Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Understanding the Word

Jim:

Nehemiah 7:73b-8:3, 5-18
The writer of Nehemiah lists the names of those, “who helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood.” (verses 7 and 8) According to the New Oxford Annotated Bible, “Since the book was in Hebrew, it was interpreted to the people in the more familiar Aramaic.” This is why education is so important, especially to a life of faith. The word of God does not necessarily come ready to understand, easy to grasp, simple in its meaning. And at those times the word of God deserves our attention and our best efforts at comprehension. This process may include those who have the training and the ability to teach or interpret. It may involve the wider community assisting its members. But individual believers should never miss the opportunity to wrestle with scripture for themselves and to seek to find what it says to their lives and what God is calling them to do.

Revelation 18:21-24
Human history provides us with numerous examples of great cities and marvelous cultures that have risen at one time or another only to be washed away in the flow of time. What seems permanent to human beings is all too often transient and temporary. As I understand it, Mound City, Arkansas was poised to become the prominent city on the Mississippi between St. Louis and New Orleans until the river changed course and left Mound City literally “high and dry.” Instead, Memphis became the bustling river port and Mound City became no more than a wide spot in the road. The very greatest of human achievements are prone to disappear, but the work of God stands forever. Perhaps this is why Psalm 146 says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.” (verses 3 and 4) Cities, too, can disappear. But the work and word of God remains.

Matthew 16:1-12
The words of verse 12 tie in nicely with today’s passage from Nehemiah. “Then (the disciples) understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (verse 12) While much effort must be made it one is to understand God’s word, care must also be made to allow the word of God to speak for itself and not to be unduly filtered or misinterpreted. The Pharisees and Sadducees were prone to leading people away from God’s truth. Jesus warned his disciples to be aware of such teachings. The film “Life of Brian” is a comedy produced by the members of Monty Python which includes an irreverent look at the church and the sins to which organized religion has been prone. In the film there is a scene depicting the sermon on the mount. An actor portraying Jesus says, with no humor or silliness, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of heaven.” But out on the fringe of the crowd, far from where Jesus is speaking, one person turns to another and asks, “Did he say ‘blessed are the cheese makers?’” A lively debate breaks out as to why or why not cheese makers should be blessed. Finally one may suggests, “I think by ‘cheese makers’ he means all those who handle dairy products.’” Beware of trusting the opinions, the interpretations, the explanations of others without giving also giving serious thought to the subject yourself.

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