Silent Christ

~ Is Silence The Same As Denial? ~

The Scripture  ~  “But He [Jesus Christ] answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us’  …  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’” (Matthew 15:23, 25).

The Setting  ~  Usually we find Christ quick to hear every sincere request from anyone in need.  What is going on here?  But in this passage He did not respond but remained silent as if He hadn’t heard her.  In a rather bold move she persisted and asked a second time!  In this case, He heard but did not respond.  Where was His compassion?

The Scenarios  ~  Why did our Lord not respond?  Did He not care?  Was He unable to help her?  Was He simply exhausted and too weary to respond?  Was He consumed with His own approaching sorrows of the Cross?  Was He testing her faith?  Did He desire that she develop greater resolve and strength?  Was He setting the scene for even greater blessing than she could have imagined?

The Summary  ~  God works out everything in the life of a believer for their ultimate good and well-being (Romans 8:28).  The verses above, as the case is for all Scripture, needs to be considered in context.

“Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’  But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’  But He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.’  And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.’ Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire.’  And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (Matthew 15:21-28).

the key question: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).  This is the most important question you will ever answer.  If you do not answer it, or answer it incorrectly, you have made the biggest mistake anyone can make!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

If you found this post personally interesting or helpful, you are welcome to add a link to it on your own blog or website. 

If you would prefer to copy this post, please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight (http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/).

Messiah, 179

~ Messiah, The Only Savior, Would Be From God ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me.  ‘Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other’” (Isaiah 45:21b-22). 

The Messiah  

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).  “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.  This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12). 

~~~ EXPLANATORY “MESSIAH” NOTES ~~~   

(1)  Each Saturday ALN posts an example of a Hebrew Scriptures prophecy (or foreshadowing) related to the coming Messiah which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(2)  While extensive it will not be a complete list—there are hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah which have been fulfilled by one man—Jesus Christ at His First Coming.

(3)  It is important that there are many more prophecies of the Messiah, yet unfulfilled, which Christians believe will be fulfilled at the time of His Second Coming.  A particularly relevant Scripture verse in this regard is: “Do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

(4)  These posts will typically consist only of Scripture—which speaks for itself.  Sometimes italicized or bold font will be used by ALN for emphasis.

(5)  The numbering of these fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah is used to differentiate individual posts. It is not chronological (either by time of the prophecy or by sequence in the life of the Messiah).  The posting sequence will, for the most part, be in the order that the prophecies appear in Scripture.

(6)  Because of the chosen methodology (#5 above) we will find many specific prophecies repeated multiple times throughout the Scriptures.

(7)  These serial posts are in addition to our regular Tuesday ALN postings on random topics.

(8)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

If you found this post personally interesting or helpful, you are welcome to add a link to it on your own blog or website. 

If you would prefer to copy this post, please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight (http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/).

The Whole Spool

~ Threads of Truth Are Only Part of the Spool of Truth ~

Some people tend to treat the Bible as a kind of divine rabbits foot. Others use a small portion of Scripture to prove a point.  Neither of these is God-honoring.

Mystical Use  ~  There is a well-known story about the man who used his Bible like a fortune cookie or crystal ball.  Each day he would flip the Bible open and wherever his eyes landed he would take the first verse he read as his word for the day.  One morning following this daily procedure the first thing he read was “he put his household in order and hanged himself” (2 Samuel 17:23).  This was confusing to him so he decided to break his pattern and give it a second try.  This time he read “Jesus said unto him, ‘go and do likewise’” (Luke 10:37).   Enough said about the mystical, or rabbit foot, approach to interpretation of God’s Word.

Proof Texting  ~  Many times this comes about when someone believes something strongly and either searches out or stumbles across something that they feel proves their point.  There have been well-known personalities who built their entire ministries based on a small portion of scripture.  Some of the more widely known such individuals have ended up disillusioned and out of the ministry.

The Anecdote for Both  ~   One of the most basic principles of hermeneutics (the theory, techniques, and practice of interpretation) is that “Scripture interprets Scripture” which is violated when mystical or proof texting is utilized.  Another key principle of interpretation is considering the context of the particular passage.  There are other critical principles involved to correctly interpret the Word of God.

Paul’s Example  ~  Paul in his exhortation to the elders at the church in Ephesus stated, “For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27).

Jesus’ Example  ~  While on earth Jesus frequently quoted from the Scriptures.  He referenced portions throughout many parts of the Scriptures.  He used Scripture to explain the Word of God—both Himself, the Living Word, and His Words which would form the Gospels in our New Testament.  His life and His ministry were built on the entire Word of God.  May I, tongue in cheek, use a proof text, “go and do likewise.”

remember:  If there is a thread of Truth attached to what you read or hear it will always be connected to the whole spool of Truth.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

If you found this post personally interesting or helpful, you are welcome to add a link to it on your own blog or website. 

If you would prefer to copy this post, please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight (http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/).