Back to the relationship

As promised, we return this week to discussing the relationship we share with our God. First a little point of note. I have been reading lately a “text book”, the title of which is Understanding The New Testament by Kee and Young (c. 1957 by Prentice Hall Inc.).

The first couple of chapters of the book do a wonderful job of setting the stage for the New Testament, in other words what the world was like during the dawn of the age we are now living in (AD as opposed to BC). Being a bit of a history buff (a bit of an understatement) I found this first part of the book riveting. The book spoke a lot on the political climate of the world our Savior was born into, and the traditions of the community of the Jews. After the stage is set, the book begins to discuss the foundation of the gospels that have become the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The book points out one subject that I think is important to note.

That subject is the nature of the gospels as we know them. The book mentions that it is entirely possible that the books (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), may not in fact have been penned by the hand of the disciples for whom they are named. It was not uncommon in those days for a student to write on the teachings of their master and using the master’s name as the actual author. It would make sense that in a time when copyright and plagiary laws did not exist, that one may write under the name of whose teachings they were sharing. Another thing the book points out that I feel is important to note is that the gospels were probably written well after the death of Christ, so it is possible that some of the wording may have been “modernized” to suit the times in which they were written. This point is mute as the message of the gospels is what has been given to us as divine instruction from God, not the words or authors.

As is often the case when I get ready to post one of these studies, the Lord gives me some new motivation or insight into the topic I wish to share. In this case, as I was praying for the words to share with you all this week, I began reading the chapter regarding the teachings of Jesus. I know I would have read that chapter eventually anyway, I just tend to find nothing lately as coincidental, everything just seems to fall into place. The Lord grants me the ability to write in a way that people can understand, and the resources to insure what I write is factual. Truly He blesses me more each day.

The first thing I believe we must establish this week is what type of relationship is it that we are seeking with our God. Is it a father-child relationship? Or one that could be described as more of a king-servant relationship. The gospels allow us to believe both are possible. Often times the Bible refers to “the Kingdom of God”, this may lead some to believe that the relationship we share with our Lord is one of a servant to his king. Jesus teaches us often about the coming of the kingdom of God, but he seems to change tune a bit when discussing the relationship between man and God.

Whenever the topic comes up, Jesus seems more to lean towards the father-son relationship, and He takes time to describe that relationship, and what it should mean to us. Let’s turn to the gospel itself for examples. The first example we will look at is in the book of Mark chapter12 verses 28-34. As opposed to quoting word for word, I will encourage you instead to read them for your self, however, knowing that most people will not, I will offer a brief summary. In these verses Jesus is asked what is the greatest of all the commandments. His response is that the greatest is to remember that the Lord your God is the only God, and to love Him with all your heart and soul. He goes on to say that the second greatest is to love your neighbor. Jesus frequently does this. He goes above and beyond the question asked to deliver his message. In this instance He not only describes the greatest commandment, but also the second, and between the two, he stresses love…this would lean more towards the thought of God as a Father. After all, we serve a king, perhaps respect him, but the feeling we generally associate with a fatherly relationship is love. A king is a very political title, but father is more personal…the relationship we are to have with God is that personal one.

Another example can be found in the Lord’s Prayer (something I hope we all know well).
Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day, our daily bread
And forgive us our debts (or trespasses)
As we for give our debtors
Lead us not into temptation
And deliver us from evil
For yours is the Kingdom, and the power
And the glory forever. Amen
In this, the model prayer, we both refer to God as our Father in the literal definition, but again Jesus takes us a step further. We look to God much as we would a father figure. To provide for us our daily needs (bread), forgive us our wrong doings, help us to forgive others. Our father keeps us safe (deliverance from evil), and we hold Him on the pedestal generally reserved for a father…with power and glory.

So the relationship we seek with God is one that we may seek with a father. A father that loves us, guides us, protects us and provides for us. I do realize that in the present state of the world, this “fatherly” relationship may not apply in literal terms, but I believe the point is made. So how do we draw closer to God? How do we prove our love as children of the one Father?

As with an earthly father we are taught what is perceived by God as our love. It is largely through faith that we prove our love. Let’s look a little at the term faith. I would say it is safe to describe faith as trust, and in trust we humble ourselves before God. I know when I began this “ministry” I spent time in prayer simply saying, “God, my life is yours, I trust you will lead me safely through it. There is nothing you will bring on me that can’t be handled through you.” If we are to prove our love to God, we are to trust Him…whole heartedly, no doubts.
I heard this trust described much like the trust we have in a pilot on an airplane. At some point in the flight the pilot will announce that the plane has reached it’s cruising altitude, and we are instructed to sit back relax and enjoy the flight. At that point, what do we do? Do we go to the cockpit and attempt to fly the plane ourselves? No. We sit back and enjoy the flight, we trust in the pilot’s ability to bring us to our destination safely. So Christians all over the world reading this today…sit back and enjoy the flight, the pilot knows the way.

In closing we will talk on one more subject briefly…how do we know when we have found glory in the eyes of the Lord? We don’t. We must still spend every day seeking to please Him. There is no amount of faith or works that will guarantee we will see the kingdom of heaven. We can look again to the gospel for this example Matthew 20:1-16 shares with us a parable of Jesus’ that describes a group of workers in a vineyard. When the day is done, and all the workers receive their wages, they all receive the same wage. Those that worked an hour receive the same as those that worked the whole day. The gift of the kingdom is for God to grant to whom He pleases. However that being said, I stand by my conviction as stated in a previous posting that receiving that gift must be more than just a belief and a prayer of repentance on your death bed. I urge you as always my friends…live this life like eternity depended on it.

May our words be true, may our actions be purposeful, and may our hearts be pure. So that we too may walk in the way of whose name we pray, Jesus Christ. Amen.