It is common for people today to think that the words of Scripture are “malleable,” that is, able to be manipulated and interpreted in various and different ways, and therefore they insist that we must consider how our present cultural and personal experiences affect the way we are reading and thinking about the Scriptures... Moreover, since Yeshua’s words are likewise “elastic,” we ought to be tolerant and open-minded regarding different ways of understanding what he may have meant, even if these interpretations seem contrary to our assumptions...
Now this “reader-centric” hermeneutic, as it might be called, makes the hearer (or reader) the judge of what is meanful “to them,” rather than attempting to truly understand the original intent of the speaker... The problem with this approach is the skepticism it engenders, for it assumes either that we are unable to transcend our limitations to know the source message or it is a matter of indifference, but in either case the original meaning is not as important as how the reader chooses to “translate” the message in his or her own words. The truth of the Bible therefore is relative to how each person understands it...
Of course we should “follow peace” with all people, but that doesn’t mean we should undergo a “theological lobotomy” by doubting that true interpretation is possible. We can’t become “semantic nihilists” because language is grounded in the consensus of historical usage, and denying the shared (and public) meaning of words will lead you to the prison of a “private language” and solipsism (i.e., the idea that only your private self can be known). We should exercise empathy when listening to others, but we should not so open our minds that we lack any filter for truth. “Peace” sometimes means having the courage to disagree with others, especially when it comes to matters of ultimate concern.
When Yeshua said that he alone is the way to relate to God, for instance, and that he was God’s eternal spokesperson -- the One who was from the beginning and who upholds all things by the word of his power -- he didn’t invite hairsplitting over the meaning of his words. Nor did he encourage his listeners to quibble or interpret what he was saying in light of their present circumstances. On the contrary, he boldly said he was the truth of God manifest and that our response was to receive that truth by recognizing his authority.
There is something more basic than human reason that is definitive, and that is the will, or rather what the heart chooses to believe. Reason provides the way of establishing right relationships and logical order between our beliefs, but it is not the final authority. Logic is a matter of formality, but truth is gained by apprehension and revelation. Truth is something encountered and then reason may be employed to interpret its significance and relation to other things. We do not need to first understand in other to believe, but the other way around: we come to believe and then reason negotiates the implications of our faith.
Of course after we decide to believe something, there are further questions that may be asked about it, and the urgency of these questions will correspond with the relative significance of what is believed, so that, for instance, believing (or encountering) Yeshua will lead to “faith seeking understanding” that affects the entire soul, since the subject matter is of ultimate concern... The decision to believe in Yeshua is the first step of the walk with God.
The genuine disciple of Yeshua will read the Scriptures to test the heart, to convict of sin, and to present the counsel of divine light. The Holy Spirit quickens the heart to discern truth and guides the believer on the path. The “dialog” of the heart with God is an ongoing commitment, a life and death relationship with the Lord that is “bekhol levavkha,” with all your being...
Consider the person who turns to God for “accidental” reasons, however, perhaps from emotional impulse or for selfish concern. He may have been easily “converted” and may be quite “upbeat” and sunny about the way of faith. Such an “enthusiast follower” may be attracted to what Jesus can do for him, or he may be impressed with the music, liturgy, and other “signs and wonders.” He may also be looking to emend or improve the quality of his life, to reach his personal goals, or to experience a sense of belonging in a community. Whatever the motive, if things don’t go as hoped, however, this person may become disillusioned, jaded, and eventually turn away from the faith.
The way of true discipleship, however, accepts that “it is through much tribulation that we enter into the kingdom of God” and the disciple is therefore willing to persevere despite present sorrows. God knows the beginning from the end, but we are “somewhere in the middle...” We are told to “count it all joy” when we are tested and undergo trials, for this forms steadfast faith, and God invites us to ask for wisdom to endure our journey.
“Enthusiast followers” may also be excited about certain charismatic teachers they hear about. These usually are attractive and self-assured people, exuding a sense of success or “victory” over the tedium of everyday life. They are “winners” more than “sinners” for Jesus, and they aim to share the secrets that will make you a winner too. Their ministry often draws large crowds by promising them that they can enjoy their “best life now” rather than teaching them to deny themselves, to take up their cross, and to surrender everything to God. There is nothing intrinsically wrong about having a charismatic personality, of course, but serving up false expectations is a dangerous business, especially when it comes to the care of the soul.
Was Yeshua a “charismatic” person? Well people were irresistibly drawn to him, but their motives were mixed and many regarded him with suspicion and scorn. He apparently was not especially good looking, nor was there a “regal air” about him that evoked honor (Isa. 53:2). He was an obscure person, a man of no reputation, without family connections in Israel that would set him apart. The disciples were draw to him because they believed the message of John and God had quickened their hearts. The leadership of Israel disparaged his message however, and “followed” him simply to keep an eye on a potential enemy of the establishment. The common people of Israel generally regarded him as a miracle worker, perhaps a prophet, though others regarded him as a curiosity or “circus attraction.” But there was no “halo” effect surrounding him. He didn’t shine with worldly glitter or have a dazzling smile that melted people’s hearts. When he was later betrayed, Judas Iscariot had to identify him with a special greeting so that the Roman soldiers could pick him out among the ragtag disciples.
God hides his face from the proud but reveals himself to the simple (James 4:6). What marked Yeshua was not what was on the outside but what was on the inside -- his heart, his character, and his great love. In a sense you had to close your eyes to see who Yeshua really was. Appearances can be deceiving, but despite his lowliness, poverty, and modesty there stood the Living God. Those given “ears to hear” were able to see the unseen. “Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior” (Isa. 45:15).
There are self-deceived “disciples” too. Lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God. They may think they have surrendered their lives to God, but they retain areas of their life as their own. Often these areas concern carnal comforts such as food, sex, and worldly entertainment, but the result is being “double minded” and unstable, half-hearted and fickle. And while it is an ideal to be fully surrendered to God, it is nevertheless the goal of a true disciple. It is a full time passion of the heart to walk with the Lord. It is “bekhol levavkha,” the great commandment itself. When Abraham heard the call of the Lord, he left everything behind and focused on the promise of God.
Are you ashamed of the gospel? Do you change your attitude or your language when you are with different groups of people? If you are among “liberal” or “alternative” believers, for example, do you loosen up and try to fit in with the crowd? If you are among skeptical unbelievers, do you shrink back in order to avoid embarrasment or offense? An honest disciple will be what they are without dissimulation or fear of others. They “set the Lord always before them” and are unmoved by the pressure of the crowd (Psalm 16:8).
Some people want to serve both God and “mammon.” They want to mix heaven and hell. They may regard themselves as “sophisticated” or “exvangelical” or “woke,” or “non-traditional.” They read books that patronize or belittle “traditional” Christianity. They may call themselves “social justice” warriors. It doesn’t matter what they call themselves since their labels are used to justify their love for the world. They laud themselves by “interpreting” the Bible with cultural sensitivity, but they redefine terms of faith and God’s moral law to suit their biases and preferences. They teach a different gospel based on human interest rather than on God. A true disciple, on the other hand, dies daily to the world’s allure and keeps attention on what is most essential. Seek first the kingdom of God and be rich toward the things of heaven.
Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? (Luke 14:28). We have to count the cost. What commands of Yeshua are you tempted to regard as “impractical” or hyperbolic? How about do not covet? Love your neighbor as yourself? Turn the other cheek? Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you? Rejoice when you are persecuted? Love the Lord your God above all else, and with all of your being? Give up all that you have? Take up your cross and follow me? Share the gospel message that Yeshua alone is the Savior of the world?
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” The difference in fate between these two groups had to do with whether they got beyond their selfish perspective and desires. “Inasmuch as you cared (or did not care) for one of the least of these, you cared (or didn’t care) for me.”
It’s one thing to say and another to do.... We all know this distinction. The gap is the measure of our hypocrisy, or at least the smallness of our faith. You can fool yourself. You can memorize Scripture, listen to sermons, read books, and so on, but faith is a verb more than a noun. It shows up in your actions. You are to be a “doer” of the Word, not merely a hearer.
That’s why Yeshua said, “If you continue in my word then are you my true disciples, and you will know the truth that makes you free” (John 8:31-32). “Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has will be given more; but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him” (Luke 8:18). Truth is not something “up in your head” but within your heart, and it shows up in your feet. It is a matter of the will more than the abstract intellect. It’s “subjective,” to use Kierkegaard’s term, meaning that it’s a passion of the inner life and heart, a hunger and thirst for the true meaning of your life. It has to do with your way in the world, the “how” of your existence, not the “what” of your circumstances. There can be no theology of real value apart from the fire of the heart, the passion to walk in its light.
There is a real danger to become a mere “professor” of the Bible, or a theologian who builds a castle in the air but lives outside its doors. And a professional minister is contradiction in terms. Serving God in a perfunctory manner, reciting creeds or performing liturgies as a matter of course can be spiritually dangerous. The same can be said for those who ritually recite prayers or believe that belonging to a particular denomination can save the soul... What is essential and the heart of the matter is whether Yeshua truly lives within you -- or not.
There are various risks about losing our “first love.” Habit can be destructive trance. We can take things for granted; we can grow indifferent and even bored with the things of God! We can think, “O I know that” and thereby dismiss what is being said. We can grow lukewarm; we can become theologically obese; we may yawn as we hear the gospel. “Jesus died on the cross to save you and wash away your sins...” O I know that! I learned that long ago as a babe. Well you may think you know what that means, but how does that truth live in your life? That is the central concern of a true disciple, after all, as Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Amen. Paul kept the message of the cross before his eyes: “For I determined not to know anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah and him crucified.” Paul understood that the gospel is the “power of God” to all who believe. Let us therefore not grow weary but press on in faith, looking for our future end and the blessing that abides with our Lord forever.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Psalm 25:8
טוֹב־וְיָשָׁר יְהוָה
עַל־כֵּן יוֹרֶה חַטָּאִים בַּדָּרֶךְ׃
“Good and upright is the LORD,
therefore he will teach sinners in the way.”
Psalm 25:8 Hebrew page (pdf)
This message came just at the perfect time. Thank you for helping clarify the real message of our precious Holy Messiah's Gospel.
Thank you for such a wonderful post of explanation and encouragement. I needed to read it as there are areas in my life that need attention. Bless you.