Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
On many issues the Bible is unclear, ambiguous even. Some of the Biblical meanings are lost over the centuries of time and the changing cultures of human history. But the Bible is very clear on other issues. Mark Twain said, “It is not the parts of the Bible that I do not understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.”
Let’s start with the words of Jesus. Jesus: a working-class peasant, a refugee in Egypt, the Rabbi from the Galilee who died on the cross for us. Start with Jesus and then we will continue with the teachings of the book that we claim as the inspired Word of God.
Matthew 22:36-40 — “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Leviticus 19:33–34 — “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as the native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
Exodus 23:9 — “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 10:18–19 — God “defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you … you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 27:19 — “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”
Hebrews 13:2 — “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels, without realizing it.”
Matthew 25:35–40 — Jesus identifies Himself with the stranger, the hungry, the imprisoned. “I was a stranger and you invited me in … whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Proverbs 31:8–9 — “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
I walked through a Holocaust Memorial in Berlin last Tuesday. History is haunting, truth is our teacher. “It is not the parts of the Bible that I do not understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” On some things the Bible is very clear.
Follow Jesus today my friends.
One beggar, telling another beggar where to find bread, I am your,
Pastor Jim
rvlindus@whidbey.com
