Tag Archives: Jesus

G*d’s Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity, Messiah, Savior

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on May 13, 2015
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Temptation – Rev. David J. Schreffler

May 13, 2015 – “T” is for Temptation

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Matthew 4:1-11

It is difficult to know how to translate the Greek words peirazo (4:1) and the more intensive ekpeirazo (4:7). Should they be translated as “to test” or “to tempt”? One of the things biblical scholars will do is to look how the word(s) is(are) used elsewhere in the Bible. For example, in the LXX the word is used to describe God testing people:

“God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son” (Gn 22:1).

“When God rained bread from heaven, God asked that they gather only enough for that day. “In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not” (Ex 16:4).

Here is how Brian P. Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources describes in his commentary:

“Why does God test people? One reason is given in Dt 13:3b: “for the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you indeed love the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.” A slightly different reason is given in Dt 8:16: “to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good.” On one hand, I don’t like the idea of testing that will do me good, but on the other hand, I have an appointment for a test at the doctor’s office. The reason a doctor prescribes tests is for the good of the patient. Perhaps the reason for Jesus’ “testing” in the wilderness is given its best expression in Dt 8:2-3 (v. 3 is quoted by Jesus in answer to the first “test”):

“Remember the long way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

There is this positive side of peirazo and ekpeirazo — they refer to a test. Generally when teachers or driving instructors or doctors give tests, they are not trying to flunk the testees, but to help discover what they know and what they can do. This is one way of looking at “being tested by God.” God wants Jesus/us to pass the test — to prove our abilities to God and to ourselves. “Peirazo” and “ekpeirazo” can also have negative connotations: “to tempt” or “to try and cause someone to make a mistake” or “to try and cause someone to sin”. At the same time that God is “testing” to discover the depths of one’s faithfulness, the “Tempter” may be “tempting” someone to sin. God’s purpose is to strengthen faith. Satan’s purpose is to weaken faith.”

We will always be tested in our faith, and tempted to sin. It is the human condition – we are tested and tempted each and every day. We rely on the Spirit to guide us through our temptations, and we rely on the Spirit to lead us not only into the valley experiences of our lives, but through and out of them as well.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on May 10, 2015
Tags: , Jesus, ,   

I Chose You – Rev. David J. Schreffler

May 10, 2015
Sunday

“You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” John 15:16 – 17

“One of the most unnerving parts of this passage is Jesus’ assertion that he has chosen the disciples to do the work of God, to bear fruit. He is clear about this: “you did not choose me but I chose you”. There is a giftedness about this verse. We received something we did not create, go searching for, or earn on our own. It resembles the glorious feeling of being asked to be someone’s spouse, best friend, beloved; the chosen-above-all-others. If we ask, “Whose name is on this gift?,” the answer is, “mine!” But there is also responsibility attached to this election of the works of fruit bearing. Not only are we to do it, but we are to bear “fruit that will last.”

What does that mean? Obviously, some ‘fruit’ does not last. Short-sightedness, impetuosity, selfish interests masked as the work of the Church, raw ambition disguised as false humility in the service of God: the list is long and everyone can knowingly add to it through observation of the fruits that rot rather than last.”
Susan Hedahl (commentary on John 15 — Workingpreacher.org)

“Fruit that rots rather than lasts.” Can you imagine that there is fruit in the church that stinks? Could people actually look to do things in the church that are not really fruity, but rots from the inside out – rotten from the core? I have seen and smelled the good things of the church, I have seen and smelled the rotten. And just like one rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel, so can one member, who is rotting because of disbelief, pride, anger, revenge, or coveting………. can cause their own rot, and pass that rot onto others. I have spoken of the relationship that Paul speaks to that the followers of Christ must function – as the body of Christ. If one part of the body has become sick, or dysfunctional, it will affect the entire body. We can use the barrel of fruit and one rotten one in the same analogy. There is nothing we can do to be fruity – the fruits of the spirit come in the relationship we have in Christ. But there is a lot we can do to become rotten to the core.

Through Jesus Christ, by being baptized into Christ, G*d has chosen us – we have not chosen Christ — and just knowing that we have such a gift should bring us joy. Therefore, the fruit that we have is not our own as well – they are gifts from G*d. When this reality becomes fully known, then we strive to live in the manner of the state of Grace that defines our lives – sharing that fruit with others — and that, as Jesus says, will make our joy complete.

Pastor Dave