’s statement and cause for imprisonment striking in light of our presidential elections on Tuesday (November 4, 2008). Although I would probably argue that the prophet’s role in a theocracy, John’s role in a monarchy and our role in a democracy might be different, there are similarities. I am told pastors cannot tell you to vote for specific candidates, there is, however, a right and wrong in what each of our presidential candidates promote and the Bible does speak to issues.
Does the Bible promote a system of honorable work? Are we to concern ourselves with the poor, widowed, and orphaned? Is greed and the exploitation of the less fortunate sinful? Should we be warmongers or peacemakers? Does war, like divorce, exist simply because of the hardness of men’s hearts? Should laziness be enabled? Does the issue of personal convenience justify taking the life of the unborn child, infanticide or euthanasia? Is the use of our natural resources an expression of biblical stewardship and mankind’s dominion over the earth? When does environmentalism become idolatry and exploitation become criminal?
Should crime be punished? Does the government have a biblical right to carry the “sword” and to take the life of those who commit capital offenses? Is it biblical for a government to tax its people? Is it ever right for Christians not to pay taxes or speak against excessive taxation? All of these issues are addressed by the Government, but do we not have a responsibility as Christians to concern ourselves with these areas as well?
If a pastor is to be blameless and above reproach, why would our president or government officials get a free pass on unethical behavior? Are we so biblically illiterate that we no longer care what a man’s integrity is as a government official? Has the position of president become a popularity contest?
Let us not deceive ourselves. There is no perfect system of justice until such a time as God comes back and dwells among us in a tangible way. Yet we must never let evil men rule without our voice of dissent.
We sometimes fail to see how neither party is truly biblical. Christianity supports the government because God appoints who rules and we are to honor those who occupy the office. Being patriotic is biblical. It would be just as right to be patriotic if you lived in modern Iraq or ancient Rome. Sometimes our patriotism is to support and sometimes it is to speak against, but either action is still patriotic.
As Americans, we cannot afford to confuse our American ideology, which we have lived with for 200 plus years, with biblical Christianity. The two are not the same. Are there points of overlap? Absolutely, but let us not think the two are the same. You and I are first Christians, and then we are Americans. Should Christians fight for and vote for biblical legislation and fight against and vote against immoral and unethical legislation? Absolutely.
Regardless as to what our government does, we have a clear call from the Scripture as it relates to our responsibilities as a Church and as Christians. You and I have no king but Jesus, and we must never forget that we are citizens of another country. We have the blessing of living in America. It is by God’s design and choice that such a nation exists. What it will look like in the coming years will be very interesting and perhaps fear-filled for the following generations, but this does not alter what we are to be about. We are to love God first and then as a consequence of His love, to love our neighbors whether they live across the street, in another state, or in another nation. May we vote for what is right and not simply for what is convenient.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on June 16, 2009
“And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs,
and gave them authority over the unclean spirits”(Mark 6:7).
The word used for “authority” is the word used to describe a person whose position gives them the power to act and order. Mark uses the word “authority” nine times. Jesus taught as one having authority (Mark 1:22). He exercised “power” over demons (Mark 1:27). In healing the sick Jesus revealed His power over sin and its consequences (Mark 2:10). It is this same transfer of “authority” He gave to the twelve disciples (Mark 3:15; 6:7). The power exhibited by Jesus Christ was evident to all; from where this power came was openly questioned (Mark 11:27-33). The religious establishment desired to assign its source to Satan. Jesus openly refuted such blatant error.
There is a parable unique to Mark in Mark 13:28-37. In the parable our Lord speaks of the time when He will be physically absent from the work. Verse 34 continues the thought found in Mark 3:15 and 6:7 where authority is given to His servants in His absence. It is through His people that His presence is continued. It is because of this authority transfer that His people are able to go into all the world and call everyone, everywhere to repentance and faith in Christ. It is the same idea contained in Matthew 28:18 where Jesus is described as having been given all authority in heaven and in earth.
The authority of Christ transferred to the disciples invested them with “power” to preach the gospel of the kingdom, to cast out demons, and to heal the sick. It was essentially the very same acts and works Jesus was exhibiting in His ministry.
Although the kingdom that awaits its final installment is still yet future, we must not neglect the truth of the kingdom today. If we were to consider the idea of the kingdom from the book of Acts through the book of Revelation, I believe our understanding of this idea would be greatly enhanced.
First, after our Lord’s resurrection He continued “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
Second, the Jewish disciples of Christ looked at such teaching as directly applicable to them (Acts 1:6). Our Lord did not answer their question directly, but guided their focus to the larger purpose of God (Acts 1:7, 8).
Third, Philip, in Samaria, preached “the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12).
Fourth, Paul, after his first missionary journey, returned to Antioch and encouraged his audience “to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:22).
Fifth, Paul, during his second missionary journey, “he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). “This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10).
Sixth, when Paul addressed the Ephesian elders he referenced the content of his preaching by saying, “among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God” (Acts 20:25).
Seventh, in Paul’s final statements “he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 28:23, 31).
Finally, throughout the rest of the New Testament letters consistent reference is made to the already-not yet idea of the kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 4:20; 6:9, 10; 15:24, 50; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5; Col. 1:13; 4:11; 1 Thess. 2:12; 2 Thess. 1:5; 2 Tim. 4:1, 18; Heb. 1:8; 12:28; James 2:5; 2 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 1:9; 12:10).
Part of my past struggle was my attempt to explain the bible via systems, and the bible does not always fit into our systems. Our desire to systematize is understandable, and although the Scripture teaches a system and although the system is without contradiction, our finite minds create systems that are closed and defensive and not open and receptive. Let me suggest five initial thoughts concerning the Bible’s “system.”
- The Bible’s system is Trinitarian. God existing in one essence manifested in three persons is the sum total of creation’s cause, meaning, and goal.
- The Bible’s system is Christo-centric. It has Jesus Christ as the centerpiece of its activity.
- The Bible’s system is couched in the context of kingdom terminology.
- The Bible’s system is singular and intentional in design and execution. It is unstoppable and certain.
- The Bible’s system speaks of an agreement between God and His people that categorizes itself in two large parts: an old agreement/covenant/testament and a new agreement/covenant/testament.
I believe man-produced systems can contribute to our learning, but I do not believe any man-produced system can afford to be closed. What I just exposed you to is biblical theology and biblical theology says Jesus, Paul and the rest preached the kingdom of God, and somewhere along the journey the church has been unclear on this point.
Although I believe there is significant discontinuity in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, I also believe there is significant continuity in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I believe the Bible has a singular, unifying idea that causes every note sounded by God’s revelation, either general or special, to resonate with a Christological theme that has as its movement the redemption of His people and the glorification of the Trinitarian God.
I cannot speak for everyone, this much I recognize and understand, but I can speak for myself as to where I have been and where I am currently residing. In my past I was too close to the problem to see the solution. The old adage, “Can’t see the forest for the trees” was true of me. I embraced a system of theology before I actually understood the biblical text. By allowing the text to speak for itself, I have come to conclude that no system can afford to be absolute or closed without doing an injustice to the text and becoming divisive and dogmatic. I am still learning to let the text speak independent of my past “systems” and I am still growing (at least I hope so) in courage to accept the voice of the text even when it appears to be contrary to my past “systems.”
This does not mean that everything I embraced inside of systems is wrong, but it does mean that those outside my systems of thought still have much to contribute to the ongoing dialogue of learning as I wrestle with the biblical text.
For me the journey is refreshing. It takes courage to think outside the theological box. What I am finding is that orthodoxy and evangelical theology (biblical theology if you like) is much deeper and far broader than I initially thought. There is a richness to God that I had previously underappreciated. Now I glory in what I know and do not know. Such thinking is enabling me to be humble, teach-able, and charitable toward the theological unknown. God is proving to be far greater than my past “system” of thought. Although some might find such thinking problematic and perhaps unnerving, I find it exhilarating and breathtaking. My journey has God as its subject and object. He is both the source, the means, and the end.
An area in which I am being enriched is that of God’s already- not yet kingdom expression. May the Holy Spirit continue to enable you to push beyond your system and into the very heartbeat of God. May you find kindred spirits in your pursuit of Him.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on June 12, 2009
Read Mark 6:1-6
In all of our stories from Mark 4:35 and following, there is consistent thread of faith. Faith appears throughout as a precondition to the miraculous. Nonetheless, is faith a precondition to the miraculous or is it a consequence of the miraculous?
Some would argue from the passage that “the miracle does not generate faith; rather, faith must be present for the miracle to occur. This is the negative side of the positive correlation between faith and miracles seen already in Mark: miracles can and do take place in a context of faith (cf. 2:4; 5:43, 36); conversely, where there is no faith, miracles cannot occur.” ([emphasis added] The Oxford Bible Commentary, Ed. John Barton and John Muddiman [Oxford: University Press, 2001], 897, 898).
Here is my tension with the absoluteness of this statement. If such a conclusion is true, then faith becomes a burden to be born. Faith becomes a tool to be exploited and expanded on. In the absoluteness of this statement, every bad thing you’ve prayed over and had as its outcome nothing can be attributed to your lack of faith. Had you simply believed “enough” disease, death, depression, and dysfunction would have turned out the way you asked. Your child would not have gone astray, your marriage would not have failed, your bills would have been paid out, and your health would have been restored, had you simply believed. Such thinking is truly guilt-forming and bondage-making. This is not a biblical view of faith.
We could equally dismiss our unanswered prayers by simply saying, “It was not God’s will.” This statement is true, but it does not sufficiently address the issue of faith. How do we handle the faith factor? I would like to back the discussion up for just a moment and consider the idea of a miracle.
An aspect of prayer is the performing of miracles, either through providential means (which negates to a degree the idea of it being miraculous) or through direct and unexplainable phenomenon. Most miracles are through secondary means. Miracles such as the parting of the Red Sea used a mighty wind, the virgin birth used a human womb, and feeding 5,000+ people from five small loaves and two fish still used two small loaves and five fish. Some miracles bypass secondary means like the resurrection of Jesus Christ or the raising of Lazarus from the dead. However, the point being that when people pray they are asking God to work miracles. What are miracles? “[Miracles are] extraordinary events that manifest divine power, that are wonders to human understanding, and therefore what human beings perceive as signs from God. The manifestation of the divine power may happen with or without human agents of God.” (S.v., “Miracles,” Seung Ai Yang, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, Ed. David Noel Freedman, 903).
Faith and prayer are incapable of being separated. Biblical prayer is indissoluble linked to biblical faith. God works through faith and prayer but is not restricted by faith and prayer. Personally I am relieved and quite happy that God is bigger than my faith and my prayers. Some might assume that I have neither faith nor prayer, but such a conclusion would be false. I have both, but my inability cannot cancel His sovereignty. My failure to act in faith or to petition Him through prayers will not stop Him from doing all He desires and wills.
In the outworking of God’s purpose, faith and prayer are present. Whether it is a precondition or a consequence, it is there. God works through faith and prayer and God works in its absence. Faith does not hold God in bondage. It has never forced God to do something He does not desire or will. Your weak faith or apparent strength of faith is more for your edification than for His working.
And yet God invites us to believe. Through faith mountains are moved (Matt. 17:20) and the fiery darts of persecution are squelched (Heb. 11). The overriding element in all of our miracle stories is for us to believe that God is in control and that He truly cares. Mark 6:1-6 is a fitting contrast to the faith stories in Mark 4:35-5:43. In the city of Nazareth He made faith in Him a prerequisite to His working of miracles. Did He work in Nazareth? Yes, but He would have done more had they simply believed.
Although many might accuse me of muddying the waters that are already significantly agitated, let us not dismiss too quickly the fact that He calls us to faith, to believe, to rest in His control over all things. Are you spiritually depressed? Come to Him in faith. Are you emotionally distraught? Come to Him in faith. Are you financially destroyed? Come to Him in faith. Faith in God is always a proper response to any and all life situations. There is never a condition where faith is an inappropriate response.
Faith finds God as its object and rests in Him. The value of faith is found in the object and not in the outcome or the amendment of the moment. God is enough, and faith finds this true.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on June 8, 2009
Read Mark 5:25-34
This passage, and those surrounding it, has challenged me to continue thinking of the inter-play between faith, repentance, fellowship, and forgiveness. Personally, I desire to make each of these elements containable and connected. I want them “to fit” into a way of thinking that is understandable, tamable, and perhaps controllable. I want to be in control of what each of these elements look like. Yet it is impossible to fit the proverbial square peg into the round hole without doing damage to both the peg and the hole. Unfortunately, what I want and what is biblical are not always the same. You might wonder how the passages in Mark 4:35-6:6 evoke such thinking? Faith is “huge” in all of the stories noted in Mark’s gospel. Repentance is never stated, only assumed. As a consequence of faith, God works mighty miracles. In the absence of faith, established boundaries are honored and God chooses not to work. Much is assumed throughout. As I have meditated on these things I have tried to honor the biblical text without forcing many of my theological presuppositions into the text (i.e., “exegesis good, eisegesis bad”). Initially, if my ramblings appear disjointed and unconnected, please dismiss it and forgive me. However, there is a chance that it might jar you into greater clarity in these areas and thus I press ahead with my delineations.
In an attempt to clarify these ideas in my own thinking, I will begin by defining each element.
Faith/Repentance
Faith and repentance are inseparably linked. I think we would err if we tried to define the one in the absence of the other. Faith can be clarified by its synonyms: belief, trust, and rest. Faith is never neutral. It does not exist in a vacuum. Faith always has an object that is believed. It rests in something or someone. In our context, biblical faith has as its object God whether it is His person, word, or work. Here again, we would err if we separated too sharply His word and work from His person. His word is God verbalized, and His work is God visualized. Biblical faith has God as its object. Faith believes God, it trusts God, and it rests in God.
Repentance is the flip side of biblical faith. Repentance, at its essence, turns from non-reliance to reliance. It goes from unbelief to belief, from non-trust or distrust to trust, and from rebelling against God to resting in God. My failure to believe or my lack of faith (the two are the same) is repented of when I trust Him in explicit situations that call for faith.
It is difficult to draw too clean of a line between one’s rebellion and one’s resting. The interplay between the two is separated by a fuzzy line. In His people, one’s rebellion has rest and one’s rest has rebellion. There are tinges of either one in each expression. So what I might desire to be clean, absolute, dogmatic, and thus definable is often blurred and hazy. None-the-less, I am called to believe and to walk by faith and repentance is implicit in the act of faith. No one has biblical faith that does not have biblical repentance, and no one has biblical repentance that does not have biblical faith. Let us now consider the ideas of fellowship and forgiveness.
Fellowship/Forgiveness
Fellowship with God presupposes forgiveness from God. Like faith and repentance, these two elements are inseparably linked. Although forgiveness is causal and fellowship is consequential, neither one can exist in the absence of the other. My fellowship with God is based on and sourced in my forgiveness from God. One’s view of forgiveness will greatly color one’s view of fellowship. If my forgiveness from God is conditional, no matter what that condition is, then my fellowship with God will be conditional. If I believe His forgiveness of me is cross-centered, unconditional, inclusive, and absolute, then the fellowship I enjoy because of this is cross-centered, unconditional, inclusive, and absolute. I am not concerned as to whether or not I “feel” in fellowship no more than I am concerned as to whether or not I “feel” victorious or like a conqueror or justified, reconciled, or redeemed. However, that “issue” can be discussed separately from this short article.
How does all of this relate to the topic at hand? First, everyone everywhere at all times has faith and repentance. The issue is not one of capacity, but rather kind. Everyone everywhere at all times has the capacity for faith and repentance and, in fact, exercises these two elements daily. The capacity to trust, rest, believe, have faith is always present and is always exercised. It is the kind of faith and repentance that is the issue. Biblical faith and repentance has as its object and outcome a movement from the world, the flesh, and the devil, and toward God.
I believe God acts on me in such a way that my faith and repentance has God as the object and outcome. His image in me guarantees the capacity for faith and repentance. His action on me guarantees the kind of faith and repentance.
In the area of justification (i.e. salvation), biblical faith and repentance have as their object God and the person and work of Jesus Christ. The outcome of such action on my part receives forgiveness from God and places me in fellowship with God. There is nothing I can now do to undo what God has done.
In the area of sanctification (i.e. the Christian walk), it is my faith/repentance that continues to appropriate what is true concerning my forgiveness and my fellowship. The elements of faith and repentance are always under-girding the entire Christian life. There is never a time when a Christian is without faith or repentance. There are times when my experience of faith and repentance is weak and less palatable, thus my enjoyment of my position of forgiveness and fellowship is weak. During those periods I must live by faith and not by feelings or I will exist on shifting shorelines and sinking ships. It is my ongoing prayer that you and I will live by faith and repentance in the all sufficiency of Jesus Christ and that we will enjoy the unabated feeling of His forgiveness and fellowship in our Christian walk. May we never tire in our pursuit of His joy.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on June 4, 2009
22 “One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him,
fell at His feet 23 and implored Him earnestly, saying,
‘My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her,
so that she will get well and live’” (Mark 5:22, 23).
This passage has a couple of dynamics within it. First, one can get lost in the debate as to whether or not God still heals as dramatically as we read in this passage. Whether or not we believe He heals in this fashion might have little immediate or direct impact on us if we are not facing the imminent death of a loved one. The second dynamic is immensely practical and strikes much closer to the heart – the humbling of the individual in his coming to Jesus. The description of this man’s humbling in his coming to Jesus continues to mark those who would come to Jesus. No one comes in any other way. The means our Lord employs to bring us to this point is varied, but the process is always the same. It is only when we come to the end of self that we find the Savior.
Although the study as to whether or not our Lord heals as directly and immediately and supernaturally as He did then is necessary to understand, what I would like us to consider is the necessary brokenness that we must face in our pursuit of God and our fellowship with Him.
The New Testament is clear: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
5 “for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Pet. 5:5, 6).
“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE’” (James 4:6).
When we consider our justification, this principle is non-negotiable. The grace of God to save sinners is contingent on them giving way to Him. Unless they humble themselves before Him, He will not save them. There is always more to this idea than what is stated, but what is stated is true. When using the word “contingent” we simply mean conditional. For example, God saves only lost people. The condition to salvation is first being lost. In the reformation several ideas were present. Three of those ideas are captured in the statement summarizing our salvation: By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (sola gracia, sola fida, solus Christus). In order to be saved from sin, these three aspects are always present. The “condition” is three-fold: grace, faith, Christ. Thus, the receiving of God’s gift of eternal life is “contingent” on grace, faith, and Christ.
When we consider our sanctification, this principle has a different face but we still come to God by faith. The idea of grace through faith in Christ is still operative. Sanctification is the continued outworking of justification. Justification produces sanctification. The one flows from the other, and the two are inseparably linked.
Humility does not merit grace. Grace, by its very nature, is incapable of being earned. If grace is earnable, it ceases to be grace. This principle is equally operative in our justification. Faith of itself does not merit salvation. God saves by grace and faith is a door through which grace works. In our sanctification, faith continues to be a door through which grace works, thus the call to walk by faith and not by sight.
In looking at the Christian life, let us consider for just a moment the evil of pride. Pride places one’s confidence in one’s ability rather than in Christ’s sufficiency. Pride takes credit for what He has done. Pride deceives itself into believing that what it possesses is earned and deserved. Pride takes from Christ the glory and adds to Christ self-boasting. Just as faith opens the door through which grace works, pride closes the door through which grace works.
In our present story, Jairus came in faith to Jesus. As such, the grace of God passed through the door of faith and worked the miracle. Had Jairus not come because of pride, then in this instance the grace of God may have had no door through which to work. His faith was not necessary for God to choose to work, but in this case it seemed to be the vehicle through which Jesus extended grace.
The storms of life place us in positions whereby our deceived selves see our completely bankrupt state and, in faith, come to Jesus for help. Jesus sees our simple faith and works grace. Our faith does not merit grace. Our faith is the door through which grace walks and thus works. God calls us to live by faith, not by sight. A faith walk consistently senses the grace of God at work in everything, everywhere, at all times. A sight walk, one marked by pride, fails to see the sufficiency of Christ and thus lives a wretched existence. Pride does not acknowledge the need and the necessity of God’s grace and consequently seeks to merit what cannot be earned.
It is only as we are lost to self that we are found by Him. And in losing, we win. Our loss becomes our greatest gain. Although the breaking is horrific, let us not lose faith and let us continue to believe that He is in control and that He truly cares.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on May 30, 2009
As believers, you and I are in constant spiritual warfare. Often, however, we fail to recognize our battles as such. In addition, we are often ignorant of Satan’s mode of operation. And finally, we regularly fail to fight from a position of victory. Although this is a lengthy study, I would like to simply note several verses and then conclude by noting how we live from victory and not for victory.
First, let us begin by noting how the devil’s defeat is already secured.
“But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house” (Mark 3:27).
This parable tells us that Jesus has bound the devil and has placed him in a position of subjection. Jesus is the strong king who has conquered His enemies.
“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out” (John 12:31).
The devil’s demise is certain. He shall be acted on by something or someone outside himself. God, in the cross, will overthrow the devil for good.
“and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:11).
God, as the authority, has already judged the devil. This past judgment continues to this day. ”The perfect [tense] emphasizes the completed act of judging the present ruler of the world.” (Rogers and Rogers, 219).
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Our Lord’s victory over the devil is absolute and complete. His power is restricted and controlled. He can only do what God wants done. The devil’s overthrow is certain.
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Rom. 16:20).
14 “[He made you alive,] having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him” (Col. 2:14, 15).
The words canceled out “was used for wiping out the memory of an experience, or for canceling a vote, annulling a law, or canceling a charge or debt.” (Rogers and Rogers, 464).
“The perfect stands in contrast to the aorist in this section and fixes attention on the present state of freedom resulting from the action which was especially before the apostle’s mind.” (Rogers and Rogers, 465).
“Christ divested Himself at the cross of the evil power which had struggled with Him so strongly during His ministry in attempts to force Him to abandon the pathway of the cross.” (Rogers and Rogers, 465).
14 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Heb. 2:14, 15).
At the cross Jesus stripped the devil of his power to use death as an element of fear and bondage. The word “to render powerless” means “to render inoperative, to nullify, to make idle or ineffective, to render impotent as though no longer existing.” (Rogers and Rogers, 520).
By rendering the devil powerless, our Lord frees His people from fear of death. “The word was used in the papyri for the release from a position of responsibility; e.g., a marriage contract, the superintendence of land under lease, the release from a municipal office, or the release of a slave.” (Rogers and Rogers, 520).
The devil’s demise was pronounced in the Garden (Gen. 3:14, 15), sealed at Calvary (John 16:11), continues in the present (Col. 2:14, 15), and completed in an imminent future (Rev. 19:20; 20:10; Matt. 25:41).
Second, let us note how we fight from victory and not for victory. How should we treat the devil in light of God’s work?
A. We need to be sober (2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet 5:8)
“so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11).
The devil has a plan of attack against you and God.
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
Most note how the word “schemes” is our English word “method.” The devil has an intentional plan or method to his attack.
8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Pet. 5:8, 9).
The word “sober” means “to abstain from wine.” The idea is that we are cleared headed, not having a clouded mind. “To be alert,” simply means “to stay awake.” Basically, do not fall asleep.
B. We need to be standing (Eph 6:11-16)
11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:11-16).
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Pet. 5:8, 9).
Although we do not fight the devil in our own strength and we are fighting from victory not for victory, it is still a real and genuine battle. His opposition to God and thus His people is real and “in time.” We must go hard against the devil and his use of a fallen world system and his enticements toward our fleshly, fallen appetites.
C. We need to be submitting (James 4:7)
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
These two opposing ideas are two sides of the same coin. Submission to God is a resisting of the devil. Although living in unbroken conscious submission to God is impossible this side of heaven, we should be standing firm by submitting to God. Thankfully, even in the absence of this conscious submission, God is victorious. We still have the unimaginable privilege of willfully submitting to God, and in so doing we are resisting the devil.
Notice the text. Resisting the devil is impossible in the absence of submitting to God. The emphasis should not be on resisting the devil but on submitting to God. The one automatically produces the other. Even though there are distinct periods when I am fully aware of the spiritual warfare I am in with the devil, I try not to give the devil any more affirmation than is necessary. My focus is on God and how loving, gracious, and generous He is toward me. My submission to Him is a consequence of the Holy Spirit’s work in me and through me. Because of His gracious and generous acts in my behalf, the devil is resisted.
All of these verses shout one simple idea, “I reign because He does!” We have the victory in Christ Jesus our Lord over sin, death, and the devil. May He receive all the power, glory, and honor.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on May 26, 2009
Mark 4:35-41 has a distinct place in Mark’s narrative. It is intentionally placed just after an extended discourse that explained kingdom ideas. Jesus has clearly shown from the parables the distinction between children of light and those who continue to abide in darkness. He has equally shown how the rule or control of God continues to steadily unfold and moves toward ultimate fulfillment with certainty and confidence.
The story before us reinforces these truths. He is God and has absolute authority and control over all things created. I believe the storm was a test to see if they learned what He had just taught. Some tests are “passed” and others are “failed” but all are intentional and purpose filled.
Here is my premise: All of life’s storms are an intentional part of God’s redemptive purpose for us. Romans 8:28 says that everything works together for good. The “good” concerns our justification, our sanctification, and our glorification. The “everything” includes all of life in all of its joys and sorrows.
There is no aspect of our existence that is outside of God’s meaningful purpose for us. Everything in life is moving toward, existing in, and flowing from our redemption.
Every hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, drought, blizzard, flood, or tornado, every sunrise, sunset, babbling brook, gentle breeze, sun kissed setting are parts of His redemptive purpose for us in all of its aspect and is thus “good.”
Every trial, test, or temptation is an intentional part of God’s purpose that contributes to our redemptive experience. Nothing falls outside this purpose. There are no accidents or random or arbitrary acts or events. Everything has purpose, everything has meaning, and everything has intent. There is a reason behind each and every aspect of your life. Everything about your life is moving toward, existing in, and flowing from your redemption.
Your job, your parenting, your grand-parenting, your spouse, your heartache, your sorrow, your joy and your triumphs are all a part of God’s redemptive purpose for your life. Nothing is wasted and nothing is forgotten.
God brought His disciples into the storm in order that He might “test” them to see if they truly grasped what He just taught them. God controlled the storm. He sets in motion events in order that storms would exist. Storms do not have a life of their own. They are not outside of what God is doing. God is doing the “storm.” All of life is a storm. Our response to storms reveals whether or not we “get it.” Do we really believe God is in control? Do we really believe His purpose will be fulfilled? Do we really believe He cares for us unconditionally, personally, and meaningfully?
There is a great comfort that is ours when we begin to realize that all of life in all of its complexities is a part of His redemptive purpose for us. God has determined this storm in my life, and the storm will reveal whether or not I actually believe in His control and His compassion. Do I honestly believe that God will finish His work in me and through me to those around me?
Storms are never pleasant, and they are never easy. Often it is so dark that we lose our way and begin to question whether or not there is any purpose or reason for what we are going through other than mere chance and poor misfortunate. The death of a loved one, the passing of a child, a still born baby or miscarriage, divorce, rebellious children, unemployment, financial ruin, chronic sickness, failed health that is left undiagnosed, all of these and a varied multitude of black events are all designed by God for us to show just how much we are resting in Him. Such events do not come to us from the hand of a despotic malignant ruler, but the kind and gentle hand of a Shepherd Savior King who has determined the means as well as the end. God is in control of our dark moments, He does care for us passionately, we are the objects of His unadulterated affection and yet loss and pain still happen.
As a shepherd, I call you to trust God in your affliction. Know that He is working everything for good and His purpose for you is being fulfilled. He will not fail no matter what the moment looks like. Embrace Him as the loving, gracious, and kind God that He is, and see that He is in control and that He does truly care.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on May 22, 2009
With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Read Mark 4:33, 34
Verses 33 and 34 are Mark’s editorial on the teaching ministry of Jesus Christ. They form a fitting conclusion to the parables found in verses one and following. There are two questions confronting us in these two verses. Was what Jesus taught understandable by His immediate audience? And secondly, why did Jesus not explain everything to everyone rather than only to His disciples?
First, it must be understood how He taught with plainness and simplicity (v. 33). He did not preach what he could not illustrate; and when he was finished, the people who heard him understood what he had said. “Our Lord spoke in parables, adjusting His discourse to their capacity to understand. The implication is clear that parables were employed to make truth plain.”[1] They understood what He said in a context. The circumstances of the moment lent itself to interpreting the story. What might appear confusing to us was possibly apparent to His immediate audience. The larger idea presented by our Lord was clear. What He wanted them to understand could be understood.
Let us make no mistake here. There is a distinction drawn in our text between the group found in verse 33 and that of verse 34. The group found in verse 33 is the teeming masses that crowded around our Lord forcing Him to teach from a boat while the unruly gathering swirled around Him. By direct application, if your only interaction with our community of faith is Sunday morning, then you are a part of the larger audience to whom Jesus is teaching in verse 33.
Verse 34 makes it clear that there was more to His teaching than what was openly or publicly taught. Not everything He wanted to communicate or make known was done in the public arena.
However, there is a second aspect to our Lord’s methodology. It must be understood how He taught with intensity and design (v. 34). In addition to the larger group whom He addressed publicly, there was another group that showed themselves open and responsive to further instruction. I believe Mark’s comments are designed to show us the distinction between the two groups. New Testament scholar D. Edmond Hiebert confirms this idea with the following comment, “‘But privately to his own disciples’ – in contrast to ‘those without.’”[2] There was more to His instruction than what they heard publicly. I am immediately led to think of Matthew 28:18 and the call to disciple the nations and 2 Timothy 2:2 where we are called to take some further than the general listening population.
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2)
In light of my current ministry I would like to take the time to share my perspective of the Sunday Morning Preaching hour (+15 minutes). First, I believe the Word of God properly handled has inherent power and is effectual. This means that if we did nothing but stand up and hear the reading of God’s Word, God could change our lives for good. Second, I believe my primary responsibility is to explain the text in its historical context. Third, I believe a secondary responsibility is to provide and guide the audience with areas of application. Fourth, I believe the Spirit of God takes the Word of God and makes certain and necessary application in the people of God. Fifth, because of the limitations placed on us by our depravity to understand, our physical ability to listen, and necessary time restraints, I do not believe I can say all that needs to be said on a Sunday morning in a 35 minute time slot. This is why I provide the fuller study in the foyer before the service. You can take the study and go “deeper” into the text if you so choose. Sixth, because I do not believe everything that needs to be said can be said or endured in any 35 minute slot, we have provided ABF response groups, GLORIA, and various men’s and women’s Bible studies. Seventh, there is constant interaction by the elders with individuals on a personal, individual level for the purpose of soul care. Here is where the most intimate and delicate application is made to the audience. Eighth, because of my involvement with the flock on a personal, intimate level, I am careful as to how far I take certain applications. No one with whom I counsel and from whom I have received personal information wants to become a part of my application or illustration. For me to use any private situation as a public illustration is a breach of pastoral ethics and professional confidence. In light of this, my application is principle driven and broad. Although I believe my application is pointed enough to address specific issues within any given individual, they are broad enough to represent our fallen state at large. Ninth, I am constantly growing pastorally in my ability to handle the Word of God in a public arena. I am a teacher; this is my gifting, and I do not apologize for it. But this does not mean or assume I have attained any degree of perfection. I am persistently looking to see how I can better communicate the Word in a manner that is understandable by the congregation. I want to believe there is a unique relationship between the teaching, elder shepherd and the sheep identified in a community of faith.
With all of this said, let me propose the following thought: If you only attend on Sunday morning, then I would encourage you to consider attending some of our various other studies. I would encourage the men to lead their families by attending the ABF response groups, by attending GLORIA, by attending a men’s study, by attending a Saturday morning study. Women also have many of these same options available to them. Rare and perhaps unhealthy is the person who can attend everything, but it is equally unhealthy to only attend Sunday morning. If Sunday morning is your only option, then praise Him. But if you have other options in addition to Sunday morning and you can, but do not avail yourself of them, you should consider strongly how you might start going to the next level.
May God continue to grow us in our understanding of who He is, what He is doing, and who we are in Him. May we never tire of seeing His working in His people.
[1] Kenneth Wuest,
Word Studies in the New Testament, 1:95.
[2] D. Edmond Hiebert, Mark: A Portrait of the Servant, 112.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on May 18, 2009
Read Mark 4:26-29
. . . 27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows-
how, he himself does not know. 28 “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade,
then the head, then the mature grain in the head.
29 “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
As is true of all parables there is a large, singular idea that needs to caught by the listener. The intent of the parables as found in Mark 4 is to encourage His disciples as to the certainty of the work in which they are engaged and to instruct them as to the character of this kingdom. There are three aspects to this kingdom as it is described in the parable. First, the growth of the Kingdom is always constant. Second, the growth of the Kingdom is unavoidable. And finally, the growth of the Kingdom is complete.
Let us begin by noting how “The growth of the Kingdom is always constant.” Often our inability to see the object or idea with our own two eyes leaves us with uncertainty and doubt. Yet faith seizes the invisible in order to believe the unimaginable. It is while the individual lives their life that the seed sprouts and grows. Even when we cannot see, God is at work establishing and advancing His Kingdom. There is nothing created that can stop Him from what He has begun. Arthur C. Ainger wrote the following poem in 1894. I would like to consider the first two stanzas since they capture so well the idea presented in the parable.
God is working His purpose out
God is working his purpose out
as year succeeds to year:
God is working his purpose out,
and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
From utmost east to utmost west,
where’er the church has gone,
by the mouth of many messengers
the call of God has come:
Give ear to me, you continents;
you isles, give ear to me,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
The second noted area is, “The growth of the Kingdom is unavoidable.” Although God works in and through the will of man to accomplish His purpose, such a choice on God’s part does not cause Him to be in bondage to man’s will. There is nothing man can do to stop or undo what God has and is doing. New Testament scholar William Barclay makes the following observation:
“There is nothing so powerful as growth. A tree can split a concrete pavement with the power of its growth. A weed can push its green head through an asphalt path. Nothing can stop growth. It is so with the kingdom. In spite of man’s rebellion and disobedience, God’s work goes on; and nothing in the end can stop the purposes of God.” (William Barclay, Mark, 108).
Finally, “The growth of the Kingdom is complete.”
We are not to lose heart when we sow seed and do not see immediate and open change. If the seed is sown and if it lands in good soil, then a harvest is inevitable. “Some growths are quicker than others, but in all there is growth. And we have no right to look for the end at the beginning, the ripened Christian experience in the young convert, the full corn in the first appearance of the blade.” (People’s New Testament Commentary on Mark 4:28)
What a powerful commentary on the nature of the work in which we are privy to and a part of! Right now God is causing His kingdom to increase. Right now God is marching through the ranks of those who would rise up against Him. Right now God will finish the work that He alone began. We must patiently await the inevitable, the unavoidable, and the unimaginable. May the truth of His kingdom marching on be a source of deep-seated encouragement and hope.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on May 14, 2009
Read Mark 4:21-25
“The opening for of verse 22 indicates a close connection with what precedes. What had just been said in figurative language is now elucidated in literal terms. The double statement stresses the idea of purpose. The underlying law is that when things are hidden, the intention is that in due time they will be revealed.” (D. Edmond Hiebert, Mark: A Portrait of the Servant, 107).
In our context, what was unknown about the kingdom is now being made known. Jesus is unfolding and revealing those things that were previously unknown and concealed. His disciples are to be assured of the kingdom’s victory. The truth of God will triumph. Those who are opposed to Him are equally assured of their demise. No matter what man might do, God will win.
The Pharisees and Herodians sought to destroy Him (3:6) and the scribes accused Him of being demonic (3:20-30). This parable speaks directly to their actions. Instead of celebrating and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, they sought to place it under a peck-measure or a bed (4:21). Jesus assures His disciples that what they seek to hide will be disclosed and what is secret will come to light. Like the previous parable of the soils and the triumph of the good soil producing abundance, so also this parable assures His audience that victory is certain. The program of God is unstoppable.
There is nothing anyone can do to undo what God has determined. I fully recognize this is a significant problem for many Christians. It is the consequence of the tension between the program of God and the choosing of man. Can man stop God from accomplishing His purpose? Is the purpose of God dependent on the choosing of man? Are the two ideas, the purpose of God and the choosing of man, independent ideas or are they complimentary? Personally I believe the Scripture to teach that God chooses to work in and through the choosing of man for the fulfilling of His purpose. I do not believe what the Pharisees, Herodians, and scribes chose to do against the Christ would stop God’s purpose from coming to pass. How God worked in their rebellion against Him for the fulfilling of His purpose is beyond our ability to process. But that God does work in their rebellion is knowable.
The intent of 4:8, 20 and 4:22 is to assure His disciples that He wins. Mark is intentional is pointing out the immediate circumstances of open animosity. The authority and ministry of Jesus is confronted and challenged. What were His disciples to make of all this? What John the Baptist spoke of in Mark 1:1-8 and what Jesus preached in Mark 1:14, 15 are inescapable. The Kingdom of God is at hand and nothing the nations do in opposition to Him will prevail.
Consider the language of Psalm 2. Can we not see a direct parallel between the Psalmist’s utterance and our Lord’s appearance?
1 Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” 10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! (Ps. 8:1-12).
No matter how bleak our moments might be and no matter how open the hostility is to the good news of God’s kingdom, He wins! This is for our confidence and assurance. We are to rest in knowing God is in control . . . even of the wicked and their uprising against Him.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on May 10, 2009
Read Mark 4:1-20
This parable of the soils is part of our Lord explaining the mystery of the kingdom of God. There are aspects of the promised kingdom presently being manifested.
An aspect of the kingdom revealed is pictured in the wide broadcasting of seed. The seed finds various receptions. The truth of God’s kingdom will be openly resisted by some. And because of misunderstanding of the true program of God, others will initially receive it with joy, but in time will abandon it because of failed expectations. Only a remnant will receive it with joy and see enduring fruit. This parable explains what is happening. In Mark 1 the authority of the King is established. In chapters two and three there is open resistance to the authority. Now in chapter 4 the reason this is true is explained. The primary idea in the parable of the soils is not to emphasize the ¾ who resist, but the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom in the world.
So far in the narrative, Mark has placed the person and work of Jesus in a context of strenuous opposition, whereby the religious establishment and political authorities are openly hostile to Him and are desirous of seeing Him destroyed. In this context, anyone who would claim to be His disciple would be discouraged and depressed. This parable seeks to show them the end of God’s program. In so doing, His disciples are to be greatly encouraged.
In the study of parables there is a big idea and it is this big idea that we need to see, hear, and feel. In light of all the opposition to the person and work of Jesus, “the fact remained that at the end of the day there was a splendid harvest. This is the parable to end despair. It may seem that much of our effort achieves no result; it may seem that much of our labor is wasted. That is how the disciples were feeling, when they saw Jesus banished from the synagogue and regarded with suspicion. This parable said to them, and says to us, ‘Patience! Do your work. Sow your seed. Leave the rest to God. The harvest is sure.’” (William Barclay, Mark, 97).
An unfortunate problem exists when we place the production of fruit on the soil. If the soil is good, fruit will be produced; how much fruit the good soil produces is entirely up to the Lord of the Harvest. The purpose of the parable is not to get the good soil to produce more fruit. Such production is inevitable. You cannot be a part of His family, His kingdom, and not produce fruit. Our tendency is to become fruit inspectors when we are to simply abide in the vine. If the seed is sown and the soil is good, then a harvest is unavoidable. If the soil is not good, then no enduring fruit will be forthcoming. The fulfillment of God’s purpose does not rest on the fickle mind of man. It is not our strength that will bring in the kingdom, and it is not our wisdom that figures out how it all works and what it will look like. As citizens of His kingdom, we are to rest in the sure work of God. God will finish what He began (1 Thess. 5:23, 24). He will complete the work and establish His citizens in His kingdom for His glory (Phil. 1:6; Heb. 13:20, 21; Jude 24, 25). It is in the face of open opposition and constant kingdom conflict that our Lord assures His audience that God wins!
It is my prayer that we would work to rest in the victory of God. He has won, and we are to live our lives in light of this glorious truth. May such a truth gird us up in our struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
Posted by Pastor Pat on May 6, 2009
Remember the previous paragraph. Jesus notes how those who are for Him are a part of His kingdom. Those who are against Him have committed an unpardonable sin. The issue in our present paragraph is not whether you are in His immediate family by physical descent, but if you are born again and have pledged your allegiance to King Jesus.
What is interesting about this statement is what is not said. First, our union with Christ is not based on one’s social standing. Whether you are a Pharisee, tax-collector, scribe, or sinner, none of these things matter as it relates to one’s inclusion in God’s family. Second, our union with Christ is not based on one’s financial wherewithal. Whether one is rich or poor, financially strapped or independently wealthy, none of these things matter as it relates to one’s inclusion in God’s family. Third, our union with Christ is not based on one’s genealogical alliances. One’s pedigree has no bearing on whether or not one is included in God’s family. Such preferences often related to heritage are of no consequence when it relates to one’s inclusion in god’s family. Finally, our union with Christ is not based on gender. Whether you are male or female, rich or poor, bond or free, all may be included and no one will be excluded if the right path is chosen.
How then does one become a part of God’s family? The text makes a simple statement, “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” Such simplicity forces us to ask the question, “Is Jesus teaching a works salvation in His response?”
The Gospels always show an unbreakable link between the heart and the hand. The link between the mouth and the heart is indissoluble. Salt water cannot produce fresh water and apple trees do not produce pears (James 3:11, 12). Thus, one’s work can testify to the new birth. Although good soil produces good fruit, it is possible for bad soil to produce a fruit that looks good but is artificial and plastic (Matt. 7:15-23). As we will note in 4:1ff, good soil produces fruit; bad soil does not.
The issue is not one of work’s righteousness, but a righteousness that works. All good soil produces good fruit. Both “good” and “fruit” are necessary words when speaking of righteousness. First, all fruit produced by good soil is good fruit. Good soil cannot produce bad fruit or fruit that is less than morally correct. Second, all good soil produces fruit. It is impossible for good soil not to produce fruit. The quality of the fruit is never an issue. The quantity of the harvest is. Yet the size of the harvest produced by the soil lies outside the soil. Some soil produces “thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:8).
Thus the criterion for inclusion in God’s family is not how much fruit one produces. One’s good work is not causal but consequential. The assumption Jesus makes in Mark 3:35 is one’s present inclusion in the family of God. Doing the will of God is produced by God working in and through the will of man. Such compliance with God’s will is because one is a part of God’s family. Such compliance does not produce the relationship; it is only a sign that such a relationship already exists. We would be grievous in our thinking if we veered from “by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone” salvation. It is only as we embrace by faith the person and work produced by grace, that we can do the will of the Father. The first part, “by grace,” causes the second part, “doing the will of God.” The first part, “by grace,” makes it possible for Pharisees, tax-collectors, rich and poor, Jews and Iraqis, male and female to be included in the family of God. It is the children of God who now do the will of God.
Today let us come with humility and gratitude that God in grace would choose us to be a part of His family. Let us thank Him that we can call Jesus our brother. May the weight of this truth overwhelm us with a deep sense of self-abasement and selfless celebration. May we, like King David, dance without shame before our God.
By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths. For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.
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Filed Under: Mark
