YEAR 2, WEEK 46, Day 4, Thursday, 16 November 2023

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=Amos+4%3B+John+12

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 16 November 2023:

Amos 4:6, 8, 9, 11 — Yet you did not return to me.

God disciplines in hopes that sinners will return to Him, but in His sovereignty, He makes room for free will. Love must be a choice. Our response to discipline should be to draw closer to God.

Amos 4:12 — Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!

Every person will either meet God in peace through Jesus or in judgment.

From Ligonier Ministries — “God is certainly gracious. He is rich in kindness, forbearance, and patience, which is why He does not bring an immediate end to all sinners (Rom. 2:4). In fact, He often gives people, especially members of His covenant community, many chances to repent. During the old covenant, He even sent prophets to warn Israel of its impending doom and the discipline that was coming if the people continued in their sin. These oracles of judgment were words of grace, for the Lord could have brought His wrath to bear on the Israelites without any advance notice. But He compelled prophets to speak His Word that the covenant people might turn from evil (Amos 3:1–8).

We often escape the discipline we are due because of God’s kindness. Nevertheless, we walk on thin ice when we think we can presume upon His kindness and patience. After all, the Lord’s patience toward sinners will run out eventually (Rom. 2:4–5; 2 Peter 3:8–10). This is what the northern kingdom of Israel needed to hear in the eighth century BC, and this is the word Amos gives in Amos 4.

Amos begins today’s passage with condemnation for unrighteous wealthy women and their husbands who were oppressing the poor. Unlike modern politicians, who often use rhetoric that suggests the mere existence of rich people is unjust, Amos does not condemn wealthy Israelites for being wealthy. The issue is never how much money one has but rather what one does with it. Amos was preaching to Israelites who deliberately used their money and status to further their own estates at the expense of others. God hates it when unrighteous people oppress the poor (Deut. 24:10–15), so He could not be silent. His holiness demands that He punish sin, so Amos warned the Israelites that they would be taken away with fishhooks if they refused to repent (Amos 4:2). This is an allusion to exile, for the Assyrians often led captives away from the lands they conquered using ropes and hooks through the captives’ noses and lips.

Evidently, the Israelites thought that their zealous worship would give them a pass for oppressing the poor (vv. 4–5). Amos reminded Israel, however, that God had long been showing His ire toward the people through famines so severe that there was no food to dirty the teeth at all, droughts, disease, invasions, and more (vv. 6–11). Israel took none of these warnings seriously, and its time was running out (vv. 12–13).

John Calvin comments on today’s passage: ‘How little the pretense of good intention avails with God, which hypocrites ever bring forward.’ The ancient Israelites thought that the Lord would be patient with their evil as long as they worshipped fervently. They were wrong. So, too, are we wrong to think worship is enough without a life of repentance. If we do not live a life of repentance, our worship is hollow and displeasing to God (Rom. 12:1).

John 12:2-3 — Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.

This should be a familiar scene, Martha serving Jesus while Mary sat with the Lord. Remember the first time this took place as recounted in Luke 10?

• Luke 10:38-42 — Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

The primary difference in the two stories is Martha’s heart toward service. In both events, Martha served while Mary sat, but previously Martha served resentfully, anxiously, and pridefully, comparing her effort to Mary’s lack of effort. Martha’s attitude ruined her fellowship with the Lord and with Mary, and Martha ultimately presented Jesus with a complaint rather than a humble, loving, gift of service. Martha didn’t share Jesus’ heart of grace and, therefore, was out of fellowship with Him, much like the older son who lacked the father’s heart of grace towards the younger son in the parable of the prodigal son. (Luke 15) However, today Martha serves Jesus without complaint.

Jesus changes hearts. Interestingly, Luke doesn’t record this second meal between Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and Jesus, but John does. Perhaps because John appreciated firsthand how Jesus transforms resentful hearts into loving hearts. Remember, Jesus had nicknamed John a ‘Son of Thunder’ because John had suggested Jesus call down fire from Heaven to consume a Samaritan village which denied them lodging. (Luke 9:51-56) However, after walking with Jesus for three years, John became known as the “Apostle of Love,” and John wrote about love more than any other Biblical author. John even described himself as “The disciple whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23; John 19:26; John 21:7) Jesus transformed prideful, resentful John into humble loving John.

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. (2 Corinthians 13:5) How has God changed your heart? A good test is how you serve others. Do you serve others joyfully and peacefully without concern over reward or fairness, or do you find yourself resenting what others aren’t doing or the lack of recognition you receive from others? Does your service make you anxious and hinder your fellowship with God and with others? Or are you overjoyed to give people what they don’t deserve so you can display the grace of God to them?

• Matthew 5:41 — And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
• Luke 6:35 — But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
• Ephesians 6:5-8 — Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.
• Hebrews 12:15 — See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled….

John 12:3-8 — Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

God sees beyond words and deeds, judging the motives and the hearts of people. Judas claimed concern for the poor for selfish reasons. From his selfish, unloving position, he criticized Mary’s act of worship as impractical and wasteful. However, Jesus understood the intentions of her heart, to worship him. When Jesus says to Judas, “the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me,” I think he is saying much more than just “you can take care of the poor later.” I think he is saying that the poor remain, not because a lack of resources, but rather because a lack of love, love first for God and then for others. Mary understood that love starts with God and flows from God. We have no real love to give others unless we are abiding in Christ, and the love of Christ is flowing through us. Many people give to charities, not to love God and others, but rather to feel righteous or to get some sort of credit. How many charities have you seen named after a person rather than named to glorify God who provides everything? These self-centered philanthropic activities do provide some relief to people in need, but not only does the self-centered giver remain without “credit” from God, but these superficial efforts fail to address the root cause of the issues causing the need – sin. The heart of man’s problem is the problem with man’s heart.

• 1 Samuel 16:7 — But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
• 2 Chronicles 6:30 — …then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind,
• Proverbs 21:2 — Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
• Isaiah 29:12-14 — And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read. And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”
• Jeremiah 11:20 — But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.
• Matthew 15:19 — For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
• Mark 7:21 — For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery….
• Romans 10:10 — For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
• 1 Corinthians 4:5 — Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
• 2 Corinthians 5:12 — We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.
• Ephesians 6:5-7 — Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man….
• Hebrews 4:12 — For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• Hebrews 10:16 — “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds….”

John 12:24 — Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

From Henry T. Blackaby – “Some things must die in order to be productive. Certain seeds will not germinate into a plant unless they freeze during the winter. Jesus knew that His death would bring salvation to the world.

The moment you became a Christian, your sinful nature died (Rom. 6:6), but there remained sinful aspects of your character that had not gone to their graves willingly. Before you became a Christian were you self-centered? You may discover selfishness lingering in your life when you ought to be freely sharing what you have in the name of Christ (Matt. 10:8). Did you have a volatile temper? Now as a believer, you experience moments when anger wells up within you. Were you driven by ambition? You may still find yourself with the same motivation as you strive for recognition and position in the kingdom of God.

If these sinful attitudes are allowed to remain alive, they will stifle the fruits of the Spirit. Your temper may prevent some from coming to Jesus. Your selfishness will hinder you from being a blessing to those around you. Your ambition could cause you to use others to meet your goals. Your family may be suffering because of some areas of your life that you have never allowed Jesus to put to death. It is futile to say, ‘But that’s just the way I am!’ That is the way you were. But that person died with Christ; you are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Allow God to complete His work in you and see what fruit your life produces.”

Though you are a new creation, you still have many sinful habits which are ingrained in you and need to be eliminated from your mind and even your body, your subconscious responses to circumstances and people. As Paul describes in Romans 7, “sin… dwells in my members.” (Romans 7:23) The Bible encourages us to “be transformed by the renewal of [our] mind[s]…” degree by degree as we “set our minds” upon the Lord’s will, gazing upon the glory of the Lord, and setting our hopes full on the graces that will be to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18; Mark 8;33; 1 Peter 1:13). Today, scientists are identifying some of the internal processes the Bible describes – “New techniques are finally allowing neuroscientists to decipher the neural mechanisms that underlie our rituals, including defining our so-called habit circuits—the brain regions and connections responsible for creating and maintaining our routines. The insights from this work are helping neuroscientists to figure out how the brain builds good habits and why all of us seem to struggle with breaking habits that we do not particularly care for, as well as those we are told to stop by doctors or loved ones. The research suggests that by deliberately conditioning our brain, we might be able to control habits, good and bad. That promise springs from one of several surprises: that even when it seems we are acting automatically, part of our brain is dutifully monitoring our behavior.” (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-brain-makes-and-breaks-habits/) Scientists are dutifully searching for ways to help people condition their brains out of bad habits, perhaps even with the aid of medications or medical procedures, but secular science will always fall short because it can only observe the physical environment and fails to account for the essential ingredient of spirit, which must be “alive” and controlled by the Spirit for us to have “self-control,” which is a product (or fruit) of the Spirit, not ultimately of will power, which has no power to will what it doesn’t really want. (Galatians 5:22) As long as we live for self, we will be controlled by selfishness, which wants what it wants when it wants it. When we attempt to fight self with self, self loses by winning. When we live for Christ, the Spirit empowers us to overcome self into Christlikeness. Yes, we still need to work on our habits, and we can learn some things from science, but we do this by abiding in (living in, remaining connected with and directed by) Jesus. Jesus is the Way. There is no other way to becoming who you are intended to be and to achieve fulfillment, joy, and contentment.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 16 November 23: Pray that God will strengthen the love, grace, joy, and peace you bring to serving others.